and our martha raddatz takes us onboard a u.s. destroying being trailed by iranian warships. >>> santorum rising. an avalanche of new polls showing him ahead of mitt romney. what romney is trying to do to stop it. >>> women treated differently by their doctors than men. what to say and do to change that. >>> and wonder dog. going from this, to this. and taking the most famous dog show by storm tonight. >>> good evening. we begin tonight with the evidence of a find of shadow war now being waged by iran around the world. tonight israeli and jewish facilities everywhere, including here in the u.s., are on heightened alert. overseas, today, three u.s. warships defied iranian threats and entered the strait of hormuz. our martha raddatz onboard and she'll bring us her report in a moment. first, we want to tell you what is causing this new concern and the evidence of secret iranian attacks. abc's chief investigative correspondent, brian ross, has been talking to the fbi all day. brian? >> reporter: it appears to be hit squad versus hit s

i want to bring in our senior affairs correspondent martha raddatz. you've reported on this delicate relationship with the afghans. aside from the immediate loss of these two american officers, there's a mump bigger loss here, too. >> there is, david. this is a very effective strategy by the enemy. i've been with these forces many times and this will separate the afghan security forces from the americans not only physically but psychologically, at a time when the americans really need to have eye strong influences on the forces. >> immeasurable setback there. martha, another head line developing, we remember the images after the capturing of osama bin laden. now comes word of the bulldozers moving in? >> bulldozers have moved in. we have those old pictures and pictures from today. the pakistanis did this in the deep of night. you can barely make out the compound in these pictures. cameras were kept far away when the bulldozers came in. now that are compound may symbolize america's success in getting bin laden but this was an embarrassing chapter in pa

for "nightline," i'm martha raddatz, in washington. >> man. those guys are studs.or" opens

for "nightline," i'm martha raddatz, in washington. >> man. those guys are studs.or" opens february 24th. >>> we want to thank you for watching abc news.

martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >>> and from syria, we stay overseas and turn to egypt. the ruling military now says it will put 19 americans on trial for illegal political activity there. one of those americans are sam lahood, son of transportation secretary ray lahood. the americans work for nonprofit organizations whose mission is to promote democracy. the obama administration has warned egypt, a trial there could jeopardize the $1.5 billion america sends to egypt in aid and will this year. >>> and back here at home of course it is the day after the super bowl, super bowl xlv, officially the single most watched tv program in tv history. it wasn't just the action on the field that caused fireworks today. one super bowl ad set off some political fireworks as well. a new abc news poll gives president obama something to cheer about, as abc's jake tapper explains. >> reporter: the ad from chrysler ran during the halftime of the super bowl and featured clint eastwood talking about how it was also halftime in america. >> the people of detroit know a little something about th

abc's martha raddatz is tracking this still developing story. >> reporter: the reaction from afghans was swift, passionate and violent. hundreds of protesters wailing over the charred pages from dozens of the muslim holy books. chanting death to america. and starting fires of their own. but the american damage control was equally swift. within hours of the protests, commander of u.s. and international forces, general john allen, issued a profuse apology. >> there was no intention by any member of isaf, to defame islam, or to desecrate the religious items of this faith. >> reporter: from the secretary of defense, from the state department, and the white house, statements followed. this began around 11:00 p.m. last night. u.s. soldiers were replacing older korans used by detainees, because they feared prisoners were secretly communicating through pages. the soldiers put the used korans into an incineration pit, apparently unaware that it was considered desecration. afghans working on the base saw what was happening and pulled the books from the flames. the administration is clearly wor

martha raddatz is on one of the ships. >> reporter: it was just after dawn when the three u.s. ships began the long, tense transit through the strait of hormuz. months ago, they were warned not return. >> you want to be at a max state of readiness. >> reporter: we're on the lead ship, the uss sterett. on the bridge, the concentration is intense. >> set a course. >> reporter: surveillance tracking everything that moves. but the iranians were shadowing us silently as well. drones, navy vessels, and a patrol plane flying overhead. the shipping lane is only about two miles wide. there's little room to maneuver. that's the uss abraham lincoln behind me. these transits are routine. but miscalculations on either side could threaten the ships and close down the water way and put the world's economy at stake. >> our thanks to martha for that report. >>> now to politics and the santorum surge. he speaks to overflow crowds like this one in idaho last night. he says his campaign is in talks to get secret service protection after an event on monday turned rowdy when occupy protesters showed

abc's martha raddatz was actually on board one of those ships. >> reporter: it was just after dawn whenransit through the strait of hormuz. where just months ago the iranians warned u.s. warships not to return. >> you want to be always at a max state of readiness. >> reporter: we are on the lead ship, the "uss sterett," a destroyer with dozens of missiles and machine guns. on the bridge the concentration is intense. >> set your course, 080 -- >> reporter: surveillance tracking everything that moves. but the iranians were silently shadowing us as well. iranian navy vessels, drones, and a patrol plane flying overhead. the shipping lane itself is only about two miles wide. so there is very little room to maneuver. that's the massive aircraft carrier "uss abraham lincoln" just behind me. hours into the crossing the captain was called to the deck. a small craft was approaching. boats similar to those of iran's revolutionary guard navy that have been harassing u.s. ships for months. >> any surface vessel that you see out here you've definitely got to pay attention, try and identify. >> report

and abc's senior foreign affairs correspondent, martha raddatz is right here to give us the bottom line. what's the story? end of combat troops in afghanistan next spring or not? >> reporter: i think it's possible. as you and i talked about it today. i think secretary of defense leon panetta might have jumped the gun in this kind of announcement. but i do think they will start winding down the combat mission sometime next year and move to a support mission. it doesn't mean all the troops will be coming home. we'll have about 68,000 troops there next summer. it doesn't mean they're coming home. but it could mean they're in a lot better shape and a lot safer place over there. >> i have to ask you about this, too, martha, about another story creating a lot of alarm around the world and in the united states. a brand-new report that israel is getting ready to strike at iran's nuclear sites. what have you learned from your sources today? >> reporter: well, again, secretary panetta, today, said he would not comment on that. but i can tell you, the united states is genuinely concerned about tha

jackie calmes of "the new york times" and martha raddatz of abc news. >> award-winning reporting and analysis, covering history as it happens. live from our nation's capital, this is "washington week with gwen ifill." produced in association with "national journal." corporate funding for "washington week" is provided by -- >> this rock has never stood still. since 1875, we've been there for our clients through good times and bad. when their needs changed, we were there to meet them. through the years, from insurance to investment management, from real estate to retirement solutions, we've developed new ideas for the financial challenges ahead. this rock has never stood still. and that's one thing that will never change. prudential. >> we know why we're here. to connect our forces to what they need when they need it. >> to help troops see danger. before it sees them. >> to answer the call of the brave and bring them safely home. >> around the globe, the people of boeing are working together. to support and protect all who serve. >> that's why we're here. >> corporate funding is also p

abc's martha raddatz on the tensions now raised even higher. >> reporter: the saber rattling coming from iran has been constant. warnings to u.s. ships, threats to close down vital oil transit lanes in the strait of hormuz. but today america's top intelligence chief had a new, bracing warning, revealing that iran may be more ready than ever to launch terror attacks inside the united states. >> i think they are, consistent with their outreach elsewhere, they're trying as well to penetrate and engage in this hemisphere. >> reporter: james clapper, director of national intelligence, told the senate intelligence committee today, "some iranian officials probably including supreme leader ali khamenei, are now more willing to conduct an attack in the united states in response to real or perceived u.s. actions that threaten the regime." he pointed specifically to last year's plot to assassinate the saudi ambassador to the united states and to reports that iran has been supporting hezbollah cells in latin america. iran's president ahmadinejad recently traveled there meeting leaders like hugo chav

and martha raddatz, who has covered every middle east war for more than two decades, tells us what is happening tonight. >> reporter: this is the man who is the true decisionmaker in iran. and today, in a rare and fiery appearance, he delivered what may be his strongest attack on israel. calling it a cancer that must be cut out. ayatollah ali hamny, warned israel not to attack iran's facilities. threatening the u.s., as well. saying an attack would be ten-times worse for the united states than for iran. the new threat comes as u.s. officials are increasingly concerned that israel will strike iran's nuclear facilities as early as april is. >> deadline is being driven by the israeli belief that the iranians are progressing so rapidly on their capability to enrich the uranium and build a nuclear weapon. and they're burying their facilities so deep underground, that will no longer have the ability to affect the iranian program. >> reporter: if there is a strike, officials say israel would be the first to face the consequences, with missiles fired at population centers. but this week, the

martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >> p.r. disaster. you can imagine the debates we've had in this country about book burning and flag burning. how could the soldiers not know that burning a holy book would cause a few people to get upset? >> the military does have a procedure for destroying sensitive and secret documents. here's what they do. it involves incineration of documents that are placed in what are called burn bags, which are then incinerated. and as martha mentioned, they thought that maybe they were passing secret messages, but still. >> as long as we're over there, we should be a little more culturally sensitive at this point. it's been a decade. >>> emergency crews in southern california went above and beyond to rescue a pair of golden retrievers from the side of a pretty steep cliff. the dog's owners say when the dogs heard the sound of the ocean they jumped out of her truck, apparently not reaching the beach was hundreds of feet below. fire crews had to rig a pulley to bring them back up to the road. the dogs, named lily

but they're prepared for any contingency. >> martha raddatz, thank you for that. >>> in the race forregain his momentum, romney called himself a true conservative and warned voters to watch how for politicians infected by what he calls the washington disease. >>> the fbi, meanwhile, investigating a robbery at the caribbean vacation home of justice stephen breyer. the court is not saying whether he had a security detail with him. >>> a bizarre attack caught on video in england. man angry after getting kicked out of a pub for smoking went home and came back with a chain saw. the man was overpowered by bar patrons. only one person suffered very minor injuries. >>> here's a preview of "world news." >> who would have thought that the man about to lead china wants to make a trip to iowa? muscatine, iowa. why? what does he want to see? we'll tell you. >>> finally, a 6-year-old girl from massachusetts had her dream come true monday. she got meet justin bieber. not just meet him. her family and friends organized a social media campaign to get bieber's attention. it worked. within days, the fa

abc's martha raddatz is with u.s. forces in the crucial strait of hormuz this morning. with u.s. e "uss sterett." we're the lead ship in a carrier strike group. that's the "uss abraham lincoln." there's another u.s. ship behind that. we're making our way through the strait of hormuz. of course, iran has threatened u.s. ships here in the past. it's about a ten-hour transit. the attacks in india and georgia happened just hours before we entered the strait. all of the guns are manned here. they don't expect any trouble. they've been on the lookout for small iranian crafts. the military commanders have stressed to us again and again that they want diplomacy to work here. they want the economic sanctions to work. but they are prepared for any contingency. josh? >> martha raddatz, thank you for that. >>> in the race for president, new polls show that rick santorum is now tied or even leading mitt romney. trying to regain his momentum, meanwhile, in arizona last night, romney called himself a true conservative and warned voters to watch out for politicians infected by what he calls the w

martha raddatz joins us with the very latest this morning. good morning to you, martha. >> good morning, josh. the u.s. opened to end the combat mission at the end of 2014. but this morning comes word directly from tsecretary the of defense that the combat mission may end by the middle of next year. leon panetta, on his way to nato meetings said hopefully, the u.s. will be able to take a support and advisory role by 2013 and let the afghan security forces take the lead. panetta said it doesn't mean that we won't be combat ready, we always have to defend ourselves but the role would change. the u.s. has close to 90,000 troops in afghanistan now. the number drops to 68,000 this fall. panetta did not say whether this would allow for troops to come home sooner. but it's a strong indication that the war is truly winding down, although there is already some opposition to this, josh. >> hardly surprising. martha raddatz, thank you. >>> in egypt, protesters are blaming the military and police for failing to stop this. a deadly riot at a soccer match.

here's abc's martha raddatz. >> reporter: the reaction from afghans was swift, passionate, and violentput the used korans into an incineration pit, apparently unaware that it was considered desecration. afghans working on the base saw what was happening and pulled the books from the flames." the administration is clearly worried about a repeat of last year, when the burning of a koran by a florida pastor prompted an attack on a u.n. compound in afghanistan. >> for muslims the koran is the word of god. and when muslims see it desecrated they see this as an attack on islam and they get angry and upset. >> reporter: if a koran is damaged, it is supposed to be placed in a flowing river or buried, like thousands are in this sacred cave in pakistan. general allen has already ordered training for all military personnel in afghanistan on the proper

abc's martha raddatz joins now, martha, just how serious could these protests grow? >> reporter: josh, there's no question that u.s. officials are worried that these protests will spread not only throughout afghanistan, but beyond. the protests have turned violent. with afghan citizens burning tires and setting fuel trucks on fire outside of u.s. bases. afghan security forces killing at least three of the protesters. these protests continue despite a cascade of apologies from u.s. military and administration officials, saying that the burning of the korans was accidental. but this is certainly something that the taliban can capitalize on. this morning, american personnel are being told to stay in the compound for the foreseeable future. josh? >>> and we will certainly stay on top of it all. >>> we're following breaking news from the uprising in syria. two western journalists have now been killed in the violence, including marie colvin, from new york. who we see there. she lost an eye, in fact, while covering global conflicts. she worked with us here at abc news just

martha raddatz joining us with more. >> reporter: the disturbing warning came from america's top intelligence official, james clapper, testifying on capitol hill. we know iran has threatens u.s. ships, threatened to close the strait of hormuz. threatened israel. director clapper said iran has crossed a threshold and is prepared to extend terrorist attacks to within the united states. clapper said a plot last year shows that some iranian officials have changed their calculus and are now more willing to conduct an take in the united states in response to real or perceived u.s. actions that threaten the regime. this comes as the u.s. is increasing pressure on iran to halt the nuclear program. there's no indication of an active plot now to attack the u.s. but these are very troubling signs and also in this morning. it's being reported in iran that iran will hike the defense budget 127%. a huge increase. >> thank you for that. >>> in florida this morning, the body of an 11th victim is found in the wreckage of that highway pileup. the body found inside a truck. florida's governor launched an invest

. >> thank you, martha raddatz. >>> to the big shakeup in the republican race. donald trump's surprise endorsement of mitt romney. it's "your voice, your vote." david muir is there in las vegas to size up the odds. good morning, david. >> reporter: good morning, robin. happy friday to you. 24 hours way from the nevada caucuses here. the big headline, that endorsement from donald trump. but will help from this high roller make a difference? >> governor mitt romney. >> reporter: mitt romney campaigning into the night in reno, buoyed by that surprise endorsement. >> get out there and caucus. >> reporter: donald trump came to las vegas with that endorsement cloaked in secrecy. >> it's my honor, real honor and privilege to endorse mitt romney. telling us that trump and mpaign governor romney previously held a meeting. they would not say who asked for the meeting. >> governor romney, go out and get 'em. >> reporter: and as fast as word traveled, the democratic national committee was out with this. >> you're fired. you're fired. >> i like being able to fire people that

martha raddatz joins us with more. >> reporter: they hoped to end the mission at the end of 2014. this morning, word from the secretary of defense that the combat mission may end by the middle of next year. leon panetta, on his way to nato meetings said hopefully, the u.s. can take a support and advisory role and let the afghan security forces take the lead. we always have to defend ourselves. but the role would change. the u.s. has close to 90,000 troops in afghanistan. the number will drop to 68,000 by this fall. he didn't say whether this would allow for troops to come home sooner. it's a strong indication that the war is winding down. though there's already opposition. >> hardly surprising. >>> in egypt, protesters are blaming the military and police for failing to stop this. a deadly rye yt at a soccer match. 74 people were killed. hundreds injured. players and rival fans were attacked with knives, clubs, and stones. some suffocated while trying to escape. >>> meanwhile, two baptist missionaries were found dead in mexico. john and wanda casias were killed in their home. polic

m martha raddatz joins us with more. >> reporter: the stories are terrifying. government troops shell their own people for the fourth straight day. one man telling the bbc we were just waiting to be killed. this image, a real sense of the horrors. in the middle of the night, volunteers sneaking out to bury a young victim, killed when a mort tar hit her family home. the mortars kept coming, even during the burial. russia and china vetoed a u.n. resolution demanding that the president transfer power. veto emboldened the leader. >>> oil prices are rising. that means higher prices for you. gas prices will skyrocket by 60 cents or more by may. prices have already jumped 19 cents in the last month. to an average of $3.48 nationwide. >>> meanwhile, the elementary school at the center of a child sex abuse case is closed today after firing the entire staff. two teachers have been charged with fondling and other lewd acts against students. a new staff will be in place on third. former staffers could get their jobs back, but only after the investigation is complete. >>> a