Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Saddam Hussein's Death Penalty Upheld By Iraqi Appeals Court; Iraqi Law Requires Execution Within 30 Days

Aired December 26, 2006 - 13:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Don Lemon at the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Betty Nguyen in for Kyra Phillips today.

Could these be Saddam's last days? The former Iraqi leader faces an appeals court verdict on his death sentence.

LEMON: Cleaning up after Christmas tornadoes in Florida. While some are still struggling to get out from under the snow, and another big storm brews. We're in the CNN Weather Center with your travel forecast.

NGUYEN: The body of the Godfather of Soul arrives in his hometown. Memorials all across America as people remember a music legend and civil rights pioneer.

You are in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: We begin this hour with sectarian rage. Once again it puts an Iraqi holy place in the crossfire. A Sunni mosque targeted today in a deadly bombing. At about the same time, an Iraqi appeals court upheld Saddam Hussein's death sentence, clearing the way for his hanging next month. Joining us from Baghdad with all the day's developments, CNN's Ryan Chilcote -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Don, the decision from the Iraqi high tribunal to uphold the death penalty for Saddam Hussein effectively brings the appeals process to an end for him. And really clears the way for Saddam Hussein to be put to death.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The appeals court has decided to uphold the ruling against the defendant Saddam Hussein, Bassam Al Hassam (ph) and Alwari Bandir (ph), should hang for crimes against humanity according to Article 12 of the Iraqi criminal law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHILCOTE: Now Iraqi law stipulates the condemned must be put to death within 30 days. The judge says that that means the window for Saddam's hanging opens tomorrow, Wednesday, and closes on January 26.

Interestingly, international law gives governments the right to stay executions, to commute sentences, and to pardon the condemned. In this case, however, that looks extremely unlikely. The Iraqi government, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, has said previously he would like to see Saddam hang by the end of the year, Don.

LEMON: Ryan, you know, internationally, you never know with this, but we're wondering here in the U.S., will the hanging be public? That's the question.

CHILCOTE: It is a question here in Iraq. It is something the Iraqi government has debated. We understand there are really two schools of thought. On the one hand, they would like -- this is a Shiite-led government, they did suffer greatly, the Shiites, under Saddam Hussein. They would like to show this publicly to give people the satisfaction that justice is being served. And also really to prove to people that it is Saddam that has been hanged.

On the other hand, the government, I think, is a bit concerned about being seen as barbaric. They also might be a little bit concerned about the uptick in violence that could result from a public execution. There are a lot of insurgents in Iraq who still support Saddam, still believe that he should be the rightful leader of this country. So, they are likely to attack the government, to attack government institutions, when that execution happens.

And that's another reason why the government may decide to do -- to carry out the execution secretly. We just don't know. We do know that it's a subject debate for the Iraqi government, Don.

LEMON: We'll keep following. Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad, thank you, sir.

At least 2,977 U.S. troops have now been killed in Iraq. That exceeds the total deaths in the attacks of September 11. Just today three U.S. servicemen killed in a roadside bombing. The toll for Iraqis is vastly worse. Tens thousands of civilians have lost their lives since the war began in March of 2003.

NGUYEN: In other news, defending its sovereignty and its neighboring government, Ethiopia is sending troops across the border to battle an Islamist militia in Somalia. Ethiopian fighter jets also bombed Somali targets over the weekend, pushing back -- for now -- the Islamic fighters who control most of that country. CNN's Barbara Starr visited the area earlier this year with U.S. military leaders and she joins us now with much more on this.

I understand, Barbara, U.S. troops are in the area. What are they doing?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Betty, they're actually -- many people may not realize that about 1800 U.S. troops are right between Somalia and Ethiopia. They are headquartered in the small African country of Djibouti. They are actually at a former French Foreign Legion base. And they are in that region to do humanitarian relief work, also to do anti-terrorism operations, and to train military forces in the region, that the U.S. has relationships with in the anti-terrorism operations. We spoke to one of the officials out there earlier today. They are very aware of fighting. It's something they have long anticipated. They're going to make every effort to continue their humanitarian work and try and stay away from the conflict zone.

What's happening here, of course, is the U.S. concerned that Somalia, once again, is really a safe haven for Al Qaeda. This Islamic militia, which controls much of the country, is said to shelter several Al Qaeda terrorists. It's something the U.S. has long objected to.

This Islamic militia has been calling for a jihad. And that is what has Ethiopia, with its large Christian population, so concerned. And has largely led to them mounting their attack in recent days, including the bombing of that airport.

But U.S. officials say they just don't see a great outcome here at any point. Ethiopian forces advancing on the Somalian capital, no intention, perhaps, of staying there, so it's hard to see how all of this is really going to sort out.

It's worth mentioning, Betty that many people in Somalia are supporting this Islamic militia, because there has been so much violence in that country, so much lawlessness that this militia group has brought some measure of order to the country. That's something the people there desperately want -- Betty.

NGUYEN: Very interesting, CNN's Barbara Starr. We appreciate it, Barbara.

STARR: Sure.

LEMON: And sadly, around the country, many people are picking up the pieces after a terrifying Christmas Day. Tornadoes that hop- scotched across Florida left hundreds homeless, but counting their blessings, as well. CNN's National Correspondent Susan Candiotti is in the hard-hit town of San Antonio, that is near Tampa.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Hi, Don.

It was a Christmas miracle because nobody was killed. But for the residents of this retirement community, the Tampa Bay Gulf & Country Club, many of these people here retirees, now comes the hard reality for many of them suffering a devastating loss.

For example, you see what happened to this house over here, now covered with a blue tarp. If you think this is the worst of it, was not. There was devastation across various parts of Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI (voice over): A chorus of chainsaws, not what you expect to hear Christmas morning. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wind kicked up. And like everybody says, you know, you hear the train coming. That's exactly what it was.

CANDIOTTI: Columbia County, west of Jacksonville, hit early. Authorities say a likely twister cut a seven-mile path of destruction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was terrible. My wife was looking out the windows. All she could see was just white.

CANDIOTTI: Damage expected to run at least $3.5 million, yet no serious injuries. Incredibly, for some, a holiday dinner served after all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bird is in the oven. Everything is OK. Everybody is OK. We're going to cook that bird, and go in there and enjoy it, and thank God we're still alive.

CANDIOTTI: A few hours later, another severe thunderstorm took aim north of Tampa.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It hit so fast with power. It was only, I would say, 45 seconds, and it was gone.

CANDIOTTI: Gone, but not easily forgotten. Strong winds peeled off roofs and uprooted trees in Pasco County. Fortunately, police say, no one critically injured.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The roofs are gone from a lot of these houses, and they're collapsed, there were cars still in the garage. It is just devastating.

CANDIOTTI: In Volusia County, near Daytona Beach, about 50 planes crushed, crumbled, and piled on top of each other at internationally known flight school Embry-Riddle.

CHIEF MICHAEL CHITWOOD, DAYTONA BEACH POLICE: It's just like a war zone. Embry-Riddle took a beating. It happened here at the apartment complex and further on up. How we didn't lose any lives? God was smiling on us.

CANDIOTTI: Up to 200 mobile homes also damaged in the area, but no lives lost.

BEN JOHNSON, SHERIFF, VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL.: I'm amazed. Absolutely amazed that we didn't, because by all rights, we should have a number of fatalities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: Now, we're already getting some preliminary damage estimates from Pasco County. So far, they think, damages total around $700,000. But they fully expect that to be much, much higher, once people start making repairs.

What happened to this house back here, believe it or not, no one seriously hurt. There was a family inside there. This is a -- the owner was not home, but his son, his daughter-in-law and two children were opening presents when the storm hit. He was on the phone with them, the owner of the house, and couldn't figure out what was going on, panicked, and then was able to find out they were OK.

The owner flew in from Canada today, landed at the airport, looked up on the TV screen, and there was CNN doing a live shot, with his house in the backdrop.

He said, "What a rude awakening that was." But he was happy to see, and happy to hear, naturally that his family was, indeed, all right. Now he's here to supervise the cleanup. Don, back to you.

LEMON: Susan, just amazing. I wanted to ask you, getting things fixed of the utmost important here. Have you seen insurance agents out there yet?

CANDIOTTI: Plenty of them, yes, from State Farm, from another company, Tower Hill. In fact, they're driving up and down the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, you are also seeing people who are looking for business to clean up. And authorities are trying to keep those people away from here as best they can. These are people who are uninvited, in effect, looking for repair work. At this stage, it's a little too early, and people are very distrustful of that, at this point.

LEMON: All right. Well, they should be careful. We wish the folks who had damage, all the best. Thank you very much, Susan.

NGUYEN: Speaking of the weather, fierce and frigid. Another powerful storm will be bearing down on Denver in the next couple of days. Let's get latest now from CNN's Bonnie Schneider in our Weather Center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

LEMON: All right, want to take you to this, live pictures from Waco, Texas, where President Bush is arriving for a week-long stay at his ranch in nearby Crawford. It is a working vacation, aimed at drafting a new Iraq strategy for the new year.

As you know, he has been working on that and is expected to make some announcement about that at the first of the year. But that is the president arriving there in Waco, Texas, for a working vacation on his way to Crawford, Texas. A picture of him with the doggie -- what's the dog's name again? I forget -- Barney.

NGUYEN: Barney.

LEMON: Barney, the dog.

NGUYEN: Remember, Barney cam?

LEMON: Yes, Barney cam. There you go. So, they're getting off of Air Force One. Details ahead in the CNN NEWSROOM. NGUYEN: Well, he was the hardest working man in show business. Well, the president's a hard working man, too. But this man is who I'm talking about, Soul Brother No. 1, Mr. Dynamite, many nicknames, but only one James Brown. Godfather of Soul died on Christmas Day at the age of 73.

Among his last words "I'm going away." And so he did. But his musical legacy will not. The seeds of soul, the foundation of funk, the roots of rap, he supplied them all. And we are remembering him today.

To Al Sharpton, James Brown wasn't just the godfather, he was also a guru. The two were practically inseparable, even people thought that Sharpton was Brown's road manager. Sharpton says Brown's death is the heaviest loss he has ever had. Their bond grew tighter after the death of Brown's son, Teddy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: I met Mr. Brown at New York's Symphony Hall -- and backstage. And he told me he wanted to help me. I was the same exact age as his son. He knew I came out of a one parent home. And it became -- he became my father, and I became like his son. I kind of replaced Teddy for him, and he became the father I never had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: And Sharpton says too many people thought of Brown as simply a showman, and not the musical pioneer that he was.

LEMON: And he will be missed, of course.

Head 'em up, move 'em out. The great holiday migration is in full swing. Are you leaving home? Coming home?

NGUYEN: I'm going home.

LEMON: Good for you. Just getting back here. Better check in the with the NEWSROOM before you do any of that.

RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: I'm Rusty Dornin in Atlanta where retailers are doing a little of this, and a lot of this -- deep discounts, hoping to lure shoppers in for post-Christmas sales. More coming up in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Oh, getting from here to there, that's the goal of millions of people this week. And CNN's Senior Correspondent Allan Chernoff with the scene at New York's LaGuardia airport. He joins us now from Flushing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SR. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM (on camera): It's been a smooth morning here at La Guardia Airport, with only minor delays, which has pretty much been the case around the country, even though it's been an extremely busy day for air travel.

AAA is estimating that about 1 million people will be flying today. Many people starting their winter vacations. Others coming back from Christmas holidays. In some cases, come back, and heading straight to the office. That was the case a couple we spoke with who just arrived from Cleveland.

And you're here in time to get to work?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, probably a little late, but hopefully in time.

CHERNOFF: What time do you have to be at work?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: About now so --

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to maximize the time there and still be able to get to work today, so.

CHERNOFF: Are you going to make it, in problem?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I'll make it.

CHERNOFF: That certainly is showing a lot of confidence in air travel. Lots of people will be flying all the way to the new year. In fact, AAA is estimating 9 million people will fly between Christmas Eve and New Year's day. Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: Now about that tacky tie. No, Don, I'm not talking about you, or that so-so sweater you got for Christmas. Don't sweat it, just return it. That's what I do. And do a little bargain hunting while you're at it. CNN's Rusty Dornin is in the middle of all the madness at a mall here in Atlanta.

Rusty, did you take back a tacky sweater?

DORNIN: No, I didn't take anything back. You know what, a lot of folks here are not bringing anything back.

NGUYEN: Really?

DORNIN: Most of the people who walk through the door are empty- handed and they're walking out with things.

NGUYEN: Nice.

DORNIN: Things may not be quite as crazy as they are on some days. But you still may have to brave the crowds. So be prepared.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DORNIN (voice over): Combing the malls before Christmas, Arthur Blackman already knows he'll be back, the day after.

ARTHUR BLACKMAN, CHRISTMAS SHOPPER: Yeah, I'll be out that day. Certainly that entire week more likely because you will save a lot on certain items, things like, you know, clothing items, and seasonal stuff that you can normally get for a lot less and I can use for the next year.

DORNIN: Anyone brave enough to venture out today will likely show up early. For those returning items, Dawson White of Back Rack Mens' Store, has some advice, tags, tags, and more tags.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the merchandise, we're going to need the tags which are attached to it. Our label, of course, is always on our merchandise, so we know what's ours and what's not. That's just the easiest thing about it, the receipt, merchandise and the tags.

DORNIN: Returns might be down ever so slightly this year, because more people are buying gift cards, letting that impossible person to shop for, buy their own gift. And the number of online shoppers also is rising. Gift cards and Internet shopping are up more than 20 percent this year.

How jolly is the season looking overall? Sales are up a mere 5 percent over last year. But that translates into roughly $457 billion. And the National Retailers Federation says it's not over yet.

SCOTT KRUGMAN, NAT'L. RETAILERS FEDERATION: The week after Christmas is becoming an incredibly important part of a retailer's business. It can account from anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of total holiday sales, between returns, gift card redemptions, and clearance sales, retailers are going to see a lot of store traffic.

And anytime you are seeing heavy amounts of traffic in the stores, that's an opportunity to make some more sales.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DORNIN: Well, people weren't exactly knocking on the doors that this mall when many of the stores opened at 7:00 this morning. Things have been picking up a little. We're in Atlanta. People get up a little later. But they do seem to be coming into the stores, and retailers say they're still confident this week things are going to be picking up and they're going to make up some of those sales -- Betty.

NGUYEN: I'm sure they hope so. Because you know, Rusty, it's been a really warm winter, especially for those of us on the East Coast. So, I imagine, you know, all the parkas, the winter clothing, just hanging there on the racks.

DORNIN: It's interesting, they said there was a week there where things were in the 60s and they were having a very slow time selling a lot of the winter coats, a lot of the more expensive coats. But right before Christmas, things started to pick up again. Of course, the outerwear is where you're going to see those deep discounts, is what the retailers say. That's the stuff they want to get off the shelves to make room for the stuff to come in the spring.

NGUYEN: Here's what I want to know. Those hot products, you know, that after Christmas sale. Of course, you got the Christmas trees and the ornaments. By any chance, you got some plasmas or LCDs that are just really deeply discounted?

DORNIN: You name the products, you did it, exactly.

NGUYEN: Really? Oh, I was just joking.

DORNIN: Sears is the store --

NGUYEN: I didn't think they'd be deeply discounted.

DORNIN: Well, Sears is the store where you can buy everything, you know, except for food. So in the appliance areas, they said the things really selling are the plasma TVs. Those are the things that are really going out. And, yes, they're not maybe deeply discounted, but they're certainly on sale. And people are taking advantage of that.

NGUYEN: Well, in that case, can you pick me up one? I mean, come on, Rusty.

DORNIN: No problem, stick it in my pocket.

NGUYEN: Save the sweater, give met LCD. Thank you, Rusty.

LEMON: All right, he is on the mend. By the way, it is not cancer. So says a Spanish surgeon after examining ailing Cuba leader Fidel Castro. We're checking out the check up, later, in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Most Christmas gifts have already been unwrapped, opened, and now returned, like that ugly tie Betty bought me.

NGUYEN: I did not buy you an ugly tie.

LEMON: Just as post-Christmas reality is setting in, it's really the thought that matters.

NGUYEN: Sure.

LEMON: Right, Darby Dunn at the New York Stock Exchange? She joins us with the story on that. It's really the thought that matters.

DARBY DUNN, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN NEWSROOM: Sometimes, Don, it's the lack of thought that went into the gift that resonates.

Well, Christmas Day is over, but the season of shopping continues. So far, many of the retailers out there are a little disappointed. MasterCard found that spending this year rose 6.6 percent. And that's down considerably from last year's pace of nearly 9 percent.

One reason? Temperatures in many parts of the U.S. have just been so warm. Winter jackets, boots, gloves and scarves got stuck on store shelves. That means big discounts for shoppers who are out there today.

Many shoppers are also cashing in on those gift cards they received. Gift card sales will likely tally $25 billion this year. Of course, the holiday shopping period is critical for retailers where many of them do nearly half of their business.

There is, as you mentioned, Don, always the pervasive return. The National Retail Federation says stores are expecting 9 percent of holiday purchases to be returned. This is good news for all of you out there who do plan on returning your gifts. They're setting up special lines to handle the bags of unwanted merchandise.

LEMON: Yeah, and Darby --

DUNN: You know a lot of people are returning stuff when they're setting up special lines for it.

LEMON: Yes, and just real quick, you mentioned those gift cards. You have to be careful. Some of those have expiration dates. They can't count that profit until you actually use them.

DUNN: That's true.

LEMON: Tell us about the electronics part. Can we find big discounts? People want to know about television, electronics, those kinds of things?

DUNN: Those items have been so popular this year. Retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City have been deeply discounting electronics, everything from flat screens and digital cameras, all along.

On another note this also is a big week for Best Buy, on a different front. It's having its grand opening in Shanghai. It has teamed up with a local Chinese partner to tackle China's super- competitive market for electronics -- Don.

LEMON: Wow, let's get back to the U.S., specifically, New York, how's the shopping on Wall Street today?

DUNN: It's pretty quiet, as you know, it's a big vacation week. A lot of traders are off. But stocks are higher, but not by much. After all, it is the final trading week of 2006.

Right now, the Dow Jones industrial average is higher by 36 points. And the Nasdaq composite is gaining .25 of 1 percent. Overall, the number of advancers is running nearly 2 to 1 ahead of the losers. That is the latest from Wall Street. Coming up, advertisers are finding new ways to find us. And you might not like this one. I'll have the details in the next hour. NEWSROOM continues after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hello everyone. I'm Don Lemon at the CNN headquarters in Atlanta.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen, in today for Kyra Phillips. The Cuban government insists he insists he is on the mend now. A Spanish surgeon checks their claim. We're live in Havana to get the latest diagnosis.

You are in the NEWSROOM.

LEMON: Fidel Castro's mystery illness has led many to think he's a goner, but a surgeon who just examined him is not ruling out cancer. He's predicting a Castro comeback.

CNN's Karl Penhaul join us now from Havana.

Karl, we're hearing it's just a benign illness, but they're not explaining much after that, is that correct?

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's correct. Not too many details beyond that. What the Spanish intestinal surgeon, Jose Luis Garcia Sabario (ph), said is because of patient confidentiality, he can't give too many more details, but what he clearly did spell out in this news conference today back in Madrid after his visit was that is not a malignant illness; this is a benign illness, and that really what is taking time now is Castro's recovery after what was difficult surgery. Don't forget that Castro now is 80 years old, and anybody of that age, doctors say, is going to be relatively slow in recovering.

What the doctor, though, did go on to say was that he saw that Castro's condition, both in mind and in body, was excellent. He said that the prognosis here was very good. And he said that, to some extent, Castro is his own worst enemy, because Castro, since he took power back in 1959, has always had high levels of activity on the political scene that this Spanish doctor says he really wanted to get back in the driving seat as soon as possible, and what his Cuban medical team has had to do is to tell the president, well, calm down, cool your heels and make sure you recover 100 percent first before you make your come back -- Don.

LEMON: And according to one of the doctors that are called, Karl, this is a quote, "It's not planned that he will undergo another operation for the moment. He said his condition his stable. He's recovering slowly, but progressively, referring to intestinal surgery that the leader had this summer.

PENHAUL: Exactly. I mean, that is what we knew about the intestinal surgery. It was never spelled out exactly why that was taking place. But very much also in line with what we have heard from other sources, when the U.S. congressional delegation was here about a week ago now, they said the Cuban authorities had told them very clearly that this was not a case of cancer, and that they told the U.S. delegation that Castro was not making a recovery.

Since then, we heard Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, saying that he had talked to Castro personally by phone and that there was no question that it had been a cancer. He said that it certainly had not been a cancer, and that Fidel Castro was making a comeback. And then of course we did hear U.S. national intelligence director John Negroponte going against the grain of that, saying that he believed that Castro was virtually at death's door, that he had months, not years, to live. But certainly the diagnosis that this Spanish surgeon has given today would seem to rule that out, would seem to indicate that Castro is actually on the mend -- Don.

LEMON: All right, Karl Penhaul in Havana. Keep us updated. And thank you.

NGUYEN: We want to take you now to New York and a breaking news story to tell you about. A building has collapsed. Here are some pictures coming in live from WABC. This is in Harlem.

What we know so far is very little, but here it is -- a building has collapsed at 280 West 113th Street. This is on the upper west side of Harlem, in southern Harlem. Now, we understand that three to four floors have collapsed, and that is trapping one worker. The New York fire department is responding with several units. If you look very closely, you can see that there say bit of a hole right there in the middle of that building, where the third to fourth floors have collapsed.

To tell you a little bit about this building and what we know is that it has been under construction, so that might have led to the collapse. We don't know any details more than that.

But the important thing right now is there's at least one worker trapped in this building collapse and fire crews, emergency crews are on the scene to try to bring aid to that person. Don't know if it's a he or she. Don't know exactly why this building has collapsed. But, indeed, it has. And you can see it right there in these live picture, the hole right there in the middle of the building, where you see the third to fourth floors collapse. Again, this is Harlem, and we'll stay on top of this and bring you more information just as soon as we get it.

Well, the timing, very eerie. The second anniversary of the devastating Asian tsunami, two powerful earthquakes sparked fears of another disaster as they rumbled today off the southwest coast of Taiwan. But experts soon declared that there was no threat of a Pacific-wide tsunami. Still, several building collapsed after a magnitude 7.1 quake struck after 8:00 p.m. local time. Here's a look at some of that devastation. A 7.0 tremor came eight minutes later, very powerful. The quakes were also felt in Hong Kong and Southern China.

Now, from Thailand to India, ceremonies today mark the two-year anniversary of the devastating tsunami. Hundreds of thousands killed, millions of aid given, pledged, spent, but where do things stand right now?

CNN's Angelie Rao (ph) has a closer look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANJALI RAO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): But the sea receded and then came a wall of water nothing could withstand. It was one of the worst disasters in human history.

Off the West Coast of Indonesia, an earthquake measuring 9.15 on the Richter Scale displaced an ocean of water which swept everything in its path; 232,000 people were left dead or missing across a dozen countries. More than half died in Aceh alone. The civil war-torn province in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra was closest to the earthquake fault line. And it's here the wave hit first.

Two years on, and despite a huge global pouring of aid, thousands, like Etep (ph), remain without permanent housing. Her family home is now a temporary barracks. The local authorities tell her the land that's been allocated has yet to be freed for construction, so nothing has been built. Bureaucracy and the sheer scale of the task is hindering progress.

LAWRENCE GREENWOOD, ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: This is actually not unusual. This is the usual kind of process and pattern for these kind of reconstruction works. Keep in mind, Kobe, even a rich country like Japan, took seven years to rebuild Kobe after the earthquake.

RAO: There's a similar story in Sri Lanka, where less than half the houses planned for the hard-hit East Coast have been built, even less in the northeast, where civil war has reignited. But amid memorials to the dead, new schools and houses are being built. The aid has given hope to many.

Gilley Mangallaga (ph) saved herself by running up a hill that morning.

"We lost everything in the tsunami," she says. We are not unhappy now. We got this house, and we try to be happy. There is some happiness in Thailand, too, as tourists are returning to the once hard hit island of Phuket.

Six-thousand people died in the beach resort of Khao Lak. But Peter Brennan has returned, despite a close call in 2004.

PETER BRENNAN, IRISH TOURIST: I could see big tsunami coming, and then I run. (INAUDIBLE). It put me over trees. Boom, up,, up,, in the air, you know?

RAO: But for every story of recovery and reconstruction, and despite the passing of time, for those, like Mananshe (ph), the memories of that day are still sharply in focus. Six-thousand lives were lost from her fishing village on India's southeast coast.

"The mere mention of the word tsunami scares me, she says. It sends a chill down my spine. The waves killed my four children. I can never forget."

Anjali Rao, CNN, Hong Kong.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Poverty, ignorance, and greed. A survivor cites three causes behind today's pipeline blast in Nigeria. At least 200 people were killed in a densely populated neighborhood outside Lagos.

Vandals witnesses say, professional thieves, tapped into the line to siphon fuel and crowds rushed in after with buckets and bags. That happens often in Nigeria -- an oil rich nation beset with wide-spread poverty and frequent shortages.

NGUYEN: In other news -- entertaining certainly. Legendary, absolutely. But all the fancy words in the world can't do justice to the late great James Brown. We'll give you some pictures, too. That's up next, here in the NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Take a look at these pictures that we are getting in from New York. This is in southern Harlem where a building has collapsed. You can see the firefighters right in the middle of this collapsed structure. It appears to be in the middle of this building. The two sides seem to be intact.

But here's what we know, unfortunately. There are at least two injuries. CNN has confirmed two injuries and one fatality. Now, as we showed you pictures just a little bit earlier, we did get information at least one worker was trapped inside this building. Don't know if that worker is the person that has been killed, but total of two injuries, one fatality. And this building in particular, has been under construction. So, that may have led to the collapse.

But you see there firefighters cutting through some steel. Don't know if they're still trying to get others out of the building yet or not. A lot of this information still coming in to CNN. But, as soon as we get more on this, of course we'll bring it straight to you.

LEMON: And Betty as you know, we're paying tribute today to a legend. He would walk off stage, spent and tired after a grueling concert only to shrug off his cape and race back to the mic. That was James Brown's trademark. But this time, there won't be an encore.

Today, we're remembering the godfather of soul who died on Christmas Day at the age of 73.

Here's entertainment correspondent Sibila Vargas.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES BROWN: I feel good

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: He was the godfather of soul. Mr. Dynamite. A performer who lit up the stage with his distinctive voice and endless supply of energy.

All James Brown did was change the face of R&B, soul and funk music in the '60s and '70s, leaving behind those signature tunes that continue to influence today's generation of musicians.

Growing up poor in the depression era south, Brown says he shined shoes and danced for spare change. Despite a criminal record dating back to armed robbery conviction in his teens, Brown managed to become a certified music icon.

He emerged as a standout talent in the R&B Group The Famous Flames in the late '50s. And with the hit album "Live at the Apollo" released in 1963, James Brown shined in the national limelight. A year later, he and the Famous flames performed together for the last time.

Soon after, Brown recorded two of the songs he would be known for, the rest of his career. His hits "Papa's got a Brand New Bag" and "I Got You" in which he coined his cash phrase ...

BROWN: I feel good

VARGAS: ... topped both the R&B and Pop charts in 1965.

Brown's style of rhythm and blues with attitude gradually earned its own genre. By the '70s, his music was funk

BROWN: Going to have a funky good time

VARGAS: He led a new group, the James Brown review. And the performer was now a bona fide hit machine with more than 50 top 10 R&B songs under his belt by the mid 70's. But in the late '70s, a new musical craze took over the country and the 60's hit maker, soul brother number one struggled to connect with the disco generation.

BROWN: Praise God!

VARGAS: Cameo appearances in hit movies of the 80's like "The Blues Brothers" reintroduced Brown and his quirky performance style to younger audiences.

His "Living in America" became a top ten hit in 1985 with both the song and singer appearing in "Rocky IV." That success was short- lived. By 1988, Brown, once again, found himself tangling with the law.

First came allegations of assault on then wife Adrian Brown. And just a year later, after Brown allegedly threatened people with a handgun, he sent police on an interstate car chase with police opening fire on Brown's pickup truck.

He was sentenced to six years in prison, paroled after 2 and a half. Brown had several more brushes with the law through the 1990s, arrested multiple times for drug possession and domestic abuse.

BROWN: Back up and do the James Brown VARGAS: But that didn't change what Brown had done for music. The singer received a lifetime achievement Grammy award and inductions to both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2003, Brown was named a Kennedy Center honoree. He continued to work well into his 70's, touring internationally and performing for special events.

James Brown, the self-described hardest working man in show business, lived up to his name.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, if anything can bog down traffic more than a red light at every corner, it's a corner where the traffic lights aren't working. You know how that happens, right? Not a pretty scene. But what if none of the corners had any traffic lights and most of the usual rules of the road were rescinded? Yes.

CNN's Jim Bittermann reports you'd probably be in the Netherlands.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaos. Chaos is spreading through the streets of the northern Netherlands. Traffic lights have been dismantled, parking zones eliminated. Curbs have been flattened.

In one county alone, nearly half of all thoroughfares are roads gone wild, with not only the agreement but the encouragement of city planners, elected officials and even the European Union. And the architect of this anarchy has become the roadside guru of revolution.

HANS MONDERMAN, DUTCH TRAFFIC ENGINEER: Chaos is an order we don't understand yet. And order is a chaos where we put in the logic later on. In my opinion, chaos and order have quite a lot in common.

BITTERMANN: Hans Monderman is a Dutch traffic engineer who thinks many traffic regulations interfere with safe driving.

(on camera): So you say you don't mind if people break the rules here?

MONDERMAN: I love it.

BITTERMANN (voice-over): It's not like the Dutch have abandoned convention all together. This is still a country where educators insist children as young as 11 should pass driver's exams to ride bicycles.

But what Monderman and many others advocate are traffic systems based on as few signs and regulations as possible, in order to encourage as much individual responsibility as possible. In the Monderman world, only two rules apply. You drive, ride or walk on the right side and those coming from the right have the right of way. Otherwise, everyone in an intersection is equal.

(on camera): Creators of the concept say it depends at least on part in collective insecurity that drivers have to pay more attention when they don't know what people are going to do next.

(voice-over): The question is of course, does it work as intended, to speed traffic and improve safety? The biggest shared space experiment to date is in the Dutch town of Drachten, population, 55,000.

Eight years ago, Drachten began creating what are called traffic calming measures: speed bumps, artificially narrowed streets and the like. Over time, all but three of the town's 15 traffic lights were replaced with traffic circles or shared space intersections. The results, according to city officials, are encouraging.

NIESKE KETELAAR, DRACHTEN CITY COUNCIL: There have been no serious accidents. Things happen, but mostly, there are -- well, damage on the car or the bicycle but not to the human beings.

BITTERMANN: Not all drivers, cyclists or pedestrians, of course, like that idea of having to watch out better, the concentration and constant tension that go with scrapping the traffic rules.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not everything what freedom is, is good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, danger, I can say that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It makes you pay attention, I think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, when you think it's dangerous so everybody wants to pay attention.

BITTERMANN: Monderman regularly determines whether people are paying attention by closing his eyes and blindly walking into traffic. "I'm still alive," he says.

Indeed, it may take time for many to learn to share, especially without all those signs for reminders. But in Drachten, the city fathers have spotted an unexpected consequence of sharing space on the road. They believe that those who learn to be more civic-minded behind the wheel are also more civic-minded when they are not.

Jim Bittermann, CNN, Drachten, the Netherlands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, we're following a developing story out of New York City. These are live pictures. A building collapse in Harlem, an update just ahead. One, we're hearing -- one person at least has died in all this. We'll check in on the other side right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.

NGUYEN: Also, are his days truly numbered? An Iraqi high court rules on the death sentence for former dictator Saddam Hussein, and the White House has just issued comments on this decision.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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