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CNN Sunday Morning
Palestinians Vote in Presidential Elections; Interview With Ricky Martin
Aired January 09, 2005 - 07:00 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.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's January 9th, 7:00 a.m. here on the East coast, 4:00 a.m. in Lake Tahoe, where it is snowing still. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you caught up with all the overnight developments now in the news.
Palestinians have five more hours to vote for their next president. Observers say up to 60 percent of the 1.4 million eligible voters are expected to cast ballots. Interim leader Mahmoud Abbas widely expected to win the election says so far, the vote is running smoothly. We'll go live to Ramallah at the half hour for more on the historic elections.
A sailor injured aboard a nuclear submarine has died. The crew member was seriously hurt when the U.S.S. San Francisco ran aground Saturday about 315 miles south of Guam. Navy officials say the sub does have serious damage, but the nuclear reactor is fine. The sub will reach its home port tomorrow afternoon.
After three years of negotiations of more than two decades of civil war, there is a peace agreement in place in southern Sudan. Secretary of State Colin Powell was on hand to witness the signing between the government and the main rebel group. The conflict is the longest running in Africa and has been blamed for over two million deaths.
The U.S. military's investigating a bombing that it now calls a mistake. Five people were killed south of Mosul Saturday after an F- 16 jet dropped a 500 pound bomb on a house. In a written statement, the coalition says the house was an unintended target and "deeply regressed the loss of possibly innocent lives."
NGUYEN: Well, we have lots of great reasons for you to stay tuned with us this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICKY MARTIN, SINGER: Since it was so dark, people don't want to even hear about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Pop singer Ricky Martin boldly addresses a taboo topic, the trafficking of children in Asia, now made even more urgent by the tsunami disaster. Coming up, our interview with him as he prepares to head to Thailand.
Also ahead, the snow out West that just won't quit. By tomorrow, you might need a 10 foot pole to measure it. We're not joking.
And later, the treacherous side of the winter wonderland. We will have a live report from the avalanche zone. And the crews that battle with white death.
HARRIS: Let's take you straight to our top story. This winter wallop in the West. Nearly 200 people had to be rescued from their vehicles after getting stuck in deep snow in the California mountains. Some people spent up to 16 hours waiting for help, after snow clogged roads in the San Bernardino Mountains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long am I going to wait? How much food do I have? And I'm freezing and shivering.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're going to freeze.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically who's coming out to help us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And look, you can't get from there to there in the Sierra Nevadas. The two main Sierra highways, U.S. 50 over Echo Summit and Highway 88 over Carson Pass remain closed. I-80 was re- opened yesterday morning.
And guess what? It's not over. A third blast of rain and snow is on top before the weekend is through, Betty. Snow is falling fast in the higher elevations. And rain is flooding major parts of southern California.
NGUYEN: And CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is deep in the Sierra Nevadas with a first hand report. And he just won't be going anywhere for quite a while. Right, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: It looks that way, Betty. Tony, as you mentioned, those roads are tough to open up. There's always some sort of avalanche danger there. If not, just the driving conditions themselves.
Yesterday here at lake level, we received upwards of 20 inches of snow at the higher elevations where the ski resorts are. Even more than that.
As you can see, it's not snowing nearly as hard as it was yesterday morning. So relatively speaking, it's a beautiful day in Tahoe. But we do expect more snow on and off throughout the day today. It won't be snowing quite as hard. It just kept piling up and piling up. People kept plowing it and shoveling it. This sidewalk was snowplowed yesterday. And it's completely piled up again. And I have to climb over this snow bank just to get into it. And look, it's already up to my knees.
This was clear last night. Unbelievable. Unbelievable amounts of snow. Of course, before you can do anything when you have this kind of snow, I mean, you've got scenes like this, you've got to dig out.
Take a look at some of the video we caught yesterday. People had to, first of all, get the shovels out, dig out any sort of car that they might have to deal with, garbage cans, fire hydrants. That's also an issue.
So there's a lot of work to be done before you can get to do what a lot of folks like to do up here in Lake Tahoe this time of year, and that's ski.
A lot of folks skiing yesterday, the folks that could get to the mountain. Fresh powder to be had, but it was certainly windy in knee deep powder -- waist deep powder in some spots. If you couldn't handle that, it wasn't too much fun.
We want up to Squaw Valley yesterday. And we spoke with (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She's one of the avalanche managers up there. This is what she had to say about the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With this much snow falling this quickly, avalanches become of grave concern. And obviously, Interstate 80's been closed due to some avalanche hazards and driving conditions. A lot of accidents happen. Visibility goes down to absolutely zero. The winds are absolutely screaming on the bridges. We had winds last night of 163 miles per hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: One hundred and sixty-three miles an hour. That's a category 5 hurricane strength wind.
Of course, luckily, nobody was at the top of that mountain when it was happening. And I was told later that the anonomometer actually broke. So unbelievably strong winds coming in with this storm. As Orelon I'm sure will tell you, strong jet stream. And this thing is just parts here.
Right now, a bit of a lull. And I do expect to see a lull really for the next 12 hours. And another push is going to come in, it looks like tomorrow. But the road's going to be difficult to clear out also.
In the valleys, the big flooding issue. Tremendous amounts of rain from San Francisco down to San Diego. And that will continue to be a problem through Monday as well. Meanwhile, live from Lake Tahoe, and we'll be here for a while, I'm Rob Marciano. Tony, Betty, back over to you.
HARRIS: Yes, you will be.
NGUYEN: Just for a little while, Rob. OK, thank you.
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: We'll be checking with you a little bit later on today as well.
HARRIS: OK, so that's the situation in the Sierra Nevadas. All right now, you look at the triple box here, using this fancy technology, we've got Los Angeles up there in the top left.
NGUYEN: With rain.
HARRIS: Then there's some rain -- yes, a lot of rain in Los Angeles as Rob alluded to. And then, is that San Francisco...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: ...in the top right? And it's just dark there.
NGUYEN: And Seattle, which is all dark as well. Let's get a handle on all this weather outside with Orelon Sidney, who joins us once again. Good morning, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Hey, if you have been dumped on by the heavy snowfall, let us see what it looks like. Your response was so great yesterday, we want to hear from you again today. E-mail us some of those pictures of all the snow, all the winter you're encountering right now. Here's our address. Wam@cnn.com. And we'll pop a few of those pictures up throughout the program this morning.
NGUYEN: Now we want to go to the latest developments in the tsunami disaster. A new worry for relief efforts in Sri Lanka. A grenade attack kills three people and wounds 34 others at a funeral in rebel controlled area in an Eastern town. Now police fear sectarian violence. Relief efforts may be hampered as well. U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan is in Maldives this morning. He's getting a first hand look at how one of Asia's most exclusive tourist destinations was affected by the tsunamis. 82 people were killed there.
And Australian researchers say two weeks on and the earth is still vibrating from that massive underwater earthquake off Indonesia. They say it is similar to the ringing of a bell without the sound.
Now we want you to take a look at this incredible new video into CNN this morning. It shows the tsunami's overwhelming power. This was the horrifying scene as Banda Aceh was crushed beneath a river of mud and debris. That town on the northern tip of Sumatra was among the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Witnesses say the wave of water that followed that quake was some 60 feet high when it hit the beaches. Now it arrived in the town moments later as terrifying and relentless monster, devouring everything in its path.
Just listen to the sound of that. Now when it was all over, the main mosque was one of the only structures left standing. You can see it right here in this photo. The death toll in Indonesia alone is at least 95,000 people with another 77,000 still listed as missing.
And it's an incredible story of survival. A man thought to be, or have been buried under the rubble for two weeks at the tsunamis, is alive. And this morning, he managed to speak a few words to doctors. We will have a live update from Sri Lanka just after the half hour.
Well, help for the tsunami victims is pouring into southern Asia, especially for those youngest victims.
HARRIS: And we'll talk to singer Ricky Martin, who's making one issue a top personal priority. And he may be a little shaken, but an Academy Award winner escapes serious injury after his race car catches on fire.
And good morning, New York City. We've got your forecast. Outlook's great this morning in New York. What are your plans for the day? And the rest of the weather for around the country coming up just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We begin our look at news across America with a quote. The Democrats without the south is a little bit like greens without the corn bread. Food for thought this morning from one party faithful attending the National Democratic Committee's Southern Caucus in Georgia yesterday. Leaders campaigning for the top spot at the DNC all stress that in order to win the White House, their party must not abandon southern states.
Next up, imagine cruising off for five enchanted evenings, then having a haphazard health scare cast its ugly spell. That's what happened aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruiseship Enchantment of the Seas. More than 100 people and crew caught a Norwalk like virus during their journey. All were treated and are fine now. Officials traced the virus to a passenger who had symptoms two days before he boarded.
NGUYEN: Butch Cassidy escapes the ride once again. The actor Paul Newman is reportedly OK after the race car he was driving caught fire in Florida yesterday. Newman, who is a champion racer, was testing the car at Daytona Beach when flames flickered up inside the engine chamber. Now the fire did not find its way into the cockpit. And the 79-year old actor was not harmed.
The destructive, sometimes deadly, forces of nature converge on Utah. Two separate avalanches leave one person dead, another critically injured. Both happened in Sanpete County.
Now in the first incident, a 26-year old man out snowboarding was buried under a rush of snow, earth, and ice. He died at the scene. In another incident, a man survived an avalanche that hit him, while he was riding on his snowmobile.
Well, snow is not the only weather worry in California. Floods and giant waves are lurking all along the Golden State's coastline. We will tell you what the outlook is just a little bit later this hour -- Tony?
HARRIS: In the Sierra Nevada snow is expected to keep falling in a heavy clip into tomorrow. By the time it's all over, some places expect up to 8 feet of accumulation. As the snow gets deeper, so does the risk of avalanches.
CNN's Jason Bellini is with a California road crew whose job it is to keep the high rise snow at bay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB DAVIS, CALIFORNIA TRANSIT AGENCY: See that little flash? How'd you like that, huh?
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Davis, a supervisor with the California Transit Agency, has remote controlled canons blasting Highway 89's avalanche zones.
DAVIS: We have our normal crew. It shakes you pretty good, doesn't it?
BELLINI: With perfect avalanche conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, vast stretches of roads connecting cities and towns here are closed.
DAVIS: Well, we're just trying to do our job and keep the roads open and safe. But sometimes it's a little more than we can keep up with, but we're doing the best we can with what we have.
BELLINI: What they have are snow blowers, slowly clearing away mini avalanches.
(on camera): I'm standing in the middle of the road. You can see just how high the snow has gotten from the controlled avalanche that came off the ridge right up there, all along this road or ridges where it snows. This big heavy snow is really piling up. They have to do these controlled avalanches, otherwise, they're -- they can have snow banks like this coming down on cars.
DAVIS: There's four slide zones in there.
BELLINI: Davis says it's been years since he's seen the storm this fierce, this immobilizing. He's doing the best he can.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow, that was Jason Bellini reporting.
Now these pictures of the stranded motorists in California had us wondering how many were prepared to handle being trapped in their car for so long. So how about you? Do you know what to do if you are caught in an emergency? Let me know you some must haves for your emergency kit later this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: And singer Ricky Martin offers help to the children of southeast Asia. We'll tell you about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: It is really scary business. But this business is generating $7 billion a year. It needs to be stopped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, New York. Here's a live picture. Sunday weather for you and the rest of the nation, that's coming up in about three minutes.
But first, there is growing concern that children orphaned in the south Asian tsunami disaster are being sold as forced labor or even sex slaves. It is a dark part of the region's history, and something that has long been an issue for human rights advocates.
For years, it's also caught the attention of singer Ricky Martin. He leaves for Thailand on Monday. I had a chance to speak with him this weekend to talk to him about his works as a child advocate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN: The Ricky Martin Foundation created a project called People for Children. And our mission is to stop traffickers from committing crimes as they are doing right now in Asia.
The biggest problem right now is sexual exploitation. A lot of children in Thailand became orphans after the tsunami. They are perfect preys for the traffickers to go on with their business. We cannot let this happen. I am in a very lucky position, being able to go there with Unicef as an ambassador of goodwill. And just to be able to educate people about child trafficking. And I'm going to be talking to the victims themselves and local officials.
We need to work on laws. We need to create new laws. If not, we need to enforce the laws that are already written in a constitution. It's going to be a very intense trip, but I am very happy to do this. This is my mission, like I said.
NGUYEN: Well, give us a sense of exactly what is happening over there. How young are these children? And what's being done to them?
MARTIN: Well, these are newborns who, you know, until maybe the ages of 17, 18. 600,000 children are victims of the tsunami. These are 600,000 children that could be perfect -- could be preys for the traffickers. We're talking about a third of the population of the victims. They can be abducted. They can be forced into prostitution. They can be forced into child pornography, organ trafficking. It is a really scary business, but this business is generating $7 billion a year. It needs to be stopped.
And the only way we can do this is with the help of the government officials. And even local citizens that are aware of that -- this issue can be happening, and maybe they can take (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at the problem and maybe point out.
NGUYEN: So how exactly are you going to help stop this problem once you get there in Thailand?
MARTIN: Well, awareness is the most important thing. There is a lot of denial about this issue. This issue is so dark. People don't want to even hear about this.
And I just need to be very, very stubborn about this issue and talk. Talk, repetition, I think, is the most important thing that we can do to educate someone.
NGUYEN: All right, Ricky, we are almost out of time. But for those who want to support your cause, how can they do that?
MARTIN: Peopleforchildren.org. Educate yourself. That is the most -- that's the biggest tip you can take at this moment with this battle. Peopleforchildren.org, drive you to the Web site. And you have all the information and everything that is happening all over the world with the problem -- with the issue of trafficking.
NGUYEN: And your foundation, the Ricky Martin Foundation, also supports this cause.
Ricky Martin, we appreciate your time with us today. Safe travels.
MARTIN: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And you can find out more about Martin's charity work at his Web site, rickymartinfoundation.org. You can also get information there on making a donation to help tsunami victims.
HARRIS: You know, we've been spending a lot of time this morning talking about the situation out west because it's so bad out there.
NGUYEN: Oh, it is, but the rain, the snow.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: John Kerry talks presidential politics, but this time in Ramallah.
NGUYEN: And a 60-year old tsunami survivor is buried for nearly two weeks under debris. Communicates with doctors for the first time. His story, when we go live to Sri Lanka, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK, less than five hours to go before the voting is over and Palestinians have a new leader to succeed the late Yasser Arafat. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We will go live to Ramallah in just a minute. But first, here's a look at the news this morning.
Heavy snow across the California and Nevada mountain ranges will likely continue into tomorrow. Some areas around Lake Tahoe expect to -- up to eight feet of new snow this weekend alone. About 180 motorists had to be rescued yesterday, when their vehicles became trapped on the mountain highway.
A sailor aboard the nuclear attack submarine U.S.S. San Francisco has died. He was among two dozen crew men injured when the sub ran aground while underwater operations in the Pacific Ocean. The sub is due to return to its base in Guam tomorrow, where damage to the sub will be assessed and an investigation opened into the cause of that accident.
And in Nairobi, Kenya, the official signing of a peace agreement for southern Sudan. Secretary of State Colin Powell was on hand to witness the historic event, the result of three years of difficult negotiations. The two decade old conflict is the longest running in Africa, and has been blamed for over two million deaths.
HARRIS: Palestinians are going to the polls today in an historic election. They're voting for Yasser Arafat's successor. Not only could this be the first truly democratic Arab election, but it may also mark a turning point in the quest for peace in the Middle East.
Live now to CNN's Guy Raz, outside of a polling station in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
And Guy, how's it going where you are?
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, we've been seeing a steady stream of voters at this polling station throughout the morning. About a third of voters who are registered at this station have already voted, taking part in, as you mentioned, what could be perhaps the most important election in modern Palestinian history.
And for the first time in nine years, Palestinians are electing a new president, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, which is essentially the governing body of all Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.
Now the man widely believed -- expected, rather -- to win this election, Mahmoud Abbas or Abu Mazen, cast his ballot earlier today. He hailed this as an example of democracy in the Middle East. About 1.1 million Palestinians are taking part in this vote. There are some 800 international observers. Thousands of local observers. And also, this is a contested election. There are seven candidates. And Abu Mazen, by no means will this be a coronation for him. He will face some stiff competition from Mustafa Barghouti.
He's expected to take about 20 percent, possibly 25 percent of the vote. But ultimately, as I say, Abu Mazen or Mahmoud Abbas is expected to win this election. He's widely seen as a moderate, a peacemaker. He was long the number two to the late Yasser Arafat, a man who once served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
And we've already heard signs from Israel that after his election, they will be prepared rather to meet with Mahmoud Abbas or Abu Mazen -- Tony?
HARRIS: All right, give us -- talk to us about the high level U.S. presence at the elections there. Who's there and what are they doing?
RAZ: Well, Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. president, is here. Senator John Kerry, the former Democratic presidential nominee is here as well as an unofficial observer.
But former President Carter is here leading the American delegation. President Carter, of course, no stranger to this region. He's been intimately involved in peace negotiations throughout his public career.
And essentially, these international observers are here, not only to make sure that the elections are fair and free and transparent, but also that voters can go to the polls, that Israeli military authorities won't obstruct the free passage of Palestinians who want to go to the polls, particularly in areas like East Jerusalem, where Israel is essentially in charge.
Now both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capitol. There have been some voting problems in that city, we understand. And many of the voters in East Jerusalem have had to actually go outside of the city to the West Bank suburbs, towns just outside, in order to cast their ballots -- Tony?
HARRIS: OK, Guy Raz in Ramallah this morning. Guy, thank you.
NGUYEN: We want to give you the latest now out of Iraq this morning, where there is more deadly violence. A roadside bomb attack has killed a U.S. soldier. That soldier was part of the task force that patrols the Baghdad area. No other details are being released.
A dramatic escape by an Iraqi policeman, who was kidnapped at gunpoint yesterday in northern Iraq. The U.S. military says he overpowered his four abductors, shooting one of them dead and wounding another. The three surviving abductors were arrested at a hospital, where they took their injured comrade. The officer was also wounded.
The U.S. military is investigating a deadly mistake. A fighter jet targeted the wrong house near the northern city of Mosul yesterday, dropping a 500 pound bomb on it and killing at least five people. The military says the intended target, another house, thought to be used by insurgents was nearby. HARRIS: Turning now to tsunami ravaged South Asia, there's been more death in Sri Lanka. But it's not from the disaster. A grenade attack has killed three people and wounded more than 30. It happened at a funeral in a rebel held area in eastern Sri Lanka. Police think tensions between Hindus and Christians sparked the attack.
U.N. chief Kofi Annan is taking in more tsunami damage on his continuing tour of South Asia. Here, he is wrapping up a visit to Sri Lanka. He has now arrived in the Maldives Islands, where more than 80 people were killed. Annan says the island has gone through a punishing phase.
And two weeks after the disaster, and the earth is ringing like a bell. Researchers say the planet is still vibrating from a massive undersea earthquake that triggered the tsunamis. But they're not the kind of vibrations that you would be able to feel.
NGUYEN: In Sri Lanka, rain probably helped this 60-year old man survive being buried alive for nearly two weeks. Although severely dehydrated and battling pneumonia, doctors expect him to recover from his near fatal encounter with that tsunami.
Now the country, where some 46,000 people died, a survivor amid the tangled wreckage is cause for celebration.
CNN's Satinder Bindra is in Galle, where this very lucky man was found alive. What a story, Satinder.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, you can say that again. This 60-year old man, who's only given his name as Sero Sena, is in this hospital behind me. He's surrounded by media, both local and international. He's got to be the most pampered patient in this country.
Now he was found just yesterday, 14 days after the tsunami first struck Sri Lanka. The man who found him says there should be no question in anyone's mind that he is indeed a survivor.
This man took me to the neighborhood where Sero Sena was found. It's completely shattered. There's water everywhere. And indeed, there's also a lot of dangerous chemicals floating around there.
Now Sero Sena was found in a drain. He was actually neck deep in water. He was hungry. He was cold. He was wet. He obviously couldn't speak a word, but he was brought to this hospital.
Doctors immediately put him on a drip, but they found his vital signs were good. Doctors, though, are saying that he has a fracture on his right wrist. And he is suffering from pneumonia, a condition in which other survivors have been found.
The doctors say Sero Sena -- we should wait until Sero Sena speaks a few words. But as far as the man who found him is concerned, he's saying there's no doubt in his mind that he's saying Sero Sena has got to be the luckiest man alive. NGUYEN: With no doubt. Now we are hearing, Satinder, that he has actually spoken to his doctors. Can you confirm that? And if so, what has he said?
BINDRA: Well, he's spoken very little. Actually, it's quite a sight . There's about five of 10 nurses around him. Always they keep tapping him on his chest. Speak up, speak up. And all that he said is my name is Sero Sena. And doctors say this is quite normal. He's confused perhaps. He may even be suffering from amnesia.
Just a short while ago, he did tell doctors, though, he has a son, and he has a daughter as well. This entire nation now, Betty, is waiting for him to speak. Of course, they're all hoping that he is indeed a survivor. And everyone here is watching this story very, very intently, very closely indeed.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. What an amazing story. And doctors expect him to recover. We wish him the best of luck.
Satinder Bindra from Galle this morning. Thank you for that report, Satinder.
Well, CNN is continuing its coverage of the Asian disaster with a dozen correspondents reporting from the four hardest hit tsunami countries. We will hear from some of them a little bit later right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: His first words are going to be will you stop tapping me on the chest?
NGUYEN: OK, leave me alone.
HARRIS: OK. How prepared are you to face a natural disaster or even a bad snow storm? What do you do in case of emergency? Find out how ready you are. Guidelines from the Red Cross next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: And good morning, Seattle. We will have your forecast in about 15 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A massive winter storm is keeping people virtually holed up inside their homes out West. Would you know what to do if you were one of those folks? It's a good idea to be prepared for any emergency, whether it be a storm, a natural disaster, or even a terrorist attack.
Here with some advice that might help you avoid some life threatening problems is Christian Smith with the American Red Cross.
Christian, good to see you this morning.
CHRISTIAN SMITH, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Generally speaking, we're not as prepared as we should be, should we?
SMITH: Well, unfortunately, no. Most people aren't. But given the activity and the recent storms and the things we saw over at the last year, we're hoping things are going to get better.
HARRIS: We're optimistic, aren't we?
SMITH: Yes, sir. Absolutely.
HARRIS: Maybe a little bit too much so?
SMITH: Well...
HARRIS: Yes, it can be. So I want to get right to what you describe is a very basic kit here. What do we have here?
SMITH: Well, obviously, you have your water. You have your first aid kit.
HARRIS: All right, hang on, hang on. Where's the water?
SMITH: You have your water.
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: You have your first aid kit.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: You have your batteries, your flashlights.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: Your little light kits. You want to pop those open. Your plastic sheeting, your work gloves.
HARRIS: I mean, what's the plastic sheeting for. You put that up on our windows?
SMITH: Well, in the event, when you were coming back home you may have some damage to your home on your roof or some...
HARRIS: Oh, oh, oh.
SMITH: ...of the areas, you want to put that on there. Sometimes people prepare those areas. And the case of any kind of chemical stuff may be coming into the home.
HARRIS: I see, I see.
SMITH: Then you have...
HARRIS: Tom Ridge would be happy. OK, plastic -- we have our plastic sheeting. OK.
SMITH: Then you have these kind of containers. These are great because you now, you have a gallon of water per person per day. But these actually, when you fill them up, they become five gallons. So it makes your room -- and you don't have to have much in your kit -- until you actually fill it up.
HARRIS: What are these? These are -- oh, oh, oh.
SMITH: Those are light sticks, just in case.
HARRIS: Light sticks. What do you mean, you break them and?
SMITH: You just break them.
HARRIS: Is that what it is? All right.
SMITH: Yes, you can open one if you -- I knew you were going to.
HARRIS: Well, yes. It's the kid in me. All right...
SMITH: Then you have your little radios and speeds -- the little light things. That's to go down hallways. If, for some reason, you were trapped in an area...
HARRIS: Right.
SMITH: ...that allows you to be able to see during that period of time.
HARRIS: Well, you shake it or you break it. You know, you take it.
SMITH: Break it.
HARRIS: You break it?
SMITH: Well, I think it's a breaker.
HARRIS: It is?
SMITH: It's a breaker.
HARRIS: I'm going to break it now.
SMITH: It's a breaker.
HARRIS: And there you go. Is that it, OK?
SMITH: You did good.
HARRIS: Should...
SMITH: You did very good.
HARRIS: I'm coachable. Should this kit -- this is a basic kit. Do you put this in the car? Is this in the house? Do you do a different kit for the home? SMITH: Well, this is the kind that I have like in my trunk in my car and under my desk. But the truth is that everybody's personal kit for their family are going to be larger, because you're going to have your perishable foods, things in there that are non-perishable, your canned goods.
You know, we have some emergency type food stuff that's right here.
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: But this is really emergency ration type things.
HARRIS: What is that? What's in there?
SMITH: It's these little -- it's pre-packaged...
HARRIS: Energy bars and protein...
SMITH: Well, no, they're not that great.
HARRIS: You don't want to describe it, do you?
SMITH: It's not -- it's pretty low end stuff, but it's emergency rations. It would keep you alive. It's got all the nutrients you need, as well as the calories.
But the truth is when you're putting together your family disaster kit, you really want to do it based on your family, getting the canned goods and things that you and your family -- how many of those are you going to open?
HARRIS: I just -- I'm just...
SMITH: I saw it.
HARRIS: ...we'll get plenty now. But you want us to call a conference, a family conference to sort of...
SMITH: Absolutely.
HARRIS: ...what our particular needs might be, what are -- to evaluate a risk, right?
SMITH: What, right. We want you to sit down with your family, identify what kind of hazards or emergencies may occur, what types of disasters.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: Put together your plan. We also want you to talk about am I going to stay in my home and shelter and play?
HARRIS: Yes.
SMITH: Or do I need to evacuate. And then put together your supplies. And this can be a lot of fun. You go to the grocery story. You have your list going.
And the Red Cross is all over the communities. We have their (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: I'm sorry.
SMITH: And we have everything that you need.
HARRIS: Can't stop myself. OK, do you have more of these, I hope.
SMITH: Yes. And you know why don't you open this and eat some of this?
HARRIS: Your reaction says, you know, this is pretty bad. I got to ask you, though, the folks who are out West and who are getting hit by all this snow, you need a different kit, some additional elements for your kit for your car?
SMITH: Well, in those cases.
HARRIS: Blankets right?
SMITH: Wants you have your blankets, you want to have additional flashlights. Also, the transistor radio, which you see here.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
SMITH: With your rations of foods and things of that nature. It's based on whatever you eat on a regular basis.
And in this case, you know, this would all be fine if you were stuck somewhere in a period of time. But if you were in your home, or if you had gone to a shelter, or if you were in a motel or some place like that, whatever foods you may take with you.
But the idea is to take all of this and have it in one centralized location.
HARRIS: Very good. OK, and can folks call the Red Cross and actually buy this kind of a kit from Red Cross?
SMITH: Well, you can buy pieces of it. And some of the kit pieces...
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: ...the first aid kits and some of the pieces. But it's really about putting one together. We can give you...
HARRIS: OK, individualized.
SMITH: Absolutely.
HARRIS: Christian, thank you this morning.
SMITH: Sure.
HARRIS: And they work.
SMITH: Do you want to keep these?
HARRIS: I'm going to keep these. Let's take these home. The kids will love it.
SMITH: Hey, and look, you've got strings around them. You can put them around their neck.
HARRIS: Very cool, very cool.
SMITH: I get them from the American Red Cross.
HARRIS: There you go. All right, thank you. Thank you, Christian, we appreciate it.
SMITH: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Got to keep Tony away from those light sticks. All right, checking our top stories this morning, more snow expected today in the California mountains. In some places, yesterday, it was coming down about an inch an hour. Nearly 200 people were rescued after being stranded for hours on snow clogged roads in the San Bernardino mountains.
In Sri Lanka, three people were killed and 34 wounded in a grenade attack at a funeral in a rebel controlled area in an eastern Sri Lanka town. Relief workers fear their effort to get aid to tsunami victims will be hampered by what appears to be a sectarian violence.
Well, a large turnout is expected today as Palestinians on Yasser Arafat's successor. One candidate is charging voting violations, including a problem with the ink used identify which Palestinians have already voted.
Losses in war and losses back home. This young retired Marine has faced both. He is ending his career, his military career, but starting a new life. And we will bring you his story. That's up next right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back. He hasn't even started college yet, but he has already learned the harsh lessons of war. And this U.S. Marine has become a hero, not only on the battlefield, but also back at home.
Our Casey Wian brings us his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 20-year-old Michael Vineyard is making a custom motorcycle seat at this shop in Shasta Lake, California. It's exacting work, but even more challenging because Vineyard works with only one eye.
CPL. MICHAEL VINEYARD (RET.), U.S. MARINES: I'm trying to find the hole that I lost so I can put a snap in.
WIAN: Vineyard lost his left eye in Iraq when a tire blew up in his face. It took 12 surgeries to repair the damage.
VINEYARD: To fix all the bone, they just cut me across the scalp and peeled my face off and they put a metal plate, one metal plate up here, two down here, and the lower of my socket was missing. So they put in a piece of synthetic bone down there to take up that space.
WIAN: Now Vineyard adapts to a new life.
VINEYARD: In certain instances, it's a little challenging. Like trying to get the straight lines on here. I have to sit here and look at it this way to make sure it's straight. I wasn't that distraught about the eye, as you might think. I was actually more distraught that I was getting out of the marine corps than to have lost my eye. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I was back there.
WIAN: The loss of his eye isn't the only setback Vineyard has endured. Two years ago his mom was killed in a car accident. After hearing the news, his grandfather had a stroke and died the same day. After that, he lost his other grandfather, and now he's taken over the guardianship of his 15-year-old brother. Still, he remains unfazed.
VINEYARD: I'm very optimistic. I'm always optimistic about the future. It throws its curveballs and rocks at me every now and then. People see me as a hero. I don't visualize myself as a hero. I'm just me, being me. WIAN: Vineyard will turn 21 and start college later this month. Already experienced with many of life's tougher lessons, he plans to become a teacher.
Casey Wian, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Wow. Well, we bring you hero stories every week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. What a story.
HARRIS: Now that...
NGUYEN: That's a hero.
HARRIS: Yes, absolutely. We've been asking you this morning to share your snow pictures with us. We'll show you some of those images that we've gotten in so far, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Seaside homes battered by churning seas and high waves, that's the scene in parts of California hit by a series of winter storms this weekend. Look at these pictures.
The storms have brought heavy snow to some spots. Heavy rain and flash flooding to others. The flood waters have also left behind a muddy mess, if you can imagine. The roads are clogged with mud and homes and cars are splattered with it. Residents are bracing for more possible floods and even mudslides.
NGUYEN: All right, we want to find out when all this is going to be over. Orelon, do you have some advice here?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Well, Orelon, we can reinforce some of those pictures we've been seeing from out west with some of your e-mail photographs that you've sent into us.
This is from Alex. And he's got an icy day that he captured in the gulf of Maine. Take a look at this.
NGUYEN: Oh, look at that.
HARRIS: That's a great picture.
NGUYEN: He's on vacation capturing that.
HARRIS: And from Mike in Cincinnati, let's take a look at this. This is a deer in the snow. They're comfortable in the snow, aren't they?
NGUYEN: It's a pretty picture.
HARRIS: And Bill sent this in from Chicago.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: One of the streets there in Chicago...
NGUYEN: Look at how thick those snowflakes are.
HARRIS: Big, thick snowflakes. Thank you for those e-mail pictures. I'll send more to us at wam@cnn.com and we'll get more of your photographs on the air throughout the morning. Thanks.
NGUYEN: Right now, the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
HARRIS: It is Sunday, January 9th, 9 a.m. at the CNN Center here in Atlanta and 5 a.m. out west on the West Coast where you're snowed in, rained in. Oh boy! Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.
Now in the news. In the San Bernardino mountains east of Los Angeles, rescue crews have pulled at least 180 drivers from their vehicles. They're among 350 who got stuck in a deep snow last night. Snow piled up three to four feet deep along a five mile stretch of highway. Authorities were flooded with cell phone rescue calls. More snow and rain storms are expected today. We have a live report and a forecast straight ahead.
Meanwhile, no serious problems are reported as Palestinians elect a successor to Yasser Arafat. The new Palestinian president is expected to be interim leader Mahmoud Abbas. However, opposition candidate Mustafa Barghouti alleges widespread voting violations and demands an official investigation.
In Kenya Secretary of State Colin Powell attends a treaty signing to end civil war in southern Sudan. The U.S. and other countries press for an end to 21 years of fighting that killed two million people.
However, a separate conflict still rages in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
One U.S. sailor has died from injuries from a nuclear submarine accident in the western Pacific. He was one of 24 injured when the USS San Francisco ran aground under water. The Navy says there are no reports of damage to the sub's nuclear reactor.
HARRIS: All right. There's just so much to show and tell you this morning, like muddy waters, rounds of rain and snow to boot. The mess out west is gaining power by the hour, and well have your complete forecast in minutes.
And he's a high profile politician with a high minded message, so where in the world is Senator John Kerry? We'll tell you where and why in minutes.
And the panorama of pain and suffering brought on by the tsunami tragedy have some asking how could God let this happen. We'll discuss that in our Faces of Faith segment.
NGUYEN: Well back to this hour's top story. We are watching the weather in many cities this morning, as you can see on the screen, primarily in the snow battered western states though. Los Angeles, top left, is a soggy mess from a seemingly endless downpour.
But a bit less so, which is at the top right of the screen there, but still high seas are pounding the coasts. And parts of Washington state are digging out from about a foot of snow, which you see there in your bottom left screen.
And don't leave those beans out in Boston, which you see in your bottom right, it is still snowing there. They will be freezing for a little while.
HARRIS: Yes. Snow, snow and more snow in the west and rain too. Up to four feet of snow in the Sierras in California just since yesterday. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is more than knee deep in all of that snow in Tahoe City, California.
Just think, Rob, I was trying to get you out on the golf course last week. But I know you love these kind of weather events, but my goodness.
MARCIANO: Yes it's beautiful. Seventy plus weather at that time in Atlanta. Now look at me out west. I'm getting shorter by the hour it seems. You need one of these for sure up here in Lake Tahoe, at the very least. Certainly change would help also.
This car was parked here last night an look at it. Already buried in -- and I'm in knee deep snow for sure. This is a sidewalk, believe it or not, and this was cleared last night as well. Wind driven snow continues to pile up. The winds continue blowing at 30 miles an hour. That drops the wind chills into the teens.
Snow probably is not going to be as heavy as yesterday, but certainly drifting snow is going to be an issue. Icicles coming down. I mean it is just winter to the max.
Good news for skiers I suppose, yes. I mean you've got the icicles painting everything pretty, but skiers love the fresh pile and that's what they had up here yesterday. We went up to Squaw Valley, among other places, to get some video of folks having fun.
You know most areas with the winds not opening the top half of the mountains. So that gets everybody crowded down to the lower elevations. But there's powder everywhere so it doesn't really matter where you ski. And so much terrain up here. You can find some virgin stuff to cut your own traction.
The wind does become an issue though with visibility and also the lifts have become dangerous the higher up you go. So most of the ski resorts around here lower elevations only.
Homewood (ph) one of the ones just down the street, they typically are a little bit more wind protected.
Driving is an issue. Traffic is a bit of a problem. Although Interstate 80 one of the main roads that feeds at least Bay area residents in the northern parts of Lake Tahoe is now open, but you need chains and four wheel drive.
South part of Lake Tahoe, specifically Highways 88 and 50 have been closed. And like Orelon reported earlier in the program, Kirkwood has received upwards of 70 inches of snow and that's in the south part of Lake Tahoe. Sot hat highway and around that area has been closed as well.
Interesting note Reno airport, which is not closed very often, that's on the east side of the mountain in the desert they don't get nearly as much snow as we do here in Tahoe, but they had enough snow yesterday to close the airport for two hours and that caused a bit of a ripple effect across the nation.
I believe that airport will be open today. Interstate 80 open at least for now today, which means we may be able to get out tomorrow.
But I'll tell you what I wouldn't mind being stuck up there. It's pretty nice. I'll tell you that much, Tony. Tony well get that golf game in maybe later on...
HARRIS: Hey I'm holding up one of those Red Cross light sticks. You can wear it around you're neck. I recommend it. I want you safe out there all right. You and your crew.
MARCIANO: All right buddy.
HARRIS: All right, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks.
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) light sticks. All right, Tony. Well just north of Los Angeles flooding prompted a state of emergency in Santa Clarita. Newhall Creek widened into a river as mud and debris washed down from fire scared foothills.
Some people who live in the path of the rain swollen creek had to evacuate and another two to four inches of rain could fall by tomorrow.
Well, the winter storm is lashing the California coast is heavy surf. High tides combined with 17 foot swells are making things quite precarious for coastal home owners. High tides are expected to last through the weekend with the highest expected tomorrow.
HARRIS: Orelon Sidney is here with a detailed look at the storm forecast. And Orelon I guess folks out west are just wondering how long all of this is going to last.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And, you know, your responses were so good yesterday we want to hear from you again today. Send us your snow storm pictures and we'll show some of them on the air. E-mail them to us at wam@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: Now to the destructive forces of nature in another part of the world, the latest in the tsunami disaster. An already unbelievable toll of grief and death just keeps rising. The confirmed number of lives claimed in the tragedy now tops 155,000. Most of those come from Indonesia.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is in Maldives this morning. He's getting a first hand look at how one of Asia's most exclusive tourist destinations was affected by the tsunamis. Eighty two people were killed there. And this man is resting now after apparently suffering a horrifying ordeal.
This 60 year old is believe to have lived two weeks buried under the rubble and ruin left by the tsunami. Rescue crews found the man in Sri Lanka yesterday severely dehydrated and with pneumonia. So far though he's only been able to mumble his name and a few other words.
And we want you to take a look at this incredible new video into to CNN this morning. It shows the tsunamis overwhelming power. This was the horrifying scene as Banda Aceh was crushed beneath a river of mud and debris.
That town on the northern tip of Sumatra was among the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Witnesses say the wave of water that followed the quake was some 60 feet high when it hit the beaches. It arrived in the town moments later as terrifying and relentless monster devouring everything in its path. Let's just take a listen here.
And when it was all over the main mosque, that you see right here, was the only one of the structures still left standing, as you see in this photo.
The death toll in Indonesia alone is at least 95,000 people with another 77,000 listed as missing.
HARRIS: And here is the latest Iraq situation report. A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Baghdad was killed at a roadside bomb attack this morning. Also two Iraqi police officers and three civilians are shot and killed yesterday at a check point south of Baghdad.
The U.S. military calls an air strike south of Mosul an unintended target. In a written statement it said five people were killed after an F-16 dropped a 500 ton bomb on a house. The statement went on to say the coalition deeply regrets the loss of possibly innocent lives.
At Ft. Hood Texas, Army Sergeant Tracy Perkins (ph) is sentenced to six months in prison. Perkins is convicted of mistreating Iraqi detainees. He was also reduced one rank to staff sergeant.
NGUYEN: Indonesia, a nation with the largest Muslim population in the world and the nations hardest hit by the tsunami, ahead in our Faces of Faith the Muslim perspective on God's part in that disaster.
HARRIS: And at the bottom of the hour on "HOUSE CALL" our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at the steep slopes tsunami survivors must climb toward recovery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: If you're already struggling with your New Year's resolution help is on the way. Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer joins us next hour to talk about his revolutionary weight loss program. Put down the donut. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well god morning Phoenix, Arizona where the sun hasn't come up just yet. But today is the final day for zoo lights where you will find more than two million lights and dozens of animated displays. We'll have your complete forecast in about one minute.
Right now though Palestinians are going to the polls today in an historic election. They're voting for Yasser Arafat's successor. Not only could this be the first truly democratic Arab election, but it may also mark a turning point in the quest for peace in the Middle East.
CNN's Hala Gorani has the perspective of one Palestinian living in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Issa Boulos first came to America in 1986. He's one of some 230,000 Palestinians living in the United States. In addition to a job at the University of Chicago, Issa directs this Middle East music ensemble.
At his home in the Chicago area he says that despite years of violence between Israelis and Palestinians he's still hopeful that a new leadership will mean a fresh start.
ISSA BOULOS, PALESTINIAN EXPATRIATE: Essentially all Palestinians hope that this election will bring new blood to the way the Palestinian leadership has been pursuing negations with Israelis on the one hand. And we're definitely hoping for this election to bring peace.
GORANI: And although Palestinians outside the territories can't vote in this weekend's presidential election, Issa says he stays up to date with what's happening back home. But his hopes for peace are tempered with what many Palestinians see as a collective destiny that is not entirely in their own hands.
BOULOS: They can do things underground. They can improve the security situation. They can improve the lives of Palestinians. They can perform better in negotiations. But it comes down to Israel's attitude toward the whole thing.
So far we haven't' got really any serious notion that Israel is willing to give up its dreams of keeping the West Bank.
GORANI: And life many Palestinians Issa feels the U.S. Is the only broker powerful enough to force a fair solution on all parties if, he says, it has the will to do so
Hala Gorani, CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Orelon Sidney is following a very, very complicated weather story out west for us this morning. Good morning, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: In our news across America now an update on that deadly train wreck in South Carolina. Officials have upped the number of dead to nine. A 57 year old man from Aiken (ph) was found in a building yesterday.
Thursday's crash, which included cars containing deadly chemicals. sent several cars reeling and plums and toxic gases into the air. Some 5400 residents forced to evacuate still can't go home. Butch Cassidy escapes to ride a gain. The actor, Paul Newman, is reportedly OK after the race car he was driving caught fire in Florida yesterday. Newman, who is a champion racer, was testing the car at Daytona Beach when flames flickered up inside the engine chamber.
The fire did not find its way into the cockpit and the 79 year old actor was not harmed.
And viewers be warned we have a scoop you might not want to hear just yet, which move will win this year's Peoples Choice Award for best picture. The Web site goldderby.com has learned it will be "Fahrenheit 911." The Web site also says director Michael Moore was tipped off ahead of time.
The Peoples Choice Awards air tomorrow night on CBS.
NGUYEN: So he already knows, huh. Well, a disaster that brings people from around the world together ahead in our faces of faith. The Muslim perspective on why God would let the tsunami disaster happen in the first place.
HARRIS: And at the bottom of the hour, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta from Sri Lanka, how victims are recovering two weeks after the tsunami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: It's a question plaguing many people in the wake of the tsunami disaster, how could God let something like this happen. For a Muslim perspective we turn now to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He is the author of "What's Right with Islam," a new vision for Muslims and the west and he joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you Imam Feisal.
IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, AUTHOR & MUSLIM LEADER, : Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this for a moment because when you lose over 155,000 people in a natural disaster like this many are questioning why would God let this happen. So, as a Muslim leader what is your answer to that?
RAUF: A number of things. First, our prophet taught us that any soul who dies by drowning and earthquake, in an epidemic and you have to remember that as recently as 90 years ago or less in the United States we had a flu epidemic in which about 10 percent of our population died.
Even a woman who dies in childbirth is given the reward of paradise. The tsunami can be looked at and should be look at as divine writ, a divine scripture writ large. It's a portent, it's a preview of what we call the Apocalypse, what Muslims call the last day.
It's a day which our scripture the Koran describes as a day when the earth will quake, when seas will surge forth, when graves will be scattered, when people say what's happened to the earth. It's a day when the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) belongs to God alone.
And the purpose for that, Betty, is to remind us that we should not live our lives on this earth as if this life is the be all and end all of our existence. We were created by God and we did exist before we were incarnated into this life. And after this life we shall proceed to an eternal life compared to which this life will be no more than a day or part thereof.
So it's about broadening our existential world view so that we live this life as god's stewards both loving God and loving our fellow human beings and fulfilling our obligation during this very brief sojourn in this life.
NGUYEN: Yes. Now talk to us about how much a persons faith is truly tested in a disaster such as this.
RAUF: Our lives are always tested. In fact our scripture says that this whole life, the purpose of this life is a test. It is a trial by fire or a baptism by fire, if you will, to determine those of us who are true to God verses those who are false to God.
Not only are calamities a trial even the benefits we get, the good things we receive, our wealth and our power is also a trial and a test. If we respond -- these are all tests by God. If we respond to them in a way that is in keeping with a good conscious mentality and attitude then we have succeeded. We have aced the test and the trial.
Whereas if we have -- if we fail these tests whether it's test of calamities or tests of benefits than we have failed the test for the next life.
NGUYEN: But some of those who are tested the most in a situation like this are the mothers who have lost their children, the husbands who have lost their entire family. What do you say to them?
RAUF: Well there's a beautiful story in the teaching of our profit in which he says on the day of judgment a child, and all children enter paradise, will be crying refusing to entire paradise without its parents. And God will tell the child go and take your parents into paradise with you.
So the -- and there are many other stories like this, which would show us God's infinite compassion and how from the point of view from an infinite life and what's the day of judgment and how God will unfold and express his compassion, mercy to all of humankind that everything looked at from the point of view of the day of judgment, everything is a source of divine compassion.
NGUYEN: Imam Feisal we want to thank you for sharing the Muslim perspective with us today. Thank you.
RAUF: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Tony.
HARRIS: Good words. Good words. All right, we've been asking you to send you e-mails to us and to show us some of your snow storm pictures. We have some. This is Pam's picture from Indiana. Look at the tree just bent and tilted there from all of the ice.
Wayne sent us a picture in from Reno, Nevada, an area particularly hard hit and there's a dog taking in all of the snow wondering what the heck is going on here.
NGUYEN: What's going on?
HARRIS: And this from Carol in Kansas. This is ice. This should be...
NGUYEN: I thought it was a postcard.
HARRIS: Yes, they should be titled ice on trees. Thank you for the e-mails. We really appreciate those. And in the 9 o'clock hour we'll show some more. Here's the address, wam@cnn.com. Send us some of those snow bound pictures this morning.
Top stories and "HOUSE CALL" are straight ahead.
NGUYEN: Doctor Sanjay Gupta takes a close personal look at how victims are recovering physically and emotionally after the devastating tsunamis in South Asia.
HARRIS: And good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen. We are back at the top of the hour. Stay with us.
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Aired January 9, 2005 - 07:00 Â ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, good morning, everyone. From the CNN Center here in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It's January 9th, 7:00 a.m. here on the East coast, 4:00 a.m. in Lake Tahoe, where it is snowing still. Good morning, I'm Betty Nguyen.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Tony Harris. Thank you for being with us. Let's get you caught up with all the overnight developments now in the news.
Palestinians have five more hours to vote for their next president. Observers say up to 60 percent of the 1.4 million eligible voters are expected to cast ballots. Interim leader Mahmoud Abbas widely expected to win the election says so far, the vote is running smoothly. We'll go live to Ramallah at the half hour for more on the historic elections.
A sailor injured aboard a nuclear submarine has died. The crew member was seriously hurt when the U.S.S. San Francisco ran aground Saturday about 315 miles south of Guam. Navy officials say the sub does have serious damage, but the nuclear reactor is fine. The sub will reach its home port tomorrow afternoon.
After three years of negotiations of more than two decades of civil war, there is a peace agreement in place in southern Sudan. Secretary of State Colin Powell was on hand to witness the signing between the government and the main rebel group. The conflict is the longest running in Africa and has been blamed for over two million deaths.
The U.S. military's investigating a bombing that it now calls a mistake. Five people were killed south of Mosul Saturday after an F- 16 jet dropped a 500 pound bomb on a house. In a written statement, the coalition says the house was an unintended target and "deeply regressed the loss of possibly innocent lives."
NGUYEN: Well, we have lots of great reasons for you to stay tuned with us this hour.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICKY MARTIN, SINGER: Since it was so dark, people don't want to even hear about this.
(END VIDEO CLIP) NGUYEN: Pop singer Ricky Martin boldly addresses a taboo topic, the trafficking of children in Asia, now made even more urgent by the tsunami disaster. Coming up, our interview with him as he prepares to head to Thailand.
Also ahead, the snow out West that just won't quit. By tomorrow, you might need a 10 foot pole to measure it. We're not joking.
And later, the treacherous side of the winter wonderland. We will have a live report from the avalanche zone. And the crews that battle with white death.
HARRIS: Let's take you straight to our top story. This winter wallop in the West. Nearly 200 people had to be rescued from their vehicles after getting stuck in deep snow in the California mountains. Some people spent up to 16 hours waiting for help, after snow clogged roads in the San Bernardino Mountains.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long am I going to wait? How much food do I have? And I'm freezing and shivering.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we're going to freeze.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Basically who's coming out to help us?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And look, you can't get from there to there in the Sierra Nevadas. The two main Sierra highways, U.S. 50 over Echo Summit and Highway 88 over Carson Pass remain closed. I-80 was re- opened yesterday morning.
And guess what? It's not over. A third blast of rain and snow is on top before the weekend is through, Betty. Snow is falling fast in the higher elevations. And rain is flooding major parts of southern California.
NGUYEN: And CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano is deep in the Sierra Nevadas with a first hand report. And he just won't be going anywhere for quite a while. Right, Rob?
ROB MARCIANO, METEOROLOGIST: It looks that way, Betty. Tony, as you mentioned, those roads are tough to open up. There's always some sort of avalanche danger there. If not, just the driving conditions themselves.
Yesterday here at lake level, we received upwards of 20 inches of snow at the higher elevations where the ski resorts are. Even more than that.
As you can see, it's not snowing nearly as hard as it was yesterday morning. So relatively speaking, it's a beautiful day in Tahoe. But we do expect more snow on and off throughout the day today. It won't be snowing quite as hard. It just kept piling up and piling up. People kept plowing it and shoveling it. This sidewalk was snowplowed yesterday. And it's completely piled up again. And I have to climb over this snow bank just to get into it. And look, it's already up to my knees.
This was clear last night. Unbelievable. Unbelievable amounts of snow. Of course, before you can do anything when you have this kind of snow, I mean, you've got scenes like this, you've got to dig out.
Take a look at some of the video we caught yesterday. People had to, first of all, get the shovels out, dig out any sort of car that they might have to deal with, garbage cans, fire hydrants. That's also an issue.
So there's a lot of work to be done before you can get to do what a lot of folks like to do up here in Lake Tahoe this time of year, and that's ski.
A lot of folks skiing yesterday, the folks that could get to the mountain. Fresh powder to be had, but it was certainly windy in knee deep powder -- waist deep powder in some spots. If you couldn't handle that, it wasn't too much fun.
We want up to Squaw Valley yesterday. And we spoke with (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She's one of the avalanche managers up there. This is what she had to say about the storm.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With this much snow falling this quickly, avalanches become of grave concern. And obviously, Interstate 80's been closed due to some avalanche hazards and driving conditions. A lot of accidents happen. Visibility goes down to absolutely zero. The winds are absolutely screaming on the bridges. We had winds last night of 163 miles per hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARCIANO: One hundred and sixty-three miles an hour. That's a category 5 hurricane strength wind.
Of course, luckily, nobody was at the top of that mountain when it was happening. And I was told later that the anonomometer actually broke. So unbelievably strong winds coming in with this storm. As Orelon I'm sure will tell you, strong jet stream. And this thing is just parts here.
Right now, a bit of a lull. And I do expect to see a lull really for the next 12 hours. And another push is going to come in, it looks like tomorrow. But the road's going to be difficult to clear out also.
In the valleys, the big flooding issue. Tremendous amounts of rain from San Francisco down to San Diego. And that will continue to be a problem through Monday as well. Meanwhile, live from Lake Tahoe, and we'll be here for a while, I'm Rob Marciano. Tony, Betty, back over to you.
HARRIS: Yes, you will be.
NGUYEN: Just for a little while, Rob. OK, thank you.
HARRIS: OK.
NGUYEN: We'll be checking with you a little bit later on today as well.
HARRIS: OK, so that's the situation in the Sierra Nevadas. All right now, you look at the triple box here, using this fancy technology, we've got Los Angeles up there in the top left.
NGUYEN: With rain.
HARRIS: Then there's some rain -- yes, a lot of rain in Los Angeles as Rob alluded to. And then, is that San Francisco...
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: ...in the top right? And it's just dark there.
NGUYEN: And Seattle, which is all dark as well. Let's get a handle on all this weather outside with Orelon Sidney, who joins us once again. Good morning, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Hey, if you have been dumped on by the heavy snowfall, let us see what it looks like. Your response was so great yesterday, we want to hear from you again today. E-mail us some of those pictures of all the snow, all the winter you're encountering right now. Here's our address. Wam@cnn.com. And we'll pop a few of those pictures up throughout the program this morning.
NGUYEN: Now we want to go to the latest developments in the tsunami disaster. A new worry for relief efforts in Sri Lanka. A grenade attack kills three people and wounds 34 others at a funeral in rebel controlled area in an Eastern town. Now police fear sectarian violence. Relief efforts may be hampered as well. U.N. Secretary- General Kofi Annan is in Maldives this morning. He's getting a first hand look at how one of Asia's most exclusive tourist destinations was affected by the tsunamis. 82 people were killed there.
And Australian researchers say two weeks on and the earth is still vibrating from that massive underwater earthquake off Indonesia. They say it is similar to the ringing of a bell without the sound.
Now we want you to take a look at this incredible new video into CNN this morning. It shows the tsunami's overwhelming power. This was the horrifying scene as Banda Aceh was crushed beneath a river of mud and debris. That town on the northern tip of Sumatra was among the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Witnesses say the wave of water that followed that quake was some 60 feet high when it hit the beaches. Now it arrived in the town moments later as terrifying and relentless monster, devouring everything in its path.
Just listen to the sound of that. Now when it was all over, the main mosque was one of the only structures left standing. You can see it right here in this photo. The death toll in Indonesia alone is at least 95,000 people with another 77,000 still listed as missing.
And it's an incredible story of survival. A man thought to be, or have been buried under the rubble for two weeks at the tsunamis, is alive. And this morning, he managed to speak a few words to doctors. We will have a live update from Sri Lanka just after the half hour.
Well, help for the tsunami victims is pouring into southern Asia, especially for those youngest victims.
HARRIS: And we'll talk to singer Ricky Martin, who's making one issue a top personal priority. And he may be a little shaken, but an Academy Award winner escapes serious injury after his race car catches on fire.
And good morning, New York City. We've got your forecast. Outlook's great this morning in New York. What are your plans for the day? And the rest of the weather for around the country coming up just ahead on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: We begin our look at news across America with a quote. The Democrats without the south is a little bit like greens without the corn bread. Food for thought this morning from one party faithful attending the National Democratic Committee's Southern Caucus in Georgia yesterday. Leaders campaigning for the top spot at the DNC all stress that in order to win the White House, their party must not abandon southern states.
Next up, imagine cruising off for five enchanted evenings, then having a haphazard health scare cast its ugly spell. That's what happened aboard the Royal Caribbean Cruiseship Enchantment of the Seas. More than 100 people and crew caught a Norwalk like virus during their journey. All were treated and are fine now. Officials traced the virus to a passenger who had symptoms two days before he boarded.
NGUYEN: Butch Cassidy escapes the ride once again. The actor Paul Newman is reportedly OK after the race car he was driving caught fire in Florida yesterday. Newman, who is a champion racer, was testing the car at Daytona Beach when flames flickered up inside the engine chamber. Now the fire did not find its way into the cockpit. And the 79-year old actor was not harmed.
The destructive, sometimes deadly, forces of nature converge on Utah. Two separate avalanches leave one person dead, another critically injured. Both happened in Sanpete County.
Now in the first incident, a 26-year old man out snowboarding was buried under a rush of snow, earth, and ice. He died at the scene. In another incident, a man survived an avalanche that hit him, while he was riding on his snowmobile.
Well, snow is not the only weather worry in California. Floods and giant waves are lurking all along the Golden State's coastline. We will tell you what the outlook is just a little bit later this hour -- Tony?
HARRIS: In the Sierra Nevada snow is expected to keep falling in a heavy clip into tomorrow. By the time it's all over, some places expect up to 8 feet of accumulation. As the snow gets deeper, so does the risk of avalanches.
CNN's Jason Bellini is with a California road crew whose job it is to keep the high rise snow at bay.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BOB DAVIS, CALIFORNIA TRANSIT AGENCY: See that little flash? How'd you like that, huh?
JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Davis, a supervisor with the California Transit Agency, has remote controlled canons blasting Highway 89's avalanche zones.
DAVIS: We have our normal crew. It shakes you pretty good, doesn't it?
BELLINI: With perfect avalanche conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, vast stretches of roads connecting cities and towns here are closed.
DAVIS: Well, we're just trying to do our job and keep the roads open and safe. But sometimes it's a little more than we can keep up with, but we're doing the best we can with what we have.
BELLINI: What they have are snow blowers, slowly clearing away mini avalanches.
(on camera): I'm standing in the middle of the road. You can see just how high the snow has gotten from the controlled avalanche that came off the ridge right up there, all along this road or ridges where it snows. This big heavy snow is really piling up. They have to do these controlled avalanches, otherwise, they're -- they can have snow banks like this coming down on cars.
DAVIS: There's four slide zones in there.
BELLINI: Davis says it's been years since he's seen the storm this fierce, this immobilizing. He's doing the best he can.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Wow, that was Jason Bellini reporting.
Now these pictures of the stranded motorists in California had us wondering how many were prepared to handle being trapped in their car for so long. So how about you? Do you know what to do if you are caught in an emergency? Let me know you some must haves for your emergency kit later this hour on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: And singer Ricky Martin offers help to the children of southeast Asia. We'll tell you about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: It is really scary business. But this business is generating $7 billion a year. It needs to be stopped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well, good morning, New York. Here's a live picture. Sunday weather for you and the rest of the nation, that's coming up in about three minutes.
But first, there is growing concern that children orphaned in the south Asian tsunami disaster are being sold as forced labor or even sex slaves. It is a dark part of the region's history, and something that has long been an issue for human rights advocates.
For years, it's also caught the attention of singer Ricky Martin. He leaves for Thailand on Monday. I had a chance to speak with him this weekend to talk to him about his works as a child advocate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN: The Ricky Martin Foundation created a project called People for Children. And our mission is to stop traffickers from committing crimes as they are doing right now in Asia.
The biggest problem right now is sexual exploitation. A lot of children in Thailand became orphans after the tsunami. They are perfect preys for the traffickers to go on with their business. We cannot let this happen. I am in a very lucky position, being able to go there with Unicef as an ambassador of goodwill. And just to be able to educate people about child trafficking. And I'm going to be talking to the victims themselves and local officials.
We need to work on laws. We need to create new laws. If not, we need to enforce the laws that are already written in a constitution. It's going to be a very intense trip, but I am very happy to do this. This is my mission, like I said.
NGUYEN: Well, give us a sense of exactly what is happening over there. How young are these children? And what's being done to them?
MARTIN: Well, these are newborns who, you know, until maybe the ages of 17, 18. 600,000 children are victims of the tsunami. These are 600,000 children that could be perfect -- could be preys for the traffickers. We're talking about a third of the population of the victims. They can be abducted. They can be forced into prostitution. They can be forced into child pornography, organ trafficking. It is a really scary business, but this business is generating $7 billion a year. It needs to be stopped.
And the only way we can do this is with the help of the government officials. And even local citizens that are aware of that -- this issue can be happening, and maybe they can take (UNINTELLIGIBLE) at the problem and maybe point out.
NGUYEN: So how exactly are you going to help stop this problem once you get there in Thailand?
MARTIN: Well, awareness is the most important thing. There is a lot of denial about this issue. This issue is so dark. People don't want to even hear about this.
And I just need to be very, very stubborn about this issue and talk. Talk, repetition, I think, is the most important thing that we can do to educate someone.
NGUYEN: All right, Ricky, we are almost out of time. But for those who want to support your cause, how can they do that?
MARTIN: Peopleforchildren.org. Educate yourself. That is the most -- that's the biggest tip you can take at this moment with this battle. Peopleforchildren.org, drive you to the Web site. And you have all the information and everything that is happening all over the world with the problem -- with the issue of trafficking.
NGUYEN: And your foundation, the Ricky Martin Foundation, also supports this cause.
Ricky Martin, we appreciate your time with us today. Safe travels.
MARTIN: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: And you can find out more about Martin's charity work at his Web site, rickymartinfoundation.org. You can also get information there on making a donation to help tsunami victims.
HARRIS: You know, we've been spending a lot of time this morning talking about the situation out west because it's so bad out there.
NGUYEN: Oh, it is, but the rain, the snow.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: John Kerry talks presidential politics, but this time in Ramallah.
NGUYEN: And a 60-year old tsunami survivor is buried for nearly two weeks under debris. Communicates with doctors for the first time. His story, when we go live to Sri Lanka, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: OK, less than five hours to go before the voting is over and Palestinians have a new leader to succeed the late Yasser Arafat. Welcome back to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We will go live to Ramallah in just a minute. But first, here's a look at the news this morning.
Heavy snow across the California and Nevada mountain ranges will likely continue into tomorrow. Some areas around Lake Tahoe expect to -- up to eight feet of new snow this weekend alone. About 180 motorists had to be rescued yesterday, when their vehicles became trapped on the mountain highway.
A sailor aboard the nuclear attack submarine U.S.S. San Francisco has died. He was among two dozen crew men injured when the sub ran aground while underwater operations in the Pacific Ocean. The sub is due to return to its base in Guam tomorrow, where damage to the sub will be assessed and an investigation opened into the cause of that accident.
And in Nairobi, Kenya, the official signing of a peace agreement for southern Sudan. Secretary of State Colin Powell was on hand to witness the historic event, the result of three years of difficult negotiations. The two decade old conflict is the longest running in Africa, and has been blamed for over two million deaths.
HARRIS: Palestinians are going to the polls today in an historic election. They're voting for Yasser Arafat's successor. Not only could this be the first truly democratic Arab election, but it may also mark a turning point in the quest for peace in the Middle East.
Live now to CNN's Guy Raz, outside of a polling station in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
And Guy, how's it going where you are?
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Tony, we've been seeing a steady stream of voters at this polling station throughout the morning. About a third of voters who are registered at this station have already voted, taking part in, as you mentioned, what could be perhaps the most important election in modern Palestinian history.
And for the first time in nine years, Palestinians are electing a new president, the president of the Palestinian National Authority, which is essentially the governing body of all Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza.
Now the man widely believed -- expected, rather -- to win this election, Mahmoud Abbas or Abu Mazen, cast his ballot earlier today. He hailed this as an example of democracy in the Middle East. About 1.1 million Palestinians are taking part in this vote. There are some 800 international observers. Thousands of local observers. And also, this is a contested election. There are seven candidates. And Abu Mazen, by no means will this be a coronation for him. He will face some stiff competition from Mustafa Barghouti.
He's expected to take about 20 percent, possibly 25 percent of the vote. But ultimately, as I say, Abu Mazen or Mahmoud Abbas is expected to win this election. He's widely seen as a moderate, a peacemaker. He was long the number two to the late Yasser Arafat, a man who once served as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.
And we've already heard signs from Israel that after his election, they will be prepared rather to meet with Mahmoud Abbas or Abu Mazen -- Tony?
HARRIS: All right, give us -- talk to us about the high level U.S. presence at the elections there. Who's there and what are they doing?
RAZ: Well, Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. president, is here. Senator John Kerry, the former Democratic presidential nominee is here as well as an unofficial observer.
But former President Carter is here leading the American delegation. President Carter, of course, no stranger to this region. He's been intimately involved in peace negotiations throughout his public career.
And essentially, these international observers are here, not only to make sure that the elections are fair and free and transparent, but also that voters can go to the polls, that Israeli military authorities won't obstruct the free passage of Palestinians who want to go to the polls, particularly in areas like East Jerusalem, where Israel is essentially in charge.
Now both Palestinians and Israelis claim Jerusalem as their capitol. There have been some voting problems in that city, we understand. And many of the voters in East Jerusalem have had to actually go outside of the city to the West Bank suburbs, towns just outside, in order to cast their ballots -- Tony?
HARRIS: OK, Guy Raz in Ramallah this morning. Guy, thank you.
NGUYEN: We want to give you the latest now out of Iraq this morning, where there is more deadly violence. A roadside bomb attack has killed a U.S. soldier. That soldier was part of the task force that patrols the Baghdad area. No other details are being released.
A dramatic escape by an Iraqi policeman, who was kidnapped at gunpoint yesterday in northern Iraq. The U.S. military says he overpowered his four abductors, shooting one of them dead and wounding another. The three surviving abductors were arrested at a hospital, where they took their injured comrade. The officer was also wounded.
The U.S. military is investigating a deadly mistake. A fighter jet targeted the wrong house near the northern city of Mosul yesterday, dropping a 500 pound bomb on it and killing at least five people. The military says the intended target, another house, thought to be used by insurgents was nearby. HARRIS: Turning now to tsunami ravaged South Asia, there's been more death in Sri Lanka. But it's not from the disaster. A grenade attack has killed three people and wounded more than 30. It happened at a funeral in a rebel held area in eastern Sri Lanka. Police think tensions between Hindus and Christians sparked the attack.
U.N. chief Kofi Annan is taking in more tsunami damage on his continuing tour of South Asia. Here, he is wrapping up a visit to Sri Lanka. He has now arrived in the Maldives Islands, where more than 80 people were killed. Annan says the island has gone through a punishing phase.
And two weeks after the disaster, and the earth is ringing like a bell. Researchers say the planet is still vibrating from a massive undersea earthquake that triggered the tsunamis. But they're not the kind of vibrations that you would be able to feel.
NGUYEN: In Sri Lanka, rain probably helped this 60-year old man survive being buried alive for nearly two weeks. Although severely dehydrated and battling pneumonia, doctors expect him to recover from his near fatal encounter with that tsunami.
Now the country, where some 46,000 people died, a survivor amid the tangled wreckage is cause for celebration.
CNN's Satinder Bindra is in Galle, where this very lucky man was found alive. What a story, Satinder.
SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Betty, you can say that again. This 60-year old man, who's only given his name as Sero Sena, is in this hospital behind me. He's surrounded by media, both local and international. He's got to be the most pampered patient in this country.
Now he was found just yesterday, 14 days after the tsunami first struck Sri Lanka. The man who found him says there should be no question in anyone's mind that he is indeed a survivor.
This man took me to the neighborhood where Sero Sena was found. It's completely shattered. There's water everywhere. And indeed, there's also a lot of dangerous chemicals floating around there.
Now Sero Sena was found in a drain. He was actually neck deep in water. He was hungry. He was cold. He was wet. He obviously couldn't speak a word, but he was brought to this hospital.
Doctors immediately put him on a drip, but they found his vital signs were good. Doctors, though, are saying that he has a fracture on his right wrist. And he is suffering from pneumonia, a condition in which other survivors have been found.
The doctors say Sero Sena -- we should wait until Sero Sena speaks a few words. But as far as the man who found him is concerned, he's saying there's no doubt in his mind that he's saying Sero Sena has got to be the luckiest man alive. NGUYEN: With no doubt. Now we are hearing, Satinder, that he has actually spoken to his doctors. Can you confirm that? And if so, what has he said?
BINDRA: Well, he's spoken very little. Actually, it's quite a sight . There's about five of 10 nurses around him. Always they keep tapping him on his chest. Speak up, speak up. And all that he said is my name is Sero Sena. And doctors say this is quite normal. He's confused perhaps. He may even be suffering from amnesia.
Just a short while ago, he did tell doctors, though, he has a son, and he has a daughter as well. This entire nation now, Betty, is waiting for him to speak. Of course, they're all hoping that he is indeed a survivor. And everyone here is watching this story very, very intently, very closely indeed.
NGUYEN: Absolutely. What an amazing story. And doctors expect him to recover. We wish him the best of luck.
Satinder Bindra from Galle this morning. Thank you for that report, Satinder.
Well, CNN is continuing its coverage of the Asian disaster with a dozen correspondents reporting from the four hardest hit tsunami countries. We will hear from some of them a little bit later right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
HARRIS: His first words are going to be will you stop tapping me on the chest?
NGUYEN: OK, leave me alone.
HARRIS: OK. How prepared are you to face a natural disaster or even a bad snow storm? What do you do in case of emergency? Find out how ready you are. Guidelines from the Red Cross next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
NGUYEN: And good morning, Seattle. We will have your forecast in about 15 minutes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: A massive winter storm is keeping people virtually holed up inside their homes out West. Would you know what to do if you were one of those folks? It's a good idea to be prepared for any emergency, whether it be a storm, a natural disaster, or even a terrorist attack.
Here with some advice that might help you avoid some life threatening problems is Christian Smith with the American Red Cross.
Christian, good to see you this morning.
CHRISTIAN SMITH, AMERICAN RED CROSS: Good to see you.
HARRIS: Generally speaking, we're not as prepared as we should be, should we?
SMITH: Well, unfortunately, no. Most people aren't. But given the activity and the recent storms and the things we saw over at the last year, we're hoping things are going to get better.
HARRIS: We're optimistic, aren't we?
SMITH: Yes, sir. Absolutely.
HARRIS: Maybe a little bit too much so?
SMITH: Well...
HARRIS: Yes, it can be. So I want to get right to what you describe is a very basic kit here. What do we have here?
SMITH: Well, obviously, you have your water. You have your first aid kit.
HARRIS: All right, hang on, hang on. Where's the water?
SMITH: You have your water.
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: You have your first aid kit.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: You have your batteries, your flashlights.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: Your little light kits. You want to pop those open. Your plastic sheeting, your work gloves.
HARRIS: I mean, what's the plastic sheeting for. You put that up on our windows?
SMITH: Well, in the event, when you were coming back home you may have some damage to your home on your roof or some...
HARRIS: Oh, oh, oh.
SMITH: ...of the areas, you want to put that on there. Sometimes people prepare those areas. And the case of any kind of chemical stuff may be coming into the home.
HARRIS: I see, I see.
SMITH: Then you have...
HARRIS: Tom Ridge would be happy. OK, plastic -- we have our plastic sheeting. OK.
SMITH: Then you have these kind of containers. These are great because you now, you have a gallon of water per person per day. But these actually, when you fill them up, they become five gallons. So it makes your room -- and you don't have to have much in your kit -- until you actually fill it up.
HARRIS: What are these? These are -- oh, oh, oh.
SMITH: Those are light sticks, just in case.
HARRIS: Light sticks. What do you mean, you break them and?
SMITH: You just break them.
HARRIS: Is that what it is? All right.
SMITH: Yes, you can open one if you -- I knew you were going to.
HARRIS: Well, yes. It's the kid in me. All right...
SMITH: Then you have your little radios and speeds -- the little light things. That's to go down hallways. If, for some reason, you were trapped in an area...
HARRIS: Right.
SMITH: ...that allows you to be able to see during that period of time.
HARRIS: Well, you shake it or you break it. You know, you take it.
SMITH: Break it.
HARRIS: You break it?
SMITH: Well, I think it's a breaker.
HARRIS: It is?
SMITH: It's a breaker.
HARRIS: I'm going to break it now.
SMITH: It's a breaker.
HARRIS: And there you go. Is that it, OK?
SMITH: You did good.
HARRIS: Should...
SMITH: You did very good.
HARRIS: I'm coachable. Should this kit -- this is a basic kit. Do you put this in the car? Is this in the house? Do you do a different kit for the home? SMITH: Well, this is the kind that I have like in my trunk in my car and under my desk. But the truth is that everybody's personal kit for their family are going to be larger, because you're going to have your perishable foods, things in there that are non-perishable, your canned goods.
You know, we have some emergency type food stuff that's right here.
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: But this is really emergency ration type things.
HARRIS: What is that? What's in there?
SMITH: It's these little -- it's pre-packaged...
HARRIS: Energy bars and protein...
SMITH: Well, no, they're not that great.
HARRIS: You don't want to describe it, do you?
SMITH: It's not -- it's pretty low end stuff, but it's emergency rations. It would keep you alive. It's got all the nutrients you need, as well as the calories.
But the truth is when you're putting together your family disaster kit, you really want to do it based on your family, getting the canned goods and things that you and your family -- how many of those are you going to open?
HARRIS: I just -- I'm just...
SMITH: I saw it.
HARRIS: ...we'll get plenty now. But you want us to call a conference, a family conference to sort of...
SMITH: Absolutely.
HARRIS: ...what our particular needs might be, what are -- to evaluate a risk, right?
SMITH: What, right. We want you to sit down with your family, identify what kind of hazards or emergencies may occur, what types of disasters.
HARRIS: Mm-hmm.
SMITH: Put together your plan. We also want you to talk about am I going to stay in my home and shelter and play?
HARRIS: Yes.
SMITH: Or do I need to evacuate. And then put together your supplies. And this can be a lot of fun. You go to the grocery story. You have your list going.
And the Red Cross is all over the communities. We have their (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
HARRIS: I'm sorry.
SMITH: And we have everything that you need.
HARRIS: Can't stop myself. OK, do you have more of these, I hope.
SMITH: Yes. And you know why don't you open this and eat some of this?
HARRIS: Your reaction says, you know, this is pretty bad. I got to ask you, though, the folks who are out West and who are getting hit by all this snow, you need a different kit, some additional elements for your kit for your car?
SMITH: Well, in those cases.
HARRIS: Blankets right?
SMITH: Wants you have your blankets, you want to have additional flashlights. Also, the transistor radio, which you see here.
HARRIS: Oh, OK.
SMITH: With your rations of foods and things of that nature. It's based on whatever you eat on a regular basis.
And in this case, you know, this would all be fine if you were stuck somewhere in a period of time. But if you were in your home, or if you had gone to a shelter, or if you were in a motel or some place like that, whatever foods you may take with you.
But the idea is to take all of this and have it in one centralized location.
HARRIS: Very good. OK, and can folks call the Red Cross and actually buy this kind of a kit from Red Cross?
SMITH: Well, you can buy pieces of it. And some of the kit pieces...
HARRIS: OK.
SMITH: ...the first aid kits and some of the pieces. But it's really about putting one together. We can give you...
HARRIS: OK, individualized.
SMITH: Absolutely.
HARRIS: Christian, thank you this morning.
SMITH: Sure.
HARRIS: And they work.
SMITH: Do you want to keep these?
HARRIS: I'm going to keep these. Let's take these home. The kids will love it.
SMITH: Hey, and look, you've got strings around them. You can put them around their neck.
HARRIS: Very cool, very cool.
SMITH: I get them from the American Red Cross.
HARRIS: There you go. All right, thank you. Thank you, Christian, we appreciate it.
SMITH: Thank you.
NGUYEN: Got to keep Tony away from those light sticks. All right, checking our top stories this morning, more snow expected today in the California mountains. In some places, yesterday, it was coming down about an inch an hour. Nearly 200 people were rescued after being stranded for hours on snow clogged roads in the San Bernardino mountains.
In Sri Lanka, three people were killed and 34 wounded in a grenade attack at a funeral in a rebel controlled area in an eastern Sri Lanka town. Relief workers fear their effort to get aid to tsunami victims will be hampered by what appears to be a sectarian violence.
Well, a large turnout is expected today as Palestinians on Yasser Arafat's successor. One candidate is charging voting violations, including a problem with the ink used identify which Palestinians have already voted.
Losses in war and losses back home. This young retired Marine has faced both. He is ending his career, his military career, but starting a new life. And we will bring you his story. That's up next right here on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Welcome back. He hasn't even started college yet, but he has already learned the harsh lessons of war. And this U.S. Marine has become a hero, not only on the battlefield, but also back at home.
Our Casey Wian brings us his story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 20-year-old Michael Vineyard is making a custom motorcycle seat at this shop in Shasta Lake, California. It's exacting work, but even more challenging because Vineyard works with only one eye.
CPL. MICHAEL VINEYARD (RET.), U.S. MARINES: I'm trying to find the hole that I lost so I can put a snap in.
WIAN: Vineyard lost his left eye in Iraq when a tire blew up in his face. It took 12 surgeries to repair the damage.
VINEYARD: To fix all the bone, they just cut me across the scalp and peeled my face off and they put a metal plate, one metal plate up here, two down here, and the lower of my socket was missing. So they put in a piece of synthetic bone down there to take up that space.
WIAN: Now Vineyard adapts to a new life.
VINEYARD: In certain instances, it's a little challenging. Like trying to get the straight lines on here. I have to sit here and look at it this way to make sure it's straight. I wasn't that distraught about the eye, as you might think. I was actually more distraught that I was getting out of the marine corps than to have lost my eye. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I was back there.
WIAN: The loss of his eye isn't the only setback Vineyard has endured. Two years ago his mom was killed in a car accident. After hearing the news, his grandfather had a stroke and died the same day. After that, he lost his other grandfather, and now he's taken over the guardianship of his 15-year-old brother. Still, he remains unfazed.
VINEYARD: I'm very optimistic. I'm always optimistic about the future. It throws its curveballs and rocks at me every now and then. People see me as a hero. I don't visualize myself as a hero. I'm just me, being me. WIAN: Vineyard will turn 21 and start college later this month. Already experienced with many of life's tougher lessons, he plans to become a teacher.
Casey Wian, CNN, reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NGUYEN: Wow. Well, we bring you hero stories every week on CNN SUNDAY MORNING. What a story.
HARRIS: Now that...
NGUYEN: That's a hero.
HARRIS: Yes, absolutely. We've been asking you this morning to share your snow pictures with us. We'll show you some of those images that we've gotten in so far, next on CNN SUNDAY MORNING.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Seaside homes battered by churning seas and high waves, that's the scene in parts of California hit by a series of winter storms this weekend. Look at these pictures.
The storms have brought heavy snow to some spots. Heavy rain and flash flooding to others. The flood waters have also left behind a muddy mess, if you can imagine. The roads are clogged with mud and homes and cars are splattered with it. Residents are bracing for more possible floods and even mudslides.
NGUYEN: All right, we want to find out when all this is going to be over. Orelon, do you have some advice here?
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: Well, Orelon, we can reinforce some of those pictures we've been seeing from out west with some of your e-mail photographs that you've sent into us.
This is from Alex. And he's got an icy day that he captured in the gulf of Maine. Take a look at this.
NGUYEN: Oh, look at that.
HARRIS: That's a great picture.
NGUYEN: He's on vacation capturing that.
HARRIS: And from Mike in Cincinnati, let's take a look at this. This is a deer in the snow. They're comfortable in the snow, aren't they?
NGUYEN: It's a pretty picture.
HARRIS: And Bill sent this in from Chicago.
NGUYEN: Yes.
HARRIS: One of the streets there in Chicago...
NGUYEN: Look at how thick those snowflakes are.
HARRIS: Big, thick snowflakes. Thank you for those e-mail pictures. I'll send more to us at wam@cnn.com and we'll get more of your photographs on the air throughout the morning. Thanks.
NGUYEN: Right now, the next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.
HARRIS: It is Sunday, January 9th, 9 a.m. at the CNN Center here in Atlanta and 5 a.m. out west on the West Coast where you're snowed in, rained in. Oh boy! Good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. Thanks so much for being with us this morning.
Now in the news. In the San Bernardino mountains east of Los Angeles, rescue crews have pulled at least 180 drivers from their vehicles. They're among 350 who got stuck in a deep snow last night. Snow piled up three to four feet deep along a five mile stretch of highway. Authorities were flooded with cell phone rescue calls. More snow and rain storms are expected today. We have a live report and a forecast straight ahead.
Meanwhile, no serious problems are reported as Palestinians elect a successor to Yasser Arafat. The new Palestinian president is expected to be interim leader Mahmoud Abbas. However, opposition candidate Mustafa Barghouti alleges widespread voting violations and demands an official investigation.
In Kenya Secretary of State Colin Powell attends a treaty signing to end civil war in southern Sudan. The U.S. and other countries press for an end to 21 years of fighting that killed two million people.
However, a separate conflict still rages in the Darfur region of western Sudan.
One U.S. sailor has died from injuries from a nuclear submarine accident in the western Pacific. He was one of 24 injured when the USS San Francisco ran aground under water. The Navy says there are no reports of damage to the sub's nuclear reactor.
HARRIS: All right. There's just so much to show and tell you this morning, like muddy waters, rounds of rain and snow to boot. The mess out west is gaining power by the hour, and well have your complete forecast in minutes.
And he's a high profile politician with a high minded message, so where in the world is Senator John Kerry? We'll tell you where and why in minutes.
And the panorama of pain and suffering brought on by the tsunami tragedy have some asking how could God let this happen. We'll discuss that in our Faces of Faith segment.
NGUYEN: Well back to this hour's top story. We are watching the weather in many cities this morning, as you can see on the screen, primarily in the snow battered western states though. Los Angeles, top left, is a soggy mess from a seemingly endless downpour.
But a bit less so, which is at the top right of the screen there, but still high seas are pounding the coasts. And parts of Washington state are digging out from about a foot of snow, which you see there in your bottom left screen.
And don't leave those beans out in Boston, which you see in your bottom right, it is still snowing there. They will be freezing for a little while.
HARRIS: Yes. Snow, snow and more snow in the west and rain too. Up to four feet of snow in the Sierras in California just since yesterday. Meteorologist Rob Marciano is more than knee deep in all of that snow in Tahoe City, California.
Just think, Rob, I was trying to get you out on the golf course last week. But I know you love these kind of weather events, but my goodness.
MARCIANO: Yes it's beautiful. Seventy plus weather at that time in Atlanta. Now look at me out west. I'm getting shorter by the hour it seems. You need one of these for sure up here in Lake Tahoe, at the very least. Certainly change would help also.
This car was parked here last night an look at it. Already buried in -- and I'm in knee deep snow for sure. This is a sidewalk, believe it or not, and this was cleared last night as well. Wind driven snow continues to pile up. The winds continue blowing at 30 miles an hour. That drops the wind chills into the teens.
Snow probably is not going to be as heavy as yesterday, but certainly drifting snow is going to be an issue. Icicles coming down. I mean it is just winter to the max.
Good news for skiers I suppose, yes. I mean you've got the icicles painting everything pretty, but skiers love the fresh pile and that's what they had up here yesterday. We went up to Squaw Valley, among other places, to get some video of folks having fun.
You know most areas with the winds not opening the top half of the mountains. So that gets everybody crowded down to the lower elevations. But there's powder everywhere so it doesn't really matter where you ski. And so much terrain up here. You can find some virgin stuff to cut your own traction.
The wind does become an issue though with visibility and also the lifts have become dangerous the higher up you go. So most of the ski resorts around here lower elevations only.
Homewood (ph) one of the ones just down the street, they typically are a little bit more wind protected.
Driving is an issue. Traffic is a bit of a problem. Although Interstate 80 one of the main roads that feeds at least Bay area residents in the northern parts of Lake Tahoe is now open, but you need chains and four wheel drive.
South part of Lake Tahoe, specifically Highways 88 and 50 have been closed. And like Orelon reported earlier in the program, Kirkwood has received upwards of 70 inches of snow and that's in the south part of Lake Tahoe. Sot hat highway and around that area has been closed as well.
Interesting note Reno airport, which is not closed very often, that's on the east side of the mountain in the desert they don't get nearly as much snow as we do here in Tahoe, but they had enough snow yesterday to close the airport for two hours and that caused a bit of a ripple effect across the nation.
I believe that airport will be open today. Interstate 80 open at least for now today, which means we may be able to get out tomorrow.
But I'll tell you what I wouldn't mind being stuck up there. It's pretty nice. I'll tell you that much, Tony. Tony well get that golf game in maybe later on...
HARRIS: Hey I'm holding up one of those Red Cross light sticks. You can wear it around you're neck. I recommend it. I want you safe out there all right. You and your crew.
MARCIANO: All right buddy.
HARRIS: All right, Rob.
MARCIANO: Thanks.
NGUYEN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) light sticks. All right, Tony. Well just north of Los Angeles flooding prompted a state of emergency in Santa Clarita. Newhall Creek widened into a river as mud and debris washed down from fire scared foothills.
Some people who live in the path of the rain swollen creek had to evacuate and another two to four inches of rain could fall by tomorrow.
Well, the winter storm is lashing the California coast is heavy surf. High tides combined with 17 foot swells are making things quite precarious for coastal home owners. High tides are expected to last through the weekend with the highest expected tomorrow.
HARRIS: Orelon Sidney is here with a detailed look at the storm forecast. And Orelon I guess folks out west are just wondering how long all of this is going to last.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: And, you know, your responses were so good yesterday we want to hear from you again today. Send us your snow storm pictures and we'll show some of them on the air. E-mail them to us at wam@cnn.com.
NGUYEN: Now to the destructive forces of nature in another part of the world, the latest in the tsunami disaster. An already unbelievable toll of grief and death just keeps rising. The confirmed number of lives claimed in the tragedy now tops 155,000. Most of those come from Indonesia.
U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is in Maldives this morning. He's getting a first hand look at how one of Asia's most exclusive tourist destinations was affected by the tsunamis. Eighty two people were killed there. And this man is resting now after apparently suffering a horrifying ordeal.
This 60 year old is believe to have lived two weeks buried under the rubble and ruin left by the tsunami. Rescue crews found the man in Sri Lanka yesterday severely dehydrated and with pneumonia. So far though he's only been able to mumble his name and a few other words.
And we want you to take a look at this incredible new video into to CNN this morning. It shows the tsunamis overwhelming power. This was the horrifying scene as Banda Aceh was crushed beneath a river of mud and debris.
That town on the northern tip of Sumatra was among the closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. Witnesses say the wave of water that followed the quake was some 60 feet high when it hit the beaches. It arrived in the town moments later as terrifying and relentless monster devouring everything in its path. Let's just take a listen here.
And when it was all over the main mosque, that you see right here, was the only one of the structures still left standing, as you see in this photo.
The death toll in Indonesia alone is at least 95,000 people with another 77,000 listed as missing.
HARRIS: And here is the latest Iraq situation report. A U.S. soldier assigned to Task Force Baghdad was killed at a roadside bomb attack this morning. Also two Iraqi police officers and three civilians are shot and killed yesterday at a check point south of Baghdad.
The U.S. military calls an air strike south of Mosul an unintended target. In a written statement it said five people were killed after an F-16 dropped a 500 ton bomb on a house. The statement went on to say the coalition deeply regrets the loss of possibly innocent lives.
At Ft. Hood Texas, Army Sergeant Tracy Perkins (ph) is sentenced to six months in prison. Perkins is convicted of mistreating Iraqi detainees. He was also reduced one rank to staff sergeant.
NGUYEN: Indonesia, a nation with the largest Muslim population in the world and the nations hardest hit by the tsunami, ahead in our Faces of Faith the Muslim perspective on God's part in that disaster.
HARRIS: And at the bottom of the hour on "HOUSE CALL" our Dr. Sanjay Gupta looks at the steep slopes tsunami survivors must climb toward recovery.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: If you're already struggling with your New Year's resolution help is on the way. Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer joins us next hour to talk about his revolutionary weight loss program. Put down the donut. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: Well god morning Phoenix, Arizona where the sun hasn't come up just yet. But today is the final day for zoo lights where you will find more than two million lights and dozens of animated displays. We'll have your complete forecast in about one minute.
Right now though Palestinians are going to the polls today in an historic election. They're voting for Yasser Arafat's successor. Not only could this be the first truly democratic Arab election, but it may also mark a turning point in the quest for peace in the Middle East.
CNN's Hala Gorani has the perspective of one Palestinian living in America.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Issa Boulos first came to America in 1986. He's one of some 230,000 Palestinians living in the United States. In addition to a job at the University of Chicago, Issa directs this Middle East music ensemble.
At his home in the Chicago area he says that despite years of violence between Israelis and Palestinians he's still hopeful that a new leadership will mean a fresh start.
ISSA BOULOS, PALESTINIAN EXPATRIATE: Essentially all Palestinians hope that this election will bring new blood to the way the Palestinian leadership has been pursuing negations with Israelis on the one hand. And we're definitely hoping for this election to bring peace.
GORANI: And although Palestinians outside the territories can't vote in this weekend's presidential election, Issa says he stays up to date with what's happening back home. But his hopes for peace are tempered with what many Palestinians see as a collective destiny that is not entirely in their own hands.
BOULOS: They can do things underground. They can improve the security situation. They can improve the lives of Palestinians. They can perform better in negotiations. But it comes down to Israel's attitude toward the whole thing.
So far we haven't' got really any serious notion that Israel is willing to give up its dreams of keeping the West Bank.
GORANI: And life many Palestinians Issa feels the U.S. Is the only broker powerful enough to force a fair solution on all parties if, he says, it has the will to do so
Hala Gorani, CNN Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Orelon Sidney is following a very, very complicated weather story out west for us this morning. Good morning, Orelon.
(WEATHER REPORT)
HARRIS: In our news across America now an update on that deadly train wreck in South Carolina. Officials have upped the number of dead to nine. A 57 year old man from Aiken (ph) was found in a building yesterday.
Thursday's crash, which included cars containing deadly chemicals. sent several cars reeling and plums and toxic gases into the air. Some 5400 residents forced to evacuate still can't go home. Butch Cassidy escapes to ride a gain. The actor, Paul Newman, is reportedly OK after the race car he was driving caught fire in Florida yesterday. Newman, who is a champion racer, was testing the car at Daytona Beach when flames flickered up inside the engine chamber.
The fire did not find its way into the cockpit and the 79 year old actor was not harmed.
And viewers be warned we have a scoop you might not want to hear just yet, which move will win this year's Peoples Choice Award for best picture. The Web site goldderby.com has learned it will be "Fahrenheit 911." The Web site also says director Michael Moore was tipped off ahead of time.
The Peoples Choice Awards air tomorrow night on CBS.
NGUYEN: So he already knows, huh. Well, a disaster that brings people from around the world together ahead in our faces of faith. The Muslim perspective on why God would let the tsunami disaster happen in the first place.
HARRIS: And at the bottom of the hour, "HOUSE CALL" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta from Sri Lanka, how victims are recovering two weeks after the tsunami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NGUYEN: It's a question plaguing many people in the wake of the tsunami disaster, how could God let something like this happen. For a Muslim perspective we turn now to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He is the author of "What's Right with Islam," a new vision for Muslims and the west and he joins us now from New York.
Good morning to you Imam Feisal.
IMAM FEISAL ABDUL RAUF, AUTHOR & MUSLIM LEADER, : Good morning, Betty.
NGUYEN: Well, let's talk about this for a moment because when you lose over 155,000 people in a natural disaster like this many are questioning why would God let this happen. So, as a Muslim leader what is your answer to that?
RAUF: A number of things. First, our prophet taught us that any soul who dies by drowning and earthquake, in an epidemic and you have to remember that as recently as 90 years ago or less in the United States we had a flu epidemic in which about 10 percent of our population died.
Even a woman who dies in childbirth is given the reward of paradise. The tsunami can be looked at and should be look at as divine writ, a divine scripture writ large. It's a portent, it's a preview of what we call the Apocalypse, what Muslims call the last day.
It's a day which our scripture the Koran describes as a day when the earth will quake, when seas will surge forth, when graves will be scattered, when people say what's happened to the earth. It's a day when the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) belongs to God alone.
And the purpose for that, Betty, is to remind us that we should not live our lives on this earth as if this life is the be all and end all of our existence. We were created by God and we did exist before we were incarnated into this life. And after this life we shall proceed to an eternal life compared to which this life will be no more than a day or part thereof.
So it's about broadening our existential world view so that we live this life as god's stewards both loving God and loving our fellow human beings and fulfilling our obligation during this very brief sojourn in this life.
NGUYEN: Yes. Now talk to us about how much a persons faith is truly tested in a disaster such as this.
RAUF: Our lives are always tested. In fact our scripture says that this whole life, the purpose of this life is a test. It is a trial by fire or a baptism by fire, if you will, to determine those of us who are true to God verses those who are false to God.
Not only are calamities a trial even the benefits we get, the good things we receive, our wealth and our power is also a trial and a test. If we respond -- these are all tests by God. If we respond to them in a way that is in keeping with a good conscious mentality and attitude then we have succeeded. We have aced the test and the trial.
Whereas if we have -- if we fail these tests whether it's test of calamities or tests of benefits than we have failed the test for the next life.
NGUYEN: But some of those who are tested the most in a situation like this are the mothers who have lost their children, the husbands who have lost their entire family. What do you say to them?
RAUF: Well there's a beautiful story in the teaching of our profit in which he says on the day of judgment a child, and all children enter paradise, will be crying refusing to entire paradise without its parents. And God will tell the child go and take your parents into paradise with you.
So the -- and there are many other stories like this, which would show us God's infinite compassion and how from the point of view from an infinite life and what's the day of judgment and how God will unfold and express his compassion, mercy to all of humankind that everything looked at from the point of view of the day of judgment, everything is a source of divine compassion.
NGUYEN: Imam Feisal we want to thank you for sharing the Muslim perspective with us today. Thank you.
RAUF: Thank you, Betty.
NGUYEN: Tony.
HARRIS: Good words. Good words. All right, we've been asking you to send you e-mails to us and to show us some of your snow storm pictures. We have some. This is Pam's picture from Indiana. Look at the tree just bent and tilted there from all of the ice.
Wayne sent us a picture in from Reno, Nevada, an area particularly hard hit and there's a dog taking in all of the snow wondering what the heck is going on here.
NGUYEN: What's going on?
HARRIS: And this from Carol in Kansas. This is ice. This should be...
NGUYEN: I thought it was a postcard.
HARRIS: Yes, they should be titled ice on trees. Thank you for the e-mails. We really appreciate those. And in the 9 o'clock hour we'll show some more. Here's the address, wam@cnn.com. Send us some of those snow bound pictures this morning.
Top stories and "HOUSE CALL" are straight ahead.
NGUYEN: Doctor Sanjay Gupta takes a close personal look at how victims are recovering physically and emotionally after the devastating tsunamis in South Asia.
HARRIS: And good morning everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
NGUYEN: I'm Betty Nguyen. We are back at the top of the hour. Stay with us.
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