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Power Knocked Out, Roads Turned into Ice Rinks; Roger Clemens Says He's Angry; Murder Conviction; Helping Iraqi Children
Aired December 23, 2007 - 22:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: We asked for a white Christmas, not a whiteout. What a mess. Power knocked out, roads turned into ice rinks and a slew of multi-car pileups.
(INAUDIBLE), acts of terrorism on the highway. Soldiers headed home for the holidays move fast to save people from certain death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: There were people lying in the road, lying under the cars, wandering around in a daze.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: I'll speak to one of those heroes.
Baseball super star Roger Clemens says he's hurt, he's angry and he didn't do it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me be clear, the answer is no. I did not use steroids.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: The video that fans have been waiting for.
A rape threat, an angry mob, and a bullet fire. A MySpace misunderstanding turns tragic.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I saw the shot, the hole in his cheek. I got to tell him that I loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: A teen killed by another's father, but was he only defending his son?
And you can hear the champagne corks popping now. Thousands received the biggest Christmas gifts of their lives. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Tonight, Roger Clemens comes out swinging. The all-star pitcher empathically denies ever using steroids or any other band substances. This is Clemens first time speaking publicly since his name came up in the latest steroid controversy. We've probably not heard the last word. Here's CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The "Rocket" was firing on all cylinders in this brief message posted on YouTube.
ROGER CLEMENS, MAJOR LEAGUE PITCHER: I'm angry about it, to be honest with you. It's hurtful to me and my family.
ACOSTA: One of the greatest pitchers in the history of the national pastime, Roger Clemens, broke his silence and flatly rejected allegations he used steroids.
CLEMENS: Let me be clear. The answer is no. I did not use steroids or human growth hormone. And I've never done so.
ACOSTA: The denial comes less than two weeks after Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell issued his devastating report on steroids in baseball.
GEORGE MITCHELL, BASEBALL STEROIDS INVESTIGATOR: For more than a decade, there has been widespread illegal use of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances by players in major league baseball.
ACOSTA: The Mitchell report is very specific, alleging back in 1998 that a trainer named Brian McNamee injected Clemens approximately four times in the buttocks over a several week period with needles that Clemens provided. That same trainer claims he also provided performance-enhancing drugs to Yankee's pitcher to Andy Pettitte, who later admitted to briefly using human-growth hormone to recover from an injury. Still, Clemens' attorney accused the Mitchell report of relying on sources with, quote, "baggage."
RUSTY HARDIN, CLEMENS' ATTORNEY: At the end of the day, what you going to have to decide is whether the Mitchell report was responsible and basing his allegations against Roger on the sources they used and on the investigation they did.
ACOSTA: Clemens predicts he will be vindicated, pointing to a correction that just appeared in "The "Los Angeles Times". The paper had wrongly reported Clemens was one of several players accused of steroid abuse by former pitcher Jason Grimsley but baseball fans we found at New York's Mickey Mantle's Sports Bar were doubtful there will be a rocket redemption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know if I believe him or not. I kind of thinking evidence shows (INAUDIBLE) but he should come clean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sure in the sport, I'm sure that people use stuff all the time to enhance their performance. But so, who knows? Who really knows? Only he knows. ACOSTA: Clemens did not answer any question during that appearance on YouTube. He says he will do that when he sits down with "60 Minutes" after Christmas.
Jim Acosta, CNN New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Sports anchor Larry Smith joins us now to talk more about this. Boy, he's come out with text statements. Now, he's on his website, he's on camera. Why do you think Roger's been so vocal this last week?
LARRY SMITH, CNN SPORTS: Yes, he is a busy guy. Four times in 11 days. Now he's issued statements. This one, the video. Well, the big thing is, is that, hey, he's 45 years old. We don't know if he's going to pitch again. But, he's a bona-fide lot for the Hall of Fame career, if the steroid allegations is not attach to his name. We saw what happen this year with Mark McGwire in the hall of fame voting.
With his numbers, he was a shoe-in but he didn't get in and so it seems that Roger Clemens right now is trying to do all that he can, want to clear his name, but also to improve his chances of getting in to the Hall of Fame five years after he retires.
MARCIANO: Well, I mean, what do you think? I mean, is there a chance he can lose some of his records, so they can take back some of his Cy Young Awards?
SMITH: Yes. I really don't think so. I mean, baseball traditionally does not take away records or any kind of awards or things like that. Now, could they? Anything's possible. But the thing is the Mitchell report, even George Mitchell mentioned that, you know, this is inconclusive. Just because these 80 some odd names are in there, doesn't mean these are the only people who ever did, steroids or performance-enhancers or have been alleged to.
The numbers are much greater than that and so when you get into taking away records and things like that, where do you draw the line or how do you determine which player did and what year? Which home run was hit under the influence? Which shutout was pitched under the influence or whatever? That's really pretty tough to do. Most people I talk to, they really don't think the records would be harmed. Everyone wants to kind of move forward it seems from this point.
MARCIANO: Well, and it's only two clubs. I mean, who knows what will come up down the road with other clubhouses.
SMITH: It could be the tip of the iceberg. And as the thing is, we really don't know what's going to come out of this in terms of negotiations with congress getting involved. Will there be a stronger testing policy. Will Bud Selig follow through in his threat before and actually go after this people listed in this report. We just don't know yet.
MARCIANO: Kids, stay away from steroids. SMITH: That's the first message. That's right.
MARCIANO: Larry smith, good to see you.
MARCIANO: Well, it was an inspirational day for the Buffalo Bills and their injured player Kevin Everett. Today, Everett attended the Bills' final home game and addressed his teammates before they hosted the New York Giants. Everett has been recovering from the spinal cord injury he suffered in the season's first game. Today, one of his teammates spoke about the impact of Everett's injury.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT ROYAL, BUFFALO BILLS TIGHT END: And when you see something like that happen, it becomes reality and shows you that at any given point, any given second, like our few coaches tell us time and time again, that don't take it for granted because it could be your last one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Doctors feared Kevin Everett would never walk again. But three months later, he's proven them wrong and he continues to rehab.
Well, tonight, defense lawyers plan to appeal the guilty verdict in a racially charged case in New York. Last night, a Long Island jury convicted John White, black man, in the shooting death of a white teen. It all started with a bogus MySpace Internet threat attributed to White's son. It resulted in an emotional three week trial touching on range and race. Here's Tim Fleischer of CNN affiliate WABC.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TIM FLEISCHER, AFFILIATE WABC: This clinch and reacting to this guilty verdict, the victim's father and other family members leaving the courtroom crying and hugging each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We did it. We've been vindicated.
FLEISCHER: John White was found guilty of manslaughter shooting 17-year-old Daniel Cicciaro outside his home last year. He testified in his trial, he believed he was protecting his family from what he thought was an angry lynch mob of white teenagers who had come to fight his son, Aaron.
DAN CICCIARO SR. VICTIM'S FATHER: I can just thank God that everybody saw through their lies.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
CICCIARO: The jury saw through it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The truth prevailed.
FLEISCHER: Having relatives who had been victims of racial violence, White feared he was facing that same violence. He claims that he shots Cicciaro accidentally.
FRED BREWINGTON, WHITE'S ATTORNEY: John White and his family were scared to death. And the fact that that was not taken in and considered as an important aspect of the justification to go out and protect your home and protect your family...
FLEISCHER: The district attorney argued he should have simply locked the door and called police.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something happened that set off an entire dynamic that was brought to the White doorstep. It was not the White family's doorstep that went someplace else.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And that was Tim Fleischer from WABC reporting. John White faces five to fifteen years in prison. He will remain free on bail until sentencing. All this started with an Internet posting that said White's son, Aaron, wanted to rape a girl, he and the other boys knew. Turns out, the posting was false and it never came from Aaron White.
Well, she's a fur-clad Chinese native and people in San Diego are lining up to see her. A tiny giant panda makes her debut. And we've got pictures you've got to see.
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MARCIANO: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. Take a look at some of these pictures we're just getting in. Surf's up for Santa. The jolly man wearing red wanted to raise money to help the homeless by wind surfing across the mighty Niagara River. Only, the coast guard had to be called in after frigid temperatures and treacherous waves landed Saint Nick in chilly water. Its unclear if he's facing any immigration violation since he was surfing over from Canada.
And angels and Santa come to life in Brazil. Beautiful costumes and all the pageantry. This is the second year in the parade of Christmas lights that rolled through the streets of Copacabana beach. They celebrate the religious spirit of the holiday.
And how about this little angel? Little Zhen Zhen made her public debut this weekend at the San Diego zoo. She's only four months old. Fourth giant panda cub born at the zoo.
Well, ice, wind and snow causing a triple threat in the Midwest. A massive car pile-up, an incredible story of heroism up next. We'll talk live to one of soldiers who jump into the action on this treacherous highway.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Heavy snow and howling winds are making things miserable for the folks in the Midwest tonight. Thousands have no electricity and as one police officer put it, everything is just like an ice rink out there. In Chicago, the windy city, it's truly living up to its name. Winds knocked out traffic lights around town, some 24,000 customers throughout Illinois have no power tonight. The winds were clocked at 88 miles per hour over Lake Michigan. Airlines have cancelled dozens of flights at of O'Hare Airport.
In Indiana, wind gusts as high as 65 miles an hour blew over a 40 feet tree and hundreds of others have been uprooted. And in Minnesota, at least three people were killed in traffic accidents. Up to a foot of snow is expected in the northeast part of that state tonight. The AP report, at least 11 deaths are blamed on the storm. And you can go to cnn.com to get even more details in the winter weather including a photo gallery of pictures that really tell the story.
Here are some of the I-report submissions for you tonight. From Todd McEvoy in Palos Park, Illinois. This tree, a large one, was uprooted in his front yard. He says, the 35-year-old tree had been in great shape and he couldn't believe the winds will knock it down. And Ron Arnon took this amazing picture in Michigan. It appears to be a carport roof blown completely off some pillars. Here's another view of it. Ron says the sounds of the wind blowing through the neighborhood were tremendous, like a freight train. Thanks, Todd and Ron for your I-reports.
Well, some good guys came out all over this bad weather. The slick roads caused a 30 car pile-up west of Topeka, Kansas. One person was killed but it could have been a lot worse if it weren't for a group of soldiers who drove up and on to the accident and jumped into the action.
Major Randall McBay is operating room nurse at the Air Force. He joins us live from San Antonio, Texas where he and his fellow troops are based. Major McBay, your acts of heroism don't go unnoticed by the folks here on CNN. Give us the play-by-play if you could. Describe how this accident went down.
MAJOR RANDALL MCBAY, U.S. AIR FORCE: Rob, thank you. Actually, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time, I guess. We had a great group of medics. We just come from training at Fort Riley, Kansas. Just had a lot of combat and life-saver training. Had some new medics with us. There's 20 of us on the bus.
MARCIANO: So, describe for us. You guys were traveling on a bus. You drove in to and how did the accident go down?
MCBAY: The bus driver stopped after hitting a car in front of him that hit a semi in front of him. At that point, there are several more cars started hitting the back of the bus and as they hit the bus, then another car will slammed until they knock them to the front of the bus and just keep piling up for about a three minute period. Being a tour bus that were in, you could see each car and see the accidents as they were about to happen. We really felt for the people. We were trying to tell them -- some were getting out of the cars after they had had the accident only to be hit by other cars that were coming in. MARCIANO: So, you wanted to try to keep them in their cars until all are settled.
MCBAY: We were trying to. But unfortunately, they weren't -- they were dazed. They couldn't really listen to us yelling from inside the bus.
MARCIANO: What was going through your mind and your fellow soldiers as well, when you came to rest and you think, we're OK, but now, we got to go help these people? Or did you think -- hey, you don't train for a 30 car pile-up in the military, I assume?
MCBAY: Not for a 30 car pile-up. But, we have our combat skills, lifesaver training for the medics and it all deals with triage and mass casualty exercises. Going out and triaging the patient, deciding who needs care -- priority care and taking care of those and those who don't. We brought into the bus to keep them warm and bandaged up the small stuff.
MARCIANO: How did the people -- the victims react when you were helping them or were they just kind of dazed.
MCBAY: At first, they were dazed. We got them into other vehicles and 18-wheelers and to the buses and got them in there. Once they warmed up and understood what happened, they were appreciative. But it was...
MARCIANO: I'm sure they were happy that you were there for sure. Most of you guys were going home for holiday leave. Did everybody make it to where they needed to go?
MCBAY: I hope so. We kind of split up once we got to the airport this afternoon. And some had flights out, got flights out tonight. I was lucky and got one out today. Some people, I think, still have to wait for flights.
MARCIANO: And what's your feeling now after having been through this ordeal of a white Christmas? Is it still romantic?
MCBAY: Oh, yes, sir, it's good. I'm just -- we all -- our hearts and prayers go out to all the victims from this accident. And we were just very glad that we could use our training that we got through the military to help out in this situation.
MARCIANO: Well, I'm sure they were glad, too. And we're very proud of you, just one more way. Our armed services are helping our country both abroad and here at home. Major Randall McBay, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
MCBAY: Merry Christmas to you, too.
MARCIANO: Thanks for being here. All right, good stuff there.
Well, the good guys speaking out, come out in Kansas but the bad guys run off with Baby Jesus in Florida. The distance that organizers are going to make certain that that doesn't happen again. It will be the "You got to be kidding file." Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: Away from the manger? Baby Jesus MIA in Florida and he was bolted down. Oh, you got to be kidding me. Only when the good people of this Miami suburb went shopping for a new baby for their nativity seen, they were given something else. A GPS system. Mary and Joseph also donned the honing device. Plus a 4-foot plexiglass screen has been added to the front of the display just to separate what's naughty from what's nice.
Over the years, Santa is showing up in a lot of places but this may be a first. In Washington State, one man decided to nail down St. Nick to a 15-foot cross. He says he's just spent over the commercialism of the season. So, he took a picture of his creation and made it into a Christmas card with the message "Santa died for your MasterCard." Easy now. Let's not crucify Santa just yet.
And in Indiana, perhaps the dealerships realized something was up when this 70-year-old man told them, I don't need financing. He began hauling in one piggy bank after another. Before it was over, he bought his new $26,000 pick-up with nothing more than spare change. Apparently in 1994, he paid for two other vehicles in the same way. That's saving your pennies for sure.
Tuesday, the bows and the wrapping paper come off the packages and Wednesday, everything you can imagine goes on sale. Some discounts are better than others. We'll take a look.
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MARCIANO: Oh, yes, you'd be yelling, too, if you'd just won a portion of the world's biggest lottery. This weekend, lucky ticket holders from Spain cashed in on a $3.1 billion jackpot. More than 18 tickets carry the winning numbers.
And we've been checking out some other numbers as well. According to preliminary figure, it appears U.S. retailers could be looking at their worst holiday shopping season in five years. Bad for them, might be good for you. Because come Wednesday, the day after Christmas, there are going to be some great bargains out there. CNN's Tony Harris talked with an analyst about what to look for.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, we get to Wednesday. And so, you're going out on Wednesday, and what are you expecting in terms of items that you might be looking for? Where are we going to be able to find some of the best deals and what kinds of items?
JENNIFER WATERS, MARKETWATCH.COM: I think apparel. You're going to get the best deals on apparel, yes, because apparel has been a slow mover through the whole season. I think you're going to see a lot of that stuff really deeply discounted. We had some issues with the weather in November, which it was unseasonably warm in most places of the country and really people have a tendency to buy now, wear now. Nobody buys without the thoughts of wearing it right away. So, I think we're going to see a lot of apparel moving and really a lot of retailers trying to move that stuff.
HARRIS: Let me drill you down on this a bit. I mean, you go to the store on Wednesday and you're looking for apparel. And if you don't see discounts in the what range? 10 percent, 15 percent?
WATERS: No, no, no, Tony. More 40 percent, 50 percent, 60 percent. Yes. We already saw that ahead of Christmas, those kinds of discounts. And if the stuff didn't move fast enough, you're certainly going to see that and maybe even more after that.
HARRIS: So, Jennifer, are we going to see better deals online as opposed to in the stores themselves, in the brick and mortar stores? What do you think? Are they going to be comparable?
WATERS: They're going to be comparable. I think, we're going to see some really, really good deals in the stores because they're going to want to physically move that stuff out of the stores. And most of the online stuff is coming from, you know, distribution centers, not necessarily, you know, from your local gap.
HARRIS: So, they understand that they are really in competition with the online...
WATERS: No. They don't think of themselves in competition.
HARRIS: They don't think of that one.
WATERS: No, no. They think of it as a boost, as a help. I'm telling you, Tony, five years ago, six years ago, retailers didn't even talk about their Internet site.
HARRIS: That's right. You're right.
WATERS: And they weren't very good. Anyway, you couldn't manipulate them. You couldn't, you know, navigate them very well. And now, retailers are much more savvy about that, and really realizing that this is another opportunity for them to sell goods.
HARRIS: If we're looking at maybe buying a big screen for the Super Bowl coming up, do you suspect that we might get some discounting on that kind of a big ticket item in January?
WATERS: Absolutely, absolutely. You'd be amazed on how many people buy a big screen TV the day before the Super Bowl. I mean, it's amazing how many people do that. But on the other hand, we saw Best Buy has been telling us, for example, the whole season that their sales have been really, really good. But Circuit City's have really suffered. Having said that, we're going to have retailers like Circuit City who are going to have a lot of extra product. They're going to try to get rid of it.
HARRIS: The most popular game and I can't even find the doggone thing. My son would love to have one. He's not getting it.
WATERS: The Wii?
HARRIS: The Wii. Is this going to be a chronic problem with this undersupply of the Wii?
WATERS: Well, for the near term, it will be, yes. The demand for it is going to taper off some after the holidays, and then inventory will be back in place. So, I think, you know, if you can promise them, you know, a Valentine's gift, it might be OK.
HARRIS: Great to see you, thanks for your time.
WATERS: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: And good luck to you for your after Christmas day bargains. Well, we brought you the story and you responded. Viciously attacked, horribly disfigured, a little Iraqi boy named Youssif touched your hearts. We'll bring you up to date on his story and tell you more about the plight of other children of the war. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROB MARCIANO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's a story that's touched hearts and opened wallets. Youssif disfigured by insurgents in Iraq is in the U.S. getting medical treatment. And this is how this little boy story all unfolded. January 15th, Baghdad, three masked attackers doused him in gasoline and set him on fire. No one knows why and Youssif was left horribly scarred and traumatized. After CNN brought you the story, you, our viewers and cnn.com readers helped raise money for his care, as did the Children's Burn Foundation.
That money was used to bring him and his family to the U.S. in September where he began preparing for his grueling surgical schedule. Earlier this month, Youssif underwent his most extensive operation yet performed By Dr. Peter Grossman of the Grossman Burn Center. It removed his biggest scars. But his journey and medical treatments are far from over. We get an in-depth look now at the giving process of Youssif's care from our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks. And as the clip that you're about to watch shows, Youssif's story really struck a chord with so many people. They sought and they acted. People from all over the world. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Offers came from a number of charities. And Youssif's parents chose the Children's Burn Foundation to help their son.
BARBARA FRIEDMAN, CHILDREN'S BURN FOUNDATION: This is the purpose of the Children's Burn Foundation is to help children like Youssif, whether locally, nationally or internationally, wherever they may live. So we immediately called CNN to let them know we wanted to help. GUPTA: Cnn.com put a link to the charity on its "Impact Your World" web page. And the donations for Youssif poured in.
WAYNE DRASH, SENIOR PRODUCER CNN.COM: "Impact Your World" is a website on cnn.com that was created for stories like this, so that people who read a story and want to act and to help an individual or just a charity in general, they can go to cnn.com/impact and make a difference.
GUPTA: In no time, the charity received more than $13,000 donations. More than $300,000 all for Youssif.
FRIEDMAN: Gifts have come to the Children's Burn Foundation from around the block, in Van Nuys, to England, Monaco, Lebanon, everywhere. We've had a lot of contributions from soldiers in Iraq. An example is one who e-mailed and said, I spent a year in Iraq and I thought I was tough. But when I saw the story about Youssif, I cried.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: All that money that we're talking about, that's been raised is being used for Youssif's medical expenses but also for the living expenses, daily expenses for Youssif and his family. Also, Dr. Peter Grossman, all of his services donated for the entire time Youssif and his family are in the United States. Back to you.
MARCIANO: Well, as we said, tragically, Youssif's story is not unique. Thousands of children are victims of war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me go, get the new leg, OK, and I'll be right back.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am very happy for this day. I am very happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: Children trapped in war zones and paying the price.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: One operation at a time, helping one child at a time. That's the mission of the Global Medical Relief Fund and other charities. They take kids out of the pain and misery of war and get them back into the business of, well, just being kids. Arwa Damon has a case in point.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And his struggle is almost over.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Car bomb...
DAMON: Exploded, visiting America. He's made a short movie, and his mother, Jinan, has kept a journal of their remarkable journey. We left Fallujah September 7th at 3 p.m. She reads. She's actually only writing down the events that take place in this book that she's keeping because her emotions are just too intense. About two years ago, Mohammed was outside his home when an explosion blew off his right leg and killed his 6-year-old cousin. CNN met him 16 months later.
MOHAMMED RASOUL, IRAQI AMPUTEE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I remember everything going pitch black. My cousin died at the scene. I still hear her screams.
DAMON: Three times a week, he watered the tree he had planted at her grave. Thousands of miles away, on Staten Island, New York, Elissa Montani saw our story. She is the founder of the Global Medical Relief Fund.
ELISSA MONTANI, GLOBAL MEDICAL RELIEF FUND: All children are equal and these children need us. They need us so bad.
DAMON: So, she brought Mohammed and his mother to America and now, he is on his way to Shriners Children Hospital in Philadelphia which has pledged to provide Mohammed with free treatment and prosthetics until he is an adult.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, let me go get your leg -- the new leg, OK? And I'll be right back.
JINAN MOHAMMED, MOHAMMED'S MOTHER: I am very happy for this leg. I am very happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're happy to have you. There we go. There you are. Try that out. Come on in.
MOHAMMED (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I am so happy, so happy. I am seeing him tall and big. It's a strange emotion. It's been two years since I last saw him standing like this.
Thank you very much. Everybody. Thank you very much.
DAMON: Mohammed has been through so much in his short life, but at least he is getting help. So many Iraqis children don't, whether they are innocent victims of war or just desperately in need of medical aid. It's not just the violence. It's the collapse of the health care system.
After four years of war, there's little medicine. Sanitation is almost nonexistent. Most of the country's doctors have fled abroad. Others have been killed. Child mortality has risen by more than a third. For the most part, the only way to help children is to get them out. Last month, the American charity, Operation Smile, brought about 50 Iraqi children to Jordan. These kids all have either cleft lips, palates or burns. Not life-threatening but surgery is life- altering.
DR. WILLIAM MCGEE: No child should have to live their life imprisoned in their own body for the lack of a 45-minute operation that can bring them to society and change their life.
DAMON: A life that can't be changed in their homeland. This baby already had an unsuccessful surgery in Iraq. I never imagined that we would be here. It was hard. Baghdad isn't easy. It's scary. Her father says. The charities that work with Iraqi kids know they could do more. The Global Medical Relief Fund has brought a dozen Iraqi kids to the U.S.
MONTANI: I function on a prayer. Literally. If I thought logical and I wasn't persistent, I wouldn't be where I am. We have no paid staff. We're not this big organization. We are very small, making huge -- making a huge impact on these children and these parents' lives.
DAMON: And that impact goes beyond the medical care.
MOHAMMED (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): People in Iraq and in the Arab world think the Americans are our enemy. It's just the opposite. They helped me in the airport. Everywhere I go, the Americans help me. Let this truth get out. You know, I stayed in Kuwait four days and no one helped me. They are Arabs. I didn't see help until I got here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you.
MOHAMMED: I love you too.
DAMON: Mohammed may be just 12 years old but he knows he is one of a fortunate few.
RASOUL (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I wish that they would help all of the other children like me that were harmed by the war, by the bombs in Iraq.
DAMON: At least, he can make a new start in life.
RASOUL: I am very happy today.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Earlier, I spoke with Arwa Damon by satellite about the state of Iraq's health care system and its inability to cope with these youngest victims of the war. Well, we're seeing improvement on the surge front, the violence front. And you're telling me that the health care system is getting worse. Is there any sign that they are even acknowledging it and trying to come up with some solutions?
DAMON: Well, to be completely honest, the Iraqi government hasn't made setting up its own institutions. It's really a top priority. The health ministry in Saudi (ph) has been fraught with problems including accusations of having militia affiliations, of operating along sectarian lines. Iraqis who you talk to won't go to hospitals in certain areas still to this day because they continue to fear for their lives, because certain hospitals are run by certain militias. Plus, there's also the reality that a majority of Iraqi doctors fled the country fearing kidnapping or being killed or specific targeted assassinations. And until they begin to move back, until this Iraqi government is capable of beginning to fix its own institutions, no matter how well the surge is working, no matter how many military gains the United States can point to, vital things like Iraq's health care are not going to begin to move forward.
MARCIANO: There's so much emotion, so much gratitude out of Mohammed's mom in your piece. I'm curious if the stories of these kids getting help by American organizations, if that good-will story is getting back to the people in Iraq to at least, you know, give the U.S. -- put them in a little bit of a better light?
DAMON: You know, Rob, even if it isn't getting back in terms of being perhaps being translated into Arabic and broadcast on the Arabic stations, word of mouth works quite well. And here, in the case of Mohammed's mother, we're talking about one woman who eventually will go back to Iraq and will say, look, yes, maybe while we were here in our own country, all we saw from the United States in terms of the military operations that were going on was evil. But, I can tell you that the American people that I met were good and that's why it is also so crucial to try to get these children out of Iraq with their families.
It's part of building this cross-cultural bridge. If we're going to talk about other Iraqi children who have also imagine to come to the United States with their parents, their parents had the same experience, talking about Youssif, the 5-year-old Iraqi boy who was burned by insurgents. His mother said that the most surprising thing for her coming to America wasn't the splendor compared to Baghdad, her hometown, but it was how gracious Americans were to her. She was taken back. She expected people to be hostile and aggressive towards her and her family because they were Iraqi and because U.S. soldiers were dying in Iraq. But instead, for the most part, most Americans just wanted to offer their good will and their prayers.
MARCIANO: This is the season to offer good will and prayers. Arwa Damon on "Saving The Iraqi Children" for us tonight, thanks, Arwa.
DAMON: Thanks.
MARCIANO: CNN brings you an in-depth look at the dramatic outpouring of compassion from you, our viewers. You helped a special Iraqi boy, Youssif, who was badly burned in Iraq. "Rescuing Youssif" begins at 10 p.m. Monday right here on CNN and at 4:00 p.m. eastern Christmas day.
Well, there's a big animal control problem in a little town up north. They're pretty to look at but not when they're staring you down. The real story of the big, bad wolf -- or should I say, wolves. Stick around with for that. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) MARCIANO: Welcome back to the NEWSROOM. A wild gang is on the loose in the Town of Eagle River near Anchorage. Traveling in pack, preying on neighborhood dogs, terrorizing people. Andrea Gusty with CNN affiliate KTVA has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALYCIA BEIERGROHSLEIN, SURVIVED WOLF ATTACK: They were not afraid of us. They were really close.
ANDREA GUSTY, KTVA AFFILIATE: It was quick. So quick, the three friends didn't know what was happening until it was too late.
BEIERGROHSLEIN: And they're so quiet. They just came right up on us. They just came right up on you us. They were quick.
GUSTY: A pack of at least seven wolves surrounded the three women and their dogs, as they jogged on artillery road. The lead wolves came within feet, circling the women as they tried to get away.
CAMAS BARKEMEYER, SURVIVED WOLF ATTACK: I was rainbowing my pepper spray, and they fell back a little bit. But as soon as we would turn our backs to try to go, they would run up on us. And then, when we would turn around and start screaming again and I would spray my pepper spray.
BEIERGROHSLEIN: We just kept pulling, and they're so big and they're so many. And they started howling and we thought they were circling us. And it got us really panicked, but we just kept screaming.
GUSTY: Alicia, Camas and their friend were more than a mile and a half away from their cars. All of their dogs were leashed because they read about the warnings of other attacks. The trio were careful not to run and instead the woman walked backwards, screaming to keep the animals away and trying to keep everyone safe.
BEIERGROHSLEIN: I love my dog with all my heart, but I can't jeopardize my friends. And if that's what they wanted, I didn't know whether to leave them.
GUSTY: The women held tight to the leashes and were able to keep the wolves at bay, but not before the pack attacked Camas' American bulldog, Buddy.
BARKEMEYER: My dog did get attacked by the three wolves. He fought his way out as I'm pulling.
GUSTY: The women weren't physically hurt and Buddy had to have surgery to fix his gashes and bites left behind by the wolves. Camas worries the pack could attack again, this time only worse.
BARKEMEYER: They were not afraid of us and I'm afraid that if I was out here by myself, they would attack me. They were not afraid.
GUSTY: Wildlife experts say wolves are smart animals and learn quickly which means the pack will likely get worse before it gets any better.
RICK SINNOTT, BIOLOGIST: They figure out that a dog is easy kill and its food for them. Then, they can just come to the conclusion that there's a lot more dogs than moose and let's just start eating the dogs for now. And I'm not sure they quite reached that point, but it sound like they're working on that concept right now.
GUSTY: In the meantime, the only way to stop the wolf attack is to stay away and not give the wolves an opportunity to take their attacks to the next level. Andrea Gusty, CBS 11 News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Well, Mike Huckabee steps back into the pulpit. The presidential hopeful shares his thoughts on Christmas and he has a message for critics who says, he's mixing politics and religion. "Dogbone Politics" is coming up next in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARCIANO: There they are, the hard-working crew of the (INAUDIBLE). That's Stefano (ph), by the way. Last night, on the show. He's moving on to other things. Well, 11 days until the Iowa caucuses. A good time for a little of "Dogbone Politics."
Let's start with Republican Mike Huckabee. The one-time Baptist Minister returned to the pulpit today in Texas. He delivered a sermon and he also talked about a new campaign ad in which he talks about Christmas and the birth of Christ. The ad is being criticized for mixing politics and religion but Huckabee had a message for those who don't like his outspoken references to Jesus. In his words, quote, "Forgive me but I thought that was the point of the whole day."
And Republican Ron Paul is known for taking a firm stand on the issues. But today, he waffled just a little bit. On NBC's "Meet the Press," he was asked if he would consider an independent run for the White House if he falls short of the GOP nomination. Paul would not rule it out, in his words, quote, "I deserve one weasel now and then."
Well, Mike Huckabee is not the only candidate airing campaign ads with a Christmas theme. They all caught the eye of CNN's one and only Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On comet, on cupid, on Donner, on Rudy?
RUDY GIULIANI, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It will be a really nice fruitcake.
MOOS: On Obama?
BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So, from our family to yours...
MOOS: On Huckabee
MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He started the Merry Christmas.
MOOS: Since when do presidential candidates treat us to Christmas commercials?
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where did I put universal pre-can, there it is?
MOOS: Barack Obama even dragged out his kids.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Merry Christmas.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Holidays.
MOOS: Why stop at just the kids?
CROWD: Deck the halls with boughs of holly...
RON PAUL, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm Ron Paul.
MOOS: Maybe they think they'll win our support if they leave us.
CROWED: Laughing all the way.
GIULIANI: I really hope that all the presidential candidates can just get along.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was with you right up until that last one.
MOOS: As my CNN colleague, Candy Crowley put it, what's next? Fred Thompson singing with Alvin and the Chipmunks?
Actually, we added Fred's head. His campaign is blameless. The trend started with Mike Huckabee's Christmas greeting which was greeted with how's by the press on across of the so-called floating cross in the background.
HUCKABEE: What really matters is the celebration of the birth of Christ. What else do you see in this commercial?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, it looks like a cross which is very, very subtle.
HUCKABEE: That was a bookshelf behind me, a bookshelf.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says it's a book case, but it's a cross.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like if you're voting for me, you're voting for Christ and Christ gets a lot of votes.
MOOS: Mike Huckabee deflected the controversy with humor. Joking that he was also blinking in Morse codes sending secret signals that we and the press were blinded by the cross.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see a T. It's a God cross.
MOOS: This lady even uses her goggles to peer more intently. You see anything else in there, now that you get the goggles on?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just see the three balls. So, let's not get me on the topic of balls.
MOOS: The controversy reminds us of the time back in the 2000 campaign when the word "rats" flashed across a bush commercial. Bush folks denied, they were subliminally dozing the opposition. What out last is a brouhaha, was the pronunciation. So, but when it comes to the subliminal cross controversy...
HUCKABEE: If you play the spot backwards, it says Paul is dead, Paul is dead, Paul is dead.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: Doesn't sound like Paul is dead. Well, sometimes the hustle and bustle of the holidays can knock us off track when it comes to keeping the spirit of the season. But a New Orleans woman who lost everything during Hurricane Katrina is reminding us of the important things. CNN photo journalist Kevin Myers introduces us to Janice Johnson, bell-ringer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANICE JOHNSON, SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGER: Hi, how are y'all doing? Jesus loves you. Janice Johnson, I'm a Salvation Army bell- ringer. Hi, how are you today? You are so beautiful. You can ring the bell so the angel can get their wings. Whoa! They got their wings. God bless you, Merry Christmas. I have a double job. I'm in the Salvation Army and I'm in the Army of the Lord. So, I'm just some of you right now, fighting for souls. Hallelujah.
My story about Katrina that lost everything. I lost all my furniture. I don't have a house to go to. I could have given up but no, I found peace in Jesus and that motivated and maybe go do it. So, OK, you ready, set, whoa! Very good. You have a blessing. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, everybody. Jesus is the reason for the season. Hallelujah. Merry Christmas from the Salvation Army.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARCIANO: CNN helping you keep the holidays in focus. Some very talented CNN photo journalist from around the country teamed up to put together a series of holiday's stories for you. You should go look at. Log on to cnn.com and check out the living section. That will do it. I'm Rob Marciano. Thanks for joining me tonight in the CNN NEWSROOM. "Mystery of Jesus," starts right now.
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