secrets out, u.s. intelligence catches iran building a nuclear plant. president obama blasts iran and iran's president pushes back. now what? >> what the man at the center of the terrorist plot was planning and why. swine flu vaccine is almost here. national treasures ken burns is what all americans need to see. kids from chicago, far from home, learning to make a difference. "nightly news" starts now. captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening, i'm ann curry in for brian williams. we begin with a showdown over nuclear ambitions. president obama and america's

closest allies reveal iran has been building a secret underground plant for enriching uranium and put iran on notice it better not go down the path of bombs. he's been pushing back all day demanding an apology. the nuclear plant is near the holy city of qom, 100 miles from thai ron. wech the coverage with an dree that mitchell. >> president obama, britain and france said they built a solid case iran is hiding a secret nuclear plant. they are demanding immediate u.n. sanctions. tonight, the president warned them. if it does not come clean --

>> i think iran is on notice. when we meet with them october 1, they are going to have to come clean and have to make a choice. >> reporter: in a dramatic display of alliedç unity, the president accused iran of building an underground plant. not for a power plant, but bombs. >> the size is inconsistent with a peaceful program. iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow. >> reporter: today, the cia said it's in the holy city, qom. in new york, iran's president, ahmadinejad said they are hiding nothing. >> translator: what we did is completely legal according to the law. we informed the agency. the agency will take a look and produce a report. it's nothing new. >> reporter: the allies disagree

and are demanding an immediate inspection. >> the international community has no choice today, but to draw a line in the sand. >> reporter: france's president, sarkozy said they have to move quickly. >> translator: if there's not a change, sanctions will have to be taken. >> reporter: u.s. officials say they have been watching construction of the plantd for years. mr. obama was briefed about it during the presidential transition. they saw evidence iran was moving to the next dangerous stage. they were able to create one to two bombs a year. they only went public after iran learned it had been caught red handed. suddenly, monday, iran sent a vague letter to the international atomic agency disclosing a pilot program under way. the u.s. says it's an attempt to

mislead the world. the president gave russia's president, a heads up. the russian leader has, until now, blocked action with iran. he might support sanctions. he was given more today. >> translator: one can use international legal sanctions. >> reporter: yesterday, intelligence officials from u.s., britain and france briefed the nuclear agency. finally, china, which can veto u.s. sanctions was briefed. tonight, the president said if diplomacy doesn't work, the u.s. and allies will be in a better position. >> andrea, thank you. president ahmadinejad said iran is in compliance because the

plant is a long way from being used. this afternoon, the atomic agency rejected the claim saying it should have been notified long before the plant was built. we heard ma moud ahmadinejad describe the plant as ordinary and in the beginning stages. the united states and its allies have no business questioning iran about its nuclear program. >> translator: we're saying what business of yours is it to tell us what we must do or not. you are just another country, a member state of the iaea like everyone. >> president obama said quote, the size and configuration of this facility, the one mentioned today, is inconsistent with the peace program. what is your response to the president of the united states? that it is inconsistent with the peace program?

>> translator: i don't think mr. obama is a nuclear expert. we think that we have to leave it to the iaea and let them carry out their duties. >> he's in new york today. he dodged a question about whether there are other nuclear facilities we don't know about. in his news conference later today, chuck todd joins us from pittsburgh where he made the remarks. >> reporter: the president was asked repeatedly today, what's next. you revealed the evidence you believe iran is trying to nuke lee arize. he pointed to october 1 and the talks andrea mitchell pointed out. seemed to duck the idea of how long they would give the iranians. talking to officials behind the scenes, they believe that iran

has to immediately allow for the atomic agency to inspect. two, this may be about trying to get china on board. one thing that makes this administration hopeful is this time they mean it. russia is on board. everything about next week may be making the final case to china to get them to finally come aboard. the fact they didn't get a statement has some officials concerned. >> we learned five more americans died in afghanistan. does the president have anything to say about whether he would send more troops to afghanistan. >> reporter: he was asked directly. there's a request for 40,000 more troops. the president was more clear saying look, no decisions about troops or anything else are going to be made for quite some time. they need to do a new strategic review. when you talk to folks behind the scenes, they say how do you

do a strategy when you don't know if you have a partner in the government. so, everything seems to have slowed down when it comes to decisions and troops in afghanistan. >> chuck todd, thanks, chuck. today's news has a lot of people worried about what possible sanctions means to them. our bureau chief in in tehran. >> sanctions on gasoline mean the price of everything would go up for the average family. in recent weeks, we have seen gasoline as people stockpile in an attempt to beat price hikes. the economy here is in rough shape. the price of basic food commodities quadrupled in four years. the sanctions won't affect iran.

in the current financial climate, it doesn't seem to be the case. average iranians are deeply concerned. >> thanks a lot. now, to a programming note. david gregory talks to bill clinton about iran and many other topics this sunday on "meet the press." a man accused of being at the center of a terrorist attack is back in new york to face charges he planned to build and set off bombs. prosecutors say his case is more serious than two others that came to light. pete williams has bedales from washington. pete. >> reporter: ann, a judge accused him of lying. he faces far more serious bomb charges in new york, a place where investigators say he decided to become a terrorist. federal officials brought him to the denver airport for the

flight to new york where he attempted to stage attacks. arguing against granting him bail, prosecutors called najibullah zazi a danger. he tried to mix up a powerful explosive, sending urgent e-mails for more directions after buying gallons of strong chemical ingredients. the owner says zazi tried to explain why he bought so much. >> the only unusual comment was, of course, the reason i'm buying this is because i have a lot of girlfriends. >> reporter: his lawyer says no chemicals were found in his house or car. >> given the high profile, it was not a surprise to anyone. >> reporter: experts say his terrorism case is different than others. an illinois man arrested for driving a car bomb to

springfield. in dallas, a 19-year-old -- both men were under the watch of undercover agents posing as al qaeda operatives. they posed little danger. >> these were amateurs. they didn't understand what they were doing. it was "rambo," at best. >> reporter: zazi appears to be a threat. >> he had real training. his notes were handwritten. they weren't a preprinted manual. >> reporter: prosecutors said zazi traveled to canada twice, another avenue for investigation. fbi agents are questioning others in the u.s., thought to be involved. ann. >> pete williams, thanks. the latest on how much swine flu vaccine will be available and when. later, a group of kids in chicago learning about making a difference in a place far from home. when the flu hits...

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we have an update tonight on the status of the swine flu vaccine, that's expected soon. where it becomes available and how fast could be an issue in the early going. here is robert bazell. >> reporter: the center for disease control is anticipated problems when the first small amounts of the swine flu vaccine become available. >> it's going to be a little

bumpy. in different states, there will be different levels of p preparedness. there will be people that want vaccinated and can't. >> reporter: the initial doses of vaccine will be the nasal spray. it's for healthy people age 2 through 49 and pregnant women. the government is anticipa anticipating -- officials say they have every reason to believe it will be safe and will be monitoring it closely. reports of people having adverse reactions that may turn out to be nothing but coincidence. >> misinformation spreads more rapidly than the flu. any rumor has the risk of creating concern and we need to deal with that as it arises. >> reporter: meanwhile, the latest numbers show the swine

flu epidemic continues to grow. the virus is in every state. the american college health association finds 91% of the campuses it surveys report cases. this is to doctors and hospitals for flu-like illness. it's been more than 50 years since any flu came on so strong, so early. robert bazell, nbc news, nye nearby. on wall street, stocks lost a bit more ground. the dow finishes down just over 42 points. when "nightly news" continues in a moment, brian williams talked to ken burns about national treasures and making sure they stay just the way they are. >> my name is lee sa. i'm from fayetteville, north carolina. always use an excuse that you can if cigarettes don't kill me, oh well - something else will.

but, you can't use that as an excuse. i honestly loved smoking, and i honestly didn't think i would ever quit. it was very interesting that you could smoke on the first week. chantix gave me that extra help that i needed to get through a tough time. (announcer) chantix is a non-nicotine pill. in studies, 44% of chantix users were quit during weeks 9 to 12 of treatment, compared to 18% on sugar pill. it is proven to reduce the urge to smoke. i did have an unopen pack of cigarettes in my purse and then i think i opened my purse and realized it was still there. and i said, "what the heck, i don't need these..." ...i said, you know, "bye, i don't need you anymore, you're not my crutch, i don't need a crutch." (announcer) talk to your doctor about chantix and a support plan that's right for you. some people have had changes in behavior, hostility, agitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice agitation, hostility, depression

or changes in behavior, thinking or mood that are not typical for you, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions, stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. talk to your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which can get worse while taking chantix. some people can have allergic or serious skin reactions to chantix, some of which can be life threatening. if you notice swelling of face, mouth, throat or a rash stop taking chantix and see your doctor right away. tell your doctor which medicines you are taking as themay work differently when you quit smoking. chantix dosing may be different if you have kidney problems. the most common side effect is nausea. patients also reported trouble sleeping and vivid, unusual or strange dreams. until you know how chantix may affect you, use caution when driving or operating machinery. chantix should not be taken with other quit smoking products. as a non-smoker it's wonderful. the best thing that ever happened. the best thing i have ever done besides my husband, and dogs, and family.

with the chantix and with the support system, it worked. it worked for me. (announcer) talk to your doctor to find out if prescription chantix is right for you. the film maker ken burns' latest project is coming to a

theater near you. along with braet taking sights, this country's national park system is the best idea america ever had. brian williams talked with him and how the parks came to be, how they are protects and what's in their future. >> they are a treasure house of nature. 84 million acres of the most stunning landscapes anyone has ever seen. including a mountain so massive it creates its own weather, whose peak rises 20,000 feet above sea level. >> it's a stunningly, stunningly beautiful project. here is a counter intuitive question to start off. is there still a chance we can screw it up? >> yes. people assume the parks have always been there. they think they will always be

there, of course, they won't. like liberty, it requires individual lens to keep all those repatience forces. the parks represent our best selves and impulses. when it flags they are gone. >> it's been constantly debated and questioned. >> all of a sudden, they are saving archaeological sights and historical sights. they are saving places of shame. we have japanese-american citizens. central high school, still a working high school in little rock arkansas. so is shanksville, p.a. and oklahoma city and sights of indian massacres. if there were no national parks, the grand canyon would be lined with the rich.

zion and yosemite. if there were no national parks, yellowstone would geyser world. it's who we are that's at the heart of the national parks. >> ken burns story airs this friday on pbs. you can see more on nightly.msnbc.com. his name was timothy j. russert. the father of our late friend and colleague, tim russert died in buffalo, new york. he wrote a book about the relationship with his father who worked two jobs. a veteran of world war ii, big russ was 85 years old. when we come back, young people helping their peers in a city far away. e you just struck and you know what? you did hit pay-dirt cause it's ford truck month. an' leading this herd is the ford f-150.

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a mission to make a difference in a city thousands of miles away. a place considered to be a sister city for 25 years. we have a trip of a lifetime and the man helping these young americans help others. >> it's a long way from chicago to casa blanca. they want to help the poor. >> we want to instill hope. >> reporter: they are getting ready to travel to casa blanca. >> i can gain things as well as teaching them things. >> reporter: high schoolers came to learn from a local legend. he's a hero here, helping and bringing hope to the slum dwellers. 5,000 people live here in the hole. there are dozens like it. half a million slum dwellers

nationwide, desperate for help. >> they don't have insurance. they don't work. >> is anybody else helping them? >> as far as i know, i don't think so. >> reporter: seven years ago, after his day job in the u.s. embassy, he began to donate all his free time, helping the poor. he gave this woman her wheelchair. thank you she said. you changed by life. he trained 150 kids, many from the slums to help younger poor kids, teaching english, math and especially self-respect. the chicago kids didn't enter the slums so the kids came to them. the slum is her home. i live here, she says, it's disgusting. seven feet by four feet. ten people sleep here in shifts. no running water.

she's a third year physics student at the university. she studies in the streets while the others are asleep. after seeing this what will they take back to chicago? >> it's all about rising people up, not putting them down. >> reporter: and the gift of giving. when i asked lila how she made it to the university, words failed her. >> you gave me money, you gave me a chance and brought me back to life. martin fletcher, nbc news, casa blanca. >> that's our show for this evening. i'm ann curry. for all of us here at nbc news, thank you d good nht.