Return to Transcripts main page

Your World Today

European Union Bails Out Palestinian Authority; Ministers Set Deadline for Ratko Mladic Handover; Daytime Curfew Lifted in Baghdad

Aired February 27, 2006 - 12:00   ET

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

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A full plate. The European Union bails out the Palestinian Authority and warns Serbia to turn over its most wanted war crimes suspect or risk a freeze on its membership bid.
ZAIN VERJEE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Taiwan's president scraps a panel designed to bring about unification with China. We'll talk with James Lilley, the former U.S. ambassador to Beijing.

CLANCY: And rising from the ruins. A group of Mississippi residents and their floats make it to Mardi Gras.

It's 11:00 in the morning on the city of New Orleans, one day before Fat Tuesday, 1:00 in the morning in Taipei, Taiwan, right now.

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.

A hundred and forty-three million dollars, that's how much emergency money the European Union's giving to Palestinians to help prevent what could be a total financial collapse.

For more now, let's go to our European political editor, Robin Oakley, who's in London.

Robin, why did the EU decide to do this?

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Basically, Zain, because they've spent the last 10 years investing in the Palestinian Authority and because many of the EU countries fear that if the Palestinian Authority was allowed to collapse into economic chaos that would not only be a humanitarian disaster but a massive blow to the peace process. But, of course, at the same time, the European Union is trying to tread a very careful tightrope because, along with the United States, Russia, and the United Nations, the three other members of the quartet driving the peace process, it has subscribed publicly to the idea that there can be no cooperation with Hamas, the election victors in Palestine, until Hamas recognizes the state of Israel, renounces violence, and accepts the previous steps in the peace process. So at the moment, the EU is stressing that all the money which it is giving, or virtually all the money which it is giving to help the short-term situation is going to pass through other hands -- 60 million of the 120 million euros. That's $140 million -- 60 million of that goes directly through a U.N. relief agency, 40 million will go directly to pay electricity bills.

But that won't go to the Palestinian Authority. They will hand over the bills and the EU will pay the money directly to the utilities, whether they're Israeli or Palestinian -- Zain.

VERJEE: What happens, Robin, when a Hamas-led government is finally formed? What will the European Union consider then?

OAKLEY: That's the really interesting question. And of course that is where we may see some light between the European Union attitude and that of the United States.

At the moment, the EU is saying the steps that it has announced today are purely short term, they're designed to help support Mahmoud Abbas in his attempt to get a moderate-led Hamas government in place. They're saying they're not making any commitments for the future. When a Hamas-led government takes over they will look at the shape of that government, what its principles appear to be, how it is behaving, and they will then come to a policy on whether they continue any aid to Hamas then.

But of course a number of European Union countries are saying, well, they really ought to go on at least for a period giving some kind of economic aid because this is a state which simply cannot support itself, and where many people would simply not have any education nor medical facilities if they didn't continue aid.

They say far better, the EU always prefers carrots to sticks. And they say they'd far rather encourage Hamas down the democratic road by offering them the prospect of continued aid if Hamas at least provides some sort of modus vivendi with Israel and continues a cease- fire. But of course they acknowledge that there can't be long-term support for a Hamas-led government until it does meet those stipulations of recognizing Israel and renouncing violence -- Zain.

VERJEE: Giving us the European perspective, Robin Oakley in London -- Jim.

CLANCY: The last 10 years, Serbia has wanted to become a part of Europe. Today, Serbia has a choice to make because the European Union says Belgrade must first hand over a top war crimes suspect. If it fails to do it in the month of March, there won't even be any talks about joining the EU.

Ministers stopped short of more drastic measures by setting that end of March deadline for the handover of the fugitive general Ratko Mladic. Talks on joining the bloc are set to begin in early April, and they could be postponed indefinitely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JAVIER SOLANA, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: I mean, I have seen in the last few days a lot of activity has taken place. I think that (INAUDIBLE) is trying to do the utmost, but what is important is to cooperate with the international tribunal. When (INAUDIBLE) says that they are cooperating, that will be a very good signal for us and for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CLANCY: All right. Well, it's important to understand what's going on behind this story.

Ratko Mladic is a war criminal, alleged to be. He is wanted by the court in the Hague. But support for Ratko Mladic still strong in Serbia. Some people there consider him a national hero. His supporters have staged a massive rally in Belgrade in the last week.

Senior International Correspondent Nic Robertson witnessed that and so much more in the Bosnian war. He joins us now live from Belgrade with more reaction.

Nic, the prospects of how Serbia will respond to this?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, it's been very interesting. In the last couple of hours since we've heard this statement from the European Union foreign ministers meeting, we have not been able to get a reaction from -- from government spokesmen here to the issue of this new deadline that they now face in handing over Ratko Mladic.

What I was able to get when I talked earlier today with Serbia's finance minister here was, in advance of the EU foreign ministers meeting, he said that the ministers should act as real diplomats. Those were the words that he used.

He said that it wouldn't be in the European Union's interest to put a deadline on Serbia for handing over Ratko Mladic because he said that would be counterproductive. He said that would turn people here against the European Union, turn them towards the Serbian radical party, that nationalist party who held that large demonstration in Belgrade on Friday.

About 10,000 people turned out. By Belgrade demonstration standards, if you will, that's not incredibly large, but it does show the degree of support for Mladic, who's still regarded as a hero.

What's in question now is when and if and at what level talks the European Union can continue on Serbia's integration into the European Union. The European -- European Union expansion commissioner, Ollie Rehn, said that Serbia over the last year was less compliant with the desires of the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague to hand over Ratko Mladic. He said they'd improved over the -- recently, but that now he was going to impose a deadline.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OLLIE REHN, EUROPEAN COMM. FOR ENLARGEMENT: We now expect Serbia to achieve full cooperation without delay, which should lead to the (INAUDIBLE) transfer of Ratko Mladic and other remaining inductees. Today's council's conclusions are very clear and consistent in this regard.

However, if Serbia fails to achieve full cooperation without delay, we can't avoid disruption, and we shall have to put the negotiations on hold. The next round of negotiations taking place are scheduled for the 4th and 5th of April. Serbia still has some weeks to achieve full cooperation, roughly until the end of March.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So it seems that Serbia has over the next month, until the end of March, to comply. What is unclear is if those talks scheduled for the 4th and 5th of April about Serbia's inclusion into the expanded Europe will go ahead, or if they go ahead, what level they could go ahead. The real deadline, if you will, is perhaps much later in the year, around -- around fall, when the next sort of bigger steps on talks, the integration talks, less technical level, are more aimed at actually moving Serbia into the European Union -- Jim.

CLANCY: Nic, just very briefly, talks are one thing. The world is watching. A man who's been accused of some of the worst war crimes since World War II is wanted. The Serbs don't want to hand him over.

What's behind all of this? Is it the government trying to protect him, or what?

ROBERTSON: You know, some people would argue that the prime minister here is in a tough position. He's got the hard-line nationalists breathing down his neck, that he is in a coalition in government with Slobodan Milosevic's party. It's the strongest coalition at this time.

So some would argue politically he's in a weak position. Some would say, look what happened to the last prime minister who turned over Slobodan Milosevic. Two years later he was assassinated.

It is -- it does appear to be a tough situation, but the bottom line is, the prime minister is not doing a great deal to try to convince Serbs that Mladic is a bad guy. Mladic is still seen as a hero by some people here. The prime minister doesn't even talk about him, doesn't mention him by name -- Jim.

CLANCY: All right. Nic Robertson putting it into some real perspective there.

Nic, as always, thank you for being with us -- Zain.

VERJEE: Jim, to Baghdad now, where the streets are busy and the shops are once again open for business. Authorities have lifted a daytime curfew that was imposed last week to curb a wave of sectarian violence, but there are still some sporadic attacks.

Let's bring in Aneesh Raman, who joins us now from Baghdad.

Aneesh, Iraqi officials saying the situation is now under control. Is it?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's getting there better today, perhaps than yesterday. The curfew, the extended curfews seemed to have done their job, at least for now.

Some news just in to CNN. Iraq's interior ministry says that they have captured a key aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head, of course, of Al Qaeda in Iraq. His name is Abu Farouk (ph), a Syrian national, captured near the city of Ramadi, along with five others. He's believed to be a key financier of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

So that, of course, some welcome news for Iraq's government as sectarian tensions here remain incredibly high following Wednesday's attack on that sacred Shia mosque.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN (voice over): With the curfew lifted in Baghdad, what little normal there is here started to reappear. Traffic returning to the streets, shops reopening the doors. But Iraqi troops remain on high alert.

In the suburbs, sectarian tensions are unabated. In the Sunni area of Baghdad, Shia residents say they were forced from their homes. Huddled together now in a Shia neighborhood's youth center.

"These families come here because they are Shiite," says this man. "Some say they receive threats, some on their cell phones, demanding to leave their homes within 72 hours." There have also been a number of reports that Shia militia are doing the same to Sunni families, despite calls for unity, most recently and notably from Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Political and religious leaders are working to find common ground after an emergency meeting on Saturday that, if nothing else, showed the politicians are trying. But that may not be enough. After a string of reprisal attacks, Sunni politicians agreed in principle to enter talks on a unity government but are still waiting for a number of things to happen before that can take place.

And amid the current tensions, the trial of Saddam Hussein resumes Tuesday, with the chief defendant having ended an 11-day-long hunger strike and having been told of recent developments by his defense team the stage is set for more drama from the former dictator.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: And Zain, late word that sectarian tensions, again, do remain high. A Sunni mosque coming under attack just within the past few hours after evening prayers were ending. Two explosions rocking that mosque. At least four people are killed. Those initial casualty numbers -- Zain.

VERJEE: Aneesh Raman reporting from Baghdad.

Thanks, Aneesh.

CLANCY: All right. We're going to take a short break here.

When we come back, will a decision by the president of Taiwan lead to a crisis with China?

VERJEE: Coming up on YOUR WORLD TODAY, we're going to tell you about Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian's surprise announcement.

CLANCY: And don't forget our inbox question. Is it too soon for the city of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras?

E-mail us your thoughts at ywt@cnn.com.

VERJEE: We're going to read some of your thoughts a little bit later on YOUR WORLD TODAY. Don't forget to tell us what your name is and where you're writing us from.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

CLANCY: Welcome back, everyone.

Well, despite warnings from Washington and Beijing, the leader of Taiwan has made a very controversial move.

VERJEE: President Chen Shui-bian says that he's terminating the National Unification Council. Now, that's the government committee that's basically responsible for bringing Taiwan and China together.

CLANCY: Beijing already warning everyone who will listen there could be trouble ahead.

Senior Asia Correspondent Mike Chinoy gives us an idea of what's behind Mr. Chen's big decision.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice over): One word explains Chen Shui-bian's move to scrap Taiwan's National Unification Council: politics. Chen's democratic progressive party suffered a beating in legislative elections last December. His popularity ratings are down. He can't run for re-election when his term expires in 2008.

And so, many analysts believe, Chen is deliberately trying to provoke a crisis with China. His calculation, heightened tensions with Beijing, will rally his political base at home and improve both his current standing and his party's prospects for the next presidential election. His method, declaring that the National Unification Council ceases to function.

CHEN SHUI-BIAN, TAIWAN PRESIDENT (through translator): What we are doing today is to protect the freedom, democracy and the human rights of Taiwan, maintain the current peace in the country, and to defend Taiwan's 23 million people's freedom to choose what they want to do.

CHINOY: The council was set up in 1990. It's had little practical value, but it was intended by Taiwan's previous government to reassure Beijing the island would not declare formal independence.

Although Taiwan and China have had separate governments since 1949, Beijing claims the island is Chinese territory and has repeatedly threatened to use force if Taiwan declared independence. In 1996, for example, China fired missiles near Taiwan to warn the island's voters away from pro-independence candidates.

In response to Chen's latest move, Beijing has denounced him as a troublemaker and warned of a serious crisis. These developments put the Bush administration in an uncomfortable position.

The United States is Taiwan's main ally and key military supplier and has pledged to defend Taiwan if China attacks. But it's less clear what Washington would do if Chen provoked an attack. And at the moment, preoccupied by Iraq, Iran and domestic headaches, the last thing George Bush wants is a crisis that could in the worst-case scenario lead to a Sino-American military confrontation.

In recent weeks, American officials have bluntly warned Chen not to abandon the National Unification Council. But he simply ignored American appeals and moved ahead, raising the prospect of renewed tension in what has always been potentially one of the world's most dangerous flash points.

Mike Chinoy, CNN, Bangkok.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: We want to talk about the effect of Mr. Chen's decision. What it's going to mean for Taiwan's relations not only with Beijing but also with Washington.

And joining us to put that into perspective, James Lilley. He's the former U.S. ambassador to China.

And I have so many questions for you today.

First of all, is Chen Shui-bian, Taiwan's president, really so reckless as to put relations with China and the U.S. at stake just over winning some poll numbers?

JAMES LILLEY, FMR. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: I don't think I'd use the term "reckless" to describe what he's done. What he said is, "I'm going to cease functioning this National Unification Council," cease functioning.

In Chinese, unfortunately, it comes out stronger. But what he's saying, in effect, is if there's no discussions with China whatsoever on national unification or anything else, why have the council? CLANCY: Well, that is -- and that's an underlying question here. And of course Beijing's listening in Chinese. So strong is exactly how it comes out. But was it accomplishing anything, or is it just something there for looks?

LILLEY: The National Unification Council?

CLANCY: Yes.

LILLEY: No, I think it was put in place in 1990 because at that time the Chinese and Taipei decided they wanted to have this. They were moving ahead with the Chinese in bilateral talks, and they were getting somewhere, they thought.

Well, all the talks broke down. Nothing was done. And I think Chen Shui-bian is saying why does is it sit there?

What he's said is "cease functioning." Now, this is not a reckless move to provoke Peking. It seems to me this could be handled with Chinese dealing with Taiwanese on wording. And I think the Americans are not very wise to get involved.

What we did is we sent out a mid-level official from the National Security Council, and he talks to the president of a country of 23 million people. This is not the way to do business.

We did it before. It didn't work. I don't know quite why we're doing it again.

There is, in fact, a senior American in Taipei right now, a former deputy secretary of state who carries a lot of weight. It seems to me that perhaps he could pick up this ball and smooth it down.

CLANCY: Well, Chen Shui-bian, what is he trying to accomplish here? So the council isn't working. But everyone knows just how sensitive the whole issue of Taiwan is to Beijing. And Beijing is feeling its oats these days on the world stage. It doesn't like this slap in the face.

LILLEY: Well, I think you're getting very much involved in rhetoric and not in reality. The reality is the military situation is such that military action is very extremely unlikely. It doesn't make any sense.

The second factor you have to take into consideration is that their trade investment has never been better. The last new year's they had tremendous back and forth between the two sides.

What I'm saying is there are tremendous dynamic moves outside of this stale, sterile rhetoric that they exchange. So I think you ought to move and look at these other things very carefully before we get fascinated with rhetoric, which many of us Americans do not fully understand.

CLANCY: All right. You know, you're making, as usual, James Lilley, a great point here. Everybody needs just to cool off and stand back and let Taiwan and China sort this one out.

Is that the basics?

LILLEY: I think that makes a lot of sense, Jim. I mean, they can do it, but what the Chinese are trying to do is get us to intervene actively against Taiwan. And we did it in a rather fumbling way. And now with their president coming here the end of April, they go back to December 2003, when our president with their premier got on the White House lawn and told Taiwan, in effect, to knock it off.

Why don't you do it again, they're suggesting.

CLANCY: All right. James Lilley, former U.S. ambassador to China, and someone very highly respected for his perspective on relations between the U.S., China and Taiwan.

We thank you, as always, very much for being with us.

LILLEY: Thanks, Jim.

VERJEE: Coming up in business news, we're going to take a look and see how Wall Street's starting out the week.

CLANCY: Also ahead, we're going to tell you what's happening with oil prices three days after that foiled attack on a major Saudi refinery.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Daryn Kagan. More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few minutes. But first, a check on the stories making headlines in the U.S.

Police in southern California say they're questioning a man who they say ran away from a security checkpoint at the Long Beach airport. They say they captured him about a mile away from that airport.

Now, the incident happened early this morning and it led to a 90- minute evacuation of about a thousand passengers while security officers searched the airport. They reportedly did not find anything suspicious.

The White House is welcoming a new broader review of the ports agreement with the Dubai-owned company. Spokesman Scott Mcclellan calls it a reasonable middle ground.

Now, the deal will undergo 45 days of scrutiny by a federal panel. The arrangement calls for Dubai Ports World to manage six U.S. ports in a $7 billion contract. Many in Congress don't think it's a good idea due to security concerns, but port security was also a topic at the White House this morning between Mr. Bush during a private meeting of the nation's governors. Governors said they asked for detailed answers on this deal with the UAE, but at least one Republican governor asked for patience from the public. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. MIKE HUCKABEE (R), ARKANSAS: Such an overreaction and an emotional reaction to the port issue that really goes beyond what ought to be our concern. Foreign governments are already operating those ports.

The UAE is not an enemy of the United States. It's an ally to the United States. And I think the president made a very strong case, not only today, but I think he's over the past several days made a strong case for why we need to be very careful as a nation that we do not somehow overreact and allow ourselves to miss the bigger context in which this is taking place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Meanwhile, President Bush is facing new questions and new pressures surrounding his domestic eavesdropping program. A group of House Democrats has sent a letter to the president asking for a special counsel to investigate the legality of the program. And the letter says lawmakers have been given "the feeblest of excuses while seeking information from federal agencies."

There has been no immediate response from the White House to the Democrats' letter. The Bush administration has said the president had power to order that surveillance. White House officials argue Congress authorized that power back in 2001.

Good news and bad news on your cost at the pump. Gas prices have dropped an average six cents a gallon nationwide over the last two weeks to $2.24. That figure's from the Lundberg Survey. But the survey says the trend is unlikely to continue for a number of reasons. They include higher crude oil prices at the end of last week and increased costs of how fuel is blended.

So how far will that gallon of gas take you? Well, a big difference in miles, even among similar-sized vehicles and hybrids. That's according to the Consumer Federation of America.

The group released a new fuel economy report this morning. The group says fuel efficiency varies by at least 100 percent in most car classes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK GILLIS, CONSUMER FED. OF AMERICA: This wide variation of performance within size classes shows that consumers can better their fuel economy without dramatically changing their car choices. Because of these differences, a car buyer's best defense against rising gas prices is to shop carefully within the class of car they are considering.

Consumers can save hundreds and even thousands of dollars a year by simply buying a higher-rated compact, SUV, or pickup. The bottom line, consumers can save money and oil without sacrificing choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: OK. Here's one example of the disparity in hybrid vehicles. The consumer group says the Chevy Silverado pickup gets 18 miles to the gallon. Now, the Honda Insight gets 56 miles to the gallon. So you can see the difference.

Well, you can forget about fuel efficiency. They are going to be cranking up those windshield wipers today out West.

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: Want to give you this programming reminder. CNN is all across the Gulf region for the celebration of the first Mardi Gras since Hurricane Katrina. CNN's Anderson Cooper is in New Orleans tonight beginning at 10:00 Eastern.

And tomorrow, beginning at 6:00 a.m. Eastern CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" will have your first coverage of Fat Tuesday. Our presence continues through the day, as well with Anderson Cooper returning from the heart of Mardi Gras at 10:00 Eastern.

Well, the man known as Mr. Mardi Gras joins Kyra Phillips and the "LIVE FROM" team. That's at the top of the hour. Meanwhile, YOUR WORLD TODAY continues right after a quick break. I'm Betty Nguyen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY here on CNN International. I'm Zain Verjee.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy, and these are the stories that are making headlines around the world.

The European Union is giving the Palestinians $143 million in emergency aid. Only about $20 million of that will go directly to the Palestinian Authority. The money is meant to help stave off a financial crisis, to pay salaries and other needs. The U.S. and Israel have cut revenue sources since Hamas' rise to power in the Palestinian government. The E.U. says it is providing the emergency money for humanitarian needs.

VERJEE: The E.U. also saying this day Serbia has until the end of March to turn over war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic. That is if Belgrade wants to pursue membership talks with the bloc. E.U. officials warned Belgrade that talks scheduled for April could be postponed if Mladic hasn't been handed over to the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal.

CLANCY: Baghdad relatively quiet after that strict curfew was finally lifted. There is some sporadic violence. A mortar attack killed four people on Monday. Seventeen others were wounded. And just a short while ago, two bombs exploded outside a Sunni mosque, leaving four people dead.

In another development, the interior minister says a key al Qaeda figure in Iraq, Abu al Farouk, has been captured near Ramadi. VERJEE: The idea for "The Da Vinci Code" is being challenged in a British court. The book has sold more than 30 million copies, but the authors of a 1982 non-fiction work called "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" say "Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown stole their ideas and research.

Paula Newton is hot on the trail of this legal drama that's brewing, and she joins us now from London -- Paula?

PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zain, you know, what happened here in court was actually rather boring and tedious. They've had to go through the details of both books. And this court case is going to take a couple of weeks.

But outside the courtroom,there was quite a crush of media, all wanting to see Dan Brown. He is the infamous author. He's now made about a quarter of a billion dollars over the last two years on his book "The Da Vinci Code," not to mention the fact that there is a blockbuster movie coming out in May.

This court case could actually block the release of that movie in May and also make it much more complicated for an international release. But this case, at the way it's progressing right now, it should go on for a couple of weeks. We may have a ruling in about a month.

And as you indicated, or you hinted at before, this is not about somebody copying something word for word in terms of plagiarism. What it is about is that whether or not Dan Brown got the idea for this book from the other two authors of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail." And the other thing that's very interesting here is that the actual defendant in the case is Random House, and those are the same publishers of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."

Quite a book war going on behind me, but any way you slice it, Zain, this is good publicity on all sides for everyone involved. Dan Brown was here because he does feel that his reputation is at stake, and he will be the defense's key witness -- Zain?

VERJEE: Is there a precedent for a case like this?

NEWTON: Not really. There was a case here in the '70s where they talked about also trying to take ideas. But a lot of copyright lawyers, intellectual property experts, are looking at this as really a litmus test. How far does that go? Can you take someone's ideas and then put them into a fictional plot? And some people think that this case may test the limits of that.

But one thing is for sure, that Dan Brown did cite many different people that he had read and researched beforehand. He says that, in fact, he knew of "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" and that is not at issue. What is at issue is if he actually lifted the idea for this from someone else. And that may be what starts to really lay the foundation of a precedent-setting court case here in Britain -- Zain.

VERJEE: Making it clear for us, from London, Paula Newton. Thanks, Paula -- Jim.

CLANCY: In the United States, New Orleans shaking is itself awake, perhaps, after last night's Mardi Gras celebrations. Getting ready, though, for another big night.

Sean Callebs is one of the people that's awake now in the heart of the famed French Quarter. He has some more for us.

A little sweeping up there, Sean?

SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a little sweeping up. I've been up for about four hours, probably awake for two, Jim. You're exactly right. We were on one of the parades 'till very late. If you look here down, the heart of Bourbon Street, you can kind of see a pretty graphic reminder of just how much fun people had out here last night.

Now, for all the tourists around the world who are used to seeing the Mardi Gras celebration, this is the epicenter. This is the heart of the fun. This is where the tourists hang out. They come to all the restaurants, bars, on all hours of the night. People can toss beads down from the balcony.

And Jim, I know you know our good cameraman Dave Rust (ph) up there. He's the guy endeavoring to look as though he is working, shooting down Bourbon Street at this hour. But really, for a lot of other people the real celebration is on the streets removed from the French Quarter, famous streets like St. Charles and Canal.

That's where these parades wind down. And I had the pleasure of riding on what they call the Super Krewe, K-R-E-W-E. And a lot of mystery all involved in Mardi Gras, how it began with masks. And of course, it's the only city in the U.S. that lived under three flags -- the French first, the Spanish second, and of course, the United States.

And they really revel in all of this. And just watching these parades go up and down the area, some 60 floats -- on the float that I was on alone, the guys on that float spent more than $100,000 U.S. on beads that they tossed off in just a matter of hours.

And this year, Mardi Gras had a somewhat different feel than it has in years past. A lot of people say it may have gotten away from the fun, the family fun. Well, this year they're saying just that, family fun. You're seeing the elderly out there, parents with their kids. And not just for an hour or two, but we're talking for several hours.

And people are going home with pounds and pounds of beads. And, Jim, for the life of me, I have no idea what these people are going to do with the beads after Super Tuesday. But I guess we'll find out.

CLANCY: All right. Sean Callebs, as always, thank you. We're going to be watching. Sean, in the hours ahead will be showing us a lot more of what's going on in the city of New Orleans.

(WEATHER REPORT)

CLANCY: For a lot of people along the Gulf Coast, Mardi Gras has been a way to put aside the pain of Katrina, if only for a few days. But what if the thing that Katrina took away from you was your Mardi Gras and your Mardi Gras memories?

Kathleen Koch has met just such a group of people in Waveland, Mississippi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They sparkle in the mounds of broken debris, dangle like macabre decorations. Mardi Gras beads tossed by Katrina. The revelers who first threw those beads found the hurricane left their floats in ruins, too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a huge tin building. All of the floats lived inside.

KOCH: But Waveland, Mississippi's all-female Mardi Gras Krewe called Nereids was determined.

CINDY MEYER, WAVELAND NEREIDS MEMBERS: We all have boxers (INAUDIBLE) this year. We used paint scrapers and literally scraped all of the fabric that was left.

KOCH: Cindy Meyer and a dozen other women spent two months repairing the wood and the fabric floats for last weekend's parade.

MEYER: I never thought for a minute we weren't going to be out there. We needed to be with our community. We needed to give them something besides FEMA, and the battles that you do every day. You needed to get away from that, if it's just for an afternoon.

KOCH: There is a lot to escape from.

MEYER: Just like everybody in the Krewe, we have Mardi Gras rooms.

KOCH: Meyer had 19 feet of water in her house.

MEYER: It was like a snow globe inside my home, like someone just picked up my house and shook it.

KOCH: Ruined in the process, her husband's Mardi Gras finery.

(on camera): This is a mask? I mean, there were, what, feathers.

MEYER: Big beautiful plumes.

TOMMY KIDD, WAVELAND NEREIDS COLLECTOR: We didn't know we had anything left until we got up here to check this out.

KOCH (voice-over): But the Nereids Krewe's Mardi Gras mementos are in tact in at least one home. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We collected, or tried to collect, every poster from each year.

KOCH: Tommy and Linda Kidd's lower levels were ruined, but their Mardi Gras room made it through.

(voice-over): You're probably one of the only people in the Krewe who has this sort of memorabilia left.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I could well be. I could well be.

KOCH: The Kidds want to share their memorabilia, hoping the posters can be copied.

LINDA KIDD, WAVELAND NEREIDS MEMBER: I believe what I'll do is probably donate these.

KOCH: Turning over costumes to be preserved for posterity. But for now, this Mardi Gras crew has nowhere to put anything.

MEYER: Our insurance was not enough to rebuild our building. So the babies are going to have to be out here for a while. It is who we are. So it will be back.

Kathleen Koch, CNN, Waveland, Mississippi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: And this reminder. Our in-box question of the day relates to Hurricane Katrina and the carnivale. We're asking this...

VERJEE: Is it too soon for New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras? E-mail us at YWT@CNN.com. Tell us your name, where you're writing from as well, and give us your opinion. We want to know.

CLANCY: When we come back, a story from the heart of Africa. They're known as night commuters, a euphemistic term for their terrible plight.

VERJEE: When we come back, we're going to be telling you what these Ugandan children are facing as they make a nightly trek into a city called Gulu in northern Uganda. Why are they doing that? We'll tell you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CLANCY: Welcome back to YOUR WORLD TODAY on CNN International.

VERJEE: In northern Uganda, there's been a rebellion against the government for about two decades.

CLANCY: It imposes the real hardship on the residents of that area. It's especially threatening to one particular group. It is the story of a militia, a Christian militia, and Jeff Koinange gives us the report on thousands of children who are the reluctant rebel warriors. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's nighttime in Gulu in northern Uganda. And the dusty roads leading into the town are busy with the patter of tiny feet rushing as if to beat a curfew. They are coming from small villages, far and wide, heading to the relative comfort and safety of the big town, running away from a man, Joseph Koni. He leads a rebel group that calls itself the "Lord's Resistance Army," or LRA, and which claims to base its principles on the 10 Commandments.

FLORENCE LAKOR, WORLD VISION, UGANDA: Their stories are really horrible. We have had cases of children who were ordered to cook a human being, to cut the body into pieces and cook it up. Then they mobilize the village to come and eat the cooked body.

KOINANGE: Around here, the children are simply known as night commuters. They range in age from five to 16 years old, poor, frightened, and hungry. Children like 8-year-old Alfred, 12-year-old Anek (ph), and 10-year-old Peter, carrying his baby brother, Paul, on his back. And many, many more, all with one daily goal in mind -- just to make it through another night.

(on camera): And it's in shelters like this that these children come to every night. Tonight, we understand, there's about 350 of them. This place appropriately called the Noah's Ark Center, where the children come to seek a little comfort, a little care, a little security from what they call the madness right outside these walls.

(voice-over): I asked the children how many of them know of someone who's been abducted. Almost every hand is raised.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The (INAUDIBLE) come and kill people.

JACKLYN AKELLO, NIGHT COMMUTER: They arrest people, and they kill and they destroy our homes.

KOINANGE: I asked them how many have family members who've been abducted. Just as many hands are raised.

Despite the monotony of coming here every day for the past three years, the children know this is the only place they can become kids again, if only for a few hours.

But the center is both ill equipped and underfunded. The only comfort the children get is a canvas roof, a cold hard floor, and, if they are lucky, a blanket. But all they are looking for, it seems, is a place to lie down without having to worry about being the next group of child slaves. And in the morning, they are up early, ready to take the long walk back home to their villages. No breakfast, no shower, no change of clothes.

At a rehabilitation center for escapees not far from Noah's Ark, former kidnap victims gather for a morning prayer session. Many of these girls bearing the physical scars of rape, and the boys, the mental scars of torture. Among them, 19-year-old Alice Alabo, who recently escaped from the LRA with her 4-year-old daughter Nancy (ph), a product of rape. Alice shows us the physical scars of her eight years in captivity. Bullet wounds on her leg, shrapnel scars on her chest. Her younger sister was kidnapped along with her, but she later died in the hands of the rebels. Years as a sex slave to the LRA have left Alice traumatized. But after a while, she warms up, telling us bone- chilling stories of her past.

ALICE ABALO, FORMER KIDNAP VICTIM (through translator): One day, the group we were in had just killed about six people and proceeded to decapitate them. Then I was asked to light a wood fire using the victims' heads as support, the same way one would use three stones. I still have nightmares of the burning hair and brains oozing out of the burning heads. It was horrible.

KOINANGE: As you can imagine, Alice has recurring nightmares. She attends counseling sessions twice a day at the World Vision Center in Gulu. Alice and the other kidnap victims are allowed to stay here for 45 days before going home. That is, if their home has survived the rebels.

As for the others who've managed to evade the Lord's Resistance Army, the tiny feet of the night commuters remain on the move.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Gulu, in northern Uganda.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VERJEE: Mardi Gras. Now to our "Inbox," where we've been asking you, is it too soon for New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras?

CLANCY: Well, apparently most people don't think so, Zain.

In Texas, Jim writes: "Of course New Orleans should have a Mardi Gras. It's part of the healing process."

VERJEE: Fay in Louisiana, in Baton Rouge, writes: "The people of New Orleans need to bond again, and families are on the parade routes doing that."

CLANCY: Now, Sue in Phoenix, Arizona, weighs in to say: "It is not too early to celebrate. In between the sweat and the frustration of dealing with the mess to the best of everyone's ability and as a way to gain strength for the work ahead, party on!"

VERJEE: That's some good advice, to party on. And that's exactly what they're doing.

CLANCY: We did get one dissenting view. Beth wrote us a note to say, "It is too early." And she says, "But it's a sign that we as Americans are always putting business ahead of the interests of people and families." Although she says you could argue either way on this one. Still, the party goes on in the city of New Orleans. We've had a lot of coverage right here on CNN. They're cleaning up today. Everybody's getting back to it. It's going to be a beautiful day today. And that's -- what they call this, Fat Monday?

VERJEE: Fat Monday. Lundi Gras.

CLANCY: Yes, that's the way you say it.

VERJEE: Mardi Gras is tomorrow.

CLANCY: And Mardi Gras is Fat Tuesday. And then comes Ash Wednesday, and it's all over by then.

VERJEE: Ywt@CNN.com for your e-mails. We really like it when you weigh in here. Even though, Jim, we've not got so many dissenting views. A lot of people are saying, you know, why throw money at one big party to have a lot of fun? You know, even if it's a healing experience and even if it's good, You know, there are still people living in desperate situations in New Orleans and elsewhere.

CLANCY: That's right. That's our report for now. I'm Jim Clancy.

VERJEE: And I'm Zain Verjee. This is CNN.

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