corruption is there in afghanistan. corruption is undermining our government, our society, and we must continue to work against it. i as the president of afghanistan am responsible and must take care of the afghan part of corruption. within the afghan community. >> when you went to helen we were told it was rocket fueled gun fire that was fired at you. how many assassination attempts? >> i don't know, maybe three, four. not much. >> when the u.s. pushes you to go out more in the country? >> the afghan people want to see more of their country. it's a good thing. for me to be with the afghan people is great, great joy. if that means taking a risk, i must take it many times over. >> know you said you haven't felt the president's exit date, but how would you feel if in july of 2011, you see american troops as they're exiting the country? >> in a sense that exit date is good for us. it pushes us to harder work. to strengthen our forces, to train our forces. to be realistic about life in afghanistan. and to think many times o

commander in afghanistan. the president said today it was a question of trust and team work in wartime. and mcchrystal's boss, general david petraeus, as agreed to step in and take charge of the war in aftghanistan and the 92,000 american men and women fighting there tonight. on this fast-moving day, we're ready to weigh in, and we begin with jake tapper and what happened at the white house. jake? >> reporter: good evening, diane. well, a source close to the president described this as a sad, tragic day. it was certainly a day of consequence. the oval office meeting between the president and the general was tense and short, only 30 minutes, after which stanley mcchrystal's command in afghanistan came to an abrupt and inglorious end. >> today i accepted general stanley mccrystal's resignation and did so with considerable regret. but also with certainty that it is the right thing for our mission in afghanistan, for our military and for our country. >> reporter: it started with those disparaging remarks mcchrysta

or the president of afghanistan, you have to hedge your bets. without information and support from the political level, we cannot win no matter what the strategy is. it makes a deadline, which demoralizes our allies and the pakistanis, even more fatal. >> you don't have a central government, you don't have an infrastructure, you don't have been educated population -- have an educated population. it is almost a failed state. what was amazing this week was that the president was saying we are at war. i don't feel as though we are at war in this country. we have people fighting a war, but the country is not on a war footing at all. >> this quotation is that the idea that we will spent $1 million reshaping the afghan world -- clearly he does not support the policy. >> if we get out, it does give an enormous victory to the jihadists can you really do enhance the chance that you will have jihadist control of nuclear weapons. you can see why president obama took off the table the idea of getting out. on the other hand, if you stay in, all the stuff we

. >> some 9,000 or so from iraq and afghanistan? >> that's what they say, yep. >> now, another issue that you're obviously intimately familiar with because you suffered traumatic injury from an ied in iraq is the catastrophic injuries that many of these vets are coming back with. at the water reid hospital you spoke to an army corporal about the situation and about her possible recovery. let's play what you said to her and what she said to you. >> how long do you think this recovery is going to take? >> maybe a lifetime for the mental. you know, you never know. >> reporter: i know that this has been a long road. do you think you'll spend a year walking better, dealing with ptsd you've got or do you think this is long term for much of your life? >> i think definitely the ptsd and tbi is more of a life thing. but the walking i think we can overcome and just take it for what it is and be glad that i'm still here. >> so tbi, traumatic brain injury, how are they getting the help and is it better now than it was? >> well, that's getting a

i'm clarissa ward in mian posheth, afghanistan. >> a look at the life of a warrior. thanks to collar riss is a ward. >>> win we come back, soldiers aboard and veterans at home. they used their experiences at war to inspire songs and bless that broken road. ♪ [ horse neighs ] you're leaving. it is my destiny. ♪ take this. it is a piece of me. ♪ [ male announcer ] it's movie time. with a wii twist. netflix now delivers unlimited tv episodes and movies instantly through wii. plus dvds by mail. all for only 9 bucks a month. seriously, what is it? ♪ my country ♪ 'tis of thee ♪ sweet land ♪ of liberty ♪ of thee i sing [ laughs ] ♪ oh, land ♪ where my fathers died ♪ land of the pilgrims' pride ♪ from every mountainside ♪ let freedom ring ♪ >>> international warfare would appear to be an unlikely subject for music but the group you are able to meet want to inspire resilience in the men and women who serve and remind us at home that military personnel are living lives with deep, personal sacrifice. bob woodruff now reports. 6 ♪ o say can you see

about afghanistan, specifically. it's basically, do you believe that this administration has managed its relationship with karzai well? or not well? >> not well. i'm sorry to say. i think this goes back to the period before the wikileaks stuff because, you know, ambassador eikenberry's cable, had an input to the strategy review, a very highly-classified cable was leaked, damaging his relationship with president karzai. and then, all of the discussions that are in the book of mr. woodward, the leaking of extremely classified stuff, was far more damaging to the relationship and management of the relations with karzai than the wikileaks. >> karzai went from being a trusted ally of president bush, had regular video conferences with him, to somebody who has turned into a sort of paranoid leader, if you believe what people are saying, who thinks that the u.s. wants to overthrow him and topple him. >> there is a huge trust deficit. he would like to get a long-term security commitment, with the united states. we're not prepa

one is the number two in afghanistan, general david rodriguez. general martin dempsey was acting commander of central command, after another magazine article toppled the career of an admiral. and jim mattis, who has experience in iraq and afghanistan. >>> we'll have more analysis later on "good morning america," looking ahead to a critical decision for the president. >>> the white house is offering a new moratorium on deepwater drilling, after a federal judge overturned its first one. the administration says the oil industry must move safeguards are in place before drill canning resume. but as emily schmidt reports, many people along the gulf disagree. >> reporter: more than one month after the deepwater horizon oil rig explosion, the obama administration said no more deepwater offshore drilling for six months. tuesday, a federal judge blocked the moratorium, to the relief of oil companies and louisiana's governor. >> this moratorium is arbitrary and capricious. >> reporter: the judge said it could judge the effect on industries and local economi

george stephanopoulos one on one with general petraeus in afghanistan. did the general really threaten to quit? an abc news exclusive. >>> atm for terrorists? that's the outrage as new documents reveal terrorists are getting their money from inside some of america's closest allies. >>> the deep freeze and snow. even where you least expect it. what millions of american commuters will wake up tomorrow morning. >>> and close call. that moment on the train tracks that takes your breath away, and the hero. what we're learning about him tonight. >>> good evening. as we go on the air this sunday night, word the white house and top republicans are nearing a deal. no new taxes. it appears those bush era tax cuts will be extended, even for the wealthiest americans. republicans have argued you can't raise taxes on anyone while recovering from this recession, that it would hurt small business owners and jobs. democrats have asked, how do you keep the tax cuts going for the rich with a spiraling deficit. and so many americans unemployed. so, david kerley is at the wh

americans turning against the war in afghanistan, just as the conflict gets more dangerous for troops. >>> and apple apology. today, the tech giant confronts the complaints over its newest iphone. >>> and good morning, everyone. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm meg oliver, in for vinita nair. we start this morning with something we haven't shown you in months. >> this is the feed from the bottom of the gulf of mexico. >> the new cap is being closely monitored. and no one is declaring victory yet. emily schmidt joins us from washington with the latest. good morning, emily. >> reporter: rob and meg, good morning. this is the best news of the ongoing oil spill story. but all of the key players are warning, there's no guarantee yet that this cap is going to be topped for good. this morning, there is no oil gushing into the gulf of mexico. and this picture of nothing means everything for now. >> the oil stopped. like they said, if we can get it to where we can go back to our way of life, that will be the most awesome thing. >> reporter: it is a temporary stop. but the biggest success in containi

. >>> good evening from afghanistan. we are here because history is watching as 30 thousand american men and women begin to arrive hoping to rescue the 8-year war from the spiraling violence. this is the headquarters of the american coalition headed by general stanley mcchrystal. he sent president obama the alarm that prompted the surge saying he needed new troops, new direction or america risked failure in the war. every in the morning, he heads out to the battle field. he has another way. maps that shows the dangerous turn the war has taken. 2005, the yellow shows pockets of violence. and 2007, most of the country. antwooichb, more than 2,000 afghans killed or wounded. and now the surge with the pressure on general stanley mcchrystal to turn it around immediately. have you done it? have you turned the tide? >> i believe we have done it now. we are ra changed the way we operate and we are on the way to convince the afghan people we are here to protect them. >> 942 beths in afghanistan. 1,000 injuries here. general mccal

from the front lines of afghanistan. until then, thank you for spending part of your sunday with us. [ beeping ] ♪ my country ♪ 'tis of thee ♪ sweet land ♪ of liberty ♪ of thee i sing [ laughs ]

he's deployed in afghanistan. he's in the front lines. there's a rogue sergeant out there that is apparently killing innocent victims, and my son found out about this, and they're threatening him because -- he might say something to somebody. i said, you've got to get him out of there. you need to call me back, please. >> reporter: at the command center at fort lewis, the headquarters for their son's division, winfield says he finally got a sergeant on the line but with a disappointing response. >> the sergeant came back to me and said, you know, it's a terrible situation, but from our end, it's a he said/she said conversation and there's nothing we can do about it. >> reporter: nothing they can do about it? meantime in afghanistan, other soldiers later said the sergeant, gibbs became suspicious of a dam winfield. >> did you think he was serious about discussions he may have to take out winfield? >> oh, [ bleep ] yeah, for sure. >> so you didn't take that as a joke or like maybe he was just talking or -- >> he doesn't bull [ bleep ]. he d

is that because we went into afghanistan? i have no idea. it's possible. >> so day to day, can you tell me about your experience with the soldiers? i mean, how extraordinary for you and for us to be watching this? you said being at the camp you were like being on mars. >> it was a 15 to 20-minute outpost up on the ridge and there was no running water and the men didn't bathe for a month at a time and no internet and no phone and there were days when we were attacked three or four times a day. it was very, very intense and the guys were in almost 500 fire fights during the deployment and it was a two-hour walk from the main base. essentially whatever they were on their own. when we got attacked, the nearest air power was 30 minutes away. it was a fair fight for 30 minutes. >> what does it mean to these men to be soldiers? i'm sure that leadership and team work have been critical to their success. the country's success. talk us to about that. >> these guys are young and they're 19, 20, 21 years old and a lot of them joined because they're from

on this independence day, general david petraeus took command of the war in afghanistan. at a time when casualties are rising, the american public is getting increasingly impatient and the last commander was just fired for complaining about his bosses in "rolling stone." despite all of that, petraeus made a bold and apparently uncharacteristic statement today. "we are in this to win," he said. we're going to start tonight with martha raddatz in kabul. >> reporter: dan, general petraeus warned there would be tough days ahead, but he is used to those. and he is very used to taking on a new command. we got a glimpse behind the scenes today. general petraeus practicing for his ceremony. the passing of the colors. a microphone test. >> can you hear me now? >> reporter: rehearsal hardly seem eed necessary for petraeus. he's been through similar lair ceremonies so many times. 2008, at central command. and the most significant, iraq 2007. a move that helped lead to a dramatic improvement in security. and today, the official ceremony in afghanistan. >> general david petraeus now a

the new commander in afghanistan is really the old commander in afghanistan. >> general petraeus communicated in our review last fall. and he supported and helped design the strategy we have in place. >> reporter: general petraeus has been the man above the man president obama fired after an embarrassing "rolling stone" article. >> war is bigger than any man or woman. whether a private, a general, or a president. >> reporter: now, petraeus essentially takes a step down, from central command, to top ground commander in afghanistan. general stanley mcchrystal fades into the background. >> this is the most pressing theater. the most pressing mission. and petraeus has the relationships and has the relationship with the president. and this is as close as you can get without missing a beat. >> reporter: in the "rolling stone" piece, aides said mcchrystal was pretty disappointed in his first meeting with president obama because the president clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was. quote, here is a guy who is going to run his war. but he didn't seem engaged. >> conduct in the recently-pub

we're in afghanistan because we were attacked from afghanistan. not because we want to build a bitter society in afghanistan. but doing things there to the degree that it contributes to our security mission and the security arena, that's what we're going to do. >> final question. do you think the way out is to strike a deal with the taliban? >> i think that the -- i think that the way out is to improve the security situation in afghanistan to the point and to degrade the taliban to a degree where they're willing to consider reconciliation on the terms of the afghan government. detaching themselves from al qaeda. agreeing to abide by the afghan constitution. agreeing to put down their weapons. those are the conditions -- reconciliation must be the end game here. but it must take place on the terms of the afghan government. >> you think that can happen in a year? >> well, we're not limited to a year. i think that it can happen in the time frame that we're looking at ahead. again. july 2011 is not the end. it is the beginning of a transition. >> secr

you've come back from afghanistan and iraq with a congressional delegation. and there's a story in "the washington post" about how president karzai seems to be at odds fundamentally with u.s. policy there. did that come up at all in your conversations with him? >> you know, christiane, i'm just stunned. we had a great meeting. we had dinner with senator mccain, lieberman myself and petraeus and with president karzai. the focus of the article is the night raids. we were briefed by our military commanders that the night raids are -- we own the night militarily, are making huge impact on the taliban, insurgency as a whole and having afghan partners. this didn't come up at all. we talked about, quite frankly, looking long term with afghanistan about having two air bases in a permanent fashion in afghanistan to provide stability so at the end of the day there was no discussion about a difference between petraeus and karzai in terms of strategy, and i would just add this, if we cannot use night raids with our afghan partners, then that's a big loss in terms of gain

progress in the talks to end the fighting in afghanistan. how soon will the guns fall silent? >>> acceptance. openly-gay recruits being welcomed into the u.s. military, for the first time ever. >>> and dance floor dismissal. sassy and sexy at 76, whose moves weren't enough to save mrs. brady? >>> and good morning, everybody. thanks for being with us today. leaders at the highest level of the taliban are now participating in talks to end the afghan war. even being flown to the talks in nato helicopters. >> just how close are both sides to laying down their weapons? abc's alex marquardt has new details from kabul. >> reporter: sources have told abc news that taliban representatives have sat down with afghan officials to lay the groundwork for peace talks to end this war. at least one taliban leader has come here to kabul in the past three weeks. other talks have taken place in the region. general david petraeus said last week that neither american nor coalitions are involved in the talks. u.s. officials say that talks with the taliban have been a long standing goal that could be

in afghanistan, stanley mcchrystal. i wondered, since you were one of the people mentioned disparagingly, by his aides -- i know he called you to apologize -- >> he did. >> what was your reaction? >> i didn't take it personally at all. compared to what happens in politics, that was a piece of cake. i wasn't the clown. i was the guy that was, in fact, their problem, they thought. i'm not their problem. i agree with the policy that the president put in place. but sit it is clear. i was asked to, and i did on my own, survey, i think, six four-star generals. current and former. every one said he had to go. the president made the right decision. he changed the personalities but not the policy. put the strongest guy in the u.s. military in place. i think it was the absolute necessary thing to do. president didn't take it personally. i didn't. i met with mcchrystal. the president met with mcchrystal. he was apologetic. he knew they went way beyond. we also knew that if a sergeant or lieutenant did that, no one could stay. >> w

the president said there has been enough progress in afghanistan, the u.s. troops can begin leaving next summer. >> the gains we made have still fragile and reversible, but there is no question, we are clearing more areas and more afghans are reclaiming their communities. >> as the president spoke, hundreds of anti-war protesters chained themselves to light poles or the white house fence. more than 100 were arrested. >> it is 4:50 on this frosty friday morning. we are at 23 degrees. >> coming up, the clock is ticking for holiday shoppers. we have details on an important deadline. >> first another check on traffic and weather and the >> welcome back. we have lots of school delays and closings to tell you about. let's get straight to them. schools in culpeper, fauquier, king george, prince william counties closed. also rappahannock and spotsylvania closed today. there is a two-hour delay in fairfax, loudoun. >> the federal government is open today. important to note for all of you wondering whether or not to go to work. the weather has to cooperate to get to w

he has made frequent trips to afghanistan. he is widely respected by the highest levels of the afghan government, down to many of the local tribal leaders. but no matter how familiar he is with the country, the challenges are immense. with corruption rampant in some areas, slow civilian progress and a very determined enemy who will no doubt try to take advantage of this change in leadership. however slight. until petraeus is confirmed, british lieutenant general will take over duties in afghanistan along with mcchrystal's deputy commander. but petraeus is expected to be on the ground within weeks. martha raddatz, abc news, washington. >>> bp's fix last night has stopped the out of control gushing from its well at the bottom of the gulf of mexico. engineers had to remove the containment cap from the well after a robot hit it. the containment system, when it works, collects up to 29,000 gallons of crude an hour. the coast guard confirmed the accident which caused the set-back. >> they indicated that the problem was a remotely op

forces in afghanistan. in nato summit in lisbon, talking now about a 2014 deadline for transferring combat responsibilities to the afghan forces, i've also heard, is that an absolute date? >> yes, it is. >> absolute. >> yes, it is one everybody signed up to. >> all combat operations will be handed over to afghans at the end of 2014. >> i would describe it much like what we just went through in iraq where clearly they have the lead for their own security. we are then in some capacity in a training, advising and assist mode, which we would expect to be for some time, but in terms of combat operations they would have the lead. >> so you see post-2014 just like we see in iraq today? >> as best we can tell, absolutely. >> any more? >> any more? >> troops, operations, i mean i ask you because right now how many areas have even been transferred to afghan control? >> well, one of the things that happened -- one of the things that happened in lisbon was the commitment to start the transfer in the spring, and that wi

involvement here in afghanistan. i wanted to bring out a pretty remarkable passage from jonathan alter on "the promise." you probably have seen it. it talks about a meeting with you and the president november 29th where the president reportedly says to you, david, tell me now, i want you to be honest with me, you can do this within 18 months? sir, i'm confident we can hand over the taliban in that time. >> i'm not going to comment about a conversation in the oval office. you have been in the oval office. >> did you think then it was possible to turn over controlled to the a and a by 2011? >> what we all support, this is the entire chain of command from general mcchrystal through me and the secretary and so forth, is that it would be possible to begin the transition at a pace that is determined by -- >> what does that mean, exactly? we've heard that phrase so many times, conditions on the ground. what would be the conditions that would allow for a significant withdrawal in july 2011? >> well, what allows transition to

but what are we doing in afghanistan? that's clearly setting this up. >> the spokesman for the democratic committee made a comment that aroused the ire of liberate bloggers. the american people will be interested to hear the leader of the republican party thinks recent events related to the war are comical and that he is betting against our troops. it's unconscionable that he would undermine the troops when they need support. liberal writers have criticized that, saying that the dnc is using karl rove like tactics. >> this was wrong. there's an understandable frustration among democrats with hypocrisy, during the bush years, any criticism of the war policy was unpatriotic. now the republicans are happy to criticize the war policy of president obama. but the way you deal with that is condemning hypocrisy. not by turning into the bush people. this was a bad misstep. it was a cheap shot when what you needed was to talk about it seriously. >> i wonder if chairman steele is an outlier or if he's giving voice to a concern a lot

in the south of afghanistan. but problems remain in the north and west. and in the east of afghanistan, where the surge troops did not go, they expect heavy fighting in the spring in those areas. rob and vinita? >> all right. thanks a lot, mike. >>> the war in afghanistan is now the nation's longest ever. and this year has been the bloodiest so far. almost 500 americans have been killed. almost 4,500 wounded. >>> there are just a few more days left for congress to act on some pressing issues. so, here's where we stand on the three biggest. on the effort to extend those tax cuts, the senate overwhelmingly passed the bill yesterday. but it's fate today in the house is uncertain. as for the ban on gays in the military, the house approved the bill yesterday, and now it goes to the senate. and ratifying the important nuclear treaty with russia, the senate voted to begin debate. and it's likely to pass with a two-thirds vote. >>> a spending bill is set for saturday. to keep the government run mpg but it's filled with b

inside, the president released his a review on afghanistan. he expects to reduce our forces next july. >> thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians on the ground, we are on track to achieve our goals. >> the new annual government report on operations in afghanistan and pakistan says that the increased success in recruiting of afghan forces and it has been crucial in the war's gains. >> in terms of what that war looks like beyond july, 2011, the answer is we do not know. >> the campaign in southern afghanistan was more difficult and has taken longer. security there is on target. the transition to afghan forces. the most famous was a low of the vietnam era was one of many arrested for civil disappointmeobedience. >> we will not end this war today. only the american people can do that. >> earlier today, he held a news conference defending wikileaks founder julian assange. ellsberg says that julian assange should not be prosecuted but given a medal for exposing war crimes. >>> julian assange has made bail and has been release

to resupply forces in afghanistan. the president unveiled the afghan review, the war review this week and it seems saying that there's not fast enough progress but decent progress on the ground but one of the key issues remains the sanctuaries and the resupply of al qaeda and taliban into afghanistan from pakistan. what more can the united states do to get pakistan to close those borders? >> i'm not certain there is much more we can do. our diplomacy has worked full time, so have our agreements with the pakistanis in terms of their own security. but at the same time, the paks don't really have control over a lot of the territory. people have been coming and going for decades as a matter of fact. we just have a problem there quite apart from the fact the taliban are re-entering some of the northern parts of the country, quite apart from the fact that even after we expel taliban from towns, there's not much governance in many cases and debates on billions of dollars of infrastructure we're trying to get built in afghanis

particularly in places like afghanistan. the second in command in afghanistan was asked this week, when the december re-evaluation comes up, will you be able to mark significant progress? he said progress. but flinched from the word significant. secretary gates said we won't be fighting here in 15 years. not 15 months. that's not good enough. >> thank you all so much. the "roundtable" continues in the green room. at abcnews.com/thisweek. you can find our fact checks and the reporter's notebook stories from around the world. >>> up now, how the controversy over the proposed mosque is playing 10,000 miles away. >>> coming up here, "in memoriam" and "the sunday funnies." >>> now, "in memoriam". >> he must go faster. some way, somehow, he must get the clock back in his favor and has seven miles to do it. ♪ ♪ >> we remember all of those who died in war this week. the pentagon released the names of 26 service members killed in afghanistan. ht back. but what if there were a different story? of one financial company that grew st

commander in afghanistan and the commander-in-chief. good morning washington begins right now. >> live and in hd, this is good morning washington, on your side. >> the good wednesday morning, washington. i am doug mcelway. >> i am alison starling. thanks for joining us. it's going to be hot and steamy. let it started with traffic and weather. >> breaking news from montgomery county. first, adam caskey. we are climbing up there. >> it is only going to get hotter. 96 yesterday. today, 96 or 97 for the afternoon high temperature. upper 90's tomorrow, almost 100 degrees tomorrow. 77 right now in the district and in leesburg, 79 in martinsburg, huntingtown at 69, 72 in annapolis. a lot of sunshine, afternoon clouds, 96 degrees. it will feel close to 100 due to humidity. slight chance of a few isolated late-day thunderstorms. chance of thunderstorms again tomorrow afternoon. near 100 degrees for the high temperature tomorrow. the heat continues. slight relief we will talk about coming up. now directing traffic. >>>270 is completely closed. no

four in iraq and eight in afghanistan. the army ranger was solemnly carried back to american soil, joining more than 1,300 americans who have fallen in the afghan war. >> showed a lot of love. loved to help people. >> reporter: sergeant vogler's parents are deaf. and another son gave voice to their grief. >> loved that boy. >> reporter: those that loved him, included his comrades in arms. >> lance was an exceptional leader. >> reporter: in 2001, just weeks after the 9/11 attacks, president bush announced the invasion of afghanistan. >> on my orders, the united states military has begun strikes of the taliban regime in afghanistan. >> reporter: the unpopular war continues to frustrate president obama. steven portnoy, abc news, washington. >>> and so much talk about war. but this morning, peace. as in the nobel peace prize. it's being handed out this morning in oslo, norway. several women are among the hot favorites to win the prestigious award and its $1.5 million prize. if any of them are named, they would be just the 13th

she will fly to afghanistan to attend an international conference on the reconstruction of afghanistan and eventual handover of security to the afghan government. >> still ahead, how long will he waived last? our meteorologist will be tracking the latest development. a police officer is gunned down in front of his own home. will have the latest on the meet pnc virtual wallet. it comes with a calendar that shows you all your finances at once. it lets you know when your money's going out. and when it's coming in. it even tells you when you're running low. we call that danger days. it's built to help you see your money in a whole new light. experience everything virtual wallet has to offer at pncvirtualwallet.com. pnc. for the achiever in us all. ♪ it heard what happened to the vcr and the cassette player. and the answering machine. it knows what happens to obsolete technology around here. what you need to help your tv understand is it's not the one that's obsolete. it's the cable technology that's obsolete and fios is the one making it obsolete. it's time for fios. call the verizon cen

flying over afghanistan. >> he will be blogging about his experience in afghanistan. coming up next, a final look at this week's forecast. coming up next, a final look at this week's forecast. [ whistling ] one taste, and you'll understand. [ phew! ] delicious dunkin' donuts coffee. pick some up to brew at home. mmm! america runs on dunkin'. now available -- the big flavor of new dunkin' turbo. try it today. the risk-takers. the visionaries. the entrepreneurs... who put it all on the line to build and run their own businesses. at at&t, we know something about that. our company started out in a small lab, with not much more than a dream. and today, we know it's small businesses that can create the jobs america needs. that's why at&t is investing billions to upgrade and build out our wired and wireless networks. making them faster, smarter, and more secure. connecting small businesses to markets across the country, and around the world. we invest now, because we know it will pay off... with new jobs, new growth, from a new generation, putting their belief in the future

." >> in afghanistan, the u.s. has discovered large deposits of iron, >>> and now "the sunday funnies." >> in afghanistan, the u.s. has discovered large deposits of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium. as most people would call it, not osama bin laden. >> i think we have a photo of the speech. look at this. how does this happen, every time he gives a speech, where do these -- >> the salahis. >> who invited them? >> a few weeks ago, hayward said, this is what he said, the environmental impact of the spill is likely to be very, very modest. by modest, you mean it's only destroying one of the solar system's eight planets, then, yes, it's modest. >> british, i know you are doing your best to keep the oil off of our shoreline. but you have failed miserably. i mean, how could i put that another way? let's just say that the oil was a ball and the coastline was a goal! score! >> we'll be right back. every heart beat, every breath, every anomaly... from over a thousand pieces of unique information per second. helping doc

polling in afghanistan is daunting and dangerous. abc news and our partners here sent 168 pollsters out all across the country door-to-door taking the pulse of more than 1,500 people. asking them about ordinary life here. for instance, that covering for women, the burqa, should it be the husband's decision or hers? in this untry, a split decision. women say they should decide. the majority of men say it's the husband's choice. this woman added perspective. "my husband's not the problem," she says. "it's the taliban i'm afraid of." and sometimes small signs of progress. 60% of our polls say they have cell phones. every single one of you? but 85% of them say they have no refrigerator, and in this poor country, few have hope of such a thing. and one more sobering number. more than half of afghans say they have never been to school. >> you can see more of diane's reporting from afghanistan on a special edition of "world news." >>> there's unexpected fallout from senate majority leader harry reid's racial remarks with then-candidate barac

under attack in afghanistan. and key republican's words about the war start a fire storm at home. >>> lost weekend. the oil emptying beaches across the gulf. and now a new forecast as the spill headed for miami. >>> the shark scare. a great white captured right off one of america's popular coastlines, sparking a new warning this holiday. >>> spy kids. inside those picture perfect homes. did the accused spies have children simply for cover? >>> and, on top of the world. the man helping wounded warriors scale unthink about heights with help from a superstar whose one name you'll know. she's helping our "person of the week." >>> good evening. as we head into this holiday weekend, a very stark reminder of the escalating danger facing the troops fighting on the front lines in afghanistan. we have seen the firefights before, but never through a lens quite like this. a tiny camera attached to a soldier's helmet as his comrade is shot. the images from the british military come just as general david petraeus arrived there

the series "afghanistan: can we win?" all this week on abc news. >>> when we come back, check out the latest from hollywood in "the skinny." >>> folks are having a very special december down under. you may remember, oprah started her final season in september. the big news, everyone is going to australia! everyone's landed in australia. all 300 folks. there she goes. they landed there yesterday, of course. a huge scene at the sidney airport. they had reporters there, photographers. oprah said she'd arrive later in the week, of course traveling by private jet. this is her big trip, it will be featured in an episode coming up later in her season. the government there is spending 4 million bucks on this trip. they say the tourism advertising dollars it will bring in just from the exposure on "the oprah show" in the 145 countries she airs in will more than make up for that money. they are about to begin this once in a lifetime trip in australia. they're having a wonderful eight-day trip with the one and only oprah. lucky. >>

troops were killed in a bomb blast in eastern afghanistan. at least 12 americans have died there this month. >> these days, an important weapon in the u.s. arsenal across that region is the unmanned dro. it flies high overhead and is controlled from thousands of miles away and is extremely deadly. bill weir has more. >> reporter: the constant firefights and convoys keep the people here in afghanistan focused on the american forc on the ground. but the people 15 miles in that direction on the other side of the border, they associate american might with the sky. and one distinct sound. above the border regions of pakistan, the term drone also describes the noise they make. that low buzz lets people on the ground know of the lethal machine overhead. and when they strike, the aftermath often brings public and frenzied anger. back in afghanistan, predator video feeds come into command centers like this one where just sterday i watched the ghostly silhouettes of five individuals carrying heavy objects through an area known for sniper fire and rocke

. >>> in command, general david petraeus takes the reins in afghanistan, vowing to win it. >>> and holiday heat. extreme heat is still days away as the eastern u.s. bakes in the summer sun. >>> good morning, we're glad you're with us on this monday. after 2 1/2 months and no end in sight, the price tag for the worst environmental disaster in history keeps growing for bp. >> company has now said it has spent $3 billion trying to plug the hole, paying claims to reimbursing the government. and this morning, more of the gulf is closed to fishing. >> 81,000 square miles now off-limits as bad weather keeps many of the oil skimmers in port. matt gutman reports. >> reporter: as the oil gushes, bp is hemorrhaging cash. $1 billion a month on the cleanup alone. abc news learned that the embattled company has demand its 22 minority partners in this botched well pitch in and pay $400 million for the month of may alone. june hasn't been tallied. and having lost half of its stock value since the spill, the company is scanning reportedly for investors all of that as this well shoots 1 million gallons of o

. >> inside afghanistan. new insight into the hopes and fears of everyday people there and if american troops are really making a difference. >> and emotional admission. home run king mark mcgwe's confession and its impact on pro baseball. >>> it's tuesday, january 12th, 2010. >>> good morning. and thanks for being with us. i'm vinita nair. >> and i'm eric horng in for jeremy hubbard this morning. a new highway safety group launches today to combat the dangerous epidemic of distracted driving. >> the group hopes to do for driving while texting or talking on a cell phone what madd did for drunk driving. >> this message is supposed to be specifically for teenagers, but it's really important for anyone who gets behind the wheel. some things don't mix. drinking and driving, calling and driving or texting and driving, especially when teens are behind the wheel. >> it is time to help all of our children to make better choices based on good judgment. >> reporter: today the transportation department unveiled focus dr

. >>> all right, coming up, kris van cleave takes you outside the wire in afghanistan. can a smart phone push you to your limits ? can it keep track of your mileage, running times, even you ? informing your friends of how much of your dust they're eating. droid can with runstar. one of thousands of apps that run simultaneously with others only from the ever expanding android market. when there's no limit to what droid gets, there's no limit to what droid does. right now buy one droid by motorola and get a second one free. only from verizon. >>> air strikes by drones cured people -- killed people last week. there are a powerful weapon in the fight against the taliban, but u.s. forces have come under heavy criticism when they miss their marks. we have a continuing series. kris van cleave looks at the steps pilots are taking to limit civilian casualties. a warning here. you may consider some of that video graphic. >> these 14 insurgents attacked a forward operating base in afghanistan, but the apache helicopters cannot open fire. as you can hear, they are too close to the

he did the same thing with the national urban league this week, stayed away from afghanistan. he needs to go to his base and tell them by the commander-in- chief is doing what he is doing. if he cannot keep his base with him, he is really in trouble. you just cannot rely on people who support the war to stay with him. >> but it is more than a question of politics. it's a question of honor. if you are commander-in-chief and you have just sent 30,000 new troops into battle, you have to have -- you are responsible for making the case. there is a sense that the country has and that afghans have that the president is half- hearted about this. he has not made a speech at great he is obviously much more interested in the domestic agenda -- he has not made a speech. he is obviously much more interested in them domestic agenda. and the speech at west point, he announces the surge and the next sentence he announces a time of withdrawal. if you are in afghanistan and you are not sophisticated and it was a washington and you don't understand that perhaps it is a way to keep his base quiet

general david petraeus outlines his war strategy in afghanistan. his warning to troops. >>> then, celebrating america in washington. >> this is the day when we celebrate the very essence of america. >> across the country and worldwide. >>> and, holiday movies. from the third chapter of "twilight." to "the last airbender." in this week's "insomniac theater." it's monday, july 5th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> two highly anticipated movies. and it's interesting because both, and i think it's surprising when you hear "the last airbender," both are sort of kids movies. >> kind of, yeah. >> veered toward that teen audience. >> i'm definitely not in the demo for "twilight: eclipse." >> you stood out a little bit? >> the oldest guy in there i think. i'll tell you what i thought about it coming up. stick around for that in "insomniac theater." happy monday to you and happy post-july fourth. i'm jeremy hubbard. >> i'm vinita nair. >>> a new commander is now leading coalition troops in afghanistan. >> general david petraeus takes over at a

in afghanistan. >> joining me from kabul is the president of afghanistan, hamid karzai. thank you for joining us. >> happy to be here. >> what is your road map for the peace talks with the taliban? how confident are you to have some kind of political settlement with them? >> the road map is clear. the indications for peace would be that afghanistan will be ready to talk to those taliban of ours who belong to afghanistan and who are not part of al qaeda, who are not part of any other terrorist network. who accept the afghan constitution and the programs we have achieved this the past so many years. and who are willing to return to a normal civilian life, and who are not connected to a foreign body outside of afghanistan. >> how advanced are you in trying to get the taliban to the talks? >> there are individual contacts with some taliban elements. that's not yet a formal process. >> can i ask you about some of the concerns people have? for instance, women's groups are very concerned. they say that promises by you to be properly and adequately representing at any peace meet

the most powerful security commander in afghanistan. u.s. officials accuse him of collecting money from the trucking companies and paying a percentage directly to the taliban. it's an accusation he denies. the congressional report found the military has for years known millions of dollars go to fund its enemy. the trucking executive says he told the military what was going on. what's their response? >> there's nothing we can do. >> reporter: the military says the delivery of every item troops need to fight the war must be guaranteed no matter what, but critics say as long as the practice of funding the enemy continues, the war will never end. nick schifrin, abc news, kandahar. >> the picture overseas tonight. >>> and back here this evening, former vice president dick cheney is still in a washington hospital taken there for tests after experiencing "discomfort." mr. cheney has a long history of heart trouble, five heart attacks, the last one in just february and so we turn to our chief medical expert, dr. richard besser who told us something

>> the problem of wide-spread addiction in afghanistan. our thanks to brian ross. >>> and when we come back, some flights have resumed across europe today. so, what have we learned from all the trouble caused by that erupting volcano? [ female announcer sometimes you need tomorrow to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's new motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. new motrin pm. is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. everything is better with swanson broth in it. made with garden vegetables and sun-drenched herbs. the secret is swanson, 100% natural chicken broth. announcer: whether it's earning a promotion... they're the culmination of lots of hard work. the graduate school has more ways to get you the knowledge you need to reach your next goal, your next great moment, with continuing education programs to fit your schedule and lifestyle. learn more. visit... >> announcer: >> announcer: "nightline" continues from new york city with m

four in iraq and eight in afghanistan. the army ranger was solemnly carried back to american soil, joining more than 1,300 americans who have fallen in the afghan war. >> shared a lot of love. loved to help people. >> reporter: the sergeant's parents are deaf and another son gave voice to their grief. >> loved that little boy. >> reporter: those who loved him included his comrades in arms. >> lance was an exceptional leader. >> reporter: in 201, weeks after the 9/11 attacks, president bush announced the invasion of afghanistan where al qaeda planned the attacks under taliban protection. >> on my orders the united states military has begun strikes of the taliban regime in afghanistan. >> the unpopular war continues to frustrate president obama. >>> this could be a big weekend for the trapped miners in chile, a drill could reach the men by tomorrow. rescue crews have carried out a dress rehearsal in anticipation. after the drill makes a break through it could take up to ten days to bring the men to safety. an elite team of p

forces in afghanistan, gave an interview to a magazine. and in it, he and his aides took aim at everyone from the president to the vice president to senators and diplomats. the general has been summoned to the white house by president obama, who now faces a mind boggling choice. does he fire the man central to the war right before a major battle? jake tapper takes us inside a stunned and furious white house. >> reporter: white house sources tell abc news that president obama was livid when he read the "rolling stone" article last night. but he wants to meet with the general before he makes any final decisions about his fate. late this afternoon, president obama criticized general mcchrystal for participating in a magazine story that belittled the administration. >> i think it's clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed a poor -- showed poor judgment. >> reporter: but the president also said this. >> whatever decision that i make with respect to general mcchrystal is determined entirely on how i can make sure that we h

in afghanistan. >>> i am steve rudin indeed belfort furniture weather center. some scattered showers and now, but we could have some patchy fog for the rush-hour commute3q this is unlike any car you've ever seen before. this is power with efficiency. this is an interior that exceeds even the promise of the exterior. this is the all-new jaguar xj. the stunning result of taking a very different road. >>> the space shuttle atlantis is scheduled to land in florida around 8:0045 wednesday morning. they were delivering fresh batteries and other equipment to the international space station. nasa has just two shuttle missions planned -- around 8:45 wednesday morning. >>> a tradition for plebes to grease the monument at the naval academy. they were saying this could be the last korea they believe the sea trials -- would be the last. they believe that the sea trials are a better way to encourage teamworker. >>> graduating classes are dressed on a rotating basis. last year, president obama spoke at the naval academy. >>> honoring employees with a private concert by stevie

>>> first, the major shift in afghanistan. the new commander in charge just hours ago, general david petraeus assumed command there, replacing stanley mcchrystal who was fired for blasting the obama administration in the rolling stone article. martha raddatz was right there this morning, and she starts us off. >> general petraeus acknowledges this is a critical period in afghanistan, but said u.s. and coalition forces are in this to win. general petraeus assumed command of both u.s. and nato forces in a simple ceremony outside his new headquarters on this july 4th. >> general david petraeus. >> with the senior aides of stan mcchrystal looking on from the audience, petraeus praised mcchrystal's efforts. >> the progress made in recent months are in many respects the result of the vision, energy, and things he provided in his time. >> the general stressed that his assumption of command doesn't mean a change of policy although he said there may be refinements in how the war is run. to achieve its goal. >> al qaeda and its network

commander in afghanistan and the commander-in-chief. gen. stanley mcchrystal meet with president obama to discuss comments fp made in a rolling stone magazine article. flickthe general was highly critical of obama, the vice- president, and the u.s. ambassador to afghanistan. >>> gailrepublican nikki haley t a big boost from the tea party and sarah palin and will go on to compete in november. >>> passengers are bracing for the worst on marc trains after two days of stranding passengers in the heat. the transit system is now the subject of a federal investigation. pamela brown is outside union station to tell us what is going on. good morning. >> good morning. if gov. o'malley is calling it utterly unacceptable. a federal investigation has been lodged. hundreds of passengers are outraged. you can imagine how uncomfortable it would be, being strapped -- trapped on a rail car in the sweltering heat. something like this could happen again with murder rising again today. after two separate breakdowns in two days, it appears the heat is too much to