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Pushing for Credit Card Protections; Tracking TARP's Billions; Green and Affordable Housing; The Roles of Women Under Taliban Enforced Islamic Law; Retailers Moving to China to Make Up Lost U.S. Business

Aired April 23, 2009 - 10:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. It is Thursday, April 23rd. And here are the top stories we're following for you in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Can you swipe without getting zapped? Today, President Obama pressures credit card companies to hold the line on fees and interest rates.

Pakistan dispatches troops to a region just outside its capital. Can it counter a Taliban takeover of the area? Slow sales at home. Now, some Western companies are targeting young Chinese women with brand-name chic.

Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris, and you are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Let's start with a look at live pictures of the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. We are awaiting President Obama's remarks at the Holocaust Days of Remembrance ceremony in the rotunda. This year's theme is "Never Again: What You Do Matters."

When the president begins his remarks, of course we will bring those to you live right here in the NEWSROOM.

So let's get you up to speed on issue #1, the economy and America's money crisis.

Several stories are developing today that may take a swipe at your wallet. That's particularly true if you carry plastic, own a car or home, or follow the bailout money trail.

First, let's focus on credit cards.

In two hours, President Obama does a little arm-twisting with credit card execs. He will push for new consumer protections against high fees and runaway interest rates.

Congress is moving ahead with a credit card Bill of Rights. It mirrors rules the Federal Reserve has put in place starting July of 2010.

Here's Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tens of thousands of angry consumers bombarded the Federal Reserve with e-mails and letters when it considered cracking down on the credit card industry like this one: "I had to take out a loan for $25,000 to pay off the card that was generating $900 per month in interest charges." And this one from a person who said, "A credit card company increased my promotional APR from a very low 4.99 percent to 28.99 percent, even though I have had no late payments."

The fight to stop these practices is one New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney has lost before, but with an ally in the White House, this time the so-called credit cardholders' Bill of Rights could become law.

REP. CAROLYN MALONEY (D), NEW YORK: When we go to a store and bay gallon of milk, they don't change it as we're walking out the door. A contract is a contract. If you're going to change that contract, you've got to tell the consumer, you've got to be clear in your terms.

KEILAR: Maloney's bill would require credit card companies to give you 45 days' notice before upping your interest rate, force them to mail your bill at least 25 days before its due, and prevent companies from increasing your rate because of late or missed payments on unrelated cards or debts. Credit card companies staunchly oppose the changes, saying if they can't penalize risky cardholders, they may have to deny credit to other consumers and small businesses.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They may also find that the costs are increasing, and that some people who manage their credit well will have to pay for those who don't.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: And Brianna Keilar joins us live now from Capitol Hill.

And Brianna, I'm wondering when this legislation, this bill, might pass? And I'm thinking first of the House.

KEILAR: First in the House, Tony, where it is expected to pass next week. And the big question mark here, as is usual, is the Senate. Will it pass the Senate? It's not even on the calendar at this point. Similar legislation has died in the Senate in past Congresses.

And as you noted, Tony, the Houses version of this, what we just detailed in that story, the changes wouldn't go into effect until next summer, more than a year from now.

HARRIS: Why so long? Why not sooner?

KEILAR: Well, and Congresswoman Maloney, who is heading up this bill, she wanted it to go into effect very quickly, but she was rebuffed by members of her own party, Democrats who agreed with credit card companies that they couldn't implement these changes quickly enough. The one thing, Tony, though, that she has managed to preserve is that 45 days' notice if your interest rate is going to increase. That would go into effect if this Houses version were to become law 90 days after it was signed into law.

HARRIS: OK. Our Congressional Correspondent Brianna Keilar for us.

Brianna, thank you.

And prospects of a spring housing recovery dimmed today. A realtors group announced last hour that existing home sales tumbled three percent in March.

Two bright spots though. The median sales price was up slightly, and sales climbed year over year in places hit hardest by foreclosures. They include Las Vegas, Phoenix, and areas of California and Florida.

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

HARRIS: You know, everybody wants to know where the money is going. The top guy tracking the government $700 billion bailout program is testifying before a congressional panel this morning. Special Inspector General Neil Barofsky says he has opened several criminal investigations.

Our Christine Romans is following this for us, and she joins us from New York.

And Christine, Barofsky's list of concerns is pretty long, isn't it?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's so long, it matches just how big all of these programs are. They've been going through pretty much line by line.

You mentioned the criminal investigations. Twenty criminal investigations, six audits. He says that what started as a $700 billion bank financial rescue has morphed into a big plan of 12 separate programs. By his calculations, some $3 trillion. That's what they're overseeing.

So it's not just a bank bailout. It's the bank bailout of autos, it's AIG, it's a consumer lending program, it's a mortgage program. And he's talking to Congress about all of this concerns.

He had a 225-page report a couple days ago. Now he's telling Congress his concerns about the fraud, the mismanagement, the abuse.

He's not going to be able to tell us where the money has gone, he says, until they have a preliminary report sometime in June. But they're trying to get a handle on how much of this money is going out the door and where it's going out of the door.

Among his initial concerns here, Tony, from what he's seen so far, he's concerned about how we're valuing the investments the government has made into financial institutions. I mean, some of these investments are a little bit different, some of them have different perks and returns. You know, how are we going to better value those government shares in the financial institutions?

He's concerned about fraud risk in the consumer lending program. And also, Tony, the mortgage rescue programs.

I just want to take a moment here to tell everybody, if somebody called you up and says, "If you pay me $100, I'm going to help you with the Treasury Department program to save your home," no one is taking your money to do that. So be very, very careful about these financial scams involving mortgage rescue and the mortgage rescue programs. He's concerned about that fraud, and the government's not doing enough quite yet to make sure that doesn't happen.

He's also concerned about conflicts of interest, Tony, in the toxic assets plan. He even says it could be ripe for money laundering, or for perhaps collusion between different players so that everybody gets a better deal, except the taxpayer doesn't. So a lot of concerns that he's laying out there, red flags he's laying out there right now.

HARRIS: Well, Christine, partly, he's really pointing a lot of this, this focus and attention, on the Treasury Department. He is really saying the Treasury Department has to do a much better job in managing all of these programs, and on some level, it's difficult for the Treasury Department to do this when we know it is not fully staffed at this time.

ROMANS: That's right. Well, you know, and Neil Barofsky is not fully staffed quite yet either. He's got 35 people of what will eventually be 150.

I mean, remember, this is like a wildfire that's been burning out of control now for six months, and he's trying to, while the fire is burning, the Treasury is trying to put it out and make sure it doesn't spread someplace else. And he's trying to go back and look at the fire patterns to see what went wrong. So, in a way, it's just kind of a big mess, and they're trying to make sure -- to safeguard as much of our money as they possibly can.

His concern is getting taxpayers' reimbursed for waste and fraud. And so that's what he's going to be doing here.

I mean, he is the guy who's going to be safeguarding our money, but...

HARRIS: He's a cop, right?

ROMANS: But think about it -- $3 trillion. We talk about the bank bailout, and you and I have talked about this before. It's much bigger than just a $700 billion bank bailout. This is a very big financial rescue put together hastily. It's changed course many times.

Some industries are treated differently than others. There's a lot of work to do there -- Tony.

HARRIS: Wow. That says it all.

Christine, appreciate it. Thank you.

ROMANS: Yes.

HARRIS: A national poll indicates most Americans are confident of President Obama's ability to deal with the nation's economic problems. Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll earlier this month say he has a clear plan. In addition, Mr. Obama's overall job approval rating is 66 percent.

Wouldn't it be cool to grade the politicians you elected? Join us on President Obama's 100th day in office for the "CNN National Report Card," next Wednesday night. Grade them with CNN's best political team. Let's do it together.

Rate the president, Congress, state leaders. We can do it all next Wednesday night, beginning at 8:00 Eastern online and on television.

The Taliban in Pakistan; al Qaeda in Iraq. Pirates in Somalia. It is piling up in the foreign relations department for President Obama.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Iraq's military is claiming a big catch. It announced today the capture of a top al Qaeda umbrella group leader, Omar al Baghdadi. The U.S. military has not yet confirmed the capture.

CNN Security Analyst Peter Bergen says the capture is significant but it won't stop al Qaeda.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER BERGEN, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: As the name would indicate, he's an Iraqi who became the head of al Qaeda in Iraq after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed. The reason they put this guy in charge of the organization was that they were concerned that the organization appeared to be too foreign.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, you may recall, was a Jordanian. And a lot of those leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq have been foreigners, Egyptians. So they wanted to put an Iraqi face on it.

At some point, the U.S. military even said that Omar al-Baghdadi might be a fictional character. Now, of course, in the last year or so, you know, they've concluded that he's a real person.

So this guy, while he's important, is more of a figurehead, I think, than the real leader of the organization. The real leader of the organization is somebody by the name of al-Masri, who is, in fact, an Egyptian. So, while this is significant, I don't think it's, you know, the end of al Qaeda in Iraq, which obviously has been suffering a great number of reverses over the last couple of years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: So U.S. military officials are approaching this carefully. Two years ago, there was a false report that Baghdadi had been captured and killed.

What to do about piracy? That question is the topic of discussion for international leaders meeting in Brussels this hour.

The issue really hit America's radar this month after Somali pirates hijacked a U.S. ship and took the captain hostage. A young Somali taken into custody during the ordeal will be tried in New York.

The conference organized by the European Union and the United Nations is aimed at stabilizing Somalia, a major launching point of pirates. The EU released a statement saying, "The stability of Somalia is" -- quoting here -- "critical for tackling the root causes of piracy."

Somalia's prime minister tells CNN's David McKenzie that one way to fight the pirates is to lift the U.N. arms embargo that has been in effect for more than 16 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of our biggest problems was that Al Shabaab has AK-47 and the pirates have AK-47 and the government has AK-47. You can't expect the government to win against such a problem. And the only way is actually to have sufficient capability, and it starts with lifting the arms embargo.

You know, we've been actually handicapped by that sanctions.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How can you convince people to bring more arms into Somalia?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, how can you expect the government to win on these two fronts, then? You know, without having the capability, the government cannot win this war. And the more these guys actually prevail on doing this hijacking, I think, the sooner that they are going to undermine everyone.

We think that the solution lies on our forces to deal with the issue, that homegrown problems are always best dealt with homegrown solutions. And I think the international community, from the water side, I think they can discourage in the short term. But unless we address this as a long-term issue, I don't think we're going to solve this piracy anytime soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HARRIS: Well, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is not ready to send U.N. troops into Somalia. He believes doing that would be divisive and could lead to bigger problems.

In South Africa, Jacob Zuma's African National Congress is leading the vote count from Wednesday's parliamentary elections. A record 23 million South Africans registered to vote. Wednesday's turnout was so heavy, some polling stations ran out of ballots. A final tally is expected before the weekend, but it is not expected to change the projected landslide for the ANC.

A huge wildfire is burning across parts of South Carolina, and our iReporters are showing what's happening.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: In New York, a new apartment to the Bronx are giving hope to low income and to homeless families. Some of the innovative features in this building may have neighbors green with envy.

Fredricka Whitfield has more in this week's "Solutions."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's moving day for Christine Prince and her children, away from the misery of a temporary shelter.

CHRISTINE PRINCE, RESIDENT, INTERVALE GREEN: We killed more than 300 mice in that apartment. We were living literally in fear.

WHITFIELD: A new address and a fresh start for this family.

PRINCE: I know it's a dream come true.

WHITFIELD: They are among the first residents of Intervale Green, an innovative low-income housing project developed by WHEDCo, the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation in the Bronx.

PRINCE: It's like I won the lottery. I was so overjoyed because I know my children will finally have a place to go home.

WHITFIELD: This home will have residents seeing and saving green. Features like compact fluorescent light, efficient appliances, and low flow plumbing are designed to conserve both energy and cash, saving residents nearly a third on monthly utility bills.

NANCY BIBERMAN, FOUNDER, WHEDCO: It's the largest, affordable green building in the country.

WHITFIELD: From the donated tile in the lobby to the rooftop garden, this 128-unit apartment building is green from the ground up.

BIBERMAN: This is green that they can see and feel and touch and live.

WHITFIELD: But for this grateful family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need cupcakes.

WHITFIELD: It's home sweet home.

Fredricka Whitfield, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Jobless claims rise, and one automaker says it may have to shut down plants this summer.

We're following your jobs and your money very closely.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: They're in, new figures on unemployment claims, and t hey show the labor market remains hobbled. First-time claims jumped more than expected last week to 640,000. Continuing benefits topped 6.1 million. That sets a new record for the 12th week in a row.

An announcement could come today. GM looks ready to idle most of its assembly line this summer, some for perhaps nine weeks.

Christine Romans is back at the money desk in New York.

And Christine, why is GM doing this? Simply to cut costs? To better manage inventory? Something else? All of the above?

ROMANS: Well, probably all of the above, quite frankly. You know, the company has told us and has indicated that it would be doing some shutdowns this summer of powertrain and stamping facilities and the like. We just don't know how many.

And so, numerous reports that at any day now, maybe even as early as today, people are going to find out just how long that will be. And it looks like it could be about nine weeks.

This is what the company says officially.

They're saying they're working with the Treasury Department right now to revise their business plan, to go faster and deeper, as required by President Obama. "As part of the plan, we previously acknowledged we would idle several U.S. assembly, stamping and powertrain plants. We're finalizing those plans now. It's our intent, as always, to tell our employees first."

Now, Tony, you know that usually for a couple weeks in the summer there can be, you know, an idle time when they retool the plant, they get ready to roll over to the next model year. You know, make some changes, improvements, innovations.

This time it's different. There's five months, six months worth of cars sitting on the lot, in inventory, waiting to be sold. They haven't been. I think sales in March were down 40-plus percent, 43 percent, 49 percent. Why would be making a bunch of cars if, A, you don't know if you're going into a structured bankruptcy; B, you don't know what your company is going to look like on the other side of a June 1st deadline with the government to be a lean, mean fighting machine; and C, you've got a lot of cars out there already?

HARRIS: That's right. How many -- is there any way to know how many workers potentially could be impacted by this?

ROMANS: No. And I don't know that. And I also don't know -- sometimes when they idle a plant, what they do is it's a mix of unemployment benefits and company payments, so they can keep part of their pay. Sometimes it's a furlough and they're asked to take unpaid time off in other industries.

I don't know what it would look like for these employees. I suspect that's why the company wants to talk to its employees first, and out of, you know, a sense of...

HARRIS: Oh, I get that. Yes.

ROMANS: ... responsibility. It's got to let them know what it's going to look like and where it's going to be.

One thing that analysts have been telling me, though, that they expect the good selling brands -- there are some brands of cars and trucks that have been doing well -- they expect that there will be production remaining at the things that are selling well. But we know that U.S. auto sales have been down sharply over the past year.

HARRIS: You know, when is your show on, on the weekend?

U.S. Auto sales have been down very sharply over the past year.

HARRIS: What is your show on, on the weekend? When is it on?

ROMANS: It's called "YOUR MONEY," it's with that guy Ali Velshi. It's on Saturdays at 1:00, Sunday at 3:00 Eastern time.

HARRIS: That's a good show.

ROMANS: Thanks for asking.

HARRIS: No, really, it's a good show.

ROMANS: We have a lot of fun. Sometimes get done and we say, were we taping that? Did that happen? HARRIS: Yes, that was fun. And we'll put together a little fancy, full screen and everything else, because we want people to watch that show. That's a good show.

ROMANS: OK, make sure you put Ali's picture on that fancy thing, too.

HARRIS: Do I have to?

ROMANS: OK. Just mine, then. That's fine.

HARRIS: Got you. All right, Christine, thank you.

A Toyota dealership takes a hit in Milwaukee. Police arrest three people after 26 new cars were smashed with rocks. All of the suspects, children.

Reporter Kelli Watson with affiliate WDJT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI WATSON, WDJT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is not the way Don Jacobs Toyota likes to unveil a new car. The plastic cover protects this 2010 model from additional rain damage after vandals armed with rocks and boulders broke into the lot.

ANDY HAROS, DON JACOBS TOYOTA: There's a lot of stuff. There's speakers, there's vinyl, there's cloth.

WATSON: Surveillance video caught the shadowy suspects Saturday evening wreaking havoc in the dealership and the manager believes one is as young as 8 years old.

HAROS: You could tell it was kids, because they were running. They were not walking. They were running. They literally were dancing around these cars. They were having fun.

WATSON: Breaking windows, scratching hoods and repeatedly trying to pound through safety glass.

HAROS: We've never had anything like that. Twenty-six cars in total and we're talking between 80 and 100, maybe even more, thousand dollars

WATSON: The back lot is filled to capacity with battered vehicles, most damaged the same way.

(on camera): Well, all this damage is a tough blow for this dealership coming with a hefty pricing to an already shattered industry.

HAROS: Our expenses up there, the income down and then we get hit with a $100,000 bill that we didn't have yesterday. There might be employees that are laid off from this company.

WATSON (voice-over): Police say they've identified all the suspects as being children.

HAROS: And unfortunately for the parents. They're the ones that are going to end up paying for this thing, because there will be retribution. We are going to go after them and we're going to punish.

WATSON: In Milwaukee, Kelli Watson, CBS 58 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: A community is banding together to help a group of soon to be laid off workers. The BF Goodrich plant, it's a tire plant in Opelika, Alabama, will close in October. A local community college will hold three days of workshops in June to help Goodrich workers ease back into the job market. The Opelika plant employs about 1,000 people. It is the town's fifth largest employer.

So, look, I have a blog page for our NEWSROOM show. Not really sure what we do with it exactly, but I'm told it's all the rage and everyone's doing it, which, in my world, is a reason not to play. I'm just not a big fan of the whole "pack mentality" thing, everybody's doing it, so you need to do it, too. But here's the thing, my team threatened me with bodily harm if I continued to resist. So, we have a blog page.

Hi, Sydney (ph).

Sydney (ph) is managing the blog page.

And I suppose there is some value in it, if -- if you visit and you suggest stories. Or if you leave your questions for the newsmakers, we have on the program every day, and if you read the posts from our contributors, and if you check out the videos and the behind-the-scenes looks that we provide you on a daily basis of the program.

So, there. We have a blog page. Handsome picture. Let's see how it goes. CNN.com/newsroom. Blog page. OK.

The Taliban moving into different areas of Pakistan, but officials there tell CNN, the government is still in control.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Pakistan's army pushing back against the Taliban. Right now, paramilitary troops are deployed in Bruner District, that's about 60 miles from the capital, Islamabad. The troops are trying to take back control of government buildings and bridges seized by Taliban militants.

The militants say they took control of the district to ensure that Islamic law or sharia is properly imposed. But the Pakistani government says the move is a breach of a recent peace agreement.

It's got Washington worried. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns Pakistan risks falling into terrorist hands. A former CIA counterterrorism director, as well as Pakistan's ambassador, disagrees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT GRENIER, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA COUNTERTERRORISM CENTER: The situation is very serious, and I'm very concerned about it, as are most of the specialists who study that region. The trends are all very bad. I don't think that the country is in danger of imminent collapse, however.

HUSAIN HAQQANI, PAKISTANI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: Any nation determines its own threat perceptions. Are there people in Pakistan who still do not consider the Taliban a threat? Definitely, but an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis recognizes the Taliban as a threat. The government recognizes them as threat. The Pakistani military and Pakistan intelligence services recognize them as a threat...

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR, "THE SITUATION ROOM": So why make deals with them even indirectly?

HAQQANI: I think if you go back, for example, in Iraq, how was peace restored to Fallujah? There were arrangements, local arrangements with various tribes and various groups, with various groups that were loosely affiliated with al Qaeda. The Pakistan government is pursuing the strategy and I'm - we are open to criticism of that strategy. But to think that that strategy somehow represents an abdication of our responsibility towards our people and towards the security of our country and the region is incorrect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Many people feel making a deal with the Taliban is like making a deal with the devil. Our Jim Clancy looks at how the situation got to this point.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM CLANCY, CNN ANCHOR, CNN INTERNATIONAL: The Taliban isn't backing down. Instead, they are ratcheting up the pressure on a nuclear-armed nation that is struggling politically, economically and militarily. The Taliban nurtures it's following in the tribal areas of the northwest frontier province. In a controversial deal the government agreed to pull out its troops and allow sharia law in the Swat Valley. That's about 160 kilometers or 100 miles from Islamabad.

The Taliban was supposed to hand over its weapons. They didn't. Far from it. Armed elements of the Taliban are now in the Bruner district moving even closer to the capital. They've taken over a radio station, mosques and looted NGOs, stealing vehicles and food aid.

The Taliban say all they want is to install sharia law, but it's much more than that. The Taliban used sharia law to mark territory. To say, we control this, not the government.

Sunday the Taliban rallied in the Swat valley. And why not? They've made impressive gains. The Taliban has used beheadings, kidnappings and beatings to force civilians into line. Girls will not be getting an education.

While the U.S. is gearing up for a fight against Taliban in Afghanistan, the Taliban is expanding it's safe haven across the border. The big question, Pakistan's response. If it follows a similar path in Bruner as it did in Swat, there are real fears this nuclear-armed nation is careening towards capitulation by negotiation.

Back to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Jim mentioned that females will not be allowed an education. That's according to the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law, which they imposed when they controlled Afghanistan.

In a 2007 CNN documentary, "AFGHANISTAN: LIFTING THE VEIL," award-winning journalist Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy exposes the lives of women and girls in a post-Taliban Afghanistan.

Here is a portion of that documentary.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER (voice-over): Today, Afghanistan is freed from the control of the Taliban and trying to move towards a brighter future. But still, very young girls are being sold into marriage.

I'm on my way to meet a child bride who lives with her family at the edge of Heart, where the desert begins.

(on camera): (speaking foreign language)

Shahnaz (ph), tell me about your father.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT: He had many gambling debts. And so he sold me.

OBAID-CHINOY: How old were you when your father sold you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: I was seven.

OBAID-CHINOY: How did you feel when your father told you that you had been sold?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: I felt depressed when I found out.

OBAID-CHINOY: It's difficult for us to speak to her, because her mother-in-law and her husband keep coming into the room. (voice-over): And although I have permission to speak to Shahnaz (ph), her husband seems nervous. Because as it turns out, she had burned herself to protest their marriage.

(on camera): Tell me why you decided to burn yourself?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: Because of the people saying, "Look at all her father did. Look at how her mother married. Look at how they married you off." Because of this kind of talk, I thought I should just burn myself so I could just die and not hear this anymore.

OBAID-CHINOY: How old were you when you decided to burn yourself?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: When I was 11 years old. I still have fresh scars and I have had two operations.

OBAID-CHINOY: Would you like to go to school?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: Yes. Yes.

OBAID-CHINOY: What would you have liked to have done had you not been sold into marriage?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (speaking foreign language)

TEXT TRANSLATION: I was too young to wonder about what I would do with my future.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Wow. That account from 2007, a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight for the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan. Incredible story of women in that country burning themselves in protest over their harsh treatment.

Liberal groups now joining the torture debate. Organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union and moveon.org have collected 260,000 names on a petition. They plan to present it to Attorney General Eric Holder at a congressional hearing today demanding that he appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate harsh interrogation methods sanctioned by the Bush administration.

We are learning more now about the part played by the Bush administration officials in all of this. Our Zain Verjee tells us about the role of former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Documents show that Condoleezza Rice had more of a role in authorizing torture than she previously admitted. Secret memos declassified by the Obama administration show that Rice approved a CIA request to subject terror suspects Abu Zubaydah to waterboarding while she was the national security adviser.

Here's what she said before about torture.

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States does not engage in torture, doesn't condone it, doesn't expect its employees to engage in it.

VERJEE: Bush administration officials say that the information obtained from Abu Zubaydah led to the capture of the Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed, the architect of the September 11th attacks. Last fall, Rice told the Senate Armed Services Committee that she had only been present, had only attended meetings where CIA interrogations were discussed. She said that she didn't remember the details.

Zain Verjee, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: President Obama's foreign policies getting good marks from most of you. A new CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll, and it shows 66 percent of respondents approve of the way the president is handling foreign policy; 28 percent disapprove.

What if you could grade the politicians you elected? Well, you probably do it every day. Well, do it with us and join us on President Obama's 100th day in office for the "CNN NATIONAL REPORT CARD" next Wednesday night. Grade them with CNN's best political team. Let's do it together. Rate the president, Congress, state leaders, next Wednesday night beginning at 8:00 Eastern online and on television.

Huge wildfires to tell you about burning homes, businesses and heading towards Myrtle Beach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lost a lot of money right there. A lot of money. And the truck, had to sentimental value to it. The shop did, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Meteorologist Rob Marciano says high temperatures this afternoon could cause even more problems.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have -- there are three shelters at this time, that are opened in Horry County with approximately 360 people in those shelters. We have one of those shelters is a special needs shelter with two individuals there. Currently, approximately 2,500 citizens have been evacuated from the area. Current estimates, and again, this is an ongoing process, are that there are approximately 40 homes that have been destroyed with an additional 100 damaged.

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HARRIS: A South Carolina state official talking about a fast- moving wildfire that has already burned thousands of acres and it is approaching now one of South Carolina's busiest tourist areas.

This iReport is from Pete Venuto, who shot this video in Myrtle Beach where he lives.

South Carolina's governor has declared a state of emergency in Horry County. Dozens of homes have been destroyed. About 2,500 people have been told to get out.

Here is the mayor of North Myrtle Beach.

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MAYOR MARILYN HATLEY, NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: I think the most challenging is to make sure that everyone is safe. We hope that everyone listen. We did go door to door. Our Public Safety Department went door to door. And we ask that everyone to leave. And we tried our best to remove everyone as soon as possible.

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HARRIS: Three shelters have been set up in the North Myrtle Beach area. About 250 people are using them as you just heard.

Let's check in with Rob Marciano.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Two hundred forty-one shows over five years. The "Rocket Man" plays his final gig at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Elton John initially sign on for just 75 shows, but demand was so great he ended up tripling his performance. Tickets for the Vegas show topped out at $225. If you missed it, don't worry. Sir Elton hints he'll be back on the Vegas stage one day soon.

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HARRIS: Once again, live pictures from the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol. We are awaiting President Obama's remarks at the Holocaust Days of Remembrance Ceremony in the Rotunda. This year's theme is "Never Again: What You Do Matters." When the president begins his remarks, we will take you back to the Rotunda live.

And coming up next hour, we will talk to an auto industry expert about what's ahead for GM and Chrysler as they search for ways to survive.

Plus, we'll look at how the housing market is doing in one city out west that has been hit hard by foreclosures. And Gerri Willis looks into your rights as a credit card holder and big changes ahead. Live next hour right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

If you shop at Wal-Mart, you will want to hear about a new product recall. The item is a children's shoe, the CARS Fleece Clog. Are you familiar with this? The retailer sold 91,000 pairs in the United States and Canada. The shoe has four decorative wheels that can detach and pose a choking hazard to young children. So far, there have been no reports of injuries. The shoes were sold from last November through this past March. And if you have a pair, return them to Wal-Mart.

Ladies, we know lots of you are cutting back on your shopping in these tough economic times. So many western companies are trying to win over Chinese women.

Our Emily Chang reports on how that's going in Beijing.

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EMILY CHANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Armed with umbrellas and determination, hundreds of Chinese shoppers line up in cold, gray rain. They've been here for five hours, says the woman who is first in line. Just to get first dibs when H&M opens its first store in Beijing, its tenth in mainland China.

I only buy foreign brands, says 22-year-old Ziou-Ziou (ph).

And with that, the throngs swarm in, pawing at H&M's famous line of cheap, chic merchandise.

LEX KEIJSER, CHINA COUNTRY MANAGER: Everybody knows China has 1.3 billion people. And if we can bring all those customers in the future to H&M, we can dress them with our fashion, it will be great.

CHANG (on camera): For all of these eager shoppers, this H&M store is three floors of retail bliss with clothes for men, women and children. But not surprisingly, the customers who will spend the most here are women.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Women tend to spend more on brands. They are more self-conscious, they are more aware of beauty and health issues.

CHANG (voice-over): Other western companies are seeking to win hearts of China's young women, too, to make up for bad sales back home. Mattel opened a flagship store in Shanghai. Six floors of not just Barbies, but branded luxury goods for women who want to find their inner Barbie girl.

Dove is sponsoring the Chinese version of the TV show "Ugly Betty," featuring fairly obvious product placement.

And Estee Lauder's Clinique has turned to the Internet with "Sufei's Diary" a digital sitcom that follows a college student who uses Clinique brand cosmetics. In this episode, to battle her pimples. Ziou-Ziou who owns her own online fashion boutique is a target consumer.

Blue suit, pink shorts, peacock clutch, I got it all, she says. I knew exactly what I wanted.

She's part of a growing class of urban professional Chinese women who want to be their own person, create their own style and have the money to do it.

Emily Chang, CNN, Beijing.

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