Warner and Staff Sergeant robert bales was sentenced to life without parole in the massacre of 16 innocent afghan civilians. We get details of both military court outcomes. Woodruff and in a separate military case the army private found guilty of giving troves of highly classified information to wikileaks now wants to live as a woman, chelsea manning. Ray saurez examines the legal and cultural questions connected with this story. Warner mark shields and rich lowry analyze the weeks news. Woodruff and we look back at Robert Macneil questioning the reverend Martin Luther king, jr, on the fight for civil rights. On nbcs meet the press just three days before the 1963 march on washington. All of these barriers must be removed before the negro can even begin moving up the highway of freedom in all of its dimension. Woodruff thats all ahead on tonights newshour. Major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. And friends of the newshour. This program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. And by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Warner president obama expressed heightened concern about the situation in syria in his first extended remarks about the possible use of poison gas by the syrian government. His comments came as the humanitarian crisis there hit what the u. N. Called a shameful milestone. And a warning, some viewers may find images in this story disturbing. The president said today that wednesdays alleged chemical attack outside damascus, which killed between 500 to more than a thousand men, women and children, was quote, a big event of grave concern. That starts getting to some Core National interests that the United States has, both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region. Warner but in an interview with cnn, mr. Obama also sounded notes of caution about the u. S. Taking immediate military action against the syrian regime. If the u. S. Goes in and attacks another country without a u. N. Mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether International Law supports it, do we have the coalition to make it work, and, you know, those are considerations that we have to take into account. Warner u. N. Inspectors were already on the ground in syria when wednesdays rocket attack occurred, investigating allegations of previous Chemical Attacks by syrian president bashar alassad. Today syrias key ally, russia, joined an International Chorus calling for assad to grant those u. N. Inspectors access to wednesdays site. In south korea, u. N. Secretary general ban kimoon called for a thorough, impartial and prompt investigation and said that those determined responsible would be held accountable. Any use of chemical weapons anywhere by anybody under any circumstances would violate International Law. Such a crime against humanity should result in serious consequences for the perpetrator. Warner back in the region, twin car bombs exploded outside two mosques in the northern lebanese city of tripoli, near the syria border, killing at least 27 and leaving hundreds more wounded. The syrian conflict has reignited sectarian tensions in lebanon, as well as strained the small countrys resources as hundreds of thousands of syrians seek safety within its borders. With more than 700,000 registered refugees, lebanon is home to the most displaced syrians. But both jordan and turkey have accepted about half a million refugees. And egypt and iraq are each hosting more than 100,000. With the completion of this pontoon bridge over the tigris river, iraq in particular has seen a dramatic influx in recent weeks. The u. N. Says the total number of Syrian Refugees from the morethantwoyear conflict is now approaching two million. Today it announced that the number of syrian children whove been forced to flee their country has reached a new milestone. Last year around this time we had 70,000 syrian refugee children. Today we have reached one million and that tells us something about the escalation of this crisis and the problems warner at the zaatari refugee camp in jordan home to 130,000 displaced syrians some of those children said they just want to go home. translated all i wish is that syria could become peaceful again. Thats all i want, for the trouble to stop. This Time Next Year i hope everything goes back to normal, to the way it used to be. translated i want to return to syria to live in peace and to go back to school. I want to be able to play with my old friends again, just like before. I want our country to be safe, safe enough to live in and for it to be prosperous again. Warner it is believed another two million children have been displaced inside syria. For more on the impact of the syria conflict on the millions forced to flee particularly the children im joined by unicef spokesperson sarah crowe. Shes been to the syrian refugee camps, as well as other unicef supported camps around the world. Sarah crowe, thank you for joining us. One million kids, syrian kids now refugees. Put that in context for us. What percentage of syrian children have been driven from their holmes . Well, its a staggering number. Just imagine a city like boston or washington or los angeles without children, without its childhood population. Not only is this robbing syria of a new generation. Its also becoming a burden, as you heard in those pieces earlier, for the neighboring countries. Its engulf ago this crisis is now engulfing an entire region. This is not just about numbers. Each one of those children represent a child with with dreams, a child who had an education, and is now facing a life, for at least the short term, shortterm existence, without schooling. What we have in many of the refugee areas and jordan, for instance, in the zaatari camp, and in the Host Communities, is were providing temporary schooling. But its not enough. There are thousands of other children who are just simply falling between the cracks, and many of the older children, its much harder for them. All the boys are full of resentment and anger and aggressive. They want to go back and fight in many cases or, indeed, theyre being recruited. And many of the teenaged girls face early marriage as their families are now facing a life in poverty. Theyre now in a refugee camp. Thats no life for any child. And theyve seen things that no child should ever have to witness. Warner is there something particular or unusual i mean, war is always dreadful for children. Is there something unusual about the impact the syria conflict has had on syrian children . A comparison of their life before, for example. What struck me and what you heard earlier in the clip that you played is that theyre extremely articulate children and also very well educated. Syria had about 85 of its Primary School children were in school, and now, if you look at one town like aleppo in syria, only 6 of those children are now in school. So this gives you this gives you a comparative feeling of what it was like then and what it is like now, and the longer this conflict goes on, the greater the chance of a lost generation. These children are losing out in so many levels, so many areas. What were able to do is give basic needs are met, immunization campaigns, vaccinations, water and sanitation is trucked into these camps. And, of course, the Host Communities themselves need to be supported, and those children in those Host Communities are also vulnerable. So we need to look at immunizing those children which we cotogether with the host governments and the Host Communities. Warner what impact does this have over long term . I mean, some of these children ive been to some of these camps. Ive been there a couple of years already. What is the impact on their health, not just physical but also psychological that will linger during these formative years . Well, the greatest wounds, of course, are the ones that you cant see, and it scars them in many ways for life. When they talk about what theyve seen and when they draw pictures of what theyve seen, you can see theres a sense of bleakness in their eyes, in the way they express it. One of our Child Protection officers in jordan said to me that its like they have lost their sense of humanity, their sense its as if they have to have their souls sewn back on again, and this is something that is invisible, and the scars are invisible but will and could remain with them for a lifetime, especially if this goes on for too long. So its a global shame. Were all we all should hang our heads in shame that this crisis has gone on now, now into its third year, and the biggest humanitarian crisis weve had to deal with. Warner what do these children do all day in the camps . I mean, having seen some of them, some of these mothers have nine and 10 children, and theres no man there. What do the children do all day . Well, exactly. Youre seeing a disproportionate number of children and mothers and women in the camps, particularly, but also in Host Communities. Where theres good help and where theres help to be found, were very actively pursuing and we have temporary schooling and, indeed, now, much more structured schooling in the established camps, like in zaatari camp in jordan. And that that gives them a real sense of routine, a sense of something familiar that they know, that they understand. They go to these schools. Some of the schools are intense, but many are now in prefab classrooms, where theyre able to get shelter from the very arid, hot, dry, summer, and, indeed, in the winter, which were now approaching, a very cool, cold winter. At night time it gets bitterly cold in that area. So theyre getting regular for the lucky ones they are getting regular schooling. And the good news is when you find teachers in the community, particularly in jordan, that has a much more similar curriculum, and, of course, amongst the refugee population, there are also syrian teachers. So there are double shiftes, shifts in the the morning and shifts in the afternoon so thats what happens when it works well. Warner now let me ask you this in june the u. N. Announced that it was a 3 billion shortfall in money for syria between what had been pledged by various countries the u. S. , the europeans and what the u. N. Felt it would need until the end of the year. Are you seeing that shortfall translateold ground . In other words, is there a limit to what sort of food and medicine and schooling you can provide . Theres absolutely a limit. This is bigger than any one Aid Organization can cope with, any one government. This is a crisis for an entire region. Our funding our funding needs have only been 40 met, so this is this is another another shame. What it needed, of course, is a political solution. We cant keep we cant keep up with the demands if the flow from syria continues. Unicef is inside syria, and as you said earlier, we have were dealing with two 2 million children inside syria who are displaced. So youve got a crisis inside and a crisis outside, and this is this is now becoming this is now going beyond beyond the bounds of any one agency. Warner wells, sarah crowe of unicef, thank you so much. Thank you. Woodruff still to come on the newshour the fort hood shooter is found guilty of murder; a u. S. Staff sergeant gets life in prison for killing afghan civilians; the questions raised by chelsea manning; shields and lowry on the weeks news and Robert Macneil with Martin Luther king, jr. In 1963. But first, the other news of the day. Heres kwame holman. Holman supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi held scattered rallies in egypt today but turnout was low. Protesters chanted against the takeover by the military as they marched through cairo, but they avoided areas barricaded by the authorities. Hundreds of members of morsis Muslim Brotherhood have been arrested, making rallies harder to organize. Yesterday, former egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was released from prison and placed under house arrest. There also were small protests against his release. In india, a 22yearold female photojournalist was raped by five men while on assignment in mumbai. She was hospitalized in stable condition after last evenings attack. Her male colleague also was beaten. A suspect has been arrested. He reportedly identified four others. Hundreds of people, including many fellow journalists, held a silent protest in mumbai today. Some carried signs decrying violence against women in india. The journalists have gathered together. We are protesting about it to basically ensure that there is safety and security for the residents, as well as the citizens and the journalist professionals of this city. Holman earlier this year, the Indian Government adopted a sweeping law to protect women from sexual violence. It was triggered by the gang rape and death of a female student in new delhi in december. Sales of new homes in the u. S. Plunged in july as Mortgage Rates moved higher. The Commerce Department reported sales dropped 13. 4 last month the slowest pace in nine months. Stocks on wall street stumbled in early trading on the housing news but recovered late in the day. The Dow Jones Industrial average gained more than 46 points to close at 15,010. The nasdaq rose 19 points to close above 3,657. For the week, the dow lost half a percent. The nasdaq rose 1. 5 the c. E. O. Of microsoft Steve Ballmer announced today hell retire within the next year. Ballmer took the helm at microsoft 13 years ago, after founder bill gates stepped down. During ballmers tenure microsofts stock price fell nearly 40 , and the company struggled to keep pace with competitors apple and google. Microsoft did not name a successor but a Search Committee is in the works. Those are some of the days a new baby panda gave birth to a cub this evening. The zoo has been on a 24hour watch for her to go into labor since august 7. The panda had another cub last year, but it died from a liver problem a few days after it was born. Woodruff we turn to two trials of Army Soldiers accused of killing rampages; one on u. S. Woodruff now to the conviction of private manning and gender issues related to that case and more broadly. Ray suarez has the story. Suarez just days after Bradley Manning was handed 35 years in prison over the largest leak of classified information in u. S. History, the army private is bringing another issue to the fore. The soldier, who long struggled with gender identity, announced on thursday the preference to live as a woman named chelsea. In a Statement Read on nbcs the today show, manning said as i transition into this next phase of my life, i want everyone to know the real me. I am chelsea manning. I am a female. Given the way that i feel, and have felt since childhood, i want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. Suarez the announcement has raised legal questions over whether the army provides that therapy. The soldier will serve time at leavenworth maximum security prison in kansas. The prison has 515 beds and no female prisoners. Mannings Attorney Says he plans to fight for his client once again. A Fort Leavenworth spokesperson said, we dont have certain treatment, thats not what we give. Im going to change that. Suarez mannings request has put a spotlight on an issue thats often overlooked and how the military handles it. Estimates vary but one analysis from the Williams Institute at u. C. L. A. Suggested as many as 700,000 americans may be transgender, though many fewer may have taken hormones or surgery. Currently, most insurance plans will not cover treatments or surgeries involved with sex changes. There was an earlier gender reassignment involving a veteran. That first came to public attention after world war ii. Christine jorgensen an american soldier who served as a man, returned from military service and became christine. In mannings case, the focus now lies on how the army will proceed with the soldiers request and what that means for the privates future in prison. We invited a representative of the u. S. Army to appear, but none was available to appear tonight. The army said in statements it does not provide hormone therapy or sex reassignment surgery. Inmates, the army said, are treated equally regardless of race, rank, ethnicity or sexual orientation. As for his request for a name change, the army said it wont be changed unless prisoner manning completes the Legal Process to do so. However, some prisoners have taken this action and the u. S. Disciplinary barracks can provide guidance. For a perspective from the transgender community, we turn to allyson robinson, a former executive director of outserve sldn, one of the largest l. G. B. T. Advocacy organization for military members and their families in the country. She now works as a private consultant on personnel issues for u. S. Military and corporate clients. She is herself transgender. She herself is transgender, and i mentioned christine jorgenson, allyson robinson, to remind us this isnt a brand new issue but probably not one the army has to deal with often, is it . Thats very true, although our estimates would indicate there are anywhere from six to perhaps 10,000 transgender people serving in the military today. We have strong statistical evidence that shows that transjerked people are twice as likely as their fellow citizens to join the military, to have served in the military. Im just one example of thousands of transgender veterans. And people who are actively serving today. Suarez private manning is unusual that hes trying to mak