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? he phenomenon called khony 2012. 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 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. good evening. >> reporter: good evening, brian. military officials here are convince that had 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. he 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. 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. >> reporter: this tragic incident has sparked 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. and terminating it without a catastrophe. >> reporter: but president obama said today 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 afghan who is 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 late nest 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 stro america's strongest ally in the effort. 12 and our wide-ranging discussion dealt in part with the huge sacrifice that has 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 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 where 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 pay huge tribute to what american forces have done. i saw them coming into helmand

and fighting alongside their british counterparts. they had a transformative 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 southern girls.

from 12 to -- well, a lot more than 12. >> reporter: 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 ken here in mississippi. i'm very proud of it. >> >> reporter: you try to dress it up, there's something there you can't trust. >> 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 -- >> reporter: in birmingham, voters say these 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. >> reporter: andrew collins has

owned this restaurant 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 knowing what they're saying. >> reporter: as in the rest of the country, it's a contest 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 id 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 id law many texas, saying it would hit hispanic voters especially hard since fewer of them have the required ids. the state said anybody could get a voter id at a driver's license office. but 81 texas counties don't have one. and in wisconsin, a judge said the id law there imposes a voting requirement that goes beyond the qualifications spelled out in the state constitution. it's the second time the court has blocked the law. the state says it will appeal. that brings to three the number of states where voter id 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 summerlike 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. because we found it. together.

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no...we're not. ♪ the allstate value plan. dollar for dollar, nobody protects you like allstate. 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 reporter reports tonight from a remote village outside 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. this woman was captured and forced to be a soldier. this was the site of one of kony's last massacres in 2004. now it's a center to rehabilitate those who survive and to educate the children orphaned by a generation of his tyranny. here in gulu, few have seen the video that's made kony notorious around the world.

>> for 20 years, he's been kidnapping children into his group, turning the girls into sex slaves and the boys into child soldiers. he forces them to kill their own parents. >> 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 no did 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 lily, a child bride forced to marry him in 19 # 8. 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.

people have wondered where is joseph kony? now the world wonders with them. 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. ♪ oh. let's go. from the crack, off the backboard. [ laughs ] dad! [ laughs ] whoo! oh! you're up! oh! oh! so close! now where were we? ok, this one's good for two. score! [ male announcer ] share what you love with who you love. kellogg's frosted flakes. they're gr-r-eat! impact wool exports from new zealand,

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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 of 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. now with the ministry and bankruptcy and the church building sold to the catholic church, the reverend robert shuler 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 librabrary has released some letters from her husband. let's just say they give us a whole new picture of the man known in for 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 overwhelmed by his ruthlessness that led to the water gagate scandal and to these words. >> i shall resign tomorrow at noon. >> reporter: now the letters from the ambitious young lawyer just moved to washington, d.c. and pretty thelma catherine ryan, known to all as pat. he writes to his irish gypsy, he 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 called her his dearest heart.

>> reporter: 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 after his own ardor. >> 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 letter showed so captivated him for more than half a century. mike taibbi, nbc news, california. up next here tonight, a new image for this country as it prepares to welcome the rest of the world. [ male announcer ] imagine facing the day with less chronic osteoarthritis pain. imagine living your life with less chronic low back pain. imagine you, with less pain. cymbalta can help. cymbalta is fda-approved

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to be a moment of glory. >> reporter: britain's dancing, joking, volleyball-playing prince ended his 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. >> 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. english like cricket, 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 o flotilla carrying the queen. london must prove it won't be sunk by an event as big as the olympics. the 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 stage, hoping to put on the greatest show on earth. kier 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