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Memorials For Tsunami Victims Held Across Southeast Asia On One-Year Anniversary Of Disaster; Christmas Day Marred By Car Bombs In Iraq; Two New Jersey Policeman Drive Off Raised Drawbridge In Heavy Fog

Aired December 26, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, I'm Miles O'Brien.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello. Soledad has the day off.

O'BRIEN: Memorials across South Asia today on the one-year anniversary of the tsunami. Perhaps a quarter of a million people died. We'll have a live report from Indonesia and look at the recovery one year later.

A developing story in New Jersey. Two police officers drive off a raised drawbridge. A desperate search is now underway. We're live with the latest.

COSTELLO: In Iraq insurgents attacks cast a dark shadow on the Christmas holiday. Dozens killed in two days of violence, including two Americans. We're live in Baghdad.

And a bitter-sweet holiday in Louisiana for Katrina survivors. We'll see what Christmas is like on a cruise ship to nowhere. And stores across the country are getting ready for round two of holiday shopping. And offering big bargains to lure you back.

O'BRIEN: On top story, one year ago today, one of the worst disasters in modern history. The giant tsunami that spread across the Indian Ocean bringing devastation to so many countries.

Triggered by a magnitude 9 earthquake, it struck at 7:58 in the morning local time. No one will ever know the precise toll, at least 216,000 perished. Our Atika Shubert is in one of the areas that was hardest hit, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Hello, Atika.

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Hello, Miles.

I'm standing in front of Aceh's great mosque, which just a year ago was standing in a sea of disruption. That has all been cleared away now and the mosque, today, is the center for a lot of the prayers and ceremonies that are being held to mark this one year since the disaster.

Earlier this morning President Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian's president presided over a ceremony where there was a moment of silence and a sounding of sirens, Indonesia's new tsunami warning system. At exactly 8:15 a.m., that of course is exact moment that the tsunami waves crashed into Aceh, killing more than 160,000. This was by far the worst hit area out of all the areas in the Indian Ocean, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Atika, tell us about other ceremonies in other countries today.

SHUBERT: There are other ceremonies going on. In Thailand, for example, thousands turned out at the beaches there in Phuket and Khao Lak, which was the hardest-hit area there. Of the more than 5,000 people killed in Thailand, about half are believed to have been foreign tourists that were visiting there for the holidays. Many of the families turned out to say good bye to their loved ones.

In Sri Lanka, also, there were a number of memorial services, as that was the second hardest-hit country; 31,000 people died in Sri Lanka. There was actually a particularly poignant memorial at the devastated town of Galle, that was where a passenger train, called the Queen of the Sea, was destroyed by the tsunami, with all 1,000 passengers aboard, believed to have been killed, Miles.

O'BRIEN: CNN's Atika Shubert in Banda Aceh. We'll be following this all throughout the morning. Thank you, Atika.

Carol.

COSTELLO: This has been a deadly day for Iraqi police. Five officers gunned down about 30 miles northeast of Baghdad and two U.S. soldiers killed in Baghdad on Christmas Day. Aneesh Raman, live in the capital this morning.

Hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Four car bombs this morning, detonating in the course of just about two hours in the capital alone. Three of them in the Shia neighborhood of Karata. In all, some four Iraqis were killed, 24 others wounded. Among the dead, Carol, two Iraqi police. They were the targets for all of these car bombs, Iraqi police patrols.

Three of these car bombs, as I say, in that one area of Karata, a Shiite neighborhood. Another coming in another neighborhood called, Adamia (ph), in Baghdad.

Now, as you mentioned, northeast of the capital today, five Iraq police were gunned down in the town of Burritz (ph). They were part of a quick reaction force. They came under machine gun fire from unknown attackers.

Also today, the U.S. military announcing the death of two U.S. soldiers yesterday, from improvised explosive devices. Now these, Carol, remain the biggest killer of U.S. forces here. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, in the country over the weekend, had a briefing on these IEDs, how they're getting more sophisticated and what to do in order to mitigate their impact, Carol.

COSTELLO: Donald Rumsfeld has now left the country, was that the headline of his trip, or was it something else, Aneesh?

RAMAN: Yes, actually, it came on Friday. You recall the announcement that as we head into next year the U.S., according to the president's approval, will now drop from 17 to 15 battalions. What that means is roughly 7,000 U.S. troops will not be coming to Iraq; 3,500 of them staying in the U.S., 3,500 in Kuwait. It also brings just below that baseline of troops you've seen all year of 138,000.

So, talk of reductions, of course, following the secretary as it will follow the military commanders here well into next year, Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman, live in Baghdad this morning.

O'BRIEN: A developing story in New Jersey. An EMS vehicle, two police officers aboard, drives off a open drawbridge. Very foggy conditions at the time. Chris Huntington live now in Jersey City with more.

Chris, good morning.

CHRIS HUNTINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT, AMERICAN MORNING: Miles, good morning.

A terrible story for a Christmas night. As you mentioned, two New Jersey police officers -- officers from Jersey City, driving an EMS vehicle. They were responding to another call when they were driving along this road here. You can see blocked now by police officers. About a quarter mile up that road is a drawbridge.

It is one of those drawbridges where the center span lifts up so there is not a flapping if you will. There was no indication, apparently, to these officers, driving in dense fog, and probably going at pretty high speed, that the bridge was up and unavailable for their safe passage.

The accident occurred about 8:15 last night. Eyewitnesses around here, a gas station attendant tells me that the response from other emergency vehicles was pretty quick.

Here's what we can tell you at this point. New York City police divers were part of the team that responded to the accident. A New York City Police spokesman confirmed that one of the Jersey City officers was pulled out of the river and taken to a nearby hospital. His condition unknown to us at this point in time.

Coast Guard officials confirmed to us that they will resume the search in the morning light. That obviously implies that they are still looking for something. We know that they have pulled the vehicle out. That was recovered at about -- a little before 2 o'clock this morning.

So, Miles, to recap: Two Jersey City police officers driving in an EMS vehicle, not a standard police cruiser, responding to another call, plunged off a drawbridge here on a route that connects, that spans the Hackensack River and connects Jersey City with the town of Carney (ph), New Jersey. A bit of Hackensack is a passageway mostly for oil barges and such that are serving the huge petroleum refineries around this area.

One officers is reported to be in hospital. Don't know his condition. Coast Guard say they will resume the search for the other, in a few short hours.

Miles, back to you.

O'BRIEN: Chris, at this point, what do we know about the gates and signals that would have normally been in place when that bridge would be raised?

HUNTINGTON: Police officials here are being very, very tight lipped. One local paper is reporting that the lights in the gates were out. We have no confirmation of that, Miles.

It was very, very foggy. It had been raining here pretty much all day, off and on. It is foggy here now, but not nearly as foggy as it was yesterday evening. So the likelihood is that given that they were responding to another call, that the driving conditions were perilous, it is pretty apparent that they, obviously, did not have adequate warning that the bridge was out -- Miles.

O'BRIEN: Chris Huntington in Jersey City, thanks very much.

Carol.

COSTELLO: Now to Louisiana, where this year the holiday spirit is hard to come by. Hurricane evacuees face an uncertain future. And in the town of Violet, hundreds are on the ultimate cruise to nowhere. That story from CNN's Susan Roesgen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Say Christmas on a cruise ship and some people think of the Bahamas, but this ship is in St. Bernard Parish. And the passengers are on anything but a vacation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on, honey.

ROESGEN: This is home for Becky and Joey Muscarello (ph) and their little daughter, Jonah. Becky says they couldn't afford Christmas decorations for their cabin and it just didn't seem worth it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It would be different if it was floating in the waters some where, and it was a cruise. But hey, this is better than not having anything at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And they have people that don't have even that.

ROESGEN: FEMA pays the room and board for 946 passengers, but everyday the Muscarellos get off the ship to go to work on their real home; a 3,000 square foot house ruined by the flood and an oil spill after the hurricane. Then it's back to their 8-by -12 foot cabin on a cruise to nowhere.

(on camera): Normally, this ship sails on the Atlantic, from Portland, Maine to Nova Scotia. But for the last three months it has been sitting right here, on the Mississippi, not moving anywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To start with I was quite frustrated, to just stay here on the river and doing nothing. But now after -- after about six weeks or so, we get to know a lot of people. It's more like a family now. We're all -- I mean, the crew, we get to know the crew, we got to know the St. Bernard people here. And now it's, I would say it's quite nice here now.

ROESGEN: The ship is supposed to stay at least until March. After that, nobody knows. For now it's a home for the homeless. Those who hope to really be home for the holidays, next year. Susan Roesgen, CNN, Violet, Louisiana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And more than 300 homes in St. Bernard Parish have been tagged for a mass demolition project that is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks.

O'BRIEN: President Bush spent Christmas at Camp David. Today, he's going to his ranch in Crawford, Texas. He'll be there through the end of the week.

Elsewhere around the world, business as usual for U.S. troops in Iraq Sunday. While they patrolled, Christmas Mass was said in Baghdad.

In Bethlehem, rainy weather, but churches were packed with worshipers on Sunday. Pope Benedict's message to the world mentioned peace in the Middle East. He remember the hundreds of thousands of tsunami victims, as well.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth also talked about the tsunami and the victims of that event. She said her thoughts were with the victims of that event. She said her thoughts were with the victims of natural disasters around the world in this past year.

The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, also began last night. This is the first time since 1959 that the two holidays coincided. Homeland Security chief, Michael Chertoff helped light the first candle of the menorah in Washington. New York City boasts the world's largest menorah, 32 feet high; lit with the real thing, oil. The holiday lasts eight days and nights.

That's a big menorah. Let's check the forecast. Bonnie Schneider is at the CNN Center with that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

O'BRIEN: Good shopping weather.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes, shopping. I'm doing that later.

O'BRIEN: Yes. You got gift cards that you want to --

COSTELLO: I do. And I'm going to spend them all.

O'BRIEN: All right. Good deal.

COSTELLO: Coming up on AMERICAN MORNING, an Oklahoma man who is lucky to be alive today. I know we say that all the time, but its true. It is all thanks to a text message he got on Christmas morning. We'll explain.

O'BRIEN: Interesting. Also, who were the biggest losers of last week's New York City transit strike? It turns out it wasn't the union, or the city. We'll have details.

COSTELLO: And it you're going shopping, too, today and you're not happy with your Christmas gifts, a lot of stores have tough new rules if you want to make a return. We will break them down for you. That's just head on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.

A gruesome Christmas morning discovery in suburban Washington; five people found shot to death in an apparent murder-suicide at homes in two affluent neighborhoods. Virg Jacques Is live at the Fairfax County police station in Virginia.

Virg, do they have a motive for this?

VIRG JACQUES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, they are still trying to determine a motive for this apparent murder suicide. We do know, according to police, that all of the people involved in this knew each other, including one of the victims, was apparently the mother of the suspect who did the killing. Let's take a look at some video from the scene.

Police were called to a house in Great Falls, Virginia. In that house they found four people shot to death, including the person who is alleged to be responsible for this, the gunman. "The Washington Post" identified him as 27-year-old Nathan Cheatham.

Two men, and a woman, and the shooter, Cheatham were found dead inside that house. The family dog had also been killed.

They also found a 20-year old man, running from the house. He was not hurt. He was interviewed by officers at the scene and what he told them, and also some evidence, found inside the house, lead authorities to another location, a house less than 10 miles away in McLean, Virginia. When they arrived there, they found the body of a woman outside of the house, on the lawn, she had been shot to death. That woman, according to "The Post", is the gunman's mother, Sheila Cheatham. She ran a daycare center on her property, a day care center call Mother Nurture. Apparently, the son had rented an apartment from the mother, at that location.

Again, police are trying to unravel exactly why these killings happened. But it was a horrifying scene for neighbors in those two locations in Great Falls and McLean, to wake up to the sounds of gunfire and police tactical units and SWAT teams at those locations, yesterday, on Christmas morning.

As far as a criminal history, police say, yes, Nathan Cheatham does have a criminal history. He was convicted of assault. Also convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and he did have drug charges on his rap sheet. But, again that's still under investigation this morning, a murder/suicide that claimed the lives of five people here in Northern Virginia -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Virg Jacques reporting live for us from Fairfax County, Virginia.

Thank you, Virg.

New York City is starting to see the impact of last week's transit strike. Remember all those New Yorkers hoofing it to work in the frigid cold? Well, Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that now it seems the biggest losers were actually businesses.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY: I also hope that we will never have a replay of the transit strike of 2005. We estimate that businesses in all five boroughs took an approximately $1-billion hit. Many stores across the city were largely deserted during days when they would usually have been packed. The same went for our museums and cultural institutions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And there is still no new contract. Talks were put on hold during the holiday weekend. Everybody here is hoping they'll start up again after the holiday is over.

Turning guns into gifts in crime-plagued Compton, California, anonymous donors were allowed to turn in firearms for gift certificates. Each was given a $100 gift card to Circuit City or to a grocery store. One man turned in an illegal home-made pistol. He turned that into Christmas dinner, you know, with his gift card. Another woman planned to turn three shotguns in for a new TV. Some 400 guns were collected in all.

Talk about a holiday greeting that comes just in time. Someone sent Anthony Dixon a Merry Christmas text message early Sunday morning. The message woke him up and he realized his house was on fire. He and everyone else in the building made it out safely. Fire officials say a space heater may have started the fire.

And a wet holiday weekend on the East Coast, but it was a white Christmas in the Sierras. Up to two and a half feet of snow fell in eastern Nevada. The storm was mixed blessing. Great for the ski resorts but horrible for drivers. A warning is out for the major highways linking Sacramento and Lake Tahoe.

Whew, it's rain and fog on the East Coast. Bonnie is at the Weather Center in Atlanta.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Don't like your Christmas present? Tough. Stores are making it harder and harder to return gifts. Andy Serwer is "Minding Your Business" this morning.

How tough is it?

ANDY SERWER EDITOR-AT-LARGE, "FORTUNE" MAGAZINE:: It's tougher. And I guess the first thing we should say is many happy returns to everybody on this day. Because a lot of people have returns on their mind after some of the gifts they got.

And you're right, Carol, they are making it more and more difficult. Did we remind you? Did you get the receipt? Did you save the receipt? It's all about -- you got to have that receipt, when you go back to the store. But you already knew that.

We want to talk a little bit about a couple of stores and what they're policies are, because they are making it more difficult. Let's talk about Wal-Mart. The window is important here, 90 days. That is how long you have to return; 90 days here. You need the receipt. OK?

And you can't have too many returns, because they'll start to think you're up to something.

Moving on to Sears, again, you have the 90-day window, 30 days for electronics. They get a little more serious.

And here's something that kind of pernicious, Carol.

COSTELLO: Pernicious?

SERWER: Pernicious, I don't like this, in other words, a restocking fee. I mean, what is that? What is that all about?

COSTELLO: That is just so the store can make more money off of you.

SERWER: You figured it out.

Let's go on to Best Buy and check out their policy as well. See what they're up to. Did we say you need a receipt?

COSTELLO: Yes, you need a receipt. SERWER: You need a receipt. OK, then there is a 15 to 30 day window. And there is that restocking fee. I, you know, we really don't like that.

COSTELLO: Is that new?

SERWER: This is the new harder part, these restocking fees. You know, I understand, you need the receipt. We've said that before. It shouldn't be used, it shouldn't be damaged. There is a window. You can't return it, you know, in June. That I understand.

But the restocking fee is really nasty stuff.

COSTELLO: But what is the purpose of that, if the good is damaged in some small way and they have to give a discount to the next customer?

SERWER: You know, it's unclear. I think you hit it on the head when you said, they just want to get more of your money.

COSTELLO: I was trying to be less cynical in this holiday.

SERWER: No.

COSTELLO: OK. Thank you, Andy.

SERWER: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Coming up, designer dogs like giant Schnoodles and this Maltepoos are all the rage, but some pooch peers are turning up their noses at these mixed breeds. We'll tell you if they're getting into the Westminster Dog Show anyway. That's ahead on "Morning Coffee".

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: You know over the weekend -- when was it? Yes, yesterday. I saw that famous duet, Bing Crosby and David Bowie, from 1970, replayed.

COSTELLO: That ...

O'BRIEN: What a juxtaposition that was.

COSTELLO: For a second I thought you were going to say live and I though oh, my god!

O'BRIEN: No, no, no.

COSTELLO: Bing Crosby came back?

O'BRIEN: Not happening. Not happening. Anyway.

COSTELLO: That was very cool.

O'BRIEN: It was really weird watching that. You know, to think, back in 1970 Bing -- it was a reach for Bing and for David. Let's put it that way.

COSTELLO: You got that right.

O'BRIEN: All right, "Morning Coffee" time.

COSTELLO: "Morning Coffee": You know, next Saturday, when you're counting down the last seconds of 2005, it will be five, four, three, two, 1001! And then you say Happy New Year.

O'BRIEN: What is it now, 1A?

COSTELLO: Kind of. And extra second is being added to 2005. Scientists call it a leap second. They have to add a second every so many years to get the atomic clock in synch with the Earth.

O'BRIEN: This is from the angels on the head of a pin desk, right? You know, I mean, give me a break. Is this really that important?

COSTELLO: Well, funny you should ask that because I'm asking did they really have to add that second? Well, it is a time-consuming debate among people in charge of time.

Some argue it is a waste of time. And some say it is necessary. The leap second only messes up computers and, of course, your cell phones. And it's not like the clocks will get so out of whack that some day noon will come at midnight. But the sticklers say this is no time to fool around with time.

O'BRIEN: All right. There you have it.

COSTELLO: So they're doing it anyway, whether you like it or not.

O'BRIEN: That was at least 30 seconds on a second.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

O'BRIEN: Onward.

COSTELLO: Speaking of sticklers, the ever so proper American Kennel Club is turning up its nose at the new designer breed dog. They say a giant Schnoodle -- isn't that cute? --

O'BRIEN: Cute.

COSTELLO: A giant Schnoodle, it is a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle. It cannot mix in with the purebreds. But owners of the Maltepoos, that's a mixture of Maltese and Poodle, are fighting for respect, trying to get genetic experts to prove their dogs are a real breed. This is the Chiweenie.

O'BRIEN: Let me see the Chiweenie. Ah, that is adorable.

COSTELLO: Is that really a Chiweenie? It's a mix of a Chihuahua and a Dachshund. O'BRIEN: It must have been a long-haired Dachshund. Let me ask you this, every breed at one time or another was a meeting of --

COSTELLO: Was taken from something else.

O'BRIEN: Was mixed from something. So for the AKCs, being a little, you know, just because it is more recent, shouldn't they be adapted as breeds?

COSTELLO: Well, there is a certain amount of snobbery attached to this.

O'BRIEN: Oh, you think? Can't you see -- think!

COSTELLO: Dare I say that, but, yes. But anyway, these designer dogs are trying to get into the Westminster Dog Show and there is a big fight.

O'BRIEN: Yes, sure. Let them in. Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Heck, yeah. It will be more interesting.

In Japan, you know what they're worried about?

O'BRIEN: They -- well, I have a hint because I can see the teleprompter right now.

COSTELLO: A lot of things.

O'BRIEN: They've got issues with penguins.

COSTELLO: They have issues with fat penguins. Talk about the march of the penguins.

Zookeepers on Hokkaido Island are making their penguins to go on 500-yard walks to keep in shape. So far, the penguins are looking pretty good. You see them there.

O'BRIEN: They're making them walk? How do they do that?

COSTELLO: Well, they --

O'BRIEN: Mackerels? They have some mackerels?

COSTELLO: They have little bull whips -- no, just kidding.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: No, the penguins walk on their own, because they have this snow -- penguins don't walk on anything but snow because their feet are tender.

O'BRIEN: Right.

COSTELLO: So they have this snowy expanse, and the penguins walk. Because in the wintertime to keep warm, the penguins stand very and they don't exercise and they gain weight.

O'BRIEN: And too much mackerel. And there you have it.

COSTELLO: Exactly. So the zookeepers are making them walk. So, I guess it's working.

O'BRIEN: It's those suits that make you look fat.

COSTELLO: That's what they're asking.

O'BRIEN: All right. Coming up on the program, former Secretary of State Colin Powell didn't always see eye-to-eye with the rest of the White House. So what is he saying about this domestic spying controversy. We'll tell you about that when AMERICAN MORNING returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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