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Mumbai Siege; Holiday Travel Savings

Aired November 29, 2008 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Well, a lot going on, namely, a continuation of the tourism that's taken place during much of this week. The siege appears, however, to be over in India. Police and soldiers are still combing the last terrorist stronghold, Mumbai's Taj Mahal Hotel. They're looking for any remaining terrorists or hostages and they're setting off controlled blasts to diffuse any explosives.
At least 183 people died in this week's terror attacks. The Taj Mahal Hotel and several other Mumbai sites were targeted. The victims include at least 18 foreigners, some Americans among them. At least 11 gunmen also died, about 300 people were wounded.

A group calling itself the Deccan Mujahidin, claimed responsibility in e-mails. India's foreign minister says there may be links to groups in Pakistan. The Pakistani government denies involvement and it promises to cooperate with the investigation.

So, for 60 hours the terror unfolded across Mumbai, in addition to the Taj Mahal Hotel, the terrorists targeted another luxury hotel, the Oberoi. Thirty-six bodies were found there. They also hit Leopold's Cafe, a popular hangout for Western tourists and a railway passenger terminal, one of India's busiest.

Other targets include a Jewish center where five hostages died and two hospitals were also targeted.

Government officials think that this week's bloodbath was planned months in advance. CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, joins us live now from Mumbai.

MATTHEY CHANCE, CNN SR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Fredericka. Well, you join me just outside the Taj Hotel which was the site of the last stand of those militants holed up in inside in fierce clashes with Indian security forces.

That siege has now come to a close. The building is right there behind me. The siege has come to a close, but the operations are still very much underway inside the hotel. Indian security forces in large numbers are still there. They're scouring the rooms, scouring the corridors to find any bodies to make sure, absolutely sure there are no militants inside. They insist there aren't.

But, they're looking for any booby-traps, any unexploded devices and explosive devices. They've already carried out controlled explosions a number of times throughout the day. That operation is continuing. It's also a crime scene with police and investigators there, as well, looking for clues that could cast some light on to the nature of the group who actually organized these series of attacks against the installations inside Mumbai. Of course, it wasn't just this hotel, as you mentioned there was another luxury hotel, as well, and six other locations that were attacked in this Indian financial hub at the same time in a coordinated way and the authorities are, they say, determined to get to the bottom of who carried out the attacks.

WHITFIELD: Matthew, obviously, Indian authorities are leading up the investigation; however, are there other investigators from outside say Britain or even Pakistan who are join the forces there to do this kind of post-terrorism investigation?

CHANCE: Well of course, there were so many foreigners involved in this, killed in this and injured in these series of attacks. Yes, of course, there are security services from around the world that have been engaged with the Indian government, with the Indian security forces to try and pool their resources, to try to get to the bottom of this.

It's an unprecedented move, but yes, also the Pakistani government, longstanding rivals of India, of course, have offered their help in trying to find closure and to try and find who's responsible for carrying out these attacks. There's suspicion in India, though, and this has been expressed by Indian officials is that the individuals that carried out this attack may have had some kind of connection with Pakistan.

That's certainly what many Indians believe. The Pakistani authorities, though, have categorically denied that and have offered the services of their security forces to try to find out who was responsible.

WHITFIELD: Matthew Chance in Mumbai. Thanks so much for that update, appreciate it.

Among those killed, an American father and his 13-year-old daughter. They were at the Oberoi Hotel. CNN's Jill Dougherty looks at what brought them to Mumbai.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Alan Scherr's spiritual life was tied to India. He visited many times. And that is where he died, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Naomi, in the terrorist attack on Mumbai's Oberoi Hotel.

Scherr, 58, shown here with his daughter and his wife, Kia, was a former college professor who became vice president of the Synchronicity Foundation, a meditation group in Faber, Virginia based on the teachings of an Indian spiritual teacher.

Twenty-five members of the group were on a meditation pilgrimage to Mumbai. The Foundation says the rest are now safe.

The Foundation's spokeswoman said some of the group went to a cafe at the Oberoi for a snack when the terrorists walked in and opened fire. BOBBIE GARVEY, SYNCHRONICITY SPOKESWOMAN: The three people that were injured and went to the hospital told us that they saw Alan take a bullet to the head and go down. They also told us that Naomi was also on the ground, although they didn't know whether she was shot or not, they didn't actually see that.

DOUGHERTY: The group's other members spent 45 hours barricaded in their rooms.

GARVEY: The grenades were going off. There was constant, you know, gunfire. They didn't know at any time if that door was going to open and it was going to be someone to save them or it was going to be someone to take them out.

DOUGHERTY: Garvey describes Alan Scherr as "brilliant and passionate."

"Naomi," he says, "wanted to see the world."

The Synchronicity Foundation set up a Web site for the Scherrs. It's already filled with tributes from the U.S., Canada and countries around the world.

Alan Scherr once wrote he was "living a simple life."

"For me," he said, "real freedom means living life in each moment as it unfolds without concepts or conditions."

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And now an update on the American rabbi and his Israeli wife killed in the attacks. There are reports that Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg will be returned to Israel for burial tomorrow.

Also set for tomorrow, memorial services at Chabad Jewish centers around the U.S. The Chabad Center has some 3,000 around the world. The Holtzberg's were held hostage at the Chabad Center in Mumbai. They were among five hostages who were found dead.

So, the big questions right now, who did this? Why? And if Mumbai is so vulnerable, then what about other cities, particularly port cities around the world? We turn now to former FBI special agent, Harold Copus.

As we look at this investigation, so many different layers, Mr. Copus, because there's the forensic investigation that can now get underway, now that they believe it's all settled and then the post- terror investigation that has to involve the who's and who financed all of this. Where do the Indian forces begin and with the cooperation of other countries, as well?

HAROLD COPUS, FMR FBI SPECIAL AGENT: Well, I think the simple thing, and I say simple, it's probably going to take six months, but first thing is that everyone included as a terrorist, those who were killed and those who were captured, those photos will be I.D.ed.

The second thing I'd do is I'd go to that hotel and say, to the Taj and I'd say who didn't show up for work today, because we've got to I.D. these people, figure out who they and once we do that part, then we can move backwards.

WHITFIELD: And you're mentioning the Taj, for example, because it's your belief the Taj Hotel had relaxed security from some ten days prior, there may be some inside knowledge, some inside cooperation. Is that what you are alleging, to, in terms that the terrorist his to know more about this hotel? Can't it have been that this was a place that they studied and not necessarily involving Taj Hotel employees?

COPUS: Well, we don't know, but I'm just telling you, there's a suspicion in my body which always warns (ph) and comes out first and I just say hey, you got to take care of that. They knew too much, and if you know too much then you have to had access to the plans and you had to know how it operated. How do you get that? You get it from inside information. Let's find out something about this...

WHITFIELD: These terrorists seemed to know a lot about these 10 locations, the Jewish center, the hotels, the Taj, the Oberoi as well as hospitals and even a train station, too. They executed this very sophisticated operation. There are a lot of layers involved in this kind of operation, and not just the people, maybe 12, that may have carried it out, but who financed it. How do you get to the bottom of who financed it? How is it that these ships were able to encroach upon this space without detection?

COPUS: Well, and in fact that the training that went on, being able to say well, here's a grenade, throw it. That's one thing. Being able to throw it with some accuracy, use different weapons. Where did their identification come from? Who would provide the safe houses? They just didn't just come onshore with these attack boats that they were using. Someone had to pick them up and house them for a few days before this started. This was a very sophisticated operation. You have to peel this onion back, layer by layer, and as you do, you'll find more information.

WHITFIELD: What's your gut tell you about why Mumbai and why these locations? Is it as much targeting the wealth that this country represents in these locations? Is there something cultural or, you know, how do you make sense of people being asked for their passports to identify whether they were British or American, but in the end it turns out probably more Indians were killed than foreigners.

COPUS: Certainly, I suspect it's cultural. Obviously there's this belief right now that there could be this deal between Pakistan and India and (INAUDIBLE), whatever. I don't know, and I don't think anyone else will. But I will say this to you, I suspect that they have a cause and whatever that cause is, they believed in and they were totally committed. So, what we have to find out is who financed the case and when you do that, you will find out how far this thing will spread. And I expect it's going worldwide.

WHITFIELD: How involved does the U.S. need to be on that end of the investigation, does Pakistan need to be, and does Great Britain have to be on the discovery of this, too. What kind of resources would these countries be providing to try to get to the bottom of, I guess, the mother ship of this cell of terrorists?

COPUS: Well, what we'll have to have is cooperation between the Indian government, Pakistan, United States, Britain, Germany and some of the others so that we can share in the intelligence. We only have a small piece. I suspect there's more out there and when they put it all together, I think we'll all be surprised. Then the question comes down is how widespread is this? Could it affect other countries?

WHITFIELD: And all these countries have to have their manpower on the ground, there. This is not an issue of diplomacy by long distance phone calls. They have to be there, hands getting dirty to help get to the bottom of this terror act, right?

COPUS: Well, that's the reason you have the FBI evidence team in there, the rapid deployment team, as well as the dive team, from the bureau, assisting anything that the Indian government will need at this time.

WHITFIELD: Harold Copus, a former FBI special agent, thanks for your expertise, appreciate it.

COPUS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, we have some questions for you as well, because we know this attack that took place over a three-day period has a lot of people talking and wondering do these attacks, such as what we saw in Mumbai, make you concerned about terrorism in the United States? E-mail your responses to weekends@CNN.com and we'll get some of your responses on the air.

All right, all this terror taking place at a time of transition in this country. We only have one president at a time, right? But does Barack Obama, the president-elect, have a role to play in all of this?

And recession or not, here we go. The holiday shopping season begins and it has begun in a big way in many places. Shoppers managed to put the black in Black Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the international crisis in Mumbai unfolds as one U.S. presidency winds down and another waits in the wings. So, what role can Barack Obama and his transition team play? Paul Steinhauser is CNN's deputy political director. He joins us from Washington.

Good to see you.

Well, this really does make for a pretty prickly situation because as Obama reminded America, there's only one president at a time, yet at the same time is there some expectation from people to hear from the president-elect while this is taking place? PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DPTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You're absolutely right. It is kind of an awkward situation for Barack Obama these last couple of days, because you got a major international crisis going on, a major terrorist attack and yet he needs to take a backseat right now to the current president in the White House. And I guess he can't yet kind of prove his meddle and kind of show his own stuff.

Barack Obama has been mostly behind the scenes and kind of quiet the last couple of days during this Thanksgiving holiday, here. He has spoken to Secretary of State Rice twice during this period, since the attacks happened on Wednesday. He has been getting regular updates from his own national security staff.

He did, last night, speak to India's prime minister, he did offer condolences, but as you mentioned, Fredericka, he's continued to say that there can only be one president at a time. And he said that in a statement he put out yesterday saying just that.

"There is only one president at a time. I will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ground in Mumbai, and I am grateful the cooperation of the Bush administration in keeping me and my staff updated. We will fully support the Bush administration's efforts to protect American citizens and assist the government of India during this tragic time."

But, he asked to continue to make that reference, that he said, right off the top there Fredricka, one president at a time. This situation, though and probable strained relations between Pakistan and India will not stop when he takes over on January 20, he will have to deal with this situation.

WHITFIELD: So, as it pertains to that, one president, President Bush, well, he's got a legacy that he's trying to, I guess, secure, as well, and when something like this happens, even though it's not on American soil, this is a president that has very much made his view on national security, on anti-terrorism front and center. So, his response to what's taking place in Mumbai is very important, isn't it?

STEINHAUSER: Yes. To him, exactly. Terrorism has been one of the issues where President Bush has been on the forefront ever since the 9/11 attacks, as you mentioned, and it will probably be part of his legacy.

Now, for Barack Obama, it's very different. If you remember during the election, if you looked at head-to-head polls between Barack Obama and John McCain, the one issue really where John McCain shined, in Americans' eyes, was terrorism. In fact, on Election Day, if you look at our exit polls from Election Day, over 80 percent of the voters who said terrorism was their most important issue in their vote for president, they went for John McCain. And as you can see here, only 13 percent went for Barack Obama.

This according to exit polls, but remember, only nine percent, Fredricka, of all Americans, said terrorism was their No. 1 issue, it was about the economy and that's probably why, one of the major reason why Barack Obama won. Right after the election we had a CNN Opinion Research Corporation poll and we asked Americans do you think Barack Obama will make the country safer from terrorism and two-thirds then said yes, 67 percent saying it's very likely we will make the country safer from terrorism. So, high expectations for Barack Obama. This poll, I must say, though, was taken after the election, but well before these attacks in India this past week.

WHITFIELD: Paul Steinhouser, CNN's deputy political director. Thanks so much from Washington. Have a great rest of the weekend, too.

STEINHAUSER: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, perhaps you are traveling this holiday weekend. That all-important weather report straight ahead, plus tips on how to save money on your airfare, perhaps in time for the next holiday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, some pretty significant travel troubles out there for many of you heading back home from the Thanksgiving holiday. Meteorologist Karen Maginnis is here.

I guess the bright side is everyone's tummies are full and so if they have to sit and wait somewhere at least they won't starve, right? That's one way of looking at it.

KAREN MAGINNIS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. Now, we did have more significant delays, earlier. We had San Francisco, we had Charlotte and we had Los Angeles and now all that has dropped except for Atlanta and the delays are decreasing because we've reduced visibility, but there's still fog, it's still misty, it's still kind of a mess. So, don't be surprised if some of these delays continue through the afternoon.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: I like that, I think everyone likes snowflakes around this time of year. It gets you ready for what's next. All right, Karen, appreciate it.

All right, well this holiday season, pretty busy, and busy to travel, as well. There are ways, however, to save yourself some aggravation and maybe even some cash before you get on that plane. So, here with your on-the-go report, CNN's Melissa Long.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA LONG, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Despite the ease at the pump, airlines say fuel and other surcharges are still necessary, but there are ways for you fly by some of those fees. SARAH KANTROWITZ, TRAVEL & LEISURE: A seat fee is an additional cost that some airlines are charging if the traveler would like a seat closer to the front of the airline or a seat with additional leg room. One thing to keep I mind is that if you arrive at the airport and some of these premiere seats are available, sometimes they will offer them to you at no additional charge.

LONG: Also, try choosing an airline where the first checked bag is free. And as always, you can save by booking your flight online, but make sure your plans are set before you click that purchase button.

KANTROWITZ: Change fees can be upwards of $25. One thing you can do to avoid that is to pay the higher premium when you book your ticket, which will often give you more flexibility.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: The battle for Mumbai in a siege of India's financial center, finally over and who is responsible for those deadly attacks. President Bush speaks out on the terror strike this hour. We'll bring it to you live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The terror attacks on India's financial capital of Mumbai appear to be over, but here's what we know right now at this hour. Investigators are still trying to find out just who was behind these attacks. At least 183 people were killed and about 300 wounded. There is evidence that the attackers may have links to groups in Pakistan.

Pakistan's president pledges full cooperation with this investigation. Indian commandos are combing through the more than 500 rooms of the Taj Mahal Hotel, the site of the attackers' final stand. At least three gunmen were killed there and in all, at least 11 attackers were killed in the fighting.

Officials are asking guests who may be hiding in their rooms still to open up the curtains to signal their presence. That's the scene is still somewhat active.

Pakistan and India have a long bitter history. They repeatedly accused each other of violent attacks in the past, but Pakistan was quick to deny any role in the Mumbai attacks. This morning, Pakistan's foreign minister had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAH MAHMOOD QURESHI, PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTER: Pakistan is not involved in this ghastly act, and that is why we do not have to be on the defensive, and we are not on the defensive. Extending cooperation and the fact that after the incident that I remained on Indian soil for three days, and I faced the Indian electronic and print media head-on, arguing and articulating the case of Pakistan, is a case in point that the government of Pakistan is not defensive. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Everyone agrees that the terror attacks were well planned and coordinated. That was especially obvious when the attackers stormed the Taj Mahal Hotel. More on that now from our Tim Lister.

TIM LISTER, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The operation to rescue hostages from the Taj Mahal and Oberoi and arrest or kill the terrorists, fell to India's military elite, navy commanders. This is believed to be the first time they've spoken to the media, but they did not reveal their identity.

The commandos painted a grim picture of the challenge at the Taj. They didn't know the hotel, but their enemy did.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people were very, very familiar with the layout of the hotel. They knew all entries and exits.

LISTER: The commandos had little guidance from the staff. And they held fire for fear of wounding or killing guests.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we first exchange fired and we had terrorists, but there were so many of the hotel guests there outside, the bodies were lying strewn here and there.

LISTER: According to an army commander, the operation also took longer because so many doors were locked.

LT. GEN. N. THAMBURAJ, INDIAN ARMY COMMANDER: There were a number of rooms which are locked from inside. It is possible that some of the hotel guests have locked themselves in and for their own security and safety. Even though we have identified ourselves, they are not opening the doors.

LISTER: The commanders say they did not hear the terrorists speak, but were struck by their appearance.

THAMBURAJ: They did not have any masks or anything on them. They were putting on normal T-shirts. They were not very old. They were less than 30 years of age.

LISTER: And they seemed well trained.

THAMBURAJ: Not everybody can fire the weapons. Not everybody can throw grenades like that. So for using such weapons and explosives, it is obvious that would have been trained somewhere.

LISTER: Though they would not speculate where. The commandos' assessment matches that of intelligence analysts who describe this as a well-financed and meticulously-planned attack.

THAMBURAJ: Foreign money, they had dollars. They had about -- they had seven magazines, filled magazines, fully filled. And spare rounds, approximately 400 rounds. LISTER: During their news conference, not far from the Taj Mahal, the commanders several times used the same word to describe the terrorists.

THAMBURAJ: The gunman a lot, emotionless.

LISTER: And unlike any that India has seen before.

Tim Lister, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN NEWS ANCHOR: Those who lost their lives, trying to save others are being honored today. A state funeral for the man who led the city's anti-terrorism squad, Hemet Karari, who was gunned down outside a hospital on Wednesday. A colleague remembers him as a daredevil officer. Major Sanjay Oneid Krishna (ph) was killed in the fighting at the Taj Mahal Hotel. The director of India's commando unit said he gave up his life to save others. President Bush is expected to discuss the attacks in India at any moment now. He is returning to Washington after spending some time at the presidential retreat in Camp David, Maryland.

CNN's Brianna Keilar joins us with what we can expect -- Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Fredricka. President Bush had been away from the White House celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday break. And as he returns today, we are expecting him to go on camera since the attacks in Mumbai. He's been keeping an eye on things from Camp David. In fact, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was there for the holiday and she was keeping him updated in person up until last evening when she left Camp David.

President Bush issuing paper statements throughout his time away from the White House. He's basically put it out there as an offer to the Indian government to help in any way possible. And he's been doing this since Wednesday. And he's actually been on the phone during this time with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, extending a hand in any way possible that the U.S. can help.

So far the White House has been pretty hushed about exactly what help they're providing. But, Fredricka, we do know independently from the White House that an FBI team is set to go to Mumbai. U.S. officials, they've been keeping a close eye on this, keeping the president in the loop. His national security council officials from intelligence and counterterrorism organizations in the U.S. talking with him throughout this time.

And also the president had a secure video teleconference this morning with his national security team, with Secretary Rice and with the ambassador to India. So he has been in the loop. We're expecting to hear from him, as I said, for the first time on camera since these attacks happened.

WHITFIELD: Brianna Keilar in Washington.

Of course, as the president arrives at the White House and takes the microphone for that statement we'll be taking that live as well.

Thanks, Brianna. Appreciate it.

Shoppers on the lookout for bargains and some consumers holding back in this struggling economy. A live report on how people are spending or not.

And tragedy at a Wal-mart in Long Island. An employee apparently trampled to death on Black Friday. Our legal experts weigh in on the potential consequences for that retail chain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Call if retail therapy for millions of Americans not intimidated by the huge crowds or the ailing economy. Shoppers taking advantage of discounts on Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season.

Some retailers said yesterday's crowds were at least as large as last year's. The official numbers for the holiday shopping weekend, however, won't be known for quite a while. The National Retailer's Association predicts that some six million fewer shoppers will actually hit the stores this holiday season.

Well, all the more room for people who are ready to buy. and there are plenty of them out there this weekend.

CNN national correspondent, Susan Candiotti, is in a city known for its great shopping, New York. And look, she's not alone.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NEWS NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And as a champion shopper, it is very tempting, let me tell you, Fredericka, to take advantage of some of these bargains. There are sales signs everywhere. We're seeing lots of people carrying shopping bags. Rarely do you see someone without.

CANDIOTTI: Oh, no! (AUDIO PROBLEM). Sad, but true. But someone has to guard all the bags while the women go inside and buy some more in many cases, of course.

But here we are joined by Jessica.

Jessica, you know, we are hearing about the downturn in the economy, people spending less. What do you find yourself doing?

JESSICA, SHOPPER: I actually find myself spending more this year, with a better job and finding -- you have to go to every store and you have to compare prices to see where you will get the better deal at.

CANDIOTTI: Retailers are happy to hear that from you. You started extra early yesterday at 3:00, 4:00 in the morning

JESSICA: 3 a.m. at Wal-mart in Massapequa.

CANDIOTTI: And how much money do you figure you saved by showing up that early?

JESSICA: A few hundred dollars. Things are almost half price. Things are -- everything's going for half...

(AUDIO PROBLEM).

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. All right. We'll try to work that out.

Clearly, there are so many shoppers that it's affecting our signal there out of New York where Susan Candiotti was with shoppers. Folks say they're not feeling the pinch. At least that one shopper who says she's still spending, in fact, spending more than she spent last year. We'll check back with them to see how the other shoppers are doing momentarily.

Meantime, not all of the shopping scenes out there have been merry. A very deadly shootout at a Toys "R" Us in Palm Desert, California. Police say two women got into a fistfight and then two men with them actually pulled out guns and started firing. Shoppers scattered in fear there. And police say the two men actually killed each other. No one else was hurt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. DENNIS GUTIERREZ, RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: At 11:31 the Palm Desert police department received a call of shots fired here at the Toys "R" Us. The police department arrived within one minute. There were patrons running out of the store. The officers did make entry into the Toys "R" Us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The shootout happened yesterday, Black Friday, but police say it was not a fight over bargains.

Can't be anything worth lives over in a store anyway, right?

Let's turn to our legal guys, because there was another shooting that took place -- or another tragedy that took place at a store. This one in Long Island. One of the workers there was nearly trampled to death or at least that's the accusation.

So let's bring in our Avery Friedman, civil rights attorney and law professor.

Good to see you.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY & LAW PROFESSOR: Hi, Fredericka.

WHITFIELD: And Richard Herman, a criminal defense attorney in Los Angels (ph).

Good to see you as well.

Let's talk about what took place in your backyard, Richard, in Long Island at a Wal-mart. Apparently, an employee was trampled to death or allegedly trampled to death after the doors opened and people made a run for it. You have to wonder, guys, stores, even as big as Wal-mart that are inviting so many more customers to come at once, what's the responsibility on the retailer, Richard, to try and make sure that this is a safe environment for everyone, employees, customers alike.

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It's an enormous responsibility, Fred. And I bet you that they've had problems with this in the past. And I'm telling you that 2,000 people lined up at 5:00 in the morning chanting, knock down the doors -- I don't care if they consulted with police before. It wasn't enough. I don't care if they put barricades up. It wasn't enough and I don't care if they hired extra security. This is outrageous.

WHITFIELD: You say the retailer is to blame or bears a huge responsibility in something like this?

HERMAN: Oh, there will be massive wrongful death action filed against Wal-mart. And I tell you the truth, I would file it against the police department, too. If -- this was outrageous conduct.

FRIEDMAN: Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

WHITFIELD: Avery, how do you conduct an investigation like this? Does this mean you're looking at the cameras to determine was it really mayhem? What went wrong here?

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: And can we know for certain that this person died as a result of being trampled or did something else happen and then this person fell to the ground?

FRIEDMAN: I think that's actually the issue. What we have to look for here, Fredericka, is the question of foreseeability. This was reasonable to anticipate? The doors here in the Valley Stream store in Nassau County, actually the hinges were removed by the waiting customers. So is it foreseeable? It may very well be.

WHITFIELD: What?

FREIDMAN: Yes, the hinges were actually removed. At 5:00, the door went down and this poor employee was actually literally walked over by the customers. And I think what we're seeing -- and I think this is an important issue here because we're seeing more and more of these sales. In Valley Stream, what happened at the Wal-mart is people started lining up, Fredericka, at 9:00 the night before.

WHITFIELD: Yeah.

FRIEDMAN: So you could expect that there's going to be a problem. I think city counselors will have to enact legislation dealing with these problems because we're going to see this -- this won't be isolate. We'll see it again. WHITFIELD: Yes, the manager at that store or the owner of a store at that scale and you're seeing people line up as early as the night before, 9:00, you've got to be a little worried or concerned about everyone's safety because, you know, you've got a larger number of people than you ordinarily do. There has to be some kind of...

(CROSSTALK)

FRIEDMAN: Well, and remember, Susan Candiotti just talked to a customer. She was up early. She claimed she saved hundreds of dollars. So we're going see something like this again unless we see legislation.

HERMAN: Fred, with those crowds, that store did not act as a reasonable store should have acted under those circumstances. They are absolutely going to be liable. There's a problem.

WHITFIELD: We have other cases we want to go through. Lori Drew, this is the MySpace cyber bullying. There is a verdict. We're talking about a misdemeanor. This case happened in Missouri. However, we're talking about a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide. But this case was handled in California.

FRIEDMAN: Right.

WHITFIELD: Avery, did all of the right things happen here?

FRIEDMAN: I think, actually Fredricka, the right things did happen. This is an unprecedented case in American jurisprudence. The fact is it took place in Los Angeles because that's where MySpace is based, and the claim is, by the U.S. attorney, is that Lori Drew, the Missouri mother who set this up and violated the rules, and they had proper jurisdiction. and indeed, three misdemeanors came back. She's facing three years, $300,000. It was a compromised verdict in the first case of its type. But now America's going to focus in on what about cyber bullying.

WHITFIELD: Right.

FRIEDMAN: And one-third of kids actually are experiencing it in America.

WHITFIELD: Richard this, little girl, Megan Meyer, her mother, Tina Meyer, is saying I want the maximum here and I want an example to be set here, because there really is very little policing that takes place on the interaction that occurs over the Internet.

HERMAN: Hey, Fred, was there a mistrial on all of the felony counts here. The only counts that stuck were three misdemeanor counts which is each one faced the maximum of one year. With no prior criminal history, I think it's a high likelihood she'll get no prison time in this case.

Avery was right. This was cutting-edge prosecution. She was not charged with causing the death of this young woman. It was an alleged violation of the Federal Computer Fraud Abuse Act. WHITFIELD: Those were the charges. But, of course, the mother of this little girl says this woman very much played a hand in the little girl taking her life.

HERMAN: It's tragic.

WHITFIELD: She wasn't charged with that.

HERMAN: It is tragic and it will open the door to cyber bullying legislation federally, I believe.

FRIEDMAN: Absolutely, right.

WHITFIELD: Richard Herman and Avery Friedman, we got you agreeing on that final note on this holiday weekend.

FRIEDMAN: It's unusual, but we do it sometimes.

HERMAN: Mark the calendar, Avery.

WHITFIELD: Very good. Good to see you all. Have a great weekend.

FRIEDMAN: Take care. All the best.

AVERY: You, too, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: It has been three month since Hurricane Ike hit Texas. I know it seems like a while ago, but just three months. We'll tell you what has not changed in that time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Just point and click. Patients with degenerative diseases are finding new independence through a fetching robot named Ellie.

The story from CNN's Rob Marciano.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROB MARCIANO, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Norma Margeson is helping biomedical researchers and making a new friend.

NORMA MARGISON, ROBOT TESTER: Since I can still squeeze my hand, this laser trigger was easier for me today and to shoot to the right place.

MARCIANO: When she shines a laser pointer at a TV remote, phone or bottle of pills, Ellie, the robot, can retrieve it and deliver it to her.

MARGISON: Oh, I love it. I think it is such a unique character. It has a personality all its own.

PROF. CHARLES KEMP, GEORGIA TECH: We named Ellie "Ellie" because show reminds us of an elephant. She has this one arm that's sort of gray that can lift objects and move up and down.

MARCIANO: Professor Charlie Kemp says patient input is critical in designing health care robots. These assistants can help the elderly or people like ALA, like Margeson.

KEMP: Every user is a bit different, so maybe you have a hand- held laser pointer or you have a head-mounted laser pointer or even a touch screen.

MARCIANO: Here's how Ellie sees the world, using mirrors, sensors or cameras to find an object, roll to it, grasp it and safely put it in the user's hands.

ELLIS: Please touch object to tell me you have got it.

MARCIANO: And like any young creature, this robot is designed to learn from its mistakes.

KEMP: In this case, it missed the object and it should try again, actually. It should recognize, but it didn't succeed.

DR. JONATHAN GLASS, EMORY UNIVERSITY: That's what we're trying to work towards.

MARCIANO: Dr. Jonathan Glass works with over 200 people with ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.

GLASS: I think what Charlie and his team has been very focused on is not what they can make the robots do, but what they can make the robots do that is important to people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now of President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush walking on the White House lawn after enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday at Camp David. They are just now arriving there at the White House.

President Bush now is expected to make some comments about the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Laura and I extend our condolences for those in the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. We mourn those who lost their lives, including American citizens. We pray that the injured will recover.

We pledge the full support of the United States as India investigates these attacks, brings the guilty to justice and sustained its democratic way of life.

My administration has been monitoring the situation in India closely since the attacks on Wednesday. On Thursday morning, I spoke to Prime Minister Singh from Camp David. I sent our heartfelt condolences to the prime minister. This morning I held a videoconference with Secretary Rice, our ambassador to India, our consul general in Mumbai and other national security officials. We reviewed the latest developments and we are working to ensure that American citizens in India are safe. Throughout the process we have kept President-elect Obama informed.

The killers who struck this week are brutal and violent, but terror will not have the final word. The people of India are resilient. The people of India are strong. They have built a vibrant, multi-ethnic democracy. They can withstand this trial. Their financial capital Mumbai will continue to be the center of commerce and prosperity.

The leaders of India can know that nations around the world support them in the face of this assault on human dignity. And as the people of the world's largest democracy recover from these attacks, they can count on the world's oldest democracy to stand by their side.

Thank you very much. May God bless the people of India.

WHITFIELD: President Bush there on the White House lawn there after arriving from Camp David along with First Lady Laura Bush and seeing a throng of supporters there.

A lot of times on holidays, the public gets an -- gets an opportunity to get a ticket to be right there on the White House when the president arrives to see him.

Meantime, the president commenting on the continued cooperation between the U.S. and India on that investigation taking place in Mumbai.

Much more straight ahead in the "NEWSROOM" right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: This weekend marks the official end of the Atlantic hurricane season. It runs from June 1st to November 30th. So, by the way this, year it was the most active since 1944. A total of 16 named storms and five major hurricanes. The worst one hitting the U.S. was Hurricane Ike, which tore through the Texas gulf coast. Insured damage from Ike topped $8 billion. The damage of Ike is still evident on Oak Island, Texas. Almost three months after the hurricane hit, dozens of family are still living in tents. Almost all of the homes were destroyed. FEMA recently sent about 40 mobile homes there, far fewer than needed. And only about half have the right connections so families can actually move in.

The Cabreras are among the lucky few in a mobile home for Thanksgiving weekend. They say they're worried about their neighbor, however.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARYA CABRERA, HURRICANE IKE SURVIVOR: The response to Katrina was so fast that I thought it would be a couple of weeks, three weeks. There's still some people out there on Oak Island that are in tents or that are in a trailer with three or four families in there. And it is just -- my heart goes out to them. (END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: FEMA has offered apartments or hotel rooms to people whose homes were destroyed, but some of those accommodations are several hours away, simply too difficult for those displaced families to get to.

I'm Fredericka Whitfield in the "NEWSROOM." Join us again at 3:00 eastern time. "Your Money" is next.