NPR 2012-02-19

 Syrian forces fired on mourners at a funeral procession in Damascus today. Activists 1 say at least one person was killed. Thousands had turned out for the funeral for three people killed by security forces yesterday. Activists say it was one of the largest anti-government gatherings 2 in Damascus since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began last March. 

 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she’ll travel to Tunisia next week to take part in a Friends of Syria meeting. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports pressure is mounting on the Syrian president to step aside.
 
After meeting Secretary Clinton at the State Department, the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had some tough words for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. 
 
“We are absolutely clear that President Assad should stand aside. You cannot kill your own people, you cannot be a leader and call this leadership.”
 
Secretary Clinton says a recent UN General Assembly resolution shows how isolated 3 Assad is. She says she’ll be talking with other so-called Friends of Syria to find ways to strengthen the opposition 4. Clinton acknowledges there are not many good options. As she puts it, this takes a large dose of humility 5. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington. 
 
A Moroccan man is in custody 6, accused of plotting to blow himself up at the US Capitol building. The FBI arrested Amine El Khalifi at the Capitol yesterday. Officials say he was wearing a suicide vest and carrying a gun and explosives that he obtained from people he fought were with al-Qaeda. Officials say he was actually dealing 7 with FBI agents, who'd been monitoring him for nearly a year. They say the gun and explosives would not have worked and no one was in danger. According to an affidavit 8, the man had told acquaintances that the US had declared a war on Muslims. 
 
A funeral is underway in Newark, New Jersey 9 for Whitney Houston. NPR's Allison Keyes reports the pop superstar being honored in words and in song. 
 
“After you’ve done all you can, you just stand...”
 
Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin brought the mourners at New Hope Baptist Church to their feet with a stirring rendition of the song "Stand". Houston's cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, thanked him. 
 
“This song means a lot to Cissy and meant a great deal to Whitney.” 
 
This church is where Houston began her 30-year musical career, and she sang in the choir 10 with her mother Cissy. The Rev 11. Joe Carter began the service by reminding mouners that Whitney Houston is the only one who could have brought the people here together. 
 
“With God's strength, we celebrate the life of Whitney Houston.”
 
Allison Keyes, NPR News. 
 
She was found dead last Saturday in a hotel room in Beverly Hills. She was 48. The cause has not yet been announced. 
 
This is NPR News. 
 
The Afghan government is reportedly using a new counter-infiltration strategy to read out rogue 12 soldiers and protect coalition 13 troops. From Kabul, Teri Schultz reports NATO's top military commander in Afghanistan is calling the measure unprecedented 14.
 
General John Allen, commander of NATO security force in Afghanistan, says while there are tens of thousands of cooperative interactions every day, more must be done to stop those few deadly occasions where Afghan soldiers attack their coalition partners. Now Allen says some 300 special agencts have been dispatched throughout the Afghan National Army and 500 more will follow.
 
“The intended course is to provide as much witness as possible as to what’s going on inside the ranks, but they are also training the Afghan troops to be looking for difficulties that may be emergent inside the ranks.”
 
Allen also wants Afghan military officials to start interviewing soldiers when they come back from home leave, about where they were, who they were with, procedures followed in the US armed services. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Kabul. 
 
Pope Benedict XVI welcomed 22 new cardinals 15 of the Roman Catholic Church today at a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. This brings to 125, the number of cardinals under the age of 80, who’re eligible 16 to select the next pope. 
 
State television in Iran reports a trial began in Tehran today in the biggest financial scam in the country's history. Thirty-two people are accused of using forged documents and bribes 17 to acquire billions of dollars. The television report says the top defendant 18 has been charged of being "corrupt 19 on earth", meaning he’s an enemy of God, a charge that carries the death penalty.