If they accumulate enough uranium which is close to weapons grade, enough uranium which enables them to detonate one Nuclear Device to me is clearly a redline. Brown former Vice President al gore joins us to talk about his new book as well as money, politics and the future of democracy. The congress is virtually incapable of passing any reforms unless they first get permission from the powerful special interests. Woodruff do Americans Trust the federal government . Andrew kohut says a new pew poll shows the majority do not. Brown and ray suarez gets the latest on the chinese hackers who allegedly mounted a fourmonth cyberattack against the New York Times. Thats all ahead on tonights newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by moving our economy for 160 years. Bnsf, the engine that connects us. And by the alfred p. Sloan foundation. Supporting science, technology, and improved Economic Performance and Financial Literacy in the 21st century. And with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Woodruff former u. S. Senator chuck hagel faced a hostile reception today from half of the committee that must sign off before he can become secretary of defense. His Senate Confirmation hearing centered heavily on criticism from his Onetime Republican colleagues. The atmosphere was friendly enough at the outset as chuck hagel began his big day before the Armed Services committee. He quickly sought to allay concerns on both sides about his positions on everything from iran to israel to nuclear weapons. No one individual vote, no one individual quote, no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record. My overall world view has never changed that america has and must maintain the Strongest Military in the world. I believe, and always have, that america must engage, not retreat, in the world, but engage in the world. My record is consistent on these points. Woodruff but as a nebraska senator, in 2007, hagel angered fellow republicans when he opposed the surge of u. S. Troops into iraq. Today, his former close friend, arizona senator john mccain made clear, they havent forgotten. Were you correct or incorrect when you said that the surge would be the most dangerous Foreign Policy blunder in this country since vietnam . Were you correct or incorrect, yes or no . My reference to the surge being the most dangerous. Are you going to answer the question, senator hagel . The question is were you right or wrong . Thats a pretty straightforward question. I would like an answer on whether you were right or wrong, then youre free to elaborate. Well, im not going to give you a yes or no answer on a lot of things. Well let the record show that you refused to answer the question. Now please go ahead. Well, if youd like me to explain why. Id actually like an answer, yes or no . Well, im not going to give you a yes or no. I think its far more complicated than that, as ive already said. My answer is ill defer that judgment to history. As to the comment i made about i think history has already made a judgment about the surge, sir, and youre on the wrong side of it. And your refusal to answer whether you were right or wrong about it is going to have an impact on my judgment as to whether to vote for your confirmation or not. Woodruff florida Democrat Bill nelson came to hagels defense, asking the decorated vietnam war veteran how his experience in that war had guided his approach to iraq. I saw the consequences and the suffering and the horror of war. So i did question the surge. It wasnt an aberration to me. I always ask the question, is this going to be worth the sacrifice . Because there will be sacrifice. In the case of the surge in iraq, we lost almost 1,200 dead americans and thousands of wounded. Woodruff hagel has also been excoriated over his criticism of proisrael lobbying efforts, and Mississippi Republican roger wicker raised it again. You are here today as a you have suggested that there is an effective lobby out there, whether you call them the jewish lobby, the israeli lobby or the israel lobby, and that they succeed in doing dumb things through intimidation, and that u. S. Policy has been the wrong approach because the intimidation has worked. Ive already said, i regret referencing the jewish lobby. I should have said proisrael lobby. I think its the only time on the record that ive ever said that. On the use of intimidation, should have used influence, i think would have been more appropriate. I should not have said dumb or stupid, because i understand, appreciate there are different views in these things. Reporter South Carolina republican Lindsey Graham argued that hagels larger record on middle east policy is equally troubling. Do you believe that the sum total of all of your votes, refusing to sign a letter to the e. U. Asking hezbollah to be designated a terrorist organization, being one of 22 to vote to designate the Iranian Revolutionary guard a terrorist organization, being one of two on two occasions to vote against sanctions that this body was trying to impose on iran, the statements you made about palestinians and about the jewish lobby, all that together. That the image you created is one of sending the worst possible signal to our enemies and friends at one of the most critical times in World History . No, i would not agree with that. Because i have taken actions and made statements very clear as to what i believe hezbollah and hamas are as a terrorist organizations. If you had a chance tomorrow, today, after lunch, to vote to say that the Iranian Revolutionary guard was a terrorist organization. Would you still vote no . The reason i voted no to start with. Well i know why, you told me that. My question is would you reconsider and would you vote yes this time . Or would you still vote no . Times change. I recognize that and, yes, i would reconsider. Well, thank you, that is encouraging. Woodruff as for iran and its nuclear program, and the potential for military action against it. Georgia republican Saxby Chambliss asked whether hagel still supports direct talks with the islamic republic. I think the president has gone as far as he should go publicly on that. He said clearly, in his words, that he has israels back. He said his policy is not to allow the iranians to get a nuclear weapon. If in fact the military option is the only one required, i think were always on Higher Ground in every way, international law, domestic law, people of the world, people of the region to be with us on this, if we have tried and if we have gone through every possibility to resolve this in a responsible, peaceful way, rather than going to war. Reporter if hes confirmed, one of hagels first challenges could be tens of billions of dollars in automatic defense spending cuts, starting in early march. He warned today of serious harm, unless Congress Acts to prevent those. When you hang that kind of uncertainty over any institution, but especially the institution charged with National Security in our country, its very dangerous. Woodruff by days end, it was unclear exactly what hagels prospects are. Most of the senates 55 democrats are believed to back him. Only one republican has said publicly he will vote to confirm. Brown you can watch more highlights from chuck hagels confirmation hearings on our website. And still to come on the newshour Syrian Refugees escape to jordan; the iranian threat to israel; Vice President al gore on the future; a lack of trust in the federal government and chinese hackers hit the New York Times. But first, the other news of the day. Heres kwame holman. Holman the u. S. Senate voted today to suspend the nations debt limit through midmay. That lets the government go on borrowing to pay its bills beyond the current limit of 16. 4 trillion. Republicans and democrats supported the legislation, but both sides also complained about kicking the issue down the road. Ive had enough of it. The people of indiana have had enough of it. The people across the country have had enough of washington postponing real action on the most serious challenge facing our country namely the out of control spending into further deficit and debt. Obviously democrats would prefer a longer suspension of he debt ceiling which would provide additional Economic Security and stability as we continue to find ways to decrease the deficit. Raising the possibility that the u. S. Could default its obligations every few months is not an ideal way to run government but a short Term Solution is better than another imminent manufactured crisis. Holman the house already passed the bill. Without it, the government would default on its obligations as early as midfebruary. In economic news, americans personal income grew in december, by the most in eight years. But firsttime claims for jobless benefits were up last week. And on wall street today, the Dow Jones Industrial average lost nearly 50 points to close at 13,860. The nasdaq fell a fraction of a point to close at 3,142. Blinding snowfall and a slick freeway triggered a milelong series of crashes in detroit today. At least three people were killed and 20 more injured. The pileups left a section of interstate 75 littered with wrecked cars and bigrig trucks. The tangle involved some 30 vehicles, and halted traffic on the road for hours. In egypt, representatives from the countrys various factions made a rare show of unity today to denounce violence. The Muslim Brotherhood and secular parties met in cairo after rioting last week that killed nearly 60 people. The meeting was led by egypts top muslim cleric sheikh ahmed altayeb. The duty of the different political movements is to commit to the use of pluralism and differences in peaceful ways and to denounce the use of any sort of violence to achieve political ends. The only way to solve any problems and differences is National Dialogue without excluding any group. Holman the weeklong protests marked the second anniversary of the uprising that toppled president hosni mubarak. France today declared success in its threeweek military operation to rout islamist rebels in mali. Malian forces liberated the towns of gao and tiukitu ths week, and french troops now have occupied the airport at a third key city kidal. In paris today, the French Defense minister said his government is open to having u. N. Peacekeepers take over, with french support. Those are some of the days major stories. Now, back to jeff. Brown and we turn to two stories about conflict in the middle east. As the battle in syria between president bashar alassads forces and the Free Syrian Army or f. S. A. Rages on, thousands of refugees flood into neighboring countries. Jonathan miller of independent Television News takes us to a secret crossing point on the border with jordan on the outskirts of the syrian city of daraa. Reporter katiba jaber is a lonely place, exposed to desert winds that chill you to the bone. The border guard is ready for what the night will bring. gunfire the shooting started shortly after sunset. Those are close. The syrians fire at the jordanians every night but the jordanians dont fire back. And bashars forces shoot and shell the groups of refugees hiding somewhere down there in the darkness. Unexpectedly, a jordanian ambulance arrives. On board, four old people whod somehow become separated from their group. They may have been the target of the gunfire, but they made it. Just. Theyre exhausted. Theres a lot of shooting going on now. This old man and these few whove arrived here are a group of i think about 45 among a much larger group. You can here the shooting going on right now and there has been shellfire. Those down on the border must be utterly terrified. I went up to the watchtower. We werent allowed to film the night vision screen, but i was allowed to report what i could see. Ive seen a group of about 80 refugees hiding in a ditch behind a berm. Ive seen an f. S. A. Position and their commander and his vehicle. And ive seen three t72 tanks of the syrian army and several missile batteries. They know exactly where the refugees are and theyve been firing at them. The refugees are now on the move and are heading this way. We join the Reception Party and head down the hill towards the frontier. No lights. Were in direct line of fire. Theyre talking to the f. S. A. Commander. A deep ditch demarcates the border. Rebel soldiers are building a mud bridge. We could turn our camera light on now; here we were hidden from the known syrian positions. Out of the blackness, they emerged. Theyd run the gauntlet of their oppressor; now they were but a few short steps from safety. Behind them, a building blazes; hit by shellfire. This ditch was not the intended crossing point; pinned down by regime gunfire, the f. S. A. Had changed the plan. The final headcount for this group reached 149. They are now at the limit of endurance. Theyve been walking for hours, braced for instant death. The soldiers guide them the long way round and up the hill, out of sight of syrian forces. 3,000 syrians are entering jordan like this every night now; 24 crossing points like this, along a 250milelong frontier. 60,000 have crossed in january alone. Theyve made it to katiba jaber; lights, gas fires, water, food and shelter and a dawning realization that the terror is behind them. As they recovered, some sat quietly; some wept; others wanted to tell us what it was theyd run from. Haj zedan said theyd undergone a suffocating siege; no food, no sleep; just fear. Fawzia said they had died many deaths to get here. Then we met marwa. translated they went into the house of my husbands cousin and they burned him alive. Then they came to our house and set fire to it. My brotherinlaws clinic as well. They burned everything. Theres nothing left. Only destruction. I dont care. I just care about my children. Thank god, we arrived safely. Reporter marwas eldest son, mohammed, is ten years old. He talked matteroffactly of unspeakable depravity. translated a bomb flew into our neighbors house and the house exploded. Our neighbors head landed in our house. We were very scared. This family painted an apocalyptic picture of their hometown, bosra alsham an ancient city, now a scene of slaughter with even childrens corpses in the streets. translated everyone was today as we left bosra, they fired about 200 shells at us in just one hour. Everyone was dead. My husbands entire family was killed. There are burials everyday in bosra alsham. Sometimes six or seven, sometimes as many as 12. They are having to retrieve the bodies from the streets with ropes. Even now there are still bodies in the streets. I swear to god, when we left there were bodies littering the streets. Reporter but this long night was far from over. At 4 00 a. M. Another 358 syrians entered jordan at this same crossing. 14 of them were shot and wounded as they did so. In the small hours of the morning, marwa, mohammed and their family left with their fellowtravelers to begin a new life as refugees in jordans zaatrari camp, 18 miles, as the crow flies, from the smoldering ruins of their home. Woodruff syria and iran both vowed today to respond to israels reported airstrike yesterday inside syria. Meanwhile, iran declared to the International AtomicEnergy Agency that it plans to add new centrifuges to speed up urananium enrichment. Thats stoked fears in the west and israel that iran is closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon. Tonight, margaret warner, on assignment in the middle east reports on the growing debate within israel about how much of a threat iran really is. Reporter Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu strode on stage last week a chastened victor in parliamentary elections. His likud party bloc shaved by voters asking for a focus on Kitchen Table issues. Netanyahu had this answer. translated the first challenge is and will continue to be preventing iran from having nuclear weapons. Reporter israelis should have expected nothing less, says channel 10 defense correspondent alon bendavid. Netanyahu sees removing the iranian threat as his lifetime mission, as a historical mission; as if history has put him in this specific time and place to relieve the israeli people from the Iranian Nuclear threat. Reporter but that sense of mission drove a very public spat with president obama last fall over when irans program had to be stopped before it became impervious to attack. Netanyahu famously set the red line for israel at the u. N. The red line should be drawn right here. Reporter mr. Obama has pledged to prevent a Nuclear Armed iran, but hasnt laid out a red line of his own. Irans leaders should understand that i do not have a policy of containment. I have a policy to prevent iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The cooperation between our defense establishments is extraordinary. Reporter the u. S. And israel are working together with International Sanctions against iran, close intelligence cooperation and whats thought to be a Covert Campaign of sabotage. But tehran continues enriching uranium, which it insists is for peaceful Power Generation only. And monday tehran said it had launched a monkey into space, showing off the kind of missile prowess that could be