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Casey Anthony Defense; President Obama's Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal Plan; Taliban Take Back Town; Powerful Storms Slam Chicago; Talk Back Question; First Lady Honors Women Leaders

Aired June 22, 2011 - 12:00   ET

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

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Want to get you up to speed.

A pilot dodges a catastrophic collision at New York's JFK Airport. A Lufthansa jumbo jet speeding for takeoff had to come to a screeching halt when an Egypt Air flight turned on to the runway. It is not clear how close those planes got, but at takeoff speeds, the pilot would have had seconds to stop his jet.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

EGYPT AIR CONTROLLER: American 158 Heavy. You are ready to go.

LUFTHANSA AIR CONTROLLER: Whoa. Whoa.

EGYPT AIR CONTROLLER: Egypt Air 985 Heavy.

LUFTHANSA AIR CONTROLLER: Cancel takeoff plans. Cancel takeoff plans.

LUFTHANSA PILOT: Lufthansa 411 Heavy is rejecting takeoff.

LUFTHANSA AIR CONTROLLER: All traffic is stopped right now.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Tonight is the night President Obama outlines the beginning of the end of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. Now, sources tell CNN that the president will announce 10,000 American troops will be coming home by the end of this year, another 20,000 would be followed by the end of 2012. That leaves 70,000 U.S. forces. The president's plan has most of them out by 2015.

Well, 12,000 residents of Minot, North Dakota, are scrambling now to get out by early evening. Forecasters predict the river will overwhelm Minot's levee system, perhaps as soon as tonight. Now, officials say the river is likely to break a flood record that was set back in 1881.

Major wildfires are burning today across 11 states covering an area about the size of Delaware. Fires in Texas have now burned more than three million acres. That is this season alone. That makes this year the worst fire season in Texas since the Forest Service began keeping those records.

In Arizona, fire crews say it's probably going to be mid-July before they wrangle the state's major fires. That's when seasonal rains should roll in to help put out some of those flames.

And first lady Michelle Obama delivered an inspiring message to the women of Soweto, South Africa today. The township, the center of the anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s and the '80s.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: If anyone ever tells you that you shouldn't or you can't, then I want you to say with one voice, the voice of a generation, you tell them, "Yes, we can." What do you say?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: A familiar refrain.

Well, this would be a first. An American aircraft carrier hosting an NCAA basketball game -- yes -- a "thank you" to U.S. servicemen and women. Talks are under way for the University of Carolina Tar Heels to play the Michigan State Spartans on Veterans Day. That, November 11th. ESPN plans to air the game if it happens live from the deck of the USS Carl Vinson.

Well, testimony resumed today In the Casey Anthony murder trial, with more forensic experts taking the stand for the defense. The latest twist involves the defense claim that Anthony's 2-year-old daughter was not murdered, but drowned accidentally.

CNN's David Mattingly, he's joining us live from Orlando.

David, explain to us this latest scenario. There's a woman who was in jail at the same time as Casey with a similar story. Connect the dots for us. What does this mean?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Suzanne, this is a story that the jury has not heard yet. And the prosecution revealed it while the jury was behind closed doors yesterday.

They told the court that investigators are looking into the possibility that Casey Anthony fabricated her story about Caylee drowning in the family swimming pool after possibly hearing the same story from another woman who was in jail the same time she was back in 2009. That woman's young child drowned in her family's pool, that body was discovered by the child's grandfather. They tried to revive it, but to no avail.

That story, sounding very similar to the one Casey Anthony's attorney is telling to this court. But again, the jury has not heard this, and investigators are still trying to find that definitive link to see if they can prove this in court.

MALVEAUX: All right. David, thank you.

Want to bring in criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor, Holly Hughes.

And Holly, you've been excellent in giving us perspective on all of this. But explain to us, why would that be significant here, if the story sounds very similar to what she set up as her own defense?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Wow. This would not just be significant, this would be game, set, match, Suzanne.

They might as well just pack up their toys and go home. And I'm talking about the defense here. Because we know that Casey is a big liar.

Her own attorney, Jose Baez, said that in opening. Yes, she lies about everything.

She stole the Zanny the nanny kidnapped my child story from "One Tree Hill," the nighttime show. So we know she borrows other peoples' stories, weaves them into her own life. And if the jury hears that she used another woman's tragedy -- I mean, this woman lost her 2- year-old little boy on Christmas, Suzanne -- on Christmas. The grandfather finds the body.

If they learn that Casey Anthony is this cold-blooded to steal her story and use it as her own, as well as all the other things she's doing, throwing her father and brother under the bus, it's done. It is over. They might as well pack it up.

MALVEAUX: So they're not going to pack up yet. How is the defense doing? How are they -- are they able to actually adequately defend her, or have there been some mistakes?

HUGHES: There have been some huge mistakes, Suzanne. And this shows the inexperience of Jose Baez.

This is a lawyer who, until he caught this case, had only been practicing for three years. And what we have seen repeatedly is Judge Perry is hot. He is so mad about the discovery violations, but he's done a really good job keeping it in check and just saying, hey, at the end of these proceedings, the Florida Bar will have to address these violations and I will have a contempt hearing to hold you in contempt.

And I'm telling you, it's looking like he's going to be held in contempt. There have been repeated violations.

Judge Perry even told us yesterday, I find these violations to be intentional. And that's on the record.

This is not a mistake. This is not inexperience. This is intentional. You're hiding the ball, you're trying to do trial by sabotage, and I'm not having it.

MALVEAUX: All right, Holly. Thank you so much for your insights on all of this. And we'll be talking with you a little bit as well.

Well, here is your chance to "Talk Back" on the "Question of the Day." And the big story is Afghanistan. What do you want to hear from President Obama's primetime speech tonight?

Our Carol Costello, she joins us from New York.

Hey, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Suzanne.

President Obama will look you in the eye tonight and tell you why we're still in Afghanistan. He'll likely say we have to stay there so the Taliban won't take over the country again. We have to stay until Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government is stable enough to hold its own.

The question is, are Americans so angry about the state of our economy and so war-weary, they'll tune out whatever it is the president will say? Lawmakers are aware of that. You only had to watch C-SPAN or CNN to know that.

Listen to Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican John McCain.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: It is impossible to defend the mission in Afghanistan in which we are rebuilding schools, training police, teaching people to read. In other words, building a country, even at the expense of our own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The statements by the senator from West Virginia which characterize the isolationist withdrawal, lack of knowledge of history, attitude that seems to be on the rise of America --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: President Obama will tell you tonight he is going to withdraw 30,000 troops from Afghanistan over the next year and a half, but 70,000 will remain. The United States will continue to pour billions of dollars into Afghanistan, and our troops will continue to die. More than 1,600 so far.

So, the "Talk Back" today: What do you want to hear from President Obama tonight?

Facebook.com/CarolCNN. And I'll read some of your comment later this hour -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Thank you, Carol.

Here's a rundown on some of the stories that we're covering over the next hour.

First, Taliban town. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger," it reads. But its real message is simple: We, the Taliban, are back in power here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: What a troop drawdown could mean for the future of Afghanistan.

And a 7-year-old's joyride. A pint-sized driver swipes his stepdad's keys and takes off.

Then, airline fees climbing even higher. What can you do to avoid these new costs?

And the first lady on an historic trip to South Africa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: A major countdown is under way. Eight hours from now, President Obama unveils his long-awaited plan to draw down troops from Afghanistan. Now, the president's primetime speech will set the military in motion to start those withdrawals next month.

CNN Pentagon Correspondent Chris Lawrence, he's joining us.

And Chris, it is very clear, a lot of Americans want out. What is the plan for ending this country's longest-running war?

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: First off, Suzanne, to keep the Taliban from coming back into the population centers in the south and redirect some of the forces to the east, where it's been undermanned. Let me flip that question around and tell you what the Taliban's goals are for the rest of this year.

If you look at the orange here, not all attacks are created equal. The Taliban attacks in the north are meant to distract the coalition forces, to pull resources away. Down here in the south, where you see the splashes of red, that's where the surge has pushed the Taliban out to the fringes. Their goal is to try to retake control of some of these areas, regain influence.

To the east is where you've got the Haqqani network. A little bit further to the northeast is where you have some al Qaeda cells. There, staged those high-profile attacks that we have seen in Kabul.

So, if you flip that question around, the U.S. goal is to stop the Taliban from doing many of these actions -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Chris, we're told that the drawdown schedule is going to allow for two more fighting seasons. What does that mean?

LAWRENCE: That's a good question. You know, when you look at Afghanistan, mountainous, winters can be very, very harsh. During the winter, hard for helicopters to fly, hard to get through some of those roads. Fighting dies down.

Also, the Taliban's money is really coming from the poppy harvest, the opium. So that is harvested in the spring.

The Taliban, a lot of their fighters are tied up in that harvest through about May or so. And then, as that harvest comes out in June, the fighters come back out, they start to fight, and it also provides them the money that they use to fund some of their fight.

MALVEAUX: And, you know, Chris, Americans have paid dearly for this war -- blood, money, all of this, the resources. How much are we talking?

LAWRENCE: It's amazing. I mean, when you look at the casualties, it's just stunning.

When you look back in 2001, where we had a very limited presence in Afghanistan, the numbers are almost the same, even up to 2008, for seven years.

And then, as we put the surge in, as we start taking the fight to the Taliban, they spike to over 300. Then, last year, almost 500 troops, the deadliest year of the war.

It's also, as we put more troops in, it has gotten a lot more expensive. We are now spending more than $2 billion a week to fight the war in Afghanistan. It's why some are calling for a reduced presence there, saying the war on this scale is unaffordable.

MALVEAUX: And Chris, we're talking about nearly 10 years of war. The United States and other Western nations going after the Taliban and al Qaeda.

What does victory look like in Afghanistan? What is the winning scenario here?

LAWRENCE: Sure. Basically, what it's going to look like and what they hope to get is -- in Afghanistan -- is to leave an Afghanistan where the Taliban do not control the government, that does not sponsor terrorism, and basically, that can coexist with some of its neighbors, like Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, some of these areas around here that Afghanistan can coexist in this region.

If you look at al Qaeda's presence, you know, you can look at some of the countries like Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore. Then we come back up in this area. The orange and the red is where you see the highest concentration of al Qaeda.

And really, from a lot of military folks that I have spoken with, Yemen, Somalia, this is an area that is becoming more and more dangerous when it comes to al Qaeda. They think the al Qaeda group that's based in Yemen poses the greatest risk to the United States right now in terms of trying to stage an attack right here in the homeland. MALVEAUX: Chris, excellent reporting. Thank you so much for laying all that out for us. Appreciate it, Chris.

LAWRENCE: You're welcome.

MALVEAUX: The Taliban retreated to the mountains when the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, but they have been trying to come back every since. Well, CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, he reports that in some towns, the extreme religious group with its harsh Sharia law appears now to be taking over once again.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (voice-over): In this quiet mountainous village near the Pakistani border, one of NATO's once fears is realized. This is the local government building of a district in Waygal, mostly deserted. But above it flies a new flag, the white banner of the Taliban.

"There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger," it reads, but it's real message is simple: We, the Taliban, are back in power here.

Enter the men who call themselves the new administration. They showed a local cameraman CNN commissioned a vision of Afghanistan back in the Taliban's hands. Now they're the local council, they're local law. It's like NATO was never even here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Mujahideen are in charge of this area, and the people's problems are solved under Sharia law. The tribe has welcomed us, bring us their problems, and we deal with them. They understand implementing Sharia is one of their duties.

WALSH: They say they captured the area in late March. A local official now in Kabul confirmed to CNN this is a government building and the area is still held by the insurgency.

This hilly stretch along the border is under increasing Taliban influence since NATO withdrew from its isolated outposts here. These valleys are becoming a safe haven for militants and their hard-line law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Smoking is forbidden here, and our religious department will punish those who shave and who intoxicate themselves. Schools and hospitals are open under Sharia law.

WALSH: They're also eager to display a softer, almost enlightened, side, saying they're letting this bridge be rebuilt. They're keen to show themselves mingling among welcoming locals.

"We don't have any security problems here in the bazaar," says one trader, "and we don't fear thieves like we did before." Another says, "Business now is not as good as we had before, but we're fine with the Taliban." It's not clear how genuine these smiles are, but this small Taliban thiefdom has opened up while NATO's surge is at full strength, leaving many wondering what they'll do as NATO starts to leave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Our CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, he joins us now.

And Nick, obviously, a lot of people might be concerned when they see the resurgence of the Taliban. Is there any reaction from NATO when they see that that flag of the Taliban is now flying again?

WALSH: Well, NATO, to be honest, say that videos like this are often part of a Taliban propaganda machine, that they are not there in the numbers they suggest. And they don't have that kind of consistent control, or certainly the government functionality, which that video seems to suggest.

We have heard from some Afghan officials that the Taliban have been in control of that town since late March. So, yes, instances like that are fueling concerns that some of the more remote parts of the country where the Taliban, frankly, are locals, where they've always been there and will be there in the future, may well be what happens when NATO starts to pull some of its troops back during the withdrawal -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Nick, do we have any sense whether or not the Taliban sees the withdrawal of U.S. troops as really a win for them now that we're pulling away?

WALSH: Well, I think the Taliban -- there has always been the saying here, really, that, while NATO have an expensive watch, the Taliban have the time. That's the time to wait NATO out.

They've always known that NATO don't have an inexhaustible budget and have, frankly, as you're seeing in the U.S., a very strong potential of public opinion to turn against the war. So the Taliban have a longer perspective in terms of the fight here. They will wait it out, and I think we're seeing perhaps with the speech today the first signs that America really is heading for the exit, which will make, I think, many Taliban think that that waiting game was the wisest move -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Nick Paton Walsh, thank you very much.

Of course, CNN is staying on the Afghanistan troop drawdown story throughout the day, right up to the president's address to the nation. It is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific. You can watch it here live on CNN.

Well, first, it was bag fees. Well, now, one airline is even charging passengers to print out their ticket.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK) MALVEAUX: And we are following another story, a travel story. You're going to want to hear this one. This is another new airline fee sure to stir up some controversy.

Felicia Taylor, she's live at the New York Stock Exchange.

Felicia, right, baggage fees? Now we have got something else that Spirit Air is dealing with. What are they hitting us with?

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. You know, it's like never-ending.

But Spirit Airlines is basically going to charge you if you ask the agent at the ticketing desk to print your boarding pass. It will cost you about 5 bucks. This was the first airline that's going to do that, and it begins on November 1st.

But you can still print at the airport kiosk for free. Just don't ask somebody to do it for you -- for now. Even that, though, is going to cost about a buck beginning next summer. The only way to avoid that fee is to print your own boarding pass online.

Now, naturally, this is going to be tough for older people. Maybe they don't have a computer at home, or they're not that Internet savvy. Or perhaps you're vacationing in a remote location and cannot get to a computer. So I think they should give a break to people over 65.

MALVEAUX: Give us all a break here.

How are they justifying this? I mean, just printing out the boarding pass, asking an agent to do that, how are they defending this?

TAYLOR: Well, Spirit does say that they're listening to their customers. Ninety-four percent said they'd check in online if it meant lower rates. So Spirit basically said it's about letting customers select what they want to pay for.

It's actually lowering fares by $5 when the new fee goes into effect. And Spirit, if you'll probably remember, did make a name for itself by offering promotional $9 fares, but then charging all kinds of a la carte fees for everything else. It didn't matter what it was practically.

Some analysts say that Spirit's customers are actually used to this, so it may not come as much of a surprise -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. We're all going to have to get used to it. It's a totally new reality, I guess, Felicia.

Give us a sense here -- I know the Federal Reserve -- there is a decision in just a few minutes that's supposed to go down. Do we know how the stock market will react?

TAYLOR: Well, basically, all morning long we have seen the markets basically churning pretty much to the downside, although it's well off of its earlier lows as they wait to hear from the Federal Reserve chief, Ben Bernanke.

We're looking to hear about interest rates in just a few minutes. Not much of a surprise. They will stay between zero and a quarter of one percent.

The focus is really going to be on what happens a little bit later today, when there is a press conference that is scheduled to start in about two hours. So we'll be looking for some hints about the economy. But right now, the markets are pretty much holding steady, down across the board, but ever so fractionally -- Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: OK. Felicia, thank you so much.

Well, defending Casey Anthony, the mom accused of killing her daughter. We're going to talk with an attorney who says the defense now is in big trouble.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Here is a quick rundown of some of the stories we're working on next. The judge in the Casey Anthony trial slams the defense. We will ask a former prosecutor what its all about.

Then, has life improved for the people for Afghanistan since September 11? We're going to take a look at that.

And hundreds of thousands now without power in Chicago after strong storms slam that city. We're going to find out how long they may have to stay in the dark.

The defense in the Casey Anthony murder trial called more experts today to try and poke holes in the forensic evidence. Anthony is accused of killing her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.

So, how is the defense doing? Not so well. That is according to criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor Holly Hughes who joins us again with your perspective. And Holly, thank you very much. We have seen, one by one, these witnesses the defense has brought forward here. How are they doing in defending the woman in very serious charges that she murdered her kid?

HOLLY HUGHES, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. This is a death penalty, Suzanne, and they are going down in flames. Every single witness that the defense puts on, the prosecution manages to turn the defense witnesses around and making them a prosecution witness, whether it's just by completely eviscerating them or by showing "you don't really know what you're talking about."

And this is not the expert's fault. There are some very reputable experts who were called to testify for the defense. This is a lack of experience on the part of the defense team. They are not properly preparing these witnesses. They should have prepped their witnesses ahead of time and said, look, this is what you're going to be asked on cross-examination. This is we need to testify to. Find scientific evidence, find something that backs this up.

But what has happened is these poor witnesses get on the stand. They have not been properly prepared, the direct examination is sloppy and then on cross-examination, the prosecutor plays with them. It's like watching cat and mouse. It is embarrassing for these people. They are not going to perjure themselves, so they end up agreeing with the prosecution, saying, yes.

You know, poor Dr. Jane Bach. She testified for the defense yesterday as a botanist. She's supposed to be a specialist -

MALVEAUX: Right, right.

HUGHES: She ends with, you know, oh, the body could have been out there as little as two weeks. So the prosecutor says to her, "But it could have been out there as long as six months?" "Yes, I guess you're right about that." "And how about the fact, Dr. Bach, that there was a leg bone buried four inches under the debris?" And she says to him, "Well, I guess a dog could have done it, or maybe a coyote. Do you have coyotes here?"

Are you kidding me? This is a death penalty case, and this is what your witness is coming up with?

MALVEAUX: What - what can they do now? What's left for the defense to do to prove to say, poke holes in the prosecution case that she did this?

HUGHES: Wow. Well, what they are trying to do is step by step take apart the forensics. Take apart the science because if the jury believes the science that there is a dead body in that trunk, then it is all over. Because clearly that takes away the drowning. That takes away the fact that George, Casey Anthony's father, allegedly took the body away because it puts the body in Casey's car trunk.

So, they're going to have to keep poking at the science, and I'm telling you, Suzanne, if they want to prove anything they said in opening, they will have to put Casey Anthony, the admitted liar, on the stand.

MALVEAUX: That's what I was going to ask. Where is this going? I mean, there's just a couple more days, right, before they wrap this thing up on the defense side? Will they put her on the stand?

HUGHES: They are going to have to if they want to have any credibility.

Here's the thing. We know that a defense attorney never has to prove anything. They don't have the burden of proof; that's all on the state. But then you stand up in your opening statement and you bark out all of these accusations and you say George the father abused her. Lee the brother abused her. This was an accidental drowning. We have not heard any evidence or any witnesses testify to any of those facts. If he wants to argue that in closing argument to the jury, somebody has to take the witness stand and say it is so. And she's the only one that can do it. MALVEAUX: All right. Holly Hughes, thank you so much. We'll be following very closely.

HUGHES: Thanks. Appreciate it

Ten years after September 11, are the Afghan people better off? I'm going to talk to Michael Holmes about the people there and their future.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MALVEAUX: Tonight will mark the beginning of the end. Almost ten years after the war in Afghanistan, President Obama will announce the first phase of troop withdrawals. To understand how we get out, we first need to understand how we got in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks America. Shock soon gives way to anger.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.

MALVEAUX: Afghanistan's Taliban rulers refused to eject Osama bin Laden.

BUSH: On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

MALVEAUX: Al Qaeda's last bastion at Tora Bora is destroyed. The Taliban retreat to the mountains.

Over the next two years, the U.S. and its NATO allies try to subdue a stubborn insurgency. And then another invasion.

BUSH: Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised.

MALVEAUX: Within two months, there are 150,000 American troops in Iraq, but those weapons are never found. As the U.S. military gets bogged down fighting a local insurgency and al Qaeda followers, Afghanistan becomes the forgotten war.

ROBERT GATES, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The reality is, we won the first Afghan war in 2001-2002. We were diverted by Iraq, and we basically neglected Afghanistan for several years.

MALVEAUX: That's the argument candidate Obama makes as he pitches himself for the White House.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: We're confronting an urgent crisis in Afghanistan, and we have to act. It's time to heed the call from General McKiernan and others for more troops.

MALVEAUX: For much of 2009, as president, Barack Obama wrestles with a new strategy in Afghanistan, eventually opting for a surge in troops to take on the Taliban in their heartland.

OBAMA: As commander-in-chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.

MALVEAUX: But progress is slow, gains fragile. The Taliban have support and resources across the border in Pakistan.

The U.S. has a prickly relationship with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who berates his allies over civilian casuals. But the U.S. is also taking casualties.

By February, 2010, 1,000 American soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan. There is progress in the south, the Taliban's heartland, but much still to be done. And the American public is tiring of a decade of war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Well, since the U.S. first invaded Afghanistan after September 11, we asked what kinds of gains have been made and how have the lives of everyday Afghans improved?

Our CNN's Michael Holmes, he brings us that story. And Michael, I want to focus on the people there. How have their lives changed?

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, its worth having a look at it, too. And their lives have changed. There have been improvements in the daily lives of many Afghans since September 11.

Let's look at the positives here. There's been a lot of gains in the educational area, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The number of kids now going to school has gone from 900,000 in '01 to more than 7 million today. Obviously a good thing.

Now, the Taliban, of course, kept girls from going to school. And so -- there were zero girls back in 2001 going to school. Now you're talking about 2.3 million girls who are going to class. So, hat's a good thing.

Roads and hospitals have been built with aid money. 1,100 miles of roads. In fact, the head of the USAID says that the Afghan economy has grown 10 percent a year for the last several years since September 11. Let's talk health. The USAID administrator says 64 percent of the Afghan people now have some level of health care. It's not big in many places, though.

So, there are positives.

MALVEAUX: Yes. So it sounds like there have been some improvements made, but you and I were talking. Afghanistan is so so poor. Almost like one of the poorest countries in the world. They just have so far to go.

HOLMES: Yes, a long way to go. I have been there four times now. There are a lot of negatives to life in Afghanistan that has not been improved by the billions of dollars of aid. In some areas, it's not made a dent.

And really, I supposed you can say because of the war in some places, it's worse because of all the fighting as well. Listen to this: one out of three Afghans live in abject poverty. They don't get the food they need, they don't have clean water, they don't have adequate food or shelter. And then another third are slightly above that level of poverty.

You know, 50 percent of kids in Afghanistan under age five malnourished. And listen to this, their life expectancy, 44 years old. The literacy rate, 24 percent. One in four people can read. And so you have those sorts of statistics. I think it's only 23 percent of Afghans have access to safe drinking water.

So, it's a pretty - it's a landlocked country and hard to get access to water as well in the mountains. And the irrigations in the last century. Expensive to build roads.

The age thing is interesting. I interviewed a guy there in a village back in '02, and he looked to be, like, 70 years old. And I'm talking to the guy, and at the end I asked him how old he was. And he was 38. I swear to God that he looked like he was 70 years old.

MALVEAUX: Really? That is just hard, hard living. As a country, we put in billions of dollars. Other countries have put in lots and lots of money to help the Afghan people. Is that money going to the people themselves where they need it?

HOLMES: Well, in a lot of cases, it's not, actually. Corruption is part of the problem. And also inefficiency. When it comes to distributing aid, the U.N. report from the high commissioner in 2010 says only three-quarters of the $46 billion in international aid that the world pledged to Afghanistan since '01 has actually got to the people so far. And out of that there has been -- we'll call it inadequate allocation of the funds. Of the money, the UN report says 40 percent of it actually goes back to the donor countries through consultant fees, and overhead, and corporate profits involved because they are buying services and equipment and stuff like that.

So, there's -- there's a lot of money but not a lot when you look at the amount that's being donated. They have to do this huge job of road building, getting the economy back up. And as I said, the political corruption. This government is rotten from top to bottom. I got to say that, and I have seen it with my own eyes. And then when some of this money gets to the isolated villages, it's pocketed by the elders and that sort of stuff. The money that gets through the official corruption, which is everywhere.

I did a story on cops there last time was there, last year. And the guy who is running the police station said I am trying to get the cops into work here. He said, and I sent them down to the town to get their permits. And the guys in the office say you have to pay $200 for your permit.

There is no $200 fee for the permit. It's just skimming.

MALVEAUX: It's just widespread. And the one thing you brought it during that commercial we were talking about is that it's a beautiful country in some ways. You said, you know, it would be ripe for tourism if conditions were different.

HOLMES: Spectacular. And like, you go to Iraq, and there's just a lot of desert in Iraq. You go to Afghanistan, parts of the country are just absolutely spectacular. The Shamali (ph) plain, the mountainous regions, a lot of it is green. They've got beautiful lake areas. It would be - it has great tourist potential if it was not quite so deadly.

MALVEAUX: Right. Such a lot of work to be done there.

HOLMES: Yes, in many ways a sad country.

MALVEUAX: All right. Michael, thank you so much.

HOLMES: Great to see you.

MALVEAUX: Great information.

HOLMES: Of course, CNN is staying on the Afghanistan troop drawdown story throughout the day right up to the president's address to the nation. It is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific, and you can watch it live here on CNN.

Well, damage, debris, a lot of people with no power. Chad Myers has the very latest on the aftermath of some powerful storms that actually hit Chicago.

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MALVEAUX: U.S. Forest Service says wildfires across the country have burned more than 2,100 square miles so far this year. That is an area almost the size of Delaware, if you can believe it. I-Reporter Greg Sherman sent us this video of a wildfire near Big Spring, Texas. He says the fire destroyed two buildings, but crews managed to save that one that is in the video.

Well, it's not fire, but water that is causing trouble for folks in Minot, North Dakota. The Souris River is expected to overwhelm the city's levees by tomorrow. Authorities have ordered about 12,000 people to evacuate.

It could be days before all the power is back on in Chicago after severe storms knocked out electricity to thousands of folks and storms also caused some headaches for travelers as well.

Chad, I mean, I used to live in Chicago for three years, have a lot of friends over there. That's unbelievable when you can -- just those storms can just knock out so many peoples' electricity all at once. CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Three hundred thousand. That's a lot of power lines down.

MALVEAUX: Isn't that amazing.

MYERS: Those are big areas that are knocked down. Especially northern suburbs. Chicago, the city itself, probably less than 25,000 now still without power.

But those northern suburbs had two things happen. We had one storm come up from the south and another one come from the west and they merged right over Chicago. It's like two waves coming from two different directions that merge right under your boat and all of a sudden you have this gigantic wave, they're called rogue waves.

Watch this. Back you up to about 6:00 last night. A series of storms coming this way. Another series of storms coming that way. And right over Chicago, there's a v. That v is where all of the wind funneled itself, and even over O'Hare. Three hundred and fifty flights were canceled at O'Hare. That would be right there. Just on the west side, the western suburbs, and then right up into the northern suburb of Chicago.

And then even at that time, I'll take you to this. This is the same picture at 10:00 last night. But the weather wasn't only Chicago. It was all the way to Detroit and Cleveland and back through Flint. Look at all of this just terrible weather that was over there last night.

There are many people without power. We're focusing on Chicago because it's the biggest city, but we know you're out there because you cannot even see us today because there are hundreds other -- thousands of other people that cannot have -- don't see us with no power either with all of those storms that rolled through the upper Midwest yesterday.

MALVEAUX: All right, thank you, Chad.

A lot of you are sounding off on our "Talk Back" question, what do you want to hear from President Obama when he speaks tonight about U.S. troops in Afghanistan? Well, Justin writes, "end of the war and a pullout. The people are sick and tired of the war. The government needs a major makeover and Obama can't cut it. Period." Some more strong opinions up ahead.

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MALVEAUX: You have been sounding off on our "Talk Back" question. When President Obama makes his speech tonight about U.S. troops in Afghanistan, what do you want to hear?

Angel rights, "I like the guy, but no one is going to hear what they want to. I'd like to see our troops come home, a plan to heal our economy and a push forward for alternative energies that he campaigned vigorously on." Dirk says, "I want to hear that the United States government will do anything in their power to keep us safe and root out extremism. The U.S. simply was and is trying to go back to the core of religious extremism and destroy it if possible. We better have the stomach for it or it will come back to haunt us one day."

And Brian says, "it's time to withdrawal. The cost of the war has been too high in blood and treasure and to little progress has been made. As long the poorest border with Pakistan exists, we will never completely eradicate the Taliban."

And Tyler writes, "how are we going to win the war in Afghanistan if we pull out all our troops? You can't, and we won't. If it takes more boots to get this war done sooner, send them and finish this war once and for all. President Obama, just tell us how it is and how it has to be."

Thanks to all of you for sending us your thoughts.

Well, First Lady Michelle Obama makes a special visit in Soweto, in honor of the leaders of tomorrow. It is the latest stop in her weeklong visit to the African continent.

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MALVEAUX: Fresh off her visit with South Africa's Nelson Mandela on Tuesday, Michelle Obama made a special stop to Soweto today. She spoke at a church filled with young women being honored for their leadership abilities. CNN's Nkepile Mabuse is traveling with the first lady.

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NKEPILE MABUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Nelson Mandela's wife, Graca, has called her the queen of our world. She says the first lady of the United States has redefined womanhood in the 21st century. Mrs. Obama delivered her keynote address in Soweto on Wednesday. Her speech received a huge and positive reaction. She managed to inspire. She paid tribute to those who fought for democracy in this country. But she also challenged the youth of Africa.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: You can be the generation that makes the discovers and builds the industries that will transform our economies. You can be the generation that brings opportunity and prosperity to forgotten corners of the world and banishes hunger from this continent forever. You can be the generation that ends HIV/AIDS in our time. The generation that fights not just the disease, but the stigma of the disease. The generation that teaches the world that HIV is fully preventable and treatable and should never be a source of shame.

MABUSE: She's, after all, also here to reiterate her husband's Africa policy.

OBAMA: The world is looking to Africa as a vital partner. That is why my husband's administration is not simply focused on extending a helping hand to Africa, but focusing on partnering with Africans who will shape their future by combating corruption and building strong democratic institutions.

MABUSE: Mrs. Obama's speech comes at a crucial time here on the continent when more and more Africans hunger to be masters of their own destinies. The 2,000 young people that were gathered in that church on Wednesday don't want to be another aid-dependant generation.

Nkepile Mabuse, CNN, Johannesburg.

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MALVEAUX: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Randi Kaye.

Hey, Randi.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Hi there, Suzanne. Thank you.