Ann Curry
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Brian Williams and I both anchor tonight's broadcast--he from Afghanistan, me in New York -- and this as the number of U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan reached 55 for the month of October, the highest in one month since the war began eight years ago. That's because today, bombs killed eight more troops.
And, just as alarming, is another reason why the toll is up: Experts say the Taliban now has bigger bombs and more powerful IEDs--more evidence the war is changing as the enemy becomes more radicalized.
Also tonight, we make sense of the confusion over where people can get H1N1 flu shots, the anger that boiled over in Chicago at banks lobbying against financial reforms, and get this: there is now a Broadway stage production of 101 Dalmatians--with real dogs.
The chuckling around Nightly News is over the fact that the correspondent who will bring us this story is Kevin Tibbles -- so do not be surprised if you see a graphic long desired by some among our ranks: "Tibbles 'n Bits."
Oh help!
See you tonight.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Yours truly in for Brian Williams tonight on this very tough day for Americans in Afghanistan. Fourteen people died, including some civilians, in two separate helicopter crashes--the worst during a raid on drug traffickers. Remember, the Taliban is funding their war with drug money. A firefight is reported, but the military says its preliminary investigation finds the helicopter was not shot down.
As our NBC News team just happened to videotape the troops on the mission earlier, our challenge now is to make sure these images are used informatively, and yet respectfully, given the loss of life. This is the kind of ethical dilemma that happens behind the scenes that can rip your heart out.
We have the first interview with New York Times reporter David Rohde on the broadcast tonight, in which he describes his recent, daring escape from the Taliban after seven months of captivity in the tribal areas, where presumably Osama Bin Laden is holed up. Scary place for Americans, and Rohde's story is something out of a movie. The crazy thing is, Google Earth can zero in on the exact area where he was held hostage.
Rohde also said something quite interesting as we think about the way forward in Afghanistan.
DAVID ROHDE: "I saw the contradiction that exists in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. You know, one Afghan lied to me and kidnapped me. Another Afghan, you know, helped me escape. So, it's--it's really a question of sorting through the complexities. And backing the right Afghans. But there are courageous Afghans and Pakistanis who--who are fighting the Taliban. And want to help us fight the Taliban.
NBC News: So, it is on them, then, that the U.S. would have to rely to win?
DAVID ROHDE: Yes. It's finding more effective ways to back moderate Afghans and Pakistanis. They exist. And we have to find better ways to help them.
This, it would seem, hits the administration's dilemma square on the head, as it weighs the war strategy there.
On that point, President Obama talked about the crash and said he "will never rush" choosing whether to send US troops to war, referring to his upcoming decision about whether to send additional troops to Afghanistan.
There is other news, including new information about what those two Northwest Airlines pilots say they were doing in the cockpit that caused them to miss landing at the Minneapolis airport; what's taking so long for the swine flu vaccine to become more widely available; and a cool story about a dentist working to organize free dental care for children around the country.
As a girl raised poor enough to not always get to go to the dentist when she had a toothache, I am pretty glad about that.
See you tonight.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
In tonight for Brian Williams, and can offer you an interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, conducted over the weekend in Zurich, during which she gives NBC News a rare glimpse into the intensity of the administration's internal debate over Afghanistan.
"What is going on in this analysis, is the kind of deep, stripped down investigation of assumptions," Secretary Clinton said, adding, "This process has certainly clarified for me, some of what we're up against. Kind of cleared away some of the mythology. And the presumptions."
She gave our news team the impression, that this war review is both intellectually challenging and emotionally intense, and that the wrangling was over the consequences of options that have not yet been made public.
Just Friday, White house spokesman Robert Gibbs said the President's final decision is still "weeks away."
We asked Secretary Clinton, given that in the weeks the President has already taken to conduct this review at least 10 US troops have died in Afghanistan, what is taking so long.
"Well, first of all, every one of those deaths...weighs heavily on all of us who are sitting around the table in the situation room.. When we make the decision and when we recommend to the President what we believe he should do, we're going to be all in," the Secretary said.
VIDEO: 'Eyes are wide open' in Afghanistan
Listening to her describe this struggle behind the scenes for the administration to present a united front now eight years into this war, Bill Cahir's face came into my mind. A former Senator Ted Kennedy aide and a journalist, Bill at age 34 suddenly joined the marines as a grunt, though he had the college degree to be an officer. His wife Renee told me he joined because he felt America needed him to step up. Like the 68,000 other troops now in Afghanistan, he had no choice but to put his faith in the hands of our military and political leaders.
Trying to put myself in their shoes, I imagine they must sometimes feel like sitting ducks, operating a strategy that will likely change, once their leaders to make up their minds. Bill was scared when he went to Afghanistan on his third tour of duty last summer, but Renee says his loyalty to his fellow marines and their mission made him go. He left having just learned his wife Renee was pregnant for the first time, and with twins.
He will never meet his twin girls. Bill died on the front lines of Helmand Province last August, one of more than 872 US troops so far who won't come home from Afghanistan alive.
"I think everyone's aware that we never, in the prior administration, as a country, gave sufficient attention to Afghanistan."
We can't turn the clock back. We can't recover those eight years. But during these eight months, we've learned—that we've got to be right about our commitments. And our expectations. Our military leaders are participating in these discussions. You know, one is at the table. One is on the video screen. Our ambassadors for example Islamabad and Kabul are participating."
My father, career military and a war veteran, would be glad the President is listening to all parties. But he used to say politicians shouldn't ultimately be in charge of wars, because they lack the personal war experience that is critical to show the way to peace.
With all due respect, Dad, I really hope you are wrong about that.
Secretary Clinton on Afghanistan and whether her role has been marginalized, the street fight over health care, and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in economics all will figure in our broadcast tonight.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Editor's note: The following are notes from today's press conference with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran.
AC: President Obama said, "The size and configuration of this facility is inconsistent with a peace program." How do you explain the size and configuration of this facility?
Ahmadinejad: "I don't think Mr. Obama is a nuclear expert. We have to leave it to the IAEA."
AC: In terms of the size of the U.S. facility, how about the size of that?
Ahmadinejad: "I haven't hear Mr. Obama say this. I have to take a look and think about it."
On Obama's promise of change:
Ahmadinejad:"Previous administrations did not respect other governments...but I think..if change is made, things will become much better...Good relations are in everyone's best interest."
Asked to respond to Israel's Netanyahu's showing of a map of Auchwitz before the UN General Assembly:
Ahmadinejad: "We principally don't recognize them."
Asked if Iran has any other nuclear facilities that it has not revealed.
Ahmadinejad: (Pause) "We are operating.. within the framework of the IAEA. There are rules and regulations. We follow the law...We did something well beyond what was required....This is a very ordinary facility and is only in its beginning stages. It is not a secret facility."
Ahmadinejad: (Directing his comments to Obama) "What business of it for you to tell us what do do? You are just another member state like any other state."
"This is a mistake (referring to comments from Obama, Sarkozy, Brown). They will be sorry."
Ahmadinejad also said, this is not how you enter negotiations, "this is not nice."
Ahmadinejad says he is "surprised" by President Obama's statements today.
He said under IAEA rules, you must notify the world six months before you intend to begin using the facility. He said he notified IAEA ahead of time, adding "We still have another year left."
"What we did was completely legal," he said. "The IAEA will come and take a look, this is nothing new."
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Man, I didn't ask Brian what he was doing on vacation, but I am hoping he's having a restful one, because it's a busy job keeping his chair warm.
The big story today is Scotland's decision to release one of the world's most notorious terrorists. The man convicted of bombing Pan Am 103, which killed 270 people in 1988--most of them Americans--walked out of prison and onto a waiting plane today to return home to Libya. He was released for "compassionate" reasons, the Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said. Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi is reportedly suffering from terminal cancer, and allegedly has just three months to live.
President Obama and his administration reacted today, saying, "We thought it was a mistake," and the U.S. then pressured Libya not to give this man a hero's welcome.
Here's the deal. Scotland knew its friend, the U.S., would not be happy. In fact, it was steeling itself for the backlash, which appears to be just getting started. Many families of the victims are furious.
All of which compelled me to ask on Twitter today, "Was it just compassion that made Scotland release the terrorist convicted in the bombing of Pan Am 103?"
The responses are mostly angry, even cynical:
"I have lost all respect for the Scotts. The man is a murderer,"
"I went to high school with three Syracuse students who died on that plane. Where was the compassion for them?"
"No. It was oil and politics as usual."
The Christian Science Monitor today does confirm an oil relationship between Libya and Britain: "UK-based oil company BP has been expanding its business and relations with Qaddafi's regime in recent years."
Still, watching videotape of Scottish Justice Secretary MacAskill, the man who made the decision, you get the sense he's a decent guy.
Here's how he put it:
"Compassion and mercy are about upholding the beliefs we seek to live by ... no matter the severity of the provocation or the atrocity perpetrated."
For better or worse, that is not an idea in sync with these times we live in.
Watch tonight, and judge for yourself what happened here, and what compassion is and is not.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Hope the overworked Brian Williams is getting in some good R and R, as yours truly helps keep an eye on the news of this day.
Breaking now: Federal prosecutors say a man tried to steal 130 million credit card numbers, in a conspiracy to pull off the largest case of identity theft in U.S. history, allegedly targeting 711 and grocery store customers. He's under arrest.
The President took on defense spending today, telling the VFW that defense spending for special interests has got to stop. There were protestors outside, including a few with pistols strapped to their legs.
"Health care coops" are emerging as an element in the President's health care plan, as the "public option" appears not to be gaining enough support. (If you are confused, we will explain tonight.)
In spite of threats, an unprecedented number of women are running for offices in Afghanistan, a country where only 10 percent of girls go to school. Will women finally get a chance there?
A new study finds that 23 percent of men and 9 percent of women ages 50-65 admit to binge drinking. And by "binge," they don't mean once in a while.
In a sign of the times, Readers Digest is facing bankruptcy.
The amount of H1N1 vaccine to be available in October will be dramatically less than predicted. We are trying to get to the bottom of why this is.
And U2 is too cool. Ok, that's not news. But get this, the band that once used concerts to tell audiences what was happening in the Bosnian war, has gotten a little good karma from a survivor of the war.
This last story reminds me that all the cruelties and injustices of our world are met with an equal measure of generosity and kindness eventually. Of course the more people care about the world, the sooner things will change.
By Ann Curry, NBC News anchor
Yours truly in for Brian Williams, getting to watch the brainiacs of Nightly News debate what to include in tonight's broadcast.
On the list:
-good and bad economic news which our financial talents are working to make sense of now, including what appears to be downside of the cash for clunkers program,
-stunningly hopeful news on pancreatic cancer, one of the toughest of cancers to survive,
-new exclusive video that may help investigators learn from the weekend's mid-air collision over the Hudson,
-the private wake that became public for Eunice Shriver, who set out to chance the world and did,
and Les Paul. The legend was 94 when he died today, but younger than all the rest of us. Google him and be amazed, and not only by the photo showing him playfully sticking out his tongue. Where would music be without his innovations in jazz, blues, rock 'n roll and pop? He invented the Gibson solid body electric guitar and the 8 track, if you can remember that. He gets our thanks for "How High the Moon," and no less than the Beatles, Keith Richards, and Tony Bennett were collaborators. To think he was born in 1915, lived through all the painful tumult of the decades since and still played gigs until the end.
What a cool example of how to live a good life. Tonight Ron Allen is going to let us see and hear him one last time.
by NBC's Ann Curry
Major news about Darfur:
Andrea Mitchell is reporting: "NBC News has learned President Obama will announce tomorrow (Wednesday) that he is appointing a special representative for Sudan," to deal with Darfur.
He is Retired Air Force Major General Scott Gration. A senior administration official says that Gration is a close personal friend, who first met then-Senator Obama in 2006 and traveled with him to Chad on a tour of refugee camps. Gration is the son of missionaries who grew up in the Congo and whose family was evacuated several times during successive crises there. He campaigned actively for Obama - even after having been on the Pentagon's Jt Staff during the Bush administration. Gration was in the Pentagon on 9/11 - and later served on the planning staff for the Iraq war. Most recently, he was CEO of the NGO "Millenium Villages."
Okay that's one impressive resume. So is Gration the man for the job?
Appointing an envoy to Sudan is what Darfur activists, most notably George Clooney, have been calling on President Obama to do. And the president's decision to do so comes just as some were just beginning to publicly question how the campaign rhetoric about Darfur measures up to the administration's muted response to the spiraling crisis.
Recently, in reaction to his indictment for Crimes against Humanity in Darfur, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir kicked 13 international aid agencies out of Sudan. He also threatened to force all foreign humanitarian groups out within a year.
If you could see what the survivors of Darfur's war are now enduring even with humanitarian aid, it would stop you cold. There are more than a million of them still in Darfur, forced by rape and murder and the burning of their villages into sad, desperate camps, where they survive on 800 calories a day, without proper homes in more than 110 degree heat. And they are dying by the thousands under these conditions according to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor.
NBC News | Ann Curry
Photograph for Darfurian refugees taken inside a camp building.
Is it really possible a new horror could be unleashed on these suffering souls?
As U.S. Envoy to Sudan, Major General Scott Gration can become a lifeline for people who have waited six years for one.
Many outsiders who have struggled to understand how to stop Darfur's tragedy are distracted by all the moving parts. They focus on the chaos that comes when any war lasts this long, on the many rebel groups it has spawned, and on whether global warming is to blame.
But they often fail to see it clearly and compassionately through the eyes of its civilian victims, members of three black African tribes. If they could, outsiders would see a people feeling threatened with extinction. And they would hear that the way to stop this tragedy is to make protecting civilians priority one.
General, they, more than anyone, are wishing you success.
Click here to see more videos and photos of Ann Curry's reporting from Chad.
by Ann Curry, NBC News
CHAD/DARFUR BORDER -- We traveled to the Chad/Darfur border with New York Times columnist Nick Kristof and actor/activist George Clooney, two men you might not guess have much in common, but both are smart and funny -- and care deeply about Darfur.
Today in a refugee camp on the Chad side, we found in one refugee camp, a school house named for the President Obama.
School house named after President Obama | Photo by: Ann Curry/NBC News
The students told us Obama made them believe anything was possible, that they could rise from the sands of this desert, where they don't even have shoes, and become anyone they wanted, maybe even a president. That these children, who are among humankind's most suffering living in one of the world's most hopeless places, could imagine such greatness... now that is the audacity of hope.
CONTINUED >>
Ann Curry is in Chad, covering a pivotal moment in the Darfur crisis: the International Criminal Court's upcoming decision whether to issue an arrest warrant for the Sudanese president. See her video from the TODAY Show here. She's also scheduled to report from the region on Nightly News tonight.
Ann Curry has been using Twitter during her trip. Here are some of her entries, including this moving photo:
--In one refugee camp, a boy sits down before me, his eyes full of suffering. Around his neck, the amulets that are supposed to protect him. (about 10 hours ago)
--Found Aziza and Khamus, Darfurian refugees who we profiled for Nightly two years ago. They are still waiting for justice and peace. (about 5 hours ago)
Click here to follow her on Twitter. See more of Ann's reporting on humanitarian issues on AnnCurry.msnbc.com and right here on Daily Nightly.
