11/12/2012
PRI’s The World: 11/12/2012 (Israel, Spain, Sweden)
How the resignation of David Petraeus as CIA chief, following his admission of an extramarital affair, may affect his legacy of success in Iraq. Also, Spain’s main bank association puts a temporary freeze on evictions. And, the retro beats of Sweden’s ‘The Amazing’.
The Mystique of David Petraeus: Were Tough Questions Brushed Aside?
Some journalists are starting to question whether their coverage of Gen. David Petraeus glossed over tough questions about his command of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Spencer Ackerman, a senior writer at Wired who covered Petraeus, says the media’s tendency to portray the general as “superhuman” is having serious consequences.
General Petraeus’s Positive Legacy
The Petraeus affair could have political and intelligence repercussions. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution.
Israel and Syria Exchange Fire
There’s long been concern that the conflict in Syria could spill over into neighboring countries. Monday, Syrian mortar shells landed in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The Israeli army says it fired back and scored “direct hits” on the Syrian artillery units involved. The World’s Matthew Bell is in Jerusalem.
The Origin of Veterans Day
Veterans Day marks the anniversary of the end of World War I on Novermber 11th, 1918. Mitchell Yockelson, a historian at the National Archives in Washington, DC, talks with anchor Marco Weman about why the first world war has been largely forgotten in the United States.
Help for Heroes: How A British Soldier Keeps Going
British Army Colonel David Richmond was wounded in Afghanistan. Four years after surgery to save his leg, he’s serving his nation again by helping disabled war vets get support and respect back home.
The BBC and the Language of Responsibility
Is the BBC’s huge well of public trust in danger of drying up? A veteran news anchor says its managers must stop speaking the ‘gobbledygook’ of bureaucratic jargon and start properly overseeing its output.
After Public Outcry, Spain Reviews Eviction Laws
Public outcry over evictions in Spain is prompting the government there to reassess how banks deal with the many Spaniards who can’t pay their mortgages. As The World’s Gerry Hadden reports, the suicide of a woman last week who couldn’t pay her debts helped changed the government’s stance.
Dutch Woman who Joined FARC to Participate in Peace Talks
This week in Cuba, peace talks will begin in earnest between the government of Colombia and the leftist rebel group, the FARC. Among the FARC leaders in attendance, one sticks out. Her name is Tanja Nijmeijer. She’s not from Colombia or even South America — she’s Dutch.
‘New’ House in England to be Made Entirely from Waste Materials
We’re looking for a British city where a cool recycling project is about to get underway. A team of architects and recycling experts is planning to build a house — entirely out of trash. The building site is in a city on the south coast of England in the county of East Sussex. Name that coastal city.
The Amazing: Sweden’s Supergroup from Stockholm
The Amazing have been dubbed by the Swedish press as a Swedish supergroup. Band members think otherwise, but they admit they’re all good musicians and great friends too.
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