NPR 2009-11-14

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From NPR News in Washington, I m Craig Windham.

Attorney General Eric Holder¹ says the self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and 4 co-defendants will be tried in a federal court in New York city, not far from Ground Zero. Holder says although the cases will be handled by civilian² prosecutors³, the standards of justice applied⁴ will be stringent⁵.

“We will prosecute⁶ these cases vigorously. These were extraordinary crimes and so we will seek maximum penalties.”

But the decision to move the trial to New York is being criticized by some Republican lawmakers including Virginia Congressman⁸ Frank Wolf.

“I think he should have been tried at least on a military base, before a military commission. But I think he should have been tried outside of the country, because I think once you bring him in, once he touches down on United State's soil, nobody knows where that takes you.”

 Wolf says Mohammed will have more rights in federal court than American military personnel who face trail in the military court system.

President Obama says he will make his decision soon about whether to send additional US troops to Afghanistan. NPR’s Scott Horsley reports Mr. Obama is pledging to spell out the reasons for the choices he will make.

President Obama has met no fewer than eight times with military and diplomatic advisors⁹, trying to find a way forward in Afghanistan. He says he is closing in on a decision about whether to send more troops to the region. But before putting young people in harm's way, he says he wants to make sure doing so would make the US safer. “I recognized that there have been critics of the process. They tend not to be folks who, uh, I think are directly involved in what's happening in Afghanistan.” The president spoke¹⁰ after a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister. Japan this week pledged 5 billion dollars in civilian aid to Afghanistan. Scott Horsley, NPR News, with the president in Tokyo.

Army Psychiatrist¹¹ Nadal Hasan who's accused in the deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood¹², Texas may be paralyzed from waist down. NPR s Wade¹³ Goodwyn has more.

Major Hasan's Lawyer John Galligan told the Associated Press Friday that his client says he has no feeling in his legs and the doctors say the condition may be permanent. Hasan was shot multiple times by Fort Hood police officers last Thursday as Hasan allegedly went on a killing¹⁴ spree at the Soldier Readiness Medical Center. The psychiatrist was charged with 13 counts of pre-meditated murder and faces the death penalty. Wade Goodwyn NPR News, Killeen, Texas.

Utility crews in Virginia were clearing fallen tree limbs today in an effort to restore power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The electricity was knocked out by the remnants of tropical storm Ida which have triggered flooding today along the East Coast.

Just before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 75 points at 10, 273.

This is NPR News from Washington.

The US trade deficit¹⁵ increased more than expected in September, up to 36.5 billion dollars in part because of rising oil prices. The gap between the value of exports and imports jumped 18%.

The Food and Drug Administration has ordered the makers⁷ of caffeinated alcoholic¹⁶ beverages¹⁸ to prove the products are safe. FDA Deputy Commissioner¹⁹ Dr. Joshua Sharfstein says the agency has received complaints that the beverages can cause risky²⁰ behavior and injury. The concern they are expressing is that the caffeine, uh, stimulates²¹ people to drink more.  Sharfstein says if the beverage¹⁷ firms do not make a convincing case, the products could be banned.

Two computer programmers have been charged with helping²² Bernard Madoff cover up his massive investment scam for years. NPR’s Adam Hochberg has that story.

The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges²³ the pair provided technical expertise²⁴ to Madoff, helping the firm produce thousands of pages of false trading records and other documents. Prosecutors said they helped cover up the investment schemes for 15 years and sometimes were paid to keep quiet. Madoff was sentenced this summer to 150 years in prison for spearheading the operation. Madoff's assistant and his accountant have also pleaded guilty to crimes in connection with the scheme. Adam Hochberg, NPR News.

The world's largest cruise ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Florida today, sounding its horn as it entered Port Everglades from its maiden²⁵ trans-Atlantic voyage. The Oasis²⁶ of the Seas is 5 times larger than the Titanic²⁷ was. It has 16 decks and can accommodate 6, 300 passengers. The vessel²⁸ will begin its first cruise in early December.

I am Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.