on our broadcast tonight, what happened? a u.s. army sergeant is being held for the massacre of civilians in afghanistan. 16 are dead including children. tonight, what we're learning about the soldier and the fear of retaliation. southern exposure. two big contests as the gop swings to the south now. could the field narrow after this? the phenomenon called "kony 2012." talk about the worldwide web, one short film has now been seen by 75 million people and counting. tonight, in search of the real story on the ground, we'll have a report from uganda. and love letters, a side of richard nixon we've never seen before, the romantic side, madly in love with the woman who later became the first lady. in love with the woman who later became the first lady. "nightly news" begins now.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television and good evening tonight from our london bureau. the world woke up to terrible news from afghanistan where a u.s. army sergeant apparently went on a solo rampage and killed over a dozen afghan civilians including children outside of kandahar. beyond the horror of the loss of life and the initial shock of the news, beyond even the immediate threat of reprisals, this news has now led even more americans to question the mission itself. what america is still doing there and what long ago became our longest war. we talked to the british prime minister about it here in london today. but first here tonight, we have two reports, beginning with nbc news pentagon correspondent, jim miklaszewski. jim, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. military officials here are convinced that this u.s.

soldier acted alone in what a senior pentagon official calls a mass murder. the scene was horrific. evidence, say military officials, of one soldier's rage. 16 civilians were killed when the american soldier went on a shooting rampage in a small village south of kandahar. the army staff sergeant left his remote outpost at about 1:00 a.m. and walked more than a mile to reach his target. then in a premeditated, methodical manner went door to door shooting his victims as they slept. among them, nine children, one only 2 years old. was this child the taliban, cried this woman, i have never seen a 2-year-old taliban. witnesses point to a blood-spattered wall and a charred floor where they say the soldier wrapped some of the children in a blanket and set them on fire. spent bullet cartridges were gathered for evidence. u.s. military officials now say an afghan soldier had reported the american had left the outpost. but by the time the army formed

a search party, it was too late. at the u.n. today, secretary of state hillary clinton condemned the attack and promised justice. >> a full investigation is under way. a suspect is in custody. and we will hold anyone found responsible fully accountable. >> reporter: the suspect, whose name has not been released, is home based at fort lewis outside seattle. he's a 38-year-old army staff sergeant who served three combat tours in iraq before arriving in afghanistan last december. he's married with two children. out of fear of reprisals, the army has the family under tight security on the base. while off base, fort lewis soldiers were both stunned and outraged by the news. >> i can't think of anybody in the world who would say going and killing 16, 18 civilians and children is okay anywhere in the world, much less when you're wearing that american flag and that u.s. army tag. >> reporter: this tragic incident has sparked renewed

cries to get u.s. forces out of afghanistan now. >> two-thirds of the american people essentially don't support this operation in afghanistan. we've got a problem in terminating it without a catastrophe. >> reporter: but president obama said today that while the shooting incident is heartbreaking and tragic, he's still committed to bringing u.s. forces home on his timetable and in a responsible manner. the big question tonight is, why did this soldier suddenly and apparently snap? army investigators are looking into the possibility that it's somehow connected to a traumatic brain injury the soldier suffered while in iraq. now, the suspect himself is not providing any clues. since being taken into custody, he hasn't said a word, brian. >> jim miklaszewski starting us off from the pentagon tonight, jim, thanks. now for the reaction on the ground in afghanistan, nbc's atia abawi reporting from our bureau in kabul tonight. >> reporter: good evening, brian.

there is outrage here over the gruesome loss of innocent lives. but there's mostly sadness among afghans who know what happened. the killings happened in a remote rural village in afghanistan. so news has traveled slowly. but there is fear and uncertainty as to what will happen next because, so far, we have not seen protests. but this is what the americans here are afraid of, deadly protests like these that happened after the koran burnings just a few weeks ago. although we haven't seen these protests just yet, the taliban have called for revenge. afghan president hamid karzai has condemned the killings as well, calling them intentional and unforgivable. u.s./afghan relations are at a low point in an already difficult relationship, one that relies on cooperation. and this incident is the latest in a series that make that much more difficult. brian? >> atia abawi from our kabul bureau tonight, thanks. as we said, here in london today, we visited number 10

downing street and had the opportunity to talk with america's strongest ally in the war effort, britain's prime minister, david cameron. and our wide-ranging conversation as he prepared to depart for the u.s. dealt in part with the huge sacrifice that's already gone into afghanistan. you've lost 404 members of your military. by percentage for the uk, it's a higher sacrifice than the united states. it is getting tougher for you domestically to sell this campaign. >> it is. we've paid a very high price. we've been in the toughest part of the country in helmand province. we've been there now for many, many years. that's why i set a deadline. the end of 2014, there won't be anything like the number of british troops there are now and they won't be in a combat role. and i'm confident we'll deliver on that plan. but let me take the opportunity to pay a huge tribute to what american forces have done. i saw the effect of u.s. marines coming into helmand and fighting

alongside their british counterparts. they had a transformative, really great effect. i have huge respect for them. this is just the latest example of british and american forces serving, fighting together in the interests of our own security and the interest of freedom. i think it's important we say that. >> a part of our interview with british prime minister david cameron. he now heads to the u.s. for meetings with the president, a state dinner, his first flight on air force one, even his first ncaa basketball game. by the way, we will air the full conversation this week on "rock center" wednesday at 10:00, 9:00 central. we turn now to gop politics and the first big primaries in the deep south tomorrow in alabama and mississippi. our report tonight from nbc's john yang. >> reporter: the battle for votes in the heart of dixie is a crucial struggle for the heart of the republican party's base. >> i've been getting hugs from

the southern girls today. and i mean from, like 12 to -- well, a lot more than 12. >> reporter: mobile, alabama, businessman ken schwartz is undecided. >> trust is the thing. if you come out and you try to talk a certain way -- >> morning y'all. >> i've got kin here in mississippi. i'm not sure -- i'm very proud of it. >> -- or you try to dress a certain way, that's a cue that there's something there you can't trust. they can spot a phony right away. >> reporter: newt gingrich, rick santorum and mitt romney have all been running hard, trying to connect with the region's conservative voters. tomorrow's balloting could change the dynamics of the race yet again. >> it's like groundhog day. it's like every week it's a new election. >> reporter: in birmingham, voters say these east coast based candidates aren't generating much excitement. nita perry is voting for gingrich but without enthusiasm. >> it sounds like they're saying

just what we want to hear. what they think we want to hear. >> reporter: andrew collins has owned lyric hot dogs and grill for nearly 40 years. he's undecided and uninspired. >> seems like when they start talking about grits and biscuits and gravy, seems like they kind of are talking up to us, not really knowing what they're saying. >> reporter: as in the rest of the country, it's a contest that's leaving people looking for something more. >> mathematically, this thing is about over, but emotionally it's not. >> reporter: now, both these states are likely to be solidly in the republican column come november, but tomorrow the outcome is up for grabs. the romney camp is hoping if santorum and gingrich continue to split the conservative vote, romney can eke out a win in at least one of the states. but no matter what happens here tomorrow, this race is going to keep going for weeks and maybe months. brian? >> john yang in birmingham tonight, john, thanks. one more note, by the way, on election-year politics, not one, but two state voter

identification laws were overturned today. this is a charged topic right now. nbc's pete williams is with us with more on this from washington. pete, good evening. >> reporter: a charged topic, and requiring a government-issued photo i.d. is an idea that nearly every state is considering. many have already done it. but now some of the strictest laws are on hold. the justice department today refused to give legal clearance to a voter i.d. law in texas, saying it would hit hispanic voters especially hard since fewer of them have the required i.d.s. the state said anybody could get a voter i.d. at a driver's license office. but 81 texas counties don't have one. and in wisconsin, a judge said the i.d. law there imposes a voting requirement that goes beyond the qualifications spelled out in the state constitution. it's the second time a court there has blocked the law. the state says it will appeal. that brings to three the number of states where voter i.d. laws are on hold -- south carolina and now texas and wisconsin. brian? >> pete williams, thanks.

i know you'll have more on this tomorrow. now, how the weather made news again today. what has been a record warm and snow-free winter at home is finishing off with summer-like temperatures today in large parts of the country. the east coast in particular, where march feels a lot more like june. way up in bangor, maine, it was 62 today. 71 in boston. 73 in hartford. new york city, by the way, tied its record high for the day at 71 in central park. it was warm in the midwest as well. and it's set to get even warmer with temperatures in the upper 70s now in the forecast. still ahead as we continue tonight from london, that video that 75 million people have now watched, it's a worldwide phenomenon. tonight, what we found on the ground in uganda. and later, here in london, the race to set the stage for what may be the biggest, most extravagant close-up ever.

back now with more on the phenomenon that is "kony 2012," the internet film made to raise awareness of the brutal warlord joseph kony and to bring him to justice. the video, as much a marketing campaign as a documentary, has now been watched by close to 75 million people around the world. and while there are questions about the details of the story and about the charity behind the film, tonight in uganda, there's no question the people we found

are still terrified about this man and what he did. nbc's rohit kachroo reports tonight from a remote village inside uganda. >> reporter: nearly every child here has lost a parent to kony's brutality. they're taught to know his name and to fear it. even though his troops left this town seven years ago, they still pose a threat elsewhere in the region. mothers here cling to their children, fearing they may return. conti was abducted and forced to be a child soldier. she said no youngster should have to witness the brutality that she did. this was the site of one of kony's last massacres in 2004. now it's a center to rehabilitate those who survived and to educate the children orphaned by a generation of his tyranny. here in gulu, where so much of the bloodshed took place, few have seen the video that has

made kony notorious around the world. >> for 20 years, he's been kidnapping children into his group, the lra, turning the girls into sex slaves and the boys into child soldiers. he forces them to kill their own parents. >> i love you! >> reporter: it's opened millions of eyes to the story of one abductee, jacob, now known around the world but still anonymous here at home. >> kony did not stop killing young ones. kony did not stop abducting people. kony has not yet stop forcing young girls into sex slaves. that is what we are fighting for. we want it stopped. >> reporter: on the outskirts of town, we find lilly, one of kony's child brides forced to marry him in 1998. she escaped with one of the five children she had with him and now fears the video will just make kony more famous, more dangerous. she says the campaign will have empowered him. and if he returns, people should be scared. every village has a story, an abduction, a fire, a massacre.

for years people have wondered where is joseph kony? now the world wonders with them. rohit kachroo, nbc news, gulu, uganda. more news when we come right back, including some interesting moves right now in the night sky. and the romantic moves, of all things, of richard nixon, which we can now read in his own words.

the night sky has been in the news a lot lately. and again this week, there's something very interesting and rare to see up there. tonight and tomorrow night especially, it's going to look like venus and jupiter are flying side by side, just 3 degrees apart, which in terms of a vast sky is nothing. venus is the brightest of the two because it's the closest. but even with a small telescope, you can see jupiter's four moons. if it's a clear night where you

live, go outside and look west. it's a great show. admission is free and it's a great way to teach the kids and a couple adults about space. it was the first mega church most people can remember, made famous by the "hour of power" tv show and the crystal cathedral in california designed by the world famous architect philip johnson. but now with the ministry in bankruptcy and the church building sold to the catholic church, the reverend robert schuller and his wife announced over the weekend their family is leaving the ministry he founded four decades ago. former first lady pat nixon's 100th birthday would have been this friday. to mark the occasion, the nixon library has released some letters from her husband. let's just say they give us a whole new picture of the man known forever in history for a whole lot of other things. our report tonight from nbc's mike taibbi. >> reporter: to describe richard nixon, who would use the words "playful, corny, romantic"? after all, his boldness and

brilliance were matched and eventually overwhelmed by his political and personal ruthlessness that led to the watergate scandal and to these unprecedented words -- >> i shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow. >> reporter: now the letters between the ambitious young lawyer just moved to washington, d.c., and pretty thelma catherine ryan, known to all as pat, whom he'd asked to marry him on their first date. he writes to his irish gypsy, who radiates all that's happy and beautiful, pines to be with her every day and every night, dreams of long sunday rides, weekends in the mountains or just reading together in front of fires. and about love? he told bryant gumbel that, like his quaker mother, he never spoke or wrote the word in his public life. >> she never said "i love you" because she considered that to be something very private and very sacred. and i feel the same way. >> reporter: but in his letters to pat -- did he ever say in the letters "i love you"? >> yes. he signed some of them "love."

he called her his dearest heart. >> reporter: nixon foundation president sandy quinn, a friend of nixon's throughout, has his favorite among the letters, the young suitor as formal as his quaker roots while writing of his own ardor. >> nothing so fine ever happened to him or anyone else as falling in love with thee, my dearest heart. ♪ >> reporter: when his beloved pat died in 1993, nixon's grief was searing. >> he said, whatever you remember about pat nixon, remember the sunshine of her smile. >> reporter: the smile his letters show so captivated him for more than half a century. mike taibbi, nbc news, yorba linda, california. up next here tonight, a new image for this country as it prepares to welcome the rest of the world.

a view tonight of the iconic tower bridge here in london. this is a big time for this beautiful city and for this entire country as the olympic athletes are now just months away, along with the crowds, and of course the eyes of the world. from here in london tonight,

nbc's keir simmons reports on the hard work going on for what is hoped to be a moment of glory. >> reporter: britain's dancing, joking, volleyball-playing prince ended his diamond jubilee tour this weekend, a new generation leading a royal rebranding. >> you can't sit there with a stiff upper lip and crossed arms and not getting involved. i've had an amazing time. i've had a gas. on behalf of my grandmother. >> reporter: an old family helping put a new face on britain in a year when billions will be watching. the queen's diamond jubilee in june, the olympics in july and august, a marathon celebration, an entire country getting ready for its close-up. hoping to remind the world that great britain can put on a good show. one mile from the olympic stadium, a giant bell has been commissioned to open the games at the very foundry that cast the liberty bell. >> bell-ringing is incredibly english. it's english like cricket, it's english like beer, warm beer, especially.

>> reporter: eight more bells will be cast here for the queen's jubilee. in june, they will ring out across the thames, leading a flotilla carrying the queen. britain knows how to put on a pageant. it must prove that it won't be sunk by an event as big as the olympics. the summer games involve millions of visitors at 34 separate venues. the cost, $17 billion, plus security and policing. two out of three brits say in these tough times, it's not worth it. >> for ordinary people, i don't think it will be good. >> reporter: but the olympics could also be a windfall for britain's pocketbook and its image. so attitudes are likely to warm here as summer approaches and britain reclaims a place it has held many times before -- the center of the world's stage, hoping to put on the greatest show on earth. keir simmons, nbc news, london.

that's our broadcast for this monday night. thank you for being here with us. i'm brian williams reporting tonight from our london bureau. we'll see you back home in new york tomorrow evening. we'll see you back home in new york tomorrow evening. good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com thank you for joining us. >> well, he broke his silence once. now he is doing it again. the whistle blower who exposed one of the biggest corruption scandals in bay area law enforcement history is sharing his story tonight. for the first time we're hearing what made him come forward. nbc bay area's jodi hernandez talked with the man who until