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U.S. Troops Help Iraqi Baby Travel to Atlanta For Life-Saving Surgery; Coast-To-Coast Severe Weather

Aired December 30, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning to you. It's Friday. I'm Miles O'Brien. We're glad you're with us.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR, AMERICAN MORNING: Oh, happy Friday. I'm Carol Costello. Soledad has the morning off.

O'BRIEN: Firefighters gained some ground in Oklahoma and Texas, but conditions are even worse now. More than 300 homes, 35,000 acres burned. A full report is ahead.

Preparing for an awful wave of storms in California, landslides already, more a possibility. It could rain for 24 hours, with another storm after that.

COSTELLO: And a chaotic scene in Egypt. Security forces move in on a group of refugees, 10 are dead, 30 hurt.

And the story we brought you earlier this week, right now a critically sick baby, Baby Noor is on her way from Baghdad, to America, for some much needed medical help. An exclusive report for you ahead.

And we start right there. Baby Noor is on her way. That three- month old Iraqi girl who captured the hearts of several American soldiers, is leaving Iraq just about now. Heading to Kuwait, her final destination a children's hospital in Atlanta. The hopes of her family, surgery and a chance at life for her. Jennifer Eccleston is following the story from Baghdad.

Jennifer, what exactly are the travel plans?

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol. You're right, Baby Noor begins her road to survival this morning.

She's about to leave Baghdad on that military aircraft with her father and her grandmother and she'll travel to Kuwait, and then it's onward to the United States, to Atlanta, as you mentioned. Where she'll undergo treatment for a spinal cord defect known as spinal bifida. Well, the three-month old will receive this life-saving treatment at an Atlanta children's hospital completely free of charge.

Now, her incredible story began three weeks ago after a U.S. military raid on her home in the Abu Ghraib district outside of Baghdad. During that raid her uncle was detained. And then shortly after, members of the Georgia National Guard and the 10th Mountain Division, a group out of Upstate New York, entered her home for a follow up search, where they discovered the sick infant.

Now, they were so moved by her state that a mission began to get desperately needed medical attention, that was unavailable here in Iraq, that would actually save her life. And that mission included getting passports for Noor and her family and securing a visa to the United States.

Now, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Dalme Kalizhad (ph), was personally petitioned by Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss, among others, to speed up the visa process and that happened yesterday and set in motion today's trip -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Tell us the lengths -- I mean, I know that the family, Noor's family had to be kept anonymous because they were afraid that other Iraqi's might retaliate because she was getting -- because the parents were getting some American help. So, how did they finagle all of this and get the baby out of the country with not many people knowing, within Iraq?

ECCLESTON: Well, yes, it might be helpful to clear up that, to paint a picture. Of course, this is a joyous moment for their family. Clearly, the daughter is about to receive life-saving treatment, heading off to the United States for surgery that they just couldn't get here. Not only could they not get it, but they just simply couldn't afford it. So, again, the family is clearly overjoyed.

But we are in Iraq, and this is -- these are very tenuous times here, very dangerous times with the insurgency that is raging throughout the country and sadly any association with the American military here is an association with danger. So, it was clearly a quite impressive journey to get the family to the U.S. military base, first, and then to the United States, which is happening today -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Eccleston, live in Baghdad. Thank you. The story is tugging at the hearts strings of so many people. Be sure to join us this weekend as we watch it unfold. We'll talk live with a member of one of several groups helping the soldiers keep their promise to help this child. The faith-based Child Spring International, live this weekend, in "Faces of Faith" on "CNN Sunday Morning". That will come your way at 8 o'clock Eastern.

O'BRIEN: Rain, snow, wind, and fire, the weather is the big story out West as we're head into the holiday weekend. They're handing out sandbags in Northern California, to hold back swollen rivers. Some flooding is already reported and more could be coming with the big rain. A new storm hitting right now could go on for another 24 hours. The storms this week have already caused some massive mudslides, blocking roads, leaving cars and truck stuck in the mud.

Farther east, in the Rockies, it is high winds and snow causing all the problems. A huge storm and winds gusting to 75 miles an hour, making for some severe traffic headaches in Colorado.

In Texas and Oklahoma it is going to be hot, dry and windy; perfect fire conditions once again. Those states are in the middle of a full blown battle with brushfires now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like a firestorm. I've never seen anything like this.

O'BRIEN (voice over): New fires galloped across Oklahoma Thursday. And firefighters were hard pressed to reign them in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have fires working in four different Oklahoma counties and we are sending Black Hawk helicopters in and Chinook helicopters equipped with buckets to provide aerial suppressions in those locations.

O'BRIEN: The main ingredients are still here. Strong winds and dry brush. The tally so far, five dead, 200 homes destroyed, amid more than 30,000 acres of scorched grassland in Oklahoma and Texas since Tuesday.

Texas Governor Rick Perry got a first-hand look at the hardest hit area, Cross Plains, Texas, a town of 1,000; 159 homes up in smoke.

GOV. RICK PERRY (TEXAS): There are a lot of families in this community that are without, without a home.

O'BRIEN: It comes during the worst drought in decades. And with the new year looming this weekend, there is another fear, that celebrations could spark even more fires. Authorities are asking people to skip the fireworks.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just need to be very careful in our outdoor activities. The slightest cigarette butt can create such a small spark, but it can create such a large fire and a major tragedy for someone.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: So private use of fireworks banned in Oklahoma and Texas. The restrictions are different from county to county. We'll go live to the fire line in Oklahoma in just a few moments.

So, let's check in on the weather, Jacqui Jeras is our firecracker weather forecaster at the Weather Center.

Good morning, Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST, AMERICAN MORNING: Good morning, Miles.

We are worried about fire weather conditions again today. But more concern about what's going to be happening on Sunday.

We have a weather system pulling through the nation's midsection right now. That is bringing a northerly wind across this region. And the Storm Prediction Center has highlighted this red area across central and southern Oklahoma, northern parts of Texas. That is what we call a critical fire weather area, because of the dry tinder conditions, low humidity today of 20 to 30 percent. Winds will be about 5 to 10 m.p.h., maybe as much as 15 sustained. But gusts could reach 20, 25 m.p.h., this afternoon.

By Sunday, we're talking about 40 m.p.h. gusts, returning to the area and that is just going to be a very, very bad situation there.

There you can see our West Coast storm, it has arrived. We're looking at the wet weather from around the San Francisco Bay Area, on northward. Very strong winds should be arriving by late this afternoon and into this evening. It could get as high as 60 m.p.h.

The East, you've got a little system that is starting to pull on out of here. Now, still a few sprinkles around Boston, extending on through New England. And we could see some delays because of the winds left behind from that storm -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, talking about the winds, Jacqui, let's get an update for what's happening in Oklahoma right now. New fires are starting up there. Firefighters in 22 counties have been battling the blazes for three days and they're absolutely exhausted.

KWTV's Doug Warner is in Oklahoma City.

Doug, bring us up to date. What's the latest?

DOUG WARNER, KWTV REPORTER: They are back out here again. We've got fire crews that have been patrolling these roads much like you would see city police officers. Fortunately, a lot of people for this area where yesterday's fires sparked up, and this fire that is still working behind me here, sparked up, they've got a fire station that is not even a mile from here, fortunate for this homeowner.

I think we have some video here from this fire that sparked not only just 30 minutes ago. This homeowner was inside his house and had no idea the barn behind his home has started fire. This all is, again, is originating in about the same area that these fires started yesterday.

And he says that he's thinking these firefighters, saying that they saved his life. He had no idea his barn in the back was on fire; they got him out of his house. Got some water on that barn as well as water on the house, as well, to protect it.

The winds, this morning, blowing in a completely different direction. Yesterday, primarily, they were blowing to the north, scorched at least a couple 1,000 acres. Took out a number of out buildings, not too many. Threatened a number of homes, took out one home, we do believe that home was vacant. Fortunately, no one seriously injured.

The problem today, is again, no rain and the winds are blowing in a completely opposite directions. So these firefighters are going to be on the line once again this morning. Back to you.

COSTELLO: OK, Doug, I can't help but notice, it seems to be -- there seems to be a fire burning right behind you. I can see the glow.

WARNER: Yes, that's the fire, those crews have been out here for the last 45 minutes. It started with a barn structure back there. In fact, it even seems to be growing in size as we stand here. Now it's working its way to the south, toward the street that we're on right now.

COSTELLO: OK, so you be careful out there. Doug Warner, from KWTV, thanks for joining us.

O'BRIEN: We'll it's a little after 6, do you know where your 16-year old is? How about Iraq? Farris Hassan, of Fort Lauderdale, an American of Iraq descent wanted to go to that very dangerous place, just to see what its all about.

So, he hoped on a plane and began a wild adventure that could have easily been his last. To say the least, kids, don't try this at home. Evan Bacon (ph) of CNN affiliate WFOR with the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

EVAN BACON (ph), REPORTER, WFOR TV: Doctor Redha Hassan has spent the last 40 years fighting and resisting Saddam Hussein, both in and out of Iraq. So, when his 15-year-old son Farris told him he wanted to go there, Dad naturally was a bit skeptical.

DR. REDHA HASSAN, FATHER: I said, I'll be glad to help you. I will take you with me next time I go, on your summer break.

BACON (ph): But Ferris had no intention of waiting till summer. He got a passport and took off to Iraq, on his own, on December 11, while his dad was returning from out of the country.

R. HASSAN: He didn't realize that on the ground, seeing the flesh and the blood, being spilled, and limbs all over, by suicide bombers.

BACON (ph): No doubt this journalist to-be is getting the story of a lifetime, but his dad won't be able to rest until his boy is back home safe and sound.

R. HASSAN: He wishes he could stay longer, but he has to come back to school. He's afraid that his intentions and his motives and his action is misunderstood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Farris Hassan is expected to return to classes after the new year holiday. He should have some very interesting stories to tell, you might say.

COSTELLO: I'll betcha.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, security worries force the shutdown of a U.S. embassy overseas. We'll have details for you on that, straight ahead.

O'BRIEN: Plus, a big development in that detainee hunger strike in Guantanomo Bay. We have a live report with the situation on the latest on the situation there.

COSTELLO: And later, a cruel winter in the mountains of Pakistan. Doctor Sanjay Gupta tells us about the greatest threat facing millions of earthquake victims. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 6:14 Eastern. In the headlines, this morning, a violent confrontation between police and Sudanese refugees. Egyptian troops fired water cannons at hundreds of Sudanese men, women, and children. They had refused to leave a makeshift campsite near the United Nations offices in Cairo.

Armed police then stormed the camp, which is only about the size of a tennis court, but at one point had 2,000 people living in it. At least 10 refugees were killed; dozens more injured.

The U.S. embassy in Malaysia is on alert today. The building in Kuala Lumpur has been closed indefinitely because of security concerns. Officials say not to panic, there is no credible threat against Americans there.

A New York City woman is shot dead while looking out of her fifth floor apartment window. According to prosecutors, a soldier on leave from the Army was drinking in the neighborhood, when he fired a couple of rounds into the air. A stray bullet struck Celina Achfeld (ph) in the head. The mother of two died instantly. The soldier is being charged with second-degree manslaughter.

New details emerging about the suspects in those Christmas Day shootings outside of Washington. Police say they have connected 27- year-old Nathan Cheatham to two other shootings that took place four days earlier. It is believed that Cheatham and a man who would later become one of his victims, shot at another home in the area.

No one was hurt in that incident, but investigators believe Cheatham was growing concerned about being caught for those shootings. Cheatham is suspected of fatally shooting four people, including his mother, before killing himself on Christmas morning.

Some 300 people are back at New York's JFK Airport for take two. They were aboard a London-bound British Airways jet last night. One of the 747's engines caught fire shortly after take off.

Witnesses report seeing a giant fire ball; the pilot released some chemicals and put out the flames in mid air. The jet landed safely about 10 minutes later. Oh, gosh, that would be scary. No word on what started the fire.

And world cup skiing underway in Italy this week. And here's proving the sport can be challenging even for the pro -- Oh!

(LAUGHTER)

The already tough, 2.3-mile track was made even worse by strong sunlight. Skiers bumping and crashing into one another.

O'BRIEN: Worse by strong sunlight? What do you mean by that?

COSTELLO: Well, it got in your eyes. They couldn't see.

O'BRIEN: I'm sure they have visors.

COSTELLO: They were sun-blinded.

O'BRIEN: Oh, oh! Oh!

COSTELLO: You try it, Miles.

(LAUGHTER)

One skier even had to be air-lifted.

O'BRIEN: I can do that. I can do that, for sure.

COSTELLO: Oh, my gosh. As far as the actual games --

O'BRIEN: He's still going!

COSTELLO: I know, well, you can't stop once you fall.

As far as the actual games, it was American Darrin Rawls (ph), who took the lead. His time, just under one minute, 58 seconds. Now that's a pretty run. Whew!

Hey, Jacqui, how's it going.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

O'BRIEN: You know on Wall Street they talk about those triple-witching days? It is for you: It's payday, it's Friday, and it's a vacation day. It's triple -- actually, that's not witching though.

(LAUGHTER)

It's triple.

COSTELLO: That's a trifecta, baby.

O'BRIEN: That's a trifecta. But Carrie Lee is here --

CARRIE LEE, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: A perfect storm of good things, right?

O'BRIEN: To talk about the Dow, and the last day of trading.

LEE: And I'll tell you, Miles and Carol, a lot of people are going to be happy this year is over.

What a lackluster 2005 for the Dow Jones industrials. We did see some selling yesterday. All of the major market indices ending in the red. The Dow down a little bit. And for the year -- you can see, there is a look at yesterday's action -- for the year the Dow right now is higher by just 1 point. So, pretty much as flat as you can get. Nasdaq, S&P up 2 and 3.5 percent.

Now, we are expecting a weaker start for Wall Street today. If the Dow Jones industrials can end the year on a positive note, we'll have three for three. That is the Dow, Nasdaq, S&P, all gaining ground for three years in a row. But if we see selling today, well, we could very well end on a not so bright note. So, we'll see what happens once trading gets underway. Looks like some red arrows.

COSTELLO: You know, Carrie and I were in the make up room this morning, together.

O'BRIEN: That sounds like fun.

COSTELLO: Being made beautiful by very talented people.

O'BRIEN: Powdering your noses?

COSTELLO: We're very lucky --

LEE: Took a couple of hours for us -- no, just kidding.

COSTELLO: Right.

(LAUGHTER)

But we came up with a great idea for Intel. So share.

LEE: That's right. Intel is changing the way it does business. Now, we've seen other companies do this. What they want to do is get out of the computer and into our living rooms, focusing less on chips, more on digital entertainment hubs. We've seen this coming from companies like Gateway, not very successful there. Dell, mixed results. Intel, part of this change is it is going to change it logo from Intel Inside, to Leap Ahead. Now, I think Intel Inside the home would be good.

COSTELLO: Intel inside the home.

O'BRIEN: Yeah, I mean. Leap -- Intel Inside, that is like a money in the bank kind of brand name.

LEE: Exactly, you're extending on it. People are familiar with it. Leap Ahead, I think it's a little vague. But, anyway, we'll get some more details on their plan next week in Las Vegas. And, there is some talk that they might have some synergies with Apple. You know, their video iPod and all of this stuff.

O'BRIEN: Interesting.

COSTELLO: Intel, if you're listening.

LEE: Yeah. Intel, by the way, in the Dow, up 7 percent, so one of the better performers this year.

O'BRIEN: All right. Thank you, Carrie.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Carrie.

LEE: OK.

COSTELLO: Coming up, think the U.S. relies too much on foreign oil? Willy Nelson has an alternative fuel for you. Accept it might make your car smell like French fries. That's next.

O'BRIEN: What's wrong with that.

COSTELLO: Actually, nothing!

O'BRIEN: That's a good thing.

COSTELLO: That's next in "Morning Coffee".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: No, she's not the only one. Carol Costello, thinking about all the fun she's going to have on the big V, vacation coming up.

COSTELLO: That's all I can think about.

O'BRIEN: How about a morning latte, first. Before you go?

COSTELLO: OK.

O'BRIEN: I'll pay for the latte this morning.

COSTELLO: It is my last gift to you, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Thank you so much.

COSTELLO: And to all of you.

Hey, baby boomers, you turn 60 in 2006, at least some of you. Do you believe that? The very first baby boomers, the very first batch of 'em will turn 60. Kathleen Casey Kurschling (ph) was born one second after midnight in 1946. She is officially the first baby boomer.

O'BRIEN: Baby boomer number one. There she is.

COSTELLO: She is baby boomer number one. She's going to be turning 60, so the baby boomers will be hitting the big 60 at nearly 8,000 a day, 330 every hour, will turn 60. So, 79 million babies were born between 1946 and 1964. By 2031, the entire baby boomer generation will be 65. The first --

O'BRIEN: And we will be broke, trying to keep their Social Security payments going, right?

COSTELLO: That's right. And that's a real concern.

O'BRIEN: Think about it. Yes.

COSTELLO: The younger generation doesn't like us much. First baby boomer will be on "CNN Live Today", by the way, Monday at 10 Eastern. She has so many interesting things to say.

O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: She truly has lived the typical baby boomer life.

O'BRIEN: You really want to be the first on a thing like that. We're kind of on the tail end of the baby boom, so we've been shafted all along. Real Estate, everything, you name it.

COSTELLO: You'd think she'd get a grand prize, but she didn't.

O'BRIEN: Something, some sort of parting gift.

COSTELLO: Here's a novel way to deal with a drunken abusive airline passenger, just dump him off in a desert island and just leave him there. This actually happened. Monarch Airlines (ph), this guy was drunk, he turned on the crew and then he turned on the --

O'BRIEN: What a parachute? What did they do?

COSTELLO: No, they actually landed on this very teeny tiny island or Porto Santo. We had trouble finding it on our Google map, but we tried our best. We think its 30 miles off the coast of Portugal. See it? The X there?

O'BRIEN: That's all you can do, Ted Fines (ph), is give us that?

COSTELLO: That's it.

O'BRIEN: That's all he could do. Ted is the best with Google map.

COSTELLO: That's how remote it is. There are only 4,000 people who live on this island and the plane made a special landing, delaying the passengers some four hours, but they did not mind. That's how bad this guy was. So the only way he can get off of this island is to take a two-and-a-half-hour ferry trip to Madeira. And then he has to book a return flight back to Britain. So, it will take him a long time and a lot of money -- and the airline might charge him for the detour.

O'BRIEN: Will he get his frequent flyer mileage?

COSTELLO: Somehow I don't think so.

O'BRIEN: OK.

COSTELLO: Willie Nelson, he's got a brand new career. Now he's selling fuel. He's making biofuel; it's made from any number of crops. Lots of businesses and local governments are switching to it. The singer calls it Biowillie.

Fill me up on some of that there, Biowillie.

And they say Biowillie smells like exactly like French fries.

O'BRIEN: They have to work on the name. The smell sounds great though.

COSTELLO: It does, doesn't it?

O'BRIEN: It would be bad for your diet, though.

COSTELLO: Nelson says it not only helps the farmers but it is an anti-war statement. So it's a double whammy according to Willie Nelson. He says why not grow our own fuel instead of starting wars elsewhere.

O'BRIEN: Well, then we'd have to invade Nebraska, to get the corn, right?

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: It's true. I never thought of that.

O'BRIEN: Well, it's just a thought.

COSTELLO: I'll pass it along to Willie.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, for an excellent latte.

O'BRIEN: Parting gift for us.

COSTELLO: Anytime.

O'BRIEN: All right. Coming up, on the program, it is not quite baby new year, but pretty darn cute, nonetheless. A peak at the new arrival --

COSTELLO: Oh, a panda.

O'BRIEN: You're panda-nutty.

COSTELLO: I'm panding out.

(LAUGHTER)

O'BRIEN: OK, we'll check in with pandas, only because they are gratuitously cute.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: That's it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Get the latest news every morning in your e-mail. Sign up for a AMERICAN MORNING quick news, at CNN.com/am. And what you would find out if you were a subscriber to that this morning is, the weather.

COSTELLO: The weather is nasty, isn't it?

O'BRIEN: Let's talk about California, first of all, begin there and move our way across. More rain on its away. It could rain for -- at least a 24-hour period, eight inches of rain, three-feet of snow in the Sierra, mudslides as a result. All kinds of problems.

And then as we move toward Oklahoma, just the opposite problem. Huge drought conditions there.

COSTELLO: Oh, but take a look at Colorado.

O'BRIEN: Oh, yeah.

COSTELLO: Snow.

O'BRIEN: I skipped over to Oklahoma without giving you Colorado. The point is, not a good weekend to be traveling on this holiday weekend and maybe not a good weekend to be standing outside, watching for things to drop, like we do when one year leads to another -- for reasons I don't understand.

Anyway, we'll keep you posted on all of this. Stay with us for more AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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