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CNN Live Saturday

More Killed in Baghdad; Baghdad's Baby Noor Arriving in U.S. for Surgery; U.S. Teen Slipped into Iraq; Times Square Preparing for New Year's Celebration

Aired December 31, 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 HOST: Happy New Year's Eve! Is the Big Apple ready? And how have other nations already celebrated the New Year? Also, we are just hours away from Baby Noor's arrival in the United States. The very latest on this Iraqi baby's incredible journey, coming up.
And an amazing story of survival. This woman that you're about to see is believed to be the longest survivor ever of someone trapped after an earthquake. You won't want to miss her incredible story. There she is on right side of your screen.

A busy hour straight ahead, but first, here are some other stories "Now in the News."

Baghdad ends the year on a violent note with reports of at least three mortars exploding in the green zone, that's the area of central Baghdad where government and embassy buildings are located. It's not known if there are any injuries or damage. When we get more information we'll be able to bring that to you.

Also in central Baghdad, a bomb targeting a police patrol killed two Iraqi police officers. Police say another officer and four civilians suffered wounds. And in southern Baghdad, police say a bomb detonated near interior ministry police commandos wounding four.

In Kolis, northwest of Baquba, five died after a book exploded outside party's headquarters. A provincial official says the blast wounded two others.

And here in this country, firefighters in Texas and Oklahoma fear dry, windy conditions could lead to more grassfires. Flames have already scorched more than 50,000 acres in the two states and left at least four people dead. More than 100 homes and businesses in Oklahoma alone have been damaged.

And Hong Kong rang in the New Year just an hour ago with -- this fireworks show. Other New Year's Eve celebrations have already taken place in New Zealand, Australia and security is tight ahead at celebrations in many other world cities, to guard against possible terror attacks and other violence. Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

An infant Iraqi girl with a potentially fatal birth defect is expected to arrive here in Atlanta latter on today to undergo surgery. U.S. forces with Georgia's National Guard came upon the child known as Baby Noor. Three weeks ago, while searching several homes in Baghdad for insurgents -- the guards came across this baby. Well, thanks to the U.S. efforts now, there and here in the states, the child will undergo a surgery that could save her life. CNN's Christopher King is at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport where everyone there is awaiting the arrival of Baby Noor, and when -- Christopher, good to see you -- is that likely to happen?

CHRISTOPHER KING, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it's likely to happen a few hours from now. What a way to ring in the New Year, another chance at life. Baby Noor is on her way to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport for a critical operation that could save her life.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KING (voice-over): Doctors said she wouldn't live beyond 45 days. Little Noor, about three months old, has so far defy the odds living with a life-threatens disease. She was born in Baghdad with spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal column fails to close completely. Soldiers from the Georgia National Guard raided her parent's home in the Iraqi city looking for possible insurgents.

Instead they found the little girl's grandmother thrusting the baby towards them showing Americans the cyst-like purple sack protruding from her back. Iraqi doctors told the family there's nothing they would do that Baby Noor will soon die. But U.S. military doctors disagreed and disbelieved if she get to the United States she could be treated and saved. And so the soldiers, many of them parents themselves, were moved to act, but this time on a different type of mission that of saving this little girl's life.

LNT. JEFF MORGAN, U.S. ARMY: My heart kind of went out to this baby and these parents who were, you know, living in poverty and had no means to help their own baby. I thought, if we could do that for them.

KING: Lieutenant Jeff Morgan is a single father of five. He sees his own children in Noor's tiny face. Morgan and his fellow soldiers in Charlie Company went to work, Morgan e-mailing anyone he could think of.

DEBBIE STONE, CHURCH MEMBER: It started with an e-mail back in the middle of December. Just asking for help, if there was anything I could do.

KING: One ever those electronic messages went to Debbie Stone a friend who belongs to the same church at Morgan.

STONE: I think, we as American people, we have our -- our money going towards the war, but I think that the important part is that we want to make a difference, in the lives of the Iraqi people.

KING: So the mission continued on the other side of the world. Stone spent hours putting out a call to get help for Baby Noor and her family. Relentless in her pursuit, failure was not an option.

(on camera): Why did you get involved with this? I mean, what made you think about doing this?

STONE: An e-mail, I don't know why I did it. It did it because I wanted to help. You know, I wanted to do what I could to help this child out.

KING (voice-over): Stone hooked up with an organization called ChildSpring International, a nonprofit group that transports sick children to the states. With their help a hospital offered up their facilities. A doctor was found to perform the surgery, and a host family stepped up to care for Noor's family, all of this free of charge.

DR. ROGER HUDGINS, CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA: It's no question that we -- since we can her, we need to help. I mean, these are our hometown guys. So they're over there doing the work for us, why can't we do a little bit for them?

KING: Dr. Roger Hudgins is the physician who will be operating on Baby Noor. His area of expertise is spina bifida, an affliction affecting nearly 2,000 babies born in this country each year.

HUDGINS: If left untreated I've seen a case or two, in my life here in the states of untreated spina bifida, most of the time the baby dies, actually from infection and from meningitis. It's a life- threatening situation both early on from infection and a life threatening situation later untreated from cancer.

KING: Her journey has fraught with danger, deadly violence surrounds her everyday and U.S. soldiers battle insurgents. Her parents, whose faces have been blurred for this story, fear reprisal if they're seen getting help Americans. Getting passports and visas for the family has been difficult, but the difficulty, danger, and risk offer may offer a large payoff.

HUDGINS: I think that her chances for living, if we can get her over here relatively soon, are good.

KING: They were sent to Iraq to track down insurgents. These soldiers now hope their actions will help in the difficult task of winning over the hearts and minds of at least some Iraqis. So, as the soldiers of Charlie Company continue their fight in Iraq, little Noor's fighting for her life, and with the help of strangers from abroad, thriving against a backdrop of war.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KING: Now, Baby Noor is flying in to Atlanta, here from -- from Frankfurt here to Atlanta. Her plane will land just a few hours now. She'll stay way host family and then she'll have surgery at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And so Christopher, what is the timeline of when that surgery could actually begin?

KING: Well, she stays with the host family for several days and then after that she'll go for surgery at Children's Healthcare and that could be a few days from now, after doctors get a chance to evaluate her.

WHITFIELD: So, upon arrival today, I imagine, there will be a number of people there to greet her and the family members. We still believe it's the father and grandmother traveling with the baby, right?

KING: Yeah, that's right. There'll be a number of people here to welcome her. There's Childspring International, that's the group that's overseeing her coming in here, of course, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, that where she'll get her surgery in a few days from now.

WHITFIELD: All right, Christopher. Thank you so much for that update.

Also here in the U.S., the clock is ticking towards the New Year. Just hours from now Americans will start ringing in 2006, and no one rings it in better than New York City. Or place, we should say, better than New York City.

CNN's Jason Carroll is in the Big Apple, plus Bonnie Schneider is here way look at the weather coast-to-coast. Jason, let's begin with you. Still no hat and I know it's cold up there! You had flurries earlier.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NEWS CORRESPONDENT: That's right. But since the snow has let up and it's no longer snowing, I figure I can get away with losing the hat, at least for now. We'll have to see what happens a little later on, we'll have to see.

You know, New York City is expecting about 750,000 people, maybe more, maybe a little bit less to show up for the Times Square celebration, when the ball drops at midnight. Lots of stuff is going to be happening, Fredricka, out here. You're going to have Mary J. Blige, she's going to be out on the stage singing. At one point you're also going to have Mariah Carey.

Here's an interesting factoid: 85 percent of the people who actually end up in Times Square aren't from New York City, they're from outside the city. Joining me right now, some of those folks who came in from Los Angeles to brave the cold weather. You're going to be in Times Square tonight.

So, how's it feel? What do you think?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's great. It's electrifying, this city. It's wonderful to come here. I come here every other year, alternating with London, and...

CARROLL: Must be nice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And see theater and shop and -- it's been a week.

CARROLL: Now Cynthia, you've done it before but you two have not. Correct? I mean, you -- this is going to be your first time? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah. It should be fun to be here in New York, something that you watch on TV every year and it's just kind of cool to just be here.

CARROLL: What are you looking forward to most?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, just the excitement. I've only watched it from television every year and it just -- I always think I'd love to be there one time. And the snowfall this morning was really exiting, too. It was the first time I've ever seen snow falling from the sky.

CARROLL: You know, also, obviously, we were talking a little bit about security, a little bit earlier, and this morning you guys had somewhat of an interesting experience...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, we did. We saw the terrorist team in front of our hotel, and with a dog -- Jake, and...

CARROLL: And what kind of feeling was that for you to see that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was -- it was fun. They were very gracious and nice and it was a photo opportunity for them.

CARROLL: Photo op, huh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They were laughing, hugging them and everything with their rifles across their chest. It was -- it was a little unnerving at first, but they were very nice.

CARROLL: Unnerving, reashuerg at all for any of you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's reassuring. It's good to know there's, you know, protection going on, and you know, something's being done ahead of time, just, you know, for the worst.

CARROLL: OK, and a little bit we have left here, New Year's resolutions? I've been out here in the past...

(LAUGHING)

CARROLL: Yeah I know -- uh-oh. I knew -- they knew that was coming! Any that you've made? Any that you plan to keep?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not really.

CARROLL: Oh, come on!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't keep them! Why make them if you can't make them?

CARROLL: That's a good point. How about you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to try to eat more fruits and vegetables, because that's something I'm miserable at. And I'm not the weight-loss thing. Just try to eat more fruits and vegetables.

CARROLL: There you go, there you go. Come on Cynthia, how about you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, you ready?

CARROLL: Yeah, I'm ready.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, I'm -- I'm going to try and um not have so many vices and be a better person.

CARROLL: Me too, sounds good. Sounds like something that a lot of us should be doing. So you can see you've got three people here. What time are you guys going to start lining up?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, probably around 9:00.

CARROLL: I would suggest getting out there a little earlier than 9:00. [ laughter ]

CARROLL: 9:00, 9:00 I would suggest getting out there a little earlier than 9:00, though.

(CROSSTALK)

WHITFIELD: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) they're not go to get anywhere close if they wait until 9:00.

CARROLL: You got it.

WHITFIELD: Well you, the New Yorker that you are, you're going to have to school them a little bit. You know? Because they're from L.A. and all.

CARROLL: I will.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right, talk to you later. And I want to hear what your resolutions are a little later, so start thinking Jason.

CARROLL: Later, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, well let's bring in Bonnie Schneider; she's in the Weather Center. We saw some snow flurries there, in New York earlier today, and I think you're talking about more precipitation, but in the form of rain a bit later?

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Putting a damper on things. Bummer.

SCHNEIDER: A little bit of a damper, but I've been through many on New Year's Eve and New York City and it's nice that it's not that cold because a lot of times you go to Times Square and it'll be zero or even worse than that. So, at least tonight temperatures in the 30s. Now, having said that, damp out there. (WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right, well fingers are crossed that it turns out fine and won't be potentially dangerous for anybody. All right, thanks so much, Bonnie.

Well, in New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will line up shoulder-to-shoulder, all in Times Square to usher in the New Year, as they do every year. Tim Tomkins is with us now to talk more about the big celebration. He's the president of the Times Square Alliance. Good to see you, Tim.

TIM TOMKINS, PRES. TIME SQUARE ALLIANCE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: All right, well this has been a tradition for many, many moons. But what makes it different, perhaps, in recent years is that Times Square as a whole has really enjoyed a real renaissance. So, how is that influencing, perhaps, this year's New Year's celebration?

TOMKINS: Well, it all feeds on itself. It's -- Times Square is booming, New York City is booming. The crime rate, the murder rate is the lowest in literally 40 years thanks to the mayor and the NYPD. So, more people want to come to New York and more people want to come to Times Square for New Year's. Then we're get more coverage, there's more networks broadcasting from Times Square this year than ever.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And it's incredible just listing to Jason's report earlier, that 85 percent of the three quarters million people converging on Times Square are actually from out of town. So, I know you're, A, glad mass transit got rolling again and folks can rely on public transportation, but weather is always an influence, and with a little precipitation, as Bonnie was reporting that could certainly implanting the turnout. What about impacting the talent show that you have lined up for this evening?

TOMKINS: Well, you know, this is the district and as they say, the show must go on. So they -- people will go on and they will perform no matter what. And of course, the revelers are out there in a good mood and they're going to have a great time no matter what.

WHITFIELD: And we know the security and, you know, precautions are taking effect now. Folks have gotten used to that, I imagine now, at least since 9/11, knowing that security presence is going to be beefed up, in what way has that modified the way the New Year's celebration is going to be taking place this year?

TOMKINS: Well, you know, it's a constant every year, because security is always tight. But, the thing is, no matter how crazy the world is, people are optimistic around New Year's. It's a time of celebration, and so, for instance, we're doing an on-line poll at timessquarenyc,org, our website where you can get info about New Years, and even though 36 percent of people think that the world is going to be a more peaceful place in 2006, 82 percent of them are optimistic about 2006 for themselves personally.

WHITFIELD: Oh, well that's good news.

TOMKINS: And so it's a spirit of celebration.

WHITFIELD: That is nice. Well, I'm seeing folks behind you, there's a little bit of traffic behind you, even though we hear from Ray Kelly earlier that already measures are being taken to blocked off traffic around areas there at Times Square. So, are folks already starting to kind of, you know, pick their, or plot their positions? Figure where they want to be in time for the ball to drop?

TOMKINS: They do, and you know, this time of day, there's a lot of people who, even if they're not going to be in Times Square at midnight they come around, they go, they take pictures where they think the ball is going to be dropping, and...

WHITFIELD: And where is the best seat in house?

TOMKINS: The best seat in the house, is around 43rd, 44th street, right in the heart of Times Square. If you want to be there, you got to get there about 4:00 or 5:00, because the weather is holding up pretty well.

WHITFIELD: All right, where are you be?

TOMKINS: I'm going to be all over the place, at the end of the night I'm going to be on the stage. Now of course, the other question is who are people going to kiss at midnight? And our poll also showed bout 15 or 16 percent are going to kiss their husband or wife, about 15 percent said that they would kiss any attractive stranger within 50 feet of them.

WHITFIELD: What? You're kidding? Well, that's going to be a sight to see. And a lot of new rengsships will be blossoming, I guess, this evening.

TOMKINS: Absolutely.

WHITFIELD: All right, Tim Tompkins of the Times Square alliance, thanks so much and happy New Year to you.

TOMKINS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, as the New Year approaches, for all of us here in the states CNN is doing it up big time. Wait until you hear who's coming to the CNN's party? James Brown, for one. Brooks & Dunn, John Mayor, and our own Anderson Cooper. A little hat and all there. The festivities get underway tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern.

Also. Ferris Bueller, he is not, but close. This is Ferris and he did take many days off and you won't believe where he turned up. He's our international man of mystery.

And American politics in 2005: What do you remember most? You don't want to miss our political plays of the year, when we come right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Iraq closes out 2005 with scattered attacks around the country. Insurgents lobbed mortars into the heavily guarded Baghdad district housing the Iraqi government and the U.S. embassy.

Also in the capital, bombs targeted Iraqi police in two separate attacks. Emergency official say two officers were killed, several other people were wounded.

And in a Sunni Triangle town north of Baghdad, insurgents bombed the offices of a Sunni allied political party. Authorities tell CNN that five Iraqi civilians lost their lives in that attack.

After a 10-day shutdown, Iraq's main oil refinery in the north is now back in business. The government shut the facility after threats to truck drivers. The closure aggravated Iraq's ongoing fuel shortage. Drivers saw their wait for gas go from 30 minutes to three hours or more.

A U.S. teenager is getting ready to head home after slipping into Iraq. Sixteen-year-old Farris Hassan of Florida is now in Kuwait. He turned up this week in Baghdad at the "Associated Press" office which then contacted the U.S. embassy. The Iraqi teen does not speak any Arabic and he says he didn't realize the degree of danger he'd find himself in.

His trip began December 11 when he went to Kuwait from the states. His parents say they had no idea that he was heading to the Middle East. The teen later went to Beirut and then flew into Baghdad on Christmas Day. His mother says she can't wait to welcome him home, and then punish him. He used his own money from his savings account to finance his trip.

Well, it is the third New Year's in Iraq for U.S. troops, there. Eight-hundred forty-three lost their lives in 2005 alone. It's not difficult to guess what most of the troops want for 2006.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, my name is Staff Sergeant (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in Germany. My New Year's resolution is to make it home safe.

STAFF SGT. DAVID GARLAND, U.S. ARMY: My name is Staff Sergeant David Gargland, I'm from Mineral Bluff, Georgia, that's in north central Georgia, and my New Year's resolution is just make it back home, see my family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Sergeant (UNINTELLIGIBLE) my New Year's resolution is to be a better leader for my soldiers. Happy New Year.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is (UNINTELLIGIBLE) I'm from Guam, I was stationed in Germany, and my New Year's resolution to -- get home safe, I guess, get home safe to my family, to my wife and my kids. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my name is Specialist (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and my New Year's resolution will be, come here to Iraq do what I have to do to accomplish my mission and go back home safe and alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Clint (UNINTELLIGIBLE) from Cleveland, Georgia. New Year's resolution, go home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SCHNEIDER: I'm CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider with a look at your cold and flu report for today. As we check out the map, we'll show you where we've had some reports of the flu so far this season. Regional activity reported out West and that does including California and in the southwest, into Arizona and New Mexico. You'll find sporadic outbreaks of the flu in many states including Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, New York State and back up towards Minnesota and Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Some lucky places in the country have managed to say stay healthy so far with no activity reported into Louisiana and Arkansas and other states across the south and Midwest. That's a look at your flu report for today. Hope everyone stays healthy in 2006.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Now I want to get you up to speed with Stories Across America" this morning. Eight hundred Amtrak passengers finally found themselves on the right side of the tracks after a day-long train delay, south of Savannah, Georgia. A derailed freight train, yesterday, disrupted service for hours on the route, leaving three Amtrak trains stranded. Amtrak says all passengers should make their destinations by this morning, now.

In Ohio, a Corrections Department computer creates a ruckus when 3,000 calls were made to crime victims inadvertently telling them that inmates had been released. A department spokesman says the mistake happened during maintenance to the computer notification program. The department was double checking to certify that no inmates were accidentally released as a result.

And for this New Year's toast, champagne will finally flow more freely in Rockport, Massachusetts. Earlier this year the city lifted longtime restrictions on alcohol, meaning this year Rockport restaurants and inns with newly issued licenses can now ring in the New Year with the sparkley.

Well, the bubbly is flowing and the resolutions are being made, the clock has already struck midnight in some parts of the world. The parties and resolutions come next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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