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CNN Live At Daybreak

Road to Recovery; Gaza Pullout; Fourth Anniversary of 9/11

Aired September 12, 2005 - 05:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Monday, September 12. Two weeks after Katrina came roaring ashore, the pumps are working. The rescue choppers are flying and the cleanup is pushing forward. We'll take you live to New Orleans in five minutes.
President Bush is already there. After fielding criticism about the government's initial response, he's making his third visit to the area.

And just a few miles north of the ravaged Big Easy, home prices are rising almost as fast as the waters did.

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you. We'll have more "Mission Critical" Katrina developments in just a moment.

Also ahead, you don't have to be a grownup to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. We'll show you how some younger people are contributing.

And hometown team delivers. The Saints give New Orleans fans something to cheer about.

But first, "Now in the News."

Let the hearings begin. The Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for John Roberts begin at noon today in Washington. That's eastern time. Roberts is the president's choice to succeed the late William Rehnquist as chief justice. Much of the day is expected to be taken up by opening statements from committee members.

Where Israelis leave Palestinians rush in. This is Netzarim, one of the Israeli settlements closed by Israeli in its withdrawal -- closed by Israel, rather, in its withdrawal from Gaza. Israel says it has now completed its pullout two weeks ahead of schedule.

Still spinning, Hurricane Ophelia has lost some power, but forecasters are -- of course Chad's still keeping watch on it to see where it will go. Residents of the Carolinas are being urged to stock up on hurricane supplies.

Where is this thing?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It's still off the coast, Carol. It's still, though, due south of North Carolina. So although it lost some intensity over the weekend, as you said, and really lost some organization, typically a big strong storm will have a very small eye.

Look at the lack of organization. But there's an awful lot of dry air around.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Now for the latest from the disaster zone in our "Mission Critical" update.

Forced evacuations will not happen. Police officials in New Orleans say no one will be physically taken from their homes against their will. Instead, police will notify remaining residents that they're in violation of the mayor's order to leave town.

About 2,000 Muslim volunteers helped distribute food and water at a Houston shelter. Muslim leaders say the fact it was September 11 is a coincidence.

New Orleans will be dusted with pesticides today. Health officials have warned that the standing water is an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes that can carry many diseases, including the West Nile virus. The risk to humans from pesticide is said to be minimal.

People displaced by Katrina are still waiting for the federal government to provide temporary housing. A FEMA spokesman says more than a thousand trailers and manufactured homes are on the way. Another 5,900 rooms will be available on cruise ships, but those are reserved for first responders and essential public employees.

The timetable for draining New Orleans may be just days instead of months. An Oklahoma company says it's sending high-powered pumps to help out. The military will airlift the first of the pumps into the area within the next day or so.

And while the search for bodies goes on, here is the number of deaths we know about so far. Two hundred eleven people were killed in Mississippi, 197 in Louisiana, and 14 in Florida. Alabama and Georgia report two each. Katrina's death toll so far, 426 people in five states.

As floodwaters slowly recede New Orleans, a semblance of normal life is returning. Work crews are out clearing trees and other debris from major streets. Some residents got to briefly visit their homes for the first time.

CNN Radio's Jim Roope is live in New Orleans. He has the latest on the cleanup.

Some signs of hope, Jim? JIM ROOPE, CNN RADIO: Absolutely, Carol. It is a different scene now than it was even maybe three or four days ago as people start to return a little bit, get a glimpse of what has happened to their neighborhoods. Some of them just stand at what used to be the front of their homes, staring as if not knowing what to do next. But at least there are some things going on.

You mentioned work crews out there. A lot of debris. Truckloads of debris taken out of here because it looked as if somebody put this town in a blender, stirred it up for a while and dumped it back out. But that's all looking a lot better now.

So there is traffic lights in some areas. Electricity is up in some areas, running water in some areas. There's even a couple of businesses and gas stations opening up slowly but surely. So they are getting back to some sort of normalcy, but it never will be like it was the day before Katrina hit.

COSTELLO: Oh, no. Let's talking about the water in the city. I've heard reports that 40 percent of New Orleans still under water. Is that what you're hearing?

ROOPE: Yes, and that's what I'm seeing, too. And it seems as though in some areas it's receding or being pumped out a lot quicker.

For instance, in one of the areas it looks as if coming down maybe six inches an hour. In other places, eight inches a day. It's a slow process. The water gets worse each day.

It's -- you know, we're putting Vicks Vapor Rub under our noses now and try to disguise the smell. So while the smell gets worse, the water is going down. But some of these homes, there's no way they're going to be able to recover these homes. It's just -- it's a mess.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about those homes for just a second. Some people are being allowed back into the city to look at their homes, to retrieve some of their belongings. How many?

ROOPE: Well, it's not many. And there -- and they have to have I.D. and the whole thing. But in the flood -- flooded areas, no one's allowed back in those areas.

First of all, you can't get to it. Secondly, it's just too dangerous, too toxic.

Even the rescue crews, the Marines, or the Army Rangers, who are -- the Airborne who are going into homes, they run out of air, they tell me, very quickly. They go to these homes and they start coming out coughing and choking. It's not an easy duty.

So they're not going to let residents back in there under toxic situations like that. But in some of the areas where it's dry people are allowed to get back in.

There are some folks up in the -- especially the business district and tourist areas who have residences up there. It's not as bad as in those other areas. So those folks are allowed to get in there and survey the damage and gather some belongings. But they have to get back out again.

COSTELLO: Jim Roope from CNN Radio, live in New Orleans this morning.

Thank you.

President Bush wakes up this morning in New Orleans. He's on board the USS Iwo Jima. It's the command center for the federal hurricane relief efforts in the city. The president will tour downtown New Orleans and get a close-up look at what Katrina's water did.

More now from CNN's Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This third trip to the hurricane devastation nearly two weeks after Katrina hit is the latest attempt to show the president's presence on the ground in hopes of erasing criticism his initial response was sluggish. Amid continuing sniping between the White House, state and local officials, the president was greeted by the husband of the Louisiana governor and the New Orleans mayor. He continued on with Mr. Bush to the USS Iwo Jima, docked in the city and now command and control center for the federal relief effort here.

Bush aides know scathing criticism the president was too slow to get help to the victims of this massive disaster is chipping away at what became his biggest asset after September 11, leadership in the time of crisis. So on this fourth anniversary of the terror attacks, the president paid a visit to New York firefighters in New Orleans to help with recovery.

Here, a photo-op in front of a fire truck New Orleans donated to New York four years ago and they've now given back. Then a meet-and- greet with firefighters from all over the country, including some 400 from New York, all combing efforts and living together in a makeshift headquarters just outside New Orleans, along with their mascot, Louis, a Dalmatian rescued from an abandoned, destroyed home.

(on camera): After sleeping here on the USS Iwo Jima, the president will get a briefing from top military commanders and then take a tour of downtown New Orleans, his first since most of the city flooded nearly two weeks ago.

Traveling with the president in New Orleans, Dana Bash reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: On the subject of politics, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco is on the defensive. During a visit to Houston, she defended herself against criticism her administration was slow to alert residents of the pending disaster. She insists Louisiana had a well thought out plan that prevented thousands of deaths. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. KATHLEEN BLANCO (D), LOUISIANA: You've been through a trying time. There's not one of us standing up here who was not praying that this cup would pass us by. It did not. It stopped right in our faces, and it hurt so many of our people. But their lives were preserved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Blanco made her remarks at Houston's Reliance Center, where she visited evacuees. Some 240,000 Louisiana residents fled to Texas.

The heads of the 9/11 Commission say the government's response to Katrina shows few lessons were learned from the terror attacks four years ago. Among other things, they cite a lack of communications, no unified command, and nobody in charge. But New York Governor George Pataki tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer it's too soon for commissioners to be drawing conclusions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. GEORGE PATAKI (R), NEW YORK: We should have had a better response to Katrina. I don't think there's anyone who doubts that. But Wolf, just think for a minute. The 9/11 Commission issued its report at least three years after the actual attacks because they took the time to get the facts, to sort out who did what right and what can be done better the next time.

And now I think there's a rush to judgment. And when there's -- what we should have is a rush to help people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, says Hurricane Katrina answered the prayers of Iraqis and Afghans who have suffered under U.S. occupation. The comment came in an audiotape posted on an Islamic Web site. It comes on the fourth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The voice on the recording was verified to be al- Zarqawi by a CNN Arabic speaker familiar with his previous statements.

Now some other news "Across America" this morning.

Speaking in Idaho, the Dalai Lama advised a crowd of 10,000 to fight violence with peace and poverty with compassion. Tibet's spiritual leader also told hurricane victims and those impacted by 9/11 to use the tragedies to become stronger.

Volcano experts report Mount St. Helens is growing more restless. Scientists say a new lava dome is building inside the volcano's crater. So far, there's been little seismic activity or emissions of steam. But the experts warn that could strange suddenly.

Fashion aficionados here in New York saw the light and it wasn't pretty. A bank of lights fell on fashion writers at Diane von Furstenberg Manhattan studio. No one was seriously hurt.

Coming up, it is confirmation time and it is critical. Seven hours from now, Judge John Roberts will be on Capitol Hill -- will be on the Capitol Hill grill, I should say. But it won't be a picnic for the chief justice nominee.

Halfway across the country from New Orleans, Los Angeles school kids pitch in to help hurricane victims.

And I can't resist it. The Saints go marching in, but not to New Orleans. We'll explain.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: International markets are trading higher this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei is up -- listen to this -- 204 points. The London FTSE is up a comparatively unimpressive 12. And the German DAX is up 10.

Oil? Well, in futures trading, light, sweet crude is trading slightly higher, at just over $64 a barrel this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:15 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush is waking up in New Orleans. He's aboard the USS Iwo Jima, the command center for the hurricane relief operation. The president will tour disaster zones in New Orleans and Mississippi.

Confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts begins at noon Eastern today on Capitol Hill. He's on a fast track toward becoming chief justice of the United States. Abortion is expected to be an issue at the hearings.

In money news, gas prices are still surging. They've gone up more than 38 cents a gallon in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A new national survey shows a gallon of self-serve regular now costs an average of just over $3.

In culture, BB King is getting an early start to his birthday celebration. The king of blues turns 80 on Friday. He's got a new book coming out, plus a new album that's out tomorrow. And he's already broken ground on a $10 million BB King museum.

Happy birthday.

In sports, it was a dream come true for some young Katrina evacuees. About a dozen NBA players showed up at the convention center in Houston. They played with the kids, signed autographs, and along with other players donated more than $1 million in aid.

To the forecast center and Chad.

MYERS: And good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.

That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.

Gaza is now back in the hands of the Palestinians after 38 years of Israeli occupation. CNN's Matthew Chance takes us to the ruins of a former Jewish settlement for a look at how Palestinians are reacting to the pullout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a time of excitement here at the former Jewish settlement of Netzarim, where, as you can see, hundreds of Palestinians have turned out to pick through the ruins of this former Jewish settlement in the heart of the Gaza Strip. People here have come in the hundreds, if not in the thousands, to pick through the rubble here, to get whatever they can as souvenirs or anything of use.

Through these -- these demolished remains of the former Jewish homes here in Netzarim, many people have come here in order to try to get what they can from those ruins. It's also been a scene of excitement, where surrounding residents of the Gaza Strip have come in to celebrate what they see as their victory, as well as the various militant groups have come here as well, claiming this Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip as a result of a victory of their military action against Israel.

You can see a number of black flags there belonging to the militant group Islamic Jihad. Supporters of those militants out here in force today.

This structure behind me very controversial because it is the Jewish synagogue in the middle of Netzarim. The Israeli cabinet, of course, voting to leave those synagogues standing, very much angering the Palestinian Authority, because they know that these buildings are seen very much by the vast majority of Palestinians as potent symbols of the Israeli occupation and could not be protected or even left standing. And so we're seeing very sensitive scenes here over the past few hours as the Palestinian security forces move the civilians out of that synagogue and move their bulldozers in to take away these structures, again, seen as hated symbols of the Israeli occupation.

So these are scenes that are very sensitive to the Palestinian Authority. And also an aspect that's really kind of tainted the sense of victory, the sense of relief amongst the Palestinians that the Israelis are finally gone. They're also saying, of course, that the Israeli occupation has not fully ended because the airspace, the territorial waters, and the borders around Gaza, the access points in and out, are still very much under the observation and the control of the Israeli security forces.

Until that is resolved, the Palestinian authorities say the occupation in Gaza will continue.

Matthew Chance, CNN, in the Netzarim settlement in Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: It is the third day of violence in Belfast, northern Ireland. Hard-line Protestants clashed with police and British troops and littered the streets with burned-out cars today. The violence began Saturday after police prevented Protestants from parading near a hard-line Catholic part of west Belfast. Northern Ireland police say 50 officers have been injured over the last three days.

And still to come on DAYBREAK, remembering 9/11 at Ground Zero four years later. This is a live picture of the lights in New York City today. And what the younger generation is doing to help people who have lost everything to Katrina.

You're watching DAYBREAK for Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And the lights are still on in New York City in honor of the victims of 9/11. And while the nation struggles to recover from Hurricane Katrina, it has paused to remember that other national tragedy, the September 11 attacks.

CNN's Mary Snow reports on the ceremony at ground zero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): September is a difficult month for Michael Kuo. It brings him back to ground zero, the place where his father Fred was killed four years ago, the place where he hopes to preserve his father's memory.

MICHAEL KUO, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: When I'm home I'm there for my mom and then when I get the feeling that she's spooked of my presence because of how much I resemble him, it is something that I kind of wish that I didn't have, because I think that it hurts her.

SNOW: Kuo is among the first 100 9/11 families recording oral histories at a story boot at the Trade Center train station, recordings to be part of a permanent memorial. As Kuo talks to an interviewer, he recalls simple things, the feel of his father's stubble, driving with him in a station wagon and how he showed affection for his mother.

KUO: My dad when we were driving in the car he'd always put his hand on her knee.

SNOW: At times, Kuo has to stop, but he felt it was important to finish.

KUO: I've met a lot of people that have come here to the city to talk to family members like myself or just to express their kind of sympathy for us. And to share. Every time somebody opens themselves up to me, I feel like a richer person because of it.

SNOW: The brainchild behind this project is documentary maker Dave Isay.

DAVE ISAY, FOUNDER, STORY CORPS: The microphone gives people the license to talk about things they might not be comfortable talking about.

SNOW: 9/11 survivors and first responders are also telling their stories.

REV. JAMES HAYS, 9/11 FIRST RESPONDER: My name is Father James Hays. I am 56 years old.

SNOW: Hays is a priest in a Lower Manhattan church just blocks from Ground Zero. The day of the attacks, he went to help.

HAYS: This -- I believe it was a police officer, he yelled in this booming voice, "The town is the tower is coming down." And it was almost as if time stopped.

SNOW: As the first Twin Tower collapsed the huge cloud of dust and debris barreled towards him.

HAYS: I just literally dove like a baseball player. Heading for home plate underneath the front part of the car and just as all that stuff came down.

SNOW: Afterwards, Hays spent weeks at the site morgue, blessing victims.

HAYS: Seeing the body parts and seeing, and then trying to understand that human beings did this to other human beings, it's like totally incomprehensible.

SNOW: Four years later he still struggles with what he witnessed.

HAYS: Jesus says to forgive. I'm not there yet. I'm not there yet. But in a sense the forgiveness takes away from the pain.

SNOW: A pain these story tellers want us never to forget.

Mary Snow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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