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American Morning
Update on Mudslide in La Conchita, California; Controversy Surrounding Britain Prince Harry's
Aired January 13, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nowhere for the rain to go. Floods east and west. Some homes look like they're on the bottom of a lake. Raging waters now claiming anything in their path, even a freight train going down in one state.
This may be the last thing on Earth the queen of England ever wanted to see -- her grandson dressed like a Nazi.
And getting a good look at one of the most intriguing places in the solar system. A ticket to Titan on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
8:00 here in New York.
Good to have you along with us today.
A lot to talk about this hour.
Back to La Conchita, California. It's been another night of back breaking work for rescuers digging and digging through the dirt and the debris of that mud slide. The Ventura County fire chief talks with us in a moment and we'll get the latest on the search and also find out the chance now of finding any more survivors. It's Thursday. The last word we had was two days ago. So the chances, as we talked about last hour, are slim in California.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, it's always interesting to try to predict the future. But when the CIA does it, people really sit up and listen. The agency painting a picture of what the world is going to be like in the year 2020. We're going to talk about the projections with one of the experts this morning.
HEMMER: Also, you just mentioned this, about Prince Harry, Sarah, the Duchess of York, is with us today. We'll talk to her about this picture of Prince Harry, as well as talk to her about the work she's doing right now to help out with the relief effort with the tsunamis. So she's coming up this morning, as well.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty -- good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family must be so proud, huh? O'BRIEN: Yes, it can't be a...
HEMMER: Right.
CAFFERTY: What the hell is wrong with him?
HEMMER: Not the kind of picture you want.
CAFFERTY: That kid's an idiot.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," Barbra Streisand talks about sex for seniors. Ooh. "G.Q." magazine reveals what men will not do in order to get lucky. It's a very short list. And the Michael Jackson trial is going to be a television show in addition to being a circus.
HEMMER: You're three for three on that list there, Jack.
CAFFERTY: It might work today, huh?
HEMMER: Excellent.
CAFFERTY: Yes, right.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think it's working.
HEMMER: Thank you.
Back with us today, Carol Costello with the headlines -- Carol, good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: How do you keep going with him, that's what I want to know? How do they do it, Jack?
CAFFERTY: They're strong. We feed them well.
COSTELLO: True.
Good morning.
HEMMER: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, Indonesian officials have set a March deadline for the withdrawal of international troops from the tsunami hit Aceh Province. The government is also ordering international aid workers and the media to be accompanied by the Indonesian military when in the Aceh Province. They say separatist groups are making the area unsafe. The United Nations is expressing concern that tsunami aid may be delayed as a result of those restrictions.
Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. may begin withdrawing troops from Iraq this year if Iraqi security forces can take over. Secretary Powell says as Iraq takes a greater role in its own country's security, the role of American troops there should diminish. But he stopped short of giving a time line for when all the troops would be home.
More National Guard planes are expected to land this morning in the Alaskan town of Kaktovik. Heavy winds died down enough to let some helicopters land yesterday with equipment and technicians. Power has reportedly been restored to much of the 300 person community, including the health clinic and fire stations.
And it looks like major league baseball is ready to toughen up its steroid policy. According to the Associated Press, baseball owners and the players have reportedly agreed to more testing and harsher punishments for steroid use. Details of the new program are expected later today.
HEMMER: Right. They started moving fast on that, did they not, a few weeks ago?
COSTELLO: Yes, the fans cried and they answered.
HEMMER: Yes.
Thank you, Carol.
That rough weather plaguing California now making its way across the country, coming possibly to a town near you very soon. Southern Nevada residents now dealing with the aftermath of heavy flooding there. The heaviest deluge around Overton. That's near the Arizona border. That's where raging floodwaters knocked 21 Union Pacific freight cars off their tracks yesterday. No reports of injuries. But that's only one of numerous disruptions reported by the railroad all the way from the Pacific Coast to the State of Utah.
There's been heavy damage in the area where Utah, Arizona and Nevada meet. Flooding in Utah was so deep, officials say the only thing they can compare it to is a dam break. And flood warnings overnight for some of the areas around Flagstaff. People seeking higher ground there.
From Indiana, it was dense fog to worry about, causing a 20 car pileup. One person dead, 43 miles of the Indiana toll road closed and closed for about six hours. Visibility was less than a quarter of a mile there.
Fog also causing problems in Michigan. I-96, east of Lansing, finally reopened today. That highway was closed after a massive pileup yesterday. Two hundred cars and trucks involved there. Two people died, too, in that chain reaction crash. Dozens more were injured. One person said it was like driving right into a white piece of paper.
And more rain further east in Ohio today. Many rivers there above flood stage and still rising, especially in the area of Marietta, Ohio River Valley. The Army Corps of Engineers now releasing some water from major dams, trying to prevent a larger disaster if they should spill over. Parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky have been underwater since last week -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Chad's watching all of this.
He's got the latest forecast from the CNN Center this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Ventura County officials, in fact, say they will continue rescue efforts throughout the day today. The massive mud slide on Monday killed 10 people, damaged or destroyed more than 30 homes.
Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper joins us from La Conchita with the very latest.
Fire Chief Roper, thanks for being with us.
Nice to talk to you once again.
Give me an update.
Have all the missing now been accounted for? Where does that stand?
CHIEF BOB ROPER, VENTURA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: All the people we had on the list that were confirmed missing have been accounted for. We have an additional list of about 19 people that we've checked with the post office, Internet searches and so forth, that may have been getting mail or lived in the area. And we've issued that list out to the media, asking people to call in to confirm those names or not so we can make some final conclusions today.
O'BRIEN: So you're feeling fairly confident that all the missing are now accounted for, with the exception of this list that you're trying to nail down.
Three people, is that right, still might be trapped under the rubble?
ROPER: No. Last night the last remaining three people we had on the list called in and said that they were fine. So our list is down to zero unaccounted for at this point.
O'BRIEN: Are you trying to recover any bodies at this point? Or is that work done?
ROPER: Right now all the bodies have been accounted for. But we have this list of the 19 that we're just trying to confirm that, with the public's help, we're asking, right now.
O'BRIEN: So what are the workers doing on the scene today?
ROPER: The workers on the scene are trying to stabilize the edge of the slope that slid down. They're looking for any remnants of any voids in case there is still somebody there we don't know about. But right now they're digging really straight through thick mud.
O'BRIEN: How has their work been? I mean we heard the story of Jimmy Wallet, a construction worker who ran out for just a moment to get ice cream for his kids. By the time he came back, his house was under a pile of rubble and I know that he was there helping the crews trying to dig out his family. His wife and his three kids all killed.
What was their condition? I mean were you able to discover anything from pulling out their bodies?
ROPER: We can't really determine where the family was at the time in the mud slide or not. The crews were just able to locate them and they were recovered from the debris.
O'BRIEN: Are you expecting more mudslides at this point? There's some word that the whole area could be very unstable. Obviously risky not only for the folks there, but obviously the rescue crews as well.
ROPER: Absolutely. The geologists have studied the hill. They have seen some additional areas that they have severe concerns about and they're putting together a plan on now what to do as far as the recovery effort and allowing people to return to their homes when and where that might happen.
O'BRIEN: Some people have said, in fact, this area might just be unlivable, that there's been so much damage to the hillside that no one will ever be returned to their home.
What do you think of the possibility of that?
ROPER: Today some of the policymakers and residents are getting together. They're beginning discussions on what is the future. One of the key things right now is there is no electricity. There is no gas service and there is no water service to this community. So utilities will be one of the first steps that have to be started back up again.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense before I let you go on how your workers are holding up. Obviously it's back breaking work and then on top of it you have the grizzly discoveries.
How are they doing?
ROPER: The crews have really been taking this pretty well. What happens in this type of work, as long as they stay busy, they're focused. What we're concerned about is the days after this, when the crews have time to reflect on the work that they've done, the things that they've seen and how that affects them.
O'BRIEN: I can only imagine.
Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper joining us with an update this morning.
Thanks.
We appreciate it.
ROPER: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: About 11 minutes now past the hour.
From overseas now, a royal mall -- wardrobe malfunction burning up the British tabloids this week. Young Prince Harry, third in line for the throne, photographed partying in a Nazi uniform.
CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney is outside Buckingham Palace.
What's the reaction there?
Fionnuala -- hello.
Good afternoon.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Bill.
Indeed, there has been quite a storm here in Britain over Prince Harry's choice of outfit at that party in the English countryside last Saturday night, seen smoking and drinking and wearing a Nazi uniform with a swastika on his left arm. The prince has been involved with scrapes in the past with the British public and the British media. But this is one scrape that he may not be able to put down to youthful indiscretion.
Remember, his grandmother, the queen, and her husband, the Duke of Edinborough, lived during the war and it comes at a particularly embarrassing time, potentially, for the royal family, as his uncle, Prince Edward, the queen's son, prepares to represent Britain at a ceremony in Auschwitz marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of that concentration camp.
Now, that picture was published in the tabloid newspaper "The Sun" here in Britain this morning. But last night, the palace obviously getting wind of what was up and the prince issuing an apology and a statement coming from the palace saying: "I am very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."
However, a former press secretary to the queen, Dickie Arbiter, says that apology may not be enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICKIE ARBITER, FORMER BUCKINGHAM PRESS OFFICER: He should have realized that wearing a Nazi uniform, as a member of the royal family, is just not a starter. It's all very well for celebrities and stars to prance around onstage or shows in London to portray the Nazis in a humorous way. But then you pays your money and takes your pick and it's your choice.
But a member of the royal family -- and the royal family represent U.K. PLC, it's just not on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SWEENEY: Now, the palace has gone to extreme lengths to try to improve Prince Harry's image in the eye of the British public over the last year or so. But that would seem to be undermined. It's almost one step forward, two steps back for the prince. Only last week, he was seen with his brother, Prince William, who, it has to be said, rarely puts a foot wrong in public, or, indeed, for as far as we know, in private. They were both seen helping out relief efforts for the tsunami victims at a Red Cross center here in Britain.
So this storm isn't going to go away anytime soon -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, quickly, we said it's a costume party.
Do we know more about what this party was all about?
SWEENEY: No. We understand that it was just a private party being held in the English countryside of Wilshire. We know that Prince Harry clearly attended, but also that his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne, attended, and he apparently wore just an ordinary fancy dress costume.
It would seem that Prince Harry is "not known" to be keen on taking advice, as it is said. As I say, it's just another scrape involving the son of Diana, Princess of Wales. She used to refer to both of them, Prince William, the heir, and her son, Prince Harry, the spare. But obviously there's going to be -- have to be some considerable work done to improve his image.
Indeed, as I speak to you now, the head of the opposition, Her Majesty's government's opposition party here in Britain, Michael Howard, calling for a public personal apology from Prince Harry -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, thanks.
Fionnuala Sweeney there live outside Buckingham Palace.
A bit later this hour, Sarah Ferguson is with us. Once married to Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew. We'll talk about the young royals' latest controversy this hour -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, a year before 9/11, one CIA think tank predicted deadly terror attacks around the globe. What's it predicting now? A look ahead.
HEMMER: Also, one of the last great mysteries of the solar system. NASA now exploring what some call the most exotic place we have ever seen.
O'BRIEN: And the government gets specific on how to lose weight. New tips for the new year ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: What does America need to do today to get ready for the global threats and changes in the next 15 years? This week we're going on terror's trail to CIA headquarters down in Langley, Virginia, where the National Intelligence Council, or the NIC, will make public its global trends report today. This is a projection of what the world will be like in the year 2020.
And in Washington to talk about it is Ellen Laipson, former vice chairwoman of the NIC.
And good morning.
Welcome here to AMERICAN MORNING.
ELLEN LAIPSON, PRESIDENT & CEO, STIMSON CENTER: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: With respect to terrorism, what insights should we expect today?
LAIPSON: The report basically spends a little more time examining the challenge of international terrorism than it did four years ago. It basically says that the underlying factors that contribute to terrorism are unlikely to abate over the next 15 years, so we will still be dealing with terrorism as a very difficult and challenging problem.
It does say that al Qaeda, in its current form, may not exist 15 years from now, but there will be some kind of a loose network of terrorist groups that are very spread geographically. They will be tied, in part, by Islamic ideology. And it highlights that one of its greatest concerns is the possible acquisition by terrorist groups of biological weapons, which they think is, perhaps, of the WMD family, the ones that are most accessible to terrorists. And less likely is terrorist access to nuclear weapons.
HEMMER: Four years ago was the last time a report like this came out, is that right?
LAIPSON: That's right.
HEMMER: What was the assessment about al Qaeda then?
LAIPSON: Well, last time it was 2000 that this report was prepared and it's prepared at the turning point of a presidential administration. So it's intended to be a tool to help incoming policymakers try to imagine the big trends that they're likely to face.
Last time, the report said that terrorism, the things to note about terrorism was that it was increasing in lethality, trying to do bigger and bigger acts, and that terrorists were no longer dependent on state sponsors, that they could basically act on their own and that they would prey on weak and failing states. So it did not try to predict with great specificity what a particular terrorist scenario might look like.
HEMMER: Sure. Sure. And during this conversation, we certainly had the benefit of hindsight, looking back four years ago. But since then, 9/11, the bombings in Bali, the train bombings on March 11 in Madrid, Spain, the shootings that happened in Beslan.
Was anything, four years ago, overestimated, underestimated?
LAIPSON: Well, I think in hindsight we should have spent more time talking about, perhaps, the regional stimuli for terrorism, to talk a little bit more about the linkages between governance crises and disaffection and alienation in the Muslim world, in particular, as it contributed to al Qaeda. We were certainly aware of al Qaeda's existence when we wrote the report in 2000, but it would have been helpful to have spent more time thinking about it.
We did get the mega, the broad trends of how terrorism is changing. I think those were largely on track, but not specific enough.
HEMMER: You know, I think about 2000 and I think about this report coming out later today, how is this used in a practical sense, either in the intelligence community or how it's related to members of Congress who are making decisions for security in this country?
LAIPSON: Thanks.
Well, really, it is intended as a tool for policymakers. It is unclassified so it can reach a much, much larger audience. And last time, to our surprise, it turned out to be a very effective device for conversations with foreign audiences, foreign governments and citizens groups and journalists and experts in other countries.
This time, when the NIC prepared it, I was not involved in the preparation of this except indirectly, they consulted with a lot of people overseas, as well. So it basically is a stimulus. You don't have to agree with every judgment in the report, but it provides a framework for a big conversation about the future and about trends.
For policymakers and for members of Congress, of course, it has lots of policy implications. It can help steer you to those things you want to prevent and to those trends that are positive and that you want to encourage and reinforce.
HEMMER: We could talk more.
We're out of time.
Thanks, though.
Ellen Laipson, thanks, down there in D.C.
LAIPSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Nice to talk with you -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, a tough lesson for Prince Harry. A lot of folks don't think that dressing up like a Nazi is funny at all. This morning we'll talk with one royal, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, to see what she thinks. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody.
And back to Jack, the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill.
No good deed apparently goes unpunished. That's the saying. The Indonesian government announcing yesterday it wants U.S. troops helping tsunami victims out of their country by March. Indonesia's vice president said: "Three months are enough. In fact, the sooner they leave, the better." The Indonesians also refusing to let the Marines coming ashore rebuild roads, establish a base camp or carry their weapons.
Indonesia is the most populated Muslim country in the world.
The question this morning is this -- how should the U.S. respond to Indonesia's demands?
Rebekah in Bel Air, Maryland: "If the U.S. agrees to pull out U.S. troops in Indonesia because the government asked us to, then will the same consideration be given to the newly elected government in Iraq if they request a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops?"
Matt in Dallas writes: "Leave right now. Take our money to La Conchita. People there are going to need it. Are there any hungry children in New York City, elderly that are cold during the winter? It's about time we say to hell with the rest of the world and concentrate on our own country."
James writes from Glennview, Illinois: "A simple thank you would have been fine."
And Ty in Dieterich, Illinois says: "I say we stop helping them and do something outrageous, like, I don't know, use the money to help flood victims in our own country. Most of them don't have flood insurance."
O'BRIEN: Is that how it's mostly running, do you think, your e- mail? Or are you...
CAFFERTY: We're getting a lot of mail. I mean it's, you know, they're all over the map. But there's a certain -- there's a certain natural reaction among people. If you hand them something and they smack you upside the head for your effort, they tend to get a little angry. And a lot of the people who are writing this morning are angry. I mean we've got kids risking their lives flying off aircraft carriers to deliver food to these people and the government's saying get the hell off our soil, we don't need you here and you've been here long enough.
That just smacks of being ungrateful and... HEMMER: You know, in the days after the disaster, if you listened to those Marines coming out of Okinawa, they could not wait to get in there and help as many people as they could, and fast.
O'BRIEN: Right. But I would -- I mean my guess would be, and, you know, just having spent time in Thailand, a totally different area, obviously, but I mean I think the people are grateful. When you listen to all the interviews that have been done out of there, the people themselves are very grateful. It's the government that has all these other issues. And, of course, the situation there is, you know, so tenuous politically and militarily. So I hate to have people think that the people don't need the help, that the people don't want the help. I mean they desperately need the help. Another 100,000 could die just from disease alone.
HEMMER: Let's hope they get it, and fast.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: I'm off my soap box now, Jack.
CAFFERTY: It's all right. This is your soap box. It's AMERICAN MORNING...
O'BRIEN: Well, in that case, then...
CAFFERTY: It's AMERICAN MORNING with Bill and Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Some other topics I'd like to cover...
HEMMER: Thanks.
Let's get a break here.
What happens if you hold an election and nobody votes? We'll talk to one candidate live in Baghdad about whether or not the Iraqi vote should be postponed. He is a candidate. Is he out politicking? We'll get his thoughts.
And NASA getting ready to unlock one of the solar system's darkest and deepest secrets, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 13, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Nowhere for the rain to go. Floods east and west. Some homes look like they're on the bottom of a lake. Raging waters now claiming anything in their path, even a freight train going down in one state.
This may be the last thing on Earth the queen of England ever wanted to see -- her grandson dressed like a Nazi.
And getting a good look at one of the most intriguing places in the solar system. A ticket to Titan on this AMERICAN MORNING.
ANNOUNCER: From the CNN broadcast center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Soledad O'Brien and Bill Hemmer.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everybody.
8:00 here in New York.
Good to have you along with us today.
A lot to talk about this hour.
Back to La Conchita, California. It's been another night of back breaking work for rescuers digging and digging through the dirt and the debris of that mud slide. The Ventura County fire chief talks with us in a moment and we'll get the latest on the search and also find out the chance now of finding any more survivors. It's Thursday. The last word we had was two days ago. So the chances, as we talked about last hour, are slim in California.
O'BRIEN: Also this morning, it's always interesting to try to predict the future. But when the CIA does it, people really sit up and listen. The agency painting a picture of what the world is going to be like in the year 2020. We're going to talk about the projections with one of the experts this morning.
HEMMER: Also, you just mentioned this, about Prince Harry, Sarah, the Duchess of York, is with us today. We'll talk to her about this picture of Prince Harry, as well as talk to her about the work she's doing right now to help out with the relief effort with the tsunamis. So she's coming up this morning, as well.
O'BRIEN: Mr. Cafferty -- good morning.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The family must be so proud, huh? O'BRIEN: Yes, it can't be a...
HEMMER: Right.
CAFFERTY: What the hell is wrong with him?
HEMMER: Not the kind of picture you want.
CAFFERTY: That kid's an idiot.
Coming up in the "Cafferty File," Barbra Streisand talks about sex for seniors. Ooh. "G.Q." magazine reveals what men will not do in order to get lucky. It's a very short list. And the Michael Jackson trial is going to be a television show in addition to being a circus.
HEMMER: You're three for three on that list there, Jack.
CAFFERTY: It might work today, huh?
HEMMER: Excellent.
CAFFERTY: Yes, right.
O'BRIEN: Yes, I think it's working.
HEMMER: Thank you.
Back with us today, Carol Costello with the headlines -- Carol, good morning.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: How do you keep going with him, that's what I want to know? How do they do it, Jack?
CAFFERTY: They're strong. We feed them well.
COSTELLO: True.
Good morning.
HEMMER: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone.
Now in the news, Indonesian officials have set a March deadline for the withdrawal of international troops from the tsunami hit Aceh Province. The government is also ordering international aid workers and the media to be accompanied by the Indonesian military when in the Aceh Province. They say separatist groups are making the area unsafe. The United Nations is expressing concern that tsunami aid may be delayed as a result of those restrictions.
Secretary of State Colin Powell says the U.S. may begin withdrawing troops from Iraq this year if Iraqi security forces can take over. Secretary Powell says as Iraq takes a greater role in its own country's security, the role of American troops there should diminish. But he stopped short of giving a time line for when all the troops would be home.
More National Guard planes are expected to land this morning in the Alaskan town of Kaktovik. Heavy winds died down enough to let some helicopters land yesterday with equipment and technicians. Power has reportedly been restored to much of the 300 person community, including the health clinic and fire stations.
And it looks like major league baseball is ready to toughen up its steroid policy. According to the Associated Press, baseball owners and the players have reportedly agreed to more testing and harsher punishments for steroid use. Details of the new program are expected later today.
HEMMER: Right. They started moving fast on that, did they not, a few weeks ago?
COSTELLO: Yes, the fans cried and they answered.
HEMMER: Yes.
Thank you, Carol.
That rough weather plaguing California now making its way across the country, coming possibly to a town near you very soon. Southern Nevada residents now dealing with the aftermath of heavy flooding there. The heaviest deluge around Overton. That's near the Arizona border. That's where raging floodwaters knocked 21 Union Pacific freight cars off their tracks yesterday. No reports of injuries. But that's only one of numerous disruptions reported by the railroad all the way from the Pacific Coast to the State of Utah.
There's been heavy damage in the area where Utah, Arizona and Nevada meet. Flooding in Utah was so deep, officials say the only thing they can compare it to is a dam break. And flood warnings overnight for some of the areas around Flagstaff. People seeking higher ground there.
From Indiana, it was dense fog to worry about, causing a 20 car pileup. One person dead, 43 miles of the Indiana toll road closed and closed for about six hours. Visibility was less than a quarter of a mile there.
Fog also causing problems in Michigan. I-96, east of Lansing, finally reopened today. That highway was closed after a massive pileup yesterday. Two hundred cars and trucks involved there. Two people died, too, in that chain reaction crash. Dozens more were injured. One person said it was like driving right into a white piece of paper.
And more rain further east in Ohio today. Many rivers there above flood stage and still rising, especially in the area of Marietta, Ohio River Valley. The Army Corps of Engineers now releasing some water from major dams, trying to prevent a larger disaster if they should spill over. Parts of Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky have been underwater since last week -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, Chad's watching all of this.
He's got the latest forecast from the CNN Center this morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Ventura County officials, in fact, say they will continue rescue efforts throughout the day today. The massive mud slide on Monday killed 10 people, damaged or destroyed more than 30 homes.
Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper joins us from La Conchita with the very latest.
Fire Chief Roper, thanks for being with us.
Nice to talk to you once again.
Give me an update.
Have all the missing now been accounted for? Where does that stand?
CHIEF BOB ROPER, VENTURA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: All the people we had on the list that were confirmed missing have been accounted for. We have an additional list of about 19 people that we've checked with the post office, Internet searches and so forth, that may have been getting mail or lived in the area. And we've issued that list out to the media, asking people to call in to confirm those names or not so we can make some final conclusions today.
O'BRIEN: So you're feeling fairly confident that all the missing are now accounted for, with the exception of this list that you're trying to nail down.
Three people, is that right, still might be trapped under the rubble?
ROPER: No. Last night the last remaining three people we had on the list called in and said that they were fine. So our list is down to zero unaccounted for at this point.
O'BRIEN: Are you trying to recover any bodies at this point? Or is that work done?
ROPER: Right now all the bodies have been accounted for. But we have this list of the 19 that we're just trying to confirm that, with the public's help, we're asking, right now.
O'BRIEN: So what are the workers doing on the scene today?
ROPER: The workers on the scene are trying to stabilize the edge of the slope that slid down. They're looking for any remnants of any voids in case there is still somebody there we don't know about. But right now they're digging really straight through thick mud.
O'BRIEN: How has their work been? I mean we heard the story of Jimmy Wallet, a construction worker who ran out for just a moment to get ice cream for his kids. By the time he came back, his house was under a pile of rubble and I know that he was there helping the crews trying to dig out his family. His wife and his three kids all killed.
What was their condition? I mean were you able to discover anything from pulling out their bodies?
ROPER: We can't really determine where the family was at the time in the mud slide or not. The crews were just able to locate them and they were recovered from the debris.
O'BRIEN: Are you expecting more mudslides at this point? There's some word that the whole area could be very unstable. Obviously risky not only for the folks there, but obviously the rescue crews as well.
ROPER: Absolutely. The geologists have studied the hill. They have seen some additional areas that they have severe concerns about and they're putting together a plan on now what to do as far as the recovery effort and allowing people to return to their homes when and where that might happen.
O'BRIEN: Some people have said, in fact, this area might just be unlivable, that there's been so much damage to the hillside that no one will ever be returned to their home.
What do you think of the possibility of that?
ROPER: Today some of the policymakers and residents are getting together. They're beginning discussions on what is the future. One of the key things right now is there is no electricity. There is no gas service and there is no water service to this community. So utilities will be one of the first steps that have to be started back up again.
O'BRIEN: Give me a sense before I let you go on how your workers are holding up. Obviously it's back breaking work and then on top of it you have the grizzly discoveries.
How are they doing?
ROPER: The crews have really been taking this pretty well. What happens in this type of work, as long as they stay busy, they're focused. What we're concerned about is the days after this, when the crews have time to reflect on the work that they've done, the things that they've seen and how that affects them.
O'BRIEN: I can only imagine.
Ventura County Fire Chief Bob Roper joining us with an update this morning.
Thanks.
We appreciate it.
ROPER: OK.
O'BRIEN: Bill.
HEMMER: About 11 minutes now past the hour.
From overseas now, a royal mall -- wardrobe malfunction burning up the British tabloids this week. Young Prince Harry, third in line for the throne, photographed partying in a Nazi uniform.
CNN's Fionnuala Sweeney is outside Buckingham Palace.
What's the reaction there?
Fionnuala -- hello.
Good afternoon.
FIONNUALA SWEENEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Bill.
Indeed, there has been quite a storm here in Britain over Prince Harry's choice of outfit at that party in the English countryside last Saturday night, seen smoking and drinking and wearing a Nazi uniform with a swastika on his left arm. The prince has been involved with scrapes in the past with the British public and the British media. But this is one scrape that he may not be able to put down to youthful indiscretion.
Remember, his grandmother, the queen, and her husband, the Duke of Edinborough, lived during the war and it comes at a particularly embarrassing time, potentially, for the royal family, as his uncle, Prince Edward, the queen's son, prepares to represent Britain at a ceremony in Auschwitz marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of that concentration camp.
Now, that picture was published in the tabloid newspaper "The Sun" here in Britain this morning. But last night, the palace obviously getting wind of what was up and the prince issuing an apology and a statement coming from the palace saying: "I am very sorry if I caused any offense or embarrassment to anyone. It was a poor choice of costume and I apologize."
However, a former press secretary to the queen, Dickie Arbiter, says that apology may not be enough.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICKIE ARBITER, FORMER BUCKINGHAM PRESS OFFICER: He should have realized that wearing a Nazi uniform, as a member of the royal family, is just not a starter. It's all very well for celebrities and stars to prance around onstage or shows in London to portray the Nazis in a humorous way. But then you pays your money and takes your pick and it's your choice.
But a member of the royal family -- and the royal family represent U.K. PLC, it's just not on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SWEENEY: Now, the palace has gone to extreme lengths to try to improve Prince Harry's image in the eye of the British public over the last year or so. But that would seem to be undermined. It's almost one step forward, two steps back for the prince. Only last week, he was seen with his brother, Prince William, who, it has to be said, rarely puts a foot wrong in public, or, indeed, for as far as we know, in private. They were both seen helping out relief efforts for the tsunami victims at a Red Cross center here in Britain.
So this storm isn't going to go away anytime soon -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, quickly, we said it's a costume party.
Do we know more about what this party was all about?
SWEENEY: No. We understand that it was just a private party being held in the English countryside of Wilshire. We know that Prince Harry clearly attended, but also that his brother, Prince William, the heir to the throne, attended, and he apparently wore just an ordinary fancy dress costume.
It would seem that Prince Harry is "not known" to be keen on taking advice, as it is said. As I say, it's just another scrape involving the son of Diana, Princess of Wales. She used to refer to both of them, Prince William, the heir, and her son, Prince Harry, the spare. But obviously there's going to be -- have to be some considerable work done to improve his image.
Indeed, as I speak to you now, the head of the opposition, Her Majesty's government's opposition party here in Britain, Michael Howard, calling for a public personal apology from Prince Harry -- Bill.
HEMMER: Fionnuala, thanks.
Fionnuala Sweeney there live outside Buckingham Palace.
A bit later this hour, Sarah Ferguson is with us. Once married to Harry's uncle, Prince Andrew. We'll talk about the young royals' latest controversy this hour -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, a year before 9/11, one CIA think tank predicted deadly terror attacks around the globe. What's it predicting now? A look ahead.
HEMMER: Also, one of the last great mysteries of the solar system. NASA now exploring what some call the most exotic place we have ever seen.
O'BRIEN: And the government gets specific on how to lose weight. New tips for the new year ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: What does America need to do today to get ready for the global threats and changes in the next 15 years? This week we're going on terror's trail to CIA headquarters down in Langley, Virginia, where the National Intelligence Council, or the NIC, will make public its global trends report today. This is a projection of what the world will be like in the year 2020.
And in Washington to talk about it is Ellen Laipson, former vice chairwoman of the NIC.
And good morning.
Welcome here to AMERICAN MORNING.
ELLEN LAIPSON, PRESIDENT & CEO, STIMSON CENTER: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: With respect to terrorism, what insights should we expect today?
LAIPSON: The report basically spends a little more time examining the challenge of international terrorism than it did four years ago. It basically says that the underlying factors that contribute to terrorism are unlikely to abate over the next 15 years, so we will still be dealing with terrorism as a very difficult and challenging problem.
It does say that al Qaeda, in its current form, may not exist 15 years from now, but there will be some kind of a loose network of terrorist groups that are very spread geographically. They will be tied, in part, by Islamic ideology. And it highlights that one of its greatest concerns is the possible acquisition by terrorist groups of biological weapons, which they think is, perhaps, of the WMD family, the ones that are most accessible to terrorists. And less likely is terrorist access to nuclear weapons.
HEMMER: Four years ago was the last time a report like this came out, is that right?
LAIPSON: That's right.
HEMMER: What was the assessment about al Qaeda then?
LAIPSON: Well, last time it was 2000 that this report was prepared and it's prepared at the turning point of a presidential administration. So it's intended to be a tool to help incoming policymakers try to imagine the big trends that they're likely to face.
Last time, the report said that terrorism, the things to note about terrorism was that it was increasing in lethality, trying to do bigger and bigger acts, and that terrorists were no longer dependent on state sponsors, that they could basically act on their own and that they would prey on weak and failing states. So it did not try to predict with great specificity what a particular terrorist scenario might look like.
HEMMER: Sure. Sure. And during this conversation, we certainly had the benefit of hindsight, looking back four years ago. But since then, 9/11, the bombings in Bali, the train bombings on March 11 in Madrid, Spain, the shootings that happened in Beslan.
Was anything, four years ago, overestimated, underestimated?
LAIPSON: Well, I think in hindsight we should have spent more time talking about, perhaps, the regional stimuli for terrorism, to talk a little bit more about the linkages between governance crises and disaffection and alienation in the Muslim world, in particular, as it contributed to al Qaeda. We were certainly aware of al Qaeda's existence when we wrote the report in 2000, but it would have been helpful to have spent more time thinking about it.
We did get the mega, the broad trends of how terrorism is changing. I think those were largely on track, but not specific enough.
HEMMER: You know, I think about 2000 and I think about this report coming out later today, how is this used in a practical sense, either in the intelligence community or how it's related to members of Congress who are making decisions for security in this country?
LAIPSON: Thanks.
Well, really, it is intended as a tool for policymakers. It is unclassified so it can reach a much, much larger audience. And last time, to our surprise, it turned out to be a very effective device for conversations with foreign audiences, foreign governments and citizens groups and journalists and experts in other countries.
This time, when the NIC prepared it, I was not involved in the preparation of this except indirectly, they consulted with a lot of people overseas, as well. So it basically is a stimulus. You don't have to agree with every judgment in the report, but it provides a framework for a big conversation about the future and about trends.
For policymakers and for members of Congress, of course, it has lots of policy implications. It can help steer you to those things you want to prevent and to those trends that are positive and that you want to encourage and reinforce.
HEMMER: We could talk more.
We're out of time.
Thanks, though.
Ellen Laipson, thanks, down there in D.C.
LAIPSON: Thank you.
HEMMER: Nice to talk with you -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Well, a tough lesson for Prince Harry. A lot of folks don't think that dressing up like a Nazi is funny at all. This morning we'll talk with one royal, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, to see what she thinks. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: Welcome back, everybody.
And back to Jack, the Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: Thanks, Bill.
No good deed apparently goes unpunished. That's the saying. The Indonesian government announcing yesterday it wants U.S. troops helping tsunami victims out of their country by March. Indonesia's vice president said: "Three months are enough. In fact, the sooner they leave, the better." The Indonesians also refusing to let the Marines coming ashore rebuild roads, establish a base camp or carry their weapons.
Indonesia is the most populated Muslim country in the world.
The question this morning is this -- how should the U.S. respond to Indonesia's demands?
Rebekah in Bel Air, Maryland: "If the U.S. agrees to pull out U.S. troops in Indonesia because the government asked us to, then will the same consideration be given to the newly elected government in Iraq if they request a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops?"
Matt in Dallas writes: "Leave right now. Take our money to La Conchita. People there are going to need it. Are there any hungry children in New York City, elderly that are cold during the winter? It's about time we say to hell with the rest of the world and concentrate on our own country."
James writes from Glennview, Illinois: "A simple thank you would have been fine."
And Ty in Dieterich, Illinois says: "I say we stop helping them and do something outrageous, like, I don't know, use the money to help flood victims in our own country. Most of them don't have flood insurance."
O'BRIEN: Is that how it's mostly running, do you think, your e- mail? Or are you...
CAFFERTY: We're getting a lot of mail. I mean it's, you know, they're all over the map. But there's a certain -- there's a certain natural reaction among people. If you hand them something and they smack you upside the head for your effort, they tend to get a little angry. And a lot of the people who are writing this morning are angry. I mean we've got kids risking their lives flying off aircraft carriers to deliver food to these people and the government's saying get the hell off our soil, we don't need you here and you've been here long enough.
That just smacks of being ungrateful and... HEMMER: You know, in the days after the disaster, if you listened to those Marines coming out of Okinawa, they could not wait to get in there and help as many people as they could, and fast.
O'BRIEN: Right. But I would -- I mean my guess would be, and, you know, just having spent time in Thailand, a totally different area, obviously, but I mean I think the people are grateful. When you listen to all the interviews that have been done out of there, the people themselves are very grateful. It's the government that has all these other issues. And, of course, the situation there is, you know, so tenuous politically and militarily. So I hate to have people think that the people don't need the help, that the people don't want the help. I mean they desperately need the help. Another 100,000 could die just from disease alone.
HEMMER: Let's hope they get it, and fast.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Yes.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
O'BRIEN: I'm off my soap box now, Jack.
CAFFERTY: It's all right. This is your soap box. It's AMERICAN MORNING...
O'BRIEN: Well, in that case, then...
CAFFERTY: It's AMERICAN MORNING with Bill and Soledad.
O'BRIEN: Some other topics I'd like to cover...
HEMMER: Thanks.
Let's get a break here.
What happens if you hold an election and nobody votes? We'll talk to one candidate live in Baghdad about whether or not the Iraqi vote should be postponed. He is a candidate. Is he out politicking? We'll get his thoughts.
And NASA getting ready to unlock one of the solar system's darkest and deepest secrets, ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
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