costly conference in las vegas. we're learning about numerous lavish trips by an agency that's supposed to keep federal cost down. we want to welcome our viewers. you're in the situation room. two of the highest members of president obama's war team. secretary of state hillary clinton and leon panetta traveled. i went and they joined me for an exclusive joint interview. we talked about some of the biggest global challenges as well as politics right here in the u.s. >> madam secretary, mr. secretary, thank you for joining us. >> glad to be here. >> let's talk about afghan san. $2 billion a week in u.s. tax dollars being spent to maintain the assistance of the afghan people. is this money well spent right now, a hundred billion dollars a year for another two and a half years. >> first of all, wolf, we are in a transition. as we do, the afghan security forces are stepping up to protect their own people. as we saw over the weekend with the horrible attacks, luckily they were not successful. that was because the afghan security forces which are our soldiers and others of the nato alliance have been training and mentoring. so, i think that if you look, as we do, at the progress that has been made on the security side but also in other indicators, health and education and the economy, there is definite progress. that doesn't mean it is going to be easy, but we are on the way to fulfilling the commitment that president obama made about moving toward the 2014 deadline for the end of combat operations. >> so this is money well spent, hundreds of billions of additional dollars? >> i think you can certainly find fault with any kind of war. and this has been a war. you can go back and look at any of the wars the united states has fought. but, if you consider why we're there and the fact that thank goodness we've not been attacked again since 9/11 and we have dismantled al qaeda thanks to a lot of great work when leon was at the cia before going to the defense didn't. i think there is no doubt that america is more secure. afghanistan is more secure. but, we're not resting on our laurels. we're looking forward to what kind of relationship we will all have, nato and the united states after 2014 to help afghanistan continue on this path. >> you trust afghan's president mr. secretary? >> he is a leader of afghan tan. >> you trust him? >> i have sat down with him. we talk pretty frankly with each other. he is the leader and she the person we have to deal with. >> does that mean you trust him, though? >> certainly you trust the leaders that you have to deal with, but you always kind of watch your back at the same time. >> that doesn't sound like a reigning endorsement of the leader of afghanistan. >> it is true for any leader we deal with. >> this one has said awful things about the united states. >> i understand. obviously that's been a concern, but at the same time, we have had the ability to directly relate to him when it comes to some of the major issues. >> a hundred billion dollars. do you know what that kind of money can spend. the american public is increasingly frustrated when they see that money spent in afghanistan rather than here in the united states. >> i understand. the whole purpose of this is to protect the american people. that's what this war is about. >> bin laden is dead. >> no. the reality is the attack on the united states on 9/11 was planned from where? from afghanistan. our mission there is to make sure we have an afghanistan that can secure and govern itself and it never again can become a safe haven for terrorist who had planned attacks on our country. >> you know u.s. intelligence officials are told congress there are more al qaeda operatives in somalia than in afghanistan. >> the danger is this. if we don't succeed in afghanistan, there is a real probability the taliban will come back and who will be the first people to take advantage of it? al qaeda. that's what we have to protect against. >> are we asking too much of these american troops who spend up to five tours of duty and now these reports with dead bodies of taliban fighters urinating on dead bodies. one american soldier starts killing 17 afghan civilians including children. is the stress too much to bear right now on these troops. >> there is no question we've been 10 years at war. obviously it takes a toll. the vast majority have performed at the highest standards we have expected. for every one incident we sometimes read about and the kind of atrocious behavior that we all condemn, there are hundreds of situations where our people have helped afghans where they have performed courageously in battle. i have been there a number of times as has the secretary. i have to tell you i am always impressed by the quality of our people that are fighting the battle on behalf of the united states. >> let's talk about iran. as you know, these talks with the iranians are continuing. the israeli prime minister says, i'm quoting him. he said "my initial impression is that iran has been given a freebie". >> well, i think that is not accurate because what came out of the first meeting was a commitment to a second meeting with a work plan between the two meetings. we are really getting down to testing whether or not there is a willingness on the part of the iranians to reach some kind of negotiated resolution. i believe the first round was positive because from our assessment after having no contact for 15 months, the iranians came back to the able at a time when sanctions are really continuing to put a lot of pressure on the iranian government, and are willing to talk about their nuclear program which is an important positive step. now, we have a long way to go and this has got to be very clearly laid out as to what the international community expects, what is acceptable, of course, to the united states since we ha are at the table with the b 5 plus one. there is a chance, and i don't want to sell sit wbl thit that now, the representative requires and what iran is willing to do. >> and if they do take these measures, will you encourage the alliance to slow down on these economic sank -- sanctions? >> well, we have to see what the iranians are willing to do. then we have to make sure they do it. and then we have to reciprocate. that's what a negotiation is all about. right now we are still in the testing stage. >> if they don't do what you want them to do, the iranians, are you -- and you i're the defense secretary -- ready to use force to destroy their nuclear capabilities? >> we are prepared with all options on the table if we have to respond. >> is there a plan in place? i know the pentagon. do you have a specific contingency plan to do that? >> we do one hell of a lot of planning on everything. i can asure you there are plans. >> are you convinced it would succeed. >> i don't think so there is any question that if we have to implement that plan it will be successful. >> much more ahead. on my exclusive interview with leon panetta and hillary clinton. we will talk about the tensions with northkorea. >> we're within an inch of war almost everyday in that part of the world. >> is the u.s. ready to meet with korea's new young leader. and, former agents are speaking out about the culture inside the service. and, we've seen the controversial videos. now stunning new information about lavish spending by a government agency where even interns are living large on taxpayer dollars. an agency that is supposed to be protecting presidents of the united states and their families. >> heard the. the very as aspect of this case stemming from the fact that 11 members of the secret service were allegedly involved, not just one or two. >> it is the sheer number of secret service personnel involved with prostitutes that is raising serious questions in washington. >> it is hard for me to believe it was the first and only time. there were just too many people involved. in fact, 11 total. sources say two supervisors among them leading law enforcement experts to be concerned about potentially a larger problem within the secret service. a comfort level with this kind of conduct. is this incident part of pattern in that agency. we spoke off camera with several former agents and supervisors who say it is not, that they never witnessed or heard of anything like this. they did tell us of so-called wheels up parties when secret service officers or white house media get together after the president has left a city and have drinks at a bar or hotel room. they say they are comparatively tame. jeffrey robinson who wrote a book about the secret service says this about those parties. >> do married guys take off their rings at these parties? okay, that's a problem for these married guys and their families. do people get drunk. gee, there is is a new story. >> robinson says those are isolated incidents, not part of a broader culture. there was an incident in 2006 when a secret service agent was tasered charged with public intoxication after an altercation in a bar in waco, texas. u.s. world news report published a piece detailing incidents of agents having parties, barroom brawls, sex with underage girls. >> there is real concern that there is a cultural problem within the agency. >> uh-huh. >> is it? >> no. it is not. i can tell you unequivocally it is not and i have lived it for 31 years. >> serving under six presidents, barbara was the first woman to become a in the protective division and the first woman to become deputy director. she also supervised advanced teams. >> yes, we have had teem involved in inappropriate behavior. can there be an incident sometimes? yes. is it systemic? ? >> a current agent mirrored that telling us yes, there have been incidents of misconduct, even criminal behavior. this official would not respond about a broader problem but did say with regard to this incident and others they have respondd is decisively and appropriately, wolf. >> i know you have had a chance to speak with several former secret service agents. how are they reacting emotionally to this incident? >> they are angry. they are really ticked off. a lot have used words like embarrassing and shameful. they really resent the fact that just a few people have seemingly put a huge mark on this agency. you heard the words ticked off, embarrassed quite a lot. it is a tough thing. >> very tough indeed, but this investigation will continue, brian. thanks very much. >> the growing scandal also involves some u.s. military personnel. i spoke about that with mr. defense secretary leon panetta and secretary of state hillary clinton. >> it is a shocking story. i can only imagine when you heard about the prostitutes and secret service agents, i can only imagine, mr. secretary what went through your mind, but tell us what went through your mind. >> i don't usually use those words in public. it was very disturbing. the reason it was disturbing is whether it takes place in columbia or any other country or in the united states we expect that our people behave according to the highest standards of conduct. that obviously didn't happen here and as a result we're investigating the matter. as a result of that investigation, we'll hold these people accountable. >> diplomatic fallout from this incident? it is unfortunate obviously. >> i don't think so much diplomatic fallout as the unfortunate fact that it certainly ate up a lot of the coverage of the summit which was a meaningful get together. only happens once every three years, an opportunity to show case columbia. think about how much columbia has changed. the united states with our plan columbia support has really been at the forefront of helping columbia emerge as a real dynamo in the region. i have had secret service protection for more than 20 years. you know, i have only seen the very best, the professionalism, the dedication of the men and women who have been around me and my family. >> the interview with hillary clinton and panetta coming up. also, the spending scandal that started, that scandal growing. now we are learning new details of what one government agency has been doing with your tax dollars. and hillary clinton, i will ask her about my growing buzz when she and leon panetta changes. stay with us. you're in the situation room. l . and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. i'm going b-i-g. [ male announcer ] good choice business pro. good choice. go national. go like a pro. i've discovered gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol... the gold standard in anti-aging. clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. nothing's better than gold. [ female announcer ] roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. has been because of the teachers and the education that i had. they're just part of who i am. she convinced me that there was no limit to what we could learn. i don't think i'd be here today had i not had a wonderful science teacher. a teacher can make a huge difference in a child's life. he would never give up on any of us. thank you dr. newfield. you had a big impact on me. [ male announcer ] while others are content to imitate, we'll continue to innovate. the lexus rx. why settle for a copy when you can own the original? see your lexus dealer. ooo no. the hotel lost our reservation. nonsense! you book at travelocity, your reservation's guaranteed. well, i did not book with travelocity, okay?!? [ female announcer ] get the travelocity guarantee anywhere when you book with our new app. you'll never roam alone. when you book with our new app. [ traffic passing ] ] ♪ [ music box: lullaby ] [ man on tv, indistinct ] ♪ [ lullaby continues ] [ baby coos ] [ man announcing ] millions are still exposed to the dangers... of secondhand smoke... and some of them can't do anything about it. ♪ [ continues ] [ gasping ] while many americans are struggling to make ends meet, we are learning more about what one federal agency has been doing to waste your tax dollars, enjoying places like las vegas, hawaii, palm springs. let's go to our senior congressional correspondent up in capital hill, dana bash. it is shocking. >> it is. part of the mission is to make the government more efficient, save taxpayer dollars, but throughout four hearings this past week officials who are supposed to be running the agency really struggled to answer fundamental questions about why they allowed what one chairman called fraud, waste, corruption and cover ups. >> not only did this over the top conference cost tax payers more than $800,000, but they took eight trips to vegas to do what they called a vance work. the cost $147,000. >> my anger and frustration have finally gotten to a boiling point. >> a five and a half hearing, people were angry. it is clear why. >> i am a big man. i can't spend 44 bucks for breakfast. somebody had to say that. are you kidding me. >> the investigator put it this way. >> we turned over every stone. every time we turned over a stone we found two more. >> this is the 254 square feet suite that robert peck stayed. >> they told me all the rooms were within the government rate. >> it is unclear what the cost really was. the organizer seen here in what appeared to be a las vegas hot tub invoked his fifth amendment rights the second day in a row. he was very much a focus of story after story of allegedly skirting and breaking the rules to have a good time on the taxpayer dime. for example, it is against the government rule to spend meals at meetings unless awards are given out. so, they regularly made some up. listen again to the man investigating the whole thing. >> it was a running joke in region 9 that in order to get food you had to give out awards. one of our witnesses characterized them as i guess fake awards and jackass awards and things of that nature. >> excess went far beyond las veg vegas. at least a week in hawaii for a one hour ribbon cutting. >> would a one hour ribbon cutting adjust a seven to eight day trip? >> not in the my opinion. >> gsa still hasn't told congress how much that one cost, but a 2010 conference in palm springs has a price tag of $150,000. two months ago after the inspector general warned the gsa administrator about extravagant spending, he brought his wife along on a seven day trip to the south pacific paid for by tax payers. just last month a conference in naa napa valley. one official said she raised the red flag to no avail. >> you notified the administrator ruth cox about the upcoming junction and expressed concern, right? >> i did. >> yeah. and, what happened? >> i expressed concern and asked her to review the plans, make sure -- >> and that called it off, didn't it? no. >> and that's what made lawmakers here really furious, that even after getting the inspector general's report that detailed the way they wasted and abused taxpayer dollars they still allowed him to squander hundreds of thousands more before they finally put him on administrative leave. one lawmaker said you wonder why there is so much distrust of government. >> yes. thanks very much, dana. woork crimes in syria. we will talk about that and much more as my exclusive interview with hillary clinton and leon panetta continues. i also asked clinton what she would say if president obama asked her to be his haven't. we have two car insurances that we're going to have you taste. the first one we're going to call x. go ahead and take a sip, and then let me know what the baby thinks of it. four million drivers switched to this car insurance last year. oh, she likes it babies' palates are very sensitive so she's probably tasting the low rates. this is car insurance y, they've been losing customers pretty quickly. oh my gosh, that's horrible!, which would you choose? geico. over their competitor. do you want to finish it? no. does the baby want to finish it? no. is as much about getting there... ♪ ...as it is being there. ♪ [ birds chirping ] away is where the days are packed with wonder... ♪ [ wind whistles ] ...and the evenings are filled with familiar comforts. find your away. for a dealer and the rv that's right for you, visit gorving.com. let's get back to my exclusive joint interview with defense secretary hillary clinton and leon panetta. i asked them about two very dangerous world hot spots. >> on syria, is president bashar, aiccording to your opinion, clinton. >> i'm not going to get into labelling because i am trying to see if he is going to implement the plan. i don't think it is useful to do anything other than focus on the six points of the plan. right now it doesn't appear, once again that he is going to follow through on what he has pledged. we are still working to see about getting monitors in to be able to have an independent source of information coming out to the security counsdowcouncil. i will be going to paris this afternoon to take stock of where we are. but it was significant that the security council endorsed the six point plan. the syrian government said they would abide by it and yet we still see shelling going on in homes. >> are these crimes against humanity? >> i think what we want to do is begin an accountability project to gather evidence. we really don't want to be labelling what we see which are clearly disproportionate use of force, human rights abuses, absolutely merciless shelling with heavy weaponry. we are interested in stopping the behavior, but at the same time we do want to see evidence collected so that there could be in the future accountability for these actions. >> it sounds like the answer is yes. you do believe these are crimes -- >> don't put words in my mouth. we're not making those kinds of charges or claims. our goal right now is if, you know -- if the asag regime were to say okay, we agree to do everything they ask us to do, that would b