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Haitians Fleeing Port-Au-Prince In An Overcrowded Ferry As The Captain Pleads For Crowd Control

Aired January 21, 2010 - 12:00   ET

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

STAN GRANT, CNN INT'L. ANCHOR, PRISM (voice over): Struggle for survival. The human suffering in Haiti continues to unfold.

They are nations with often troubled connections. Tonight on our "Prism Segment" what long-term role should the U.S. play in Haiti?

And it is a country at risk of disappearing. The Maldives does not have the luxury of time to tackle the effects of climate change.

From CNN Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates, this is PRISM, where we take a story and look at it from multiple perspectives. I'm Stan Grant.

We're getting word of a series of aftershocks, at least two aftershocks in Haiti that have come in. We understand one of them has registered 4.9 on the Richter scale. We don't yet about the impact of that. We will continue to track that development. We will bring more information to you as we get it.

We begin with the race to save lives in Haiti. A new route for badly needed aid has just opened. One of the capital city's two damaged piers is being repaired and a ship has already docked. Meanwhile, many still go hungry as nations and aid groups work out obstacles to aid distribution.

Hopes for finding trapped survivors are fading although a five-year- old boy was rescued Wednesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(EXPLOSIONS)

GRANT: And you are looking at amateur video just obtained by CNN. Shot overlooking Port-au-Prince as the earthquake struck a week ago, Tuesday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRANT: Well there is little hope to be found across the Haitian capital and people are getting tired of waiting; they just want out. Even it is to go to another part of the island. CNN's Ivan Watson, and his crew, caught this mad scramble at sea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (On camera): Here in the harbor of Port-au-Prince there is a flotilla of dinghies, dangerously overloaded, filled with desperate Haitians, their homes destroyed. Many of them have lost loved one in the earthquake. And they are all coming to board this ferry boat for a free ferry ride to the port town of Jeremy.

And just look at the scenes of barely controlled chaos, here. As people are trying desperately get on board this boat. Now, I'm with the owner of the ferry boat, Roger Ruzier (ph). You have gotten some free fuel to help take people back and forth, but has anybody offered you any help with crowd control of these thousands of desperate people?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We have not crowd control whatsoever. We are trying, ourselves, to control this crowd, but it is impossible. I asked the police several times. They said they won't be able to control the crowds in on Jeremy's wharf (ph). I have been on the pier, the dock empty. The police said they cannot control the crowd. So we came around here to see what we can do, if we can help them. But we are trying to avoid an accident when they are getting in the ferry.

WATSON: It is a very difficult situation you've got. Hundreds of people on these little boats, overloaded, normally Mr. Ruzier (ph) says his ship is licensed to take 600 people. Earlier they took 3,000 people to the port of Jeremy, and there are clearly hundreds if not thousands of people on here now. And he says he does not have the manpower to stop these boats from coming. The only choice he has is to take the ferryboat out to sea, out of the range of these little rowboats. Ivan Watson, CNN, in the harbor Port-au-Prince.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT: Well, the U.S. government has stepped up the pace of relief efforts on multiple fronts in Haiti. Through the PRISM, this evening, what role should the U.S. have in Haiti , long term. About 11,000 U.S. military troops are in Haiti with another 4,000 expected in days. They are running the main airport and providing security for aid distribution. Troops are treating and evacuating the wounded, in addition to providing security at key facilities and repairing the main commercial port. Haitian government officials stress that U.S. troops are welcome there and are not acting as guardians as some have suggested.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

P.J. CROWLEY, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The real thing they have to focus on what are we doing? And why are we doing this? We're not doing this to take over Haiti . We are doing this because you have 3 million in dire need of assistance and that is what American soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and civilians have done for many, many decades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRANT: The United Nations has a long-term presence in Haiti. It will temporarily add 3,500 peacekeepers an police to its force of 9,000 to help provide security. Other U.N. programs are in place in Haiti as well, from food distribution to agricultural assistance. Earlier this week, CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour asked Secretary- General Ban Ki-Moon if the U.N. is in charge in Haiti?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BAN KI-MOON, SECRETARY-GENERAL, UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations has been playing a primary coordinating role and we will continue to do it in close coordination with major international community, including, particularly, the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRANT: Well, France's international cooperation minister, Venezuela's president and aid organization, Medicine Sans Frontiers, are among the more vocal critics of the U.S. role in Haiti. Minister Alain Joyandet accused the U.S. of giving priority to its own military and relief flights ahead of other nations' aid flights. He demanded a U.N. investigation into U.S. aid efforts and said, "This is about helping Haiti, not about occupying Haiti."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy moved to soften the criticism, calling for an international conference on Haiti and praising what he called the essential role the U.S. is playing.

Well, the criticism of the U.S. role in Haiti is not without precedent. Haiti and the U.S. have a checkered past, in addition to a long history of colonial occupation, which includes the French.

Most recently the U.S. sent thousands of troops to Haiti as part of a U.N. authorized mission to keep the peace. That was at the end of a three year struggle over the ouster of President Jean Bertrand Aristide.

Earlier, from 1915 to 1934 U.S. forces occupied Haiti to prevent Germany or France from taking control of the country.

Since the initial earthquake struck many have asked, where is the Haitian government, and what is it doing? CNN's Gary Tuchman went looking for answers in Port-au-Prince.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The ornate presidential palace, a symbol of the Haiti government for almost 90 years, a run down police station, the temporary presidential palace, as of this week. We went looking for the Haitian government and found the president in the hallways of the grand police station. We also found the prime minister.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Talk to them, they are two ministers.

(LAUGHTER)

TUCHMAN: And the cabinet ministers. There were 18 members of the cabinet before the earthquake. I asked Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive:

(On camera): Are all the member of your cabinet alive?

JEAN-MAX BELLERIVE, HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER: Yes.

TUCHMAN: All of them survived?

BELLERIVE: Yes, all the members of the cabinet, but they loose people. Minister of finance lost a child, minister of tourism lost his mother and his father.

TUCHMAN: But the leaders are all here. And want Haiti and the world to know they are on the case.

TUCHMAN: Is the government still in control?

BELLERIVE: Yes, the government is working.

TUCHMAN: President Renee Preval says he went on his motorbike after the quake to round up his ministers.

RENEE PREVAL, PRESIDENT OF HAITI: It is a catastrophe. But we are working with the help of the international community to rebuild the country.

TUCHMAN: The prime minister gave us disturbing news. The first solid casualty numbers.

BELLERIVE: Right now we are still -we collected more than 70,000.

TUCHMAN: Seventy? Seven-zero?

BELLERIVE: Yes, seven-zero thousand dead, cadavers. And I believe that will be around the number that I gave you the first time.

TUCHMAN: Which is what?

BELLERIVE: 100,000.

TUCHMAN: The president, the prime minister and the cabinet will continue to run the government from this police station indefinitely. A more comfortable setting is low on the priority list.

(On camera): As the president and his translator make clear.

PREVAL (through translator): On the day of the earthquake what happened in one minute could be compared to a campaign of bombing, during many days, in times of war.

TUCHMAN (voice over): The Haitian people are looking for leadership. They can find it, for good or for bad, in a worn down police station. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT: Well, let's bring in another voice to our conversation now. Alex Von Tunzelmann is joining us now from our Miami bureau. She is an author and a historian and has traveled to Haiti as part of her research.

We have been looking at Haiti, and of course, it is such a fraught history. To what extent is Haiti a victim of that history and how do you find a way through it?

ALEXIS VON TUNZELLMANN, HISTORIAN: Well, words like "victim" are very emotive, but I think that you can't really understand Haiti without looking at this very long history of engagement with Western powers, with the U.S. and also of the history with European powers.

GRANT: Let's talk about the U.S., because as we know, in the past it had occupied Haiti, now we have the situation where we are seeing U.S. troops on the ground and already suggestions coming from some quarters, particularly the French, that this could -is another occupation rather than going in there to help. How does the U.S. manage what is a necessary aid role, but also the political sensitivity?

TUNZELMANN: Well, it is a very complicated balancing act. Obviously, there had been military occupations, formerly, in the past. The most notable one was mentioned in the previous report, of 1915 to 1934. It was a very long occupation.

And then since then there has been a history of military assistance to some of the governments in Haiti, and of course, further occupations. And of course, the record of those haven't always been that great. So, now the question is -you know, this is going to be controversial for a lot of people in Haiti, for a lot of people in the international community. And it obviously has to be managed very, very carefully.

GRANT: We also have the problem, a history of corruption, of poor government. Now there is obviously, a lot of focus on Haiti right now. And money is going to be coming in. But how do you ensure, from the outside, without impinging on the sovereignty of the country, that it is properly spent and doesn't fall into misuse as we have seen in the past?

TUNZELMANN: Well, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from the history on this. There is a very long history of it. And I'm sure, at the moment, the best possible intentions are at everybody's heart. That seems to be the case. At the same time, I think we all know the road to hell could be paved with good intentions.

And in the past some very well-intentioned schemes have ended pretty badly for the Haitian people. And really you can look at any number of examples from history from this. And I certainly encourage the people who are working with us now, really to work with Haitian organizations, and Haitian people. Often the mistake in the past has been imposing ideas from the outside, without any real relevance to the people who are there. And I think Haitians, themselves, obviously have to be included in any effort going forward.

GRANT: I know it almost seems incongruous to talk about optimism when you are seeing this scenes that are coming out of Haiti right now. But it is at the forefront of discussion, the world is there, and it was looking to try to help. To what extent could this be, as devastating as it is, a circuit breaker?

TUNZELMANN: Well, that's the real hope. I actually had an e-mail from an Haitian friend of mine this week where she spoke about the idea that every rebirth starts with a death. And that there is some hope to rebuild. And I very, very much hope that will be the case in the future, I'm sure everyone does. Of course, at the moment, it is still too early. I mean, aftershocks are still rocking Port-au-Prince today. It is very early to be saying things like that. Though there is, of course, a chance to rebuild something good here. It just has to be managed very carefully.

I mean, Haiti is kind of like an eco-system. I suppose any economy probably is. It is very delicate and if you are off on one or two things you can really change more than you realize. You know, the unintended consequences that can occur from anything, can be massive. So it really does need to be managed very carefully.

GRANT: Thank you very much. We appreciate you appearing on the program and your thoughts on Haiti, as someone who knows it so well. Alex Von Tunzelmann, there from our Miami bureau. Thank you.

Some views there on the long-term U.S. role and the role of others in Haiti for you today.

Well, two new contracts put Iraq back in the oil game. MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST's John Defterios joins us for some analysis.

And fears about global warming are felt worldwide, but no more so than in the tiny island nation of the Maldives. We'll explain, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRANT: Welcome back.

China's red-hot economy is glowing. Beijing says its economic output grew 8.7 percent last year, despite the financial global meltdown. Now, growth exploded in the fourth quarter, surging 10.7 percent. If it keeps that growth rate it will very likely overtake Japan as the world's second- largest economy later this year.

Meanwhile, China says its dispute with Google should not effect its relations with the United States. The U.S. Internet giant is threatening to shut down its operations there, concerned about cyber attacks and China's censorship rules.

The U.S. secretary of State weighed in on the issue today. Hillary Clinton urged Beijing to investigate a wave of cyber attacks. She says in an interconnected world, an attack on nation's networks can be an attack on all.

Iraq takes two big steps back into the global oil market and the World Bank forecasts economic growth in the Middle East. Well, "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST" host John Defterios joins us from London now, with those stories and more.

John, let's take a look at Iraq, because it was always seen as the mother load. It was the oil that was going to pave the way for Iraq's future. How much closer is it getting to that reality with this deal?

JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN ANCHOR, "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST": Well, Stan, I wanted to include this because of your coverage of the Future Energy Summit and go back to some of the black gold that is emerging right now.

I don't think people really know what is underway here in Iraq. They are going from current production of 2.4 million barrels a day, right now; with a projection to take it up to better than 11 million barrels a day. And that would put them in the league of Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Canada. And they want to do this between the window of 2010 and 2017. They have signed off on two official contracts this week. One including Shell and Petronas of Malaysia. The other one also with Petronas in Japan, exploration; another field they have pushed through 10 tenders back in December. So this is the real deal. Maybe that target of 11 million barrels a day by 2017 is high. But even if they get it to 6 million barrels a day, over the next five to six years, it does change the make up of the exporting nations of OPEC.

GRANT: Where does Iraq sit in terms of its known reserves? I mean, you have Saudi Arabia. Iran, where will Iraq sit compared to those countries?

DEFTERIOS: Well, at 115 billion barrels, of proven reserves already -and that does not include the western half of the country, that has not been explored just yet -it would put it right behind Saudi Arabia and right next to Canada, which has its tar sands, which are quite expensive to get out of the ground. So, major players coming forward, if they can deliver against all the promises. They have worked out some very stringent production-sharing agreements with the major oil companies, between $1 and a $1.50 per barrel. So, they did put the squeeze on those who decided to take the contracts. Those companies, of course, betting that this is a long-term bet for the next 25 to 50 years in terms of production.

GRANT: John let's turn to the World Bank survey, forecasting growth across the region. Oil underpinning that? Particularly if oil is bumping around the $80 mark?

DEFTERIOS: Yes, in fact, if you look at a target of $70 to $80 a barrel, the World Bank came out today and basically said that growth forecast for the region, the broader Middle East and North Africa region, could hit 3.7 percent in 2010. That is up from 2.9 percent last year, Stan; so, again, an improvement. And that would take us up to 4.4 percent on the expectations. And that is looking pretty far out, a couple of years now, in 2011.

But there are some stars that are built in there. Egypt had better than 5 percent growth. The central bank governor of Lebanon, today, said they can get growth of 7 percent. Turkey, which had a huge contraction, producing growth, perhaps next year of 3.3 to 3.5 percent, so a pretty solid recovery. The couple of big risks isolated by the World Bank, Stan, the risk of Dubai World, we don't know if the banks have taken all that debt. Whether the debt is 80 billion or much more than that, still to be determined. And, of course, the situation in Iran and Yemen, very delicate. You don't know if that is going to spillover into the markets and the energy markets as well, so the two big unknowns for 2010 still.

GRANT: John, thank you very much for that. John Defterios joining us there from London. And of course, you can see John on CNN "MARKETPLACE MIDDLE EAST" Friday night at 23:45, in Abu Dhabi; 20:45 in Central Europe.

Well, we are getting word of a new rescue effort coming out of Haiti. Jonathan Mann joins us from Port-au-Prince.

Jonathan, what are you seeing?

JONATHAN MANN, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT: Stan, I'm at the ruin of the University of the Caribbean. What was a structure that must have been several stories but is now broken cement and tangled steel. There are teams here from Costa Rica, the U.S., Puerto Rico and from the Netherlands. And they have heard sounds that they believe are indications that there is a survivor in the rubble. It is not just tapping that they have heard.

Two different sets of dogs brought in (AUDIO GAP) dogs that have been brought in by, I believe it was the Puerto Ricans. Both dogs, trained dogs, have suggested there was someone inside the rubble.

The extraordinary thing (AUDIO GAP) about this from an e-mail that I received that was relayed, we were told, from someone inside the rubble. I asked (AUDIO GAP) and he said that in fact they had been alerted to (AUDIO GAP) inside the (AUDIO GAP) around. There have been a lot of rumors, a lot of (AUDIO GAP) of searches, but what we can tell you is at least after the three hours that the teams have been here, and the few moments we have been here to observe their work, they think that this is a search worth continuing because two sets of dogs have found something and they have heard tapping. That they think it is someone still alive in the rubble, Stan.

GRANT: Jonathan, thank you very much for that. Jonathan Mann, joining us on the line there from Port-au-Prince. Obviously, communications are difficult from Port-au-Prince. And Jonathan was breaking up a little bit there. But the extraordinary story, he is watching this rescue effort at the moment, at a university. And they have heard tapping underneath the rubble. So many days after, tapping there, and they believe someone is amazingly still alive underneath that rubble and, of course, that rescue effort underway right now.

We'll go to a break. We tell you more about Haiti, when we get it. I'll have much more coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRANT: People around the world are concerned about global warming for many reasons, but perhaps no where do they have greater stake than in the Maldives. The whole country is on the line, literally. CNN's Mohammad Jamjoom tells us why and what people there are saying to anyone who will listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOHAMMAD JAMJOOM, CNN INT'L. CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Abu Dhabi's World Future Energy Summit, dignitaries, lecturers, scientists and investors have all gathered to tackle the dangers of global warming and champion the benefits of renewable energy. But one participants call to action is louder than most.

MOHAMED NASHEED, PRESIDENT OF MALDIVES: If we don't act now, my island nation will be submerged by the rising sea.

As we all know, the world needs to find alternative energy sources. We cannot go on polluting the atmosphere with carbon. It is just simply not possible. And we all know that if it reaches any thing above 350 parts per million, world temperatures are going to rise and that is going to cause all sorts of problems. Most of these things we cannot even imagine now.

JAMJOOM: Even harder for someone to fathom is the scale of the environmental catastrophe, Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed's country is facing.

NASHEED: For us, climate change is not some issue in the future. It is happening now. There is erosion, a number of islanders are having to move their homes. And it is very challenging for them. At the same time, ocean temperatures are changing and therefore that is having an emerging impact on our fisheries.

JAMJOOM: The problems don't stop there. The Maldives, an archipelago of almost 1,200 coral islands, south-southwest of India, is also facing the possibility that it could go underwater if the current pace of climate change keeps raising sea levels. Most of the Maldives lie just about five feet, or just about 1.5 meters above sea level. While the country's capital, Malay is protected by sea walls, creating a similar barrier around the rest of the country would be cost prohibitive.

President Nasheed brought this issue to the world's attention last October when he chaired an underwater cabinet meeting. The outcome of the session was a declaration calling for global cuts in carbon emissions. A plea he has also brought to Abu Dhabi.

A promoter of solar energy and wind farm initiatives, President Nasheed believes the Maldives can be transformed into the first carbon neutral country.

NASHEED: We feel that if it is possible, in the mountains, with such modest needs, it is very, very possible elsewhere. We don't necessarily have to make it so futuristic, in a sense building new cities. But just to power existing households. I think that is quite possible.

JAMJOOM: President Nasheed is also at other options. Soon after being elected he raised the possibility of finding a new homeland for his country's residents.

Now, the tourist nation wants to set aside part of its annual billion-dollar revenue for buying a new homeland.

NASHEED: We have to be able to save for a rainy day. And if worse comes to worse, we should be in a situation where we are able to take care of our own people. When the whole world actually wakes up to this, and when half the world becomes climate refugees, it is going to be very difficult for us to find someone who would take care of 350 Maldivians. So, if we are responsible politicians, we should be having this conversation now. So, we are.

JAMJOOM: Mohammed Jamjoom, CNN, Abu Dhabi.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT: And that's it from me, Stan Grant thanks for watching.

END