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Mourners Gather To Honor Assassinated Lebanese Politician; Some U.S. Troops Spending Holiday Fighting Instead Of Feasting; Thanksgiving Safety; No Holiday From Bloodshed In Baghdad; Fake IDs Big Business And Concern For National Security
Aired November 23, 2006 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: That's called a flat-out shank is what that was. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Good morning, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Heidi Collins. For the next three hours, lots of events happen on this Thanksgiving Thursday, the 23rd of November. Here's what's on the rundown.
Travel trauma and turkey struggle. We help you celebrate the holidays faster and safer.
HARRIS: As we give thanks, we remember those in the war zone. A heartbreaking tale of a father's search for his missing son, as CNN is live with the troops.
COLLINS: And thousands crowd the streets of Beirut, emotions run high. Is this is a pivotal moment for the Middle East? You are in the newsroom.
In Beirut, anger and grief. And at least 200,000 people. They are crammed into Beirut's Martyr Square to honor a prominent Lebanese politician gunned down two days ago.
And, they are pointing fingers at Syria, which many blame for his assassination.
CNN Beirut bureau chief, Brent Sadler, is joining now with the very latest.
Brent, what can you tell us about this huge crowd just moments ago?
BRENT SADLER, CNN BUREAU CHIEF: Hello. Good morning, Heidi.
Yes, indeed, a powerful expression in terms of people power once again in downtown Beirut. Very reminiscent of the kinds of scenes we saw almost two years ago, when the so-called Lebanese Cedar Revolution climaxed, that led to a withdrawal of Syrian troops, and all sorts of other changes, creating political upheaval and dramatic historical change in Lebanon.
This funeral was all about two events, really. One, the murder Tuesday of a crucial anti-Syrian minister within the U.S.-backed government of Lebanese prime minister Fouad Siniora. Pierre Gemayel gunned down in broad daylight in a professional hit by gunmen using silenced weapons.
He died almost instantly, and that triggered a lot of anger amongst the Lebanese Christian communities here, very much supported by others in this so-called anti-Syrian political camp made up of Sunni Muslims and Druze, as well.
They converged in downtown Beirut, the center of the city locked down under heavy security amid concerns that there could be yet more violence. On the other side of the political show here, very somber scenes inside the church as the family and relatives laid the minister to rest -- Heidi.
COLLINS: A remarkable crowd, indeed. All right. Brent Sadler, live from Beirut this morning. Thank you, Brent.
HARRIS: And this just in to CNN. Mortar attacks going on right now in Baghdad. CNN's Michael Ware is there. Michael, what can you tell us?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, what I can tell you is that right behind me, just a couple of kilometers, there's a number of explosions and smoke plumes rising. The detonations are still going on as I'm speaking to you. There's another one right now.
We believe from where we are that these sound like impacts within an area known as Adhamiya. Now, this all fits into a bigger, hellish picture here in Baghdad today.
What we've seen is fury and rage erupt in Sadr City, the stronghold of the Mahdi Army. The explosions are continuing behind me, even as I'm talking. This is home to 2.5 to 3 million people loyal to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Now, Americans went in there riding this morning, looking for the missing soldier. There was some kind of an exchange, and a minibus was destroyed, some people killed and hurt.
But, what we had this afternoon, as we see, this area coming under full-blown assault. In the period of half an hour, three car bombs detonated in this densely populated ghetto. Mortar rounds impacted, killing even more as they came to the rescue.
At about the same time elsewhere in the city, the health ministry, controlled by the Mahdi Army militia, drawn from Sadr City, came under assault from what we're told is as many as 30 gunmen.
Now what we're having is what's going on behind me. Mortar rounds or explosions are impacting in a neighboring suburb known as Adhamiya. It seems that the people of Sadr City may now be retaliating.
But on the streets of that slum right now there's flame, there's blood and there's black plumes of smoke -- Tony. HARRIS: Michael, you paint the picture of what's going on in Sadr City. You talk about the explosions going on not far from your position, all happening in this small window of time. It sort of begs the question: Is there a sense that all of this violence has been coordinated?
WARE: Well, certainly, in terms of the direct assault on the civilians of Sadr City, the three car bombs and the mortars -- absolutely, no question. Within 30 minutes, to have three car bombs in crowded marketplaces -- there's now shots going off just nearby -- there's a degree of coordination involved there.
Then we see an assault on a ministry controlled by the Sadrists. I mean, it certainly begs the question.
There is no Thanksgiving in Baghdad right now. Fury has erupted.
HARRIS: CNN's Michael Ware for us in Baghdad. Michael, thank you.
COLLINS: A country in turmoil. Just what are the U.S. military's options for Iraq? More troops? A timetable for withdrawal?
CNN's Barbara Starr spoke with the general in charge.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As General John Abizaid, head of the Central Command, arrived in Kabul, Afghanistan on an unannounced visit to discuss the security situation here, the war in Iraq remains front and center.
CNN is the only network traveling with Abizaid. He paused to discuss the Bush administration's review of Iraq's strategy, emphasizing that commanders are looking at all the options, including the possibility of boosting troop levels.
GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Options for troops for training, options for more combat troops are all being looked at, as well as options for less troops. But I could see a series of options coming together where you might have a short-term increase for specific reasons. It would have to be tied to a specific, broader plan.
STARR: Abizaid recently told Congress he didn't necessarily favor a troop increase or a timetable for troop withdrawal, leaving some to suggest the military was not open to a change in Iraq strategy.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZONA: I regret deeply that you seem to think that the status quo and the rate of progress we're making is acceptable. I think most Americans do not.
ABIZAID: Well, senator, I agree with you. The status quo is not acceptable. I think everybody needs to understand that we're having a debate and a discussion, and that all options are on the table.
STARR: Options being developed by Abizaid and other commanders will be reviewed by President Bush. Once decisions are made, then commanders will develop specific plans on how to implement those ideas.
For example, assessments are underway on how much additional combat power might be needed in both al-Anbar Province and Baghdad, where attacks are heaviest.
Still, Abizaid made clear he believes that a set timetable for withdrawal would limit the military's ability to respond to security conditions.
He is leaning towards doubling the number of U.S. military trainers, although that in itself might not lead to a significant increase in troops on the ground. As for the other political option, talking to Iran and Syria about halting their support for insurgents and sectarian violence?
ABIZAID: I can only tell you that we've had military difficulties resulting from indirect support from Iran and Syria to groups that are not helpful.
STARR: The U.S. remains deeply concerned that Iranian-backed militias now operating inside Iraq may be so strong, that the new Iraqi government simply will not be able to control them.
Barbara Starr, CNN, traveling with General Abizaid in Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: It's a quiet Thanksgiving for President Bush. He is spending the holiday with family and friends at Camp David. The first family will be feasting on a traditional meal of roasted turkey, cornbread, dressing and cranberry sauce.
The vegetable selections include sauteed green beans, zucchini gratin and maple sweet potatoes. Also on the menu, red potato mash -- wow -- gravy, clover rolls, and for dessert, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pumpkin mousse and fresh fruit.
COLLINS: Far from home this Thanksgiving Day, some U.S. troops are spending the holiday fighting instead of feasting. CNN's Arwa Damon is embedded with the Army's 10th Mountain Division, near Yusufiya, Iraq, in an area known as the "triangle of death." She's joining us now live via broadband.
Hello there, Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi, and Thanksgiving to you. These are some of the grimmest conditions that this war has to offer with these soldiers are operating. And out here there are no showers, no bathrooms, no comfortable beds to sleep on. They do make do with the little that they have, a fire burning and some non- alcoholic beer.
They did have their Thanksgiving meal. It was brought in in plastic containers, served to them by their commanders.
This is a very deadly and dangerous area in the southernmost portion of the triangle of death.
This is the same power station where the bodies of the two kidnapped and murdered soldiers were found last spring.
We're talking now to one of the soldiers who is operating out here, Private J.T. Hines. He's 19 years old, from Indiana.
J.T., what is it like for you operating out here? I know it's hard to describe, but is this what you expected on your first tour of duty?
PVT. J.T. HINES, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION, IRAQ: This is not what I expected. I expected a lot more, so to say, easier than it is here. It's a lot more rougher than I thought it would be.
DAMON: And what is it like for you when you're out there, every day when you step outside of this base, operating in an area that is virtually one massive booby trap, inlaid with roadside bombs? And what is it like for you whenever you and your fellow soldiers get back?
HINES: It's scary. I mean, it's very scary when we step out there. The only thing you can do is really listen to our chain of command, and just thank God that they know what they're doing. And then when we step back in, it's worth it.
DAMON: And how do you guys -- what keeps you going? What are you drawing support from? How are you able to survive in these kinds of conditions?
HINES: Letters from home and knowing that I get to go back home.
DAMON: And, you know, you've developed a unique bond out here with your fellow soldiers. There's a unique sense of humor. How does that affect your ability to be out here?
HINES: That affects it a great deal. Everybody's got their real own sense of humor, so you know when to joke around and when not to joke around with certain people and when not with some people. So, it all depends on who you're around and who you're not around. It's good.
DAMON: And who do you want to say happy Thanksgiving to back home? HINES: I want to say happy Thanksgiving to my mom and dad and my grandma. And Adrienne (ph), I love you. And McKinsey (ph), Avery (ph), daddy's coming home.
DAMON: Heidi, out here it really doesn't matter in the big picture whether or not it's the holiday season or whether or not it's Thanksgiving. Really, for these soldiers it's about the mission, day in and day out. That is their main priority -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Arwa, I'm not sure if they can hear us sitting around that fire there. But please, let them know the country thanks them for their service, not only just today, but for the many days to come.
Arwa Damon, live from Iraq today.
DAMON: Will do.
HARRIS: And still to come, two men risk it all to save the lives of strangers. Everyday heroes, their story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: An annual tradition, but is it a highflying celebration?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is a highflying celebration, Heidi. Take a look. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is underway, and Snoopy is making his way down the parade route.
I'm going to have the highlights for you coming up as CNN NEWSROOM continues.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Hey, Columbus Circle in New York City. Rain won't stop this parade, but wind certainly threatened to take some of the air out of the celebration, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade stepping off this hour.
In New York City, our Jason Carroll is along, well, the somewhat soggy parade route. He joins us live this morning.
Hey, Jason, give us a little walk and talk. Give us a feel of some of the flavor of this thing this morning.
CARROLL: It's moving fast, Tony. It's moving fast. But World War II flying ace, Snoopy, just went by us, the first of the giant balloons. And that's great news, because guess what, they're flying.
And, you know, early this morning we weren't so sure if these balloons were going to make it. The wind was kicking up a little bit, but things are looking just great.
So, World War II flying ace just went by, Humpty Dumpty on his way. He's supposed to look that say, though.
HARRIS: Right.
CARROLL: So, that's a good thing. Hey, thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.
So, a lot of people came out just for the balloons. That's really what the parade is all about for a lot of these guys. So, it looks like, hey, the balloons ended up making it, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's amazing. They're very low, though.
CARROLL: Yes, they are a little low. But, hey, they're here. Right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're here. And it's not raining.
CARROLL: At least they're here.
So, which ones were you guys looking forward to seeing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was looking forward to seeing Snoopy.
CARROLL: Snoopy. He was cool, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CARROLL: You liked him. How about you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. I like -- I think I'm going to like all of them.
CARROLL: Yes, there you go. Politically correct. You like all of them.
And you know what, Tony? You've got to give it up to these guys, because, you know, it's not raining right now. But remember earlier, it was raining. It was cold, right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It was cold. It was pouring.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CARROLL: Right?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But it's beautiful now. We're the smart ones, because the rain stopped (ph).
CARROLL: Yes, you stuck it out. And look, you've got front row seats here. You're good to go.
So, there are 13 of these giant balloons in the parade this year. Once again, you've got Humpty Dumpty making his way down.
You can check out the parade route. Look. Even though the weather is not great, look at all these people who came out here, Tony.
HARRIS: Well, that's great.
CARROLL: So, a lot of people out here to have a great Thanksgiving.
HARRIS: So, Snoop doggy dog has already passed your viewing, your review station. And now we're dealing with Humpty Dumpty. And now I see, we've got a shot of one of, I guess, a number of marching bands today. Correct?
CARROLL: Oh, gosh. In fact, we interviewed some of the members of the Macy's Great American High School Marching Band.
HARRIS: Yes.
CARROLL: Let me -- you know who I really felt sorry for? It's not the people who are actually playing instruments in the band, it's the flag girls, who are out here shivering in like these skimpy little outfits, like, you know, rubbing up against each other just to stay warm, poor things.
But, you know, even those ladies, they said they were optimistic.
HARRIS: That's great.
CARROLL: They said, we wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
HARRIS: Hey, and Jason, did Gloria Estefan forgive you for dropping her book?
CARROLL: Tony, I knew you were going to bring that up. Let me just explain that. My hands were so cold at that moment, and they hand me this slippery, wet book.
HARRIS: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
CARROLL: And I'm trying to flip it over, you know. She forgive me. She's a sweetheart.
HARRIS: Jason Carroll for us on the parade route, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, doing a wonderful job for us. And Jason, we appreciate it. Thank you.
And on this Thanksgiving Day, we want to know -- family, friends, a place to live -- what are you thankful for? E-mail us your thoughts. Here's the address, CNNNewsroom@CNN.com. We will read some of your responses on the air.
COLLINS: A couple of good Samaritans pull off a daring rescue in New Orleans. And two people who might have died have something to be very thankful for today.
Ben Lemoine with New Orleans affiliate WWL has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN LEMOINE, WWL-TV REPORTER, NEW ORLEANS (voice-over): It took four minutes to get there, three alarms, 21 companies, 63 firefighters. And then there were the two other heroes. ALFRED SIP (ph), NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: It was real, real smoky and then the fire was real high to the back, and it was coming up towards the front.
JOHNNY WILLIAMS, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: I kicked the door in and threw the door over the (INAUDIBLE). But the other guy didn't want to leave.
LEMOINE: Complete strangers, Johnny Williams and Alfred Sip came from different directions with the same thing in mind -- saving people from a raging fire.
They pulled this man from one unit of the double shotgun home on Saint Claude. He suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the hospital. But there was still someone in the other side.
SIP: Yes, I went to the other side. There was a guy inside of there. We kicked his door open and we got him.
LEMOINE: Williams got burned by a falling door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone in the truck, let me take care of his hand.
WILLIAMS: He was worser than me. He's worser than me.
LEMOINE: And firefighters pulled a cat out of that smoke-filled unit. They had to give him oxygen in the fire truck. But when we came back to check on him a few minutes later, he was perked up and purring just fine.
In all, it was a round of rescues, thanks to some teamwork.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's things like that that makes you really proud to be a citizen of New Orleans.
LEMOINE: For the citizens who saw the danger and dove in, they say they're not heroes, just happy to help.
WILLIAMS: The good Lord send you in (INAUDIBLE) places, you never know. So, I just did what I had to do.
SIP: It's Thanksgiving tomorrow. Whether or not being -- you know, being thankful just for having life. So, we wouldn't want to see somebody else is dead. So, hey, we're trying to help somebody else out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Still to come, preparing that bird for Thanksgiving dinner. Stop, hold on, hold on. We have some safety tips from our Dr. Gupta. It could help you have a healthy and happy Thanksgiving. That is straight ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Turkeys waitin' on a train. I think that's just so sad. You didn't expect these guys to hang around for dinner, did you? Where are they going?
The story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Having a safe Thanksgiving holiday begins at home -- right in the kitchen, in fact.
HARRIS: Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta has tips for preparing your dinner and storing the leftovers.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If food isn't handled properly, Thanksgiving dinner can be a disaster. Now, there are 76 million cases of food-borne disease each year in the United States. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Furthermore, certain foods and practices popular during the holiday season can actually increase your risk of getting sick. So, I want to give you four simple steps to ensure a healthy holiday.
Number one, clean. Professional chef Samantha Enzmann teaches a class in how to properly prepare a Thanksgiving meal.
SAMANTHA ENZMANN, DIRECTOR, VIKING COOKING SCHOOL: Before you handle raw poultry, what you want to make sure that you do is that your hands are nice and clean.
GUPTA: Raw turkey can be a breeding ground for bacteria, which brings us to step number two -- separate.
Enzmann warns her students not to cross-contaminate their work surfaces.
ENZMANN: As long as you don't use the same knife and the same side of the cutting board that you used for preparing raw food, you should be A-OK.
GUPTA: Step number three, cook. Cooking food to the proper internal temperature ensures harmful bacteria will be killed.
ENZMANN: Proper turkey temperature is anywhere from 165 degrees to 180; 180 is on the well-done side.
GUPTA: Using a meat thermometer is the only way to know if the turkey's done.
This chef says, what you cook inside the bird is very important, and recommends only stuffing the turkey with vegetables, oranges and seasonings. Cook the dressings in a separate dish.
ENZMANN: You never cook stuffing in the bird. You run the risk of those raw poultry juices being absorbed into your stuffing.
GUPTA: And then, there's always leftovers, which is our final tip -- chill. Foods that are not cooled and stored properly become breeding grounds for bacteria that could lead to food poisoning.
ENZMANN: The important thing is to get those leftovers into smaller containers so that they can cool down. Put them into the refrigerator where air can circulate. Don't stack them all one on top of the other, because otherwise, bacteria will continue to grow.
GUPTA: The American Dietetic Association recommends leftover turkey be refrigerated within two hours of cooking and be eaten within four days.
These simple steps can make your holiday a healthier one.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: And still to come, fake IDs, the quality impresses the feds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How good are fakes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amazingly good. Very, very good. And very difficult to tell that it's a counterfeit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And the quantity concerns them. The story ahead in the NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: And a site of sadness with no room to grieve. Iraqi morgues so crowded, mourners can't view their loved ones bodies. We'll have that story coming up, here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: No holiday from the bloodshed in Baghdad. Explosions are rocking the city right now. 30 dead, 100 wounded so far.
And the numbers could continue to climb. Police say three car bombs and a mortar round went off over a 30 minute period. It happened in the violent slum of Sadr City.
Now Michael Ware, who's on the scenes, says those blasts were followed by mortar attacks that are now underway in a nearby neighborhood. Three more Marines have been killed in Iraq. The military says the troops died from wounds sustained due to enemy action in Anbar province, an area where many Sunni insurgents are based. That brings the U.S. military death toll in Iraq to 2,872.
COLLINS: The deadliest month for civilians since the war began. The U.N. says more than 3700 Iraqi men, women, and children were killed in October. A look at the faces and families behind those numbers.
Here's CNN's Michael Ware.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WARE (voice-over): An overcrowded morgue, this father pleads for help. "I came here," he says, "for my son."
Just 17 years old, Mohammed al Timimi left his aunt's house almost two weeks ago, bound for home. He hasn't been seen since.
His increasingly dispirited father, Ali, cannot rest, trolling Baghdad's hospitals, jails, army barracks, and morgues. It's his third visit to this one.
"I've looked everywhere, but I can't find him," he says. "He's my son, I feel lost."
He's far from alone. These faces each seeking someone dear through Baghdad's central morgue. More than 13,000 men, women, and children have died in the past four months alone, according to the United Nations. Victims of insurgent violence and sectarian death squads.
And this sad place is swamped each morning, prompting a macabre efficiency. Viewing bodies is impossible in the crush, so a large video screen has been installed with photographs of the dead scrolling slowly past. With many of the images still bloodied, barely recognizable, we agreed not to show the screen.
Inside, women hold worn photographs. As men peer at the screen, a wail rides up. While outside by hastily made coffins, others grieve and even more wait. At home, Ali's wife Rahma can't help but hold a mother's hope her boy will return.
RAHMA AL-JOUBORI, MOTHER OF MISSING SON (through translator): My heart is telling me that he's still alive. I just want him back. I have no other son except Mohammed.
WARE: His grandmother, however, is sure he's dead. "He's gone," she sighs. But Rahma can't bear the thought.
AL-JOUBORI: I'm keeping my eyes on the gate of the house, waiting for him to push through the gate.
WARE: Ali would keep a similar vigil, but heavy with mourning he's force to return to driving his minibus taxi. "I had to go back to work," he says. "It's very hard for me, but what can I do?"
All Rahma can do is pray. Most of the disappeared die at the hands of death squads for the sake of their faith, a cruel torment to this family. Ali is a Shia. Rahma, a Sunni. For them, the sectarian divide had meant nothing. Now it's the source of their terrible lament.
"Before we didn't have the Sunni versus Shia thing," says Ali. "We were the same, brothers living together, playing, eating together. I don't know where all this came from or where it will end." Michael Ware, CNN, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Turkey and all the trimmings, a welcome Thanksgiving feast for some U.S. troops in Iraq. The American embassy compound in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone was transformed to this festive atmosphere, complete with lots of music.
But other troops over there are spending the holiday in the war zone. And this is the scene at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Soldiers stopped their duties to mark the Thanksgiving holiday, not exactly like being at grandma's table, but celebrating with fellow troops is perhaps the next best thing.
HARRIS: Rob Marciano in the Weather Center today, if you take a look at that map behind you...
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
HARRIS: Along that Eastern seaboard...
MARCIANO: Right. How about there? Northeast, too or northwest.
HARRIS: Over both shoulders.
MARCIANO: We've got the corners covered. I feel the weight of the world on...
HARRIS: On your shoulders, broad enough to handle it.
MARCIANO: Thanks, Tony. Rain and wind and some mountain snow across the Pacific Northwest. And rain and wind across the East coast. Boy, has it been a long storm. This thing is just moving slowly.
But finally, it is moving. But folks on the I-95 corridor of the Northeast coastline from Boston, all the way down to the Del Marva, we're looking at rain and wind today, coastal flooding, and winds gusting at times over 25, even 30 miles an hour.
Here's a swirl. This is a center part of a storm. It's been sitting over the Carolinas, but finally now it's beginning to drift north. That's good news for the folks who live in the Carolinas, who have been dealing with record-setting rain.
And also, look at these numbers for yesterday's wind gusts. Alligator River, North Carolina, 82 mile an hour wind gusts. Sladesville, North Carolina, 77. Hatteras on the Cape there, 66. And Kill Devil Hills, 59 miles an hour wind gusts. So these are tropical storm and in spots, hurricane force wind gusts. And this thing is acting a lot like a tropical storm or hurricane.
Gusty winds and rain from Boston and New York metropolitan area. So if you're doing some travel through those airports, expect some delays, although there's only one report of delay so far. And that's in Philadelphia with 20 minute ground stops.
You go west of there, and we got the big blue H's in control. That typically means nice weather, especially if you're on the west side of the H's. That means warm weather because you get that southerly wind.
So that's what we're seeing from places like Kansas City to El Paso to Denver. And there's your rain and mountain snow across the pacific northwest.
Daytime highs for your Thanksgiving Day, 75 in Dallas. It'll be 64 degrees in Kansas City. 57 degrees in Chicago. And 45 wet, windy, and nasty in New York.
HARRIS: Nasty.
COLLINS: But they're flying.
MARCIANO: They're flying the balloons. And you know, people getting together.
HARRIS: Oh, look...
COLLINS: Beautiful live...
HARRIS: Oh, who's that?
COLLINS: Oh, that's the clown from...
HARRIS: From Charlie Brown. Who is that?
COLLINS: No, no, no, no.
HARRIS: No?
COLLINS: No, it's -- Riley watches it.
MARCIANO: Charlie Brown?
COLLINS: Oh, come on, people in the NEWSROOM with small children. Jo Jo, Jo Jo, that's who it is.
HARRIS: Jo Jo?
MARCIANO: Of course.
COLLINS: He's looking down, though, isn't he? Hard to see his face.
HARRIS: He is.
MARCIANO: He's keeping his head under the wind there.
HARRIS: There you go.
MARCIANO: Stay low. Keep your head down. COLLINS: Thank you, Rob.
MARCIANO: See you guys.
COLLINS : And on this Thanksgiving Day, we wanted to know, family, friends, a place to live, like what is it that you are very thankful for?
HARRIS: For Heidi Collins keeping me company in the NEWSROOM three hours every day, Lord knows that's not easy.
COLLINS: I think it's very hot in here.
HARRIS: Send us your thoughts. Here's the e-mail address. CNNNewsroom@CNN.com. We will read some of your responses. And they're flying in here, filling up the e-mail box. We'll read them on the air in just moments.
And still to come, turkey, waiting on a train. Save us! Save us, please!
COLLINS: They're going to get hit by the train.
HARRIS: Yes. Right, you didn't expect these guys to hang around for dinner, did you?
COLLINS: No. We'll have that story coming up. What the heck they were doing on that platform in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: It's no longer just underage kids hoping to buy beer. Fake IDs are now big business and a concern for national security. CNN's Greg Hunter with the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GREG HUNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's America's first line of defense against terrorism, checking IDs at airports and borders. But federal authorities say the growing availability of fake IDs puts national security at risk
MICHAEL EVERITT, IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT: It creates a vulnerability that can be exploited by those who wish to do us harm.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, the police. Open up!
HUNTER: Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE says fraudulent documents are big business, run by organized crime in many cities. We put a Spanish speaking CNN producer with hidden cameras on the streets of metro Atlanta. Within minutes, this man offered a Tennessee driver's license for $150.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You bring me the photo, name, date of birth, then later I bring it to you. You look at it. If you like it, we do business. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could I use it to go through airports, I mean, to board an airplane?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, maybe you can because the one from Tennessee is well done.
HUNTER: Despite efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to tighten inspections at airports and borders, fake IDs still go undetected. This year, government investigators using phony homemade driver's licenses slipped into the country 18 times, getting in every time they tried.
SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R), IOWA: I think it's very obvious that America's door is wide open.
HUNTER: Senator Charles Grassley, who held hearings on fake IDs, says the loose security shocked him.
GRASSLEY: The federal government is making an honest effort, but they're failing.
HUNTER: ICE says a crime ring from Mexico even set up phony document franchises across the U.S. in 33 states. Suave Leha (ph) is the stepdaughter of one of the alleged partners. She says she grew up counting money from the sale of phony documents.
How much money do you think you counted in a night?
SUAVE LEHA: Probably more than $50,000.
HUNTER: ICE has made more than 50 arrests and has task forces in 11 cities, but Leha estimates the fake ID business still earns $300 million a year.
LEHA: They would sell to anybody that could pay for it.
HUNTER: Illegal immigrant, terrorist, makes no difference?
LEHA: Makes no difference.
HUNTER: Leha showed us this hand signal, IDs for sale. In this Atlanta parking lot, our producer flashed the signal and this man came right over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was told I could get a license.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can have it in two hours.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two hours? And how much are they?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're selling for $140.
HUNTER: We didn't buy the false document, but there are many willing customers. And some get caught. At ICE's forensic lab, technicians prepare evidence for court and analyze fake IDs to see how they're made. Michael Everitt is the lab director.
HUNTER: How good are the fakes?
EVERITT: Amazingly good. Very, very good. Very difficult to tell that it's a counterfeit.
HUNTER: ICE says this fake is top quality. It even has security features visible only under ultraviolet light. With a camera, laptop, and printing equipment, anyone can buy ICE put my face on a fake ID they said could pass for the real thing. Could I use this in an airport?
EVERITT: Yes.
HUNTER: At the border?
EVERITT: Yes. You can try to use it anywhere and it would probably pass muster at, you know, several places.
HUNTER: One problem at border crossings is sheer volume. There are 8,000 different travel documents to inspect.
BRUCE MONK, ASSURETEC SYSTEMS, INC.: It's just not humanly possible to do it without assistance.
HUNTER: Bruce Monk's company sells machines that check almost any ID for authenticity. When a fake goes in, the machine alerts the examiner in five seconds or less. It's being used at this Boston liquor store to catch underaged customers.
(on camera): Just to show you how common fraudulent documents are, during the last two and a half years alone at this one liquor store in Boston, they say they've confiscated bogus visas, passports, and about 1,000 of these, driver's licenses, fakes, from all 50 states.
GRASSLEY: Without a doubt, the government is not doing as good of a job as that liquor store.
HUNTER: DHS says the solution is the use of biometrics, fingerprints, for example. And the agency is pushing toward a 2008 deadline to require hard to counterfeit passports for all entry points, including Canada and Mexico.
GRASSLEY: I don't think that they should pussy foot around. I think they ought to be adopting whatever technology's available and get it done right now.
HUNTER: In the meantime, flying domestically or crossing the border, an easy to forge ID will do.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Hmm. Well, you already know you can catch us weekday mornings from 9:00 a.m. until noon Eastern right here in the NEWSROOM, but did you know you can take us with you? Anywhere?
COLLINS: Anywhere you go.
HARRIS: On your iPod. It's a little frightening to me, but OK. The CNN NEWSROOM podcasts available 24/7 right on your iPod. Once you download us, you can't delete us, OK? Thank you.
COLLINS: A Thanksgiving feast for some U.S. troops in Iraq, but for others it is no holiday. We go live to soldiers in the war zone, coming up right here in the NEWSROOM.
HARRIS: E-mails, we need your e-mails this morning. What are you thankful for? Oh, come on. You have to be thankful for plenty of things. Here's the address. CNNNewsroom@CNN.com. Reading your e- mails in mere moments.
COLLINS: We're getting some great ones, too. Keep sending them.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: It's as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as turkey or pumpkin pie as we look at Columbus Circle there. And all those awesome balloons. The annual Macy's Parade underway this hour in New York. Rain and gusty winds threatened to put a damper on the celebration, but the fans are a marching. The giant balloons are a- flying.
Parade organizers installed wind sensors along the route to keep watch on conditions. You remember, a woman was seriously injured when a balloon careened out of control back in 1997. Since then, of course, always watch this very, very carefully.
HARRIS: You know, it seems like everyone was trying to get out of town for Thanksgiving. And some had good reason to make a run for it. Wild turkeys here, spotted by workers at the Ramsey New Jersey train station. The turkeys hung out on the platform for a while.
COLLINS: That's a Jersey boy turkey right there.
HARRIS: They took off. Hey, hey, hey, a little too close. A little too close. They left, took off, and then they -- well, they came back. Perhaps they just couldn't find their connection.
Wild turkeys also caused a minor traffic accident in a nearby town. A driver apparently not ready for dinner did the right thing, swerved to avoid them.
COLLINS: Now that was very nice.
We have been asking all morning long what you're thankful for. We've been getting in all kinds of e-mails today, great e-mail.
HARRIS: Yes. Let's start with Wendy. Wendy sent us an e-mail from Richland, Washington. She writes, "After battling cancer for the past year, I am grateful for good health and for my family and caring friends who demonstrate on a daily basis what it means to give unto others."
COLLINS: And here from OSC Reggie White, Operation Support Command on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, "I'm thankful that I have a family who loves me and supports the job that I do for our great country."
HARRIS: And how about this from Pamela, who writes, "I am thankful that I can enjoy the parade from sunny Trinidad and Tobago, and not in the cold watching the wet parade."
COLLINS: That's kind of a like got you one. Isn't it?
HARRIS: Got you. Right there in your face. All right, send us some more, huh?
COLLINS: As we said on this Thanksgiving Day, we want to know what are you thankful for? Just e-mail us right there. CNNNewsroom@CNN.com. We'll be putting them up for the rest of the show.
HARRIS: And when we come back, we will recap what has been so far a very violent day in Iraq. At least 100 dead in Sadr City. We're back in a moment.
COLLINS: And if you've ever wondered how fit you should be at your age, CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen has the answer. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Maybe you don't have J. Lo's body, or you wish you had Cindy Crawford's abs. Well, you might not look like them, but you can be fit like them, says their trainer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's come down to the issue of what you do is what you are. Bend. Second. Bend! Third. And down again. Ready? Let's go.
COHEN: We asked this fitness guru to the stars to show us workouts for people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
Meet Carrie, who's 31; Joe, who's 46; and Brooke, 57. The American Council on Exercise has guidelines for what we should all be able to do based on our age. First, push-ups.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's remind ourselves what push-ups are all about.
COHEN: Without resting, men in their 30s should be able to do an average of 20 push-ups. In your 40s, it's 15. And if you're over 50, 10.
For women in their 30s, 15 is average. For 40s, it's 12. And for 50s and beyond, at least 7.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, let's work these abs, guys.
COHEN: Now your abs. In one minute, women mid-30s to mid-40s should be able to do 30 curls. Mid-40s to mid 50s, 30 again. Mid-50s and beyond, 20.
For you guys, mid-30s to mid-40s, give me 38 curls. Mid-40s to mid-50s, 36. And mid-50s and beyond, 33 is average.
Not quite up to those baseline levels and wondering how do I get there? Slowly, says sports medicine expert Dr. Kevin Eerkes.
KEVIN EERKES, DR., NYU SCHOOL OF MEDICINE: If you start too fast or work your way up too quickly to what your goal is, then you're liable to get an overuse injury and come into the office and see a doctor like me.
COHEN: And of course, with lots of dedication, you can battle gravity in time and go well beyond what's expected for your age.
BROOKE, 57 YEARS OLD: I can come here and work out with people that are in their 30s. And I can -- I feel like I can -- I'm competitive with them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From here, we go back and push back, push back.
COHEN: As for the motivation to get fit, Radu, who would you believe is nearly 60, offers this. Don't be motivated by the gym mirror. Instead, find an activity you love and share it with friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And jump. And go jump.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the day after Thanksgiving is the traditional kickoff to holiday shopping. And if you're searching for gift ideas, CNNMoney.com has a few suggestions, plus some holiday tipping etiquette.
"Money" magazine takes 25 great gifts at the best prices from several major stores like Best Buys, Nikon Cool Pics digital camera, with a built-in Wi-Fi so you can e-mail pictures right from the camera.
Or the Williams Sonoma champagne opener. Pair it with a bottle of good bubbly, that's a festive gift.
For the gamer in the family, CNN Money highlights the 10 best gifts for gamers, from role playing to brain teasers.
And if you've ever wondered how much you should tip your mail carrier, doorman, or dog walker, we have a tipping guide for you as well as stories from the many service professionals. Many say it's not the gift, but the thought that counts. You'll find much more at CNNMoney.com/holiday. For the dotcom dash, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.
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