>> pelley: tonight, the death of a dictator. as north korea mourns kim jong-il, the u.s. hopes for better relations, but who will be in charge of this communist nuclear power? the u.s. defense secretary tells us iran will not be allowed to become the next nuclear power. >> we will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it. >> reporter: will congress extend the payroll tax cut? and for how long? nancy cordes is on capitol hill. and florida a&m says no. mark strassmann reports the school's president will not be suspended in the hazing scandal. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening, the

secretary of defense says tonight that the united states will not allow iran to develop a nuclear weapon. in an interview with cbs news, leon panetta says that despite efforts to disrupt their nuclear program the iranians are reached a point where they can assemble a bomb in a year or potentially less. secretary panetta spoke with us at an end of an overseas trip during which he reviewed strategy in afghanistan and officially ended the war in iraq. on the way home, he boarded the jet nicknamed "the doomsday plane." this is the command post where he and the president would direct a nuclear war. in an interview for "60 minutes," we sat down in the compartment where he would execute the commander-in-chief's orders. panetta told us iran needs only one year to build a nuclear weapon. so are you saying that iran could have a nuclear weapon in 2012. >> it would be some time around a year that they would be able to do it. perhaps a little less. the one proviso, scott, is if they have a hidden facility

somewhere in iran that may be enriching fuel. >> pelley: so that they could develop a weapon even more quickly than we believed? >> that is correct. >> pelley: if the israelis decide to launch a military strike to prevent that weapon from being built, what sort of complications does that raise for you? >> we share the same common concern. the united states does not want iran to develop a nuclear weapon. that's a red line for us. and it's a red line, obviously, for the israelis. if we have to do it; we will do it. >> pelley: you just said "if we have to do it, we'll do it." >> that's right. >> pelley: what is "it"? >> if they proceed and we get intelligence they're proceeding with developing a nuclear weapon then we will take whatever steps are necessary to stop it. >> pelley: including military steps? >> there are no options that are off the table. >>elley: a nuclear weapon for iran is unacceptable.

panetta told us while the iranians need a year or less to assemble the weapon, he has no indication yet that they have made the decision to go ahead. the erratic, impoverished nuclear power north korea announced last night that its dictator kim jong-il died suddenly of a heart attack. he had been frail since a stroke. standing between north korea and south korea tonight are more than the 28,000 american troops, a force in place since the end of the korean war. the kims have ruled north korea for 63 years, the longest running her red take dir tateorship in the world. and it appears they continue to will continue that streak. there was an outporing of grief for the man who served his people while building a nuclear weapon. his youngest son and apparent successor kim jong-un remained out of sight today. we don't know much about kim jong-un, he's thought to be in his late 20s.

the c.i.a. had only one photo of him from his time spent in college in switzerland under a false name. it's not known whether he's married or has children. he was named his father's successor after king jong-il's stroke in 2008. his debut came last year at a parade when he strode to the reviewing stand along with his father. our jim axelrod was there. >> reporter: the military government has invited the western media in not only to see the country flex its military muscle now send an important symbolic message about its future. >> pelley: the message delivered today by north korean state media stopped short of calling king jong un's the country's next leader but it did call him "great successor." one of the few american's to negotiate with north korea is former u.n. ambassador and former governor of new mexico bill richardson. he's gone to north korea as a special envoy eight times. >> what's interesting in this situation is kim jong-un, the

successor, has not been in the military, has relatively little experience in policy making and is also untested. so the military now will, in my judgment, assume even more power. >> pelley: you don't expect the younger kim to actually be running things? >> well, he'll be the titular head. he'll have power, but not like his father. >> pelley: north korea is given to sudden unexplained spasms of violence. last year ittor pitoed a south korean navel killing 46 sailors. and then it rained 180 artillery shells in a south korean island killing four. the kim dynasty began with kim il sung in 1948 when north korea was born. kim jong-il inherited power in 1992 and since then he's presided over a series of famines. it's estimated as many as two million north koreans have starved. kim jong-il lived a lavish and

eccentric life-style. he was a fan of hollywood movies and owned 20,000 of them. former ambassador richardson sees his passing as a rare opportunity. >> it's very important that we not provoke them, that we let them have their transition, that we engage them, that we continue talking to them. because isolating them as never worked. >> pelley: north korea is isolated by its poverty, best illustrated by a satellite photo. when you look at the world at night and zoom into the korean peninsula, you can see the lights burning brightly in south korea and china, but hardly a flicker from north korea. the obama administration said today it hopes the changes in north korea will lead to better relations with the united states. norah o'donnell is at the white house tonight. norah? >> reporter: scott, tonight there are some real concerns about the transition. a senior u.s. official tells me that the jury is out on kim

jong-un, that he is young, untested, inexperienced, and has "shown proclivities towards violence." u.s. officials say kim jong-un is a volatile personality. u.s. intelligence believes he encouraged the attacks on the south last year, including the sinking of that south korean naval ship, killing 46 and the shelling of an island. belligerent moves that u.s. officials suspect were meant to bolster un's credibility with military leaders. mindful of south korea's vulnerability, president bush placed a midnight call to one of his closest allies in the region south korean president lee and he reiterated the united states' commitment for that country's security. secretary of state hillary clinton today hosted another leader with a vested interest in a stable korean peninsula, the japanese foreign minister. and together they urged calm. >> we both share a common interest in a peaceful and

stable transition in north korea as well as in ensuring regional peace and stability. >> reporter: the u.s. had been in talks that they hoped would lead the north koreans to take concrete steps toward denuclearization but officials are unsure whether the death of the dear leader will lead to any sort of progress. >> we reiterate our hope for improved relations with the people of north korea and remain deeply concerned about their well-being. >> reporter: the well-being of north koreans with millions of their people starving has actually driven them the bargaining table. the u.s. was set to announce this week a massive food aid program where in return north korea would agree to suspend their nuclear enrichment program. that deal, scott, is now in jeopardy. >> pelley: what may become of the food assistance deal at this point? >> well, i spoke up with a number of u.s. officials today who said it is still an option.

they're going to let north korea go through this period of mourning and they'll see whether the new leadership, the new food aid to north korea ending their nuclear weapons program. >> pelley: norah, thank you very much. tensions of another kind just up pennsylvania avenue. it appeared over the weekend that congress had struck a compromise deal to extend the payroll tax cut. the senate passed a two-month extension but then house republicans revolted, demanding a one-year extension. congressional correspondent nancy cordes has the latest from the capitol. nancy? >> reporter: house republicans say they will vote down the senate deal later tonight. they believe two months just creates too much uncertainty, so the future of this tax cut is very murky right now. house republicans railed today against the two-month tax cut devised by the senate. >> two months? really. come on! that's really do nothing.

>> what they sent us over was an insult to the american people. it was an insult. >> reporter: the revolt by house republicans took the senate by surprise. senators had already headed home for the holidays. >> i'm glad i worked. >> reporter: afteroting overwhelmingly on saturday 89-10. >> the amendment is agreed to. >> reporter: in favor of the two-month compromise. >> this will be the last roll call vote of this year. have a happy holiday, everyone. >> reporter: a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut was no one's first choice. but senate leaders could not agree on a way to pay for an entire year's worth of tax cuts so they came up with this two-month stopgap. when house speaker john boehner briefed house republicans on the deal this weekend, they balked and so he turned against the measure, too. >> i think it's time for senate democrat leaders to follow the president's example, put their vacations on hold and work in a bipartisan manner to finish the nation's business. >> reporter: not happening, said

senator chuck schumer of new york. >> to go back wouldn't accomplish anything because, again, they would come up with another proposal that just would never pass. >> reporter: so with the tax cuts set to expire in 13 days, congress is engaged in yet another high-stakes standoff. are you prepared to let these tax cuts lapse all together? >> i think we've made it perfectly clear to we believe that a full-year extension of these tax cuts are very important. >> reporter: white house officials made it clear they intend to blame tea party house republicans if these tax cuts expire, scott, and 160 million americans end up paying 2.6% in payroll taxes instead of 4.2% in the next year. >> pelley: we'll keep watching. nancy, thanks very much. in the race for the republican presidential nomination, it's just 15 days to the iowa caucuses. today front-runner newt gingrich trying to appeal to some conservative voters attacked federal judges he accused of

legislating from the bench. dean reynolds is in davenport tonight. with a gallup poll suggesting his momentum is stalling and he's now in a virtual tie with rival mitt romney, newt gingrich is fighting back by stressing his conservative credentials and talking up an issue dear to the hearts of social conservatives. the idea, that elitist judges are undermining the country's values. >> are judges above the law? are judges in a position where they dictate to the president and they dictate to the congress? >> reporter: in a question-and-answer session in davenport, gingrich said some judges have an exaggerated view of their own importance. >> the court has said we are supreme. we are the last word. that's bologna. >> reporter: he cited examples of past presidents-- franklin roosevelt and abraham lincoln among them-- ignoring court rulings in the interest of the nation and suggested it might happen again under a gingrich presidency. the remarks furthered those he made on "face the nation" on sunday. >> we've had rulings that outlawed school prayer, rulings

that outlawed the cross, rulings that outlawed the ten commandments. we've had a steady secular drive to radicalize the this country away from its core beliefs. >> reporter: as a remedy, gingrich suggested federal judges be subpoenaed to go before congress and explain any controversial rulings. how would you enforce that? would you send the capitol police down to arrest them >> if you had to. or you'd instruct the justice department to send the u.s. marshal. >> reporter: but that view would seem to conflict with the constitution and its separation of powers doctrine that says all three branches of government are equal and not subject to any other branch. gingrich's views on this and a number of other subjects have alarmed some republican party regulars who worry that what may go over well with with the republican party base, scott, may prove a liability in the general election. >> pelley: dean, thanks very much. the last u.s. convoy leaves iraq

and jim axelrod is in it. blizzard warnings are up from new mexico to kansas. and dozens of students may have taken part in the deadly hazing at florida a&m when the "cbs evening news" continues. ♪ [ male announcer ] campbell's green bean casserole. it's amazing what soup can do [ male announcer ] campbell's green bean casserole. sears last minute gift sale is on now. use you 15% off savings pass for amazing deals like up to 65% off sweaters, coats and pajamas for the whole family. and 35% off fragrance gifts sets for him and her. shop sears now for great deals for everyone on your list. sears. but to be honest, i find the omega choices overwhelming. which one is right for me?

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tonight in the hazing scandal at florida a&m. mark strassmann has learned that investigators are talking to more than 30 students and alumni who they believe may have participateed in the hazing that killed a member of the marching band. mark? >> reporter: scott that large number of witnesses partly explains why investigators are still building a case that could result in murder charges. and today trustees rejected calls to suspend this university's president. florida a&m trustees let president james ammons keep his job in part because of florida's politics, worries about the school's accreditation and the board's asserting its independence. the pressure is still on him? >> the pressure is very much on him. >> reporter: al lawson, an alum, is a member of the task force ammons appointed to tend school's decades-long culture of hazing. to >> to his critics ammons strikes them as a guy who wasn't on top of it. the board was not prepared to

name an interim. if you suspend him today, the university floats along as a ship without a rudder. >> reporter: the crisis began when drum major robert champion died from injuries suffered in a hazing ritual on a band bus last month. that death, officially ruled a homicide, spotlighted their decades-long hazing history. there's also allegations of fraud linked to the school's marching band. the board of trustees were urged to suspend him which board members resented and students protested. but today the parents echoed calls for him to go. >> he's the president, your expectation that he should know as the head of any organization you are responsible. >> reporter: but ammons' supporters say he rescued the school from a financial crisis when he became president in 2007. did ammons catch a break today? >> i thought he caught a break today. i thought, you know, given a little chance to breathe and at the same time look at the direction that the university is going.

>> reporter: the crisis for ammons and for the school will get worse if criminal charges come, as expected. scott, hazeing in florida is a felony, punishable after five years in prison but second degree murder charges can mean life. >> pelley: the homicide investigation widens. mark, thank you very much. a powerful storm is sweeping across the southwest and the great plains tonight. some places could get as much as 18 inches of snow. blizzard warnings are up across five states. snow is already blanketing roads in new mexico and in texas. he was the playwright who had a starring role in a drama that brought freedom to eastern europe. remembering vaclav havel next. you found it. wow. nice place. yeah. [ chuckles ] the family thinks i'm out shipping these. smooth move. you used priority mail flat rate boxes. if it fits, it ships for a low, flat rate. paid for postage online and arranged a free pickup. and i'm gonna track them online, too. nice. between those boxes and this place,

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a young dissident playwright when soviet tanks rolled into prague in 1968, havel spent four years in communist prisons. in 1989, he led czechoslovakia's velvet revolution-- a non-violent transition to democracy. havel was elected president and later oversaw the czech republic split from slovakia. he was a magnet for western leaders. in 1994, president clinton played sax in havel's favorite jazz bar in prague. long a heavy smoker, vaclav havel died yesterday from respiratory disease. he was 75. the last u.s. convoy leaves iraq. the last u.s. convoy leaves iraq. we'll take you along next. no problem. you want to save money on rv insurance? no problem. you want to save money on motorcycle insurance? no problem. you want to find a place to park all these things?

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♪ but the fire is so delightful ♪ nothing melts away the cold like a hot, delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup from campbell's. ♪ let it snow, let it snow >> pelley: president obama promised they'd be home for christmas and their families were waiting as some of the last american troops to serve in iraq return to bases around the u.s. parents were reunited with children they hadn't seen in months. no better holiday gift than that. jim axelrod was with the last convoy to leave iraq. >> reporter: testing weapons on the firing range one last time, specialist tris mcdonough from tacoma, washington, knew his third tour in iraq was about to

become his last. >> let's hope this is the last time i have to fire a weapon in iraq and we're able to get back without having to fire. >> reporter: mcdonough's platoon would be driving out on the last convoy. the gunner his vehicle, mcdonough would have to stand behind his .50 caliber machine gun in the dessert cold for five hours to get to the border. but after a total of nearly two years in iraq, if that was the price of leaving, he was thrilled to pay it. >> it's going to be the first time i've ever driven across the border so it's going to be almost kind of a relief knowing that this place is no longer where i'm at. >> reporter: the convoy traveled by cover of night and arrived at the border at first light. eight years, eight months, and 28 days after the start of the iraq war, we are now just moments from crossing the border into kuwait. the soldiers in this armored transport vehicle will be among the very last u.s. troops to leave iraq. while some vehicles crossed the

border horns blaring, mcdonough followed strict orders not to show boat. this was the face of an honorable departure. >> it's definitely an amazing feeling to know that the biggest mission of my military career went smoothly, without any hiccups and we were able to get across safely. >> reporter: almost immediately, his attention turned to one last mission-- getting home to his wife and three children for christmas. >> i'm looking at a picture of them running across to dad. i haven't seen them in eight months so it's going to be amazing. >> reporter: it looks like tristan mcdonough and thousands of other troop fresh from iraq will make it just in time. jim axelrod, cbs news, camp virginia, kuwait. >> reporter: that's the "cbs evening news" for tonight. we'll leave you with a last look at iraq. and for all of us at cbs news all around the world, good night.

nightmare. the busiest u're trying to get your realtime captioner is linda marie macdonald. a high-speed crash, now a traffic nightmare. the busiest spots if you're trying to get anywhere in the bay area tonight. tonight could be the last 49ers game at candlestick had season with the new south bay stadium on track why some ticketholders won't be buying anymore and it has nothing to do with location. >> do you love-making those calls? > er, oh, yes, makes me cry. >> some call them layaway angels. the anonymous donors paying for strangers' gifts. good afternoon, i'm elizabeth cook. >> i'm allen martin. we begin this special newscast with a developing story. traffic on westbound 580 in castro centrally is an absolute mess right now. this follows a high-speed police chase that