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American Morning
Gerald Ford's Funeral; Gerald Ford's Family; Execution Fallout; Oprah's New School; Wacky Winter Weather; Man On A Mission
Aired January 02, 2007 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Washington's final salute. A sweeping (ph) memorial service for President Gerald Ford today. Dignitaries from far and wide are coming to pay their respects on this national day of mourning.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news overseas. Rescuers find the wreckage of that plane crash in Indonesia. It slammed into a mountain and incredibly there are reports that 12 people survived.
O'BRIEN: And Oprah in Africa keeping a promise today, opening a leadership school for girls. Exclusive seek peak on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning. Welcome, everybody. It is Tuesday, January 2nd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
ROBERTS: And I'm John Roberts, in for Miles O'Brien. Thanks for joining us. Everybody, I guess, getting back to work today on what is a big news day.
O'BRIEN: I know and we are racing through the new year. Already on the second day. Welcome, everybody. Let's begin, in fact, with . . .
ROBERTS: It goes so fast, doesn't it?
O'BRIEN: It goes like that, practically.
Let's begin with this breaking news out of Indonesia for you. Search crews are now finding the wreckage of that passenger jet that crashed in the northeast area of the islands. The crash happened on Monday in the western Sulawesi province of Indonesia. Now a spokesman for Adam Air (ph) says 90 people were killed, 12 survived. But Indonesia's transport minister is saying that reports of survivors have not yet been confirmed. Three of the 102 on board were American citizens. We're going to bring you more information on this crash and the aftermath as it comes to us this morning.
And the national day of mourning for President Gerald R. Ford. Bells are going to toll 38 times this morning at the National Cathedral. It's in honor for the 38th president. All four living U.S. presidents will attend the state funeral there this morning. President Bush will deliver the eulogy. CNN's Kathleen Koch has details for us.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Now that he's back from his holiday brake, the pressure is on President Bush to craft the new U.S. strategy in Iraq. Something he's promised to do this month. But today President Bush focuses on a solemn duty he's had before, delivering the eulogy of the funeral of a former president. In 2004 it was Ronald Reagan. Today it's former President Gerald Ford.
And Ford is a man who President Bush has called "a true gentleman. A man of complete integrity." President Bush returned early to Washington from Crawford, Texas, to pay his respects to President Ford at the Capitol rotunda.
President Bush and his wife paused briefly at the flag-draped coffin before heading to Blair House to spend 30 minutes with Gerald Ford's widow, Betty. Joining them in that meeting was former President George Hebert Walker Bush, his wife, and also former secretary of state James Baker.
And a very touching note. President Bush invited the Ford family grandchildren and all to visit the White House. A gesture that was very much appreciated by the Ford family since many of the grandchildren had never been inside before.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Well, thousands of Americans famous and not so famous have filed past the body of former President Ford lying in state at the Capitol rotunda. Adding to that poignant scene, the Ford family taking time to personally thanks those who came by. CNN's Bob Franken has more on this extraordinary American family.
And, Bob, those scenes yesterday were just so incredibly touching to watch them doing that.
BOB FRANKEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they were, all the way up to the last minute when Betty Ford and her family gathered around. But what is so touching, in my opinion anyway, is that in contrast to all the pomp and ceremony, you have such a common touch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN, (voice over): For these sons and daughters of a president, normal is still a family value, so it should come as no surprise that Gerald Ford's children spent time mingling with the average citizens who came to pay respect. Those who occupied the highest levels with Ford say the down-to-earth approach always set them apart.
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The achievements added up all his life, yet he was known to boast only about one. I heard it once or twice myself. He said he was never luckier than when he stepped out of Grace Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids with a beautiful girl named Betty as his bride. FRANKEN: Gerald and Betty ford were married for 58 year. Certainly a solid couple, even though both asserted their own individuality. Betty Ford, outspoken and candid, who turned her own problems into the Betty Ford Clinics that have helped so many thousands with addictions. Only recently did she turn the day-to-day operations over to her daughter, Susan.
Susan is also a photographer. One son is a minister. Another, a journalist. The other, an actor. This is a family of extraordinary achievement that doesn't put on airs. Just ask First Lady Betty Ford's press secretary about her first job interview.
SHEILA WEIDENFELD, BETTY FORD'S PRESS SECRETARY: She came down in her robe and we talked and she said -- I said to her, well, what would you like me to do as a press secretary because I had no idea what she expected of me? And so she said to me, well, how should I know? I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
FRANKEN: That informality overshadows these formal ceremonies for President Gerald Ford.
WEIDENFELD: The Ford's considered themselves simple folk. And there was no way that they were going to change. The first thing Betty Ford said to me was, you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FRANKEN: They brought a new style to the White House when they came to the White House. It was actually an old style and, John, it was certainly, in it's time, badly needed.
ROBERTS: Yes, definitely. Fords, not Lincolns.
Bob Franken on Capitol Hill, thanks very much.
And stay with CNN for the funeral of former President Gerald Ford. Wolf Blitzer is going to be joining us at 8:30 a.m. this morning Eastern Time for the procession to the National Cathedral. Then at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, preparations for the state funeral for President Ford on a special edition of "The Situation Room."
O'BRIEN: Happening this morning.
Adding up the damage and the feet of snow that buried parts of four states. Tens of thousands of people still without power. Twelve people were kill and there are now concerns of an agricultural disaster with livestock now isolated from their food. Searchers in plains that are equipped with heat sensors are still looking for snowbound travelers near the Colorado/Kansas border.
In New Orleans, seven police officers are expected to turn themselves in to face murder and attempted murder indictments in the shooting death of two men. It happened on a bridge in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina. The men turned out to be not armed.
In Thailand, no claim of responsibility yet for the eight bomb blasts that killed three people, wounded 38 others on New Year's Eve. The prime minister, who took over in September after a military coup, is blaming politicians who lose power in that coup.
ROBERTS: In Iraq, the execution of Saddam Hussein is fueling new fears about a deadly surge in sectarian violence. Here's what's new this morning. Growing numbers of Sunni Arabs are now protesting Hussein's execution. They're outraged by a newly released video of the executioners heard praising Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Hussein's former Baath party is urging Iraqis to avenge the execution by attacking Shiites and American forces. This morning, American troops raided a suspected insurgent safe house, killing six Sunnis. CNN's Ryan Chilcote joins us live from Baghdad now with more.
And where does all this appear to be heading, Ryan?
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, the Iraqi police tell us that they found 15 bodies already this morning in the Iraqi capital. All of them dumped in a Sunni neighborhood. Likely the victims of those sectarian death squads we hear about so much. All of this coming as Iraqis fear that Saddam's execution may only deepen the sectarian divide here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE, (voice over): Sunni anger over Saddam's execution powered into the streets Monday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (through translator): We give our condolences to the Islamic nation and the prophet Mohamed's nation with the death of the mujahid (ph), Saddam Hussein. Mercy be upon him.
CHILCOTE: The protesters are not only angry about the execution, they're angry about the timing as Sunnis prepared for the most important Muslim holiday of the year, and they're angry about how it was carried out. Iraqs Sunnis watched this leaked video in horror as Saddam was taunted by Shiite witnesses. Yelling the name of the radical Shiite cleric, who the U.S. and Sunnis blame for running death squads that targets Sunnis.
An Iraqi officials says the U.S. asked Iraq's Shiite-led government to delay the execution for two weeks, concerned it would look rushed and vengeful. But the hanging went on as scheduled, ending with some witnesses dancing around Saddam's body shouting more Shiite slogans. Iraq's government now says it will investigate what happened in the execution chamber, but that is likely to placate Sunni anger that now spreads beyond Iraq.
Saddam's eldest daughter, Raghdad, appeared at a demonstration in the neighboring country of Jordan where she lives in exile, where some Sunnis vow they will now work to punish the Iraqi government.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHILCOTE: John, perhaps a sign of their determination, Saddam's supporters are now back in the streets, this time in the Iraqi capital, out on that volatile Haifa street I know you know. John.
ROBERTS: And they were just starting to get a handle on Haifa street as well. Can't believe that it's gone bad yet again. Ryan Chilcote in Baghdad, thanks very much.
Soledad.
O'BRIEN: In South Africa this morning, Oprah Winfrey is delivering on her promise. She's opening her leadership academy for girls. Today is the first day of school for 152 girls at the academy, which is right outside of Johannesburg. CNN's Jeff Koinange is on Henley-on-Klip. Got an exclusive look inside.
Jeff, good morning.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
I'll tell you, what a setting. And I'm not just talking about the school. But you see that line behind me? Those are all celebrities. Everyone from Baby Face, Spike Lee, Tina Turner, Quincy Jones. But, you know what, I'll get back to that in a moment.
We're looking at about 52 acre, 28-building campus with everything from a library, to audio/visual, tennis courts, gym, dormitories. It's all here for the 152 girls. Oprah's dream coming true. I'll tell you what, Soledad, this has been a long time in the planning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOINANGE, (voice over): Oprah's been coming to South Africa for the past several years, determined to fulfill a promise she made to former President Nelson Mandela or Madiba to most here.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: So I said to Madiba, I would like to build a school and I would like to commit $2 million. This was five years ago. And he said, "yes."
KOINANGE: And just like that, the two broke ground for a girls' school just outside Johannesburg. And what began as a $10 million project. It has grown to $40 million and counting.
WINFREY: The dream for me was to create a school that I would most want to attend. So from the very beginning I sat down with architects and I said, we have to have a library and the fireplace so that the girls can -- it can be a place of learning, as well as living for them. We have to have a theater, because this is a school for leaders. And in order to be a leader, you have to have a voice. And to have a voice, you need oration. So the idea for the school came about based on what I felt would be an honor for the African girls.
KOINANGE: And all this for free. Free uniforms, free books, free meals. Everything is free at Oprah's school.
WINFREY: Hello. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
KOINANGE: Oprah insisted on personally interviewing all the prospective students from schools around the country. The requirements were simple. The girls had to have better-than-average grades and they had to come from underprivileged homes, much like she did.
WINFREY: I look in their faces, I see my own. The girls who came from a background just like my own. I was raised by a grandmother, no running water, no electricity. But yet, because of a sense of education and learning, I was able to become who I am. And I want to do that for these girls. And so I think there's no better place than Africa because the sense of need, the sense of value for education and appreciation for it could not be greater.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOINANGE: And, Soledad, you're looking at a live shot of some of the dignitaries and celebrities who are making Oprah's school opening. And as I said earlier, everyone from Tina Turner, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee, Chris Tucker, Chris Rock. They are all here.
And I actually asked Oprah earlier, and I asked her, what's the message? Why bring all these celebrities here? What are you trying to tell - are you trying to also encourage them to do what you've done here? She said, I'm not trying to do any of that. I just want them to join in the celebration. But if they want to contribute and help build Africa, they are free to do that. So she was so humbled.
There was a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier on. Oprah was literally in tears, Soledad. It's been such a poignant moment thus far.
O'BRIEN: Yes, she's got a big line of big money going on behind you. All those celebrities you mentioned could open up their checkbooks, certainly, and maybe expand that school. I know it's going to be - it's 152 now, going to go to 450 students at some point. Maybe with a little more input, they could make it even bigger. Jeff Koinange for us this morning.
Thanks, Jeff. We'll continue to check in with you on this story. What a great story. And you're right, a long time coming.
John.
ROBERTS: Coming up, there's a new man in charge at the United Nation, Ban Ki-Moon. But can he restore the trust there? We'll take a look.
Plus, storms in the west and spring-like temperatures in the east. What's behind the weird weather? That's ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) ROBERTS: They're still digging out from a killer blizzard out west, while in the east, they're wondering if winter will ever arrive. It's a tale of two countries with nature going to extremes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS, (voice over): On New Year's Day, people in La Junta, Colorado, were still digging out from under 30 inches of snow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People can't get out of their homes. They can't get to the stores. Stores can't get employees out to work. It's a mess.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen drifts this big, but this much snow this deep everywhere, I've never seen it.
ROBERTS: The blizzard that started last week in the Rockies swept through the plains and all the way to Texas, dumping three to four feet of snow along the way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I love this weather. Professionally, it's been a nightmare.
ROBERTS: New Mexico's major arteries are now cleared. But over the new year's weekend, ice and heavy snow brought traffic on long stretches of Interstate 40 to a screeching halt.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two trucks stopped on 287.
ROBERTS: A fleet of small planes are flying over southeastern Colorado searching for any motorists who remain snowbound. Officials are also trying to get food to stranded livestock in the area. In Kansas, tens of thousands of homes and businesses are still without power.
While the nation's midsection is snowed under, the weather in the eastern United States is the polar opposite, unseasonably warm. Cherry blossoms are blooming in the nation's capital, four months too soon. In upstate Rochester, New York, 2007 road in on water-skis rather than snow skis. And for polar bears at New York's Coney Island, their annual New Year's Day swim didn't make a big splash. These people who have ice water in their veins were positively lukewarm about it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been in the water when you've had to kick the ice out of the poll (ph) to get into the water. It's a piece of cake this time. I mean, I should have brought my lounge chair out here. All I'm missing is a hot tub and some suntan lotion.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: Toronto, where I was born, that's a regular beach day.
And we'll talk more about this crazy winter weather at 7:30 this morning with the commander of Colorado's National Guard, which is out looking for people still stuck in the snow, and the managing editor of the Farmer's Almanac, to say, where did you go wrong.
It's 6:16 right now. Chad Myers at the CNN Weather Center with the traveler's forecast.
And looking a little better today than it has over the past few, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
O'BRIEN: Well, he began his tenure with a joke, but Ban Ki-Moon is taking his new job very seriously. The new secretary-general of the United Nations was sworn in on New Year's Day. He says his main goal is to restore trust in the United Nations. A closer look now from our senior U.N. correspondent Richard Roth.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BAN KI-MOON, U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: I, Ban Ki-Moon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Solemnly swear.
KI-MOON: Solemnly swear.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): This is the new secretary-general of the United Nations.
KI-MOON: My name is Ban, not James Bond. I'm not called the name of 007. But I will take my office in '07.
ROTH: Ban Ki-Moon is already talking like an agent of change.
KI-MOON: You could say that I'm a man on a mission, and my mission could be dubbed operation restore trust. I hope this mission is not mission impossible.
ROTH: The U.N. has suffered because of deep division over Iraq, Sudan and had to restructure itself. Publicly, the organization was damaged by Oil for Food mismanagement and slumping staff moral. The incoming secretary-general seemed to take a jab at the outgoing leader, Kofi Annan, whose's son was implicated in one aspect of the Oil for Food probe.
KI-MOON: I will see to set the highest ethical standard. The good name of the United Nation is one of its most valuable ones, assets, but also one of its most venerable (ph).
ROTH: Ban said the Middle East will be a priority. He also called for Iran to engage in dialogue for a solution to the nuclear issue. And he ripped the president of Iran for his comments on the Holocaust and removal of Israel from the map of the world.
KI-MOON: Denying historical facts, especially on such an important subject as the Holocaust, is just not acceptable, nor is it acceptable to call for the elimination of any states or people.
ROTH: But global problems are not Ban's immediate priority. He must first select a senior management team. Mr. Ban says after January 1st he may not be shaken but stirred by the challenge ahead.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
S. O'BRIEN: Ahead this morning, while you were counting down to the new year, a mother was in the hospital giving birth to twins. One was born in '06 and one was born in '07. We're going to meet those babies straight ahead.
And a store clerk is lucky to be alive this morning. It wasn't a drive-through, believe it or not. It kind of turned into one. Take a look at that. We'll tell you what happened, straight ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Happening this morning.
A sweeping memorial service for former President Gerald Ford at the National Cathedral in Washington. President Bush and dozens of other dignitaries will attend.
And Oprah Winfrey is keeping a promise and making history too in South Africa today. We're live on the campus of her new leadership academy for girls.
ROBERTS: Happening in America today, in West Virginia they're marking the one-year anniversary of the Sago Mine tragedy. An explosion in the mine killed 12 men one year ago today. Twenty-seven- year-old Randy McCloy was the only one to survive the worst coal mining accident in West Virginia in four decades.
In Lawrence, Massachusetts, amazing pictures of one lucky store clerk. Andy Menia (ph) was behind the counter when an SUV smashed through the wall of a convenience store. He was showered with bricks and flying merchandise, but is otherwise fine. The driver was also unhurt. Her son was riding with her and says she fainted at the wheel.
Also in Massachusetts, twins born in different years. Jennifer Honig (ph) delivered a 1 pound, 15 ounce baby girl at 11:58 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Then at 15 seconds past midnight, a 2 pound, 7 ounce boy. Boston's first baby of 2007. Now Jennifer and Scott Honig have a New Year's Eve and a New Year's Day baby.
O'BRIEN: With all the other stuff they have to do with twins, now they have to celebrate on two different days. That's kind of unfair.
Wall Street is taking the day off for the funeral of President Ford. Ali Velshi is working, though. Twenty-five minutes past the hour and he is "Minding Your Business." Good morning. Happy New Year. Nice to see you.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Happy New Year to both of you. I'm still puzzled as to why I'm working, because if you're out there looking for you -- to see what your stocks are doing today, you're going to get another day off. Markets are closed out of respect for President Ford and his funeral. It's typical for stock markets to stay closed during the funeral of a president.
It's not typical, though, that that funeral comes at the end of another holiday. So what that means is that the Dow, the New York Stock Exchange and other major markets in the U.S. will have been closed for four days straight. That typically means good for other markets that remain open. And markets in Asia and Europe have been doing particularly well. In fact, in Britain and Germany, those markets have hit six year highs. The euro is also up against the dollar and oil is down just a smidge below $61 a barrel.
Now, the Dow did end the week and the year a little bit down. It ended the week down by 38 points to 12,463. But way up for the year. It crossed 12,000 for the first time in 2006, hit 22 closed records. The last one just last week, actually.
It's going to be a short busy week, but there will be a lot of economic reports. About five of them this week. And one of them to consider comes out on Thursday. It's the monthly retail sales report. That will tell us how we shopped in December. That's all important for the retailers. Wal-Mart already hinted at its December sales report, saying that sales were up a bit better than everybody expected it to be. So it will be a busy week this week and we'll be keeping you posted on it.
Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right, Ali, thank you very much.
We want to take a moment to correct and also apologize for a mistake that was made yesterday on CNN's "Situation Room." An on- screen graphic questioning where Osama bin Laden might be showed the words "where's Obama" briefly on the screen instead of saying "where's Osama." CNN regrets the error and, obviously, Senator Obama, our apologies to you.
Top stories of the morning are straight ahead. An update on that plane crash in Indonesia.
We're live in Thailand. Investigators are looking for who's behind the string of deadly New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok.
Those stories and much more straight ahead. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: National day of morning. America bids farewell to former President Gerald Ford today. Ahead, the important message that he had for children in recent days.
ROBERTS: A developing story. A new twist on those deadly bombings in Thailand. We'll have a live report for you. O'BRIEN: And Oprah opens her school for underprivileged girls in South Africa today. Drawing a big crowd of big celebrities. An exclusive, live report straight ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Welcome back, everybody. It is Tuesday, January 2nd. I'm Soledad O'Brien.
ROBERTS: And I'm John Roberts, in for Miles O'Brien this week. Back to work here on January the 2nd. Everybody, get up and get out, get on your way.
O'BRIEN: Go, go, go, go, go.
We're going to begin with some breaking news that contradicts earlier breaking news that we had for you this morning. Conflicting reports coming in from Indonesia.
Reuters now says that an official there is saying that reports that that missing jetliner that went down in Indonesia was found. Well, those reports were wrong. The plane disappeared on Monday during a storm, 102 people on board.
Now, the earlier report said rescuers found the plane and that 12 people were actually found alive. Now what they're saying is this, "The location has not been found. We apologize that the news we conveyed was not true."
That is coming from one of the commanders of the air bases there in Indonesia. So completely contradictory, and I would assume, obviously, then reports of the 12 survivors also up in the air right now.
ROBERTS: A strange thing to get wrong.
O'BRIEN: Very bizarre. And no details on how they got that wrong.
ROBERTS: Yes.
O'BRIEN: Turning to Iraq now, the U.S. military reports another American soldier has been killed southwest of Baghdad. It happened on Monday when a roadside bomb exploded near his patrol. It brings the U.S. death in Iraq now to 3,003 since the war began.
CNN's Barbara Starr breaks down the numbers from the Pentagon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In Montrose, Pennsylvania, the grave of 27-year-old Army staff sergeant Daniel Arnold, just one of the now more than 3,000 Americans who have lost their lives in the Iraq war. Arnold was killed months ago in Ramadi when his vehicle came under fire. His father is still grief- stricken.
KENDALL ARNOLD, SON KILLED IN IRAQ: These boys go over there because they want to, not because they have to, and do their job. And it's just so terrible, the loss of life over there.
STARR: Who are the 3,000 who have died? Every state in the country has held funerals.
California has lost the most, nearly 300. The Army, which has the most troops on the front line, has lost more than 1,200. The Marine Corps, more than 600.
It's a far cry from generations past. More than 400,000 troops died in World War II, more than 36,000 in the Korean War and more that 58,000 in Vietnam. In the first Gulf War, 382 died.
It is still the improvised explosive device that is the number one threat. More than 1,000 have been killed, more than 11,000 injured by IEDs.
(on camera): In its fourth annual survey, "The Military Times" newspaper, which is privately owned but widely read by military audiences, found that 42 percent of the troops disapprove of the way the president was handling the war. Just 35 percent registered their approval. But "The Military Times" acknowledges this is not representative of the military as a whole.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTS: New research showing soldiers who suffer from Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder are more likely to have heart attacks. Researchers looked at 2,000 veterans from World War II and the Korean War. The GIs who exhibited of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder had a much greater risk for heart disease later in life. The study appears in the archives of "General Psychology" -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: This morning investigators in Thailand are trying to figure out who's responsible for that series of deadly New Year's Eve explosions that rocked downtown Bangkok.
CNN's Dan Rivers is live in Bangkok for us with the very latest.
Dan, good morning.
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Soledad.
Yes, people here really still shocked and totally appalled by those eight bomb blasts that, as you say, rocked Bangkok on New Year's Eve. It left three people dead and some 30 injured, including several foreign tourists. The country now is really on a very new nervous security footing as people are trying to work out who carried out those bomb blasts and why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERS (voice over): Downtown Bangkok, bustling on New Year's Eve, but suddenly explosions sent people fleeing in terror. A night of celebration ending in shock and bloodshed. An intensive investigation initially looked to links for Islamist insurgents who've been active on Thailand's southern border, but that theory's been quickly discounted.
ZACHARY ABUZA, TERRORISM EXPERT: The insurgents, to put it this way, are frankly better than what happened the other night. They have more sophisticated and larger bombs.
RIVERS: Instead, some are accusing allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of orchestrating the attacks in an effort to stage a comeback following his downfall in an army coup in September.
KRAISAK CHOONHAVAN, FMR. THAI SENATOR: I suspect that many political figures of the past regime should be suspects.
RIVERS: Thaksin supporters vehemently deny being involved. Analysts say it could all lead to further instability.
PROF. THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK, CHULALONGKOM UNIVERSITY: So this is an unfinished business that I think will show itself, will be exhibited this year with much turmoil and possibly more violence.
RIVERS: Western governments have issued travel warnings for Thailand, but the tourists are still arriving for the holiday high season.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does kind of raise a question, you know, of whether or not this is a place to keep coming or not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It made me a little nervous about traveling here, but at the same time it wasn't going to stop -- you know, stop us from coming.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIVERS: Well, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has written an open letter to the Thai people denying any involvement in this. He says he wants peace in Thailand. He's condemned the bombing and says he wants to return here to Bangkok to face any accusations against him -- Soledad.
O'BRIEN: All right. Dan Rivers for us this morning.
Thank you for the update on that investigation -- John.
ROBERTS: Coming up, folks out West still trying to dig out from severe winter storms. We'll have your morning forecast for you.
And Oprah Winfrey giving a huge gift to young girls in South Africa this morning. We'll take you there live for an exclusive report ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROBERTS: Just hours from now the body of President Gerald Ford will be transported to the National Cathedral in Washington. There he will be memorialized in a national funeral service.
Dignitaries, including President Bush and the first lady, paid their respects to the late president in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol yesterday. That's where President Ford has been lying in state since Saturday evening.
Joining me from Washington to talk about the legacy of President Ford is presidential historian Allan Lichtman.
Good morning to you, Allan. Good to see you again.
ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Good morning. Same here, John.
ROBERTS: Allan, it seems that history has been far kinder to Gerald Ford than the politics of the day were.
LICHTMAN: Absolutely. You know, today we have begun to remember Gerald Ford so fondly, not so much because of what he did, but because of who he was. It's a bit like George Washington. He wasn't a great president like Washington, but you can compare him.
Washington was so great because he was the man, the indispensable man to hold the country together in those early days. Gerald Ford was the indispensable person to go through a healing process for the country, the down-to-earth regular guy who the country needed after the twisted brilliance of Richard Nixon, the imperial presidency, and the crimes of Watergate.
ROBERTS: Right man for the right time is the way that he's being described.
A lot of people of conventional wisdom ascribes his downfall in the '76 election to the fact that he pardoned Richard Nixon just a short time after he took the office of the president. His approval ratings when he came in were 71 percent. By the time the '76 election -- or they went down to 36 percent, they began to bounce back a little bit during the '76 election.
What do you think would have happened, though, had he not pardoned President Nixon?
LICHTMAN: See, I think the conventional wisdom is 180 degrees wrong about this. I think the pardon of Richard Nixon was absolutely essential to give Gerald Ford his own presidency and to enable him to compete with Jimmy Carter in '76.
Despite the fall of Vietnam and the bad economy, he came within a couple of points of beating Carter. Imagine, though, if his whole presidency had been swallowed up in the recrimination and the crimes of Watergate. He wouldn't have been able to function much as a president, and he would have been blown away by Carter.
ROBERTS: He was critical of the war in Iraq in a 2004 interview with Bob Woodward. Here's just a little of piece of what he told "The Washington Post's" Woodward. (BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
GERALD FORD, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think Rumsfeld, Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq. They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ROBERTS: Allan Lichtman, what do you make of that revelation? And if Ford felt so strongly about it, why didn't he come out publicly?
LICHTMAN: I, of course, thing he should have come out publicly. Historians and analysts always want these discussions out in the public, and I think that's good for the country. But Ford was always very reluctant to criticize his colleagues, and I think that's why he didn't want this to come out until after his death. But this criticism is very significant because Ford went through much the same thing during his own presidency.
You had Donald Rumsfeld as secretary of defense, Dick Cheney as chief of staff, Paul Wolfowitz as a very important adviser, and you had some of these hard-liners in the Ford administration reevaluating intelligence information to suggest the Soviet Union was far more aggressive, far more dangerous. We were falling behind, we had to get rid of Detente, rebuild the military and be much more aggressive.
Jerry Ford wasn't buying it then, and today we know most of those estimates were greatly exaggerated. And by the way, as a result, the right wing of the Republican Party turned to Ronald Reagan in 1976, who accused Ford of letting America fall dangerously behind.
Reagan almost took the nomination from Ford in '76. And then those same figures, Wolfowitz, Cheney and Rumsfeld, wind up in the administration of George W. Bush and do the same thing with Iraq that they did with the Soviet Union back in 1976. So Ford is a guy who really knows.
ROBERTS: All right.
Allan Lichtman, presidential historian.
Thanks very much. Appreciate your time.
LICHTMAN: Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Stay with CNN for the funeral of former president Ford. Wolf Blitzer joins us at 8:30 a.m. Eastern for the procession to the National Cathedral.
Then at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, preparations for the state funeral for President Ford on a special edition of "THE SITUATION ROOM."
So stay with us here on CNN. O'BRIEN: Some developing news to tell you about from Africa this morning. Islamist militants with links to al Qaeda are on the run, apparently, from their final two strongholds in Somalia. Ethiopian troops began routing the Islamists last month. The U.S. voiced approval for the mission, concerned that the militants could turn Somalia into a terrorist state if they were left unchecked.
Now, peacekeepers will eventually replace those Ethiopian troops and help Somalia's government retake power.
In South Africa this morning, Oprah Winfrey is delivering on a promise, opening her Leadership Academy for Girls. Today is the first day of school for 152 girls at the academy, which is outside of Johannesburg.
And CNN's Jeff Koinange is on Henley-on-Klip with an exclusive look inside.
Jeff, good morning.
JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Soledad.
And that dream you were talking about, six years in the making, today finally came true. A short while ago, Oprah, walking out of a building surrounded by the girls of her school, girls who she has selected. In fact, even the uniform Oprah picked herself.
She went, she cut the ribbon, officially opening the school. A short while later the flags were raised, and you could literally see a teardrop going down Oprah's cheek.
She's worked hard for this day. She was waiting for this day. And it was a poignant moment there for a moment.
A little earlier on she held a press conference, and in that press conference people were asking all sorts of questions, including, "Is this school only open to one race of people?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There were some -- a bit of people who were not happy that you're only choosing black girls. What are you saying to appease the white people of this country about their own white girls?
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: I don't think I have to appease the white people of the country, first of all. But this school is open to all girl whose are disadvantaged. All girls, all races who are disadvantaged.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'BRIEN: Interesting. All right.
Jeff Koinange, we seem to have lost our satellite with him, but what an interesting direction that's taking. Oprah getting a little bit of flack for that.
Of course, the school opens with 152 girls. She's hoping to expand it to 450 girls, disadvantaged, with above-average GPAs. And she is hoping that -- that maybe they can expand the program. With all the celebrities there, maybe they'll be able to open up their checkbooks and donate a little money, too.
ROBERTS: Yes, a lot of big people with deep pockets there today. Maybe they'll fund something...
O'BRIEN: Ka-ching. It would actually -- you know what? It would be nice if they could open schools like that to a lot of girls around, not only that country but, of course, here as well.
ROBERTS: Yes, definitely.
Forty-seven minutes after the hour now. Chad Myers at the CNN weather center with the traveler's forecast and the cold and flu report.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
ROBERTS: Is any one better than the other today?
MYERS: The cold and flu not so good across the Southeast, but the rest of the country, in the -- where it has been the coldest, in fact, is where the flu symptoms have been the least reported. So try and go figure that one.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROBERTS: So, Chad, I've got a question for you.
MYERS: Sure.
ROBERTS: If the buds bloom now and then cold weather comes and stops them, do they re-bloom again when it warms up, or is that it?
MYERS: If it's a -- if it's a peach tree and the peach tree is blooming, and the bloom is ready to go and make fruit, and then all of a sudden you get a 10-degree day to kill that bud, that tree will not have fruit the next year.
ROBERTS: Oh, that could be bad for growers down there.
MYERS: Yes, it certainly will.
ROBERTS: All right. Thanks very much, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
ROBERTS: Still ahead, we continue to follow that plane crash in Indonesia, found, then not found.
Also, fallout from the execution of Saddam Hussein. Sunnis say they are going to strike back. The details ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Welcome back, everybody. Break news that we're following for you this morning.
Now conflicting reports coming in to us from Indonesia. Reuters says that officials there are talking about that missing jetliner. There were reports that that missing jetliner was found. Well, those reports, according to Reuters again -- officials quoted by Reuters -- those reports were wrong.
The plane disappeared on Monday during a storm, 102 people on board. Now, the earlier reports said rescuers found the plane and that there were 12 survivors. And, of course, they're now saying that that news was wrong.
ROBERTS: Unusual.
And at least 400 people are still missing from a ferry accident in Indonesia on Friday. Rescuers picked up nearly 200 survivors, but stormy weather today is hampering search efforts. A helicopter spotted survivors in the relatively warm water as late as yesterday.
Coming up, can Microsoft help turn things around for a struggling U.S. automaker? We'll explain in "Minding Your Business."
Plus, pregnant? A test that used to be for just older moms is now recommended for all moms. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is stopping by ahead on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
O'BRIEN: Oh, as if the world isn't already full of bad drivers. Soon the person who cuts you off on the highway might be checking his e-mail or downloading music.
Fifty-six minutes past the hour, and Ali Velshi is "Minding Your Business."
I'm not sure I'm fully behind this new thing, new partnership.
ALI VELSHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this is a story we're going to have to hear a little bit more about to understand what it is. But both Ford and Microsoft -- this is according to "The Wall Street Journal" -- are about to announce a deal for what they say is greater connectivity in at least two Ford models starting in 2007, and then across all their model lines as an option starting later this year for the 2008 models.
Now, what greater connectivity means on one level is hands-free cell phone service, but that's available pretty much across the board. This will mean access to e-mail, the ability to download music, supposedly to those Microsoft Zunes which are just out. These are the competitors to i-Pods that Microsoft is making. But the idea is that Ford needs a boost on many levels. We were hoping to see that boost in its cars and its design a year after Ford announced major layoffs. We'll be seeing what Ford has to offer at the Detroit Auto Show next week. We'll be there.
But this is one of those offers that might help Ford. We'll have to see what it is. You shouldn't be e-mailing while you're driving, but maybe this will be...
ROBERTS: But somehow I think that there's going to be greater connectivity between cars that have this ad the car in front of them.
VELSHI: Yes, well, this is the problem. I mean, we've got a lot of distractions. And maybe the idea is this becomes a little more seamless and you don't have to actually type something. Or maybe you're hearing something.
It will be interesting. This is one of those stories definitely interested to read more about, as you said, Soledad. It could be horrible, it could be fantastic.
This was reported in "The Wall Street Journal." And I should tell you, today is the day -- talk about a tree falling in the woods and no one being around to read it -- this is the new "Wall Street Journal" in front of us. This is the old "Wall Street Journal."
"The Wall Street Journal," the new one, is now the size of most international newspapers which -- this is "USA Today" -- allows for easier printing, saves a lot of money. More color, great expanded journal section. I'm not going to tell you more about that.
ROBERTS: Does it also mean that fewer trees will be falling in the woods?
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: Theoretically.
ROBERTS: Or is thicker as a result of the fact that...
VELSHI: It is thicker. But here's the thing. They're giving out half a million copies today to get people to like it, except markets are closed. Everybody who needs to read "The Wall Street Journal"...
O'BRIEN: But my theory is those people already read "The Wall Street Journal." They don't need the free copy.
ROBERTS: They're not going to go for the free copy.
O'BRIEN: See.
VELSHI: Well, let's see what happens. But anything more you want to know about "The Wall Street Journal" and its new edition will have to come in the form of advertising.
ROBERTS: Ali, thanks. We'll see you next hour.
Some of the top stories this morning, most popular right now at CNN.com.
Top Iraqi source: U.S. tried to delay execution of Saddam Hussein, worried that it would look like Shiite retribution. And, of course, we all know what's going on in the country now as a result of that.
O'BRIEN: From "The Washington Post," "Reading Diet Articles Could be Unhealthy."
ROBERTS: Yes?
O'BRIEN: It says that teenage girls -- yes. Believe it or not, they say that teenage girls who read articles about diet and weight are more likely to practice unhealthy weight loss measures. In other words, moms shouldn't keep magazines that have any even helpful tips in those magazines, any of those magazines around their teenaged girls. And teenaged girls should not be encouraged to buy this magazines as well.
Don't make it an issue and your girl maybe won't get some eating disorder.
ROBERTS: Either that, or counsel your child as you're reading along with them.
O'BRIEN: No, but the theory is that every time you even talk about dieting, even about healthy issues, it raises it. It sort of says your body is not OK to a teenaged girl, who is trying to figure out her body anyway.
That's my takeaway.
ROBERTS: And the photos of the day go to the Polar Bear Club members and their annual January 1st plunge. More than 150 people participated in the Pittsburgh Polar Bear Club's morning swim in Monongahela River in Pittsburgh. And here are members taking the plunge into the Tennessee River at Decatur, Alabama.
Unseasonably warm temperatures brought out a record number of swimmers this year.
O'BRIEN: Yes, it's not so bad when it's not so cold.
ROBERTS: Some people thought it was so warm they wanted to cool off. So there you go.
O'BRIEN: Chad, have you ever done that?
MYERS: I have.
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