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Bird Flu Threat; CENTCOM Says U.S. Helicopter Fired Upon During Relief Operation in Pakistan

Aired November 01, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: Live from CNN Center, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If history is our guide, there is reason to be concerned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Gearing up for a possible pandemic, the U.S. announces a $7 billion plan to battle bird flu.

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Britain remembers, paying homage to the victims of terror.

VERJEE: And the forgotten survivors. How long can Pakistani earthquake victims last without aid?

CLANCY: It's just after 10:00 in the evening in Islamabad. It's 12:00 noon in Washington.

I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Welcome to our viewers throughout the world and in the United States. This is CNN International, and this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: Fears of a global bird flu pandemic are putting governments on notice. Take action now, but be prepared for the worst.

VERJEE: The USA has unveiled a multibillion-dollar national strategy, and disaster experts in Asia have plans to implement several measures to get ahead of a possible crisis.

CLANCY: Now, in just a few minutes, we're going to be talking with an official from the International Health Affairs Division at the U.S. State Department.

VERJEE: U.S. President George W. Bush outlined a $7.1 billion plan to deal with a possible flu pandemic in the United States. Measures include early detection and the purchase of vaccines and antiviral drugs.

Jeanne Meserve joins us now live from Washington with more.

Jeanne, what else did the president say?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Zain, the president says the capacity for detecting a flu pandemic must improve, no matter where in the world it begins. And that plans for responding in the U.S. at the federal, state and local level need to be developed and exercised.

But the fundamental element of the president's plan is his call to modernize and expand vaccine production.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUSH: The cornerstone of our strategy is to develop new technologies that will allow us to produce new vaccines rapidly. If a pandemic strikes our country -- if a pandemic strikes, our country must have a surge capacity in place that will allow us to bring a new vaccine on line quickly and manufacture enough to immunize every American against the pandemic strain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MESERVE: At present, vaccine manufacturers use 1950s production techniques using egg cultures. It is very slow. The president is asking Congress for $2.8 billion to accelerate the development of cutting-edge cell culture technology.

Because it would take likely six months to develop and produce a vaccine against a pandemic flu after it emerges, the president is also calling for the stockpiling of antiviral medicines like Tamiflu. Although its effectiveness against avian flu is not known.

The National Institutes of Health has developed a vaccine that is effective against the current strain of avian flu. Although it may not match the pandemic flu if and when it emerges, it could offer some protection. And so the president is asking for $1.2 billion to buy enough of it to vaccinate 20 million people.

The president emphasized that right now bird flu is primarily an animal disease and it has not been detected here in the U.S.. But as he said, we have been given fair warning that we must prepare for that possibility that it will become a human pandemic.

Some critics are saying that his plan is long overdue and is as yet short on critical details that could determine if it is effective or not -- Zain.

VERJEE: CNN's Jeanne Meserve reporting from Washington.

Thanks, Jeanne -- Jim.

CLANCY: Well, bird flu has been detected in more than a dozen countries now. It of course first showed up in Asia. Many farmers in the region live side by side with their poultry, and that increases the chances of transmitting the disease from birds to humans.

About 120 people have been reported infected across southeast Asia. Roughly half of them have died from the disease.

Now, those statistics are spurring health officials in the Asia- Pacific region to take some action on their own. That challenge for them, to prepare for a possible pandemic without causing panic. That was the focus of a summit that is being held in Australia.

Kim Skubris is there in Brisbane.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KIM SKUBRIS, REPORTER (voice over): The nations they represent are most at risk of a bird flu pandemic. And after two days of talks, APEC delegates amidst some countries in the region are sitting targets.

LEON PROP, INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT: I think there's work to be done at various levels of preparedness, both in the health sector, the agriculture sector, but also in the business sector.

SKUBRIS: But health experts say while the summit highlighted areas where more emergency planning is needed, that doesn't mean the threat of an outbreak is growing. They warn public fear is already strangling countries.

DOUG CHESTER, APEC AMBASSADOR: There is an element of scare mongering that is undermining effective planning in some economies, and it is causing unnecessary economic damage.

SKUBRIS: On their wish list, officials want to put existing pandemic plans to the test in a mock computer exercise early next year. They also support the formation of a rapid response team which will help contain an outbreak in the region and ensure economies don't grind to a standstill.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the key issues is to ensure that there are healthy personnel that can keep those essential services operating.

SKUBRIS: APEC delegates agree early detection is the key to containment, insisting there'll be no cover-ups.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say the message of transparency was clear across the table.

SKUBRIS (on camera): It's now up to APEC's leaders and ministers to debate ideas from this week's discussion. They're expected to sign off on a regional response plan when they meet in South Korea in a fortnight.

Kim Skubris, 7 News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VERJEE: For global response to this threat, we turn now to Dr. Dennis Carroll and Kent Hill. They're with the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Global Health, and they both join us now from Washington.

Gentlemen, thank you very much.

Dr. Dennis Carroll, how long will it take for the United States to be fully prepared to deal with a possible outbreak?

DR. DENNIS CARROLL, U.S. BUREAU OF GLOBAL HEALTH: Well, from an international perspective, we already have activities under way in the most high-risk areas of the world, in southeast Asia. And I think with the budget that President Bush announced this morning, we'll be able to accelerate and expand those activities immediately.

So, I think we're very much on a fast track to being able to respond quickly.

VERJEE: Kent Hill, do you think it's only a matter of time before bird flu gets to the United States? And how long a time frame do you envision that?

KENT HILL, U.S. BUREAU OF GLOBAL HEALTH: The president was very careful this morning to make it clear that we do not have a global pandemic at this point. We don't know when or if one will hit anytime soon.

We only know that based on history, pandemics come every so often. We've had 10 in the last 300 years, we've had three in the last 100 years. So whether it's H5N1 that hits in the next few months or years, or another one, we need to do the preparation regardless.

VERJEE: Dr. Dennis Carroll, the president said the cornerstone here was really developing vaccines, technology rapidly. Give us more detail about that. How do you see that policy unfolding?

CARROLL: Well, as the president discussed on vaccines, clearly the vaccine represents our first line of defense, and our most effective response to any threat posed by influenzas. The vaccine proposal that was presented by the president is intended to dramatically increase the potential for delivery in a very short period of time vaccines that will respond to the specific strain of virus which is threatening the potential of a pandemic.

So, the proposal...

VERJEE: How short a period of time?

CARROLL: Well, we're looking at -- our current capacity is -- to be able to ramp up will take years. The new strategies that were proposed by President Bush today will allow for ramping up in a matter of months, rather than years.

VERJEE: Kent Hill, if there was -- if there was an outbreak today of a pandemic strain of bird flu, how long would it take for us to be able to get a vaccine for everyone?

HILL: Well, one of the problems, of course, is that whatever vaccine we're preparing right now may not be a complete match with what finally hits when it becomes efficient in transmitting human to human. The president this morning indicated that it could take a number of months once the pandemic actually arrive for a totally effective or nearly effective vaccine to be available. But we can improve capacity now. We can do the research. We can move towards cell-based vaccines, and all of that is important.

VERJEE: The president also talked, Dr. Carroll, about the importance and the readiness to respond at federal, state and local levels. Are you confident about that, particularly in light of the post-Katrina disaster scenario?

CARROLL: Well, again, I think it's important to understand that both Dr. Hill and myself represent the international response capability and not specifically the domestic agenda.

VERJEE: Do you think that the international coordination is where it needs to be? And to both of you, what do you think needs to be done -- Dr. Hill.

HILL: Well, you know, in this last delegation trip of HHS, Secretary Leavitt, to Southeast Asia, he brought me as a representative of the United States Agency of International Development. But he also brought with him Dr. Lee, who's head of the WHO. He brought representatives of FAO and other international organizations.

So, the intent is for the United States to cooperate fully with the international efforts in this regard. In fact, cooperation is going to be key to success.

VERJEE: Dr. Carroll.

CARROLL: Well, I would agree. And I think we also heard the president refer to the international partnership for avian and pandemic influenza, which has been a key step towards bringing countries from around the world together to talk about the particular challenges and how to coordinate action.

Held here in Washington a month ago were 83 nations from around the world making commitments to ensure strong coordination. So I think we're moving quickly in the direction of being able to not only respond effectively, but to respond in a highly coordinated way.

VERJEE: Dr. Dennis Carroll and Dr. Kent Hill with the U.S. State Department's Bureau VERJEE: A quick programming note for our international viewers. We'll be taking an of Global Health, speaking to us from Washington.

Thank you so much.

CARROLL: Thank you. in-depth look at the deadly bird flu strain, where did it come from, how can it be treated. Join us on Thursday for "Bird Flu: Preventing a Pandemic."

CLANCY: Well, we're going to take a short break, but thousands of Catholics know November 1 as a day of remembrance for the dead.

VERJEE: We're going to tell you why the city of London is pausing for a moment of silence this day.

And later in the program, an update from the United Nations emergency relief coordinator on dying need for aid.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

At this hour, some three million Pakistanis who live in Kashmir, they might be -- they are Kashmiris in India -- in Pakistani- controlled Kashmir without aid or shelter. Many of them are huddled around fires at this hour. They are wholly dependent in some of the high mountainous areas on helicopters bringing them in assistance.

Now, there are some developments on that story. We want to cross over to Barbara Starr live at the Pentagon. Important developments really for Pakistan and for many of those refugees -- Barbara.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Jim. This entire U.S. military helicopter relief effort for the earthquake victims in Pakistan now today has taken a very difficult turn, if you will.

The United States Central Command just a few moments ago releasing a statement that a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter carrying seven people was fired upon by a rocket-propelled grenade in northern Pakistan. The helicopter was not hit. The helicopter returned to base safely. But this would in fact be the first firing against a U.S. military relief effort since the earthquake.

Now, what we must tell you is the Pakistani army spokesman has put out a statement saying no rocket was fired at a U.S. Chinook helicopter. That indeed Pakistani road engineers were working to clear a landslide, and it was simply a dynamite blast on the road below that the U.S. military air crew misunderstood.

But the U.S. military is saying it debriefed that crew onboard that Chinook helicopter and that the crew reports it experienced turbulence and also an explosion in the air behind the helicopter that leads them to say they very much they were fired upon by a rocket- propelled grenade. Again, that helicopter returning safely to its base in Pakistan -- Jim.

CLANCY: You know, Barbara, some context here, because this is a story that really goes beyond that headline of a U.S. helicopter is fired upon. Al Qaeda, other militant groups that sympathize with al Qaeda, are very active in Kashmir. There's training camps there. They're blamed for all kinds of things.

They have actually been vying to take credit for delivering food aid to a lot of the earthquake victims. And what they are facing is a growing sympathy toward the United States for what it is doing. Does the military see it against that backdrop?

STARR: Oh, absolutely, Jim. In fact, I spoke earlier this week, oddly enough, with a senior Pentagon official who said what they feel they are seeing is just that, a turn by many elements inside Pakistan since the earthquake for perhaps better understanding of the United States and appreciation for the military relief efforts.

That is something that they are tracking very closely, to see whether this becomes a permanent geopolitical shift, if you will. That is something that the U.S. military has been very much aware of. And it manifests itself in this way.

The U.S. military has been running hundreds and hundreds of missions into Pakistan, largely by air, to try and get relief supplies into the stricken area. But they are doing it very cautiously. They are trying to maintain a low profile, because they don't want to provoke any backlash. And they don't want any pressure on President Musharraf's government for becoming too close, if you will, to the United States military at this time.

So they've been going, if you will, with a very, very light touch. And clearly, no one wants this one incident today to be any more than what it was.

Nonetheless, the U.S. military at the highest levels saying it does believe that one of its helicopters was fired upon by a rocket- propelled grenade. No one can say if it's an isolated incident or who might be responsible. But the Pakistani army coming back and saying they do not believe the incident happened, it was all a misunderstanding -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right. Misunderstanding or not, it's one to keep watch on.

Barbara Starr at the Pentagon.

As always, thank you.

VERJEE: Two militant Palestinian commanders have been killed in an air strike in a Gaza refugee camp. Palestinian security sources say an Israeli military aircraft fired a missile on the car in the Jabalya refugee camp. Israel confirms the attack, saying one of the men in the car was a senior al Qaeda militant responsible for attacks against Israelis. Palestinian sources say the other man in the car was a member of the military wing of Hamas.

CLANCY: Well, meantime, Israel's security cabinet approving a plan that would allow Palestinians to move between Gaza and Egypt. Now, that decision comes after U.S. pressures, and it's going to give Palestinians a bit of freedom of movement for the first time in decades.

It is also expected to boost Gaza's economy. The plan calls for the deployment of European inspectors at the Rafa terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border crossing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK REGEV, ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTRY: In fact, there will be third party there to help beef up the Palestinian security presence there. Obviously, there have been problems with the Palestinian security, and we think third-party help, third-party assistance, a third-party presence will in fact be good for everyone involved.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: However, several disputes need to be settled before the border reopens. Israel and the Palestinians still disagree on the authority of the European inspectors. The Palestinians consider them advisers, while Israel wants them to have veto power. There are other issues as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SABRI SEIDAM, PALESTINIAN COMMUNICATIONS MIN.: In the past, we've discussed matters related to the passage of individuals through Rafa. Further meetings will be held to discuss the passage of goods.

Our position is clear on this. The passage of individuals would have to go through Rafa in both directions. The passage of good would have to be -- would have to go through Rafa in one direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VERJEE: Only Palestinians and foreigners with special status, VIPs, business people, aid workers, will be able to pass through Rafa for now.

CLANCY: Well, from the Middle East to London, where St. Paul's Cathedral hosted a memorial service for the victims of the July 7 terror attacks on board London's underground and mass transit system.

Paula Hancocks is outside St. Paul's. She joins us now live -- Paula.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Jim.

Well, it was a moving tribute to those who did lose their lives in the July the 7th attacks. Fifty-two people died, hundreds more were injured.

Now, almost about half of the 2,300 of those who were congregated at St. Paul's Cathedral were either those who had lost relatives and lost loved ones, or those who had been injured themselves in those blasts.

Now, the ceremony was led by Queen Elizabeth II to play tribute to those who did lose their lives, and also to show that there was a sense of unity, not just remembrance, but also unity between different nationalities and between different faiths. This particular attack did not discriminate, said the archbishop of Canterbury. It was not just Londoners who were affected, not just the British who were affected. Many different nationalities lost their lives in the attacks. And also, it was not just one religion who was targeted.

Also, they had four candles which were symbolic of the four different locations which were attacked on July the 7th. Those candles were lit and taken to the altar in St. Paul's Cathedral by members of the emergency services who had been working with the people who have been injured directly after the attacks and also those who have been directly affected as well.

And in addition to that, they did have candles of hope which were lit by young people of very different nationalities and also different religions. Six different religions that they had.

So it really was a sense of remembering those 52 who did die. It was to show that there was unity within Britain, as well as remembrance. But it also was to show the diversity, not just religious, but also culturally within Britain -- Jim.

CLANCY: Paula Hancocks reporting there live from London.

VERJEE: A check of what's topping the news in the United States is up next for our viewers in the U.S.

CLANCY: Now, the rest of us are going to be getting a check of what's moving financial markets.

This is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Daryn Kagan, at CNN Center in Atlanta. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check of the stories making headlines here in the United States.

The U.S. military reports that an American soldier has been killed in Iraq's Anbar province, west of Baghdad. According to the statement, the soldier was attacked to the Marines 155th Brigade Combat Team, and he was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol near Haswa.

Just under one hour from now, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has scheduled a Pentagon briefing. CNN plans live coverage.

President Bush's latest Supreme Court nominee is taking his case to Capitol Hill. Samuel Alito is makes courtesy calls on some senators such as Republican Mike DeWine of Ohio, who will decide whether he should be confirmed as a justice. That debate has already begun.

CNN Chief National Correspondent John King explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: No, no, no. Alito will not save Roe.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Abortion is the first battle line in the nomination fight over Judge Samuel Alito, in part because of his record, in part because of where he would fit in this class photo.

NAN ARON, ALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: He is filling the seat of Sandra Day O'Connor, a moderate justice, a justice in favor of women's rights, civil rights. He is not the right one.

KING: Justice O'Connor is the high court's swing vote on abortion, affirmative action and many other contentious issues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we commit this appointment into your care and keeping.

KING: And in Alito, many conservatives see a chance to realize their long-held goal of shifting the court more reliably to the right.

WENDY LONG, JUDICIAL CONFIRMATION NETWORK: Well, we have no idea how he'll vote in exact abortion cases that will come before the court. But we do know one thing, he will be faithful to the Constitution, and he'll respect the role of people to make laws for themselves, instead of having judges make it up.

KING: In 15 years as a federal judge, Alito has not ruled on a direct challenge to the landmark Roe versus Wade abortion rights case. But he did support a Pennsylvania law requiring women to notify their spouses before an abortion, suggesting he would grant states more powers than O'Connor in restricting abortion access.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: National Organization for Women.

KING: Which is why the National Organization of Women immediately announced its opposition.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're urging everybody to write their senators and express how they feel about this nominee that's anti- choice.

KING: Judge Alito has, however, joined rulings overturning state abortion restrictions for failing to meet Supreme Court tests, and declaring an unborn child is not recognized as a person under the law.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, General Meese, you're on with us? Very good.

ED MEESE, FMR. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Yes, I would just say that I think President Bush has made an outstanding decision in nominating Judge Alito...

KING: Many conservatives say Judge Alito had no choice but to follow precedent in those cases. But a former law clerk says anyone expecting an ideologue on social issues, like abortion and gay rights, is likely to be disappointed. ADAM CIONGOLI, FORMER ALITO LAW CLERK: If they think that this is going to be an opportunity for someone to go in and wholesale change the culture, then they may be looking for somebody else. I mean, Judge Alito is going to be a restrained judge.

KING (on camera): Even if Judge Alito wins Senate confirmation, it won't be in time for next month's arguments on a New Hampshire case involving abortion restrictions. But the issue of whether the states and the federal government can ban late-term abortions is likely to be on the high court docket next year, and could prove the first test of whether an Alito-for-O'Connor swap tilts the court balance in favor of abortion foes.

John King, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: A closer look at President Bush's plan to fight the flu. That's at the top of the hour on "LIVE FROM" with Kyra Phillips.

Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues after a quick break. I'm Daryn Kagan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International. I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Here are some of the top stories we're following. U.S. President George W. Bush has just unveiled the $7.1 billion initiative for possible bird flu pandemic. The plan calls for early detection worldwide and the stockpiling of flu vaccines and anti-viral drugs.

APEC disaster experts say they plan to implement measures to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic. The plan calls for early detection worldwide, and the stockpiling of flu vaccines and antiviral drugs. APEC disaster experts say they plan to implement measures to prepare for a possible bird flu pandemic. The steps include mock disaster drills and quick response team to assist countries in need.

CLANCY: Palestinian security sources say Israel has killed two militant commanders in an airstrike in a Gaza refugee camp. One from the Al Oxa (ph) Martyrs Brigade; another one, importantly, from Hamas that's vowing revenge. Witnesses say Israeli aircraft fired on the car in which two men were riding. Meantime, Israeli security cabinet approved a plan that would allow Palestinians to move between Gaza and Egypt. It calls for the deployment of European inspectors at the Rafa (ph) border crossing.

VERJEE: Conflicting reports coming out of Pakistan about a dangerous situation involving the earthquake relief effort. Our Barbara Starr reported from the Pentagon just a short while ago that the U.S. Central Command says a military helicopter carrying seven people was fired upon. But a Pakistani army spokesman says the crew reacted to a dynamite blast on a road below, in an effort to clear a road.

CLANCY: Let's get some more on Islamabad's response to the U.S. Central Command report. We're joined on the telephone line now by Pakistan's army spokesman, General Shauket Sultan in Islamabad.

General, tell me, if you will, where did this happen and why are you convinced that it was just road-clearing dynamite?

GEN. SHAUKET SULTAN, PAKISTAN ARMY SPOKESMAN: This incident took place at 1:45 p.m. Pakistan local time when there were two Chinook helicopters flying from (INAUDIBLE) toward Chipotley (ph) along the road. And somewhere near Chipotley, this incident took place when one helicopter had gone past and the -- there was a dynamite blast on the road. And the second helicopter immediately took a turn and it went back.

The ground crew was immediately alerted when the pilot reported that he had been fired upon by a rocket. The unit on the ground immediately surrounded the area, they carried out the investigation. And the statement of the eyewitnesses of both military, as well as civilians, that it was dynamite fired by the engineers who are clearing the road. And there was no evidence of a rocket fired at that time.

CLANCY: But at the same time, there are militant groups there that -- there have been steps taken by your military, haven't there, to help ensure the safety of those helicopters because of a perceived anti-American threat?

SULTAN: Yes, the government of Pakistan has taken all the steps that it can do ensure the security of the foreign -- particularly the -- all the foreign, as well as the friendly people who are helping us at this difficult moment. We have taken all the possible steps. And let me also tell you that banned militant organizations have not been allowed to function in the area. Yes, there are other people who are busy in the relief activities at this moment, and we don't think that anyone would indulge in such irresponsible acts at this stage.

CLANCY: General Shauket Sultan, a spokesman for Pakistan's military. I want to thank you very much, General, for joining us here on YOUR WORLD TODAY -- Zain.

VERJEE: Jim, there's a rush to get more tents, food and medicine to victims of the South Asia's earthquake before the weather worsens. The brutal Himalayan winter is fast approaching the mountainous region of Kashmir and with it comes more misery for the homeless survivors of last month's quake.

The United Nations says an estimated 800,000 people still lack any form of shelter, and more than two million will need food aid through the winter. The U.N. says it's received less than a quarter of the $550 million needed for quake victims. Pakistan is hosting a donor's conference on reconstruction in Islamabad this month. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is among those expected to attend the event on the 19th of November.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CLANCY: For the latest on the efforts to help the quake victims across the region, we've got Stan Grant on the line here. Stan, you have been huddled alongside scores of people who have lit bonfires because they have nowhere else to go tonight. What's the situation? What is their outlook?

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The outlook is very gloomy, Jim, to put it simply, and it is very cold. It's getting colder by the day. Already they're in subzero temperatures here tonight, and I can tell you right now standing out here, is the cold is indeed biting.

And people are taking shelter wherever they can. These are people who have lost their homes and they do not have yet tents, certainly not in sufficient number to house all of the people and certainly not the right types of tents, if indeed they have them. At best, they are make-shift tents that they're trying to seek shelter in. Some even seeking shelter in some of the houses, the ruins left from the houses that have been destroyed.

So a very, very desperate situation here. You're talking about old people, you're talking about children. These are among the 200,000 people who have received little or no aid. And as we heard Gusuma (ph) saying there, snow is coming soon. The roads will be blocked. It will be eve more difficult to get those necessary things to sustain life to them -- Jim.

CLANCY: Just what is their food situation? And are they planning on just walking out of this, going to lower elevations where you just simply won't be as cold?

GRANT: It's difficult. You know, I'm 8,000 feet above sea level here. It is a long way to any nearby town. It took us almost five hours to drive from Bague (ph), which is probably the nearest largest area. And that, of course, has been hard-hit by the earthquake and having their own issues and struggling to recover there alone. It is very difficult to find refuge. It is very difficult for anyone to even get in here. The roads are virtually impassible.

Now so far as the food situation is concerned, they do have some food. They do grow corn and the like here, and they are getting by, but they are very meager supplies at best. They simply don't have enough. What they do have, they are sharing, but it is a very, very bleak outlook. I spoke to a lady who lost her husband. She has four children. She has no home. She has nowhere to go. She said the snow is coming, and she does not know what her future holds -- Jim.

CLANCY: A lot of uncertainty, and it may BE just A prelude to another major tragedy.

Stan Grant right there in the heart of Kashmir reporting to us on the line there.

Stan, as always, thank you so much.

Let's turn -- let's get another view in all of this and try to understand what's going on in the earthquake-zone region, why we should be concerned. The U.N. has a man who's in charge of these emergency humanitarian relief affairs, and that man is Jan Egeland. He joins us from live the United Nations.

How would you -- you just got back, didn't you? How long has been it been since you were there?

JAN EGELAND, U.N. HUMANITARIAN RELIEF COORDINATOR: I was there about 10 days ago in Kashmir. I travelled within the first week, and I could see firsthand all of the things that your reporter is now confirming again.

CLANCY: The situation doesn't seem to be improving. The aid money that's been pledged doesn't seem to be coming. Do you have any understanding why?

EGELAND: Well, the situation is improving in the sense that we now have 140,000 tents delivered to the people, but the extent of this disaster is mind-boggling. Three million people spread over the Himalaya Mountains need assistance immediately. So even though 100 international organizations, along with the Pakistani government and the Pakistani army, is doing a heroic effort to reach all of these people, it's too slow compared to the challenge of having the winter start in weeks in from now.

CLANCY: Starting in weeks from now. Some people say that, you know, for the news media, for a lot of people around the world, this event is over. It's already out of mind?

EGELAND: Yes, that's part of the problem. We did not get the same attention to the Kashmir earthquake as we could benefit from in the tsunami. We have not had the same donor generosity and the same donor speed as we could benefit from in that emergency. This has been a bad year in the sense that of one emergency, one disaster after another. But it is not a good consolation for people now freezing in the Himalayan mountains that the world did good in the tsunamis. The world has to respond according to needs. And now, at the moment, we are behind in reaching three million people before it starts to snow.

CLANCY: Now we have this day been following closely the fact that the U.S. military and other countries are contributing helicopters that are so essential to get the aid in there. What are the hopes, what is the outlook for these three million people that are affected, especially the hundreds of thousands that are at the higher elevations In Kashmir?

EGELAND: Well, the United Nations has a flash plan. We have (INAUDIBLE). We asked for $550 million. In that appeal, we've asked for scores of new helicopters that we could rent tomorrow. The reality is that we may have to ground those helicopters we are presently using for lack of funding. We have $131 million pledged or committed today. We need $550 million all together, and it shouldn't be difficult for the world, in Europe, in the Americas, in the Gulf countries, in Asia, to give more in time.

CLANCY: How desperate is the situation? How much time do you have?

EGELAND: Well, we need all of -- to get these resources yesterday. Still, we have a few more weeks. I've asked our teams on the ground, and we have hundreds of people now dedicated, internationals and nationals, in it's earthquake-stricken zones, to come out with a plan for how much can be done before the mid-November and before the end of November. And they say, still, we can do a lot more, a lot more if we have enough resources. But then the world has to respond more generously. Inside of our flash appeal. The world has pledged more than $1 billion altogether. But much of that is for construction, and it's no good for pledge money for reconstruction if people die before you reconstruct.

CLANCY: All right. Jan Egeland, you described how you have the plan, you have funding mapped out, you're waiting for donations. They're not coming. The time is running out. You have a matter, as you noted, of weeks before large numbers of people could be freezing to death in the dark across mountainous regions of Kashmir. What's your next move?

EGELAND: Well, I'm not giving up, nor are the hundreds of relief workers that the United Nations has on the ground, that hundreds of non-governmental organizations working with us have on the ground. And we will have new meetings with donors on all continents, and we are hopeful that they will respond. We're not going to ground the helicopters before we have no funding available. And I cannot believe that the world will not respond more generously. And we need you, the media, to follow this, as you did in the tsunami.

CLANCY: Jan Egeland, the U.N.'s humanitarian relief coordinator, I want to thank you very much for joining us here from U.N. headquarters.

VERJEE: Walking a fine line in an effort to root out insurgents.

CLANCY: Still to come here on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we're going to take you to an area of northern Iraq that is known to some as the "Triangle of Death." We're going to explain that when we come back.

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VERJEE: Welcome back. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY here on CNN International. It is a live hour of International News, broadcast both in the United States and around the world. It's one of a kind.

Hundreds of Syrians took to the streets on Tuesday, a day after the United Nations Security Council passed a tough resolution against their country. Demonstrators held banner, some of which said, "We have nothing to hide," while patriotic songs blared from a loudspeaker. In a 15-0 vote, the U.N. Security Council ordered Damascus to cooperate fully in the investigation into the assassination of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, or face further action. A U.N.-sponsored probe implicates top Syrian officials in Hariri's murder.

The U.N. also says Syria was not cooperating fully in the probe. Syria says it was. Damascus has consistently denied all the charges in that report.

U.S. officials have announced one of the latest casualties of the war in Iraq was a commander of a battalion that was trying to root out insurgents in Iraq's northern Babil province.

As Aneesh Raman reports, Colonel William Wood is still motivating his soldiers, even after his death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here, Strobol (ph), listen up, please.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN BAGHDAD CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Like the soldiers he commands, Lieutenant Colonel Ross Brown suits up daily, trying to rid his area of roadside bombs.

LT. COL. ROSS BROWN, U.S. ARMY: Whenever you roll out of the gate, and you're out there operating, and you don't know if you're going to hit one of these or not.

RAMAN: The first stop today is Route Tampa, some of the worst stretch of highway in what's called the triangle of death, where these stall owners, Brown is told, are aware of impending attack.

BROWN: Did you know in advance that the IED was going to go off?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

BROWN: Tell him to look me in the eye and tell me that again. He's lying.

RAMAN: It a fine line to walk, routing out information without creating new enemies, battling an insurgency that kills at will, that turns civilians into accomplices.

BROWN: They're scared to death. I think they see us as temporary, and they've got to live with those people forever.

RAMAN: Finding friends locally seems the toughest part of Brown's strategy, but his next task proves just as difficult.

(on camera): Here, the lieutenant colonel has stopped at one of the firm bases, one of the areas that Iraqis are manning their own position.

(voice-over): The commander on duty emerges out of uniform, and the lieutenant colonel struggles to find progress.

BROWN: They didn't do too much work yesterday. They didn't do too much work the day before. They haven't done too much work since they've been here.

RAMAN: Brown is unsure if this unit can survive an insurgent attack, uncertainty shared by the U.S. forces as well, each soldier with his own way to cope.

BROWN: Hey Morales (ph), you carry anything special with you on mission to help you out?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger. I carry my wedding ring, a bracelet my wife sent me, carry the Bible, Psalms 91.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A patron angel, archangel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I carry a this little packet my kids gave me. See what my daughter -- "Daddy, I love you, I miss you. Be safe. Come home ASAP." Isn't that cool?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, let's go.

RAMAN: Overhead, helicopters are responding to an IED attack that killed Colonel William Wood, the highest ranking officer to die in combat in Iraq, a personal friend of Brown's, an added personal reason why tomorrow, he'll be suiting up again.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Northern Babil Province.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Well, Americans don't seem to be overly joyed or thrilled about it, but Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla officially starting their eight-day visit to the United States today.

VERJEE: It's their first stop. New York City is the first one where the couple will unveil a memorial to British victims of the September 11th terror attack. Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will also dine at the White House with the president and Mrs. Bush.

CLANCY: Now a little bit later, Zain, I understand that they're actually going down to New Orleans to visit that ravaged city. They're also going to visit Baghdad by the Bay -- that's San Francisco, out on the West Coast in California. While they'll be well-received by officialdom, the question is, just how are ordinary Americans going to respond? Thus far, things have not been auspicious.

VERJEE: Yes, I mean, for example, a line of police officers stood by stiffly at the New York Memorial, but only a few ordinary New Yorkers waited there. Many of them were just out to get coffee, not really to see and revel in the delight of being around the royals.

CLANCY: Well, so they are royals, and a lot of people will come to visit them.

VERJEE: You think?

CLANCY: Well, it's interesting to note that they're going to New Orleans. I think that's kind of moving. And they didn't have to do that.

VERJEE: They didn't have to. But what will inevitably happen is comparisons to Diana.

CLANCY: Well, all right. That's a bit of YOUR WORLD TODAY. I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. Stay with us.

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