>> today i can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in iraq will come home by the end of the year. after nearly nine years, america's war in iraq will be over. over the next two months, our troops in iraq, tens of thousands of them, will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home. the last american soldier will cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high, proud of their success, and knowing that the american people stand united in our support for our troops. that is how america's military efforts in iraq will end. but even as we mark this important milestone, we're also moving into a new phase in the relationship between the united states and iraq. >> it cost the united states a foreign in blood and treasure. thousands of american lives, hundreds of billions of dollars. now after nearly nine years, the end of the iraq war is in sight. the united states and iraq were unable to reach an agreement on immunity for u.s. forces going forward so president obama is ordering all troops out of iraq by the end of this year. our white house correspondent dan lothian has more on the surprise announcement that came forward on friday. since then, a lot of people have been wondering, why couldn't the obama administration negotiate an agreement with the government in baghdad, the baghdad of nuri al maliki that would have allowed some u.s. troops, maybe 3,000, 5,000, some u.s. personnel, one in as many as 15,000. what was the stumbling block that prevented a continued u.s. military presence in iraq? >> well, wolf, i think that is a very important question that's being asked. why in fact did the u.s. not want to keep more of a presence past that 2011 deadline. that is a question that will be asked over the next days. over the heart of this, you heard it in the president's statement on friday when he started off. that he was injecting politics into this. pointing out that he made a promise back in 2008 when he was running for president that he would push to tend war in iraq in a responsible way and now he's delivering on the promise. the president very much touting his foreign policy credentials, pointing out he was able to get osama bin laden. pointing out that thing are moog forward in afghanistan and now in iraq. the president in very dramatic fashion pointing out what this will mean for the members of the armed services. >> here at home, the coming months will be another season of homecomings. across america, our servicemen and women will be reunited with their families. today, i can say that our troops in iraq will definitely be home for the holidays. >> reporter: one of the big questions now is, will the iraqis be able to handle their own security. and the deputy national security adviser saying that they had a full review over a five to seven-month period. they do believe in fact they can. but at the same time, there will be some four to 5,000 contractors on the ground to assist. nonetheless, there are going to be challenges in this administration pointing that out. that there will be some tough times ahead. that the u.s. will be certainly have iraq in its interests. the president pointing out that he has invited the prime their washington in december to continue the discussions. >> lots of fascination on what that in 2012, 2013. as you know, there's a lot of concern that iran strategically could win out of this entire situation. dan lothian at the white house, thanks very much. let's go to the pentagon right now. our correspondent chris lawrence is standing by. some pentagon officials wanted to continue to maintain a presence there. 3,000, 5,000, maybe even 15,000 troops. is there a sense of disappointment where you are? >> reporter: i wouldn't call it significant exactly today, wolf. if only because the signs have been out there for some time now that these negotiations were not progressing. we have reported as far back as a week ago that the immunity deal simply could not be reconciled between the two sides. and i want to piggyback on something you and dan spoke about, about iran. i can understand the national security team and the white house painting this as a win. if you look at the bigger context and what defense officials have said over the past year. the u.s. ambassador to iraq said in july that the u.s. had forensic evidence that shiite militias were using iranian made weapons. defense secretary leon panetta called them a tremendous concern. and his predecessor robert gates even went so far as to say that most u.s. troops who were being killed in iraq were being killed by sophisticated and powerful weapons from iran. well, if you've got your senior leadership making the case that iran has exerted tremendous influence in iraq with tens of thousands of american troops there, how can you then sell this as a win by saying that influence will be diminished when all those troops are gone? >> that's a good question, a good point. a lot of uncertainty in 2012, 2013. thanks very much. let's go to the middle east. you were there from the very beginning, march 2003. you've seen what's happened in baghdad, elsewhere in iraq. all these years later. give us a thought as you see this new chapter about to begin in iraq. >> well, wolf, i really think it's another chapter of the iraq tragedy that is in fact unfolding and i say that based on the example of what has happened or not happened over the last year. in the last year, the iraqi government has fail to fully form. security has absolutely not improved. basic services have not improved. if anything there is a growing discussion among many iraqis, especially in baghdad, about the reemergence of old sectarian tensions. there are great concerns that the maliki government is acting as a dictatorship that is trying to pretend it is a democracy. so many iraqis, especially in the central part of the country are. less optimistic about their future than they were a year ago. very, very bleak. >> what does this say found the government of prime minister nuri al maliki couldn't get enough support to work out some sort of status of forces agreement with the united states that would have allowed some u.s. troops to remain as trainers, advisers, i'm specifically referring to the influence of iran in the government of iraq. >> well, when it comes to the sticking point during those negotiations that failed, that was the issue of immunity. that is something that all iraqi wos agree on. they do not want to see immunity for u.s. troops just because of the past history. the number escalation of force incidents where iraqis were shot at checkpoints during raids, innocent victims. they will also go back to the blackwater incident the iraqis will call a massacre. that for them is unacceptable. one has to remember that radical shiite cleric moqtada al sadr issued a very stern threat. he simply said that if the u.s. military extended beyond this deadline, he would reactivate his militia and they would make it their mission to target these american forces. this is something that the maliki government, the prime himself, most certainly was taking into calculations. that shows you his influence. that shows you iran's influence. at the end of the day, it was iran that pushed the block and the maliki block together to form the government that we have right now. many people look at this and they will say that the u.s. has effectively handed iraq to iran already. >> i know there's a lot of u.s. officials here that are very concerned. in recent months the government of prime minister nuri al maliki including the prime minister himself effectively have sided with the president of syria in the face of the turmoil that's going on in syria. aligning iraq for all practical purposes with the stance of iran in support of bashar al assad. i know that's a source of great concern. as someone who has watched the situation in syria unfold, give me your thought. >> reporter: well, it most certainly is a clear example of how much influence iraq, iran actually does exert over iraq. maliki has been very firm in saying that the syrian president needs to be given a chance to reform. he most he certainly has not been siding with the activists which quite ironic when beth the history and everything that has taken place and transpired in iraq itself. and one has to look at how the maliki government has dealt with the demonstrations inside iraq, the human rights watch, amnesty international, activists themselves have issued reports as to how the iraqi government was using indiscriminate force to try to control the demonstrations happening within its own borders. if we look at what's happening in the bigger picture with all the arab upheaval that's happening. all the various revolutions. one sees a clear axis of countries siding on one or the other. when it comes to syria, iraq clearly has chose grown side with the syrian government. clearly chosen to take a stance against the u.s., against the west. >> arwa damon who spent an enormous amount of time in iraq, knows the story as well as any journalist does. thanks very, very much. the death of moammar gadhafi for the first time in more than 40 years, libyans are without the dictator and his shadow. we're checking with our correspondent on the ground. also, the obama administration is pushing to sell thousands of u.s. government buildings. we get an exclusive look inside one of them. plus, herman cain. we have new details on his controversial 9-9-9 tax plan. let's ring you up. mary? 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[ male announcer ] if you can't afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. a stunning death. we're learning more about the final chaotic moments. former libyan dictator moammar gadhafi who was killed this week in his home town of sirte. let's go to ivan joining us in tripoli. i know they're still celebrating. a lot of libyans right now. walk us through on the actual circumstances of gadhafi's death. >> reporter: well, it does appear there was some kind of an air strike on a convoy. a combination of french war planes and a u.s. predator drone on. a convoy that was trying to break out of the gadhafi-controlled quarter of his home town of sirte. that convoy appeared to have been hit. then the aftermath rebel ground forces engaged with people emerging from the convoy, including gadhafi himself. now this is where it gets murky. we've seen a number of videos emerging with gadhafi bloodied and in the custody of the rebel fighters. he seems to be alive still. and then at some point, he starts appearing in these amateur cell phone videos and snap shots dead with bullet wounds to his torso and head. the transitional national county, the leadership, say that he died in a subsequent cross fire caught between opposition and pro gadhafi forces. there are some questions raised whether he could have been summarily executed. that's a claim that's been denied by the national transitional council. >> in the weeks and months to come, looking ahead a little bit, ivan, what is the prospect? what are the best estimates that you're hearing from folks there in libya on the ground? there's certainly a lot of work that has to be done. >> reporter: absolutely. there is a road map in place that the current de facto leadership has signed on to. they'll declare liberation day. what that does is it starts a clock ticking. they've committed to within 90 days, establishing an electoral body, and some kind of an interim government. a new prime minister. and then within eight months, holding national elections. that's incredible when you consider that this is a country that doesn't have any political parties no, independent media. it barely had any civil society. and they're going to try to hold a national election in a country where nobody can remember voting in any election in recent living history. >> ivan watson on the scene for us. we'll stay in close touch with you. thank you. the death of gadhafi is certainly being praised around the world. for families of those killed in the 1988 pan am 103 bombing, the moment is still very bitter sweet. our national correspondent susan candiotti has been following this part of the story. and i know you've been speaking with some of the family members. >> reporter: i have. moammar gadhafi's demise gives a sense of relief and justice for some victims' familiar lies lost loved ones. it killed nearly 200. more than any other attack before 9/11. for brian flynn who lost his brother j.p. on that flight, gadhafi's violent death helps fulfill a promise he made to himself and to his brother more than two decades ago. when you heard the news, what did you think? >> i was thrilled. i didn't expect to have that reaction. i had been dreaming about this for more than 20 years. but it was always with the sense that you don't want to be the vengeful one thats i want my brother's murderer killed but in a way to you. >> reporter: flynn's big brother j.p. was coming home for christmas after studying abroad when a bomb killed 270 people over lockerbmp ie, scotland. >> to you and to the other families, what did gadhafi represent? >> he was an unrepent ant murderer of these innocent kids coming home for christmas. he did represent the essence of evil to us. >> reporter: we showed him video of gadhafi's body for the first time. >> 32 too bad they couldn't kill him more than once. >> on a personal front, what are your reflections on this day about your brother? >> i remember promising my brother that i wouldn't let it go unanswered. that i would do what i could to get him. i definitely believe that i've honored him and fulfilled my promise by doing what i could. >> i look at his picture over your shoulder. >> yes. >> that's where he usually was. he was a classic big brother. today i feel as if hopefully he's proud. >> reporter: and brian flynn said he wants to thank both the libyan people for bravely standing up to gadhafi, and to apologize to them. saying he wishes the u.s. had done more sooner to help bring down gadhafi's dictatorship. wolf? >> thanks very much. with gadhafi's death comes the end of a contentious four-decade relationship with the united states. in 1986, libya was implicated in the deadly nightclub bombing in west berlin that left one american service member dead. it was then that president reagan coined this now infamous term for the dictator. >> well, we know that this mad dog of the middle east has a goal of a world revolution, muslim fundamentalist revolution which is targeted on many of his own arab compatriots. and where we figure in that, i don't know. >> president reagan ordered the united states to bomb libya and ill pose economic sanctions on the country. thousands of u.s. government buildings vacant for deck arkds costing millions of dollars in taxpayer money. just ahead, we have exclusive new information on what the white house is now planning to do about it. plus, he came from behind and made a dramatic surge to the front of the pack. here's a question. is herman cain on his way to winning the republican nomination? it's salonpas. pain relief that works at the site of pain... up to 12 hours. salonpas. you know what else is early? medicare open enrollment. now through december 7th. can i stick with my old medicare plan? sure! or find a new plan with better coverage, less cost, or both. medicare plans give you free cancer screenings and wellness visits and 50% off on brand-name prescriptions when you're in the doughnut hole. it's part of the healthcare law. so it's time to look, compare... and choose the right plan for you. learn more at 1-800-medicare or medicare.gov. now a cnn exclusive. a new effort the obama administration is taking on as part of the push to jump start the economy. it involves tens of thousands of u.s. government building that's are costing american taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. let's bring in lisa sylvester. she has details. your investigation has come up with some pretty amazing stuff. >> that's right. there are 14,000 properties in the federal portfolio that are not being used and 55,000 building that's are underused. the obama administration wants to get some of these off their books and we have an exclusive look inside one of the buildings. this building in the upscale georgetown neighborhood in washington, d.c. used to be a heating plant for the federal government. for the last decade, it has been vacant. it's one of tens of thousands in excess of underutilized properties. >> this could be easily converted. >> reporter: ken salazar said he is eager to see this building sold off. it is part of the larger obama administration initiative to cut waste and net $3 billion in savings by 2012. >> the property basically stacked up all across the nation. what the president has said is we won't do that anymore. we'll make sure that we get all this extra property out there on the market. so it becomes part of our economic recovery. >> reporter: this particular building costs about $350,000 just to maintain. that's for keeping the lights on and for paying security. you can do the math. it has been sitting vacant for ten years. that's more than $3 million of wasted taxpayer money. the administration is asking congress to set up a special board comprised of private and public members to identify other federal properties that the government no longer needs. similar to commissions set up to close military bases. jeffrey, the deputy director of the white house office of management and budget estimates the government could raise $15 billion in the first three years alone. >> the idea is you put together bundles of properties, rather than dealing with properties one by one. one by one, you run into local political interests and red tape. when you bundle the properties for an up or down vote by congress, you're able to move many properties at once. >> reporter: properties already up for sale can be found on an interactive map on the white house website. but there is the question of timing. is now the time to sell these properties or should you wait to see down the line if the federal government might be able to get more money for it? the price are depressed right now. >> they are. i think for a property like this, and one of the reasons we're being very aggressive about it, is that it is in prime real estate. >> reporter: a valuable piece of real estate with a magnificent view of downtown d.c. in northern virginia. that the federal government believes could fetch a high price. even in the slow real estate market. legislation has been