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CNN Live Today
More Relief Supplies Pouring into Tsunami-Ravaged Areas in South Asia; Governor of Baghdad Province Assassinated in Ambush
Aired January 04, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news. More relief supplies are pouring into tsunami-ravaged areas in South Asia. U.S. military helicopters are ferrying supplies to remote areas cut off by the devastation. We'll update the relief effort with reports from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Pentagon just ahead.
Tsunami relief will be high on the agenda when Congress resumes next hour. The proposed legislation obtained by CNN does not include a specific dollar amount. That leaves the door open for lawmakers to approve more money above the 350 million the U.S. has already pledged. More live with Ed Henry from Capitol Hill at the half hour.
Insurgents unleashed more deadly attacks in Iraq. The interior ministry says the governor of Baghdad Province was assassinated today in an ambush. Eleven Iraqi security officials have been killed in three separate incidents. A total of five U.S. troops were killed in violence elsewhere.
Chile's Supreme Court today upheld the indictment and house arrest of Former Dictator Augusto Pinochet. The court says Pinochet can face trial on murder and kidnapping charges. They stem from death of political opponents during his rule.
And we're a minute just past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 a.m. for those of you waking up and joining us on the West Coast. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Thanks so much for joining us.
SANCHEZ: Let's begin with this, some of the successes and I suppose some of the setbacks in the massive relief effort in South Asia as we follow it for you. The runway is open again at the airport in Banda Aceh. This is in Indonesia.
It was shut down for hours when a cargo plane hit a water buffalo. The airport is the only one where relief planes can land in Banda Aceh. U.S. Marines are arriving in Sri Lanka to try to help the tsunami relief effort. As many as 1,200 Marines are expected to make up the contingent there.
U.S. military helicopters are delivering food and supplies remote areas. It's a welcome relief to desperate tsunami survivors that have been cut off by the devastation. And this now Secretary of Sate Colin Powell and his delegation have arrived in Indonesia. It's the nation hardest hit by far by the tsunami. The pictures you're seeing right now just came in moments ago. We're just turning around for them. Mr. Powell began his tour as you may recall from yesterday in Thailand.
KAGAN: We're able to bring you those pictures so quickly because CNN continues to bring you extensive coverage of tsunami disaster and relief effort. We now have a team of more than a dozen reporters and correspondents tracking developments across the Indian Ocean rim. You'll hear from them throughout the day, including several reports this hour.
The tiny airport in Banda Aceh, Indonesia normally handles two, maybe three flights a day. Now it's been transformed into a round the clock hub for relief flights into the western tip of Sumatra Island. CNN's Mike Chinoy is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (ob camera): A day of drama and frustration at Banda Aceh airport. Throughout the day, U.S. navy helicopters have been flying missions to the hardest hit areas on the western coast of Sumatra. Helicopters have been taking on supplies here and delivering them to the victims in remote areas not accessible by road.
They've also been bringing some of those injured in the tsunami and the earthquake back here to the airport for treatment. Those injured met with puncture wounds, infections, broken legs, malnutrition, dehydration, and trauma. A very, very grim scene as they were unloaded from the choppers and rushed to an emergency medical tent at the airport.
Compounding the difficulties, both of Banda Aceh's functioning hospitals are overflowing and are no longer accepting patients. U.S. pilots have been instructed not to bring the injured back here anymore until the problem is sorted out. However, the pilots say they intend to ignore that advice because there are so many people in need.
Meanwhile, for many hours during the day, the main runway at the airport was closed. A Boeing 737 commercial cargo plane ran into a water buffalo and blocked the main runway. The upshot was complete paralysis. The delaying of all incoming fixed (ph) wing aircraft carrying relief supplies.
In the end, a joint U.S./Indonesian and Australian contingent of military personnel improvised a device to tow the aircraft off the runway and those flights began. U.S. pilots said if they had not found that solution by tomorrow, the aid effort would have been seriously jeopardized because of the lack of incoming supplies.
CAPTAIN MATT KLINDER (ph), U.S. NAVY: Fortunately today we had enough aid and supplies here that we were not setback. The helos were able to move nonstop. So we weren't set back. Now tomorrow would have been a horrendous problem. Fortunately now we have this moved. We'll clear the airport with our Indonesian friends. We'll be ready for business and ready to go.
CHINOY: Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh Airport, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: U.S. Marines are arriving in Sri Lanka as part of the tsunami relief effort. The island nation off the southeastern coast of India suffered the second highest death toll in the disaster. CNN's Satinder Bindra is in the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Sri Lanka with the latest.
SATINDER BINDRA: Daryn, the Marines have landed indeed. They come carrying tons of food, and tons of compassion for the people of Sri Lanka. Just a short while ago, a marine helicopter touched down in Galle. This of course, one of the worst affected cities on the southern coast.
Eight days after these people were shattered by the tsunami, they reached out to this helicopter and carried away a large amount of U.S. supplies. Clearly a very touching, very moving movement both for the people of Galle and the U.S. Marines delivering this aid.
Earlier this morning a large C-5 U.S. transport plane touched down at Colombo international airport. This plane was carrying dozens of Marines, water purification equipment, and other heavyweight construction equipment. We expect all this will be deployed within a matter of days.
The Marines will be using 12 helicopters. A U.S. ship will also be coming here. And the Marines will have the latest technology on their hands. They'll also be using a hovercraft. Daryn, just a short while ago, I spoke with a commander of this mission and this is what had he to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We estimate that I'll have sufficient forces in the area for maybe five days.
BINDRA, (on camera): And where's the focus of this mission going to be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The focus will be south, down south, off in the Galle vicinity and in that area.
BINDRA: You'll be using unique technology as part of this mission, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I will. Things like hovercraft. I'll have some of those and the l-CAC (ph), will be moving engineering equipment ashore and supplies from the amphibious shipping.
BINDRA: Describe the move of your men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're anxious to get started. Interesting, we had no problem getting volunteers for this mission. In fact, I couldn't possibly bring all the servicemen and women that would like to be part of this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA: Daryn, Brigadier General Frank Panner (ph) saying he and his men will stay here in Sri Lanka as long as the people of Sri Lanka want them, and as long as it takes to complete this very sensitive humanitarian work.
KAGAN: Satinder, meanwhile another story that's coming out of Sri Lanka that we're hearing here in the west. This island nation that has been so bitterly divided through civil war for so many years, the sides that have just absolutely hated each other, putting that down, putting that aside and working together in an incredible way to bring aid to the places that it's needed.
BINDRA: Yes, Daryn, tragedy sometimes unites. If there's a silver lining to the dark clouds here, then it's showing, because people of all religious faiths, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims are coming together, trying to help each other. The government and rebel forces have been fighting here for several years. Now the government is allowing aid to go into areas held by the rebels. So clearly a reconciliation in the cards and this tragedy may help unite this very, very beautiful island.
KAGAN: Satinder Bindra from Sri Lanka. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Interesting enough, you heard moments ago what that general said when he was talking to Satinder. He said, I couldn't possibly bring all the Marines here who want to be here, who would like to volunteer. The U.S. military operation to help tsunami victims is so far the largest in Asia since the end of the Vietnam War.
So far, more than 12,000 personnel are involved in this. We get details further on the military's mission of mercy from CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A navy helicopter from the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln delivers food and milk to the remote part of the hardest hit area of Indonesia. The isolated refugees are desperate and grateful, rushing for the supplies that could save their lives.
The pilot of one mercy flight, Navy Lieutenant Greg Knutzen told CNN the helicopters often can't land either because of flooding or large crowds.
VOICE OF GREG KNUTSON, U.S. NAVY: We've been coming just to a 10-foot hover when there is just crowds of people wanting to get food and to our helicopter. We don't want to sit down on the ground. Sometimes we will have all the people over to the one side and then we'll fly about a quarter of a mile away set down, and then we'll start putting food out. MCINTYRE: Round the clock flights by Air force C-130 cargo planes have so far delivered nearly a quarter of a million tons of relief supplies to regional hubs. Now the biggest challenge is logistics.
BRIG. GEN JOHN ALLEN, DIR. ASIA AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS: If you're not careful, pretty quickly you have a buildup of supplies that you now must move forward. And the commanders who are on the scene are using those helicopters now to move as much of those supplies forward as they possibly can.
MCINTYRE: Nineteen helicopters are flying from the carrier Lincoln off the coast of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. In another day or so, the U.S.S. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), expeditionary group will arrive with two dozen more helicopters and 2,200 Marines with some ships and Marines moving on to Sri Lanka.
JAMES KUNDER, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTL. DEVELOPMENT: This is a classic situation where the needs are going to be of such magnitude we've got to make sure we are ready, aim, fire, not ready, fire, aim. So we're trying to get a clear picture of what the needs are on the ground.
MCINTYRE: Hundreds of U.S. troops including Marines from Hawaii and Okinawa have been flown in to help unload and distribute aid on the ground. All tolled, more than 12,000 U.S. military personnel are involved in relief efforts counting everyone from aircrews to the cook on the carrier Lincoln who is busy baking bread for the disaster victims.
MCINTYRE, (on camera): A sign the relief effort will not end anytime soon. The United States is dispatching the hospital ship Mercy to the region even though it will take it more than a month to get there from its home base in San Diego.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: As we continue to follow the story, we at CNN are dispatching many of our top people to the front lines of this still developing story. Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Soledad O'Brien, Christiane Amanpour, others reporting from the region all week long. The reports featured every night on CNN's live primetime special report, "Turning the Tide." It's every night this week beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
KAGAN: More than a week after the tsunami hit, and the number of Americans missing still unknown. Hear what the State Department is doing to change that.
SANCHEZ: And refugees in Sri Lanka gather at a children's school, but they're being told they have to leave. A full report on that from there.
KAGAN: And later, Anderson Cooper takes a firsthand look inside the train that became a death trap last week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: Our coverage continues. Secretary of state Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush visiting Indonesia to look at the destruction there. John King is traveling with them and joins us from Jakarta on the phone. John?
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening from Jakarta to you, Daryn. They will get (ph) the governor and Secretary Powell a much broader look at this, the deadly devastation of the tsunami tomorrow, when they travel by military helicopter up to some of the most damaged areas here in Indonesia.
They came here from Thailand where they did see some of the devastation in Phuket, but not to minimize it, but compared to Indonesia, much less death of course, and much less destruction. And a very different challenge. Here in Indonesia, the focus is still mostly through U.S. military helicopters, getting water, food, medicine, and other supplies out to the survivors in the remote areas.
In Thailand, it was a much more grim challenge. What the Thai government asked Secretary Powell to do was get more search planes to try to find the bodies of the 4,000 people still missing. And more forensics teams, including military teams that generally go say to Vietnam looking for the remains of P.O.W./M.I.A's to identify the bodies that have been found. Because the Thai foreign minister said eight or nine days on now it is very difficult to identify these bodies even if they are still found.
So different challenges in the different countries the U.S. delegation is visiting, Daryn.
KAGAN: John, there is some who thought that Florida Governor Jeb Bush a strange choice to go on the delegation. He's not a national figure, yet he has seen a lot of devastation especially in the last year with the hurricanes that hit the state of Florida. Have you been able to ask him to make a comparison between what Florida has faced, and these regions that he's visiting or facing?
KING: I talked to him in Phuket, coastal area in Thailand several hours ago. And he said he was struck by the similarities. They have had coral reef damage, beach erosion, and other damage. A lot of environmental damage along the coast. Trees down and things like that. He said it's similar to what happened to parts of his state.
You have that environmental devastation and destruction, and then you have the ripple effect, which is damage to a vital part of the economy. The lack of confidence in the tourism industry, or the need to rebuild those areas. One area, he said he talked to the Thai foreign minister about is a coral reef that is a giant attraction for the scuba divers. And he was saying that he might have some experts back home who could help with the reconstruction of that effort.
So Governor Bush, here of course because of his expertise in the state of Florida. Also here to show the president's personal commitment to the reconstruction effort. He said he's learning a lot and he was struck by the similarities.
KAGAN: John King from Jakarta, Indonesia. John, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Now that the tide is turning with massive aid going into southern Asia, the need for money is extremely important. After pledging 350 million in U.S. aid, President Bush is urging private donations as well. They're coming in. He's tapped former presidents George Bush, H.W. of course, of course and former President Bill Clinton to try and help out.
The old political rivals appeared on CNN's LARRY KING LIVE last night, and talked about how they first got the call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FMR PRESIDENT: I was talking to Andy Card, and then Condi Rice called me. We just talked about it and we were talking about the kinds of things that had been done in disasters in America, and the kinds of things we tried to do for disasters when I was president in Central America and other places.
And how the private sector is always generous but always needs a little better organization, a little better direction. And the overwhelming response to this tsunami, I think, partly because of the magnitude of the disaster, and frankly, partly because of the terrific way that the American press has covered it.
And the press throughout the world. Made this kind of organized effort make more sense to the president and the White House. They asked us to help. I was glad to do it.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR PRESIDENT: First thing I heard of it was when somebody from the White House called. It might have been the chief of staff. And asked if I would be willing to participate in a fund-raising effort to help the people over there, the victims of the tsunami. And, of course, I said yes.
They said, well, President Clinton would be side-by-side with this. That made it all the more attractive for me. And I think for the country. And I think for the relief effort itself. So it just evolved and so, today President Clinton and I met with the President in Washington and we got our marching orders and you might say in a sense. And then we began talking about what we think we can do in encouraging others to give.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Many are trying to do just that. They're trying to drum up more donations from private citizens and big businesses here in the United States. One of those is Thomas Tighe. He is the president and CEO of Direct Relief International. And he is good enough to join us now. He's a busy guy. Stealing time from him is very important.
I've been reading about you. They say you've barely are any sleep in the last week or so. I imagine that's a little bit of an exaggeration but you've been busy, haven't you?
THOMAS TIGHE, DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL: Yes, sir. Go ahead.
SANCHEZ: I'm just wondering, how do you put the different corporations together? In one particular story, I look down at my notes, there was a cargo plane donated by Federal Express, and you filled it with antibiotics from a pharmaceutical company. I guess it's about putting the corporations together so they can help out, right?
TIGHE: We do this on an ongoing basis with a number of the pharmaceutical companies and other nonprofit organizations particularly through and association called (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations.
Because of the scale of this emergency, it's very important that we all coordinate as best we can. So just yesterday we were on a call with the other groups like Direct Relief International that do provide the material assistance to make sure that there is no duplication of effort, that we provide what's needed for these circumstances.
And we make a coordinated game plan as we look forward.
SANCHEZ: Mr. Tighe, let me ask you, because a lot of people are wondering, because there has been so much (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as we try to quantify the money that is going over there. How benevolent, how generous have American corporations been in your estimation?
TIGHE: I think the response from the health care companies so far has been terrific. They've called. We do a lot of the work with the corporate sector. It's not particularly well touted. But they provide a lot of material assistance to people who need their products but cannot afford them.
Through groups like Direct Relief International, and Heart to Heart and other groups in this association, we provide a lot of material assistance. So they have been in touch. Johnson & Johnson just yesterday sent us several -- probably $20 million worth of terrific antibiotics that we know will be needed. Now the important thing is to get the right material in the hands of the right people. These medicines are only as good as the hands they end up in.
SANCHEZ: This is all separate from the $350 million pledged by the United States government. Is there any way that you could quantify for us how much money, an estimate would be fine, since certainly you're an expert on this, of how much money we've gotten or received in terms of pledges already or actual dough nations from American corporations?
TIGHE: Well, you know, our experience is just based on our experience. It's hard for me to talk about it. I think in our current inventory today we probably have between $30 million and $50 million on a wholesale basis of medicines and supplies and equipment that will be available for this relief effort.
Some of it's not high value material like the endotrachial (ph) tubes that we sent to Sri Lanka to treat the large number of near drownings and traumatic injuries to the chest in this tsunami. But the medical manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies have -- last year what they provided was over $1 billion through just groups in our association. It's an extensive commitment.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Very impressive. We thank you, Mr. Tighe, for taking time to talk to us and take us through that. We should underscore you're just one of the agencies doing this. There are others involved with other American corporations as well.
TIGHE: Correct.
SANCHEZ: Once again we thank you.
TIGHE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Ahead, we're going to have the inspiring story of children in one part of Thailand, despite the fact that teachers, schoolmates, and many parents may be dead or missing. These kids' determination is nothing less than inspiring. We'll have their story in just a bit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KAGAN: you might have heard it through the grapevine. The weather is wild in the west. We're talking about grapevine, California. It seems there is no end to snow in sight. In other parts of California, another storm dropped up to two feet of snow in the mountains closing a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 5, north of L.A.. Forecasters saying another round of storms expected to move in later this week.
SANCHEZ: Isn't that amazing? New Year's Eve, 60s and 70s in New York City.
KAGAN: Right. But New Year's Day in Southern California was beautiful. Always is for the Rose Parade. You can have bad weather before, and bad weather after. But a beautiful day on New Year's Day.
SANCHEZ: Set your clock by it.
KAGAN: You can.
SANCHEZ: Jacqui Jeras standing by to confirm that for us. Right Jacqui?
(WEATHER REPORT)
SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks a lot Jacqui. Returning to the tsunami disaster when we come back. The effort and specifics, or specifically speaking I should say, to try and find and identify the thousands of Americans that are still missing. We'll break that down for you. You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 4, 2005 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: Let's take a look at what's happening now in the news. More relief supplies are pouring into tsunami-ravaged areas in South Asia. U.S. military helicopters are ferrying supplies to remote areas cut off by the devastation. We'll update the relief effort with reports from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and the Pentagon just ahead.
Tsunami relief will be high on the agenda when Congress resumes next hour. The proposed legislation obtained by CNN does not include a specific dollar amount. That leaves the door open for lawmakers to approve more money above the 350 million the U.S. has already pledged. More live with Ed Henry from Capitol Hill at the half hour.
Insurgents unleashed more deadly attacks in Iraq. The interior ministry says the governor of Baghdad Province was assassinated today in an ambush. Eleven Iraqi security officials have been killed in three separate incidents. A total of five U.S. troops were killed in violence elsewhere.
Chile's Supreme Court today upheld the indictment and house arrest of Former Dictator Augusto Pinochet. The court says Pinochet can face trial on murder and kidnapping charges. They stem from death of political opponents during his rule.
And we're a minute just past 11:00 a.m. on the East Coast, just past 8:00 a.m. for those of you waking up and joining us on the West Coast. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.
RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR, LIVE FROM: And I'm Rick Sanchez. Thanks so much for joining us.
SANCHEZ: Let's begin with this, some of the successes and I suppose some of the setbacks in the massive relief effort in South Asia as we follow it for you. The runway is open again at the airport in Banda Aceh. This is in Indonesia.
It was shut down for hours when a cargo plane hit a water buffalo. The airport is the only one where relief planes can land in Banda Aceh. U.S. Marines are arriving in Sri Lanka to try to help the tsunami relief effort. As many as 1,200 Marines are expected to make up the contingent there.
U.S. military helicopters are delivering food and supplies remote areas. It's a welcome relief to desperate tsunami survivors that have been cut off by the devastation. And this now Secretary of Sate Colin Powell and his delegation have arrived in Indonesia. It's the nation hardest hit by far by the tsunami. The pictures you're seeing right now just came in moments ago. We're just turning around for them. Mr. Powell began his tour as you may recall from yesterday in Thailand.
KAGAN: We're able to bring you those pictures so quickly because CNN continues to bring you extensive coverage of tsunami disaster and relief effort. We now have a team of more than a dozen reporters and correspondents tracking developments across the Indian Ocean rim. You'll hear from them throughout the day, including several reports this hour.
The tiny airport in Banda Aceh, Indonesia normally handles two, maybe three flights a day. Now it's been transformed into a round the clock hub for relief flights into the western tip of Sumatra Island. CNN's Mike Chinoy is there.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (ob camera): A day of drama and frustration at Banda Aceh airport. Throughout the day, U.S. navy helicopters have been flying missions to the hardest hit areas on the western coast of Sumatra. Helicopters have been taking on supplies here and delivering them to the victims in remote areas not accessible by road.
They've also been bringing some of those injured in the tsunami and the earthquake back here to the airport for treatment. Those injured met with puncture wounds, infections, broken legs, malnutrition, dehydration, and trauma. A very, very grim scene as they were unloaded from the choppers and rushed to an emergency medical tent at the airport.
Compounding the difficulties, both of Banda Aceh's functioning hospitals are overflowing and are no longer accepting patients. U.S. pilots have been instructed not to bring the injured back here anymore until the problem is sorted out. However, the pilots say they intend to ignore that advice because there are so many people in need.
Meanwhile, for many hours during the day, the main runway at the airport was closed. A Boeing 737 commercial cargo plane ran into a water buffalo and blocked the main runway. The upshot was complete paralysis. The delaying of all incoming fixed (ph) wing aircraft carrying relief supplies.
In the end, a joint U.S./Indonesian and Australian contingent of military personnel improvised a device to tow the aircraft off the runway and those flights began. U.S. pilots said if they had not found that solution by tomorrow, the aid effort would have been seriously jeopardized because of the lack of incoming supplies.
CAPTAIN MATT KLINDER (ph), U.S. NAVY: Fortunately today we had enough aid and supplies here that we were not setback. The helos were able to move nonstop. So we weren't set back. Now tomorrow would have been a horrendous problem. Fortunately now we have this moved. We'll clear the airport with our Indonesian friends. We'll be ready for business and ready to go.
CHINOY: Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh Airport, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: U.S. Marines are arriving in Sri Lanka as part of the tsunami relief effort. The island nation off the southeastern coast of India suffered the second highest death toll in the disaster. CNN's Satinder Bindra is in the town of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Sri Lanka with the latest.
SATINDER BINDRA: Daryn, the Marines have landed indeed. They come carrying tons of food, and tons of compassion for the people of Sri Lanka. Just a short while ago, a marine helicopter touched down in Galle. This of course, one of the worst affected cities on the southern coast.
Eight days after these people were shattered by the tsunami, they reached out to this helicopter and carried away a large amount of U.S. supplies. Clearly a very touching, very moving movement both for the people of Galle and the U.S. Marines delivering this aid.
Earlier this morning a large C-5 U.S. transport plane touched down at Colombo international airport. This plane was carrying dozens of Marines, water purification equipment, and other heavyweight construction equipment. We expect all this will be deployed within a matter of days.
The Marines will be using 12 helicopters. A U.S. ship will also be coming here. And the Marines will have the latest technology on their hands. They'll also be using a hovercraft. Daryn, just a short while ago, I spoke with a commander of this mission and this is what had he to say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We estimate that I'll have sufficient forces in the area for maybe five days.
BINDRA, (on camera): And where's the focus of this mission going to be?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The focus will be south, down south, off in the Galle vicinity and in that area.
BINDRA: You'll be using unique technology as part of this mission, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I will. Things like hovercraft. I'll have some of those and the l-CAC (ph), will be moving engineering equipment ashore and supplies from the amphibious shipping.
BINDRA: Describe the move of your men.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're anxious to get started. Interesting, we had no problem getting volunteers for this mission. In fact, I couldn't possibly bring all the servicemen and women that would like to be part of this.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BINDRA: Daryn, Brigadier General Frank Panner (ph) saying he and his men will stay here in Sri Lanka as long as the people of Sri Lanka want them, and as long as it takes to complete this very sensitive humanitarian work.
KAGAN: Satinder, meanwhile another story that's coming out of Sri Lanka that we're hearing here in the west. This island nation that has been so bitterly divided through civil war for so many years, the sides that have just absolutely hated each other, putting that down, putting that aside and working together in an incredible way to bring aid to the places that it's needed.
BINDRA: Yes, Daryn, tragedy sometimes unites. If there's a silver lining to the dark clouds here, then it's showing, because people of all religious faiths, Buddhists, Christians, Muslims are coming together, trying to help each other. The government and rebel forces have been fighting here for several years. Now the government is allowing aid to go into areas held by the rebels. So clearly a reconciliation in the cards and this tragedy may help unite this very, very beautiful island.
KAGAN: Satinder Bindra from Sri Lanka. Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Interesting enough, you heard moments ago what that general said when he was talking to Satinder. He said, I couldn't possibly bring all the Marines here who want to be here, who would like to volunteer. The U.S. military operation to help tsunami victims is so far the largest in Asia since the end of the Vietnam War.
So far, more than 12,000 personnel are involved in this. We get details further on the military's mission of mercy from CNN Senior Pentagon Correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SENIOR PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): A navy helicopter from the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln delivers food and milk to the remote part of the hardest hit area of Indonesia. The isolated refugees are desperate and grateful, rushing for the supplies that could save their lives.
The pilot of one mercy flight, Navy Lieutenant Greg Knutzen told CNN the helicopters often can't land either because of flooding or large crowds.
VOICE OF GREG KNUTSON, U.S. NAVY: We've been coming just to a 10-foot hover when there is just crowds of people wanting to get food and to our helicopter. We don't want to sit down on the ground. Sometimes we will have all the people over to the one side and then we'll fly about a quarter of a mile away set down, and then we'll start putting food out. MCINTYRE: Round the clock flights by Air force C-130 cargo planes have so far delivered nearly a quarter of a million tons of relief supplies to regional hubs. Now the biggest challenge is logistics.
BRIG. GEN JOHN ALLEN, DIR. ASIA AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS: If you're not careful, pretty quickly you have a buildup of supplies that you now must move forward. And the commanders who are on the scene are using those helicopters now to move as much of those supplies forward as they possibly can.
MCINTYRE: Nineteen helicopters are flying from the carrier Lincoln off the coast of the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. In another day or so, the U.S.S. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), expeditionary group will arrive with two dozen more helicopters and 2,200 Marines with some ships and Marines moving on to Sri Lanka.
JAMES KUNDER, U.S. AGENCY FOR INTL. DEVELOPMENT: This is a classic situation where the needs are going to be of such magnitude we've got to make sure we are ready, aim, fire, not ready, fire, aim. So we're trying to get a clear picture of what the needs are on the ground.
MCINTYRE: Hundreds of U.S. troops including Marines from Hawaii and Okinawa have been flown in to help unload and distribute aid on the ground. All tolled, more than 12,000 U.S. military personnel are involved in relief efforts counting everyone from aircrews to the cook on the carrier Lincoln who is busy baking bread for the disaster victims.
MCINTYRE, (on camera): A sign the relief effort will not end anytime soon. The United States is dispatching the hospital ship Mercy to the region even though it will take it more than a month to get there from its home base in San Diego.
Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.
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SANCHEZ: As we continue to follow the story, we at CNN are dispatching many of our top people to the front lines of this still developing story. Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Soledad O'Brien, Christiane Amanpour, others reporting from the region all week long. The reports featured every night on CNN's live primetime special report, "Turning the Tide." It's every night this week beginning at 7:00 Eastern.
KAGAN: More than a week after the tsunami hit, and the number of Americans missing still unknown. Hear what the State Department is doing to change that.
SANCHEZ: And refugees in Sri Lanka gather at a children's school, but they're being told they have to leave. A full report on that from there.
KAGAN: And later, Anderson Cooper takes a firsthand look inside the train that became a death trap last week.
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KAGAN: Our coverage continues. Secretary of state Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush visiting Indonesia to look at the destruction there. John King is traveling with them and joins us from Jakarta on the phone. John?
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good evening from Jakarta to you, Daryn. They will get (ph) the governor and Secretary Powell a much broader look at this, the deadly devastation of the tsunami tomorrow, when they travel by military helicopter up to some of the most damaged areas here in Indonesia.
They came here from Thailand where they did see some of the devastation in Phuket, but not to minimize it, but compared to Indonesia, much less death of course, and much less destruction. And a very different challenge. Here in Indonesia, the focus is still mostly through U.S. military helicopters, getting water, food, medicine, and other supplies out to the survivors in the remote areas.
In Thailand, it was a much more grim challenge. What the Thai government asked Secretary Powell to do was get more search planes to try to find the bodies of the 4,000 people still missing. And more forensics teams, including military teams that generally go say to Vietnam looking for the remains of P.O.W./M.I.A's to identify the bodies that have been found. Because the Thai foreign minister said eight or nine days on now it is very difficult to identify these bodies even if they are still found.
So different challenges in the different countries the U.S. delegation is visiting, Daryn.
KAGAN: John, there is some who thought that Florida Governor Jeb Bush a strange choice to go on the delegation. He's not a national figure, yet he has seen a lot of devastation especially in the last year with the hurricanes that hit the state of Florida. Have you been able to ask him to make a comparison between what Florida has faced, and these regions that he's visiting or facing?
KING: I talked to him in Phuket, coastal area in Thailand several hours ago. And he said he was struck by the similarities. They have had coral reef damage, beach erosion, and other damage. A lot of environmental damage along the coast. Trees down and things like that. He said it's similar to what happened to parts of his state.
You have that environmental devastation and destruction, and then you have the ripple effect, which is damage to a vital part of the economy. The lack of confidence in the tourism industry, or the need to rebuild those areas. One area, he said he talked to the Thai foreign minister about is a coral reef that is a giant attraction for the scuba divers. And he was saying that he might have some experts back home who could help with the reconstruction of that effort.
So Governor Bush, here of course because of his expertise in the state of Florida. Also here to show the president's personal commitment to the reconstruction effort. He said he's learning a lot and he was struck by the similarities.
KAGAN: John King from Jakarta, Indonesia. John, thank you.
SANCHEZ: Now that the tide is turning with massive aid going into southern Asia, the need for money is extremely important. After pledging 350 million in U.S. aid, President Bush is urging private donations as well. They're coming in. He's tapped former presidents George Bush, H.W. of course, of course and former President Bill Clinton to try and help out.
The old political rivals appeared on CNN's LARRY KING LIVE last night, and talked about how they first got the call.
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BILL CLINTON, FMR PRESIDENT: I was talking to Andy Card, and then Condi Rice called me. We just talked about it and we were talking about the kinds of things that had been done in disasters in America, and the kinds of things we tried to do for disasters when I was president in Central America and other places.
And how the private sector is always generous but always needs a little better organization, a little better direction. And the overwhelming response to this tsunami, I think, partly because of the magnitude of the disaster, and frankly, partly because of the terrific way that the American press has covered it.
And the press throughout the world. Made this kind of organized effort make more sense to the president and the White House. They asked us to help. I was glad to do it.
GEORGE H.W. BUSH, FMR PRESIDENT: First thing I heard of it was when somebody from the White House called. It might have been the chief of staff. And asked if I would be willing to participate in a fund-raising effort to help the people over there, the victims of the tsunami. And, of course, I said yes.
They said, well, President Clinton would be side-by-side with this. That made it all the more attractive for me. And I think for the country. And I think for the relief effort itself. So it just evolved and so, today President Clinton and I met with the President in Washington and we got our marching orders and you might say in a sense. And then we began talking about what we think we can do in encouraging others to give.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: Many are trying to do just that. They're trying to drum up more donations from private citizens and big businesses here in the United States. One of those is Thomas Tighe. He is the president and CEO of Direct Relief International. And he is good enough to join us now. He's a busy guy. Stealing time from him is very important.
I've been reading about you. They say you've barely are any sleep in the last week or so. I imagine that's a little bit of an exaggeration but you've been busy, haven't you?
THOMAS TIGHE, DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL: Yes, sir. Go ahead.
SANCHEZ: I'm just wondering, how do you put the different corporations together? In one particular story, I look down at my notes, there was a cargo plane donated by Federal Express, and you filled it with antibiotics from a pharmaceutical company. I guess it's about putting the corporations together so they can help out, right?
TIGHE: We do this on an ongoing basis with a number of the pharmaceutical companies and other nonprofit organizations particularly through and association called (UNINTELLIGIBLE), the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations.
Because of the scale of this emergency, it's very important that we all coordinate as best we can. So just yesterday we were on a call with the other groups like Direct Relief International that do provide the material assistance to make sure that there is no duplication of effort, that we provide what's needed for these circumstances.
And we make a coordinated game plan as we look forward.
SANCHEZ: Mr. Tighe, let me ask you, because a lot of people are wondering, because there has been so much (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as we try to quantify the money that is going over there. How benevolent, how generous have American corporations been in your estimation?
TIGHE: I think the response from the health care companies so far has been terrific. They've called. We do a lot of the work with the corporate sector. It's not particularly well touted. But they provide a lot of material assistance to people who need their products but cannot afford them.
Through groups like Direct Relief International, and Heart to Heart and other groups in this association, we provide a lot of material assistance. So they have been in touch. Johnson & Johnson just yesterday sent us several -- probably $20 million worth of terrific antibiotics that we know will be needed. Now the important thing is to get the right material in the hands of the right people. These medicines are only as good as the hands they end up in.
SANCHEZ: This is all separate from the $350 million pledged by the United States government. Is there any way that you could quantify for us how much money, an estimate would be fine, since certainly you're an expert on this, of how much money we've gotten or received in terms of pledges already or actual dough nations from American corporations?
TIGHE: Well, you know, our experience is just based on our experience. It's hard for me to talk about it. I think in our current inventory today we probably have between $30 million and $50 million on a wholesale basis of medicines and supplies and equipment that will be available for this relief effort.
Some of it's not high value material like the endotrachial (ph) tubes that we sent to Sri Lanka to treat the large number of near drownings and traumatic injuries to the chest in this tsunami. But the medical manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies have -- last year what they provided was over $1 billion through just groups in our association. It's an extensive commitment.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Very impressive. We thank you, Mr. Tighe, for taking time to talk to us and take us through that. We should underscore you're just one of the agencies doing this. There are others involved with other American corporations as well.
TIGHE: Correct.
SANCHEZ: Once again we thank you.
TIGHE: Thank you.
KAGAN: Ahead, we're going to have the inspiring story of children in one part of Thailand, despite the fact that teachers, schoolmates, and many parents may be dead or missing. These kids' determination is nothing less than inspiring. We'll have their story in just a bit.
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KAGAN: you might have heard it through the grapevine. The weather is wild in the west. We're talking about grapevine, California. It seems there is no end to snow in sight. In other parts of California, another storm dropped up to two feet of snow in the mountains closing a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 5, north of L.A.. Forecasters saying another round of storms expected to move in later this week.
SANCHEZ: Isn't that amazing? New Year's Eve, 60s and 70s in New York City.
KAGAN: Right. But New Year's Day in Southern California was beautiful. Always is for the Rose Parade. You can have bad weather before, and bad weather after. But a beautiful day on New Year's Day.
SANCHEZ: Set your clock by it.
KAGAN: You can.
SANCHEZ: Jacqui Jeras standing by to confirm that for us. Right Jacqui?
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SANCHEZ: All right. Thanks a lot Jacqui. Returning to the tsunami disaster when we come back. The effort and specifics, or specifically speaking I should say, to try and find and identify the thousands of Americans that are still missing. We'll break that down for you. You are watching CNN LIVE TODAY.
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