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Wisconsin Capitol in Lockdown; Muslim Radicalization Hearing; Muslim Radicalization Politics; Lohan Back in Court; Rumored Limits for Debit Cards; Gadhafi's Billions

Aired March 10, 2011 - 12:01   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour. I'm Suzanne Malveaux.

I want to get you up to speed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Whose House?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Our House!

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Whose House?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Our House!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Police force protesters out of the Wisconsin Capitol today, refused to let anyone else in. That is according to lawmakers -- including lawmakers. That led to a heated shoving match at the door.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: You lie! You lie! You lie to Wisconsin! You lie! You lie! You lie to Wisconsin!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Union supporters flooded the building last night after Republicans passed a bill to cripple collective bargaining rights. Republicans separated the collective bargaining measure from a budget bill, so that meant absent Democrats were not needed for the vote.

We want to bring in our own Bill Kirkos, a CNN producer who is now inside of the state Capitol building.

What's the scene around you now, Bill?

BILL KIRKOS, CNN PRODUCER: Suzanne, I'm outside the chamber right now, and I'm standing next to Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca, who is here right now trying to gain entrance into the assembly. I'm going to pass the phone over to him. This is Democratic Minority Leader Peter Barca, who can explain this tense situation right now.

PETER BARCA (D), MINORITY LEADER, WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY: Hello, Suzanne. Peter Barca.

MALVEAUX: Yes. Thank you for joining us here.

What's happening inside this building? What's taking place?

BARCA: A complete state of chaos right now. We have members of the legislature that are locked out of the building, that are not even allowed to enter the building.

We have about 30 Democratic members outside the chamber trying to gain access to the chambers. You have a third of a press corps that is not allowed into even the assembly chamber area. They've been blocked from entrance.

I've talked to Chief Tubbs (ph). I've apprised him of the situation. We're doing everything we can to go back to a state of lawfulness.

And I have never seen anything like this in my life. And I've traveled to about 25 developing countries around the world.

MALVEAUX: Congressman, what are they telling you? Why aren't they letting people in? And you're talking -- you said you talked with the police chief?

BARCA: Yes. Well, he's not been given orders to open the door yet. And I'm just going into a meeting now with Secretary of the Department of Transportation Mike Huebsch.

Apparently, the Speaker is coming over, so I'm going to try to get some understanding to this. But I'm waiting now to find out what their intent is here.

Obviously, last night there was a clear violation of Wisconsin law. The open meetings law was broken.

We are in court now because they are in contempt of court. The building is supposed to be open. As of Monday, it has not been open. We are in court because of open meetings violation.

(CROSSTALK)

MALVEAUX: Well, what are you trying to do? I'm sorry. Can you try to explain to our viewers what you're trying to do, what you're trying to accomplish? I know that you're now back in state, you're now back in the building. You're trying to --

BARCA: No, no, no. We never left the state. No, no. I'm a Democratic leader in the State House, in the state assembly, not --

MALVEAUX: Oh, I see. OK. I'm sorry. I misunderstood.

BARCA: We've been in the state all along. But in our chamber, three different times they have taken actions that were against the rules, and we believe against the law. And so we're very worried that they'll try and do like they did last night, when they rolled the vote. And a quarter of our body was disenfranchised for their citizens that they represent because they were not -- including two Republican members and the bodies only Independent, a couple dozen Democrats.

MALVEAUX: So what are you trying to do today?

BARCA: We are afraid they're going to try and do that again. Last night, that's what the -- in the conference committee did something very similar. They would not even allow me to raise a point of order. They would not even explain the bill to me. So we're very concerned, and that's why we're in a state of high tension right now.

MALVEAUX: Have you been talking to the demonstrators and the supporters? Have you been trying to calm them down or try to --

BARCA: I've been operating constantly with Chief Tubbs (ph). He's the chief of police for the state Capitol Police. And whenever he asks me to do something, I cooperate to the fullest extent. I'm not a law enforcement official myself, so I act upon his judgment and the judgment of fair people. So when they ask me to help calm down people, I do.

MALVEAUX: And so you're telling your supporters to calm down. Are you telling them to be patient or go home? What are you telling these people?

BARCA: Oh, no. That's not going on.

And I'm going to have to leave, unfortunately. I have a meeting with Secretary Huebsch of the Department of Administration to try and work through this situation. But I would be happy to talk to you again maybe in a short time.

MALVEAUX: We certainly would appreciate that update.

BARCA: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: Thank you very much, Peter Barca, for being there and to give us a sense of what they are trying to accomplish there.

Obviously, they're trying to get into the chamber. He's met several times with the police chief. They have a meeting to set up to try to resolve what looks certainly earlier like a chaotic situation, certainly a very tense situation both in and outside of the Capitol building there in Madison, Wisconsin, as a meeting was scheduled for the assembly to be meeting to take up this issue of collective bargaining.

That, after last night. Republicans from the Senate side actually voted to limit collective bargaining, separating it from the budget bill.

But obviously a lot of tension still there, and we'll see how this all plays out in the next hour or so.

At the U.S. Capitol, there's a controversial House hearing on the radicalization of Muslim-Americans, and it took an emotional turn today. Congressman Keith Ellison, he's one of two Muslims in the House. He broke down when he told this story of a young Muslim- American who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEITH ELLISON (D), MINNESOTA: Salman Hamdani was a fellow American who gave his life for other Americans. His life should not be identified as just a member of an ethnic group or just a member of a religion, but as an American who gave everything for his fellow Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King organized today's hearing. The Republican says the testimony is going to help show the extent of al Qaeda's recruitment of Muslim-Americans. He denied allegations that he is painting all Muslim-Americans as terrorists.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R-NY), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Despite for conventional wisdom in certain circles, there is nothing radical or un-American in holding these hearings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Moammar Gadhafi's hit rebels in the oil town Ras Lanuf again today, but for the first time, ships in the Mediterranean bombarded the city. CNN's Ben Wedeman, in Ras Lanuf, says it appears that rebels now are losing ground.

In Brussels, Belgium, today, NATO defense ministers are debating a no-fly zone that would ground Moammar Gadhafi's warplanes. The NATO secretary-general says it will happen only if there is what he calls a demonstrable need.

People in southern Louisiana and Alabama are cleaning up from tornadoes today. Strong storms whipped up several twisters Wednesday, damaging homes and flooding streets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK ARNOULT, STORM VICTIM: To come out of that where you could walk, I mean, you could see there is actually nothing there. The house is stretched out for over 100 yards. A refrigerator is all the way across the property, into the woods, behind my daddy's house. Clothes in trees, everything.

You know, it was bad. Real bad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Actress Lindsay Lohan arrived at the Los Angeles County courthouse just a few moments ago, 35 minutes late for her hearing today. Lohan is supposed to tell the judge whether she'll take a plea deal and serve time. She's accused of stealing a $2,500 necklace.

And more now on our lead story, the emotional and impassioned hearing over radicalized Muslims in this country. Critics say that today's hearing unfairly targets Islam. Supporters say that it's necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.

Well, want to get some insight, some analysis from our chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley, and from CNN National Security Contributor Fran Townsend. Also, former FBI assistant director Tom Fuentes has some insight from a law enforcement perspective.

Candy, from what you've seen so far, how is this playing out? Do you think that -- if you can, game this out. Are there winners, are there losers? Or does this just seem to be provocative conversation that's taking place? Some insights we're gaining?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly it's a provocative conversation that's taking place. And it's interesting listening while you're doing the other news and listening to these hearings.

You heard the anger. You heard the questions about law enforcement. But you heard a law enforcement official from California saying, "I get great cooperation from the Muslim-American community."

But I have to tell you, when you step back and think, what will most -- what will come out of this hearing that most Americans who are busy, after all, in their day, what will they hear about? And it will be Congressman Ellison crying about that young man, a firefighter who was a Muslim-American who died trying to save people on 9/11. That's what's going to come out of this hearing I think that most people will hear.

So, in that sense, in terms of what will claim the spotlight for today, I think it will be that particular moment with Congressman Ellison. And it's interesting, because the people who fought this the most, of course, were representatives of the Muslim-American community, along with some civil rights groups. And yet the pain of being singled out as someone who might not be pro-American and then have it turn into this life story of a young man who loved every bit of Americana from his "Star Wars" figures to other things, and here is a true American hero and he was a Muslim-American, I think that's what floats above all of the rest of this and what most people will see, which I think that most of the critics of these hearings will think is a positive thing.

MALVEAUX: And I want to bring in Fran Townsend. Because, Fran, you know, you were there during the Bush administration. You were there when President Bush, after 9/11, made a very strong, concerted effort to say that this country should not single out Muslim-Americans, that they were not responsible for these attacks, that they should be treated well and like any other people in our country here.

You see these hearings. Do you think that we're moving in the right direction, the wrong direction?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: You know Suzanne, as you point out, when President Bush was in office he made two visits to the Islamic Center in Washington. I went often on a Friday, attended prayers, and then had lunch with the community there.

And so it is certainly unfair to suggest that all Muslim- Americans are at fault here. In fact, many of them have cooperated and many of them suffered entering and leaving the country because of screening procedures.

That said, what Congressman King is trying to do is get to the heart of an issue that is absolutely a very real threat. Let's remember while there are mostly and many law-abiding Muslim-Americans, there's been this effort al Qaeda has taken to radicalize people like the Fort Hood shooter, who was a doctor and shot his fellow soldiers at Fort Hood.

And so preachers like Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen target Americans for radicalization, and I think that's the threat that Congressman King is attending to try to talk about and have the American people understand. It's unfortunate. You know, Suzanne, as you know, welcome to Washington. There's a lot of politics getting played with this issue, and as a result, a lot of emotion.

MALVEAUX: Tom, I want to bring you in.

You've been watching from the very beginning these hearings. Do you think that Congressman King is succeeding in his mission here? And if you believe his mission is to discuss this issue, this problem, to identify some of the weaknesses, the vulnerabilities in the Muslim community that al Qaeda is identifying and going after certain people who they believe they can recruit for terrorist acts, do you think that there is an education that's taking place here?

TOM FUENTES, FMR. FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: I've been listening to the hearings also, Suzanne, and I don't think there's a huge education happening. There's some anecdotes about radicalization that's occurred, and people talking about family members in the Somali community and that type of thing.

I would like to clarify one point. You know, no one in this country is ever obligated to talk to the FBI or talk to the police, except in a traffic stop where you have to identify yourself and show a driver's license. But if the FBI knocks on your door and says, I'm Special Agent so and so of the FBI, I'd like to ask you some questions about something, you have no obligation to even talk to the FBI. None, even if you're a serial killer. You have no obligation.

If you do choose to talk, you have to tell the truth. And we've seen high-level celebrities go to prison for not telling the truth under those circumstances.

But the obligation here is really on law enforcement to convince the community to please help, please help us, your community, yourself, fellow citizens. And it's really not -- we never obligated the Italian-American community that they had to give information about La Cosa Nostra, or the Irish-American community in New York, they had to call the police and talk about the Westies. Or Asian-American communities, you're obligated to call and give information about triads (ph) that might be operating here.

So, really, the effort has been on the part of law enforcement to try to gain their trust and their cooperation. As Fran mentioned, go to the mosque, meet with them, go to prayer, go to lunch, and try to develop a partnership relationship so they willingly cooperate with law enforcement to provide information. But they don't have to. There's no obligation for anybody to have to.

MALVEAUX: OK. Tom Fuentes, we're going to live it there.

We thank you, Candy Crowley, Fran Townsend, for your perspective.

We also want to hear from you, your perspective. What do you think will come out of these hearings?

You can give me your opinion on my Facebook page. Just go to Facebook.com/SuzanneCNN, or tweet me. I'm on Twitter: @SuzanneMalveaux.

Here's a look at what's ahead "On the Rundown."

A live report from Wisconsin, where locked-out protesters are demanding access to the Capitol.

Plus, heavy rain and the threat of flooding, that in the Northeast.

And how to make sure that your child isn't misdiagnosed with hearing loss.

And finally, the bank may soon put a limit on your debit card. We're going to have those details.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Don't forget to "Choose the News." Vote by texting 22360 for the story you want to see in detail. You know how it works. Here are your choices.

The story about Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's money and the fear it will help fund the onslaught of his own people.

Next, another story about a Singapore-based company's claim it can measure the intelligence of a child just from a fingerprint.

Or, finally, the fannypack makes a high-fashion comeback. Say it ain't so, but it is.

Vote by texting 22360. Pick 1 for "Gadhafi's Billions" 2 for "Fingerprint Genius"; or 3 for, God forbid, "Return of the Fannypack."

The winning story, that will air later this hour.

Chaos and shouting in Madison, Wisconsin, that's happening right now as protesters are locked out of the state house. Just a few minutes ago they were trying to force their way in.

Our Ed Lavandera, he's joining us live from Madison with the latest.

Ed, give us a sense of what is taking place there now. I understand people are locked out of the Capitol. There's a lot of frustration.

What's happening right now?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, that video that you were just showing took place right here. That door that you see behind me, this entire area, had been jammed as the protesters had barreled their way trying to get in through that door over there. They had been able to pry a little bit of it open and open the door away from police officers, and that's when the scene got incredibly tense.

Various people pushing and shoving. Some of the police officers were involved in that as well, and then that kind of quickly escalated into a very tense situation. But it's now trying to disperse.

For a great portion of this morning, the Capitol building has been essentially on lockdown. Many people got in this morning, and then after a few hours they essentially said no one else would be allowed in. Even a couple of state legislators who were trying to get into the assembly meeting which is just now starting to convene were turned away. But now we've been told that there's -- one of the doors just around the corner over here has now been opened up and people will be able to start filing in.

But you can get a sense of just how many thousands of protesters are here on the Capitol grounds in Madison today. They've been coming in because of last night's move by the Republicans to pass the budget repair bill, at least the portion of the bill that essentially strips away most collective bargaining rights and also forces public sector workers here in the state of Wisconsin to pay more toward their pension and health insurance.

So, it's been a very dramatic situation here. And that assembly is getting ready to vote on this at any moment now, and that's when the scene here just a little while ago, Suzanne, really started to escalate as people chanting, "We should be able to get in," inside the Capitol. And they're incredibly frustrated. They didn't understand why it had been shut down at this point.

A clear explanation was never really given by the officers here at the door. But many of the doors still shut down, except for this one little door over here that people are beginning to file in, we understand, now.

MALVEAUX: And Ed, just real briefly, what are they hoping to get out of today? They're hoping to just meet, make their views known?

LAVANDERA: Well, yes. Really today is -- they realize they were defeated yesterday in the move by the Republicans. They didn't need to have all of the Democrats there to be present for that vote that took place because it was the non-financial aspects of the bill that were voted on.

But people here are realizing that this is the last-ditch attempt to be able to block this legislation as this assembly gathers, because after the assembly votes and is expected to approve it, it moves on to the governor's desk. And of course he would sign it. So these people here kind of realizing that they are at the end of the road here.

MALVEAUX: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you very much. We appreciate that. We'll get back to you as news warrants.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MALVEAUX: Well, Muslim radicalization, it's been a political issue since the 9/11 attacks. And we're going to look at the role that it might play in the upcoming election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: While Congress discusses Muslim radicalization in America, we want to look ahead at the role that it might play in the next presidential election.

Our Joe Johns reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Islamic radicalization has been an issue in American politics ever since September 11, 2001. And now, going on 10 years later, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Pete King stirred up a hornet's nest when he announced hearings on it.

Such hype on the Hill seldom lives up to expectations. But there's a lesson here, whether it's dangers of Sharia law, the recruitment of the alleged Fort Hood shooter, or letting detainees go at Guantanamo, the lesson is that, right or wrong, fear and scariness still grabs people's attention, not just at the Capitol, but also for some of the potential Republican presidential contenders, even if only a tiny number of Muslims are radicalizing and looking to attack America.

RICK SANTORUM (R), FMR. PENNSYLVANIA SENATOR: Well, here's the key. It doesn't need to be a big problem to be a huge problem, because you don't need a whole lot. You just need a small group of folks who can band together and into cells. And as we see, the small group of people asymmetric warfare, terrorism, can be a huge problem for America.

JOHNS: Perhaps the most vocal on the subject of radicalization has been former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

NEWT GINGRICH (R), FMR. HOUSE SPEAKER: We have to have the courage to tell the truth about radical Islamists, and we have to have the courage to act on that truth.

JOHNS: Gingrich and his wife, Callista, have a whole video documentary on it called "America at Risk." The trailer is riveting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICA AT RISK")

GINGRICH: Our enemies are clear in their desire to defeat America. They've told us so repeatedly. Yet, many of our elites are afraid to even identify our adversaries by name.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "AMERICA AT RISK")

JOHNS: Mike Huckabee has weighed in, too, using big words like "Islamofacism" and "jihadism," words that really weren't part of the lexicon a decade ago.

(on camera): But here's the problem. Though we know more than ever on the radicalization of Islam, there are those in the Islamic community who share the fears of it, by the way, but say our politicians are still talking about them and not to them about how to fix it.

DAISY KAHN, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MUSLIM ADVANCEMENT: Nobody has invited us to work with them. And this is what the complaint that we have -- the complaint is not that extremism doesn't exist. It's that the Muslim community is not being engaged directly to create a solution for it.

JOHNS (voice-over): There's always hope. Perhaps we'll find a way in the next ten years.

Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Today's Muslim radicalization hearings: identifying a terror threat or targeting Islam? We'll go back to Capitol Hill where the emotional debate is playing out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Back to our lead story. The emotional debate that is unfolding at Capitol Hill at the hearing on the radicalization of Muslims in this country. Let's get some inside analysis from our homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve; our chief political correspondent, Candy Crowley; and CNN national security contributor Fran Townsend.

Candy, I want to start off with you because hearings come. They go. We've seen moments where flashes, where they are important and we learn some sort of valuable lesson. A takeaway here. When you watch the hearings today, what do you take away?

CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CHIEF POLTICAL CORRESPONDENT: Listen, there are lots of kinds of hearings, as you know. There are hearings held for headlines. There are hearings that are held because they're trying to formulate policy. And there hearings held to enlighten. I would think that the first, that there will be some headlines, but we probably already have seen them. Is it or is this not divisive? Will this or will this not help with cooperation in the Muslim-American community? Was this anti-American to hold it? That type of thing.

I think probably what strikes me most is that there is no meeting of the minds on this panel in terms of what this hearing is about. So, I think in some ways what Congressman King was going for was trying to kind of enlighten folks on what's happening. There was certainly that kind of - certain anecdotes happening and that kind of testimony.

But it was clouded by the emotions of the day. They remain very real, whether it is fear or pain, you saw it all on display.

MALVEAUX: You certainly can't separate that. Jeanne, act as our fact checker, if you will. I mean, you are a homeland security expert. You talk to people all of the time about the threats facing our country, the terrorist threats. Was there anything that stood out? Anything that sounded grossly inaccurate or anything spot on? What was your impression?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, there are a lot of facts we still need to check. A lot of assertions that were made, numbers that we're still in the process of checking out.

But I'll tell you one thing that struck me was hearing Sheriff Baca talk, as we expected, about the need for cooperation. That many times in the Muslim community you're dealing with people who have come from other cultures who are mistrustful of police and the need to build trust and the progress that has been made there. Also he said the need to share best practices here.

He did say there was a gap, that often times there were people observing behavior that was troubling that didn't report to police. But what was striking when you then heard from Mr. Bihi, whose nephew went to Somalia. He testified about the messages from the mosque, when women in his community wanted to go to law enforcement to say our sons are missing. He says they were threatened, they were told if you talk to police, you'll go to Gitmo. He said your son is going to have an easier time slipping back into this country if you don't go to law enforcement. And third, he said, think about the afterlife. If you do this, it will result in all of Islam being victimized across the country, and you will burn in hell in the afterlife. It was quite chilling to hear from him that side of the story. MALVEUAX: And Fran, if I could, very quickly, we heard that chilling story. Does that ring true in your experience from the Bush administration that there were people in the Muslim community who did not want to cooperate, who were afraid of cooperating because of stigma and even perhaps of some misinformation that they be thrown into Gitmo?

FRAN TOWNSEND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely. And this is I think what Congressman King's objective was - it's hard. But I think there's a very real threat, and I think there are impediments, such as the one we heard from Mr. Bihi to cooperation, intimidation and threats and misunderstanding, frankly. It's why it's so important to have at a community level local field offices reaching out to the Muslim community and engaging them and explaining why their help is important.

MALVEAUX: Fran Townsend, Jeanne Meserve, Candy Crowley, thank you very much for your perspective. We'll be following this throughout the hearings.

Also, don't forget to "Choose the News." Vote by texting 22360. One for Gadhafi's billions, two for fingerprint genius, or three for return of the fannypack. Oh, no! The winning story airs later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: House Homeland Security chairman Peter King says his radicalization of Islam hearing is going to help prevent America from a terrorist attack. Well, critics, they call it a witch hunt. One of the concerns is that it is going to cause more Americans to fear and hate Muslims. Our Deborah Feyerick reports Islamaphobia is on the rise.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Many American Muslims feel they are once again in the position of having to defend their faith.

EBOO PATEL, INTERFAITH YOUTH CLUB: We look to our leaders to invite us, not to investigate us.

FEYERICK: In just the past year, the Islamic center and mosque to be built by ground zero drew fierce opposition along with a dozen attacks on mosques across the country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's open season on hate towards Muslims and Islam.

FEYERICK: Why now? Especially since the majority of Americans have resisted the urge to (INAUDIBLE) Muslims in the years since 9/11, despite negative images in the movies and in the news.

John Esposito is a religion and Islamic professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. JOHN ESPOSITIO, RELIGION PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: People feel under siege, they feel threatened by the economy, by terrorism, etc. The risk is that Islamphobia will become the kind of new form of discrimination like anti-Semitism, like racism towards blacks.

FEYERICK: Conservatively, figures show an estimated 5 million Muslims in America. And intensifying hostility and rise in hate speech is alarming to many, like these clerics who we met at a recent Islamic summit in Houston.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You would never hear any mainstream news presenters say, do you think another Christian sect could open up a mosque? Do you think Jews should be allowed to their open synagogues anywhere they want? But we have mainstream news presenters just asking the question bluntly, do you think Muslims should open - be allowed to open mosques anywhere they want?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What changed the game? Nineteen people changed the game? How did that happen? Because we've been your doctor, we've been your X-ray tech, we've been your accountant. We've been serving you Slushies for a long time.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, what tipped the scales?

FEYERICK: Shariff, Yasser Haddi and other prominent American clerics say American Muslims are under siege, both by Islamic extremists and some U.S. conservatives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have radical clerics, right, preaching from abroad, saying you cannot be an American an Muslim at the same time. Well, low and behold, on the far right you have quite a number of famous, prominent Islamaphobes who are saying the exact same message.

FEYERICK: The ground zero mosque, as some call it, has whipped up national debate. Fueled in part by misinformation and fear mongering.

Yet anti-Muslim feelings have been simmering. Since last year, this YouTube video was viewed more than 12 million times.

ANNOUNCER: The world is changing, it's time to wake up.

FEYERICK: Islam has become a political wedge issue, with politicians like Newt Gingrich comparing Muslims to Nazis.

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: You know, Nazis don't have the right to put up a sign next to the Holocaust Museum in Washington. There's no reason for us to accept a mosque next to the World Trade Center.

FEYERICK: In fact, a Duke University study finds rather than fuel terrorism in America, contemporary mosques prevent it. National security experts and American-Muslims like Muhammed fear there's a lot at stake.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The more they speak and the more they incite people, they themselves are a concern to be dealt with. And they have to be told, you have to stop this rhetoric. It's hurting America's security.

FEYERICK (on camera): Right. Because it's creating hatred.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. It's creating a lot of hatred.

FEYERICK: The latest 2008 FBI statistics on hate crimes against Muslims don't reflect was going on now. But experts believe the spike that happened after 9/11 could repeat itself.

(voice-over): Several mosques have recently been targeted for violence. Security videos capturing an attempted pipe bombing in Florida. And in New York, a cab driver being stabbed after allegedly being asked if he was Muslim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slowly but surely, we will counter this Islamaphobia. Everybody had it. The Irish had it. The Catholics had it . The Italians had it. Now it's just the time of the Muslims.

FEYERICK: How long it will take to counter is anyone's guess.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEUAX: And we'll have more of that as well as other news after the quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Well, it's another court hearing for Lindsay Lohan. It involves the necklace the actress is accused of stealing.

Our CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter is with us from Los Angeles. Kareen, good to see you. Fill us in. We didn't get a chance to see this. Tell us what happened.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: You missed the circus out here, Suzanne. I have to say this case has been quite a cliffhanger and that's because the big question today at the start of the hearing would be whether or not Lohan's attorney, Shawn Holly would accept a plea deal regarding all that grand theft felony that her client is facing.

And we kind of had an indication when Lohan arrived late for court. She was in court smiling. She seemed very relaxed that maybe they had worked something out in advance. It appears that both sides did. They met with a judge earlier this week and the bottom line is Holly said that she needs more time to consider the plea deal, which the judge made very clear at the last hearing, Suzanne, would involve jail time. That's a big sticking point.

Holly says this case is entirely defensible. That Lohan maintains her innocence. So they are trying to fight that, but know they are fighting an uphill battle. The judge set two important dates, March 25th and April 22nd. If they do decide Lohan's team, if do they decide to accept that plea bargain, they'll be back before the judge March 25th.

If they don't, guess what? The judge has already set this case for a preliminary hearing on April 22nd. At that time, it will go to another judge and it really doesn't look good for Lohan if it gets to that point.

Because not only will the new judge have to consider the felony charges, but she'll have to consider that big thing, that big thing that's still hanging over her head, the probation violation, because all of this occurred when Lohan was on probation for her 2007 DUI conviction. Well, those are the big headlines.

MALVEAUX: All right, Kareen, we appreciate it. Obviously, we'll be checking in. This is not going to go away. We'll have to see what happens. Thank you, Kareen. Appreciate it.

Well, the question, debit or credit could soon take on a whole new importance for shoppers. Our Stephanie Elam, she talks about the new limits that are being proposed for your debit card.

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MALVEAUX: No matter how much you have in your account, your debit card could be denied for purchases more than 50 bucks. Our Stephanie Elam has that story. Steph, tell us what's going on.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this has just sounds crazy, Suzanne, to a lot of people out there. One of the largest banks in the country is reportedly considering capping your debit card purchases.

A source tells CNN Money that J.P. Morgan Chase is thinking about capping debit card transitions as 50 or $100 for each one you do that and while they're even talking about doing this is because banks are going to be getting a lot less in so-called interchange fees.

Every time you swipe your debit card, your bank charges the store 44 cents. That adds up to $16 billion a year for the banks, but under financial reforms that would take effect this summer. Those fees are being flashed and capped at 12 cents per each transaction.

Now banks say that would only cover the administrative cost and they say they need a lot more to help offset the cost of fraudulent transactions. If you have someone steals your debit card and then they go and they run up a bunch of expenses, well, you get that money back and that's what they are saying they need help with on that one.

So the run-up in the fake charges is there concern and that's what they have to do to make sure that they protect themselves. That's why they might start capping purchases and if Chase does this, Suzanne, it wouldn't be surprising to see other banks follow along.

MALVEAUX: So, Steph, if we see limits on debit purchases, how will that impact consumers do you think?

ELAM: Yes, when you look at this issue, this is really about a battle between the banks and between the government because the banks don't want to see this going down to 12 cents.

At the same time, the government is saying, look, you're getting too much money out of this already. So this really we just hurt the people in the middle, the David, who's in the middle of this battle here especially those people who rely on debit cards.

Otherwise, people will have to start writing cash or maybe taking get cash out to the ATM or then going to the credit cards. But all of these have a lot of down sides and everyone can't actually qualify for a credit card.

Also they have some steep interest rates. So maybe people don't want to deal with that or afford that. ATMs, you can only take out so much in a given day and what if you're about to go buy something that cost thousands of dollars.

These are all questions that haven't been answered yet. Checking accounts, they've got a lot of fees as well. The idea of going back to checks for a lot of people, Suzanne, just sounds like we're moving in the wrong direction so we'll be keeping our eyes on it.

MALVEAUX: All right, thanks. Appreciate that. The procedures tallying last minute results for your choose the news winner. That's up next.

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MALVEAUX: You voted for it. Now we're going to air it. Choose the News winner, Libya has tens of billions of dollars in 20 African countries. Some fear it's going to end up funding Moammar Gadhafi's onslaught on his own people.

Our CNN's Nkepile Mabuse has the story.

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NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's one of the most exclusive hotels in South Africa where stars and presidents are in town many of them stay at the $7,000 per night private apartment.

"The Michael Angelo" in Johannesburg is just one of the investments Moammar Gadhafi's government has made on the continent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a successful property.

MABUSE: Bob Dorrestein manages "The Michael Angelo" and owns a string of other hotels. The Libyan fund Laico have shares in. Some worry that Libyan owned assets may end up funding Gadhafi's assault on his own people. Bob Dorrestein maintains that is not the case where the hotels are concerned.

BOB DORRESTEIN, THE MICHAELANGELO: None of these funds in actual fact find their way back to Libya.

MABUSE (on camera): Is there any way of you knowing if Gadhafi got his hands on any of the proceeds?

DORRESTEIN: I think just to put it in context, the relative level of revenues we generate related to oil revenues that Libya generate, which they have direct access to is very, very small. It's a minute fraction of it. The likely hood of it happening is remote.

MABUSE (voice-over): Libya has financial interests in more 20 African countries through subsidies of its seventy billion sovereign wealth fund.

IRAJ ABEDIEN, ECONOMIST: Those investments in Africa and elsewhere are done in the name of Libyan sovereign fund or whether they are done in the name of partial Libyan sovereign or family trust, that's where the complexity comes.

MABUSE: That makes freezing Gadhafi's assets as per last month's U.N. Security Council resolution a mammoth undertaking.

MABUSE (on camera): Over and above tangible investments like this, Libya has handed out loans and supported ruling parties and governments throughout the continent. So some African leaders may be reluctant to turn their backs on Gadhafi now.

ABEDIEN: Gadhafi has financed literally, the survival to some extent. The survival of many others in the continent who are in power so they are not going to be willing to collaborate with the U.N. resolution at all.

MABUSE: Libya is one of the biggest contributors to the 53 nation African Union. In a statement released in February, the AU called for maximum restraint, but it didn't mention Gadhafi by name.

As the Libyan leader fights to hang on to power, it's believe he'll be drawing on investments and influence in Africa. Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Johannesburg.

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MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Ali Velshi.