CNN.com - Transcripts

Transcript Providers

Return to Transcripts main page

American Morning

Train Crash Tragedy; Iraq Elections; Tsunami Aid

Aired January 27, 2005 - 9:01 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.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A full day after that deadly train crash, and still not all the passengers have been found. This morning, will the man suspected of causing it be charged with murder?
Insurgents launching more attacks before the election on Sunday. Now what the military expects after the vote is finished.

And hundreds of millions of dollars raised for tsunami relief. Americans encouraged to give even more. So why don't the agencies want the money? That answer ahead this hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. 9:00 in New York. Bill Hemmer, along with Carol Costello.

Good morning to you.

Soledad is out today. A little bit under the weather.

In a few moments, the latest on the train crash in California. Police still looking for at least one person listed as missing. This hour we'll hear from the L.A. County sheriff and also talk to the D.A. about the charges coming in this case.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Also, is Syria getting more active in helping stop the insurgency in Iraq? Barbara Starr coming to us a little later, looking at a key question that can separate friend from foe in the Middle East.

HEMMER: Also, Jack Cafferty back this hour.

Good morning. What's on your mind?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Bill.

Two elementary school students ages nine and 10 arrested by cops in Florida, handcuffed and taken downtown, charged with felonies for drawing violent stick pictures of a classmate. Did the cops overreact, or in light of things like Columbine and violence in the schools, was it proper to intercede in this way?

AM@CNN.com is the e-mail address. We're getting a lot of mail, all kinds of opinions. But it's a bit of an extreme step on the part of the police, I would think. HEMMER: We'll get back to it. Thanks, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

COSTELLO: "Now in the News," Condoleezza Rice is officially taking over at the 66th secretary of state. Rice addressed workers at the State Department for the first time just a half-hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a great time for America. It's a great time for the international system. We have allies who we need to unite in this great cause ahead of us. And I look forward to working with you to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Rice was sworn in yesterday, but there will be another ceremony tomorrow. Her first official visit will be to the Middle East and Europe. And that will happen next month.

Overseas now to Iraq, where there's been an tan attack on Iraqi security forces. These are new pictures just in to CNN. One Iraqi police lieutenant was killed, three others wounded in the suicide car bombing in Baquba. The bomb was set off just as officials were expected to arrive for a Peace Day meeting.

And still no definite word on what caused a U.S. helicopter to crash killing 30 U.S. Marines just outside the Iraqi-Jordanian border. The chief of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, saying the incident does appear to be weather related.

Vice President Dick Cheney is in southern Poland this morning taking part in a ceremony dedicated to the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. These are live pictures of the ceremony going on right now. The world is paying tribute to the more than one million people who died at the Nazi camp. There are also leaders from some 30 countries taking part in today's events.

And turning to sports now, it will be an All-American Women's final down under in the Australian Open. The seventh-seated Serena Williams fighting back against Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova. Williams surviving three match points to win.

She will face top-ranked Lindsay Davenport in the final on Saturday. Davenport advancing over a win over a French player, and she did that in three sets. So one of the Williams sisters is back at least.

HEMMER: And coming back after Wimbledon, too, when Sharapova beat her. So All-American final.

Thank you, Carol.

Back to California now. This morning there is still one person missing after yesterday's deadly train derailment north of L.A. Eleven people are dead, 180 others are injured. Ted Rowlands back on the scene in Glendale with the latest there.

Ted, good morning.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Crews have been working through the night. And they continue to work this morning.

That passenger who has been identified is missing is a woman. Crews are looking for her and any other possible victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Filled with people headed to work, two commuter trains collided just after 6:00 a.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrible. And I can hear screams. I can see people crying, people covered in blood. It was terrible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was all like steamy in there, and things you see on TV. You know, like it's really steamy and you can hear hoses broken and people screaming.

ROWLANDS: The first group on the scene were a group of employees who heard the crash from a Costco store. They helped pull victims out, including a man who later died.

MARK ZAVALA, COSTCO EMPLOYEE: He was still conscious at that time and told us, "Don't let me die." You know, and he said, you know, "Pray for me."

And that sticks -- it sticks in my head. And then a little bit -- about 10 minutes or five minutes later when the fire department got there, my last thing seeing was them working on him giving him CPR and giving him mouth to mouth. And then later we find out he didn't make it.

ROWLANDS: A car left on the tracks is what investigators say caused the accident, derailing one of the commuter trains. Investigators say the car that caused the crash belongs to 26-year-old Juan Manuel Alvarez, who they say drove on to the tracks to commit suicide, but jumped out of his car before the train hit. Investigators say instead of killing himself, Alvarez stood and watched others die in the collision.

CHIEF RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE: Mr. Alvarez has been arrested and has been charged or will be charged with at least 10 counts of murder.

ROWLANDS: Among the dead, L.A. sheriff's deputy James Tutino, who leaves behind a wife and four children. Like most of the passengers, he was on his way to work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Twenty-five-year-old Juan Alvarez is expected to be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 Pacific Time. At that time we will see what charges, specific charges he is facing. Meanwhile, the work continues here in Glendale as crews sift through the wreckage looking for more possible victims -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ted Rowlands there live in Glendale, California. Ted, thanks for that.

Lee Baca is the sheriff in L.A. County. I talked to him earlier today here on AMERICAN MORNING about the investigation, also the loss of two of his own colleagues. Here's the sheriff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: I lost a deputy sheriff, James Tutino, and I lost Emmanuel Ocala (ph), who is a maintenance worker. Obviously being at the scene and seeing what we saw leads to an awful lot of grief and sorrow, and our hearts go out to all the victims who were on those trains.

HEMMER: My condolences to you and your department as well. Do you expect this death toll to continue to rise based on the wreckage we've seen from this videotape?

BACA: I sure hope not. You know, the devastation was substantial, as you've seen. The real miracle, I think, is going to be that not more people were killed. And we hope and pray that no more will be succumbing to this particular tragedy.

HEMMER: Is there anything in place in your part of the country that would prevent this from happening again?

BACA: I would like to believe there is a way to prevent this from happening, but what this suspect did is he violated all of the safeguards. He didn't drive his car on the road that was crossing the tracks. He got off the road, invaded the rail right of way and drove the cars over the tracks in such a manner where he couldn't even get the car off the tracks once it was stationary.

HEMMER: What do you know about his state of mind, the suspect?

BACA: Well, he was depressed. He apparently had slashed his wrists, but not severely enough to cause himself fatal harm. And he was looking to commit suicide by -- by getting on the tracks and having the train hit his car. Unfortunately, and tragically, it was his car that got caught up underneath the wheels of the train and caused the derailment that led to these deaths.

HEMMER: I understand he was given a sobriety test at the scene. Do you know if he passed that?

BACA: I don't have -- we don't have the serology back yet, but I suspect there's an influence there. He has been arrested for drug usage in the past. He has a burglary charge that he's also been arrested for.

So there isn't a clear answer to that question at this point. But it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, the sheriff, Lee Baca, L.A. County, earlier today on AMERICAN MORNING. And once again, we should know sometime later today if prosecutors will go forward with charges against the driver of that SUV. He is expected in court later today. We'll watch it for you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: People are coping with frigid weather in the Northeast this morning, especially in Massachusetts. More snow there yesterday just as the state is trying to dig out from last weekend's blizzard. Boston's Logan Airport has gotten more than 43 inches. That's so far this month. The National Weather Service says that is a record.

Good morning, Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's a big-time record. That's more snow than they've had in any one month. So they're pretty much done with the snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Rob, thanks for that.

Violence in Iraq building day by day leading up to Sunday's vote. But Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says do not expect the violence to end come Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The period of aftermath of the elections is fraught with uncertainty. And we should prepare the American people for as many eventualities as could possibly happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was from yesterday. Today, Major General Buford Blount led the 3rd Infantry in Iraq up until about a month ago when he retired. He's live in Jackson, Mississippi.

General, good morning to you. And thanks for your time here.

MAJ. GEN. BUFORD BLOUNT, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Hi. Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator Warner says we'll face a period of uncertainty. What is he warning Americans about?

BLOUNT: Well, we've had a constant series of attacks from the insurgents. And there's nothing to indicate that the election is going to cause that to subside. So I think he's -- he's right on, that there's going to continue to be a high level of violence in the country as the insurgents try to destabilize the process, and the process following the election also. The election is so critical to the Iraqi people in turning the control of Iraq over to their -- to them. So they're going to -- the insurgents will try to destabilize as much of the populous as they can.

HEMMER: General, what is your gut feeling about what happens on Sunday? And have you thought about what the headline will be on Monday?

BLOUNT: Well, hopefully it will show that there was a successful election. I think the Iraqi people want to vote. I think they're going to get out and vote.

Of course, there are going to be some attacks. There are going to be some deaths. There will be some destruction.

The insurgents are going to try as hard as possible to keep the people from voting. But I think they want to vote. And I think you're going to see a good turnout. And it's so important that they do come out and pick their candidates that are going to form the new government, write the constitution and put them on the right path to freedom.

HEMMER: Take me back to March and April of 2003, you're leading the 3rd I.D. on the road to Baghdad. As you reflect on that time almost two years ago now, what could the U.S. military have done today to avoid what we're seeing today?

BLOUNT: Well, I'm not sure there's anything we could have done, that the military could have done. I think we had enough troops to accomplish the mission at the time.

We could have planned for phase four better, done a quicker transition, bringing in the help that the Iraqi people need. We were not as prepared for that as we could have been, having the engineers, the police, the security forces. All of those things that the Iraqi people needed for stability, we were not able to put in place as quickly as we should have been able to.

HEMMER: General, the other thing I've read in your comments before we came on the air this morning was about kicking in doors and not understanding the cultural differences in Iraq. Could you expand on what you mean by that?

BLOUNT: Well, one of our goals was to win the hearts and minds of the people. And clearly, we have to take the fight to the enemy. And we did a good job of that. But we also don't want to take the fight to the people.

As we -- as we engaged the enemy, we ended up alienating a lot of the populous. And so we took -- took the fight to the enemy, but in doing so, lost the hearts and mind of a lot of the populous. And I think that's one of our problems today.

HEMMER: Yes, one thing the military does very well, it adapts. And we have seen it adapt over the past two years as this conflict continues.

One quick comment from you if I could. The U.N. based in Iraq now is now criticizing the U.S. military, saying that it's handing out too much literature, essentially, to promote the election and the vote on Sunday.

Curious to get your reaction to that. The implication there, what's being said, anyway, is that the Iraqis need to be at the forefront of the election and not the American forces. When you hear a story like that, how do you respond?

BLOUNT: Well, I think that Iraqis are in charge of this election. And clearly, they have to be. It's got to be an Iraqi election, with the Iraqis conducting the polling, securing the sites.

We'll be in the background providing support where we need to be. But they have to -- it's their country, their election. They have to be in charge of it. But we have to help.

They're not prepared to educate the people and get the word out like they should because, you know, the government just doesn't exist in the forms that would be able to do that today. So the U.S. military has to help educate the people and get the word out and assist where needed in the election process.

HEMMER: It's an enormous job. It goes down Sunday. Thank you. Major General Buford Blount there in Jackson, Mississippi. Nice to have you with us today.

And watch our special coverage, Iraq at the crossroads, "Iraq Votes" with Christiane, Anderson and Paula. Later tonight, our primetime special comes your way at 7:00 Eastern here on CNN -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Researchers may have found a stunning new way to predict whether your children will grow up overweight. Dr. Gupta has that.

HEMMER: Also, friend or foe on the war on terror? The U.S. tries to deal with a problematic nation in the Middle East. We'll get to that this morning.

COSTELLO: And one month after the devastating tsunamis, why are relief agencies turning down help? That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It has been one month since the tsunami hit southern Asia, and UNICEF so far has raised $300 million. That's more than twice its goal, and it's now ending its appeal for more money.

Earlier today I talked with the president of the U.S. Fund for Unicef -- that's Chip Lyons -- asking how that organization determines that enough money has now been raised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHIP LYONS, PRESIDENT, UNICEF'S U.S. FUND: We think the immediate survival needs have largely been met. People, donors were fast, they were generous. And it allowed us to tackle the immediate needs of kids, the water, the vaccines, the school supplies and so on.

HEMMER: It seems extraordinary, though, when you examine the devastation that we watched days on end about a month ago.

LYONS: Well, what we've said from the beginning is that there are really going to be three phases: the survival phase, which we're largely at the end of; the recovery phase, kind of a transition; and then helping families re-establish themselves, get the schools going again, get the health clinics stocked again, the cold chain system for immunizing kids. There's huge amount of work ahead of us.

HEMMER: Just about a week ago, you came back from Sri Lanka and also Banda Aceh in Indonesia. What can you tell us about how they are doing at this point from what you saw?

LYONS: Well, there are three things that stood out. One, it was amazing to see how much on the ground was already happening, supplies on the ground that were the result of donor contributions.

Second, the comeback, if you will, the cleanup that was going on, the volunteers that had descended in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, from other places to help out.

And third, schools already back up and running. Not all of them. Not enough of them. But enough to help some of the kids.

HEMMER: Reuters reports $7 billion in donations in total so far? Does that sound right to you?

LYONS: Well, it's -- if that's what they report, I accept the number. But if you consider the roads, the bridges, the infrastructure requirements over a decade, I'm not surprised.

HEMMER: Why do you believe that there was such a rush to pledge money from just about everywhere in every corner of this planet for this particular disaster?

LYONS: I think the response is unprecedented because the catastrophe is unprecedented. A dozen countries, it happened in, what, 15 minutes or an hour or hour and a half? It was this intense catastrophe.

There were only innocent victims. I mean, families were at the beach. So it's not like the slow train wrecks, slow motion kind of catastrophe one sees in terms of HIV and AIDS.

HEMMER: Do you think -- do you think TV had anything to do with it?

LYONS: TV had everything to do with it. I mean, even the time of year. Families were home after the holidays, counting their own blessings and seeing this. So a combination of what was happening to Sri Lankans and Indonesians and others, but the number of tourists that were there, Americans and Swedes and Germans. I mean, people just felt this was a global catastrophe that affected everyone.

HEMMER: Back to the issue of raising money. Why not keep on taking money and sock it away? Because perhaps three months down the road or six months down the road you are going to need it.

LYONS: Well, the money that we have raised, I mean, we're projecting that our medium and long-term requirements are largely going to be met with the spectacular contributions we've gotten, one.

Two, there are emergencies in other parts of the world: Haiti, Afghanistan, Congo, Sudan. We really need also to respond to the tremendous needs of kids in other places, including affected by HIV and AIDS.

HEMMER: You mentioned that, and you mentioned AIDS twice now. Is this part of the 33 forgotten emergencies that you've talked about?

LYONS: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thirty-three countries face humanitarian crises of a different kind, but no less challenging, no less awful for the innocent kids living in those areas.

HEMMER: Thanks for the update. Chip Lyons with UNICEF here in New York.

LYONS: Thanks, Bill.

HEMMER: Good to see you again.

LYONS: Good to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Police say an attempted suicide led to yesterday's California train collision. Now at least 11 others are dead. We'll talk to the L.A. County D.A. and find out whether murder charges could come next. That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Here's the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: You know what we've got to do is get Carol to bring us one of those cheesy coffee mugs from that "DAYBREAK" program.

HEMMER: That's a great idea, as a matter of fact. I mean, as long as you are going to spend the time with us, Carol.

CAFFERTY: Yes. You bring -- you have to bring gifts. Bring offerings.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, I have good news for you. We're actually making up new "DAYBREAK" coffee mugs.

CAFFERTY: Are these going to cost more than three cents?

COSTELLO: Oh, no.

CAFFERTY: Like those trashy things -- the last ones, yes. I mean, those were awful.

COSTELLO: But they'll come in different colors. They'll still cost three cents, but they come in different colors.

CAFFERTY: OK. Will you bring us...

COSTELLO: We'll write your name.

CAFFERTY: Will you bring us one?

COSTELLO: You want me to autograph one?

CAFFERTY: No, I really don't want one. I was just kidding.

COSTELLO: He really does, doesn't he?

HEMMER: I'd gladly take one. I would like to replace this one, actually, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's ugly.

HEMMER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I've got a lot of work to do here. Enough of this coffee stuff.

Two Florida boys nine and 10 are being charged with felonies after drawing violent stick figures of a classmate. The parents of the boys say they should have been punished by the school or their families, not the legal system. The kids were actually led out of the building in handcuffs.

Did officials overreact in calling police, or did they prevent some bigger tragedy? The question is this: should police have arrested two students for drawing violent pictures of a classmate?

Linda in New Orleans writes: "I live in New Orleans, where we see kids not only making threats, but carrying them out. So, yes, the police in this matter did what they felt they had to. It's sad, but the jails in prisons are full of adults who should have been stopped at ages nine and 10."

Unsigned, we get this: "I think you're taking this with too much ease. The shootings at Columbine began as drawings and being picked on by bullies at school. Either these bullies or the kid they were picking on have the potential for a school shooting if they're not reprimanded. If it comes down to handcuffs, so be it."

Constance in Austin, Texas, "If it was your child who went to school every day fearing for his life, and parents of his tormentor and school authorities did nothing, you might not think law enforcement acted too harshly."

And finally, Karen in Illinois, "As a former teacher in Ocala, Florida, although a number of years ago, I can guarantee you the administrators would have handled the incident much differently. They would have not been arrested but might have been taken to the principal's office and given a swat on the back."

Can you still smack kids in school?

COSTELLO: I didn't think you could.

CAFFERTY: I don't think...

HEMMER: Corporal punishment?

CAFFERTY: Maybe in Ocala, Florida, you can. I don't know. Most places say no corporal punishment.

HEMMER: That's right.

CAFFERTY: You're not allowed to touch the little darlings.

COSTELLO: Well, she must have been a teacher there a long time ago.

CAFFERTY: Well, she said it was a few years ago.

COSTELLO: Yes.

CAFFERTY: So maybe it was a different thing.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

A break here in a moment. An uneasy relationship in the war on terror. The U.S. left to wonder whether one Middle East country is a friend or a foe. A live update. The Pentagon's watching that today.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

Aired January 27, 2005 - 9:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. A full day after that deadly train crash, and still not all the passengers have been found. This morning, will the man suspected of causing it be charged with murder?
Insurgents launching more attacks before the election on Sunday. Now what the military expects after the vote is finished.

And hundreds of millions of dollars raised for tsunami relief. Americans encouraged to give even more. So why don't the agencies want the money? That answer ahead this hour here on AMERICAN MORNING.

ANNOUNCER: From the CNN Broadcast Center in New York, this is AMERICAN MORNING with Bill Hemmer and Soledad O'Brien.

HEMMER: Good morning, everybody. 9:00 in New York. Bill Hemmer, along with Carol Costello.

Good morning to you.

Soledad is out today. A little bit under the weather.

In a few moments, the latest on the train crash in California. Police still looking for at least one person listed as missing. This hour we'll hear from the L.A. County sheriff and also talk to the D.A. about the charges coming in this case.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Also, is Syria getting more active in helping stop the insurgency in Iraq? Barbara Starr coming to us a little later, looking at a key question that can separate friend from foe in the Middle East.

HEMMER: Also, Jack Cafferty back this hour.

Good morning. What's on your mind?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, Bill.

Two elementary school students ages nine and 10 arrested by cops in Florida, handcuffed and taken downtown, charged with felonies for drawing violent stick pictures of a classmate. Did the cops overreact, or in light of things like Columbine and violence in the schools, was it proper to intercede in this way?

AM@CNN.com is the e-mail address. We're getting a lot of mail, all kinds of opinions. But it's a bit of an extreme step on the part of the police, I would think. HEMMER: We'll get back to it. Thanks, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Yes.

COSTELLO: "Now in the News," Condoleezza Rice is officially taking over at the 66th secretary of state. Rice addressed workers at the State Department for the first time just a half-hour ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a great time for America. It's a great time for the international system. We have allies who we need to unite in this great cause ahead of us. And I look forward to working with you to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Rice was sworn in yesterday, but there will be another ceremony tomorrow. Her first official visit will be to the Middle East and Europe. And that will happen next month.

Overseas now to Iraq, where there's been an tan attack on Iraqi security forces. These are new pictures just in to CNN. One Iraqi police lieutenant was killed, three others wounded in the suicide car bombing in Baquba. The bomb was set off just as officials were expected to arrive for a Peace Day meeting.

And still no definite word on what caused a U.S. helicopter to crash killing 30 U.S. Marines just outside the Iraqi-Jordanian border. The chief of U.S. Central Command, General John Abizaid, saying the incident does appear to be weather related.

Vice President Dick Cheney is in southern Poland this morning taking part in a ceremony dedicated to the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. These are live pictures of the ceremony going on right now. The world is paying tribute to the more than one million people who died at the Nazi camp. There are also leaders from some 30 countries taking part in today's events.

And turning to sports now, it will be an All-American Women's final down under in the Australian Open. The seventh-seated Serena Williams fighting back against Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova. Williams surviving three match points to win.

She will face top-ranked Lindsay Davenport in the final on Saturday. Davenport advancing over a win over a French player, and she did that in three sets. So one of the Williams sisters is back at least.

HEMMER: And coming back after Wimbledon, too, when Sharapova beat her. So All-American final.

Thank you, Carol.

Back to California now. This morning there is still one person missing after yesterday's deadly train derailment north of L.A. Eleven people are dead, 180 others are injured. Ted Rowlands back on the scene in Glendale with the latest there.

Ted, good morning.

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill. Crews have been working through the night. And they continue to work this morning.

That passenger who has been identified is missing is a woman. Crews are looking for her and any other possible victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROWLANDS (voice-over): Filled with people headed to work, two commuter trains collided just after 6:00 a.m.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrible. And I can hear screams. I can see people crying, people covered in blood. It was terrible.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was all like steamy in there, and things you see on TV. You know, like it's really steamy and you can hear hoses broken and people screaming.

ROWLANDS: The first group on the scene were a group of employees who heard the crash from a Costco store. They helped pull victims out, including a man who later died.

MARK ZAVALA, COSTCO EMPLOYEE: He was still conscious at that time and told us, "Don't let me die." You know, and he said, you know, "Pray for me."

And that sticks -- it sticks in my head. And then a little bit -- about 10 minutes or five minutes later when the fire department got there, my last thing seeing was them working on him giving him CPR and giving him mouth to mouth. And then later we find out he didn't make it.

ROWLANDS: A car left on the tracks is what investigators say caused the accident, derailing one of the commuter trains. Investigators say the car that caused the crash belongs to 26-year-old Juan Manuel Alvarez, who they say drove on to the tracks to commit suicide, but jumped out of his car before the train hit. Investigators say instead of killing himself, Alvarez stood and watched others die in the collision.

CHIEF RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE: Mr. Alvarez has been arrested and has been charged or will be charged with at least 10 counts of murder.

ROWLANDS: Among the dead, L.A. sheriff's deputy James Tutino, who leaves behind a wife and four children. Like most of the passengers, he was on his way to work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Twenty-five-year-old Juan Alvarez is expected to be arraigned this afternoon at 2:00 Pacific Time. At that time we will see what charges, specific charges he is facing. Meanwhile, the work continues here in Glendale as crews sift through the wreckage looking for more possible victims -- Bill.

HEMMER: Ted Rowlands there live in Glendale, California. Ted, thanks for that.

Lee Baca is the sheriff in L.A. County. I talked to him earlier today here on AMERICAN MORNING about the investigation, also the loss of two of his own colleagues. Here's the sheriff.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERIFF LEE BACA, LOS ANGELES COUNTY: I lost a deputy sheriff, James Tutino, and I lost Emmanuel Ocala (ph), who is a maintenance worker. Obviously being at the scene and seeing what we saw leads to an awful lot of grief and sorrow, and our hearts go out to all the victims who were on those trains.

HEMMER: My condolences to you and your department as well. Do you expect this death toll to continue to rise based on the wreckage we've seen from this videotape?

BACA: I sure hope not. You know, the devastation was substantial, as you've seen. The real miracle, I think, is going to be that not more people were killed. And we hope and pray that no more will be succumbing to this particular tragedy.

HEMMER: Is there anything in place in your part of the country that would prevent this from happening again?

BACA: I would like to believe there is a way to prevent this from happening, but what this suspect did is he violated all of the safeguards. He didn't drive his car on the road that was crossing the tracks. He got off the road, invaded the rail right of way and drove the cars over the tracks in such a manner where he couldn't even get the car off the tracks once it was stationary.

HEMMER: What do you know about his state of mind, the suspect?

BACA: Well, he was depressed. He apparently had slashed his wrists, but not severely enough to cause himself fatal harm. And he was looking to commit suicide by -- by getting on the tracks and having the train hit his car. Unfortunately, and tragically, it was his car that got caught up underneath the wheels of the train and caused the derailment that led to these deaths.

HEMMER: I understand he was given a sobriety test at the scene. Do you know if he passed that?

BACA: I don't have -- we don't have the serology back yet, but I suspect there's an influence there. He has been arrested for drug usage in the past. He has a burglary charge that he's also been arrested for.

So there isn't a clear answer to that question at this point. But it wouldn't surprise me if that were the case. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HEMMER: Again, the sheriff, Lee Baca, L.A. County, earlier today on AMERICAN MORNING. And once again, we should know sometime later today if prosecutors will go forward with charges against the driver of that SUV. He is expected in court later today. We'll watch it for you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: People are coping with frigid weather in the Northeast this morning, especially in Massachusetts. More snow there yesterday just as the state is trying to dig out from last weekend's blizzard. Boston's Logan Airport has gotten more than 43 inches. That's so far this month. The National Weather Service says that is a record.

Good morning, Rob Marciano.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, it's a big-time record. That's more snow than they've had in any one month. So they're pretty much done with the snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HEMMER: Rob, thanks for that.

Violence in Iraq building day by day leading up to Sunday's vote. But Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says do not expect the violence to end come Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), CHAIRMAN, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The period of aftermath of the elections is fraught with uncertainty. And we should prepare the American people for as many eventualities as could possibly happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HEMMER: That was from yesterday. Today, Major General Buford Blount led the 3rd Infantry in Iraq up until about a month ago when he retired. He's live in Jackson, Mississippi.

General, good morning to you. And thanks for your time here.

MAJ. GEN. BUFORD BLOUNT, U.S. ARMY (RET.): Hi. Good morning, Bill.

HEMMER: Senator Warner says we'll face a period of uncertainty. What is he warning Americans about?

BLOUNT: Well, we've had a constant series of attacks from the insurgents. And there's nothing to indicate that the election is going to cause that to subside. So I think he's -- he's right on, that there's going to continue to be a high level of violence in the country as the insurgents try to destabilize the process, and the process following the election also. The election is so critical to the Iraqi people in turning the control of Iraq over to their -- to them. So they're going to -- the insurgents will try to destabilize as much of the populous as they can.

HEMMER: General, what is your gut feeling about what happens on Sunday? And have you thought about what the headline will be on Monday?

BLOUNT: Well, hopefully it will show that there was a successful election. I think the Iraqi people want to vote. I think they're going to get out and vote.

Of course, there are going to be some attacks. There are going to be some deaths. There will be some destruction.

The insurgents are going to try as hard as possible to keep the people from voting. But I think they want to vote. And I think you're going to see a good turnout. And it's so important that they do come out and pick their candidates that are going to form the new government, write the constitution and put them on the right path to freedom.

HEMMER: Take me back to March and April of 2003, you're leading the 3rd I.D. on the road to Baghdad. As you reflect on that time almost two years ago now, what could the U.S. military have done today to avoid what we're seeing today?

BLOUNT: Well, I'm not sure there's anything we could have done, that the military could have done. I think we had enough troops to accomplish the mission at the time.

We could have planned for phase four better, done a quicker transition, bringing in the help that the Iraqi people need. We were not as prepared for that as we could have been, having the engineers, the police, the security forces. All of those things that the Iraqi people needed for stability, we were not able to put in place as quickly as we should have been able to.

HEMMER: General, the other thing I've read in your comments before we came on the air this morning was about kicking in doors and not understanding the cultural differences in Iraq. Could you expand on what you mean by that?

BLOUNT: Well, one of our goals was to win the hearts and minds of the people. And clearly, we have to take the fight to the enemy. And we did a good job of that. But we also don't want to take the fight to the people.

As we -- as we engaged the enemy, we ended up alienating a lot of the populous. And so we took -- took the fight to the enemy, but in doing so, lost the hearts and mind of a lot of the populous. And I think that's one of our problems today.

HEMMER: Yes, one thing the military does very well, it adapts. And we have seen it adapt over the past two years as this conflict continues.

One quick comment from you if I could. The U.N. based in Iraq now is now criticizing the U.S. military, saying that it's handing out too much literature, essentially, to promote the election and the vote on Sunday.

Curious to get your reaction to that. The implication there, what's being said, anyway, is that the Iraqis need to be at the forefront of the election and not the American forces. When you hear a story like that, how do you respond?

BLOUNT: Well, I think that Iraqis are in charge of this election. And clearly, they have to be. It's got to be an Iraqi election, with the Iraqis conducting the polling, securing the sites.

We'll be in the background providing support where we need to be. But they have to -- it's their country, their election. They have to be in charge of it. But we have to help.

They're not prepared to educate the people and get the word out like they should because, you know, the government just doesn't exist in the forms that would be able to do that today. So the U.S. military has to help educate the people and get the word out and assist where needed in the election process.

HEMMER: It's an enormous job. It goes down Sunday. Thank you. Major General Buford Blount there in Jackson, Mississippi. Nice to have you with us today.

And watch our special coverage, Iraq at the crossroads, "Iraq Votes" with Christiane, Anderson and Paula. Later tonight, our primetime special comes your way at 7:00 Eastern here on CNN -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Researchers may have found a stunning new way to predict whether your children will grow up overweight. Dr. Gupta has that.

HEMMER: Also, friend or foe on the war on terror? The U.S. tries to deal with a problematic nation in the Middle East. We'll get to that this morning.

COSTELLO: And one month after the devastating tsunamis, why are relief agencies turning down help? That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: It has been one month since the tsunami hit southern Asia, and UNICEF so far has raised $300 million. That's more than twice its goal, and it's now ending its appeal for more money.

Earlier today I talked with the president of the U.S. Fund for Unicef -- that's Chip Lyons -- asking how that organization determines that enough money has now been raised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CHIP LYONS, PRESIDENT, UNICEF'S U.S. FUND: We think the immediate survival needs have largely been met. People, donors were fast, they were generous. And it allowed us to tackle the immediate needs of kids, the water, the vaccines, the school supplies and so on.

HEMMER: It seems extraordinary, though, when you examine the devastation that we watched days on end about a month ago.

LYONS: Well, what we've said from the beginning is that there are really going to be three phases: the survival phase, which we're largely at the end of; the recovery phase, kind of a transition; and then helping families re-establish themselves, get the schools going again, get the health clinics stocked again, the cold chain system for immunizing kids. There's huge amount of work ahead of us.

HEMMER: Just about a week ago, you came back from Sri Lanka and also Banda Aceh in Indonesia. What can you tell us about how they are doing at this point from what you saw?

LYONS: Well, there are three things that stood out. One, it was amazing to see how much on the ground was already happening, supplies on the ground that were the result of donor contributions.

Second, the comeback, if you will, the cleanup that was going on, the volunteers that had descended in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, from other places to help out.

And third, schools already back up and running. Not all of them. Not enough of them. But enough to help some of the kids.

HEMMER: Reuters reports $7 billion in donations in total so far? Does that sound right to you?

LYONS: Well, it's -- if that's what they report, I accept the number. But if you consider the roads, the bridges, the infrastructure requirements over a decade, I'm not surprised.

HEMMER: Why do you believe that there was such a rush to pledge money from just about everywhere in every corner of this planet for this particular disaster?

LYONS: I think the response is unprecedented because the catastrophe is unprecedented. A dozen countries, it happened in, what, 15 minutes or an hour or hour and a half? It was this intense catastrophe.

There were only innocent victims. I mean, families were at the beach. So it's not like the slow train wrecks, slow motion kind of catastrophe one sees in terms of HIV and AIDS.

HEMMER: Do you think -- do you think TV had anything to do with it?

LYONS: TV had everything to do with it. I mean, even the time of year. Families were home after the holidays, counting their own blessings and seeing this. So a combination of what was happening to Sri Lankans and Indonesians and others, but the number of tourists that were there, Americans and Swedes and Germans. I mean, people just felt this was a global catastrophe that affected everyone.

HEMMER: Back to the issue of raising money. Why not keep on taking money and sock it away? Because perhaps three months down the road or six months down the road you are going to need it.

LYONS: Well, the money that we have raised, I mean, we're projecting that our medium and long-term requirements are largely going to be met with the spectacular contributions we've gotten, one.

Two, there are emergencies in other parts of the world: Haiti, Afghanistan, Congo, Sudan. We really need also to respond to the tremendous needs of kids in other places, including affected by HIV and AIDS.

HEMMER: You mentioned that, and you mentioned AIDS twice now. Is this part of the 33 forgotten emergencies that you've talked about?

LYONS: Absolutely. Absolutely. Thirty-three countries face humanitarian crises of a different kind, but no less challenging, no less awful for the innocent kids living in those areas.

HEMMER: Thanks for the update. Chip Lyons with UNICEF here in New York.

LYONS: Thanks, Bill.

HEMMER: Good to see you again.

LYONS: Good to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Police say an attempted suicide led to yesterday's California train collision. Now at least 11 others are dead. We'll talk to the L.A. County D.A. and find out whether murder charges could come next. That's just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HEMMER: Here's the "Question of the Day."

CAFFERTY: You know what we've got to do is get Carol to bring us one of those cheesy coffee mugs from that "DAYBREAK" program.

HEMMER: That's a great idea, as a matter of fact. I mean, as long as you are going to spend the time with us, Carol.

CAFFERTY: Yes. You bring -- you have to bring gifts. Bring offerings.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, I have good news for you. We're actually making up new "DAYBREAK" coffee mugs.

CAFFERTY: Are these going to cost more than three cents?

COSTELLO: Oh, no.

CAFFERTY: Like those trashy things -- the last ones, yes. I mean, those were awful.

COSTELLO: But they'll come in different colors. They'll still cost three cents, but they come in different colors.

CAFFERTY: OK. Will you bring us...

COSTELLO: We'll write your name.

CAFFERTY: Will you bring us one?

COSTELLO: You want me to autograph one?

CAFFERTY: No, I really don't want one. I was just kidding.

COSTELLO: He really does, doesn't he?

HEMMER: I'd gladly take one. I would like to replace this one, actually, Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's ugly.

HEMMER: Yes.

CAFFERTY: I've got a lot of work to do here. Enough of this coffee stuff.

Two Florida boys nine and 10 are being charged with felonies after drawing violent stick figures of a classmate. The parents of the boys say they should have been punished by the school or their families, not the legal system. The kids were actually led out of the building in handcuffs.

Did officials overreact in calling police, or did they prevent some bigger tragedy? The question is this: should police have arrested two students for drawing violent pictures of a classmate?

Linda in New Orleans writes: "I live in New Orleans, where we see kids not only making threats, but carrying them out. So, yes, the police in this matter did what they felt they had to. It's sad, but the jails in prisons are full of adults who should have been stopped at ages nine and 10."

Unsigned, we get this: "I think you're taking this with too much ease. The shootings at Columbine began as drawings and being picked on by bullies at school. Either these bullies or the kid they were picking on have the potential for a school shooting if they're not reprimanded. If it comes down to handcuffs, so be it."

Constance in Austin, Texas, "If it was your child who went to school every day fearing for his life, and parents of his tormentor and school authorities did nothing, you might not think law enforcement acted too harshly."

And finally, Karen in Illinois, "As a former teacher in Ocala, Florida, although a number of years ago, I can guarantee you the administrators would have handled the incident much differently. They would have not been arrested but might have been taken to the principal's office and given a swat on the back."

Can you still smack kids in school?

COSTELLO: I didn't think you could.

CAFFERTY: I don't think...

HEMMER: Corporal punishment?

CAFFERTY: Maybe in Ocala, Florida, you can. I don't know. Most places say no corporal punishment.

HEMMER: That's right.

CAFFERTY: You're not allowed to touch the little darlings.

COSTELLO: Well, she must have been a teacher there a long time ago.

CAFFERTY: Well, she said it was a few years ago.

COSTELLO: Yes.

CAFFERTY: So maybe it was a different thing.

HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.

A break here in a moment. An uneasy relationship in the war on terror. The U.S. left to wonder whether one Middle East country is a friend or a foe. A live update. The Pentagon's watching that today.

Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com