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American Morning
Course Change in Iraq; Raging California Wildfire; Deadly Typhoon
Aired December 04, 2006 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad. Firefighters are telling us that up to 3,000 homes could be in danger from this fire. Some of them -- these homes right behind me here. Step out of the way and take a look here. Hundreds of people have already evacuated their homes but still hundreds more have decided to stay and fight. The flames at some point have come within 50 yards of some of these homes. And up and down this block we have seen people standing outside, holding water hoses, trying to help the firefighters save their homes. Now so far, they have been pretty successful, but, five homes have been completely destroyed by the fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DORANN LAPERCH, LOST HOME IN FIRE: We've lost all our personal belongings. My mom's and dads wedding pictures. My dad's ashes were in mom's house.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, normally this time of night, the flames normally die down, give firefighters a break. That is not the case tonight. It's about 3:00 in the morning here and the winds are ferocious. There have been gusts at times up to 70 miles per hour. Helicopters during the day, before the sun went down, had a rough go of it trying to give some air support. You know, for that matter, some of the firefighters have said they even had trouble standing up straight at times the winds were so bad. Now, this entire area is about 30, 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It used to be a farm town. But like a lot of areas around Los Angeles now, you've got subdivisions, new homes that have been encroaching on this area. Tens of thousands of families coming in here. So, in times past where you had all this dry brush and eucalyptus that would spark these wildfires there weren't quite so many homes in danger. That is not the case now. It's a heavy populated area, so firefighters are hoping to catch a break with some of these winds. And perhaps start to beat back the fire a little bit later this morning. Miles?
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Chris Lawrence along the fire lines. Thank you very much.
It is the start of a pivotal week for the war in Iraq. President Bush is looking for new alliances. A White House meeting planned this morning with the leader of a powerful Iraqi Shiite faction, Abdul Aziz al Hakim is his name. He is a rival of his fellow Shiite leaders Muqtada al Sadr and the Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki. Tomorrow, Robert Gates goes to Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearings. He is nominated to replace Donald Rumsfeld as the secretary of defense. And Wednesday, that blue ribbon panel looking for solutions in Iraq will make its formal report to the president. The Iraq Study Group expected to recommend a staged withdrawal from Iraq while encouraging the White House to engage Iran and Syria.
In the Middle East they say the enemy of your enemy is your friend. If that is the case it is hard to see where Abdul Aziz al Hakim fits into the picture. He's an arch rival of the U.S. nemesis Muqtada al Sadr, but he's also no friend of the U.S. supported Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki. And Hakim also has strong ties to Iran. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson is going to unravel this one for us. Nic, good morning.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning Miles. We've heard a lot about Muqtada al Sadr, the firebrand Shia cleric. We've seen a lot of him on television recently. Abdul Aziz al Hakim is a religious figure, is a religious cleric but he is cut from somewhat of a different cloth to this other firebrand cleric. But he is still in charge of one of the most powerful political forces in Iraq right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Abdul Aziz al Hakim the powerful leader of Iraq's largest Shia party, the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq is friendly to the United States. How much of that warmth is political maneuvering is hard to fathom. Hakim, a quietly spoken Shia cleric spent decades in exile in Iran, only returning when Saddam was overthrown. He wants Iran to help out in Iraq.
ABDUL AZIZ AL-HAKIM, SCIRI LEADER: They can help Iraq and the Iraqis a lot. They can participate in solving security and economic problems.
ROBERTSON: Hakim still has strong ties with Tehran. His party has an Iranian trained militia, the 25,000 strong Bana Brigade. Many have joined Iraq's National Police Service. Others pledged to disarm. But the militia, whose commanders got top jobs in the police force, have yet to shake well-founded accusations they are running death squads, killing Sunnis. Hakim came to leadership by default. His elder brother, Mohammed Bakir Hakim was blown up by Sunni insurgents. Since then, Hakim has publicly, at least, preached against retaliation, and steered the Shia towards unity, maximizing their political clout.
But divisions are opening up. Hakim opposed fellow Shia Nuri al Maliki for prime minister, preferring a candidate from his own party. Now, the prime minister is on the political ropes under intense American pressure to disarm its most powerful backer, firebrand Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr's militia, Hakim could benefit if the prime minister fails.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON: Now, Hakim also has had a longtime rivalry with Muqtada al Sadr. Their fathers competed for influence among the Shia faithful. But it's unlikely that it's going to go into President Bush with a message of divisiveness and trying to win political points. It's more likely we're told to go in and try and win support for the whole of the Shia community, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Nic, what sort of a relationship does he have with the Sunni community?
ROBERTSON: He has an interesting relationship in as much as a lot of his powerful political figures within his party are in the government and there are Sunnis within the government. He talks -- whenever you go and meet with him he talks about unity and inclusiveness. But there is a real sense here that he wants to drag the country towards sort of -- to run under Islamic rules for the Shias to have the utmost influence in the country, and that has meant that a lot of the Sunnis feel like that they were left out under his direction and influence, Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Nic Robertson in Baghdad, thank you. Soledad?
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: President Bush promising significant changes in Iraq policy in the coming weeks. Today's White House talks could influence what the president decides to do next in Iraq. CNN's Kathleen Koch has more on the meeting.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): The meeting today is part of a new White House strategy to reach out to the many players in Iraq's complex coalition government. A senior administration official tells me that President Bush has basically issued an open invitation to senior Iraqi leaders to meet with him here at the White House. Certainly, though, Abdul Aziz al Hakim is a very important player. He is the chief rival of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr. And if Hakim's party were to back Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki, the thought here is that Maliki would then be less dependent on Muqtada al Sadr and his Mehdi militia. Other likely topics of discussion in the meeting this afternoon, Hakim has advocated for direct talks between the U.S. and Iran, that's something the president has so far firmly opposed. Also, another likely topic of discussion is the leaked Rumsfeld memo that calls for a quote major adjustment in U.S. policy on Iraq, advocating, among other options, a modest troop withdrawal. So again that unlikely topic when the two men meet. Kathleen Koch, CNN, the White House.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: And the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan speaking out this morning, describing life in Iraq as worse now than when Saddam Hussein was in power. According to a "BBC" interview which is set to air today, Annan says the level of violence in Iraq is much worse than the violence in recent civil wars, other civil wars. He calls the situation in Iraq extremely dangerous and Annan is urging the international community to help rebuild the country, saying he doesn't think Iraq can do it alone.
M. O'BRIEN: Now to London, and the latest on the cloak and dagger mystery surrounding the death of a former Russian spy. A team of British investigators will soon be on their way to Moscow, hoping to get some answers about the death of Alexander Litvinenko. Seems every day brings yet another new theory. CNN's Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance in London with the latest. Matthew?
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNAITONAL CORRESPONDENT: Miles, thanks very much. Well those conspiracy theories and suspicions continue to swirl around Britain as that very complex investigation into the poisoning of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko continues to gather pace. There has been one development as well, you just mentioned it, and that's that British police have confirmed they've been given visas to go to Moscow where they'll continue their investigations into the witnesses, possibly identify suspects. But also check out some of the evidence that they've gathered so far.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE (voice-over): In this complex investigation, it remains some of the best evidence British police have. The radioactive isotope polonium-210, which is believed to have poisoned former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, has been detected in more than a dozen places across London, even on aircraft. It's a radioactive trail the British government confirms is leading outside the country.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wherever this investigation leads inside or outside of Britain.
CHANCE: And it's been confirmed a team of British investigators is now traveling to Russia. They're expected to interview several Russians who met Litvinenko in London on the day he was poisoned. The head of Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB, says there will be cooperation from his office.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was an absolute tragedy. We are very sorry. What I can say is that he was staying in the UK. The British government, as well as security authority knew very well what kind of person he was. Therefore they should have controlled the situation. President Putin said that Russia would provide all the cooperation needed for the investigation. We have not heard any request from the British government. Russia will expand cooperation if requested.
CHANCE: But the poison plot seems to be thickening. One British newspaper suggests Litvinenko may have had many potential enemies. Not just the Kremlin, who he accused of ordering his killing. "The Observer" newspaper quotes a Russian academic (INAUDIBLE), who met Litvinenko several times and exchanged more than 100 e-mails with him. She says the former agent was planning to blackmail several Russian tycoons, and government officials with incriminating evidence of how they stole millions from Russian coffers. Every day, it seems, there's a new theory.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ignore all the opinions. Ignore all the conspiracy theories, because that's what a lot of them are, and just go for the evidence. Trace the evidence.
CHANCE: And from Litvinenko's meeting with the Russians at the hotel, to the radioactive polonium-210 which experts believe may have originated from Russian labs, police believe that evidence appears to be pointing towards Moscow.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, from his deathbed Alexander Litvinenko accused the Kremlin of organizing or orchestrating his poisoning. Russian officials have denied any responsibility for that. But the fact that these investigators are now going to Moscow may turn up crucial evidence, and the British government has promised that no matter what the sensitivities, no politics or diplomacy will be permitted to obscure the truth. Miles?
M. O'BRIEN: Matthew, it seems there were quite a few people with a motive to kill Litvinenko.
CHANCE: Absolutely. Litvinenko himself, of course, believed and wrote from his deathbed that he believed it was the Kremlin that had orchestrated his killing, because of his outspoken criticism of their policies. But, it seems this is a figure who operated in a very shady world. He came into close contact with big business in Russia. And, of course, the various secret services in many different countries. And so it's quite possible there were many factors at play in this. And that's why this complex investigation, rather, is proving so complex.
M. O'BRIEN: Matthew Chance at number 10 Downing Street. More on the poisoning investigation in our next hour when a Litvinenko family friend will join us right here on AMERICAN MORNING. And tonight, a special "ANDERSON COOPER 360" takes an in-depth look at the investigation, 10:00 eastern right here on CNN.
S. O'BRIEN: Happening this morning, a trip to paradise spoiled by a stomach bug for nearly 400 passengers on the world's biggest cruise ship. Royal Caribbean's "Freedom of the Seas" passengers came down with the Nor virus while they were at sea. The ship is now back in Miami, it's being cleaned. Seven hundred people on a Carnival cruise ship came down with the Nor virus, you might remember, last month.
In New Jersey, 19 people are sick with E.Coli. Two of the cases are said to be life threatening. The ages of the victims range between 7 and 14. Mostly all of them ate at this Taco Bell that you're looking at pictures of in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The restaurant's closed and they're saying nothing about the E.Coli outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The sign said, sorry for the inconvenience, we're temporarily closed for construction.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I figured it was just a routine health inspection. We didn't know it was something serious.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP) S. O'BRIEN: Health inspectors, in fact, say Taco Bell did pass a health check last week. There is another inspection now planned.
In New York, witnesses to that police shooting that killed a man on his wedding day, they're reportedly talking to investigators. Now an attorney for some of those witnesses says his clients met with prosecutors, telling them that police never identified themselves, never showed their badges before they fired 50 shots. The shooting, which took place outside of a Queens strip club, killed 23-year-old Sean Bell. Bell's fiancee is going to be talking tonight exclusively to Larry King, that happens at 9:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, the aftermath of that severe snowstorm in the Midwest over the weekend. The death toll still climbing.
And security clashes with privacy at the airport. A revealing high-tech scanning machine and other ways the feds are checking on you, which might upset you a little bit. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. Some of the top stories we're following for you this morning. A big victory for the man who called President Bush the devil. President Hugo Chavez wins the election in Venezuela.
Former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is in critical condition this morning. He is 91 years old. He's accused of ordering the murders of thousands of people, underwent emergency heart surgery over the weekend.
And in Fiji the military has taken to the streets, disarmed the police, and may be preparing to overthrow the government.
M. O'BRIEN: In Southern California, fierce Santa Ana winds are fanning the flames of a raging wildfire this morning. Take a look at this video, comes from Ventura County near Moorpark about 30 miles outside of Los Angeles. So far, nearly 10,000 acres burned. Five homes destroyed, hundreds more in danger. More than 1,000 firefighters trying to put it out right now. Crews are bracing for gusts as high as 50 miles an hour today. And about 350,000 people are still without power in Illinois and Missouri after that deadly winter storm. Emergency crews going door-to-door to check on people. Freezing temperatures are to blame for four deaths over the weekend in St. Louis, bringing the storm's death toll to 19. Two men died of carbon monoxide poisoning after burning charcoal in a wok in their home.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: In CNN security watch this morning, new ways the government is keeping track of all of us, including a revealing new airport scanner that's being tested right now. Critics say both programs go too far, and expose a little too much. CNN's Jeanne Meserve has more for us. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the bombardment of low-level x-rays, this so-called back scanner machine can detect weapons concealed on the body. It also reveals the body itself, in exquisite and embarrassing detail. But with new modifications, operators of the machines will now see only the body's outline. And so, the Transportation Security Administration plans to begin pilot testing later this month at Phoenix and a handful of other airports. But privacy advocates say the more intimate images could still be stored and misused.
MARC ROTENBERG, ELECTRONIC PRIVACY INFORMATION CTR.: Essentially they're putting a digital fig leaf on the image, the machine itself can still record all the detail and store that information for use at a later point.
MESERVE: The TSA disputes that.
ELLEN HOWE, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: The images, when they leave the screen, will be gone forever. They will not be saved in any way, shape or form.
MESERVE: Other details about travelers certainly are being saved by the government. For the past four years, in secret, the government has compiled information on people entering and leaving the country. Scoring the risks they pose by computer. And it plans to keep the data for 40 years. It is called the automated targeting system or ATS.
MICHAEL CHERTOFF, HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF: The job one for me is keep bad people out of the United States. That is what the people of this country expect.
MESERVE: But privacy advocates are livid that the government will share the information with state and local governments, even government contractors. Travelers aren't aware of their score. Getting the information on which it is based and correcting mistakes is cumbersome and lengthy.
CLARK KENT ERVIN, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY ANALYST: The concern with this is that innocent people will not just not be allowed to fly, as a result of ATS, but also they'll be denied jobs, they'll be denied contracts and licenses and other benefits, as a result of being erroneously identified by the government as terrorists.
MESERVE: Business travel coalitions says it was stunned to learn of what it calls a massively intrusive program. Some democratic members of Congress are also up in arms and promising hearings. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.
(END OF VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: You want to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable and latest news about your security. Miles? M. O'BRIEN: Coming up, a popular tax break for millions of Americans may soon bite the dust. Ali Velshi has that, in "Minding your Business" next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Top stories we're following for you this morning. President Bush meets with the leader of Iraq's largest Shiite group this morning. Abdul Aziz al Hakim will reportedly push for letting Iran play a bigger role in stabilizing Iraq.
And Hollywood, Dollywood and Motown honored this weekend. Director Stephen Spielberg, singers Dolly Parton and Smokey Robinson, some of the stars celebrated for lifetime achievement by President Bush at The Kennedy Center. Soledad?
S. O'BRIEN: How about this for a little bit of a wake-up call? Check out this videotape, it's from Iowa. A set of tires from a passing semi on interstate 80 just outside of Des Moines went crashing through this couple's bedroom. Investigators say the tires flew off the truck, then bounced and rolled 500 feet, slammed right through the house, into the bedroom, traveling at 70 miles an hour. Now the couple, in their bed, in their bedroom, was ok. They were able to roll out of bed with only minor injuries. The woman said that it felt very warm. So think how much those tires --
M. O'BRIEN: Oh, my gosh.
S. O'BRIEN: Can you believe that.
M. O'BRIEN: And each one of those tires must weigh lots.
S. O'BRIEN: Sure.
M. O'BRIEN: Tremendous momentum there.
S. O'BRIEN: That is what they call a close call that ended very well for them.
ALI VELSHI: I should say.
M. O'BRIEN: Good morning, Ali.
ALI VELSHI: Good morning. Good to see you.
M. O'BRIEN: Let's talk about tax breaks, shall we?
VELSHI: For the early birds out there, and if you're watching this, you're an early bird. Some people like to get their tax filings done early. Well if you are one of those people, watch out, because there might be changes to the tax code. There were some tax benefits that expired in January of 2006 that were never renewed and there's some pressure under Congress right now to get those renewed before this Congress gets up, and these tax breaks go away. And I'll tell you what they are, some of them are for teachers, a $250 credit for books and supplies that teachers buy. There are 3.4 million teachers affected by this. Also residents of Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington State and Wyoming where they have no income tax, those residents benefited from a $1500 state and local tax credit, that's going to go away. There's a research and development tax credit for businesses. Twenty percent of the money spent on research and development activities, and various college tuition and fees credits that could be going away. Now the problem is, even if this gets passed through the House, these were sweetener deals with respect to bigger tax problems that the two parties don't agree on, so even if it gets through may not make it to your tax documents in time. So you want to keep on top of that.
Wall Street this week, we are looking at the unemployment report on Friday. That's going to be the big one to look at because we know that housing prices are lower. If unemployment goes up, people start to worry about their jobs and their houses. Where do they stop spending? That's where Wall Street's going to be looking this year and this week. I want to just tell you about "The Wall Street Journal." It's making some changes starting the beginning of the year. You'll remember "The Wall Street Journal" is bigger than most newspapers. Here's "USA Today", there's a lot of column difference here. Starting January 2nd "The Wall Street Journal" is going to shrink this down. It says it's going to save them $18 million a year because nobody uses this size of press anymore.
M. O'BRIEN: They lose a column.
VELSHI: They lose a column and they can print these all over the world. In Hawaii for instance there's no big presses, costs these guys to have to ship "The Wall Street Journal" to Hawaii to sell it there.
M. O'BRIEN: That's a lot of expense.
VELSHI: Yeah.
M. O'BRIEN: What's next?
VELSHI: I'm going to be talking about speed dating.
M. O'BRIEN: Ok.
S. O'BRIEN: Anything you want to share with us?
VELSHI: Speed dating to get a job. How's that?
S. O'BRIEN: Speed dating to get a job.
M. O'BRIEN: See in a bit.
S. O'BRIEN: Is that still called speed dating?
VELSHI: No. We just came up with that.
S. O'BRIEN: All right, I'm in. I'm glad to hear that. Thanks Ali. Coming up this morning, much more on the crucial week ahead in the fight for Iraq. Some key meetings and big strategies to be revealed. And we'll show you the new signs that Senator Hillary Clinton might be looking to return to the White House. That's straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. O'BRIEN: Strategy session. President Bush is meeting with one of Iraq's top religious leaders today, kicking off a key week that could influence the U.S. mission in Iraq.
M. O'BRIEN: California burning again. New wildfires raging through neighborhoods, taking out homes, with fears things could get much worse this morning.
S. O'BRIEN: Catastrophic damage. Relief workers land in the Philippines after that typhoon that killed as many as a thousand people.
We'll talk to one of the folks on the front lines on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome back, everybody. It is Monday, December 4th.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
We're glad you're with us.
It's the start of a pivotal week for the war in Iraq. President Bush is looking for new alliances. A White House meeting planned this morning with the leader of a powerful Iraqi Shiite faction.
Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is his name. He is a rival of his fellow Shiite leaders, Muqtada al-Sadr and the prime minister, Nuri al- Maliki.
Tomorrow, Robert Gates heads to Capitol Hill for his confirmation hearings. He is nominated to replace Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense.
And Wednesday, the Iraq Study Group expected to give its recommendations to President Bush, like a staged withdrawal from Iraq and encouraging the White House to engage Iran and Syria.
Secretary Rumsfeld may be on his way out but he's still being heard. Over the weekend a startling memo leaked out written by Rumsfeld two days before he resigned. In the memo, as we said, just before he resigned, Rumsfeld concedes the current strategy is not working and it is time for a major adjustment.
CNN's Brianna Keilar live now from Washington with more -- Brianna.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, good morning.
And the White House really portraying President Bush as flexible, as willing to listen to suggestions for change in Iraq. But National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley insisting this weekend that this leaked memo from Donald Rumsfeld is not a roadmap for a new course.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR (voice over): The memorandum from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says a major adjustment is necessary in the Iraq war. As the White House waits for recommendations from the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, expected Wednesday, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, whose own memo about the shortcomings of Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, was leaked last week, tried to downplay the Rumsfeld memo.
STEPHEN HADLEY, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: It was a useful memo, and we used it in that way to trigger discussions. But this was not a game plan.
KEILAR: But the memo does suggest possible changes. Among them, modest withdrawals of U.S. forces, redeploying troops from vulnerable positions in cities like Baghdad to safer areas, and sending more U.S. forces to seal the Iranian and Syrian borders. Congressional Republicans and Democrats say the recommendations came too late.
SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), NEBRASKA: After almost four years, to finally acknowledge that maybe we should change strategy, change policy, and acknowledge for the first time I'm aware of that our policy in Iraq is not working.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: Many of us have been offering alternatives for a way to be successful, and the administration has consistently shut that down. Now we see they're embracing the very things that we talked about.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KEILAR: President Bush is scheduled to meet today with the head of the largest Shiite political bloc in Iraq's government as he tries to bolster support for Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki -- Miles.
M. O'BRIEN: Brianna Keilar in Washington.
Thank you -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: We're getting this just in from Iraq this morning. The U.S. military telling The Associated Press that one person is dead, three others are missing after an emergency landing was made by a Marine helicopter. The chopper apparently had to go down in a lake in Iraq. It is not clear what caused the helicopter's problem.
We're going to keep a close eye on the story for you, bring the very latest to you as soon as it comes in.
Also, it looks like New York senator Hillary Clinton is one step closer to running for president in 2008. According to a senior Clinton adviser, she's talking about it privately with other prominent New York Democrats. Senator Clinton is also reportedly interviewing prospective campaign staff for a White House bid in '08. Clinton was re-elected to a six-year Senate term in a landslide just last month.
And Democratic Senator Evan Bayh from Indiana announced on Sunday that he's setting up an exploratory committee to raise money for a possible presidential run. Bayh expects to decide over the holiday whether he's going to seek his party's nomination.
M. O'BRIEN: Coming up in the program, more on that devastating wildfire burning right now in southern California. Five homes destroyed, hundreds are threatened, and residents are told to get out. A live report coming up.
Plus, that deadly typhoon in the Philippines. Tens of thousands lost their homes. Relief is on the way.
We'll have more on that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Welcome back. Let's take a look at the grid, see some of the stories we are following for you in the newsroom and elsewhere.
Lower right, incoming 301, the White House, still obviously dark in Washington this morning. Important meeting, 1:30 p.m., as a leader of an important Shiite faction, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, meets with President Bush. The president perhaps seeking some new alliances there as the White House tries to sort through the problems in Iraq.
Incoming 17, problems on another front for the White House. That's Venezuelan television, where Hugo Chavez was reelected. Another six-year term there, vowing to remain a thorn in the side of the U.S. administration for some time to come, and talking about how socialism is alive and well in Venezuela.
Up here, upper right, we're looking at the weather picture for -- that's our weather center. Look at the West Coast. You'll see already some strong winds blowing there, 17, 18, 19 miles an hour in Ventura County, where that wildfire is causing some serious problems, and that's where Chris Lawrence is right now.
We're going to check in with him in just a moment. As a matter of fact, Soledad is going to do that now -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Thanks, Miles.
We'll get more on those out-of-control wildfires that are raging in southern California this morning. The biggest one is burning outside of Moorpark in Ventura County, which is just about 30 miles from Los Angeles. Gusty Santa Ana winds are making the fire both extremely unpredictable and very hard to fight.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Chris Lawrence is in Moorpark this morning.
Chris, good morning.
We've seen some of the videotape of that fire just blowing across the area. What's the strategy for fighting that if it's going at 70 miles an hour?
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, firefighters say when the winds are gusting like that, there's not much they can do. In fact, they have been mainly just trying to save homes, not so much try to beat back the fire.
Right now this is not the kind of fire that is just burning in an area where you've got homes dotting an area here and there. This is a heavily-populated area, very close to Los Angeles.
Right now, hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes. But still, hundreds more have decided to stay and fight. On the block where we're standing, literally in the last couple of hours we've seen people standing on the hill behind their homes with their water hoses, trying to help the firefighters save their homes.
So far, they've been fairly successful, saved a lot of homes from burning. But five homes were completely engulfed by the flames.
At times, the firefighters have said the gusts have kicked up to 60, 70 miles per hour. When the sun was up earlier, the helicopters tried to get out for a while, but it's been very, very difficult to give any kind of air support. In fact, firefighters say at times it was hard just to stand up straight, the winds were gusting so hard. But they have been mainly concentrating again on saving homes, not so much trying to control the fire, but that may change as the sun comes up and perhaps they're able to get a better handle on it -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: These pictures are so dramatic.
Chris Lawrence for us this morning in Moorpark.
Thanks, Chris.
Forty-two minutes past the hour. Let's get right to Chad Myers for an update on the forecast for those guys and elsewhere.
Good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Soledad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
S. O'BRIEN: Also ahead this morning, anger in Lebanon as the political crisis escalates and turns deadly. We'll take you to Beirut this morning.
Plus, that devastating typhoon in the Philippines. At least a thousand people may be dead and tens of thousands more are homeless today.
We'll bring you an update on the relief efforts there straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The holidays are festive. Family, friends and food, lots of food. People often find themselves overeating. Registered dietician and author of "Small Changes Big Results," Ellie Krieger, has five tips on feeling fuller faster.
ELLIE KRIEGER, AUTHOR, "SMALL CHANGES BIG RESULTS": Take a small plate, the smallest plate available. Because if you take a small plate you will be satisfied with less food.
COSTELLO: Don't go to the party hungry. Another tip is to eat something before you go. Soup or oatmeal is a good option. Also...
KRIEGER: Fill up on fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. So at a party, go for the crudite. Fill that plate up with lots of vegetables and some dip.
COSTELLO: And don't keep the food on your plate. She suggests buying the smaller package of food you're preparing.
And Ellie's best holiday advice?
(on camera): OK, another cool tip that you have is you should eat like a baby. Eat like a baby?
KRIEGER: Right. When babies eat, they eat when their hungry and they push the food away when they've had enough.
COSTELLO (voice over): Carol Costello, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Here's a look at what CNN correspondents all around the world are covering today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRENT SADLER, CNN BEIRUT BUREAU CHIEF: I'm Brent Sadler in Beirut.
Anti-government protests spearheaded by the militant Muslim Shiite group Hezbollah led to bloodshed Sunday when a Shiite member of the opposition was shot dead and a dozen others injured during street clashes in a Sunni district of the capital. U.S.-backed prime minister Fouad Siniora refuses to resign amid rising fears here that sectarian rivalry, especially among the country's Muslim Shiites and Sunnis, as well as deep divisions among Christians, could ignite renewed civil war.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm John Vause in Hong Kong.
Typhoon Durian is now heading to Vietnam, where thousands have reportedly fled to higher ground or been forced to evacuate by authorities. Durian left behind a trail of death and destruction in the Philippines. The Red Cross believes up to a thousand people may have been killed, many by mudslides, triggered by the typhoon's powerful 165-mile-per-hour winds and torrential rain.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: For more on that typhoon and the relief effort moving into the Philippines right now, let's go to Red Cross operations coordinator Brigitte Gaillis. She joins us by phone from Manila.
Brigitte, good to have you with us.
Give us a sense right now of what the death toll is and how many people are in need of help.
BRIGITTE GAILLIS, RED CROSS OPERATIONS COORDINATOR: Actually, right now the death toll is rising, of course. We have over 400 people that are dead, and we have 400 that are missing. And they've been cutting through the debris of the mudslides, so that's quite sad, actually.
The families, we have about over 700,000 people that have been displaced right now. So that's quite extensive.
M. O'BRIEN: I should say, very extensive. And it must be very difficult, and many of these islands very inaccessible at this point.
Do you have any...
GAILLIS: It is difficult. On top of it, the access is not easy. The major roads are OK on the islands of -- the island of (INAUDIBLE), where the Category 5, actually, typhoon made landfall, two ferries at the pier. There's only access by air right now. So that's not very easy.
M. O'BRIEN: What is the greatest need right now?
GAILLIS: Actually, we need to ensure, like, safe drinking water, and there may be some health issues. The hospital on the island has been destroyed. The food reserves also have been destroyed because it's actually rice harvesting season.
So that's -- that's what's happening. And then, of course, after that reconstruction.
M. O'BRIEN: So long-term impact there.
GAILLIS: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: What can people do to help out if they're listening right now?
GAILLIS: Sorry, can you repeat your question?
M. O'BRIEN: What can people do to help?
GAILLIS: Actually, right now the best way to help the people here is, of course, to make donations. And the best way is to actually contact the American Red Cross. And that would be the 1-800- RED-CROSS number. And donate to the International Response Fund, and the cash will obviously be distributed to the national societies so we can help the community here to stay up on their feet.
M. O'BRIEN: Good luck in your efforts.
Red Cross operations coordinate Brigitte Gaillis on the phone from Manila. We appreciate your time -- Soledad.
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, we're "Minding Your Business." Some oil companies are in a big hurry to hire thousands of new workers, and here's what they're looking for: fast talkers. Yes. Ali Velshi will explain.
Plus, the weekend box office. Can "Happy Feet" hang on to its top spot?
We'll tell you straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
M. O'BRIEN: Do you know about speed dating, dating a bunch of people for a few minutes at a time? It's kind of -- they all sit around in a restaurant and they kind of...
S. O'BRIEN: It saves a lot of time.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It saves a total lot of time.
M. O'BRIEN: Anyway, well, they're applying this in another field.
VELSHI: Yes, totally.
M. O'BRIEN: Ali Velshi...
VELSHI: I'm Ali Velshi. I wake up really early and I like to wear vests.
M. O'BRIEN: Next.
VELSHI: Yes, next.
It's being applied to the world of business. The idea is you go to these -- you go to these dates and you sit down and you spend eight or 10 minutes with somebody and you move on.
Now, why would you speed date? Well, because you know what you're looking for, theoretically, you're busy, and you know what you don't like. And you really believe in first impressions.
So the oil companies are doing this now. A bunch of oil companies got together in Houston this weekend and held a speed interviewing session.
The turnout -- we got some pictures of it -- was much greater than expected. There's a lot of demand for oil workers. There -- oil is in demand. Oil workers are in demand. In the Gulf Coast there's still damage from the hurricanes last year.
And so the idea was that you check in, you give your resume at the check-in desk. They do a quick assessment of your skills, and then direct you to actual hiring managers from the oil companies. And then you sit with them for 10 or 15 minutes.
They feel that they can get a lot more out of a quick interview like that. A lot of people get follow-ups. In fact, some people were hired on the spot. But there were a number of follow-ups.
And the other impression that you could get is how people work in a stressful environment and under pressure. Because being an oil worker is a stressful environment.
They need lots of them. But you either work on these rigs or you work in oilfields, and sometimes it's 10 days or two weeks on, two weeks off. It's lonely, and it's hard work. So, interesting idea.
M. O'BRIEN: What kinds of questions are they asking them? Like, what's your sign? That kind of stuff? Or...
VELSHI: Yes. Do you like not talking to people for long periods of time?
I mean, it does take a certain skill to be an oil worker. Not just the actual skill, but you have to be able to work under certain pressure almost alone, but in a team, for a long period of time.
M. O'BRIEN: Right.
VELSHI: But if you can do it, there's a lot of demand. It's a big growth industry, and the pay is pretty good.
M. O'BRIEN: I would think that they pay a lot for that -- the sacrifices you make, right?
VELSHI: And you live -- you typically live on either the rig or in the oilfield for that amount of time. Your food is taken care of. You don't spend as much money.
A lot of these people have farms or do something else on their off time. They get a lot of off time. So it's an interesting idea.
S. O'BRIEN: So they were happy with it? They'd do it again?
VELSHI: They're very happy with it. You'll probably see more of it, and in other industries. S. O'BRIEN: I still think it's weird.
VELSHI: The dating or the interviewing?
S. O'BRIEN: The dating I understand. You know, you fall in love or you don't immediately. But the interviewing?
VELSHI: Yes. No, it's interesting. It's working for them.
S. O'BRIEN: All right. Ali...
M. O'BRIEN: All right, Ali. Thanks.
S. O'BRIEN: Here's a look at some of the top stories making news on CNN.com this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN (voice over): In the case of that murdered Russian spy, a friend of his says he knows who poisoned Alexander Litvinenko. Yuri Shuvitz (ph) a former KGB officer, says he gave Scotland Yard the name of the suspect last week. A British official says police are expected to travel to Russia for their investigation.
Winter weather is to blame for four deaths in St. Louis over the weekend. And more than 350,000 customers in Missouri and Illinois still don't have power after that devastating winter storm last week.
And the animated movie "Happy Feet" tap-dancing all the way to the bank. It was number one at the box office for the third straight weekend, adding $17 million in ticket sales. So far, it's pulled in $121 million.
"Casino Royale" in second place, taking in just over $15 million over the weekend. And Denzel Washington's thriller "Deja Vu" in third place, with $11 million.
For more on these stories, log on to our Web site at CNN.com.
The next hour of AMERICAN MORNING begins right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
M. O'BRIEN: Firefight. Wildfires burning right now in southern California. Homes destroyed, residents forced out, and a forecast for more hot, dry winds.
We're live on the front lines.
S. O'BRIEN: Church and state. President Bush meets with one of Iraq's top religious leaders at the White House today, kicking off a momentous week that could change the U.S. mission in Iraq.
Revealing security. The outcry now over a new airport scanner and the other ways that the feds are keeping tabs on all of us every time we fly. M. O'BRIEN: And outbreaks on land and at sea. Hundreds of cruise ship passengers coming home with a virus again.
And fast food at the center of an E. coli investigation also again on this AMERICAN MORNING.
S. O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody, December 4th, Monday.
I'm Soledad O'Brien.
M. O'BRIEN: And I'm Miles O'Brien.
Thanks for being with us.
S. O'BRIEN: Let's begin out West. Those out-of-control wildfires that are now raging in southern California, the biggest ones burning outside of Moorpark, which is in Ventura County. That's about 30 miles from Los Angeles.
Gusty Santa Ana winds ripping across the territory. It makes the fire really unpredictable.
AMERICAN MORNING'S Chris Lawrence is live for us in Moorpark.
Good morning, Chris.
LAWRENCE: Good morning, Soledad.
This is normally the time of night when the winds die down, give firefighters a break. But that is not the case with this particular fire. These winds are gusting ferociously at times all -- at all times in the night.
Right now, some of these winds have been blowing the flames literally very close to the homes. And on this block alone, sometimes the flames have gotten as close as 40 or 50 yards from some of these homes.
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