>> world news is next. i'm cheryl jenning autos from all of us, thanks for watching. this is "world news." and tonight, coming home. after nearly nine years of sacrifice, it's over. >> the long war in iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. >> what it means for our military, their families, the president and us. end game. nato wraps up the war in libya, celebrations erupt in the streets. what those haunting images of gadhafi's last moments tell us. abc's christiane amanpour breaks it down. speaking out. the first member of bernie madoff's family opens up about the day the biggest ponzi scheme in history came crashing down and took her husband's life. an abc news exclusive. and, you got to believe. the 61-year-old football star who proves it's never too late to make history.

good evening. diane is on assignment. and we begin tonight with the end of a war. more than 1 million americans have served in iraq. this december, the last of them will be home. it began more than eight years ago. march 19th, 2003, with shock and awe. 20 days later, coalition forces took baghdad. weeks after that, mission accomplished. but that declaration with a costly mistake. the insurgency intensified. american casualties climbed. the tide turned only after president bush ordered a surge of u.s. forces. today, saddam hussein is long gone. a shaky democracy is taking hold. as president obama paid tribute to the 4,482 americans killed in iraq and the 32,213 wounded. in a moment, we'll hear from

martha raddatz, who has traveled to the war zone more than 20 times. no american correspondent has spent more time with our troops. but we begin with jake tapper at the white house, where the president made the surprise announcement this afternoon. >> reporter: there are roughly 39,000 u.s. troops in iraq right now. today, president obama formally announced that by the end of the year, that number will be zero. >> the long war in iraq will come to an end by the end of this year. >> reporter: the iraqi government had asked president obama for up to 5,000 u.s. troops to stay behind as trainers. that hit a snag when, in negotiations, the iraqis refused to give those troops immunity from prosecution. so, they all will leave. >> the last american soldier will cross the border out of iraq with their heads held high, >> reporter: the president began his remarks by reiterating how central to his campaign was his promise to end the war. >> as a candidate for president, i pledged to bring the war in

iraq to a responsible end. >> reporter: opposition to the war made his candidacy, having opposed back in 2002 when he was still a state senator even before the war began. >> i don't oppose war in all circumstances. what i do oppose is a dumb war. >> reporter: that opposition propelled him above rivals who had voted to go to war, and later, said they regretted it. left unsaid by the president today, top military leaders say the conditions for today's announcement were created by the surge of u.s. troops in 2007. one that then senator obama strongly opposed. as of this summer, the war had cost u.s. taxpayers more than $700 billion and a cost to troops and their families that cannot be tabulated on any spreadsheet. >> here at home, the coming months will be another season of homecomings. >> reporter: and george, president obama today cast the announcement as part of a larger

transition, with the deaths of osama bin laden, anwar al awlaki, moammar gadhafi and the beginning of the withdrawal of u.s. troops from afghanistan. the president said, the tide of war is receding. george? >> but there could be several more years in afghanistan. okay, jake, thank you. this war was divisive been the first bomb dropped. and for most of the last eight years, most americans have opposed it. 66%, earlier this year. but most of the burden has been carried by fewer than 1% of us. the military and their families. abc's martha raddatz has focused on their stories from the very start of the war. >> reporter: there are so many who sacrifice so much. so many who gave their lives, their limbs. but the war in iraq left us something else. a new generation of heroes. >> guy right next to me got hit. i leaned him against my knee to put pressure. >> reporter: staff sergeant robert miltonburger was in this open truck when a fire fight

left 11 of the 16 inside seriously wounded. they lived because of miltonburger. elsewhere, not so lucky. >> always see the charlie company truck, four flat tires -- engine on fire. the wounded. >> reporter: along with the dead and wounded, tens of thousands with post-traumatic stress, trying to move forward. and another kind of sacrifice back home that brought soldiers to tears. >> they've gone through an awful lot. they go to memorial ceremonies every month. and our brigade ladies sit together and for many months, it's always our guys.

>> reporter: major troy denemy left his wife and 4-day-old son when he went to iraq, where he immediately faced a barrage of gun fire. >> kind of looked like rain when it hits puddles. it was hitting all over the place. almost indescribable. probably one every five second from an rpg or pipe bomb or ied they had in place. >> reporter: he was wounded, but went back into the fight. his wife could only wait. >> i remember thinking, oh, my gosh, you know, they've been there three, four days and how are we going to do a whole year of this? >> reporter: today, we talked to their family again. little marek is now 7 and has a brother, luke. >> and even when it's not your soldier coming home or service member, when up see the other families, you know, you go and support them or see the signs up around the neighborhood. it brings tears to your eyes. and joy in your heart. >> reporter: yes, there will be more homecomings now. more hugs, so powerful, after serving and sacrificing for so many years. and indeed the march out of iraq

has begun. and while it won't be easy, the pentagon says all u.s. troops should be home for the holidays. george? >> that is good news. okay, martha, thank you. and we move now to another war winding down, this one in libya. nato commanders announced they will end the mission in libya, where there are celebrations in the streets over moammar gadhafi's death. as new and gruesome video of his final moments went viral. these images are tough to watch, but telling, too. and abc's christiane amanpour is back tonight to analyze what we mean. we saw the celebrations in libya, but not across the arab world. >> reporter: well, no. and of course people in libya are celebrating wildly, because finally the man who oppressed them for so long is dead. but there are now people asking questions, human rights groups, even a leading islamic scholar here saying this kind of vigilante vengeance is not islamic. on the other hand, so many libyans are saying, he kept us down for so long, the way moammar gadhafi met his end was gadhafi-style justice.

new cell phone videos of the moments just before moammar gadhafi was killed are helping to clarify what exactly happened to the dictator. was it vigilante vengeance? you can see gadhafi's being taunted, beat within a shoe. he doesn't fight back, but he can be heard pleading in arabic a phrase which means "this is a sin for you." the expression conveys pleading for mercy. the libyan government maintains that gadhafi died from wounds he received during the fire fight, before he was captured. but the u.n. has opened an investigation. under islamic law, gadhafi should have been buried today. it was delayed. perhaps to prove to the country that the dictator is truly dead. >> because the libyan people there is somebody who don't believe that gadhafi's dead.

>> reporter: gadhafi's body is being displayed in a commercial freezer in the town of misrata, which sustained a brutal onslaught by gadhafi's forces during the uprising. one of his sons died with him. as for gadhafi's one-time heir apparent, saif al islam, whom i interviewed in february, some reports say that he's been captured. others that he's on the run. it was saif who was reportedly in charge of the money. the massive wealth, some estimated at $70 billion, allowed gadhafi to hold on against rebel forces for the past eight months. while some of those billions have been found and the assets frozen, a fortune is still unaccounted for. >> so, a lot of people will be looking for that. but we saw nato announce by october 31st, the mission will end. but so, what do we know about the american role going forward? >> reporter: well, it would be a mistake to call it mission accomplished. because a lot of what might go wrong could happen now after he's dead. one of the things the united states wants to see is the new transitional government unify

all those forces who were unleashed against gadhafi. in terms of the economy, libya does have huge amount of resources so it should be able to finance its own reconstruction. but getting the country on a road to democracy is the challenge. >> don't expect a lot of american funds. okay, christiane amanpour, thanks very much. here at home, what could be an unhappy game changer for millions of americans struggling in these tough times. right now, 28 million americans have jobs, but no health insurance. but that number is likely to shoot up because of a controversial move from the nation's largest private employer, walmart. abc's david wright explains. >> reporter: every day low prices for everything but the health insurance for all those nice people in blue aprons. walmart's plan is already so expressive, many workers can't afford it. >> i can't afford the health insurance that they offer. even though that i'm full time, i make $9.80 and i am a department manager. >> reporter: walmart had been offering coverage to part time workers. many companies don't. now, the world's largest retailer is dramatically cutting

coverage to part timers and raising premiums for everyone else. >> they're caught between a rock and a hard place. health care costs are rising. and they have the pressures of the weak economy. >> reporter: next year, the most popular health plan walmart offers will cost workers 36% more. new part time workers won't even be offered health insurance, unless they work 24 hours per week for more than a year. it's a national trend. workers are paying more for less. an astonishing 14 million americans work full time but have no health insurance because they're either ineligible or can't afford it. the numbers are staggering. but it's here you see the scope of the problem. this is a free clinic set up in an l.a. sports arena. the sort of thing you normally see in a disaster zone, except these people are just seeking routine care. some of these people have insurance but the deductibles are too high or the policies don't cover things like dental care.

felicia castro lost her insurance when estee lauder laid her off last year. today, she learned there's a lump in her breast. >> it's really, really tough. >> reporter: you've got a lot you're balancing right now. >> i'm here because i need help. and that's -- you feel shame in it in a sense. >> reporter: in addition to a mammogram, she took advantage of the free dental care. >> in order to have the opportunities of persevering in the job market, you have to have a beautiful smile. >> reporter: but in this economy, there's not much to smile about. david wright, abc news, los angeles. and still ahead on "world news," inside bernie madoff's family, as his staggering scheme collapsed. for the first time, a family member speaks out. and a turning point in the dramatic trial of michael jackson's doctor. why prosecutors are so confident about their case. that's why i like fidelity. they give me tools and research i can't get anywhere else. their stock screener lets me search for stocks

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madoff. >> and he said, "where are you?" i said, "what's wrong?" he goes, "i'm fine, stephanie. but it's my father. my father's done something really bad." >> reporter: her husband, she says, had grown increasingly concerned about his father's business, finally confronting him that fateful afternoon. >> he marched into his father's office and said, "what the -- is going on here?" and bernie said that his business was just one big lie and that he was billions in debt. >> reporter: mark and his brother andy turned in their father that day. bernie would confess to running the biggest ponzi scheme in history. more than 10,000 people investing $65 billion with what they thought was a legitimate firm. but bernie had not made a single trade in decades. none of the investors' money had purchased a single share of stock. instead, he used his fund as a personal piggy bank. he was later convicted and

sentenced to 150 years in prison. bernie's scam was crushing for mark, especially the accusations he was complicit in his father's crimes. both madoff sons have always denied any wrongdoing, insisting they ran a separate and legitimate trading desk. >> my husband knew nothing. he was in pure shock and you could see the betrayal on his face and in his body. >> reporter: it was, she writes in her newly released memoir, too much for mark to bare. on the two-year anniversary of bernie's arrest, while at disney world with her daughter and mother, stephanie learns her husband hanged himself in their apartment. >> i just hear her say, "oh, my god, oh, my god." and i went running around and she's like, "he's dead, stephanie, he's dead." i hate bernie madoff. if i saw bernie madoff right now, i would tell him that i hold him fully responsible for

killing my husband and i'd spit in his face. >> boy, that emotion is still so raw. and she's very angry at ruth madoff, too. >> reporter: yes, george. you'll see tonight why. i mean, there were things that went on that her husband couldn't recover from, but they could have been fixable. and it's very difficult for stephanie to deal with that, having lost the center of her world. going to take time. >> i'll bet. okay, chris cuomo, thank you very much. much more of the interview tonight on "20/20." and coming up here, the prosecution rests in the trial of michael jackson's doctor. can the defense recover? and mornings? rough. i tried tissues and neti pot thingy and even more tissues then i said enough! and i found the solution. [ female announcer ] drug-free breathe right nasal strips. i put it on and...wow! instant relief. i breathed better...slept better felt better. [ female announcer ] take the breathe right challenge and breathe better or your money back. [ man ] come on! it's your right to breathe right!

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a turning point now in the dramatic trial of michael jackson's personal doctor. for weeks, the prosecution has been hammering conrad murray with witness after witness, calling him a negligent doctor, ultimately responsible for jackson's death. starting monday, the defense responds, so, abc's jim avila, who has covered this trial from is the start, examines the prosecutor's case, and how conrad murray's lawyers can counter it. >> reporter: 15 days of testimony, 33 witnesses, 220 exhibits and the prosecution ends its case with a string of strong medical experts who label conrad murray a domestic worker, not a doctor, because he caved to jackson's request for the anesthetic that took his life. >> i do not see the difference between conrad murray saying yes to the request that michael jackson is making and a person

who cleans the house saying yes to a request that michael jackson is making. he is not exercising his medical judgment. >> reporter: by the end of its case, prosecutors had dramatically shown that michael jackson was overly medicated and claimed dr. murray should have known it, by playing this recording. >> i had no childhood. i feel their pain. >> reporter: prosecutors launching a relentless attack on the key defense premise that jackson killed himself by self-injecting propofol. presenting fingerprint evidence they say shows dr. murray touched the bottle of propofol but jackson did not. this exclusive picture obtained by abc news shows the terrible reaction jackson had to repeated needle punctures. a condition the prosecution's star witness testified made it impossible to inject himself. >> michael jackson did not have good veins, so the possibility of a direct self-injection seems extremely unlikely. >> reporter: and finally, prosecutors list 17 lethal ways

dr. murray was grossly negligent and deviated from the standard of care, resulting in jackson's death. the defense starts its case next week, with a week's worth of witnesses and trying to show at least three things. first, that propofol is safe to use as a sleep aid. then, that dr. murray did not have to call 911 immediately because he's a doctor. and thirdly, despite what prosecution witnesses claim, because michael jackson was a seasoned drug user, he could have killed himself. george? >> okay, jim, big burden on the defense. and still ahead here, the college football star going strong in his seventh decade. he's our "person of the week." jenna shared her recipe with sharon,

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finally tonight, alan moore is a vietnam vet and grandfather who's gone back to college to finish what he started more than 40 years ago. that's impressive enough. but what really caught our eye is how he spends his saturdays. you can find him at the football game, not tailgating, but place kicking. teaching us a lesson about living our dreams. and with the help of our friends at espn's ""e:60,"" he's our

"person of the week." pads on, helmet strapped tight, alan moore blends right in with his teammates. only his old school kicking shoe stands out. >> i have believe on it. i wrote that on every shoe i got as soon as i started. >> reporter: saturday college football. faulkner university versus ave maria. the second quarter, a game few might remember, until -- >> alan moore into the game now. >> reporter: it was an extra point, and an attempt to make college football history at age 61. >> it was just something that i was going to do and i didn't care if i died doing it. >> reporter: it was a dream that began 40 years ago. alan moore was a kicker on his junior college football team. but with the vietnam war draft coming, alan dropped out of school and enlisted. life went on. >> just raised the family like everybody else would do. i didn't have time to play football. >> reporter: but for 40 years, that dream sat somewhere in his heart. but it turns out a setback, the economy, brought it back to life. alan was laid off from his construction job. devastated, he turned to what he knew.

practicing every day, first on homemade goal posts in the backyard and later at a local high school. >> every now and then, one would be perfect. i said, you know, i can do it every time, i'll be okay. >> reporter: but no work came, so alan decided to go back to school. his first stop, the coach's office. >> i said, "alan, why are you doing this?" he said, "i want to show people that they need to finish what it is they started." i said, "well, i can understand that." >> reporter: and when this vietnam veteran, father of three, grandfather of five stepped onto the field last month, his biggest fans were there, cheering him on. >> every time he comes out to kick, i feel like a really big sense of pride. >> they snapped the ball and i kicked it. >> the kick is in the air -- and it's good! he made it! >> how about that? >> alan moore! >> reporter: alan moore, 61, the oldest college football player ever to score. >> never, never, never give up. that's what i tell my grandkids. never give up. believe in yourself.

never give up. >> reporter: and so we choose alan moore. what a star. even the college football hall of fame wants one of his autographed footballs. thanks for watching tonight. we're always on at abcnews.com. and check out "nightline" later. diane will be right back here monday night. have a great weekend. tonight you'll hear from one of washington's leading military families on the decision to end the iraq war. >> and an ultimatum issued to the occupy wall street demonstrators. pack up tents or go to jail. >> people have come to the bay

area to escape persecution because of taste in music. >> and the bay area scientist set out on a mission to rescue the reef before it's too late. today i can say our troops in iraq will definitely be home for the holidays. >> president obama keeping a campaign promise to end the war with iraq, 40,000 troops and good evening i'm cheryl jennings. >> i'm dan ashley. the iraq war has been one of the longest in u.s. history. the war sparked a number of mass demonstrations like this one. huge crowds converging on san francisco to make their opposition clear. a garden of white crosses went up as a preetest to the war which has claimed more than 4400 lives over nine and a half years, abc 7's mark matt i