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American Morning
But Secretary of State Colin Powell is touring Sri Lanka; Rumsfeld Ordering Wide-Reaching Review on the Ground in Baghdad
Aired January 07, 2005 - 08:00 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: America's face this week in the disaster zone. Colin Powell now leaving Southeast Asia. CNN's exclusive interview with John King and the secretary of state minutes away.
Stories from the tsunami -- a family who thought the waves looked so ordinary, now searching for a lost daughter.
And from Iraq, everything from troop strength to training now being reviewed and on the table. Is the Defense Department looking for a better way, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning, everybody.
Live in New York City here.
8:00 here on the East Coast.
Soledad continues reporting in Phuket, Thailand.
We'll get back to Soledad in a moment.
First, though, the latest as we have it.
CNN continues to bring you the very latest on the region and the rescue, with reporters throughout the scene. The new developments this hour, the pace of relief is picking up. Three hundred and fifty tons of supplies now arriving daily in Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo. In the southeast in Indonesia, the focus now reaching the remote areas on the island of Sumatra.
Congress will consider paying for a global tsunami warning system. Connecticut Senator, the Democrat, Joe Lieberman, says $30 million it will cost to build it, $7.5 million in yearly maintenance. He says that price is well worth it.
And 45 percent of Americans polled by CNN tell us they have now contributed money to the relief effort. 74 percent in that same survey say they have prayed for the victims.
We'll get to John King in Sri Lanka.
We'll get to Soledad in Thailand.
But first to Heidi Collins here in New York with the headlines -- good morning. HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Thanks and thanks, Bill.
We do want to head now in the news.
Iraqi officials are working to restart an oil pipeline blown open by insurgents. Officials say an overnight blast sparked a fire on a pipeline outside of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The apparent sabotage comes on the heels of what's considered the deadliest day for American forces this year. At least nine U.S. troops were killed yesterday in two separate attacks.
Here in the U.S., President Bush back on the trail today, battling what he calls "junk lawsuits." In just a couple of hours, the president heads to Michigan, touting a congressional plan to end asbestos litigation.
The first Gallup polls of the year show the president's approval rating is back up above 50 percent, as compared to 49 percent last month. But the approval rating is among the lowest for any reelected president in recent decades.
A new delay in prosecuting the former preacher accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. Brian David Mitchell removed from a Salt Lake City courtroom when he started singing verses from the bible. Mitchell broke into song just as a mental competency hearing was about to begin. The hearing now rescheduled next month.
And wet winter weather pounding the country's mid-section. Melting snow, ice and heavy rain causing severe flooding in Indiana. A disaster emergency declared for much of that state. Flood warnings extended well into next week.
Meanwhile, the West Coast is bracing for even more wet weather there. Two winter storms expected to hammer California through the weekend.
Not what either place wants to hear, huh?
HEMMER: Think they're ready for that?
COLLINS: No.
HEMMER: No. Storm after storm. And you knew the flooding was on its way in the Midwest after all that snow came down two weeks ago.
COLLINS: Yes. That's for sure.
HEMMER: So, best of luck to them.
Heidi, thanks.
Back to Soledad now live in Phuket, Thailand -- Soledad, good evening there.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, good evening.
And good morning where you are, Bill.
Thanks.
We continue to report from Southeast Asia.
We're in Thailand, this evening here in Thailand, morning where you are.
But Secretary of State Colin Powell is touring Sri Lanka. He has been discussing tsunami relief efforts and the humanitarian aid. He says the humanitarian missions into Colombo have been very successful. U.S. Marines, of course, ferrying some supplies into that region that desperately needs them.
CNN's John King has been traveling with the secretary.
He has an exclusive interview.
Here's just a small piece.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: To think of what it must have been like when that wave hit and the horror that must have been in the hearts and minds of these people, knowing they were facing sudden death. And you now see cleanup activity under way. You see buildings knocked down. But what you don't see any longer are the people who were here, thousands upon thousands of people who simply lost their lives in a matter of moments.
So every building that I saw that was knocked down or the debris that I saw, that represented human beings that lost their lives here in one terrible, horribly devastating moment on December 26.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Secretary.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Hearing the Secretary talk about the thousands and thousands of people who lost their lives and potentially the millions of people affected worldwide by this disaster.
This evening, we have the story of one such family, a Dutch family who came here to Thailand on vacation. It's the story of one little girl, a courageous little girl and what happened when she thought she was in paradise.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): This is the story of a tiny island, a courageous little girl and a family's determination. Come close to Phi Phi Island. Its majesty takes you back in time. Come closer, the rock gives way to sandy beach.
But when Robin De Vries came onshore, he saw only jarring commercialism.
ROBIN DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We thought we went to a little paradise and so the first impression when we got there, oh my god.
O'BRIEN: But to his 12-year-old daughter Isabelle, the island was perfect.
ISABELLE DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: Beautiful water, a beautiful beach and the hotel was beautiful, also. And I always liked the swimming pool. And it was really big and beautiful. That's, yes, that's what I call paradise.
O'BRIEN: Isabelle's 17-year-old sister Dominique agreed. And the Dutch family checked into the Kabana Hotel.
(on camera): The next morning, Robin De Vries stood on the balcony. It was a beautiful day. He watched his two daughters frolic in the calm and shallow water. And he thought maybe this is paradise.
ROBIN DE VRIES: Yes, they were sitting. It was a lovely sight. They were sitting next to each other with their feet in the water just so quiet.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Then, the tsunami. The girls' mother saw it in the distance.
INGRID DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: I saw it coming but I thought it was an ordinary wave. And I called my daughters, say come on, let's go. But, no, they wanted to stay and catch the wave. So, OK, why not? I think it's an ordinary wave.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: Then we started to run, but we still thought it was fun, so we went laughing. And then it was really fast.
O'BRIEN: In an instant the girls were gone. Frantically, Ingrid called out to her husband.
INGRID DE VRIES: I was screaming at him, "The girls! The girls! I don't see them anymore. They're, the waves took them and oh, what's happening!"
O'BRIEN: The first wave slammed Isabelle and Dominique into the beach. Isabelle stayed calm, but her older sister panicked.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: She didn't say anything. She just screamed. And I told her to calm down. But, yes, that's the only thing.
O'BRIEN: Then, the second wave hit and the girls were yanked apart.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: But then at myself I thought oh my god, is this my life? I'm going to die today, you know?
O'BRIEN: Isabelle's parents, standing together on the balcony, were also torn apart.
ROBIN DE VRIES: I remember saying to my wife, "Give me your hand." And what was in a split second from that, I went with the water right through the glass doors, the sliding door, and right through the back door, so right through the room in a few seconds.
O'BRIEN: The wave shoved Ingrid underneath the bungalow, choking and gasping for air.
INGRID DE VRIES: I thought well, I could scream or I could get very panicked, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to die now. So I stayed calm and I thought they were already drowned so I thought well, at least you are with the girls now. So I was very quiet. I let myself go.
O'BRIEN: Then, as fast as it came, it was over. The water, at one point as high as the second floor, receded.
ROBIN DE VRIES: I was walking, limping, and I was calling for the girls -- Dominique! Isabelle! Where are you? Where are you? Half crying.
O'BRIEN: Dominique was nowhere to be found. Isabelle, injured, swam to a boat offshore. Ingrid was squeezed onto a crowded rescue flight and Robin left the island only after darkness made his search impossible.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Three of them were hospitalized in different hospitals and eventually they were reunited. They were convinced, though, that Dominique was able to survive, as they had been able. Family members came in from Holland to help out in the search. But in the end, Dominique's remains were discovered by a Dutch forensics team. They were matched using dental records. Her body had been in a Buddhist temple since the day after the tsunami struck.
A terrible story. And unfortunately one story you've heard over and over and over again here in Thailand and elsewhere, of course.
Tonight at 10:00 Eastern time, a special. It's called "Voices from the Tsunami." That's 10:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN. It's hosted by Paula Zahn.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: And that story shows so well and so vividly what these people went through.
Thanks, Soledad.
Soledad O'Brien again reporting in Phuket, Thailand.
We'll be back to Soledad next hour here.
Thanks for that. Back in this country now, there is a developing story this morning regarding Iraq. The Pentagon is showing a sign that there is deep concern about what's happening now on the ground in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld now ordering a rather unusual, wide reaching review on the ground in Baghdad.
To the Pentagon.
Barbara Starr is looking into this -- Barbara, what do you have?
Good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Bill.
Indeed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is sending a retired four star general, General Gary Luck, to Iraq for what one official calls an open-ended review of the situation there as those January 30 elections approach and the violence in Iraq continues.
Now, I recently returned from traveling in the region and I can tell you that top military leaders in the area are growing increasingly concerned about the progress, or lack of progress, in training Iraqi security forces. There is a growing sense that it is not going as well as expected.
Let's take a quick look at the numbers, which alone are impressive. One hundred and twenty-one thousand Iraqi security forces trained of the 273,000 required. But what is behind those numbers? Top U.S. military officials are now privately saying that they believe that the Iraqis, in many cases, are simply not functioning as a viable security force for the country, that the U.S. has underestimated the Iraqis' vulnerability to intimidation by the insurgency, that the Iraqis lack, in many cases, the confidence and leadership to really fight as a cohesive unit.
So, one solution on the table now that we expect General Luck to be looking at is a CENTCOM proposal to put 10 man training teams, U.S. military troops with the Iraqi security units, try and give them the confidence and the leadership capability to increasingly fight more capably. Those U.S. military training teams that would be put with the Iraqis might even be able to call in backup support, air strikes, that kind of thing.
But General Luck will conduct this review and make his own assessment. And there may be other ideas on the table that will be looked at.
Bill, this is considered absolutely vital at the Pentagon. Those elections are approaching. There is every expectation that there will be more violence in Iraq and the feeling is they have to straighten out this problem, that it will only be Iraqi security forces that, in the end, can really defeat the insurgency -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, I know you're back from the region.
What was your sense about how long commanders on the ground think this conflict will last?
STARR: I must tell you that having traveled to Iraq many times in the past, this trip was slightly different. One had a sense that the top U.S. military commanders in the region really are digging in now for the long haul. They want to get past this January 30th election. They expect the violence and the insurgency to continue.
What they have come to really understand and, of course, have known all along, it is going to be the Iraqi security forces, in the end, that will defeat the insurgency, that there's no amount of U.S. troops that they could really put on the ground that would solve the problem.
So nobody's really making any predictions at this point -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, thanks.
Twenty-three days and counting now until the elections. On the schedule still for January 30th.
Thanks for that, a developing story again at the Pentagon today.
Thirteen minutes past the hour.
We want to move to a different area right now.
A 79-year-old accused white supremacist set to be arraigned today in Mississippi. This in connection with three civil rights murders that took place 40 years ago. Edgar Ray Killen was already on trial once in the case, back in 1967. That trial ended in a mistrial.
Eric Philips now in 2004, live outside the Neshoba County Courthouse in Philadelphia, Mississippi there -- good morning.
ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.
There is a saying that justice delayed is justice denied. But many who believed justice in this case had been permanently denied now this morning are believing it's starting to manifest with the arrest of a 79-year-old Philadelphia, Mississippi man.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
PHILIPS (voice-over): Twenty-one-year-old James Chaney, 21-year- old Andrew Goodman and 24-year-old Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers killed in the summer of 1964 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Now more than 40 years later, the first person to face state murder charges in this case has been arrested.
Seventy-nine-year-old Edgar Ray Killen was indicted Thursday by a grand jury. This is a case many in this community will never forget.
The three men had come to Philadelphia to investigate the burning of a black church where some of their voter registration efforts had been taking place. The men were pulled over by local authorities after leaving the church, arrested and taken to jail. Hours later, they were released, only to drive into a deadly trap on a dark road.
Klu Klux Klan members forced them to stop, beat them, shot them and buried their bodies in a nearby earthen dam.
Killen is being held without bail in the Neshoba County Jail, charged with the three murders. Back in 1967, Killen was one of 19 who faced federal conspiracy charges in the killings. Seven of the accused were convicted, but his case ended in a mistrial.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILIPS: Killen will be arraigned later this morning. His arrest the result of Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood reopening this cast last year. No word on whether more arrests in this murder case are imminent -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eric Philips, thanks, in Mississippi this morning -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Time now to check on the weather.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest.
Good morning, once again -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Heidi.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There is a big surprise for listeners of one famous talk show host. It turns out he was on the administration's payroll. We'll talk to him this hour and get his side of the story on that.
COLLINS: Also, did attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales pass the test on Capitol Hill? Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter will talk to us.
HEMMER: Also, the relief arriving in Southeast Asia. Is time running out, though, for the people who need it the most?
That's next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Banda Aceh, Indonesia today. He flew over the area, the area hardest hit by the tsunamis. Annan says he has never seen, in his words, such "utter destruction."
More than 94,000 people dead in Indonesia, more than any other country, and that number likely to increase.
Lynn Pascoe is the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia.
He's my guest now live in Jakarta and we welcome you here to AMERICAN MORNING. The first matter of business here is this death count that continues to increase. CNN has raised its estimation in your country by 7,000, putting the figure at well over 100,000. The Associated Press says that number goes much higher than that. They increased their death count by 20,000.
Do you have a firm grasp on which one is correct and at what point will we stop counting the dead?
B. LYNN PASCOE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA: Well, I think the only honest answer to that is no one has a firm count. The bodies are still out there. Many of them have been picked up, but there are still many left, particularly under the rubble. So I think when you're talking in, whether it's 101,000 or 113,000 or more, you certainly are in the range. But nobody is going to have an accurate figure ever, I think.
HEMMER: Secretary Powell is in Sri Lanka now. He was asked earlier today what he thinks of the relief efforts in that country. He says it's been a "impressive piece of work."
How has it been now, Mr. Ambassador, in Indonesia?
PASCOE: Well, actually, the government's done a very good job. I heard the earlier report about the snow, of about 17 feet altogether. That's about the level that that wave came in and hit. So it gives your viewers some idea of what it would wipe out in front of it.
No one, certainly, in the government or practically anyone in the world has had to face that kind of a problem before. They are working at it. They're working at it hard.
I just want the American public to know that from the first day, the U.S. was putting assistance into the area. We were putting money in to help the Red Cross that was there. Within a day or two, we had food flowing into the area, trying to break down any kind of roadblocks that naturally came up when you're trying to get a lot of stuff down through a very small road.
HEMMER: Yes, frankly, it is absolutely stunning to see some of the pictures coming out of Banda Aceh and the Aceh Province. And if you look at the aerials with the flyovers there, oftentimes you cannot even see a tree standing that would provide shade for the people who survived.
You flew over that area.
Can you give our viewers a sense of what you saw from the air?
PASCOE: Well, when I was a kid, I grew up along the Mississippi River. And so we were used to seeing floods of maybe 100 feet, 200 feet, 500 feet back. Sometimes they would devastate a small town and wipe it out.
This is, if you can imagine, maybe going back for a mile, three quarters of a mile, everything flattened, nothing there but mud. You look down on a house, what used to be a house, and there's only a concrete slab there.
HEMMER: It is stark and it is stunning, as I mentioned.
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. And my best to you.
Lynn Pascoe is the U.S. ambassador in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It is a huge job to come and this story will not go away for years.
I thank you and good luck.
And our coverage from Southeast Asia continues throughout the day. Our prime time coverage later tonight starts at 7:00 Eastern time. Join us for "Turning The Tide," another special presentation from the region only here on CNN.
We want to get a break here.
In a moment here, we'll talk about what's happening in Washington on the political front. The Democrats suffered some bruising losses in 2004. You might be a bit surprised to hear who they want to still run their party. "Gimme A Minute" has a shot at that in a few moments here.
Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Time now for Jack, once again, and The Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: You know, somebody had to do a study like this, Heidi. It's called "What Do Americans Do On the Internet?"
No, not that.
The study found the average person spends three hours a day online. For every hour spent on the Internet, the amount of time spent watching television is reduced by 10 minutes, sleep shortened by eight and a half minutes and face to face contact with people is cut by 23 1/2 minutes.
We're all connected with this Internet, but are we losing personal contact with the people around us?
The question is how has the Internet affected your life?
Jeff in Kobe, Japan, where AMERICAN MORNING is on the air in prime time, I should point out.
HEMMER: Prime time.
CAFFERTY: Jeff writes: "I worry about the youth of today. Here in Japan, hop onto a train at any hour and you'll find most of the young people with their eyes fixated on their tiny mobile phone screens scanning the Internet or sending e-mails. It makes you wonder just how the youth of today will handle relationships in the future."
Tim in Des Moines writes: "The Internet isolates people. I never go to the bank, travel agent, library or post office anymore and I go to the mall less often. On the good side, the Internet has made me smarter, more informed and better looking. But fewer people see me now, so the thing is all wasted."
J.R. Vicksburg, Mississippi: "I would disagree we're losing contact with our fellow man. I believe the Internet has simply broadened our contact to those outside our immediate circle to include other cultures, ideas and beliefs."
Michael in Huron, South Dakota: "I'm getting a flat spot on my big butt from sitting up in the early morning trying to think of a way to get Jack to read my e-mail."
HEMMER: Keep trying.
COLLINS: Yes. You know, we have those little eye cams where you can do sort of video conferencing with your grandparents. And that's a good positive way.
HEMMER: That's cool.
COLLINS: That's social, right?
HEMMER: Yes. I mean technology can cut both ways, right?
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: It can go against you or it can go for you, depending on how you want to use it.
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: So now you can actually have your mother-in-law in your house without her not really being in your house.
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Gee, there's a great idea.
HEMMER: Try that.
CAFFERTY: Swell.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
Let's get a break here.
Tough questions yesterday regarding torture for the attorney general nominee, Alberto Gonzales. Were law makers happy with the answers in yesterday's hearing? We'll talk with the Judiciary chairman. Senator Arlen Specter, my guest ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired January 7, 2005 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: America's face this week in the disaster zone. Colin Powell now leaving Southeast Asia. CNN's exclusive interview with John King and the secretary of state minutes away.
Stories from the tsunami -- a family who thought the waves looked so ordinary, now searching for a lost daughter.
And from Iraq, everything from troop strength to training now being reviewed and on the table. Is the Defense Department looking for a better way, on this AMERICAN MORNING.
Good morning, everybody.
Live in New York City here.
8:00 here on the East Coast.
Soledad continues reporting in Phuket, Thailand.
We'll get back to Soledad in a moment.
First, though, the latest as we have it.
CNN continues to bring you the very latest on the region and the rescue, with reporters throughout the scene. The new developments this hour, the pace of relief is picking up. Three hundred and fifty tons of supplies now arriving daily in Sri Lanka's capital city, Colombo. In the southeast in Indonesia, the focus now reaching the remote areas on the island of Sumatra.
Congress will consider paying for a global tsunami warning system. Connecticut Senator, the Democrat, Joe Lieberman, says $30 million it will cost to build it, $7.5 million in yearly maintenance. He says that price is well worth it.
And 45 percent of Americans polled by CNN tell us they have now contributed money to the relief effort. 74 percent in that same survey say they have prayed for the victims.
We'll get to John King in Sri Lanka.
We'll get to Soledad in Thailand.
But first to Heidi Collins here in New York with the headlines -- good morning. HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning.
Thanks and thanks, Bill.
We do want to head now in the news.
Iraqi officials are working to restart an oil pipeline blown open by insurgents. Officials say an overnight blast sparked a fire on a pipeline outside of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown. The apparent sabotage comes on the heels of what's considered the deadliest day for American forces this year. At least nine U.S. troops were killed yesterday in two separate attacks.
Here in the U.S., President Bush back on the trail today, battling what he calls "junk lawsuits." In just a couple of hours, the president heads to Michigan, touting a congressional plan to end asbestos litigation.
The first Gallup polls of the year show the president's approval rating is back up above 50 percent, as compared to 49 percent last month. But the approval rating is among the lowest for any reelected president in recent decades.
A new delay in prosecuting the former preacher accused of kidnapping Elizabeth Smart. Brian David Mitchell removed from a Salt Lake City courtroom when he started singing verses from the bible. Mitchell broke into song just as a mental competency hearing was about to begin. The hearing now rescheduled next month.
And wet winter weather pounding the country's mid-section. Melting snow, ice and heavy rain causing severe flooding in Indiana. A disaster emergency declared for much of that state. Flood warnings extended well into next week.
Meanwhile, the West Coast is bracing for even more wet weather there. Two winter storms expected to hammer California through the weekend.
Not what either place wants to hear, huh?
HEMMER: Think they're ready for that?
COLLINS: No.
HEMMER: No. Storm after storm. And you knew the flooding was on its way in the Midwest after all that snow came down two weeks ago.
COLLINS: Yes. That's for sure.
HEMMER: So, best of luck to them.
Heidi, thanks.
Back to Soledad now live in Phuket, Thailand -- Soledad, good evening there.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, good evening.
And good morning where you are, Bill.
Thanks.
We continue to report from Southeast Asia.
We're in Thailand, this evening here in Thailand, morning where you are.
But Secretary of State Colin Powell is touring Sri Lanka. He has been discussing tsunami relief efforts and the humanitarian aid. He says the humanitarian missions into Colombo have been very successful. U.S. Marines, of course, ferrying some supplies into that region that desperately needs them.
CNN's John King has been traveling with the secretary.
He has an exclusive interview.
Here's just a small piece.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: To think of what it must have been like when that wave hit and the horror that must have been in the hearts and minds of these people, knowing they were facing sudden death. And you now see cleanup activity under way. You see buildings knocked down. But what you don't see any longer are the people who were here, thousands upon thousands of people who simply lost their lives in a matter of moments.
So every building that I saw that was knocked down or the debris that I saw, that represented human beings that lost their lives here in one terrible, horribly devastating moment on December 26.
JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Mr. Secretary.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Hearing the Secretary talk about the thousands and thousands of people who lost their lives and potentially the millions of people affected worldwide by this disaster.
This evening, we have the story of one such family, a Dutch family who came here to Thailand on vacation. It's the story of one little girl, a courageous little girl and what happened when she thought she was in paradise.
Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN (voice-over): This is the story of a tiny island, a courageous little girl and a family's determination. Come close to Phi Phi Island. Its majesty takes you back in time. Come closer, the rock gives way to sandy beach.
But when Robin De Vries came onshore, he saw only jarring commercialism.
ROBIN DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: We thought we went to a little paradise and so the first impression when we got there, oh my god.
O'BRIEN: But to his 12-year-old daughter Isabelle, the island was perfect.
ISABELLE DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: Beautiful water, a beautiful beach and the hotel was beautiful, also. And I always liked the swimming pool. And it was really big and beautiful. That's, yes, that's what I call paradise.
O'BRIEN: Isabelle's 17-year-old sister Dominique agreed. And the Dutch family checked into the Kabana Hotel.
(on camera): The next morning, Robin De Vries stood on the balcony. It was a beautiful day. He watched his two daughters frolic in the calm and shallow water. And he thought maybe this is paradise.
ROBIN DE VRIES: Yes, they were sitting. It was a lovely sight. They were sitting next to each other with their feet in the water just so quiet.
O'BRIEN (voice-over): Then, the tsunami. The girls' mother saw it in the distance.
INGRID DE VRIES, TSUNAMI SURVIVOR: I saw it coming but I thought it was an ordinary wave. And I called my daughters, say come on, let's go. But, no, they wanted to stay and catch the wave. So, OK, why not? I think it's an ordinary wave.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: Then we started to run, but we still thought it was fun, so we went laughing. And then it was really fast.
O'BRIEN: In an instant the girls were gone. Frantically, Ingrid called out to her husband.
INGRID DE VRIES: I was screaming at him, "The girls! The girls! I don't see them anymore. They're, the waves took them and oh, what's happening!"
O'BRIEN: The first wave slammed Isabelle and Dominique into the beach. Isabelle stayed calm, but her older sister panicked.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: She didn't say anything. She just screamed. And I told her to calm down. But, yes, that's the only thing.
O'BRIEN: Then, the second wave hit and the girls were yanked apart.
ISABELLE DE VRIES: But then at myself I thought oh my god, is this my life? I'm going to die today, you know?
O'BRIEN: Isabelle's parents, standing together on the balcony, were also torn apart.
ROBIN DE VRIES: I remember saying to my wife, "Give me your hand." And what was in a split second from that, I went with the water right through the glass doors, the sliding door, and right through the back door, so right through the room in a few seconds.
O'BRIEN: The wave shoved Ingrid underneath the bungalow, choking and gasping for air.
INGRID DE VRIES: I thought well, I could scream or I could get very panicked, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to die now. So I stayed calm and I thought they were already drowned so I thought well, at least you are with the girls now. So I was very quiet. I let myself go.
O'BRIEN: Then, as fast as it came, it was over. The water, at one point as high as the second floor, receded.
ROBIN DE VRIES: I was walking, limping, and I was calling for the girls -- Dominique! Isabelle! Where are you? Where are you? Half crying.
O'BRIEN: Dominique was nowhere to be found. Isabelle, injured, swam to a boat offshore. Ingrid was squeezed onto a crowded rescue flight and Robin left the island only after darkness made his search impossible.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
O'BRIEN: Three of them were hospitalized in different hospitals and eventually they were reunited. They were convinced, though, that Dominique was able to survive, as they had been able. Family members came in from Holland to help out in the search. But in the end, Dominique's remains were discovered by a Dutch forensics team. They were matched using dental records. Her body had been in a Buddhist temple since the day after the tsunami struck.
A terrible story. And unfortunately one story you've heard over and over and over again here in Thailand and elsewhere, of course.
Tonight at 10:00 Eastern time, a special. It's called "Voices from the Tsunami." That's 10:00 p.m. Eastern time right here on CNN. It's hosted by Paula Zahn.
Bill -- back to you.
HEMMER: And that story shows so well and so vividly what these people went through.
Thanks, Soledad.
Soledad O'Brien again reporting in Phuket, Thailand.
We'll be back to Soledad next hour here.
Thanks for that. Back in this country now, there is a developing story this morning regarding Iraq. The Pentagon is showing a sign that there is deep concern about what's happening now on the ground in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld now ordering a rather unusual, wide reaching review on the ground in Baghdad.
To the Pentagon.
Barbara Starr is looking into this -- Barbara, what do you have?
Good morning there.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Bill.
Indeed, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is sending a retired four star general, General Gary Luck, to Iraq for what one official calls an open-ended review of the situation there as those January 30 elections approach and the violence in Iraq continues.
Now, I recently returned from traveling in the region and I can tell you that top military leaders in the area are growing increasingly concerned about the progress, or lack of progress, in training Iraqi security forces. There is a growing sense that it is not going as well as expected.
Let's take a quick look at the numbers, which alone are impressive. One hundred and twenty-one thousand Iraqi security forces trained of the 273,000 required. But what is behind those numbers? Top U.S. military officials are now privately saying that they believe that the Iraqis, in many cases, are simply not functioning as a viable security force for the country, that the U.S. has underestimated the Iraqis' vulnerability to intimidation by the insurgency, that the Iraqis lack, in many cases, the confidence and leadership to really fight as a cohesive unit.
So, one solution on the table now that we expect General Luck to be looking at is a CENTCOM proposal to put 10 man training teams, U.S. military troops with the Iraqi security units, try and give them the confidence and the leadership capability to increasingly fight more capably. Those U.S. military training teams that would be put with the Iraqis might even be able to call in backup support, air strikes, that kind of thing.
But General Luck will conduct this review and make his own assessment. And there may be other ideas on the table that will be looked at.
Bill, this is considered absolutely vital at the Pentagon. Those elections are approaching. There is every expectation that there will be more violence in Iraq and the feeling is they have to straighten out this problem, that it will only be Iraqi security forces that, in the end, can really defeat the insurgency -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, I know you're back from the region.
What was your sense about how long commanders on the ground think this conflict will last?
STARR: I must tell you that having traveled to Iraq many times in the past, this trip was slightly different. One had a sense that the top U.S. military commanders in the region really are digging in now for the long haul. They want to get past this January 30th election. They expect the violence and the insurgency to continue.
What they have come to really understand and, of course, have known all along, it is going to be the Iraqi security forces, in the end, that will defeat the insurgency, that there's no amount of U.S. troops that they could really put on the ground that would solve the problem.
So nobody's really making any predictions at this point -- Bill.
HEMMER: Barbara, thanks.
Twenty-three days and counting now until the elections. On the schedule still for January 30th.
Thanks for that, a developing story again at the Pentagon today.
Thirteen minutes past the hour.
We want to move to a different area right now.
A 79-year-old accused white supremacist set to be arraigned today in Mississippi. This in connection with three civil rights murders that took place 40 years ago. Edgar Ray Killen was already on trial once in the case, back in 1967. That trial ended in a mistrial.
Eric Philips now in 2004, live outside the Neshoba County Courthouse in Philadelphia, Mississippi there -- good morning.
ERIC PHILIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Bill, good morning to you.
There is a saying that justice delayed is justice denied. But many who believed justice in this case had been permanently denied now this morning are believing it's starting to manifest with the arrest of a 79-year-old Philadelphia, Mississippi man.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
PHILIPS (voice-over): Twenty-one-year-old James Chaney, 21-year- old Andrew Goodman and 24-year-old Michael Schwerner, three civil rights workers killed in the summer of 1964 in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Now more than 40 years later, the first person to face state murder charges in this case has been arrested.
Seventy-nine-year-old Edgar Ray Killen was indicted Thursday by a grand jury. This is a case many in this community will never forget.
The three men had come to Philadelphia to investigate the burning of a black church where some of their voter registration efforts had been taking place. The men were pulled over by local authorities after leaving the church, arrested and taken to jail. Hours later, they were released, only to drive into a deadly trap on a dark road.
Klu Klux Klan members forced them to stop, beat them, shot them and buried their bodies in a nearby earthen dam.
Killen is being held without bail in the Neshoba County Jail, charged with the three murders. Back in 1967, Killen was one of 19 who faced federal conspiracy charges in the killings. Seven of the accused were convicted, but his case ended in a mistrial.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PHILIPS: Killen will be arraigned later this morning. His arrest the result of Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood reopening this cast last year. No word on whether more arrests in this murder case are imminent -- Bill.
HEMMER: Eric Philips, thanks, in Mississippi this morning -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Time now to check on the weather.
Chad Myers at the CNN Center with the very latest.
Good morning, once again -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Heidi.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HEMMER: There is a big surprise for listeners of one famous talk show host. It turns out he was on the administration's payroll. We'll talk to him this hour and get his side of the story on that.
COLLINS: Also, did attorney general nominee Alberto Gonzales pass the test on Capitol Hill? Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter will talk to us.
HEMMER: Also, the relief arriving in Southeast Asia. Is time running out, though, for the people who need it the most?
That's next here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEMMER: U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan visited Banda Aceh, Indonesia today. He flew over the area, the area hardest hit by the tsunamis. Annan says he has never seen, in his words, such "utter destruction."
More than 94,000 people dead in Indonesia, more than any other country, and that number likely to increase.
Lynn Pascoe is the U.S. ambassador to Indonesia.
He's my guest now live in Jakarta and we welcome you here to AMERICAN MORNING. The first matter of business here is this death count that continues to increase. CNN has raised its estimation in your country by 7,000, putting the figure at well over 100,000. The Associated Press says that number goes much higher than that. They increased their death count by 20,000.
Do you have a firm grasp on which one is correct and at what point will we stop counting the dead?
B. LYNN PASCOE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO INDONESIA: Well, I think the only honest answer to that is no one has a firm count. The bodies are still out there. Many of them have been picked up, but there are still many left, particularly under the rubble. So I think when you're talking in, whether it's 101,000 or 113,000 or more, you certainly are in the range. But nobody is going to have an accurate figure ever, I think.
HEMMER: Secretary Powell is in Sri Lanka now. He was asked earlier today what he thinks of the relief efforts in that country. He says it's been a "impressive piece of work."
How has it been now, Mr. Ambassador, in Indonesia?
PASCOE: Well, actually, the government's done a very good job. I heard the earlier report about the snow, of about 17 feet altogether. That's about the level that that wave came in and hit. So it gives your viewers some idea of what it would wipe out in front of it.
No one, certainly, in the government or practically anyone in the world has had to face that kind of a problem before. They are working at it. They're working at it hard.
I just want the American public to know that from the first day, the U.S. was putting assistance into the area. We were putting money in to help the Red Cross that was there. Within a day or two, we had food flowing into the area, trying to break down any kind of roadblocks that naturally came up when you're trying to get a lot of stuff down through a very small road.
HEMMER: Yes, frankly, it is absolutely stunning to see some of the pictures coming out of Banda Aceh and the Aceh Province. And if you look at the aerials with the flyovers there, oftentimes you cannot even see a tree standing that would provide shade for the people who survived.
You flew over that area.
Can you give our viewers a sense of what you saw from the air?
PASCOE: Well, when I was a kid, I grew up along the Mississippi River. And so we were used to seeing floods of maybe 100 feet, 200 feet, 500 feet back. Sometimes they would devastate a small town and wipe it out.
This is, if you can imagine, maybe going back for a mile, three quarters of a mile, everything flattened, nothing there but mud. You look down on a house, what used to be a house, and there's only a concrete slab there.
HEMMER: It is stark and it is stunning, as I mentioned.
Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. And my best to you.
Lynn Pascoe is the U.S. ambassador in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It is a huge job to come and this story will not go away for years.
I thank you and good luck.
And our coverage from Southeast Asia continues throughout the day. Our prime time coverage later tonight starts at 7:00 Eastern time. Join us for "Turning The Tide," another special presentation from the region only here on CNN.
We want to get a break here.
In a moment here, we'll talk about what's happening in Washington on the political front. The Democrats suffered some bruising losses in 2004. You might be a bit surprised to hear who they want to still run their party. "Gimme A Minute" has a shot at that in a few moments here.
Back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Time now for Jack, once again, and The Question of the Day.
CAFFERTY: You know, somebody had to do a study like this, Heidi. It's called "What Do Americans Do On the Internet?"
No, not that.
The study found the average person spends three hours a day online. For every hour spent on the Internet, the amount of time spent watching television is reduced by 10 minutes, sleep shortened by eight and a half minutes and face to face contact with people is cut by 23 1/2 minutes.
We're all connected with this Internet, but are we losing personal contact with the people around us?
The question is how has the Internet affected your life?
Jeff in Kobe, Japan, where AMERICAN MORNING is on the air in prime time, I should point out.
HEMMER: Prime time.
CAFFERTY: Jeff writes: "I worry about the youth of today. Here in Japan, hop onto a train at any hour and you'll find most of the young people with their eyes fixated on their tiny mobile phone screens scanning the Internet or sending e-mails. It makes you wonder just how the youth of today will handle relationships in the future."
Tim in Des Moines writes: "The Internet isolates people. I never go to the bank, travel agent, library or post office anymore and I go to the mall less often. On the good side, the Internet has made me smarter, more informed and better looking. But fewer people see me now, so the thing is all wasted."
J.R. Vicksburg, Mississippi: "I would disagree we're losing contact with our fellow man. I believe the Internet has simply broadened our contact to those outside our immediate circle to include other cultures, ideas and beliefs."
Michael in Huron, South Dakota: "I'm getting a flat spot on my big butt from sitting up in the early morning trying to think of a way to get Jack to read my e-mail."
HEMMER: Keep trying.
COLLINS: Yes. You know, we have those little eye cams where you can do sort of video conferencing with your grandparents. And that's a good positive way.
HEMMER: That's cool.
COLLINS: That's social, right?
HEMMER: Yes. I mean technology can cut both ways, right?
COLLINS: Yes.
HEMMER: It can go against you or it can go for you, depending on how you want to use it.
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: So now you can actually have your mother-in-law in your house without her not really being in your house.
COLLINS: Yes.
CAFFERTY: Gee, there's a great idea.
HEMMER: Try that.
CAFFERTY: Swell.
HEMMER: Thank you, Jack.
Let's get a break here.
Tough questions yesterday regarding torture for the attorney general nominee, Alberto Gonzales. Were law makers happy with the answers in yesterday's hearing? We'll talk with the Judiciary chairman. Senator Arlen Specter, my guest ahead here on AMERICAN MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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