Active and to ensure that this isnt just a senseless tragedy. This is my way of honoring dylan and the others that died, and providing him a legacy. Ifill those are just some of the stories were covering on tonights pbs 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 a hardfought deal to set the federal governments spending for the next two years moved toward approval in congress today. Newshour Congressional Correspondent kwame holman has our report. The house will be in order. Reporter the house was gaveled into session, intent on finishing the budget deal before leaving for christmas. Lawmakers from both sides said the agreement wasnt perfect but a step in the right direction. Wisconsin republican paul ryan, chairing the house budget committee, helped craft the proposal. This is the government, its also divided government. And to make divided government work you cant ask each other to compromise a core principles, because we dont do that here. We ask each other to find some Common Ground to advance the common good. And thats what this agreement does. Reporter the deal would void 63 billion in automatic, acrosstheboard spending cuts. In their place, 85 billion in targeted cuts, plus increased revenues including higher Airline Security fees to be achieved over the next decade. The bill does not extend Unemployment Benefits for the longterm jobless, to the dismay of many democratic lawmakers. Jim mcgovern of massachusetts lets not turn our backs on the most vulnerable in this country. It has become unfashionable to in this congress to worry about the poor. It has become unfashionable to stand up for these programs just to help people get by. This is the holiday season. Have a heart reporter republicans argued jobless benefits should be handled separately. Georgias rob woodall the gentleman knows that anything short of a bipartisan, bicameral solution is showboating for those folks who are hurting, not doing a daggum thing to help them. We dont need showboating in this institution, mr. Speaker. We need results. Reporter republicans also faced pressure from outside conservative groups opposed to the deal, but, for a second day, Speaker John Boehner rebuked them. I came here to fight for a smaller, less costly, more its not everything i wanted, but when groups come out and criticize an agreement theyve never seen, you begin to wonder just how credible those actions are. Reporter the senate is expected to take up the budget measure next week before leaving for the holidays. Woodruff the senate held a marathon allnight session and continued without respite today as a battle over president ial nominees played out. Republicans slowed things down in retaliation for new curbs on their power to filibuster, but democrats pushed through more federal judge nominees anyway. Westernbacked rebels in syria are urging the u. S. And britain to restore the flow of non lethal aid. It was cut this week when islamist factions captured storage warehouses. But defense secretary chuck hagel promised today the u. S. Will not leave the moderate opposition in the lurch. Well explore the plight of pro western rebels right after the news summary. The u. S. Today blacklisted more than a Dozen Companies and individuals and froze their assets, for evading sanctions against iran. The crackdown came as the Obama Administration tries to show it is keeping pressure on iran even as it eases some sanctions as part of a nuclear deal. The treasury departments sanctions chief, david cohen, took that message to a senate hearing. We know there may be some who believe now might be a good time to test our resolve. I want to be clear. We are watching closely. And we are prepared to take action against anyone anywhere who violates or attempts to violate our sanctions. Woodruff the administration has also urged congress to hold off imposing any new sanctions on iran, for now. Today, democratic senator tim johnson, chairing the banking committee, said he agrees diplomacy needs time to play out. Kim jongun former mentor was executed, considered the second most powerful officials in the communist state but was arrested in recent days on charges of corruption, gambling and womanizing. Todays announcement branded him a traiter. The government of ukraine now says it will sign a landmark trade deal with the European Union, after all. President Viktor Yanukovych shelved the agreement last month in favor of closer ties with russia, but his deputy Prime Minister said today that the e. U. Is promising additional aid. Meanwhile, in a televised speech, russian president Vladimir Putin said he wants whats best for ukraine. I very much hope that all Political Forces in ukraine will be able to reach a deal in the interests of the ukrainian people and solve all existing problems. Woodruff the issue has sparked sweeping antigovernment protests in ukraine. Thousands turned out in kiev again today, demanding a shift away from russia and toward the e. U. In thailand, antigovernment protesters cut off power and water to the Prime Ministers office compound in a bid to force her resignation. Yingluck shinawatra was not at her office when the demonstrators removed barbed wire and climbed over the compounds fence. They demanded that police leave the site. The Prime Minister has already called new elections, which the protesters reject. Now, she plans talks with various factions on sunday. A mob in the Central African republic went on a rampage today, hunting for muslims. Their intended victims were holed up in a church compound in bangui, the mainly christian capital city. African union peacekeepers fired into the air to break up the crowd. It happened just days after more than 500 people died in the capital, in sectarian fighting. Meanwhile, the u. S. Military began airlifting troops from burundi to bolster the peacekeeping force. For a second day, thousands of mourners paid final respects to Nelson Mandela in pretoria, south africa. They filed past as the countrys first black president lay in state. Hes to be buried sunday in the village where he spent his childhood. Meanwhile, the man accused of faking the sign language interpretation for tuesdays Memorial Service was heard from. He said he suffers from schizophrenia and started hallucinating as the service began. I see engines coming to the stadium and immediately i see engines coming to the stadium. I start realizing that the problems here, and the problem, i dont know of this problem, how will it come. Woodruff the man said he feared he might become violent standing just a few feet from president obama and other world leaders. The South African government admitted that he was not a professional interpreter. Jpmorgan chase may pay 2 billion in penalties j. P. Morgan chase may pay 2 billion in penalties and Face Criminal Charges for not taking action against rogue financier bernie madoff. The New York Times reported the tentative deal today. Federal agencies say the bank turned a blind eye to madoffs ponzi scheme. Hes serving a 150year prison term for defrauding thousands of investors. On wall street today, stocks slumped over renewed concerns that the Federal Reserve may start winding down its economic stimulus efforts. The Dow Jones Industrial average lost 104 points to close at 15,739. The nasdaq fell five points to close at 3,998. Still to come on the newshour the decline of moderate rebels in syria; an architect of the budget compromise; extending deadlines to ensure americans get Health Insurance; do there need to be news laws to curb n. S. A. Spying . ; and the families of newtown, one year later. Ifill now, to syria. In the past week, we have taken a close look at the weakening of the freesyrian army and the rise of islamist fighters in the wartorn country. Now, as the u. S. And britain pull back, there are serious questions about whether moderates fighting to overthrow president Bashar Alassad can survive. What has occurred here in the last couple of days is a clear reflection on how complicated and dangerous this situation is and how unpredictable it is. Ifill defense secretary chuck hagel summed things up today after the u. S. And britain cut off nonlethal aid to westernbacked rebels in northern syria. The action came after other insurgents from the islamic front seized weapons warehouses in babalhawa, near the turkish border. Hagel said u. S. Military gear, from supply trucks to communications equipment, must not fall into the islamists hands. But this is a problem. I mean, what has occurred here, a big problem. And were going to have to work through it and manage through it with general idris and moderate opposition. Ifill general salim idris commands the westernbacked rebels, but hes been forced to flee syria in recent days. Today, though, his supporters insisted he invited the islamic front to intervene and take the warehouses back from an Al Qaeda Group known as the Islamic State of iraq and alsham, or isis. S. M. C. Warehouses were ran over by isis, by the Islamic State, three, four days ago. As a result of that, general selim idris sent a request to the islamic front to help protect these warehouses. Ifill the internal splintering among rebel groups has made it increasingly difficult for the u. S. To find a reliable partner to force syrian president Bashar Al Assad from office. Arizona senator john mccain said today the Obama Administration is to blame, saying n a statement the latest developments come just one month before a syria peace conference is scheduled to begin in switzerland. So, might evidence of a weakened opposition derail those geneva peace talks . For that, im joined by Murhaf Jouejati, an opposition activist and professor of middle east studies at the National Defense university in washington he was born in syria; and joshua landis, director of the center for middle east studies at the university of oklahoma and editor of the web site syria comment. Mr. Jouejati, was the administration, was the Obama Administration wise to pull back . It was not wise to pullback. It should reverse the trend that has been taking place for some weeks now which is the weakening of the moderate rebel forces and the rise of the extremist forces. And the way to reverse this is to support the moderate forces. These are the allies of the yoonteded states. These are the Democratic Forces calling for democracy in syria. So again, it is an unfortunate decision that was made by the United States, although it may be understandable given the nervousness of the u. S. With regard to the extremist groups in syria. Ifill with the splintering within the Opposition Forces themselves. Correct, the Opposition Forces are moderate to less moderate, to radical. And it is the moderate forces we should concentrate on and support in view of democratizing syria. Ifill what is your take on the administrations take. I think it is vindication of obamas policy of careful, trying to stay out of syria. Because there are now many factions in syria fighting, we see this as not just a war between assad and rebels. Its ben islamist, al qaeda, some moderate factions. The kurds have the northeast, known the northeast. If the United States picks, tries to pick a side and make a winner, it is going to have to fight on many different fronts this is something the American Public doesnt have the energy or the money to spend on. And most of your show here is about budget problems in washington. This is a very expensive and difficult endeavor. Americas cannot do it. Ifill you heard what john mccain said which is the problem here is the United States didnt bring enough to this fight. You know h this is what look it, we went into iraq and in three weeks we destroyed saddam hussein, criminalize the bath party, got rid of the army and handed over the country to the rebels that we were supporting, or the opposition we were supporting without them having to fire a shot. And what happened . Over the next three years the country split into civil war. Everybody radicallized and the American Army was strained to its very core trying to hold that country together. We spent over 3 trillion to do it and its barely six, 7,000 people were killed in Political Violence in iraq last year. You know, everybody told us iraq would be a cake walkment people would kiss us. And you know the pun dirts got iraq totally wrong. And i think theyre getting syria wrong too. Syria was going to lead toward islamism just the way every other arab Spring Country has lead toward islamism. It is the dominant. Ifill i have to let professor jouejati respond to that. If the United States does not support the moderates in syria, yes, the islamists will gain its upper hand. And it will be a battle between a dictator who has killed 126,000 of his people, who has gassed his people. It will be a battle between him and the extremists. At any rate, the United States, if it does not support the Democratic Forces in syria, the moderate forces, that means it is going to have to intervene later on, at a time not of its choosing. Ifill do you assume that in pulling back this nonlethal aid there is still humanitarian aid going on. Apparently there is a small covert arms sales or arms transit that is still going on. Do you interpret that as the first step to the United States getting out of the way and leting aadd is a assad stay in office. That would be dangerou dangerous dangerous for the United States that is calling for assad ouster, that has drawn red lines because of the chemical weapons he has used to suddenly reverse its position. It would tarnish the credibility and the reputation of the United States. The United States has National Security interests to advance here, its own. And it can only do that through the Democratic Forces in syria. Not allowing assad to rule any more. He is a dictator that has killed 126,000 of his people. He is a man who has made 7 million refugees. And in proportion to the United States t that is a hundred million american refugees. Ifill so joshua landis, first of all, do you think this first step is the a permanent step away of u. S. Involvement leaving assad in power. And what is the other option for the u. S. Here . Well, you know, most people in washington, most of the official washingtonians are saying that assad has to step down. But theres going to be a political solution. And yet no one has a plan to make assad step down. He says hes not going to do it. Who is going to make him step down. Nob is going to do it unles unless be in will do it unless its american marines. And everything points that obama is to the going to do that. If you are going to get a ceasefire in a country are you have to have people from assad side and people from the rebel side sitting down together. Ands thiss going to require at geneva that the saudis and iranians, the russians and the americans and the turks all come together and decide that theyre not going to fund their factions and begin to come up with some kind of road map that they can see for how they can limit the damage, stop arms from flowing in, stop money from flowing in on both side, both to assad, to the rebels. And theyre going have to be ceasefire lines. And what that ultimately means, i dont know. But its to the going to be democrats winning in syria. They have shown themselves to be way too weak. And there is going to be a messy process, that hopefully over time one can develop towards a happier constitutional syria. But in the meantime, were going to have to deal with a lot less than that. Ifill joshua landis, professor jouejati just said this has to be worked out at the negotiating table in again ef, does todays withdrawal in the only of the u. S. But british involvement, does that make that more or less likely to happen. Less likely. It sends the wrong message to everybody. It sends the message to assad that the americans are weak and are not going to supply their allies. It sends a message to the radicals of the same thing. And it sends a message to the Democratic Forces that the United States is not going to be the ally we thought it was in pursuing democracy. What is going to happen in gene