CNN / New America Foundation
Vice president, director of studies and fellows programs and the international security program at the New America Foundation; national security analyst for CNN and adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University; author of The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader and Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden--from 9/11 to Abbottabad
San Bernardino Gunwoman Pledged Her Allegiance to ISIS On the day she and her husband killed 14 people and wounded 21 more, Tashfeen Malik went on Facebook to pledge allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. That’s according to federal law enforcement officials. Peter Bergen is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation and national security analyst for CNN .
Seymour Hersh Dismantles US Narrative of bin Laden’s Death We all know the official version of Osama bin Laden — shot to death by US special forces after being hunted down to a hideout near the military town of Abbottabad in Pakistan. A new account of what really happened to Osama bin Laden is being denounced by the White House for "too many inaccuracies and baseless assertions." But the author is legendary investigative reporter Seymour Hersh, and it's attracting a lot of attention. In the London Review of Books , Hersh claims bin Laden was not hiding at all — but held captive by the Pakistanis until they sold his location for money.
Arab Intervention in Yemen and US Airstrikes in Iraq Saudi Arabia has begun a bombing campaign against the Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen, backed by all but one of the other Gulf States and with logistical and intelligence support from the United States. The US has bombed ISIS forces near the Iraqi city of Tikrit . In the aftermath of the so-called "Arab Spring," instability is producing more violence in a troubled region. We hear from a reporter in the region and security analysts in the US.
Is the US Failing at Tracking Right-Wing Extremists? One year ago, the Boston Marathon bombers killed four people, including a policeman as they tried to evade capture — a death toll roughly similar to this week’s killing of three at the Jewish Community Center in Kansas. But there are many differences between the two incidents, including the amount of news coverage. Peter Bergen is National Security Analyst for CNN and a Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation.
Crunch Time for Reforming the NSA Since Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency tracks every American phone call, President Obama has been under pressure. In a speech Friday, he'll try to balance demands for privacy against the rule that, when it comes to acts of terror, intelligence agencies can't be wrong — even once. But, while the NSA claims its massive collection of "metadata" has made America safer, both a White House panel and independent research are suggesting otherwise. We look at the President's options, including increased oversight by the courts and Congress and limits on the who, when and why of NSA spying.
Is Torture Endorsed in 'Zero Dark Thirty?' The US Senate Intelligence Committee has yet to release its findings about the use of "coercive techniques" -- which many call "torture" -- in the search for Osama bin Laden. But Committee members, after examining millions of pages of evidence, say "waterboarding" was not the key. A new film incorrectly suggests that it was, according to one unpaid advisor to the filmmakers. Roughly the first half hour of Zero Dark Thirty depicts the abuse of the detainee, strung to the ceiling, beaten, deprived of sleep, forced to expose himself to a female agent and waterboarded. Peter Bergen is CNN 's national security analyst and author of two books that were drawn on by the writer and director of the film.
Update on the Cargo Plane Bomb Plot Officials in the United States and Britain are saying two highly sophisticated package-bombs were headed to the US from Yemen. The bombs traveled on four planes, two carrying passengers, until they were intercepted in Britain and Dubai. But how did a Saudi informant know enough to tip-off intelligence agencies? We hear about the bombs, airport security and the politics of Yemen.
The Latest on the Cargo Plane Bomb Plot Officials in the United States and Britain are saying two highly sophisticated package-bombs were headed to the US from Yemen. The bombs traveled on four planes, two carrying passengers, until they were intercepted in Britain and Dubai. But how did a Saudi informant know enough to tip-off intelligence agencies? We hear about the bombs, airport security and the politics of Yemen.
Jihad: from Somalia to Minnesota Two naturalized American citizens of Somali descent have been indicted in Minnesota. The charges include providing support for terrorists and conspiracy to “kill, kidnap, maim or injure” people in foreign countries. Federal authorities say they're just part of a major investigation which became public on Monday of this week.
Jihad: from Somalia to Minnesota Some 20 American citizens, some with middle class aspirations, have joined a terrorist group in their native Somalia. Two have been shot dead, one a suicide bomber, and at least 15 others have disappeared. Two more have been indicted in federal court in Minnesota, charged with providing support for terrorists and conspiracy to “kill, kidnap, maim or injure” people in foreign countries. Federal authorities say they're just part of a major investigation which became public on Monday of this week. Will Somalia be a breeding ground for international terror? Is al Qaeda exploiting a failed state? Will other naturalized Americans be vulnerable to militant Islam?
Two Camp Fire survivors share their stories KCRW speaks with two residents of Paradise, Calif., where the Camp Fire destroyed thousands of homes and killed dozens of people. Susan Fort’s home still stands. Natalie Carmichael was able to escape with her dogs but lost everything else.
California catastrophe The fires rage on in our own backyard, and in Northern California, encompassing tens of thousands of acres each. In L-A and Ventura Counties, the Woolsey Fire has scorched everything in its path. To the north, in Butte County, the Camp Fire has charred and destroyed even more acreage, of trees, brush and everything else, north of Sacramento, and the town of Paradise is a scene of utter devastation and heartbreak.
