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CNN Live Saturday

Iraqis Vote on New Referendum; New Jersey Flooding; Millions More Movement; U.S. Ideas On Iraq War Might Change On Outcome Of Election; Father Angry After Son Is Killed In Iraq; Pakistan Devastated One Week After Earthquake; New Orleans May Be Risking Security; Moms' Inventions;

Aired October 15, 2005 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The polls are closed, the counting is underway as Iraqis decide the fate of their country. We're live on what's at stake for the Iraq and U.S.
Waterlogged and ready for some relief: Will the rain stop in parts of the northeast?

Plus, 10 years later, the Millions More Movement makes the way to the nation's capital. We'll go there live to show you what that's all about.

Welcome to CNN LIVE SATURDAY, I'm Fredericka Whitfield. A busy hour straight ahead, but first here's some other stories now in the news.

Bird flu is now confirmed in Eastern Europe. It's the first time the lethal strain is known to have spread beyond Asia. The Romanian government says tests detected the virus in wild birds found dead the Danube Delta. Asian flu doesn't easily infect humans but blamed for the deaths of 60 people in Asia. Officials fear it will mutate and become more transmissible among humans.

Pakistan now says at least 38,000 people died from last week weekend's earthquake in the Himalayans with another 62,000 injured. Another 1,300 reported are dead in India. The quake has prompted rare cooperation with India and Pakistan which have fought three wars since 1947. Two other hugely contentious countries, Iran and the United States also are cooperating in the relief effort.

In Texarkana, Arkansas, a train derailment prompts the evacuation of hundreds of home. Police say a Union Pacific train stuck -- struck, rather, a liquid propane gas tank early this morning. It caused an explosion and left a plume of smoke over the city.

Our top story on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, a historic vote overseas. Iraqis by a millions make a critical decision, voting today to either accept or reject the country's draft constitution. Either way, the outcome will have dramatic impact on the country's future. If the constitution is approved, the document will be ratified.

Elections for a permanent four-year parliament will be held by December 15 and a new government will be sworn in by December 31. But if the constitution is voted down, Iraq's parliament will be dissolved. New elections would be held by December 15 for a new interim parliament. That parliament would have to write a whole new constitution within a year and present it to voters in a second referendum.

The constitution will fail if two thirds of voters in three or more provinces reject it. Polling stations closed just two hours ago and security was extremely tight. Joining us live from Baghdad with details now is CNN's chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, indeed. Vote counting is underway. And although official results aren't due for several days, we will probably get some early word of how it's going fairly soon, perhaps within the next 24 hours if last year's election is anything to go by. There was very little violence, there was a huge security clamp down, and so far, what we saw was a steady trickle of people going to the polls. All we're waiting to see now is how they voted.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR (voice-over): It's Iraq's second time at the polls in nine months to vote a simple question or no on a complicated constitution that could shape their lives for generations.

"We are free now after 35 years of oppression," says Saba Marti (ph). "We can vote, we can talk, we can do whatever we want. We hope this vote will bring all Iraqis a better future."

Everyone hopes for a better future in Iraq, but not everyone agrees this constitution will guarantee that. Even these sisters are divided. How did you vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

AMANPOUR (on camera): How did you vote?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

AMANPOUR: Why?

AMANPOUR (voice-over): She says she worries the constitution doesn't guarantee Iraq's Arab identity. At this polling station, Jessica voted yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hope our future of the Iraqis get the rights, special the women.

AMANPOUR: Her mother voted yes, also, but she is worried about the article stating Islam will be the base of all legislation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "Everyone should be free to worship," she says, "but we want a secular government, not a religious one."

(on camera): Key to the success of this referendum will be its popular legitimacy. In other words, whether everyone, including the minority Sunnis, believes that they're included in the process, that their interests are represented. So far, they don't.

(voice-over): A last-minute deal to get Sunnis to the polls did bring them out but...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh. I vote no.

AMANPOUR: Dr. Manjad Al-Naid (ph), a Sunni, and his wife, Amira (ph) fear the constitution will rip the country apart and leave them out in the cold.

(on camera): You're worried an about the country splitting?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, of course.

AMANPOUR (voice-over): Amira wants nothing to do with this document.

She worries the constitution gives all the political and economic power to the majority Shiites and Kurds who sit on the country's oil wealth. One clear sign of change, this time, Iraqi security forces are manning the polling centers; ambulances on stand by just in case, and American forces on stand by, too. Colonel Ed Cardone says political development here is crucial.

COL. ED CARDONE, U.S. ARMY: Greatest thing to help us right now the development of a legitimate local governments. The governments that are here are -- were created by the old government and they're not a lot of them -- not seen as legitimate. And so, when the elections happen, when there's a legitimate local government, that going to help us a lot with the insurgency.

AMANPOUR: For instance, says the Colonel Cardone, he could wipe out an insurgent cell but with no local government to take its place, another one can spring back within days. And as people cast their vote this day, their highest hope is for an end in sight to the violence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AMANPOUR: So, many people told us they were casting a vote, yet another vote, for peace. They really are totally fed up with violence and they really want to see an end to that. As well as joining a political process that determines their future and try to get some sort of political permanent solution to the rather traditional nature to the kind of leadership they've had over the last couple of years since the war.

U.S. forces here tell us and U.S. commanders say that they hope that this referendum will start to split the insurgency and split the Sunni opposition, the rejectionist camp, but they say, people shouldn't hold out hope for that insurgency to be broken any time soon.

WHITFIELD: All right. Christiane Amanpour, thank you so much from Baghdad. Well, President Bush insists the vote in Iraq is much more than a referendum on a constitution. Today, during his weekly radio address, he compared it to battle against terrorism.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My by casting their ballots, the Iraqi people deal a sever blow to the terrorist and send a clear message to the world. Iraqis will decide the future of their country through peaceful elections, not violent insurgency. And by their courageous example, they're chartering a new course for the entire Mideast. This weekend's election is a critical step forward in Iraq's march toward democracy and with each step the Iraqi people take, al Qaeda's vision for the region becomes more remote.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: General Wesley Clark responding for the democrats calls the vote an important political event but he says President Bush still needs to spell out to the American people exactly how he plans to bring stability to Iraq.

Well, many Americans are wondering how today's vote will affect the military operation in Iraq. Specifically, if the constitution is approved, does that mean U.S. troops will come home sooner? Joining me now, CNN military analyst, retired major general, Don Shepperd, just back from Iraq.

Good to see you. Before the prospects of a withdrawal of U.S. troops, let's talk about what you observed when you were there. Did you expect that this day would come, knowing the kind of climate of volatility that you experienced, that you witnessed while in Iraq?

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Yes. I expected to see the elections go off. I expected a large turnout which you're seeing. I expect and predicted that the constitution will pass. I don't know if I'm going to right on that part or not.

But basically what we did on our visit there we were visited with the top commanders, United States diplomats, including the ambassador, and Iraqi diplomats, as well, and we were supposed to meet with the prime minister, didn't meet with him. We got to meet with ministers, if you will. And then we visited the Iraqi security troops, got a lot of talking done with them and also with our own troops out there.

WHITFIELD: And you were encouraged, or at least inspired, about the Iraqi troops and whether they will indeed be able to better secure their country? Because that is what, in part, is going to determine whether there is an U.S. troop withdrawal or at least when it is.

SHEPPERD: I was very encouraged by what I saw of the Iraqi security forces. Now, we visited the military up at the 9th Mechanized Infantry Division, which is one of their best. Extremely encouraged with what I saw there. These guys are in the fight and they are ready and they are motivated. There are varying levels of -- of good and bad within the forces as within all forces out there. But most important what I did is talk to the Americans training and imbedded with these guys. They say they are good and they're getting better and they have a great deal of confidence in them and we're going to be able turn over major portions of the cities and country, over time, starting next year, to these people.

WHITFIELD: However, you do echo the same concerns that the Colonel Cardone reiterated there in Christiane's piece, saying that a primary concern is about the government, the stability of the government, not necessarily the stability of the Iraqi forces. What do you mean? What does he mean?

SHEPPERD: Yes, Fredricka, just like everywhere else, war is easy. Running a country is really hard and we found that out in Iraq -- fixing everything that's wrong there. But the most important thing in Iraq that's going on is not the security forces, not even the insurgency, it's being able to elected a competent government that is not riddled with corruption that gains the confidence of the people by giving them services over time and that is a tall order in this region.

WHITFIELD: Now, when it comes down to the insurgency there were some sporadic attempts of violence. The president, as well as the Iraqi government, said this would indeed happen. Donald Rumsfeld said it would happen leading up to the referendum vote. The insurgents want to intimidate, but it seems that the voter turnout just might be trying to send a message to the insurgency.

SHEPPERD: Yes. This insurgency is very, very complicated. We built them as 10 feet tall, they're certainly not 10 feet tall, but a defeat for American interests there would have been if there was a low voter turnout or if the Sunnis did not vote. The fact that the Sunnis are voting and there's a very substantial turnout, this is a defeat for the insurgents. It's been a bad week for the insurgents over there.

WHITFIELD: All right. Good old Don Shepperd, good to see you.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

WHITFIELD: And in person. All right, well, CNN Presents takes and in-depth look at what's working and what is not working in the battle to bring stability to Iraq. "The Iraq War: Progress Report II" airs today at 2:00 p.m. and again at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

Well, more than a week of drenching rain and many wonder will it ever let up? We'll go live to Spring Lake, New Jersey. One of the hardest hit towns. And the Millions More Movement is drawing crowds of people to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. marking the 10th anniversary of the Million Man March. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Finally after nine days of rain, cool, dry air on the way for the waterlogged northeast. But another three inches of rain could fall across the region today. That will only make street flooding worse in New York's Long Island and other places.

New evacuations in New Hampshire, the state saw a dozen homes washed away last weekend. And cross your fingers, New Jersey, the sun could peek through this afternoon. Still, there is concern about swollen rivers and lakes in the northern and central parts of the state. But, water does appear to be receding after so many days of rain.

Well, one of the hardest hit towns is Spring Lake, New Jersey and that's where we find our Jennifer Westhoven this weekend -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER WESTHOVEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Fredricka. And, of course, the first bit of good news is that the sun is finally shining after eight days of clouds and relentless amounts of rain. In fact, in some areas of New Jersey, the amount of rain that fell was equal to the amount of rain that fell in certain states, in Texas, Louisiana after Hurricane Rita, so a real pounding here. You can see just some of the flooding in some parts of this town the water is four and five feet deep. Many people were evacuated out of their homes last night. And of course, this is just Spring Lake, but we saw a lot of damage in the northeast overall.

A lot of problems overall in many of the states here, of course, you were just talking about in New Hampshire where things were especially deadly. About half of the people who have died in the flooding so far died in New Hampshire and in New Hampshire and Vermont, there's still a lot of fear about the political for mudslides. The ground is soaked with water and they're worried about that as people try to come back to their homes that they could have still danger.

Also, in Connecticut, in Long Island, in New Jersey, power outages and flooding, as well. In fact, in New Jersey, the acting governor has declared a state of emergency which is one of the first steps when applying for federal funding to try and help pay for some of the massive damage that we have seen from the floods.

For now, though in Spring Lake, a small town, people coming out of the homes -- coming back to the homes, looking at the damage. Kids out on the bikes, neighboring smiling. In fact, on of the neighbors here offered me a pair of dry socks. Very nice, Bob Cox.

Back to you.

WHITFIELD: All right, that was very generous, indeed. Jennifer, thanks so much.

Well, let's check in with meteorologist, Brad Huffines to see what else is in store for the folks in the northeast -- Brad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. Poor folks up there. Thanks so much, Brad.

Well, 10 years later, the nation's capital is drawing what organizers hope are millions more to raise awareness of poverty issues in America. We'll live a live report straight ahead.

Plus, in between feedings and diaper changes, moms come up with some pretty good inventions to help make things just a little bit easier for them and for their kids. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A live look right now at the National Mall in Washington, pretty good turnout there. The Millions More Movement is drawing crowds to the nation's capital. The event marks 10 years since the Million Man March. CNN's Kathleen Koch is out in the crowd today.

And Kathleen, how does it look?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's a big crowd. Obviously, it's nothing like what we had here 10 years ago, but people have come here really from all across the country, some of them making very long and difficult journeys, and we have a few men here who made the trip all the way from Lafayette, Louisiana. A couple of cousins, actually, who are at the march 10 years ago. So let's talk with them now.

This is Keith Matthews and his cousin, Roi Anthony. Keith, tell us a little bit about what it was like here 10 years ago with the hundreds of thousands of men, covering the National Mall as far as the eye could see.

KEITH MATTHEWS, FROM LAFAYETTE, L.A.: It was very, very spiritual. It was loud. It was a lot of elderly people, the younger people. It was amazing, so great. It feels so great to be here again. History repeats again and again and again and it's just a honor to be here.

KOCH: How would you describe, Roy, the feelings, emotions, that you have being part of that 10 years ago and how do you think it's different this time?

ROI ANTHONY, FROM LAFAYETTE, L.A.: I really had a big emotion. It impacted it changed. It changed my life around being here and seeing the unity with the brothers and, again just being here today, it really, really, really let us know that we still have that unity and I'm just loving that we're all here today, you know, on one accord, again.

KOCH: Now, someone who has made a difficult journey in particular, Jeffrey Johns, is from New Orleans.

Now, Jeffrey, I understand you lost everything, all of your home, as has most of your family, in New Orleans. And you have a really remarkable story. You had to take a vehicle, put, actually FEMA letters on it, posed as a FEMA employee in order to get into the 9th Ward to rescue your 5-year-old son and many other people. Tell us about that.

JEFFREY JOHN, FROM NEW ORLEANS: I mean, yes, after the four days and no -- not hearing from my son, not hearing from my family, and I just couldn't help it no more, you know what I'm saying? Me and my partner, Patrick Carter, he went in, we got a Suburban, we put FEMA on it -- it might not have been legal, but we did what we had to do to get my son.

Went through, you know what I'm saying, we went through security, went in got my son at a school. He was at a school in (INAUDIBLE) on Saint Claude and Franklin, went it and rescued him, my two sisters and his grandmother and you know what I'm saying, we did our thing, brought them back home safe. You know what I'm saying? I had to take care of my family like that.

KOCH: You said you took in food and water as well.

JOHNS: I took in -- yes, we had 100 gallons of water, 50 pounds of ham. We went in and got them. I mean, we fed people while we was out there, you know what I'm saying, because they was axing (SIC) for it, they needed it and we gave it to them. You know, they didn't get no help from anybody else at the time. We came through and we did as much as we could. I wish I could have did more, but we did what we could do. You know? Like that.

KOCH: Thank you for sharing your stories and also these men are here today, they brought with them a CD, if you guys could hand me a copy, it's called "Long Way from Home" and this is something that they composed, a song about New Orleans, about the evacuees. They're taking donations and they plan to use the funds, anything they can raise to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kathleen KOCH, from the National Mall thanks so much.

KOCH: You bet.

WHITFIELD: We'll here a few other stories, we're watching "Across America" this weekend.

Missouri asking the United States Supreme Court to stop an abortion involving an inmate. State law bars public money for abortions, but a federal judge says that violates the woman's right to abortion. The Supreme Court has put the prisoner's abortion on hold while the justices consider the issue.

In Maine a woman that fell into a well recovering from hypothermia this weekend. She toppled in while trying to rescue her dog. The woman's husband who is disabled had to crawl down a road to get help.

A Massachusetts man is clucking all the way to the bank. He found a million dollar lottery ticket at the White Hen pantry. Well, not so fast. Another man claims the ticket is his. The store's 18 security cameras just might help determine who the winner actually is. And tonight's Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $300 million. If you win, it'll be the fourth largest jackpot in the game's history.

Well, the polls have closed and turnout was high. How is the Arab media covering the constitutional referendum in Iraq? Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasser, will have the very latest.

And one week later, the aftermath of that south Asia quake takes its toll on both those living in the region and the reporters who covered the stories. CNN LIVE SATURDAY continues right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello again, I'm Fredericka here's what's in the news this hour: Iraqis are counting votes cast today in the Constitution Referendum. There were attacks scattered around the country, still voter turnout was brisk. Officials hope it exceeds the 60 percent who voted last January for the National Assembly.

Romania confirmed today that a deadly strain of bird flu reached Europe and infected ducks there. Scientists think migrating birds spread the illness from Asia. The virus has already killed at least 60 people in Asia since 2003. There are fears it will mutate and infect more humans causing a global pandemic.

And hundreds of people are out of their homes in southwester Arkansas today. A freight train hit a liquid propane tank causing a massive explosion. The train carried chemicals that spewed noxious fumes. Police report at least one death. Several people went to hospitals complaining of nose and eye irritation.

More now on that crucial vote on Iraq's draft constitution. A yes vote will bring the country one step closer to forming a permanent government by the end of the year. A no vote means the political process has to start all over again, with the new parliament writing a new constitution for yet another referendum, an entire year from now. That's if there's a no vote. Full results are expected next week.

Joining us is CNN senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr. And, Octavia, the Arab world as a whole celebrating this new vote?

OCTAVIA NASR, SR. EDITOR ARAB AFFAIRS: I think there was sigh of relief on Arab media, especially on Iraqi TV, I have to say. And I think everybody was worried how this referendum is going to go. You know, there were worries that violence will take place and something will happen to disrupt this referendum, so I think you could feel this collective sigh of relief that everything went well, that the referendum took place. People went and voted.

I think right now there's a little surprise over that number of turnout. When you watch the coverage, on Arab media or on our air, you didn't see those lines that we saw back in January during the elections, so people didn't expect the turnout to be that high, the commission now saying over 60 percent, as you mentioned, but people are surprised at the number. The lines that they saw on television didn't certainly give the impression the turnout was that high.

WHITFIELD: Now, reportedly, there were many Iraqis who said during the last election they weren't very encouraged because they felt like it was an election that was thrust upon them whereas this time they feel like the involvement of the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds as a whole on this constitution that perhaps this -- the kind of participation in this go round will be of their best interest. Why is that?

NASR: You know, when you check out, for example, the chat rooms, the Iraqi chat rooms, you might get a glimpse at an answer to this question. People seem to be worried about the situation. And what I could gather is that many, people are saying, it is not worth it, is not worth it, that, you know, what's at issue not worth the trouble of them going out, braving the violence and the threats and voting.

You have to remember, there is a lot of division over this vote. You know, you have leaders, politicians and religious leaders telling people what to do. Vote yes. Vote no. Or don't vote at all. Not many people aware of what this constitution has in it. You know ...

WHITFIELD: And that's remarkable, because Aneesh Raman was reporting earlier today a number of people at the polling stations really had no clue as to what they were voting for. They were just told to either vote yes or no, but they didn't really understand the ramifications of it all. So whose fault is that? So and how effective then will the vote be either way if people don't really even know what they're voting for?

NASR: And this is the question that's being asked on Arab media today. Basically, people saying, look, these people don't know what they're voting on. If they voted yes or no, they really voted because they were told to do so, not because they really want to vote yes or no. They don't understand what's at stake.

They don't understand how that constitution was changed, what was changed. Even today some people were explaining the lines, the wording that was changed in the constitution and you have to remember, this is also temporary. This is not the final constitution.

So basically, even those who went out and voted, they voted with a hope that at some point later on, this constitution is going to be ratified, it's going to be changed. This is not the permanent constitution that they voted on today.

WHITFIELD: All right. Octavia Nasr, thanks so much.

Well, the outcome of today's vote will undoubtedly affect Iraq's future. What isn't known is the impact it will have on American support for the war. On an all-new "CNN PRESENTS" tomorrow night, CNN chief national correspondent John King hears from Americans who have lost loved ones in Iraq and who have definite opinions about the conflict there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Idaho's veteran cemetery opened just over a year ago. Not all that many grave sites for Tom Titus to tend to on the days he volunteers here.

THOMAS TITUS, SON KILLED: Some nights I do because my connection is I'm a veteran.

KING: More time then to talk to the young man on the left end of the front row. The first veteran laid to rest here.

TITUS: That was my only son. And, yes. He is my hero. And he always will be. Because he showed me a lot. There's things I don't think's important anymore because they're just not because he is not around.

KING: A year has passed, a little more. But not the pain. The disbelief. The memory of a knock at the door.

TITUS: And all of a sudden it just seemed like, you know, like my heart went up my throat and just seemed like it had -- you know, seemed like somebody had their big hand around my throat and I couldn't breathe. I opened the door and they said are you Thomas Titus? And I went, yes.

And they asked me again. And then I heard the words that every parent hates to hear. And they started to tell me the circumstances. And I looked at the chaplain, I remember, you know, I said would you please write that down? Because, you know, I can't understand it. And he wrote it down. And I kept thinking, this cannot be true.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Protesters gather outside the Idaho center.

KING: Tom Titus is angry at anti-war demonstrations on the news.

TITUS: Somebody made a remark standing over there. And I'm going ...

KING: One group in Boise put his son's name on a cross.

TITUS: How dare they? Did they ask my permission? No. Do they really care about families? No. They're doing it for their own agenda anyway, like a lot of other people that take advantage, you know, of us. Other than that, they wouldn't acknowledge me if they met me on the street.

KING: At the politicians, and the Pentagon.

TITUS: They sent them in there with insufficient protection. The Humvees are not suited with that, number one, because of no armor plating and, of course, with the roadside bombs, the IEDs and that, you know, they were just really good targets.

KING: Angry most of all at himself, at himself for raising a son so proud of his father he insisted on following in his footsteps. Brandon Titus left a letter for his dad in the event of his death, a letter Tom Titus read at his son's funeral.

TITUS: I learned a lot from my dad, and I wanted to be like him. I wanted to do something that would make him truly proud of me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And be sure to watch "CNN PRESENTS THE IRAQ WAR: VOICES FROM THE HOME FRONT" tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. One week later, the destruction from Pakistan's earthquake is overwhelming. CNN's Matthew Chance looks back at the emotional toll on reporting from the devastated area.

Plus, rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina. Did the storm make your next flight more dangerous?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A week after the south Asian earthquake, Pakistan says the death count will be at least 38,000. The government estimates 2.5 million survivors have no place to live. Relief crews hope to put up 100,000 tents before the snowy Himalayan winter sets in. International correspondent Matthew Chance has been in the quake zone all week. He looks at the difficult and very heartbreaking conditions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Covering an earthquake is an emotional ordeal. The destruction is overwhelming. The pain of families dragging their loved ones from the rubble can be too much. Pakistan is no different.

(on camera): The aftermath of this earth quake is hard to watch and has put us under a lot of pressure. Being surrounded by the devastation and the ever present stench of death takes its toll. But part of this job is being able to put yourself in other peoples' shoes. Because from there it looks much worse.

(voice-over): We found this Mohammad Waseem (ph) picking through the debris of his school. When the earthquake struck, he was the only one in his class to get out alive. At 14, he's just a kid. Imagine his life with no friends. Add to that, no food, no water, no shelter and you start to get a picture of what tens of thousands of people in Pakistan now face.

In the remote town of Balakot, we arrived by helicopter well before the relief efforts and we were mobbed. They thought we had supplies they desperately needed. Tried to snatch our bags. It's hard to explain to people who have lost everything, you have nothing to give, but we had to.

(on camera): It is at times like that I really start to think about what it is that we do and whether it's right. Our seats on board the helicopters could have been filled by injured survivors waiting to be evacuated. Maybe we should have brought medicines to be distributed. We could have saved lives.

(voice-over): It is an agonizing dilemma and a reporters curse to witness events and only hope it makes a difference.

Matthew Chance, CNN, Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

(END VIDEOTAPE) WHITFIELD: In the rush to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Katrina, procedures weren't always followed. CNN investigates questionable immigrant hirings in New Orleans straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: New Orleans is pushing back the curfew in the French Quarter to 2:00 a.m. Bar owners had planned to protest this weekend, complaining the curfew was costing them business.

And FEMA will miss today's deadline to get all evacuees out of shelters and temporary facilities. Nearly 16,000 people are still waiting for more permanent housing.

Katrina's costs are measured in dollars and lives. But the storm may also cost have Americans something else. Is our security at risk after the big hurricane? Here's our chief national correspondent John King in New Orleans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): Outside the window, a flight taxiing for takeoff, inside, some gates still closed. Sangra is blood. These stained tiles being removed from an area of the New Orleans airport used as a triage clinic just after Hurricane Katrina.

Herardo Torres (ph) was issued this ID by the New Orleans Airport Authority. Same with temporary cleanup worker Lopez Marcelo (ph). Both men say they're from Mexico and crossed the border illegally. Both say they also plan to eventually go home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nada.

KING: Nothing, Torres answers, when asked if he's been questioned about the residency. Marcelo says it's hard to work in Mexico, and seems amused he's being paid, indirectly anyway, by the government here.

Pure green, man, pure dollars, he says about the $8 an hour work. No background checks and yet both walk freely on the airport tarmac, active flights filled with passengers just a few steps away.

CLARK ERWIN, FMR. HOMELAND SEC. OFFICIAL: It shows that we are an open target and that we are far more vulnerable than we have to be and that we're not taking the threat of terrorism seriously.

KING: The men sleep here, a barracks for temporary workers at an abandoned YMCA, a makeshift ladder to get upstairs, tents outside and visible through a giant hole in the hurricane damaged wall. This video was shot by CNN during a visit to the site early Thursday.

These pictures and the airport scenes were recorded by a bilingual photojournalist, Alfredo De Lara, who stopped at the site earlier in the week and was promptly offered a $10 an hour job as a supervisor. Tom Trimble runs the operation and says this stack of papers proves it is all by the books. (on camera): Every single person, and that's without fail?

TOM TRIMBLE, MANAGER, BALANCE: No. If they don't have an ID, and a Social Security number or a work number, then we don't put them to work.

KING: You are positive about that?

TRIMBLE: Could somebody slip through? I won't say that's not the case, yes. But, you know, we are trying to do it. We have mountains of this stuff. This is just like a couple of days.

KING (voice-over): But De Lara says that's not how he was hired.

ALFREDO DE LARA, CNN PHOTOJOURNALIST: I filled out no paperwork. I wasn't asked to fill out any paperwork. I wasn't asked to show ID.

KING: We asked Trimble and two other supervisors at the sites if they would match up some of the forms with workers, or otherwise confirm documentation, but they declined.

TRIMBLE: We are doing the best we can to make sure we're doing it right. You know, are some of the folks here illegally? I don't know. You know, I suspect they are.

KING: Trimble works far company called Balance. It's one of many temporary staffing agencies working as subcontractors for cleanup companies, including of InStar services of Texas. InStar's contracts include the airport cleanup work.

The Transportation Security Agency tells CNN workers must have a U.S. issued ID or work permit to get an airport job, and any temporary workers must be escorted when in secure areas. But these workers showed Mexican IDs to get their passes and were allowed on an active tarmac unsupervised.

DE LARA: I was, you know, basically in charge of keeping an eye on them, you know, as a supervisor. But there was nobody -- no airport official, no TSA officials, no government officials at all supervising our work.

ERWIN: It is absolutely astounding, nearly five years after 9/11 this kind of thing continues the happen. That's the first point. The second point is, it's not an isolated incident.

KING: InStar's manager in Louisiana said the company would not answer any questions about its contracts. The airport wasn't the only secure location where these workers sent for cleanup. A security officer at the V.A. Medical Center initially raised objections when the workers showed up and one could only produce a Honduran ID card.

But after several minutes of discussions, they were allowed in. That night, an organization called Mission of Mercy visited to offer the workers vaccinations and other medical care. As he volunteered as a translator, Manny Ochoa-Galvez asked where they were from. MANNY OCHOA-GALVEZ, MISSION OF MERCY: Most of them are from Mexico, a lot of them from Honduras. I did meet a fellow countryman from El Salvador, but the vast majority are from Honduras and Mexico.

KING: Ochoa-Galvez owns a restaurant here. He says the city needs the workers, legal or not, but is convinced what he saw can only happen to illegal immigrants with no rights or resources.

OCHOA-GALVEZ: It's an irony of the first world country that we live in, that we're seeing this situation. The company, the entity has indeed taken advantage of the need in both directions, from the employer and from the employee. You know? The need is there. It needs to be fulfilled.

KING: Ten to 12 hours a day, at $8 an hour. John king, CNN, New Orleans.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And many of the workers told our freelance photographer they crossed the border illegally. However, we don't know what steps if any they might have taken since arriving in the United States to become legal workers.

Next, I'll talk mom to mom. Inventions that take some of the chaos out of motherhood and who couldn't use a little help? Our guest has a book full of ideas right after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Well, they have got cool, fun names. The Good Bites Crustless Sandwich Cutter. Tinkle Targets, of course, for little boys. The Coopanizer (ph) -- products by moms for moms. "The Mom Inventors Handbook" is a step-by-step guide for women who do a little inventing in between diaper changes. Author and mom of two Tamara Monosoff joins me now from San Francisco. Good to see you, Tamara.

TAMARA MONOSOFF, "THE MOM INVENTORS HANDBOOK": Hi. Thanks for having me.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, I'm sure you all the time, a lot folks that come up with great ideas, but how do you get a great idea from a great idea to a prototype to a product to actually marketing them? How is it that your guide kind of is a step by step process to make that all happen?

MONOSOFF: You know, when I started out three years ago, I invented a product called the T.P. Saver, which prevents kids from pulling the toilet paper, because I was experiencing that problem. I had absolutely no idea to -- as you just mentioned, go through all of the steps.

That's what the book is all about. I had read business books, I had read inventing books and nothing really broke it down into the nitty-gritty about exactly how to do this, and that's what I hoped to do by offering this book. WHITFIELD: And you have the T.P. Saver with you, don't you?

MONOSOFF: I do.

WHITFIELD: Let's take a look. And how does it work?

MONOSOFF: You insert the tube into the roll of toilet paper and you pull the elastic around the front of the toilet paper, and then there's a toddler safety cap that locks it into place. I had never invented anything but when your child clogs a toilet, it is not cute anymore when they're pulling the toilet paper.

WHITFIELD: So it seems like in your case, this really was an original idea but in your book you say sometimes the best ideas aren't the ones that are so original and perhaps they're not ones that are kind of reinventing the wheel but perhaps all about marketing.

MONOSOFF: Well, you know, what's really interesting is I have another product that was from another mom that we just brought to market on her behalf. It's called Good Bites Crustless Sandwich Cutter. This is a mom from Ohio. She has three kids. She was so tired of cutting off the crust that she actually invented the Good Bites Crustless Sandwich Cutter.

And why I love this, is this is a really great example of how you can license your idea. In the book I talk about how to bring your product to market yourself if you want to do that, and then the last chapter I talk about how to license your idea to another company.

And what we do -- this cuts off the crust and, you know, makes the sandwiches really fun for kids and with our products, with the Mom Invented brand, we actually credit the mom for her great idea on all of our packaging.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And so, are you also letting a lot of these moms know that sometimes when you come up with an idea, the next step might be some folks think they have to patent the idea but you're saying not necessarily.

MONOSOFF: That's right.

WHITFIELD: This woman who came up with the crustless sandwich cutter, I mean, she didn't go about the route of patenting it right away, did she?

MONOSOFF: Actually, she did. But what I do tell people is that patenting often becomes a roadblock for people.

WHITFIELD: How so?

MONOSOFF: People often equate -- well, they equate inventing something with the first step being patenting. And that's expensive. I mean, often it is like $5,000 or higher depending on the complexity of the product.

And what I tell people in the book, what I teach in the book is that there's so many steps that you can take before you get a patent to see if your product is truly commercially viable. And what I mean by that ...

WHITFIELD: Well, I guess, don't they go for the patent because they're afraid someone is going to steal their idea?

MONOSOFF: Yes. And I'm not saying don't get a patent. I'm just saying it is not the first step. Because what you want to do first is make sure that consumers are going to buy your product as well as retail buyers are going to buy your product. Only two to three percent of patented products by individuals actually make it to market. Surprisingly.

WHITFIELD: Wow, that is amazing.

MONOSOFF: There are -- it is. There are thousands of products out there that are not patented and what I really advise people so that they don't see this as a roadblock, that they can actually take a lot of steps to make sure that they're going actually to create a great business and sell products first.

WHITFIELD: Wow, Tamara. And your book is so inspiring because you talk about, you know, an inventor doesn't necessarily have to be a great business person all the time. Sometimes they have to know how to reach out to other people who are, surround yourselves by other folks. That's what your group really does.

MONOSOFF: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tamara Monosoff, thanks so much. The book, "The Mom Inventors Handbook: How to Turn Your Great Idea into the Next Big thing. And I must mention that the foreword was written by our own Soledad O'Brien.

MONOSOFF: Yes, she's wonderful.

WHITFIELD: All right. All right. Thanks so much. She is indeed.

MONOSOFF: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much, Tamara.

So much more ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY. In a few moments, "IN THE MONEY." At 2:00 Eastern, "CNN PRESENTS THE IRAQ WAR: PROGRESS REPORT TWO," an in-depth look at what's really working and what's not working in the battle to bring stability to Iraq.

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SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN ANCHOR: See why the Democrats aren't going for the jugular as the Republicans struggle.

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