we'll hear speeches, most notably by secretary of defense leon panetta. a lot of people, the world, in fact, will be watching what he has to say about where we are leaving iraq, the vulnerabilities that may be exposed that you touched on. what do you think would be the state of iraq is and whether or not now is the right time? >> well, it's not going to be anything at all like that which secretary panetta is going to discuss. i mean, he's going to guild it as well as he possibly can. the administration's decision is to remove the united states from the -- from iraq and we're going to do it very, very quickly. there are still plenty of gaps and, of course, the secretary is not going to focus on them. chief among the gaps is the development of the police force, the national police force. it's not in very good shape and has not been in very good shape. it is improving, but it's still not capable of doing what it needs to do. the army, some cases is okay, and other cases is not okay, depends on where it is. of course, the ability of the central government to

>>> our big story, defense secretary leon panetta in baghdad overseeing a historic flag lowering ceremony. >> it is a symbolic move marking the end of the nearly nine year war. let's get fore from stacy cohan live in arlington near the pentagon. >> we are near the pentagon where defense secretary leon panetta usually conducts his business. he is not here. he is in baghdad for the ceremony marking the end of the war. the iraq war has continued for nearly nine years and it has cost nearly 4500 american lives. $800billion is the price tag for that war. as they mark the end of the war today, they had an official ceremony where the u.s. forces iraq flag was official ly retired or cased. it was wrapped and covered with camouflage. >> with the departure of the remaining u.s. forces within

leon panetta heading to the podium soon. "good morning maryland" in a bit. [ sue ] wow! i've been so looking forward to this. when my asthma symptoms returned, my doctor prescribed dulera to help prevent them. [ male announcer ] dulera is for patients 12 and older whose asthma is not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. dulera will not replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. dulera helps significantly improve lung function. this was shown over a 6 month clinical study. dulera contains formoterol, which increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. dulera is not for people whose asthma is well controlled with a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled your doctor will decide if you can stop dulera and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take dulera more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse

in our earlier this week leon panetta is a recent statement on the war in iraq the price of the war was worth it to establish a stable government not exactly as they want to make a whole lot of sense these days so what will you like to hear leon panetta say a two americans about the year long war go to producer has roots in a century to find out what you have to say. as allies u.s. troops officially left iraq secretary of defense leon panetta said that the price other rock war was worth it the nearly four thousand five hundred america. killed and the thirty two thousand wounded hundreds of thousands of iraqi deaths and as to make it cost eight hundred six billion dollars according to the congressional research service and by other estimates maybe even up to two trillion now after a decade of war entered into on a false pretense and with lives lost and billions spent many found panetta statement to be an adequate to say the least now although making sure troops don't feel disrespected for their sacrifices requires a delicate balance so we want to know what you thought leon panetta should

defense secretary leon panetta on the scene, presiding over the ceremony now this morning. we are taking live pictures. -- as the u.s. prepares to formally shut down u.s. war in iraq right now. over 200,000 people are hospitalized every year with flu complications, including young children. so to kill the germs that may make your family sick, we recommend using lysol disinfectant spray every day. lysol is approved to kill over 50 germs. this includes the cold and flu viruses that can live on surfaces for up to two days. it works on hard and soft surfaces to help prevent the spread of bacteria and keep your home healthy. lysol is the #1 pediatrician recommended brand. visit lysol.com/missionforhealth you'd do that for me? really? yeah, i'd like that. who are you talking to? uh, it's jake from state farm. sounds like a really good deal. jake from state farm at three in the morning. who is this? it's jake from state farm. what are you wearing, jake from state farm? [ jake ] uh... khakis. she sounds hideous. well she's a guy, so... [ male announcer ] another reason more people

defense secretary, leon panetta, in attendance as well for what may well be a relatively gentle, somber, quiet procession of events. nonetheless, it is a day that will go down in the history books as the formal close of combat for american troops in iraq. we'll keep across that for you of course here on "bbc world news." i wanted to bring you more now on our breaking and leading story this hour, and that is that jacques chirac has been found guilty of embezzlement and abuse of power on two counts against him while he was mayor of paris. joining me now is our paris correspondent, christian fraser, with more. perhaps you can just fill out a little bit for us the details of what he's been found guilty of, first of all. >> well, he hired members of his political party between 1977 and 1995 and paid them through the creation of fake jobs within city hall, effectively using the city's payroll, if you will, to run his campaign for presidential election. and he's been found guilty, as up say, of embezzlement and breach of trust. there's another count here, which i believe translates as collusio

bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year expected next and defense secretary, leon panetta, greeting during a historic visit to lib yachlt the first pentagon chief to step on libyan soil ace the removal the dictator gat if i serves ga people have a right to determine their own future. i'll send it back to cavuto on business. i'm jamie colby, keep it on fox. >> given his opposition and the likelihood that the

leon panetta wants to help as the people take back their country. the defense secretary plans amidst ongoing violence and clashes with troops right near tripoli's airport, they will resolve their differences. >>> they are safe after a dramatic rescue. a crowd of people watched as the frightening scene unfolded. take a look at that scaffolding when he somehow slipped and fell. you can see he is tethered on there. the only thing that kept him from crashing to the pavement is that safety harness. >> if he did not have that safety harness he would have been a goner. >> they will hear details of a proposal that could cut college costs. they will join car roll sign itberg in sacramento and he is introducing a bill to create a free online book used in many online division courses. it cost them hundreds of dollars each academic year. >>> anonymous help for a south bay cancer patient, the generous gift hidden in a bag of a cad does in -- in a bag of vegetables on her doorstep. stay tuned for more. . >>> stamford and notre dame could lead to more outside spor

defense secretary leon panetta attended the ceremony. u.s.q by the end of the month. >>> authorities will want to efforts to catch one of the most wanted criminals. the potomac river rapist is suspected of attacking eight women and killing a scientist during the 1990's. >>> 7 republican but until candidates will square off tonight in their final debate before the iowa caucuses. >>> let's get a last look at the roads with lisa baden. >> handicappers in virginia. 95 and 66. >>> >>> happy campers in virginia. this is eastbound on the dulles toll road. not looking good out of reston. >>> it's going to be warm afternoon near 60 later on today. i want some snowfall. >> not good for snow lovers. >> nothing to get excited about friday night, a brief wintry mix. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. ♪ ♪ that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and 250 dollars goes to your choice of five charities. ♪ ♪ with your help, we can reach 20 million dollars by the end of this our fourth y

speaking there leon panetta said the sacrifice of american troops has not been in vain. coming up at 615, we bring you a live report with an event showing how the iraqi people are reacting to the department part to your of american troops. >>> police are investigating an overnight shooting that injured one man. they found him in a complex parking lot just after midnight. now he was rushed to the hospital limpetted in serious condition right now the police say there are no suspects or a known motive. >>> a public memorial service will be held for hiram lawrence junior. the little boy was shot in the head outside of a liquor store late last month. doctors removed him from life support. the service will be held on 66th avenue in oakland and the service is open to the public and begins at 11:00 a.m. >>> today investigators will reveal more information about a big pot club raid in the east bay. now drug agents targeted a club and a home tied to that club in danville. they took this video of the home yesterday afternoon. they spent hours removing information. it is newark's la

defense secretary leon panetta is in iraq now where he's taking part in a ceremony shutting down the . military operation there after almost a decade of war. the ceremony began about 45 minutes ago and mr. panetta is also scheduled to take part in a q & a session with u.s. troops and hold a press conference with the top american commander in the country, general austin. all the u.s. troops will be out of iraq by december 31st. president obama pledged the u.s. will continue civilian assistance for iraq as it faces an uncertain future. >>> the $660 billion defense bill passed the house yesterday and ensured president obama's ability to prosecute terror suspects in the justice system. the legislation authorizes money for men and women in the military as well as weapons systems and the millions of jobs they generate in the lawmakers' district. >>> the report is out about marriage in our country. the findings are nearly half of u.s. adults aren't married which is now at a record low. corrine redmond is standing by with more. >> reporter: pew research conducted the survey finding marriage i

up next, defense secretary leon panetta talks with fox news about the future of the drone campaign. [e annouer ] juice drink too watery? ♪ feel the power my young friend. mmm! [ male announcer ] for unsurpassed fru and veggie nutrition... v8 v-fusion. could've had a v8. align can help. only align has bifantis, a pantented probiotic that naturally helps maintain your digestive balance. ♪ ooh baby, (what) can i do for you today? ♪ try align today. >> bret: live outside the sioux city convention center, cite of thursday night big debate. now back to the news. crash investigators are expected to arrive tonight at a military base in washington state, where two helicopters went down monday night. four aviators were killed. it's unclear whether the choppers collided or crashed separately. in world headline, a man in belgium attacked holiday shoppers today with grenades and assault rifle. it happened near the german border. two teenage boys and an 18-month-old child and elderly woman were killed. 123 were wounded in the attack. the gunman also died. police have not said whether he killed hims

in the iraqi capital of baghdad, defense secretary leon panetta attended a solemn ceremony. >> thank you for your loyalty to the future of iraq. your dream of an independent and sovereign iraq is now a reality. >> at base in southern iraq u.s. troops handed over security duties to iraqi troops on thursday. the war started in march 2003. nearly nine years of chaotic conditions saw 1.5 million soldiers deployed and 4,500 of them killed. as of now, just over 5,000 remain but almost all are expected to leave by the end of this week. iraqi citizens suffered through the war and terrorist attacks have mixed feelings about the president's declaration. >> translator: i am very happy. almost everybody opposed the occupation by u.s. troops. the u.s. maintained our security until now. i am worried whether iraqi troops can do the job. >> as the u.s. pulls out, public safety is not improving in iraq. terrorist attacks continue and security checkpoints are everywhere. at least 120,000 iraqi civilians are estimated to have died since the start of the war. the fighting has seriously damaged infrastru

secretary of defense leon panetta accepted the colors in baghdad and he formally closed america's nearly nine-year involvement in iraq. jim axelrod was there to witness the end. >> reporter: for the final time, the colors were presented at u.s. military headquarters in iraq. (applause). >> reporter: the ceremony marked the official end of mission. defense secretary leon panetta took stock of the treasures spent-- more than $800 billion-- and the blood spilled during the last nine years. >> today in particular we remember the nearly 4,500 brave americans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. >> reporter: now the war is in the hands of the historians who will weigh the toppling of a brutal dictator against the war fought over weapons of mass destruction that were never found. joint chiefs chairman general martin dempsey, perhaps mindful of the war's unpopularity at home, offered his own view of a mission accomplished. >> the next time i come back, i'm going to have to be invited in. i'm going to have to be invited by the iraqi government. and i kind of like that. >> reporter:

those are the words of defense secretary leon panetta, who also thanked the sacrifice of u.s.roops and their families back in the united states. we'll keep our eye on that ceremony and have more at the top of the hour on "morning joe." >>> republican presidential contenders heading to iowa today, gearing up for their final debate before the january 3rd caucuses. if the past few days are any indication, mitt romney will come out swinging against the field's latest frontrunner. >> newt gingrich has been an unreliable leader in the conservative movement. i think people get to know that an individual like myself, who's now been a governor, served, has a record, is a person who has the kind of consistency, on conservative principles that distinguishes me from someone like our speaker, speaker gingrich, who has taken extraordinarily unusual positions with regards to calling the medicare reform plan a right wing social engineering plan, suicide he's called it. this is a person who has a very questionable record when it comes to leading conservative principles. >> romney also opening

that just before the introduction of defense secretary leon panetta overseeing an official ceremony in baghdad this morning. he is overseeing the official flag lowering marking the end of nine years of war. he says the veterans of the conflict should know their sacrifice helped the iraqi people cast tyranny aside. >> it is a profound honor to be here in baghdad and to have the opportunity to participate in this moving ceremony on this very historic occasion for both the iraqi people and the american people. no words, no ceremony can provide full tribute to the sacrifices that have brought this day to pass. >> alls troops are leaving by december 31st. >>> mr. tony perkins joining us now to talk a bit about our weather here which i think a lot of people will really enjoy. >> this is a chance of some showers later on, about a 40% chance of some showers. main thing will be our temperatures will be much more mild today as we see our highs up near 60 degrees. that is not bad. let's take a look at sentinel radar, show you what is happening out there right now. little breezy but no rain. it wi

the ceremony was attended by leon panetta hussein's troops for their sacrifices. >> all of the men and women in uniform today, your nation is deeply indebted to you. you have done everything your nation has asked you to do and more curious your dedication, your commitment to this mission off has been the driving force behind the remarkable progress that we have seen in baghdad and across this country. >>mark: only a few thousand u.s. troops will remain in iraq but most of them will leave by the end of the month. >>darya: we are back with more in a couple of minutes to get you going on this thursday morning. here is a live look off from our roof on van ness avenue in san francisco. it is a little wet out there, you may want to leave some extra time for your commute. we will be right back. >>justine: the labor department has put up new unemployment figures and applications are at a three year low. they fell below 366,000. when applications go below three at 75,000 for an extended period of time, that usually signals that hiring is strong. right now, unemployment applications are much low

defense secretary leon panetta just spoke to the last american troops in baghdad. >> this was one of the most complex, logistical undertakings in u.s. military history. 50,000 u.s. troops withdrawn seamlessly. dozens of bases closed or handed over. millions of pieces of equipment that had to be transferred. all while maintaining the security of our force s and the security of the iraqi people. >> more than 4,000 americans died fighting the war in iraq, which began almost nine years ago, and more than a million and a half americans served in iraq during that time. >>> new from overnight, another attempt by lawmakers to reach a deal on a spending package. house republicans unveiled a $1 trillion bill they hope will avert a government shutdown and keep workers from being furloughed right before the holidays. the white house opposes several provisions of that legislation, though. it's urging congress to approve a short-term bill to keep the government running until a final resolution can be reached. lawmakers must come to some agreement by tomorrow night or the government will shut down.

always we appreciate responses and here's our next question for you or the show we spoke about leon panetta as recent statement on the war in iraq the price of the war was worth it to stablish a stable government in iraq many of our viewers out there i think would probably disagree but what would you like to hear leon panetta say to americans about this nine year long war on facebook twitter and you tube and those responses just might make their. own mind will come down. so much still carries will be singing. and i we have a true glimmer of hope. today that it would be giving up on its thirty nine billion dollar attempt to merge with t. mobile deal which was widely criticized by consumer groups as anti-competitive what have merged the fourth largest telecom with the second largest creating one superdelegate to rule them all but luckily for consumers as merger was met with an anti-trust lawsuit from the justice department with deputy attorney general james cole saying the following we believe the combination of eighteen t. and t. mobile would result in tens of millions of consumers all acros

leon panetta on u.s.-israel relations. later, a forum on the future of >> pay a dollar now for labor, have no health care, have no environmental control, no pollution-control, and no retirement. if you don't care about anything but making money, there will be a giant sucking sound going south. >> ross perot spoke out during the 1992 presidential debate. he made two it is for the presidency, the first time getting over 90 million votes, more popular votes than any third-party candidate in american history. although we lost, he had a lasting influence on american politics. he is the final candidate in our series the contenders. to produce other video on ross perot and see all the programs from our series, go to c- span.org/thecontenders. >> republican presidential candidate newt gingrich spoke with reporters for a few minutes in new york city today, following a meeting with donald trump. this is about 15 minutes. >> let me just say some of you look familiar. as i said earlier today, we were partially coming to new york to ma

defense secretary, leon panetta arrived in baghdad to participate in the formal end to u.s. military involvement in iraq. we want to take you now live to baghdad, where you are looking at live pictures of the casing of the colors ceremony in the iraqi capital. it has been almost nine years since the u.s. invaded that country. and in that time, at least 128,000 iraqis have been killed in conflict situations. more than 4400 u.s. troops have also died. and now at this very moment,ed american military command in the country is closing a chapter in the history of both iraq and the u.s. armed forces with this somber ceremony. it is such a big contrast to the explosions that marked the beginning of the war in iraq, back in march of 2003. >> now, this moment does, in a very real sense, mark the end of a difficult period, not only for the u.s. military, but for the people of iraq. damon has covered the key moments of the iraq war and joins us from baghdad. you know, arwa, you've seen it all. i was there with you for some of it. and looking on, you realize the tremendous suffering tha

defense secretary leon panetta was on hand for the ceremony today in baghdad. >>> 5:16. a big rig wreck closed a southern california freeway indefinitely. it was quite a sight. highway 60 check it out. montebello area. nobody was hurt when a big rig tanker crashed and exploded into flames. this was around noon yesterday. but what a sight. road cannot be used right now. crews are on their way to the area now to demolish a bridge that i guess you can see was affected by all the flames. no word on how long that is going to take but quite the mess yesterday in southern california. >>> how about our weather? let's check in with lawrence now. >> we have some rain around the bay area. high country finally getting some snow. haven't had much of that at all this year. blue canyon looking good, very cold, 28 degrees. and you have the snowflakes coming down. looks like it's coming down pretty good there. but it is becoming more scattered so we're expecting an end of of snow across the higher mountains. here in the bay area lighter amounts of some rainfall and it is moving very quic

secretary of defense leon panetta speaking at closing ceremonies to mark the end of the u.s. of the war in iraq in almost nine years. >>> mrus, thousands of government workers are in limbo this morning waiting to hear if a government shutdown will be avoided. >> good morning to you. i'm eun yang. >> good morning to you. i'm joe krebs. welcome in on this 15th day of december. >> don't want to get your shopping nerves up, but ten more days until you know what? >> that's right. the countdown. ten more days. can you believe it? >> i don't know. i'm not ready. >> thanks, joe. panic mode, i have to go to the shopping centers, the malls. >> yeah. 46 degrees here in northwest washington. that is not because of somebody's blow dryer. it's actually that warm all around the region this morning. we are starting off certainly milder than average for this time of year. this time of the morning. good morning. i'm meteorologist tom kierein. right now at reagan national, under a mostly cloudy sky. temperatures at 45 degrees. it's a little more humid and the wind is out of the south. that sout

the ceremony was attended by leon panetta who think the troops for their sacrifices. >> families have watched their loved ones go off to war. their loved ones fought in fleeces like solder city and elsewhere. today in particular, we remember the nearly 4500 brave americans whom made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. as well as the more than 30,000 wounded warriors, many of whom still struggle when serious life altering injuries. >>darya: only a few thousand troops far in iraq and will leave by the end of months. for >>mark: after three days of losses the dow jones is up 55 and the nasdaq is of almost two. new this morning, the labor department released new unemployment figures. applications are at a three year low. sphere sphere >>darya: we are back with more in a couple of minutes. here is a live look at the golden gate bridge which is starting to clear up and try out. the clouds are starting to lift. it is still great and a little sluggish travel wise. >>kimberlee: we are tracking a sig alert for you on northbound 680. it says there are two lanes blocked but we just checked

leon pan panetta didn't have anything to do with this. >> cc sabathia gave 1000-dollar to replace the 700-dollar band. the band held the fund raiser because the school no longer -- the district no longer funds bands. and his wife went to the school. [ terri ] my husband, hank, was always fun. never took life too seriously. 'til our son was born... that day, he bought life insurance. now, there's no way i could send our boy to college without it. if there was one thing i could say to hank, it'd be "thank you." you're welcome. hey, hank. [ male announcer ] life insurance you can use while you're still living. you are one lucky lady. mm-hmm. [ male announcer ] learn more from your state farm agent today. >>> the u.s. military mission in iraq is now officially over. in ceremonies in baghdad this morning, u.s. forces retired the flag for the mission that began with an assault on iraq nearly nine years ago. defense secretary leon panetta told the departing troops they had done well. >> you will leave with great pride, lasting pride, secure in knowing that yoursacrifice has helped the ir-- y

in an excuseive interview with fox news, leon panetta was asked about the future of the drone campaign to iran. >> will the operations continue since they are flown out of afghanistan? >> absolutely. >> on wednesday, in kabul, panetta meets president hamid karzai who is coming under pressure from tehran to close the base. but the defense secretary says the afghan leader has not asked them to halt the program. panetta would not speculate about whether the u.s. u.s. sentinel drone had been failed by cyber attack or high-tech jamming device. the secretary did not agree with the assessment of nouri al-maliki in monday suggesting irainian interference would disappear once all u.s. troops have gone home. >> i think you have to be cautious about iran that one way or another they will try to influence what happens there. >> he added the u.s. will keep 40,000 u.s. troops in bases across the gulf to counter the iranian threat. >> and was adamant that the u.s. officers would not allow a high-value lebanese prisoner with iranian ties who killed five americans go free when they leave later this mon

. >> leon panetta is there for ceremonies. tracie potts is in washington monitoring the events. >> this morning defense secretary leon panetta participates in a ceremony at the baghdad airport, taking down the last u.s. flag, marking the end of this war. >> i am proud to say these words -- i know your families a break -- welcome home. welcome home. >> president obama congratulated troops and thanked military families. >> you have the thanks of a grateful nation. we are ending a war not with a final battle, with a final march towards home. >> from the first air strike to the fall of baghdad, nearly 4500 americans lost their lives. the u.s. brought democracy but security is still a problem. rebuilding is far from over. john mccain accused the president of ordering the pullout -- >> history will judge the president's leadership with a scorned and distain that it deserves. >> but today, no failure, victory. >> very happy he will be here for christmas. >> the troops are finally coming home. the budget office says since the beginnin

. >> leon panetta is there to mark the ceremony. tracie potts has more from washington. >> this morning defense secretary leon panetta participates in an end-of- mission ceremony at the baghdad airport, taking down the last u.s. flag, marking the end of this 9-year-old war. >> i'm proud to finally say these two words, and i know your families agree -- "welcome home." [cheers] welcome home. >> president obama congratulated troops and thanked military families at fort bragg wednesday. >> you, too, have the thanks of a grateful nation. [cheers and applause] we are ending a war not with a final battle, with a final march toward home. >> from the first air strike to the fall of baghdad and years of insurgent attacks, nearly 4,500 americans lost their lives. the u.s. brought democracy, but security is still a problem, and rebuilding is far from over. senator john mccain accused the president of ordering the pullout based on politics, not national security, and criticized him for initially opposing the surge that led to victory. >> history

. >> heather: leon panetta with harsh words with israel telling the state to step up diplomatic efforts. but can israel push for peace when surrounded by constant threats? >> and a singer hiding behind the closet with five-year-old son. this after the month mother reported her missing will why the pregnant mccree dy says she is willing to go to jail. >> heather: wait is over at a rally in atlanta, embattled presidential candidate herman cain making a stunning announcement. >> as of today with a lot of prayer and soul searching, i am suspending my presidential campaign. >> heather: his announcement coming after several allegations of sexual misconduct and claims of a 13-year extramarital affair. he will endorse one of the gop candidates and start a website to continue his work. john roberts is live in atlanta with the very latest. hi, john. >> reporter: good afternoon. to the very end herman cain denied the allegations against him blaming the media for all the troubles and brought untold hurt. all the reports of sexual impropriety. he made the decision to quit the campaign after a length

leon panetta made it very very strong statement saying that the u.s. will always be protective of israel. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> tomorrow, "we look at where congressional efforts will go from here. -- tomorrow, on "washington journal", we look at where congressional efforts will go from here. . .

>> reporter: while trying to reassure israel of america's unshakeable commit to its security, leon panetta pressed them to do more with their arab neighbors. and he said a good place to start is to come back to peace talks with the palestinians. >> we can't get them to the damn table to at least sit down and begin to discuss their differences. we all know what the pieces are here to a potential agreement. talked about, worked through. we understand the concerns. >> reporter: one middle east analyst says that criticism may give israel's enemies a boost. >> when hezbollah and hamas would read this statement, they would read it as america is frustrated with israel. this will not encourage the radicals to come to the table, but support the idea of them becoming more radical. >> reporter: israels say the palestinians aren't serious negotiators. you see panetta meeting with netanyahu in october. the palestinians say they're ready to resume talks, if israel stops building settlements in parts of the west bank. in washington, molly henningberg, fox news. >>> we had a wonderful weekend and temperat

forces withdrew across the border and left iraq secretary of defense leon panetta spoke to reporters and said that as difficult as the iraq war was the price has been worth it to establish a stable government in a very important region of the world following day signs of that stability were a little hard to find the iraqi vice president tariq ali me who is a sunni was implicated in a string of assassinations and of leading a death squad that targeted police and government officials of the government ordered his arrest he has since accused the prime minister of using the war as a ploy to consolidate power so are those arguments that are leaving iraq better left better off becoming harder to leave by the day if you look at a recent zogby poll that will tell you how the iraqi people themselves feel forty two percent said that iraq is now worse off so why do our officials keep pettily myths of success here to discuss this with me is lawrence wilkerson retired united states army colonel and former chief of staff to colin powell once thanks so much for being here tonight thanks room so how

is completely finished you've heard me make that speech before but today secretary of defense leon panetta got to come out and say that the iraq war is officially over and so the mainstream media made a big deal out of it all as expected. is lord and the u.s. military mission in the family over rock after nearly nine years forty five hundred american dead thirty two thousand wounded and more than eight hundred billion dollars spent today the flag of your u.s. forces in iraq was retired u.s. military is formally shut down the war in iraq officially retiring the flag of you . forces nearly nine years after shock and all a small sober ceremony paying tribute to america's sacrifice most of the speech is focused on the sacrifices the accomplishments that u.s. troops have been able to achieve here in iraq since the invasion nearly nine years ago just a few thousand u.s. service members remain in iraq they're streaming out of the countries you know what i'm going to let them have that one today let them rejoice in the fact that the last troops will be coming home from iraq at least in some way th

leon panetta says he wants to help the libyans move in the right direction as the people take back their country. this morning leon panetta arrived meeting with top commanders there san he will also -- and he will also visit with turkey in addition to visiting libya. >>> allison burns is in washington d.c. where some members of congress are proposing new laws to protect children, here is more. >> reporter: congress is looking at the scope of the problem this year. advocates, first will be looking at the scope of the problem and advocates for children say 760,000 children victims of child abuse each year and there will be emotional testimony at the hearing this morning. sheldon kennedy will testify about the sexual abuse he suffered from one of his former coaches. he wrote a book about it called why i didn't say anything. right now only 18 states have laws requiring people who witness abuse report it to police. there is not a comprehensive mandatory reporting law in california and barbara boxer will be testifying about her bill to change that and how there is also a push in congress to pe

this is where leon panetta was yesterday. that was afghanistan. >> you can see defense secretary leon panetta was there, he called it a profound honor to shut down the nearly nine year war there. >> that's right. >> iraq will be tested in the days ahead. by terrorism. by those who would seek to divide. by economic and social issues. by the demands of democracy itself. challenges remain. but the united states will be there to stand by the iraqi people as they navigate -- >> there you see leon panetta earlier today in his speech which, by the way, baghdad, no teleprompters yet. you see a guy speaking from the heart with his speech written in long hand. they have officially retired the flag of u.s. forces in iraq. troops lowering the flag as you saw there wrapped in camouflage. we showed it earlier formally casing it according to army tradition. right now, let's go out to jennifer griffin who is traveling with the secretary of defense is in baghdad on the phone. jennifer, there wasn't a huge iraqi presence there, was that surpri