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>> this is "bbc world news america." after nine long and violent years, they are finally back. president obama travels to meet the troops and marked the end of the war in iraq. >> i am proud to say these two words. i know your families agree. welcome home. >> a day after five people were killed, we asked just who was the attacker? and the plans for queen elizabeth, the british royal family will be racking up the miles to mark her 60 years on the throne.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. it is harder to end the war then to begin one. a message for future leaders by one of today. they will come troops back from the war. the conflict has been long, bloody, and controversial. the commander in chief paid tribute to the courage and professionalism in the field. >> barack obama never wanted this war. as a state senator, he called it a dumb. >> all the fighting and all the dying, the building, the training, a partner in, all of that has led to this moment of success. iraq is not a perfect place, but

we're leaving behind a sovereign, stable, a self- reliant iraq. >> it was almost a victory lap if not only because he promised to bring the troops home. there was no mission accomplished. what started with shock and author and a quick invasion turned into a long, costly, and divisive war. the demise of the dictator, the scandal of the prison. the war changed iraq and america. 4500 american troops killed in nine years of fighting, more than 100,000 iraqi civilians dead. $1 trillion later, the last of america oppose the military hardware is being shipped out.

-- america opposing military hardware is being shipped out. military hardware is being shipped out. iraq's prime minister has close ties with iran, america's 0. he wanted post-war partnership. >> other nations must not interfere home. iraq's sovereignty must be respected. >> america's war in iraq will be ending, and is a conflict where

success is hard to define. >> for more on the state of iraq and the u.s. troops departing, i am joined by the former government adviser. thank you for coming in. america is leaving in the various lee g. is leaving after nine very long years, and there is debate? >> president obama is doing what he said he would do. at a certain point, we need to set our priorities straight and globally. we will remain engaged in iraq.

this is part of the overall strategy to rebalance the global priorities. i think he is doing the right sort of thing here. >> america is having an effect of victory to iran. opinion polls -- americans are fed up with this war, we don't see this as a great day of celebration. there are people out in the streets -- iraq has been the rear view of most americans. >> and i think with good reason. we need to put this behind us. i think it is oversimplified to say that iran is going to dominate iraq. they are very nationalistic, strong, and proud. i think it is a little simplistic to say that we are receiving this territory because iraq will have a saying for that.

>> you are a national security expert. there is so much pressure to pull these troops out of iran and focus back on america. in terms of the foreign activities and foreign focus, what does the shift allow america to do? >> the president went to asia. it allows us to look at the broader shift and the wider gain in the world. when president obama entered office, we had 200,000 troops in the middle east. they will be able to say that we got that down the half. that is the rust important thing. we're going to stay in the region, -- >> you have described iraq as one of the most divisive that the sudden america's recent history.

you think bringing the troops home allows the country to get beyond these divisions or are there questions about this war is still dragging on the country? >> the country has moved on in the sense that we are looking at domestic and economic problems. they are very hard pressed to find criticism of the obama administration puzzling handling of iraq. generally you will find some concerns, but there are not many strong criticisms coming from the republican candidates. what sort of iraq will leave behind? and what are the challenges in the middle east? the problem that we now have as a country -- >> in belgium, and that the

silence was held to remember the victims of yesterday's's deadly attack. more details are emerging about the gun ban. are your correspondent has sent us this report. >> you're looking at the killer. a gun fanatic about turned a mass murderer. here, they will never forget the day he entered of their world. he ended several lives and ruined dozens more. he was shot in the hip, his friend was killed. >> everybody ran and was panicking. i had been shot through my head, but i managed to get on to the bus. >> these were the scenes moments after one of his grenades had

exploded. at least one teenager died on the spot, more than 120 people injured. >> this is the vantage point that he chose for himself. he would have known that he would have had the potential to kill and injure vast numbers of people. he threw three grenades toward the bus shelters and started firing on the crowd below. and just up there, he shot himself. his killing spree had started even earlier. they found the body of a cleaner in his garage. he had shot her. of the road, with a string of weapons, drugs, sex offenses, the police knew him well. the bullet scars are a source of fascination and horror. life goes on, not for 17-month old gabriel.

his mother saw his eyes rolled back in his head. i wish i had died instead of him, she said. >> and in other news from around the world, with the euro plummeting, the german chancellor says that europe will not only master the financial crisis but will and the stronger and more stable. she said there are no quick fixes and the process will take years. she also expressed regret that the u.k. opposed changes. the ongoing dispute centers over the land that has been seized by the local government. police have blocked roads leading to the village. the latest wave of protests broke out.

the u.s. defense secretary has said that u.s. troops and afghan forces have reached a turning point in the fight against the taliban. karzai said the safety of the afghan people is still at risk. the to the gulf of mexico where the first time since the deep water horizon disaster, today the u.s. government was auctioning off rights to drill offshore. it doesn't seem the worst oil spill in u.s. history diminished the interest. for more on the process, i am joined in loss angeles. you would think that after deepwater horizon, offshore drilling might be a little more of a risky venture. >> it will be expensive in terms of the environmental regulations being put in place

that will be enforced by the government. but what it suggests is that the company's very much want to be a part of the oil-drilling in the gulf. they feel these standards are being lifted by the companies themselves and the government is ensuring that they are following them. it is very profitable to take oil out of the gulf even if they have to follow these very strict guidelines. 20 companies, including be peahen, and this is the beginning of the process. they put the bids into these 191 blocks. they'll make sure it never happens again.

we follow the guidelines that are environmentally secure. $337 million is the total that is expected to be given by the winning bid. >> we will see how the drilling process turns out. after the revolution comes the rebuilding, and for egypt, the latest stage of political reconstruction got under way with people casting their ballots. so far, the muslim brotherhood has made the strongest showing, but the more hard-line have been gaining a substantial share of the vote. >> has egypt begins to taste of democracy, it is the islam parties on the move. they stepped up campaigning after their success in the first

round of elections. allen has moved to the nile delta, territory for their blend of religion and politics. >> they expect a clean sweep of the seats. the real battle is between the old-fashioned the muslim brotherhood or the new kids on the block. in their increasingly slick campaign, based just the devotion to the fundamental tenets of islam. they're also the best party to deliver health care and other essential services. egypt's liberals might be horrified, but in the villages, we found that the message is selling well. the candidate says that his appeal is less about the implementation of law or the contrast of years of corruption.

>> we are honest, we are not a hypocrite or liars. we just tell people what we believe. >> ideology seems to be the least of their concern. we will vote for you, but you must deliver more services to this area. what we need is a storehouse for cooking gas canisters. at their rallies, the muslim brotherhood are putting themselves forward as the moderate and pragmatic choice. >> the personal freedom of everybody is the core of our province and our intention is to strike the values -- >> so the movement of feared and demonized by liberals could soon

be working with them to defeat even more uncompromising islamists. >> old fashioned or retail on the streets of cairo. the people that led the revolution are getting a high- profile recognition today. still to come, why time magazine has labeled the protester as its person of the year in 2011. south korean women forced to work as sex slaves by the japanese army in world war two unveiled a statue outside the japanese embassy to mark the southern region be thousand to rally in support of their cause. many say they have not been adequately compensated. >> they have called that a peace monument, but it has already upset the japanese neighbors.

, thede of japan's embassy simple statue represents one of the most intractable issues between the two countries. the wartime experience of perhaps 200,000 south koreans, forced to work in japanese military sex camps. the supporters that have gathered here outside the embassy suppressed their case for 1000 weeks. those excess of japan's position that it settled this issue with south korea once and for all in the 1960's. the japanese prime ministers have apologized many times, and compensation has been offered to the victims. but many say that is not enough, and the other after 1000 -- even after 1000 weekly rallies, more troops into more compensation hasn't changed.

>> i feel very bad the market 1000 to rally. i am upset and heartbroken that nothing has changed. >> this is unlikely to hell. japan has reportedly asked for the statute to be removed. as the stalemate continues, the women at the heart of the are getting older and your as the years go by. >> when historians look back on 2011, it will be remembered as the year of protest. from the revolution is sweeping through the arab world to the economic upheaval and even political discontent in russia. people have taken to the streets to air their grievances, and not in vain. have challenged conventional thinking and have also been a

very agents -- the agents of the very change they have strived for. time magazine labels the protester as their person of the year. hobby, was it an easy choice this year? >> is never very easy, the head this year, the choice almost made itself. it began with the arab spring and which ended with the protests in russia, and we have seen protests take place in some way other countries, they essentially shows themselves. >> i think a lot of people will think of this year, people will think of egypt because you can see a direct link between people getting on the streets and a real political change. >> yes, and we did quite a lot of the reporting for the package from egypt, had and it

is still, as you know, in a state of flux. we're seeing the revolution in its second stage, and it is a story that we will follow in some depth in 2012. it is one of the things that made 2011 so special. >> of the streets and capitals of europe, we have seen different kinds of protests, people protesting against the economic system. >> they were asking for different things, using very similar techniques. reporters around the world seemed to be communicating with each other. we have protests on wall street talking about how much they learned from and were inspired by those in the square. others are taking their cues from protesters in europe.

there is an international community of protests in the best possible way. they are able to use social technology atwitter how to communicate with each other. >> you talk about the ways that people are protesting at the commonality of the kind of mechanics. i wonder if you also found there was an overarching theme behind the protests of 2011. >> there is a refusal to except certainty, whether it is the 30- year-old dictatorship or an economic system that allows the extremely wealthy to pay very little taxes where large numbers of people pays substantial taxes. this refusal to accept the status quo, especially among young people to do something about it, it is what underpins these are round the world.

>> i think of someone like syria were you have minorities -- majorities protesting the minority. >> that is the shape it has taken. the syrian uprising was almost identical to the one that we saw in egypt, tunisia. the regime has successfully fought back when characterizing this. i will say that is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. but it is still a revolution in progress. there are still many steps to move forward. >> the protester is the person of the year. on the short list for * person of the year, coming in no. 5 was caked middleton. if you did not get enough of her

this year, you will see plenty of her in 2012. the plans announced the diamond jubilee. dodge the golden jubilee of 2002 brought out the clouds -- - crowds. they will be 10-years older, and the program for the diamonds set by the palace to be even more extensive. the queen will concentrate on the u.k. while members of the family will focus on other countries. this is how it looks for breton. -- britain. in april, she'll sepnd -- spend two days in wales.

in june, the main diamond jubilee national celebrations take place in london. later, there will be visits to the southeast of england. and from the second to the sixth of july, she will spend five days in scotland before returning south to visit to the northeast of england and a final visit to the southeast of the twenty fifth of july before the start of the london olympics. it will be a test of stamina. >> is what keeps her going. and also her entire devotion to duty is what she gave her life for. >> it will be 115 years since a written witnessed a diamond jubilee in 1897 by queen victoria. more than a century later, it will have the opportunity to

express its feelings for another long-lived queen. the palace says is the queen's express wish to visit as much of the country has she can. >> exciting plans for the diamond jubilee. elizabeth taylor was one of the close -- the most glamorous actresses of her year. her spectacular jewelry collection is on the block at the york city. it might not be the sale for you, one day of bidding has reached $150 million, a record for a private collection sold at auction. a of a co the sending my husband there for me for christmas. get updates all the time on our web site. see you back here tomorrow.

>> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news america" was

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