• 'Spirit of the Cold War': Russia says US diplomat was trying to recruit for CIA

    Ryan Fogle, a 29-year-old U.S. Embassy employee, was reportedly caught trying to recruit a Russian intelligence official to work for the CIA.  NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

    Anna Nemtsova, Robert Windrem, Alastair Jamieson and Erin McClam, NBC News writes

    Evoking the spy games of the Cold War, Russia said Tuesday that it had detained an American diplomat who was carrying cash, two wigs and technical equipment and was trying to recruit a Russian intelligence official to work for the CIA.

    Russia ordered the expulsion of the American diplomat, whom it identified as Ryan Christopher Fogle, third secretary of the political division of the U.S. Embassy. The State Department said only that an officer at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had been detained and released.

    American officials said they did not expect a rift in U.S.-Russian relations. U.S. officials are trying to improve those relations, and to persuade Russia to help resolve a civil war in Syria.

    FSB via AP

    Wigs and spy gadgets that the Russian Federal Security Service says were carried by American diplomat Ryan Fogle.

    Russia used stronger language, calling the matter provocative and in the spirit of the Cold War.

    A statement by the Russian Federal Security Service, the successor agency to the Soviet-era KGB, said that Fogle was taken to the service’s headquarters and then to the U.S. embassy after his arrest Monday night.

    The security service, known as the FSB, released to Russian media photographs of the American’s arrest and what it said were items he had with him, including the wigs, a torch, a compass and a wad of 500-euro notes, each worth $650.

    Russian television also displayed a letter it said was found on Fogle, printed in Russian and addressed “Dear friend.” The letter offered a $100,000 payment as “an advance from someone who has been highly impressed by your professionalism, and who would highly value your cooperation in the future.”

    The statement from the security service said that the U.S. had “repeatedly attempted to recruit employees of Russian law enforcement bodies and special departments” recently.

    The U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, was participating in a question-and-answer session on Twitter when the detention was announced. He was summoned to Russia’s foreign ministry, The Associated Press reported.

    Experts expressed surprise at the old-school nature of the alleged espionage, but they noted that intelligence-gathering had not stopped just because the Cold War ended more than two decades ago.

    FSB via AP

    In this photo provided by Russian Federal Security Service, a man claimed by the service to be Ryan Fogle is seen at the service's offices in Moscow.

    “If anything, it has increased,” said James Nixey, head of the Russia and Eurasia Programme at the British think tank Chatham House. “The methods have changed — or so we thought — because it’s more about industrial espionage and corruption these days.”

    Besides the diplomacy over Syria, there have been questions about whether Russia gave the United States enough information about Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the suspects in the attack on the Boston Marathon.

    Russian officials asked the U.S. for more information about Tsarnaev, who was born in what is now Russia and traveled to Russia early last year. Russia suspected that Tsarnaev was becoming radicalized, American officials have said.

    The FBI interviewed him in 2011 and turned up nothing, and when the FBI asked Russia twice for more information about its concern, Russia failed to respond, the American officials said. Tsarnaev was killed April 19 in a shootout with police.

    President Barack Obama later said Russia had cooperated since the attack but noted: “Old habits die hard. There are still suspicions sometimes between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies that date back 10, 20, 30 years, back to the Cold War.”

    The incident would not be the only intelligence blunder in Russia. Britain admitted bugging a Moscow park in 2006 by disguising a recording device as a big rock. The FSB saw a British diplomat picking it up and walking away with it.

    Related: 

    Full Russia coverage from NBC News

    Editor’s note: This story includes a correction.

    This story was originally published on Tue May 14, 2013 7:59 PM EDT

  • Pope says Vatileaks probe will stay secret, adding intrigue to final days

    Scotland's Cardinal Keith O'Brien will not attend the conclave to elect a new pope – on Monday he resigned after being accused of "inappropriate acts," the same day that Pope Benedict decided an internal report on the leak of papal documents by the Pope's butler would remain secret.  NBC's Anne Thompson reports.

    Erin McClam, Staff Writer, NBC News writes

    A potentially explosive report into embarrassing leaks from the Vatican will be seen by only two people — Pope Benedict XVI and the man who succeeds him.

    Italian newspapers have already angered the Vatican by suggesting that the report found evidence of corruption, blackmail and a gay sex ring, and that it triggered Benedict’s decision earlier this month to give up the papacy.

    The Vatican said in a statement Monday that Benedict, who commissioned the report on leaks from three cardinals, is the only person who knows its contents and will make them available only to the next pope.

    The pontiff also praised the cardinals for showing "the generosity, honesty and dedication of those who work in the Holy See," considering "the limitations and imperfections of the human component of each institution."

    Over the weekend, the Vatican took the unusual step of lashing out at the Italian press — accusing it of "unverifiable or completely false news stories" designed to influence the conclave that will pick the next pope.

    Father Thomas Reese, author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church," said that Benedict’s decision to keep the report secret was not a surprise.

    "The Vatican doesn’t like to do its laundry in public," he said.

    In any event, he added, the new pope could always decide to make the report public. Benedict’s decision simply gives him cover in case he wants to keep it private, Reese said.

    Slideshow: The life of Pope Benedict XVI

    Javier Barbancho / AFP - Getty Images

    Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Look back at his life from childhood through his papacy.

    Launch slideshow

    The pope ordered the report on what has become known as the Vatileaks scandal last year after documents became public that deeply embarrassed the church, including some of Benedict’s own correspondence and letters alleging corruption.

    Benedict pardoned the ex-butler, Paolo Gabriele, just before Christmas.

    The pope, 85, announced earlier this month that he would abdicate, the first leader of the Catholic Church to do so since the Middle Ages. His last day is Thursday. A conclave to pick successor begins next month.

    The decision to keep the leaks report secret adds a layer of intrigue to what has already been a tumultuous papal transition.

    Just Monday, the most senior cleric in Britain, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, resigned after The Observer newspaper reported that three priests and a former priest had accused him of inappropriate behavior going back 30 years.

    Also Monday, the pope changed Vatican law to allow his successor to be picked sooner — as soon as all the voting cardinals are in place in Rome. Under previous law, the conclave could not have begun before March 15.

    Related:

    Britain’s top cardinal quits amid priests’ allegations

    This story was originally published on Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:59 AM EST

  • Oscar Pistorius in court: Defense exposes cracks in police evidence

    In the second day of Oscar Pistorius' bond hearing regarding the death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, the Olympian described in detail what happened the night of her shooting. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports and former prosecutor Star Jones discusses the case.

    Rohit Kachroo, Michelle Kosinski and Alastair Jamieson, NBC News writes

    PRETORIA, South Africa -- Defense lawyers exposed apparent weaknesses in the police evidence against Oscar Pistorius Wednesday as a court heard more dramatic details of the night he fatally shot his girlfriend.

    The Olympic and Paralympic athlete stared fixedly at the floor, sobbing occasionally, as a senior investigator described the scene when officers arrived at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of Valentine's Day.

    Pistorius wore a black suit and blue tie on the second day of a hearing that will decide whether he would be bailed over charges that the shooting of 29-year-old law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp was premeditated.

    Dubbed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius maintains he fired into his locked bathroom in a panic over a possible prowler. However, prosecutors say he put on his artificial legs and stalked Steenkamp to the bathroom to kill her.

    Warrant Officer Hilton Botha, an experienced detective, testified that a witness heard shouting for an hour coming from the house shortly before the shooting.

    Another witness heard gunshots, saw lights on in the house, heard a woman screaming two or three times, then heard another few shots, Botha said.

    But under cross-examination, Botha admitted one of the witnesses was 1,000 feet away from the house at the time.

    Botha told the court that needles and testosterone were found in the athlete's bedroom.

    The double-amputee's defense lawyer Barry Roux disputed that claim, saying the substance was in fact a herbal remedy and that police had misread the label. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel also had to correct Botha when he initially called the substance "steroids." 

    Botha said Steenkamp's body was clothed and covered in towels, and that one bullet cartridge was discovered in the hallway of Pistorius' home, with three more found in the bathroom. A firearm was found on the shower mat.

    The investigator said he wanted to charge Pistorius with possession of unlicensed ammunition, according to Reuters.

    None of the phones found at Pistorius' house had been used to call police, Botha said.

    Stephane De Sakutin / AFP - Getty Images

    The floorplan of Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius' house, shown at a court hearing on Wednesday.

    The court heard a discussion about the layout inside of the detached house, in an upmarket, gated compound north of Pretoria.

    Botha said the angle at which shots were fired through the door of a locked toilet within Pistorius' en suite bathroom suggested the shooter had aimed specifically to hit somebody on the toilet.

    "I believe he knew she was in the bathroom," Botha said.

    The downward trajectory of the shots suggests Pistorius was wearing his artificial legs when he pulled the trigger, he added.

    However, there were gasps from Pistorius' family as Botha struggled to answer questions under cross-examination. Two female relatives glanced at each other and smiled.

    The defense said Steenkamp’s bladder was empty, consistent with having gone to the toilet, as claimed by Pistorius.

    It also emerged that Botha had prior dealings with Pistorius, having attended a 2009 incident at the house at which the athlete was arrested but not charged.

    There was laughter in the courtroom as Botha insisted there was a risk Pistorius would flee if given bail, despite skepticism from magistrate, Desmond Nair.

    As Wednesday's session closed, Pistorius seemed composed. The hearing resumes Thursday, but is expected to conclude by the end of the week.

    On the first day of the hearing, prosecutors and the defense presented clashing accounts of how and why Pistorius shot Steenkamp.

    A court statement from Pistorius denied "in the strongest terms" that he had deliberately killed Steenkamp, adding that the athlete was "deeply in love'' with her, according to Reuters.

    "I had no intention to kill my girlfriend," the statement said.

    Pistorius has hired his own high-profile forensic expert to analyze the police reports and post-mortem exam, South Africa news station ENCA reported.

    His defense team includes lawyer Kenny Oldwage, who previously won an acquittal for a driver accused of killing Nelson Mandela's great-grandchild in a 2010 accident.

    NBC News' Tracy Connor and Reuters contributed to this report.

    Related:

    Pistorius: I felt 'sense of terror' on night I mistakenly shot girlfriend

    Sportscaster: Pistorius was 'jumpy' about safety

    Mother of Pistorius' slain girlfriend: 'Why my little girl?'

     

     

     

     

    This story was originally published on Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:34 AM EST

  • Pope Benedict XVI, citing deteriorating strength, will step aside Feb. 28

    Mentioning no specific ailment other than 'advanced age,' Pope Benedict's parting came as a shocking announcement for many – except for the Pope's brother, who said he knew Benedict had been thinking about stepping down for months. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    Claudio Lavanga, Erin McClam and Alastair Jamieson writes

    Updated at 2:57 p.m. ET: Pope Benedict XVI shocked Catholics around the world Monday by saying that he no longer had the mental or physical strength to carry out his job and would become the first pope since the Middle Ages to give up the title.

    The pope, speaking in Latin, informed a small gathering of cardinals at the Vatican of his decision. The abdication will take effect on Feb. 28, and cardinals could gather as early as March to elect a successor.

    Benedict, 85, said later in a statement that the papacy required “strength of mind and body,” and that both had deteriorated in recent months. He said that he had made the decision “after having repeatedly examined my conscience before God.”

    The abdication closes an eight-year pontificate widely recognized as deeply conservative. The church also spent much of Benedict’s term grappling with sexual abuse scandals.

    The pope’s decision shot quickly through the dioceses of the world, and some of the 1.2 billion faithful — from laity to the very cardinals who were in the room — expressed profound surprise.

    “I’m as startled as the rest of you and as anxious to find out exactly what’s going on,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said on TODAY. “Except for prayer, I don’t know what else to do. I’ll await instruction with everyone else.”

    In an announcement that stunned Catholics around the world, Pope Benedict XVI revealed he will be stepping down from his position, citing failing strength. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports on his eight years as pope.

    Monsignor Oscar Sanchez of Mexico, who was at the Vatican for the announcement, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that the cardinals “remained shocked and were looking at each other.”

    President Barack Obama said in a statement that he and first lady Michelle Obama “warmly remember our meeting with the Holy Father in 2009, and I have appreciated our work together over these last four years.”

    Canon law says that the pope may relinquish his office provided that the decision is “made freely and properly manifested” — language to which Benedict appeared to allude in his statement.

    Because there is no one in the church higher than the pope to accept a resignation, the renouncement is technically an abdication.

    The last pope universally recognized to have abdicated was Celestine V, who was elected in July 1294 and gave up the job five months later after feeling that he was being manipulated by the King of Sicily and Naples. He was declared a saint in 1313.

    During a period of division known as the Great Western Schism, from 1378 to 1415, there were three rival claimants to the papacy. The legitimate pope, Gregory XII, abdicated to make way for an undisputed pope.

    Benedict’s abdication clears the way for the College of Cardinals to gather at the Vatican to elect a successor, a process in which the United States is expected to have unprecedented sway.

    The U.S. will have 11 votes, almost 10 percent of the electorate and the second-largest voting bloc behind Italy, which will have 28 votes. Germany, the home country of the current pope, will have six.

    It appears highly unlikely that an American will be elected Benedict’s successor. Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is considered a longshot for the job.

    The archbishop of New York, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, explains the "mixed emotions" he feels about the news that Pope Benedict XVI will resign on February 28, saying he feels a "special bond" with the pope.

    Among the cardinals mentioned as possible successors are Angelo Scola of Italy, Peter Turkson of Ghana, Marc Ouellet of Canada and Francis Arinze of Nigeria and Christoph Schoenborn of Austria.

    Cardinal Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, told reporters that the cardinals would be looking for an “articulate voice” for the church and would keep in mind Benedict’s tradition.

    “He has called all of us to focus on the spiritual mission of the church, proclaim the gospel and once again begin this personal relationship all of us are capable of having with God back to the foreground,” he told reporters at St. Matthew’s Cathedral.

    Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was elected April 19, 2005. He was the 265th pope and the successor to John Paul II, who had served since 1978 and was wildly popular among the faithful.

    Born in 1927, he had been conscripted into the Hitler Youth during World War II, but he never joined the Nazi Party, and his family opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler, Reuters reported.

    Ratzinger, before being elevated to pope, headed the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which oversees church doctrine. His strict approach to theology earned him the nickname “God’s Rottweiler.”

    NBC New Vatican analyst George Weigel gives his thoughts on Pope Benedict XVI's announcement of his resignation, and explains how a new pope will be selected.

    He sought to rekindle the faith of Catholics and bring them closer to the teachings of the church. He worried that too many had strayed, and said in 2005 that the parts of the world suffered from “a strange forgetfulness of God.”

    During Benedict’s papacy, thousands of people came forward to report that priests had raped or molested them as children and that bishops had covered it up.

    It was Benedict’s old office that dealt with abuse cases, yet Benedict never admitted failure himself or of the Vatican, and never punished bishops who ignored or covered up the abuse.

    “He could go around and minister to victims, which he did, and I think that was a brave and profound thing to do, but he couldn’t change the definitive elements of the Catholic Church that enable abuse,” said Michael D’Antonio, author of “Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal.”

    “He would have had to pick up the church and drag it into the 21st century, but you know he could have,” he said. “He might have died trying, the stress of that might have been even more profound, he would have faced tremendous intrigue and opposition but I suspect that instead he may go down in history as a caretaker, an interpersonally kind pastor who made no mark when he had the chance to.”

    Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League, said that Benedict had tackled the abuse problem much more aggressively than John Paul II, who he said had let the issue languish.

    “Nobody clearly did more to counter this problem in the Catholic Church” than Benedict, Donahue said. “I think history will treat him very well in terms of dealing with the problem.”

    Benedict continued the outreach to Jews of his predecessor, John Paul II, and was the second pope to enter a synagogue. His relationship with Muslims, however, was much more complex.

    He generated outrage among Muslims when, in 2006, he gave a speech in Germany and quoted a Byzantine emperor who had characterized some of the Prophet Muhammad’s teachings “as evil and inhuman.”

    Benedict also stirred an uproar in 2009 when, en route to Africa and discussing the AIDS epidemic with reporters, he said that the distribution of condoms “increases the problem” rather than preventing the spread of the disease.

    A year later, in an interview, he said that a male prostitute who used a condom to avoid passing HIV to his partner might be taking a step toward more responsible sexuality.

    James Salt, executive director of Catholics United, which claims 40,000 members and wants the church to focus more on social justice and poverty, praised the abdication as a “sign of humility from the aging Holy Father” and encouraged the church to reflect on the “challenges of this papacy.”

    He suggested that the church open itself to a pope from Latin America or Africa.

    Slideshow: The life of Pope Benedict XVI

    Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Look back at his life from childhood through his papacy.

    Launch slideshow

    NBC News staff writer Miranda Leitsinger, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Related:

    'Heavy heart but complete understanding': Pope's resignation stuns leadership

    Archbishop Dolan of New York: I'm startled, anxious at pope's resignation

    From prisoner of war to pontiff: A timeline of Benedict XVI's life

    US will have unprecedented voice in electing new pope

  • Putin signs law banning American adoptions

    Those already undergoing the costly process of adopting a child from Russia found out Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law barring any future adoptions, canceling the ones in progress. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.

    NBC News staff and wire reports writes

    President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday that bans Americans from adopting Russian children and imposes other measures in retaliation for new U.S. legislation meant to punish Russian human rights abusers.

    The law, which has ignited outrage among Russian liberals and children's rights advocates, enters into force on Jan. 1 and is likely to strain U.S.-Russia relations.

    As well as banning U.S. adoptions, it will also outlaw some non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. funding and impose a visa ban and asset freeze on Americans accused of violating the rights of Russians abroad.

    The law could block dozens of Russian children expected to be adopted by American families from leaving the country and cut off one of the main international routes for Russian children to leave orphanages that are often dismal. Russia is the single biggest source of adopted children in the United States, with more than 60,000 Russian children being taken in by Americans over the past two decades.

    The bill is retaliation for an American law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators and part of an increasingly confrontational stance by the Kremlin against the West.

    Related: Americans may lose right to adopt Russian children


    Putin said U.S. authorities routinely let Americans suspected of violence toward Russian adoptees go unpunished — a clear reference to Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler for whom the bill is named. The child was adopted by Americans and then died in 2008 after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. The father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

    Children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov on Wednesday said that 46 children who were about to be adopted in the United States would remain in Russia if the bill came into effect. On Thursday, he petitioned the president to extend the ban to other countries.

    Courtesy Thomas family

    John and Renee Thomas with their son, Jack, 7, who was adopted from Russia at the age of 3. Jack is hoping for his brother, Nikoly, now in a Russian orphanage, to join him in the United States.

    Would-be adoptive parents in the United States are left hanging by Putin's signing of the bill, which was passed by Russian lawmakers last week.

    Among them are John and Renee Thomas of Minnetonka, Minn., Kari Huus of NBC News reported. The Thomases have already adopted Jack, 7, from Russia. When they found out he had a little brother, they began the process to try to adopt him, too. The wait has stretched to four years, and now the adoption may be in danger. 

    "When Jack is asked about his family, he talks about his brother," John Thomas said. "He always asks, 'When is he coming home?' We just tell him we’re waiting for the call."

    More: Adoption of little brother caught in US-Russia spat

    UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children without parental custody in Russia, while only 18,000 Russians are now waiting to adopt a child.

    Russian President Vladamir Putin has said he'll sign a proposed law that would halt adoptions of Russian children to Americans. NBC's Duncan Golestani reports.

    The U.S. State Department on Thursday repeated its opposition to the Russian measure.

    "The welfare of children is simply too important to tie to the political aspects of our relationship," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. "Additionally, we are deeply troubled by the provisions in the bill that would restrict the ability of Russian civil society organizations to work with American partners."  

    Critics of the bill left dozens of stuffed toys and candles outside the parliament's lower and upper houses to express solidarity with Russian orphans. 

    An online petition urging the Kremlin to scrap the bill garnered more than 100,000 Russian signatures. 

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    More world stories from NBC News:

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  • US seeks 'durable outcome' in Gaza truce talks, Clinton says in Israel

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has undertaken the difficult task of helping to shepherd a possible ceasefire. Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, meanwhile, is playing a key role as an intermediary with Hamas, a group labeled by the U.S. as a terrorist organization. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

    NBC News staff and wire reports writes

    Updated at 4:50 p.m. ET: Following her arrival in Israel, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated at a press conference Tuesday that America's commitment to Israel's security is "rock solid," adding that "the goal must be a durable outcome that promotes regional stability and advances the security and legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians alike."

    "The rocket attacks from terrorist organizations inside Gaza on Israeli cities and towns must end, and a broader calm restored," Clinton said, adding that there are no substitutes for security and a just and lasting peace.

    Speaking in Jerusalem, Clinton also offered her condolences for those lost in the violence.


    "Our hearts break for the loss of every civilian, Israeli and Palestinian, and for all those who have been wounded and are living in fear and danger," she said, adding that she would work with Israel and Egypt on brokering a truce in Gaza "in the days ahead."

    Israel is prepared to escalate its offensive but would prefer a long-term diplomatic solution, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.

    "If there is a possibility of achieving a long-term solution to this problem with diplomatic means, we prefer that," he said in a public statement alongside Clinton.

    "But if not, I'm sure you understand that Israel will have to take whatever action is necessary to defend its people."

    Earlier, a Hamas official said a truce with Israel would not be reached Tuesday because the Israeli government had yet to respond to proposals.

    "The Israeli side has not responded yet, so we will not hold a (news) conference this evening and must wait until tomorrow," Ezzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas leader, told Reuters. "The truce is now held up because we are waiting for the Israeli side to respond," he added in a short telephone interview.

    A flurry of violence hit Gaza Tuesday as Israel bombed a Gaza bank and targeted the homes of militants. Hamas responded with more than 100 rockets. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

    Clinton landed at 9:51 p.m. local time in Tel Aviv, where she met with Netanyahu. Later, Clinton will meet with the President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah before heading to Cairo.

    A U.S. official stressed to NBC News that Clinton would not meet with representatives of Hamas, the Islamist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, largely because of its failure to renounce terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist.

    Egyptian officials said talks are ongoing to reach a truce in Gaza, although any agreement appears unlikely to address the long-term areas of disagreement between Israel and the Hamas leaders of the Gaza Strip, NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reported Tuesday.

    The expected "cessation of hostilities" will call on all parties to use maximum restraint, according to one former intelligence official familiar with the talks.

    Slideshow: Israel, Gaza violence escalates

    /

    Two sides exchange deadly airstrikes, rocket attacks.

    Launch slideshow

    Earlier Tuesday, President Barack Obama spoke to Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, who is seeking to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. 

    According to White House officials, Obama spoke to Morsi for the third time in 24 hours. Deputy National Security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama wanted to talk to Morsi before Clinton's arrival in Israel.

    Rhodes said Obama underscored the importance of Morsi working toward a de-escalation to the conflict in Gaza. He also commended Morsi's efforts to pursue a de-escalation and acknowledged Egypt's important role in the region's security.

    Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is attempting to bring about a ceasefire, or to prevent Israel from invading Gaza while convincing Egypt's president to pressure Hamas to stop firing rockets. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

    Rhodes said Obama emphasized the importance of a diplomatic solution, but said that rocket fire from Gaza into Israel must stop.

    Israel Defense Forces continued airstrikes overnight, and also said 39 rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel Tuesday in a message on its Twitter account.

    Since Israel launched its military campaign seven days ago in response to rocket fire, more than 100 people in Gaza and three people in Israel have been killed.

    Internationally, the main focus was on stopping the violence, and Morsi hinted at a possible breakthrough Tuesday.

    Speaking at his sister's funeral in Egypt, Morsi said the "aggression on Gaza" would end Tuesday. He made the apparently off-the-cuff comments in front of mourners who had come to pay their respects, but did not elaborate. Several journalists traveling with Morsi confirmed he made the remark.

    'Army must invade': In southern Israel, support grows for action in Gaza

    In Jerusalem, Netanyahu said Israel would be a “willing partner” in a cease-fire, but also issued a warning.

    He said if further military action proved necessary “to stop the constant barrage of rockets, Israel will not hesitate to do what is necessary to defend our people.”

    And Mohammed Deif, the new leader of Hamas' military wing, sounded a defiant note, saying that the movement was ready to fight and would not back down from its efforts to liberate Palestine.

    He was speaking in his first audio recording since the group’s previous top military commander, Ahmed Jabari, was killed in an Israeli airstrike Wednesday. Deif, who has survived several assassination attempts in the past, called for Hamas’ supporters to remain steadfast. 

    We are very scared': Egyptians fear being mired in Gaza-Israel crisis

    Related stories:

    Hamas says 'land war' would cost Israeli PM Netanyahu the election

    Key players in the Israel-Gaza cross-border conflict

    How Israel's 'Iron Dome' intercepts incoming rockets in Gaza conflict

    Israeli government websites under mass hacking attack

    'Difficult' situation

    It is unclear how much influence Clinton can have on the situation.

    “She is going to go out there to be in the region to have direct, face-to-face discussions with those leaders,” Rhodes said. “I don’t want to predict exactly what the outcome of those discussions will be. We all know how difficult this situation is.” 

    The White House thinks the leaders who are heavily involved in the region “understand what the best outcome is,” Rhodes added, but that a peaceful goal is only achievable “if Hamas takes action to stop what they’ve been doing.”

    An Israeli soldier and a civilian died when rockets exploded near the Gaza frontier, police and the army said.

    An Israeli air strike on two cars in the Gaza Strip killed six Palestinians Tuesday, while two children died in an attack in the north of the territory, local residents and medics told Reuters. 

    United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and said a threatened Israeli ground operation in the Palestinian enclave would be a “dangerous escalation” that must be avoided.

    Later, standing alongside Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Ban urged Israel to show "maximum restraint" and condemned rocket attacks on Israel.

    Also Tuesday, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby and the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia and Sudan traveled from Egypt to Gaza in an unprecedented move designed to show solidarity with the Palestinians, NBC News reported.

    US Embassy guard wounded
    Meanwhile, a man was arrested after he stabbed a security guard Tuesday at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, a police spokesman told Reuters. 

    The spokesman said the guard opened fire during the attack.

    Israel Radio said the attacker, who police said was armed with a knife and an ax, was wounded. 

    Oded Balilty / AP

    Israeli police officers detain a man who attacked a security guard at the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday.

    NBC's Shawna Thomas, Ayman Mohyeldin and Ian Johnston, and Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Mystery kidney disease decimates Central America sugarcane workers

    An inexplicable epidemic in Central America, where more than 16,000 people — mostly sugarcane workers — have died from incurable chronic kidney disease. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports from Nicaragua.

    Kerry Sanders and Lisa Riordan Seville writes

    CHICHIGALPA, Nicaragua – You won’t see a road sign pointing to “La Isla de Viudas,” or “The Island of Widows,” as it’s not the community’s official name. It’s a nickname born from a horrific body count. 

    In the past 10 years, it’s believed that hundreds, if not thousands, of residents of Chichigalpa — mostly male sugarcane workers — have died from chronic kidney disease, or CKD. That in a city of nearly 60,000, roughly the size of Ames, Iowa. 

    The mysterious and hidden epidemic, first highlighted by the Center for Public Integrity, has claimed thousands more lives across Central America. In El Salvador and Nicaragua alone, the number of men dying from the excruciatingly painful disease has risen five-fold in the last two decades. High rates of CKD also have been found in rural villages in India and among the rice paddies of Sri Lanka.

    Sacorro Mendez Flores, who lives in the “La Isla” district of Chichigalpa, remembers when her son first fell ill. Jorge Luis Silva didn’t look sick at first, but inside he was dying. His kidneys struggled to filter waste from his body, to no avail. Five months ago, Flores buried him. 

    “The same thing happened to my husband,” she said. “They both died the same.”

    Sacorro Mendez-Flores, surrounded by her grandchildren, holds a family photo. The resident of Chichigalpa, Nicaragua, lost both her son and husband to chronic kidney disease.

    Researchers are searching for answers about why this disease is ravaging not only the bodies of its victims, but the communities they leave behind. 

    The illness spreads
    More than 20 million Americans aged 20 and older have chronic kidney disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In developed countries like the U.S., CKD often goes hand in hand with obesity, diabetes and hypertension. With treatment, including dialysis and kidney transplants, many with the disease survive. 

    The CKD plaguing parts of Central America, however, is something scientists have never seen before.

    “It affects people who don't have diabetes or hypertension, which are the usual risk factors for chronic kidney disease,” said Sasha Chavkin, a CPI reporter who has covered the mysterious epidemic for several years. “No one can figure out what it is that's making all these people sick.”

    Slideshow: Mysterious malady fells sugarcane workers

    Estbean Felix / AP

    Workers in Central American sugarcane fields are dying of chronic kidney disease at an astonishing rate and experts are unable to say why.

    Launch slideshow

    “It comes at great social, economic and humanitarian cost,” said Dr. Daniel R. Brooks, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Health who is leading a research team looking for the cause of the epidemic. “These are working-age people who are being struck down, and whole communities are really hurt and devastated by this disease.” 

    And with little or no access to the life-saving treatments available in the developed world, a CKD diagnosis is often tantamount to a death sentence. 

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    “Where we stand right now is that ultimately this disease is not treatable in this community,” said Nate Raines, a researcher with the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine Global Health program, which is collaborating with two organizations in Nicaragua on research independent from the Boston University group. “What we need to do is find the cause. That's the only way to really help the health situation.” 

    Many in Chichigalpa believe that the root of the disease lies in chemicals sprayed in the sugarcane fields while men are working, or seeping into the water supply. A spokesperson from the sugar industry says the chemicals used are standard fertilizer and are not used to excess.  

    Science, so far, points to a more complicated answer. 

    'Markers' of kidney damage found
    The research team from the Boston University has linked the disease in Central America to strenuous labor, dehydration and environmental conditions in which chemicals may play a role. That theory was supported by the group’s most recent study, which found “markers” of kidney damage in adolescents as young as 12 in affected communities. 

    Thousands of miles away, research in Sri Lanka’s affected communities also indicates chemicals may play a key role in the illness devastating communities there.

    As reported last month by the Center for Public Integrity, the country’s health ministry and World Health Organization announced in June that a years-long study had identified chemicals thought to be an essential cause of the disease: cadmium and arsenic. Both are heavy metals found in fertilizers and pesticides that can cause an array of health effects, including the type of kidney damage ravaging communities in Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.

    While most of those tested had lower levels of the toxic elements than officially designated as dangerous by the United Nations, researchers believe that long-term exposure, likely through the food chain, may explain the high incidence of CDK. 

    Why are thousands of sugarcane workers dying from chronic kidney disease each year? Sasha Chavkin, of The Center for Public Integrity, discusses the search for the cause of this mysterious epidemic.

    The findings, due to be officially released in October, represent a potential breakthrough in the research about CDK worldwide, including the epidemic in Nicaragua. 

    Researchers in Central America have not pinpointed a chemical cause. But the new research on adolescents indicates the kidneys of those going into the fields may already be damaged, making the long days and repeated dehydration in the fields potentially deadly. 

    Some experts also suggest that sugarcane workers may also unwittingly be harming themselves as they struggle to stay hydrated while cutting up to 11 tons of cane a day by hand.

    For a refreshing pick-me-up, they occasionally slice a stalk of cane, peeling back its “bark” and sticking it in their mouths, where it produces a sweet sugary liquid. 

    But investigators now wonder: Could that constant flow of sucrose, combined with 90-plus degree temperatures and severe daily dehydration, be a deadly cocktail that slowly brings on CKD? 

    “We believe high amounts of sugar solutions may not cause much kidney damage,” said Dr. Richard Johnson, head of the division of renal disease and hypertension at the University of Colorado, Denver. “But under certain circumstances, such as dehydration, we’re concerned the sugar may actually be toxic in causing damage to the kidneys.”

    The sugar link
    Whether or not sugar consumption plays a direct role in causing the Central American form of CKD, activists say it is a thread that connects the disease to its northern cousin.

    In the U.S., rampant sugar consumption – Americans eat an average of 22.2 teaspoons of sugar per day according to the American Heart Association—drives many of the diseases linked to CKD, including diabetes and hypertension. 

    And with recent steep increases in the price and demand for sugar, more people are working longer hours in the sugarcane fields of Central America. In 2011, the U.S. imported 330,000 metric tons of raw sugar from Central America, or nearly one-quarter of total raw sugar imports that year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

    “Not only is the production of sugar killing people, but the consumption of it is killing people,” said Jason Glaser of La Isla Foundation, a nonprofit group he founded to focus attention on the epidemic and fund research that he hopes will solve the mystery. “It's bad for you and it's bad for workers.” 

    The sugar industry, however, rejects suggestions that it is causing the epidemic of CKD among workers at its mills and plantations.

    “We are not responsible for it,” said Mario Amador, a spokesman for the sugarcane industry. “We’re working to find a solution.”

    He also blames the workers themselves, saying they drink too much alcohol. “It’s part of our culture,” Amador said. “It’s part of the things we do in our country. Poor people do it a lot.” 

    Amador also speculated that active volcanoes in the region could have contaminated the water supply. But he admits he does not know why so many have died from CKD.

    No matter what the research finds, Central America is unlikely to curb its cane production anytime soon. The world market for sugar is strong, and the industry receives direct help from abroad. 

    The International Finance Corp., the private-sector arm of the World Bank, has provided loans of more than $100 million to promote production and biofuel in Nicaragua in recent years. Though the loans went to two plantations whose workers have been heavily affected by kidney disease, they were approved without formal consideration of the disease because the IFC did not find a link between the cane fields and CKD, according to the Associated Press. 

    After workers complained about the loans, the IFC helped to negotiate an $800,000 donation to sponsor the ongoing Boston University study, the Center for Public Integrity reported. The money was provided by Nicaragua Sugar Estates Limited, a major sugar producer in the west of the country, part of more than $4 million it has committed toward research and community development in recent years.

    Waiting to die
    But for many in Chichigalpa, the results of the research – whatever they may be – will come too late. 

    Like most of the men in this community, Maximiliano Lopez, spent years in the fields cutting sugarcane. He began at 5 a.m., when the air was cool, and continued to work as the sun beat down, sometimes logging 14 hours a day. Then he was informed he had CKD.

    In his own words, Maximiliano Lopez describes an average day in the life of a sugarcane cutter and how he's coping with the chronic kidney disease that he expects will soon kill him.

    Even after his diagnosis, which bans him from working in the fields or at the mill, the muscular 32-year-old said he used a friend’s identification to return to cutting cane. Nicaragua is the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, he explained, and many workers continue to work the harvest after being diagnosed with kidney disease because it is the only work they can find. 

    “A lot of people do it out of necessity,” Lopez said. “They have a big family and they're the head of the household, so even if they're sick, you have to find work to support your family.” 

    But, as Lopez and other cane workers eventually discovered, short-term survival may mean leaving behind the families that they labored so mightily to support.

    “I began working there to earn a living and instead I earned death,” he said. “I’m just waiting for the day to come.” 

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