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CNN Saturday Morning News

Japan Offers $500 Million In Aid To Southern Asia; Panel Discusses Best/Worst Trials This Year

Aired January 01, 2005 - 08:00   ET

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

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


RANDY KAY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Randy Kay in for Betty Nguyen. Thanks for being with us.
Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi announced today that his country will offer $500 million in aid to southern Asia. That would make Japan the single largest contributor so far.

Meanwhile, U.S. military helicopters are now part of the massive relief efforts in southern Asia. For the first time today, U.S. choppers dropped supplies into parts of Indonesia. Hardest hit by the tsunamis. USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is now in the Indian Ocean to support supply missions. The U.S. has offered $350 million in aid so far.

2005 began with somber celebrations across much of the world. Prayers and candle light vigils replaced parties across Asia to honor the thousands of tsunami victims. Sweden's prime minister urged his countrymen to light candles for the hundreds of Swedes missing and feared dead. Even revelers in New York City's Times Square held a moment of silence to mark the tragedy.

At the Vatican, Pope John Paul II celebrated a special New Year's mass for the tsunami victims. He publicly praised the outpouring of international aid as a sign of hope for 2005. The Roman Catholic Church dedicates each January 1st to World Peace Day.

Police in New Jersey are talking to a man about a laser beam that was aimed directly at police helicopter pilots. A similar incident happened Wednesday around the same spot. The beam was traced to a home in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) New Jersey. The laser incident is one of several that happened across the country this week.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, helping itself and others in need as the toll of death and devastation rises in southern Asia. We'll tell you how India is using its military to help another country hit hard by last Sunday's tsunami.

Meanwhile, the scene in Sri Lanka is still grim as the country races to save stranded survivors. We'll speak with a relief volunteer on the ground who says some far (UNINTELLIGIBLE) places are not being visited by aid groups.

And one scores points. Another has scores of brands. And the soap opera of yet another scored big ratings. What do Kobe, Martha and Scott have in common, besides becoming household names in 2004? Famous orders in the court. We'll take a look back in our legal briefs (ph).

KAY: Our top story this hour, it's been almost one week since large parts of southern Asia were ferociously soaked by the sea. And today as the dawning of a new year begins, the unbelievable scope of devastation widens.

In Thailand and Sri Lanka, more worry and woe as both countries up their numbers of dead and missing. Thailand reports more than 4,800 now dead. And Sri Lankan officials working with rebels in that country say Sunday's tsunami claimed almost 44,000 of its residents.

The latest overall count, more than 138,000 dead. As the counting continues, so do the relief efforts. But a lack of coordination, a shortage of fuel and rough roads to cross are making things even more difficult.

Despite those issues, two U.S. charities have pledged their initial contributions. The Christian relief group, World Vision International says it will send 50 million to the region. While the American Red Cross is pledging $30 million.

While charity is pouring in from afar, for Sri Lanka, good will is also arriving from closer to home. India, which is dealing with the aftermath of the tsunami is helping Sri Lanka with it's crisis. Our Satinder Bindra is in Sri Lanka with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the largest relief operation launched by the Indian (UNINTELLIGIBLE) outside it's water. In all, the Indian navy has deployed 11 ships in the tsunami struck region. Seven of these ships are now along the coast of Sri Lanka, and three of these ships are deployed along the coastal city in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here in southern Sri Lanka.

I here on one of the ships. And just in front of me, there are two other Indian navel ships. One of these ships is a floating hospital. It can have about 45 people in there at one time. These people can be treated all at one time. The other ship is carrying a lot of relief and medical supplies. India, along with other nations has also donated money.

India says it will give Sri Lanka $25 million. And Indian officials here say this money and this relief effort is a symbol of the deep ties that exist between these countries. In the next coming days, the Indian naval officers have their tasks cut out for them.

They have to clear out (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Harbor. Apparently there's a lot of debris, sunken fishing boats and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The Indians are also watching the coastal area very closely. They fear that has things exist right now, there may be an outbreak of an epidemic.

On board the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just off the coast of Galle, I'm Satinder Bindra for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: President Bush responded to increasing international pressure by upping U.S. aid to tsunami victims from $35 million to $350 million. The president is also sending a top delegation to south Asia this week to get a firsthand look at the devastation. For more on the U.S. response, let's go straight to White House Correspondent let's go to Elaine Quijano. She is with the president in Crawford (ph), Texas. Good morning Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Tony. That's right. The White House's announcement yesterday came after days of criticism that the Bush administration was not doing enough, and moving quickly enough to help the tsunami victims.

As you mentioned, President Bush while on vacation at his ranch here in Crawford, Texas making the announcement, multiplying the initial pledge ten fold of $35 million up to $350 million. Now, the president issuing a written statement to make that announcement. But also talking about some of what he says are the substantial U.S. relief efforts already underway in the affected areas, noting that cargo planes by the U.S. are helping to deliver relief supplies.

Also noting that military ships and personnel will be helping teams on the ground to generate clean sources of drinking water. Now, while the president was out of sight yesterday, his secretary of state Colin Powell was in New York City meeting with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan to discuss the disaster.

Mr. Powell saying that the decision to increase the money by the U.S. came after some of the initial assessments came in. Mr. Powell also saying that that number, $350 million could actually go up. As you mentioned, Secretary Powell is headed to the region along with President Bush's own brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush. They will be heading up a U.S. delegation to survey the damage. The survey the destruction.

The White House saying that Governor Bush is qualified as a person who has had firsthand experience dealing with natural disasters. Governor Bush, in fact, was at the helm this past year, 2004 when four major hurricanes hit his state. Tony?

HARRIS: Elaine, a couple of questions. It sounds like that response to Jeb Bush going is to the question of why Jeb Bush. Does that make sense?

QUIJANO: Well, it does. It's interesting because Jeb Bush, some are saying, did quite well in the post hurricane aftermath. There were four hurricanes, as you recall, that were within, perhaps, about a month or month-and-a-half, if I recall correctly, and it was one right after the other. He was widely praised at that time for coming out publicly, responding, letting the residents of Florida know that help was on the way.

Now, interestingly, some people have said perhaps, perhaps, this was a move to elevate his profile on a national level, on an international level as well. And perhaps, preposition him for the 2008 presidential race. Governor Bush made clear this past fall that after his term ends; he's not interested in running. Of course as some have noted, that's three years away and anything could happen.

HARRIS: No! Politics? No way. For a while there, there was a lot of conversation that the United States was organizing its own relief effort separate and apart from the U.N. has that pretty much been squashed?

QUIJANO: At this point all we're hearing about is this core group of nations. That's something that the administration has pretty much reaffirmed. We heard not only Secretary Powell talk about this, but even President Bush in his statement yesterday noting that the United States was working with the international community.

The initial core group as you recall was not only the United States, but also Japan, Australia and India. And the purpose, really, was to make sure they didn't duplicate their efforts. As you can imagine, a lot of resources pouring into some of these areas. They wanted to be sure they wouldn't be wasting any of those resources.

Secretary Powell saying yesterday he hopes eventually this core group will work itself out of business, meaning the nations involved will be so organized, there simply won't be a need for that core group.

HARRIS: Elaine Quijano on vacation with the president in Crawford Texas, although she's not on vacation. Elaine, thank you.

And good morning Chicago, we have your windy city forecast and weather across the nation just ahead.

KAY: Also on the docket, we'll look at the legal cases that kept us on our toes this past year.

HARRIS: And your weekend house call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on tap today. Focusing on health effects for tsunami survivors.

KAY: As we reflect on the tragedy in Southeast Asia, we're bringing you memorable quotes that bring the scale of the disaster into focus in a profound way.

A scene of unbelievable devastation. With entire towns completely vaporized. That from Conservationist Mike Griffith, describing what he saw flying over the western coast of Sumatra.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Good morning. Chicago, we'll have your complete weather forecast in about a minute.

Aid is arriving and the death toll is rising. The tsunami disaster tops our covers this morning. U.S. military helicopters are dropping relief supplies into parts of Indonesia's hard-hit Aceh Province. The area has been virtually cut off for nearly a week.

Desperate survivors swarmed towards one chopper as it briefly touched down. The death toll from last Sunday's massive earthquake and tsunami has topped 138,000, and it is likely to rise. Thousands of people are still missing across Southeast Asia.

Meantime, Japan has boosted its pledge of aid to tsunami victims this morning. Japan is now offering $500 million in grant aid, making it the single largest donor to relief efforts.

What made 2004 unforgettable for you? That's our e-mail question this morning. Take a moment now to reflect and share your thoughts with us. We're at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

KAY: I don't know about you, but I have lots of friends across the country who are awfully cold in parts of Minnesota, pretty chilly out there. Brad?

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAY: In our legal briefs this morning, recognize these faces? They were at the center of the most prominent court cases of 2004. Prosecutors dropped a sexual assault case against NBA star Kobe Bryant. Domestic Diva Martha Stewart is serving a five-month prison term for lying about a stock sale. And Scott Peterson was convicting of killing his pregnant wife and unborn son. The jury recommended death.

Those cases soaked up the public's attention in a big way. Our legal analysts say they also represent the best and the worst the legal system has to offer. Joining us now from Miami, Florida is civil liberties lawyer Leda Rodriguez Tassiff. And from Houston Texas, former prosecutor Nelda Blair. Good morning ladies.

Nelda, let's start with you and Kobe Bryant. Did the prosecution rush to charge there?

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Yes sure they did. And when you talk about best and worse, this is one of the worst, and for that reason. Whether the prosecution didn't investigate correctly, whether they just charged out of the blue, or whether they made mistakes during the pretrial by not giving over evidence when they should have, it was all a bad way to prosecute.

It shows what happens when you might have a decent case, but you don't follow through correctly. And these folks, they had one main person they had to rely on, and she became very unreliable.

KAY: Leda, do you agree?

LEDA RODRIGUEZ TASSIF, CIVIL LIBERTIES LAWYER: Absolutely. And you know this is funny. Because I'm glad we're into the New Year. The old year, she defended her to the end and even after the charges were dismissed. This was a bad case and it's a bad precedent for another reason.

One of the biggest disasters and travesties of this case is the misinformation or disinformation about victim impact and victim history. And about the history of a woman's sexual conduct in the past. I think a lot of people, a lot of legal commentators are running around saying that this case spells the end for protecting the history of a woman, and it is not true.

What happened here was that this woman's sexual acts after the alleged encounter became very relevant, and that's why she became very unreliable. And so we need to remember that a woman's --

BLAIR: Well in addition to that, you are right about that Leda (ph). Except in addition to that, there was a whole lot more than just whether or not she had sex with someone else after she was with Kobe Bryant. This judge practically disabled the rape shield law in this case. And that's another reason it's the worst case for the year. Because we can't have victims being tried.

TASSIF: That's not exactly how it went and you know it. But go ahead.

KAY: All right ladies. Let's move on so we can get to all of them. How about Martha Stewart? Nelda, slap on the hand?

BLAIR: Martha Stewart is -- well, it's best and worst. Worst because it's a slap on the hand. That's exactly right. Martha's comment was she hopes she's out of federal prison in time for spring planting, like it's an inconvenience for her. That's a very bad message.

But on the other hand, it's a good case because it shows the little guy that even those people with a lot of money are not above the law. I still don't understand why Martha's serving the sentence while her appeal is pending. Leda (ph) perhaps you can explain that one.

TASSIF: I'm not quite sure why she is serving her sentence, other than she's smart and she wants to get on with her life. This is a case that sets a dangerous precedent for people. This woman was prosecuted, not for being a criminal, but for lying about something that isn't even a crime.

Imagine, if you will, a murder takes place and the lover - the illicit lover of the victim lies about his affair. But he had nothing to do with the murder. So what does the prosecution do? They prosecute him for lying to them about the affair. That's exactly what happened here.

Why aren't we outraged? Because the prosecution in this case has misstated the facts and continues to claim even now that this is a case about insider trading. Nelda you know it is not.

BLAIR: Leda (ph), you don't go to federal prison if you're not a criminal.

KAY: All right. Let's move on to Scott Peterson. Nelda, best or worst?

BLAIR: Absolute best. This is a perfect example of how the legal system is supposed to work. The whole world now knows that a circumstantial case without an eyewitness, without a smoking gun, without even a cause of death can be won by a proper prosecution.

This prosecution ignored public scrutiny. It ignored the questioning by armchair quarterbacks, stuck to their guns, made their play, and did a great job of putting on their case. The jury did the same thing. They had the upheaval of jurors being dismissed. They had undue media attention to some of the jurors. They took care. They took thoroughness and made the right decision.

KAY: Do you think the fact he didn't testify may have hurt him?

BLAIRE: I think it would have killed him if he had testified. He was a lying, cheating scoundrel. We knew that much. Why should we believe him on a witness stand?

KAY: All right Leda (ph). Your thoughts?

TASSIF: Way to turn a phrase. No, this is prosecution by substitution. What happened here is that every good fact was substituted by a lie by the prosecution. And every juror who wanted to question the evidence was substituted by a juror who didn't want to question the evidence.

In the end, what won this prosecution was the hunches that these jurors had formed prior to this case coming to trial. A hunch is not reasonable doubt. And it's not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

All you had to do is hear what these jurors had to say afterwards to know. One juror said as far as he was concerned, if the body had been found in the desert, we wouldn't be here today. But, by God, since the body was found in the same place he went fishing, he must guilty. My goodness. Where was the reasonable doubt?

JAY: Leda (ph), it's going to be another year of anti- prosecution from you. I think it's going to be. Leda Rodriquez Tassif (ph) and Nelda Blair, happy New Year to both of you. Thanks again for being with us.

BLAIR: Happy New Year.

HARRIS: And they started so well.

KAY: They were getting along.

HARRIS: So what made 2004 memorable for you? We are reading your e-mails next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: It is one of the most heart-breaking elements of a tragic story. A huge number of children were killed in the massive tsunamis in south Asia. Many lived in Sri Lanka. A country at war. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports on U.S. relief help for Sri Lankan children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a Sri Lankan born and raised in Beverly Hills is focused.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very overwhelming. There's so many things going on sometimes.

MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has spent the last several summers helping orphans along Sri Lanka's northeast coast. Now she's volunteering at the L.A. of Operation USA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard one of the orphanages is six to 10 feet under water. One of the orphanages with 65 children was totally destroyed. Those children, none of them survived.

MARQUEZ: Sri Lanka is home to a huge number of orphans because of decades of civil war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The tsunami happened in a political climate which was very, very tense.

MARQUEZ: Though a peace accord was signed two years ago, the terms were never implemented. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), who is getting her PhD from U.C.L.A. in political science hopes the tsunami cleared a path for peace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the destruction of the infrastructure in the area is going to make it very difficult to return to war.

RICHARD WALDEN, PRESIDENT, OPERATION USA: Sri Lanka actually can use all the stuff coming in, but they don't have the means to absorb it.

MARQUEZ: Richard Walden, president of Operation USA says working with ethnic groups in Sri Lanka has given them a leg up in getting aid to those who need it most.

WALDEN: We're sort of more accustomed to navigating the minefield of the government approval process.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are the boys we worked with.

MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) holds on to a handful of pictures and cards, memories of children whose fate is unknown.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To know that, you know, maybe tens or hundreds of them have died, I don't know what you're supposed to deal with that.

MARQUEZ: For now, she's found relief work a relief of its own.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: And we want to get to your e-mail responses. The question this morning is what made 2004 unforgettable for you?

KAY: And we have gotten many responses and we want to share one with you. It is 2004 will not easily be forgotten. Living in Hernando Florida with three hurricanes back-to-back, we had a taste of what it is like to have no electricity, no water being displaced. And now worse even than 9/11, the tsunami. I cannot even imagine so many deaths. That's from Susan.

HARRIS: Wow. We'll continue to do this. Send us your e-mails. What made 2004 unforgettable for you? E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We'll take those e-mails in the 9:00 hour.

It's New Year's Day, and you know what that means. Randy, the Rose Parade. And once again this year, animal lover Jack Hanna (ph) will be part of the festivities. We'll talk to him live in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

KAY: And your weekend house call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on tap today. Focusing on health effects for tsunami survivors. I'm Randy Kay.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. We'll see you again at the top of the hour. HOUSE CALL with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and your top stories straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired January 1, 2005 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RANDY KAY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Randy Kay in for Betty Nguyen. Thanks for being with us.
Japanese prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi announced today that his country will offer $500 million in aid to southern Asia. That would make Japan the single largest contributor so far.

Meanwhile, U.S. military helicopters are now part of the massive relief efforts in southern Asia. For the first time today, U.S. choppers dropped supplies into parts of Indonesia. Hardest hit by the tsunamis. USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is now in the Indian Ocean to support supply missions. The U.S. has offered $350 million in aid so far.

2005 began with somber celebrations across much of the world. Prayers and candle light vigils replaced parties across Asia to honor the thousands of tsunami victims. Sweden's prime minister urged his countrymen to light candles for the hundreds of Swedes missing and feared dead. Even revelers in New York City's Times Square held a moment of silence to mark the tragedy.

At the Vatican, Pope John Paul II celebrated a special New Year's mass for the tsunami victims. He publicly praised the outpouring of international aid as a sign of hope for 2005. The Roman Catholic Church dedicates each January 1st to World Peace Day.

Police in New Jersey are talking to a man about a laser beam that was aimed directly at police helicopter pilots. A similar incident happened Wednesday around the same spot. The beam was traced to a home in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) New Jersey. The laser incident is one of several that happened across the country this week.

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, helping itself and others in need as the toll of death and devastation rises in southern Asia. We'll tell you how India is using its military to help another country hit hard by last Sunday's tsunami.

Meanwhile, the scene in Sri Lanka is still grim as the country races to save stranded survivors. We'll speak with a relief volunteer on the ground who says some far (UNINTELLIGIBLE) places are not being visited by aid groups.

And one scores points. Another has scores of brands. And the soap opera of yet another scored big ratings. What do Kobe, Martha and Scott have in common, besides becoming household names in 2004? Famous orders in the court. We'll take a look back in our legal briefs (ph).

KAY: Our top story this hour, it's been almost one week since large parts of southern Asia were ferociously soaked by the sea. And today as the dawning of a new year begins, the unbelievable scope of devastation widens.

In Thailand and Sri Lanka, more worry and woe as both countries up their numbers of dead and missing. Thailand reports more than 4,800 now dead. And Sri Lankan officials working with rebels in that country say Sunday's tsunami claimed almost 44,000 of its residents.

The latest overall count, more than 138,000 dead. As the counting continues, so do the relief efforts. But a lack of coordination, a shortage of fuel and rough roads to cross are making things even more difficult.

Despite those issues, two U.S. charities have pledged their initial contributions. The Christian relief group, World Vision International says it will send 50 million to the region. While the American Red Cross is pledging $30 million.

While charity is pouring in from afar, for Sri Lanka, good will is also arriving from closer to home. India, which is dealing with the aftermath of the tsunami is helping Sri Lanka with it's crisis. Our Satinder Bindra is in Sri Lanka with that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the largest relief operation launched by the Indian (UNINTELLIGIBLE) outside it's water. In all, the Indian navy has deployed 11 ships in the tsunami struck region. Seven of these ships are now along the coast of Sri Lanka, and three of these ships are deployed along the coastal city in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here in southern Sri Lanka.

I here on one of the ships. And just in front of me, there are two other Indian navel ships. One of these ships is a floating hospital. It can have about 45 people in there at one time. These people can be treated all at one time. The other ship is carrying a lot of relief and medical supplies. India, along with other nations has also donated money.

India says it will give Sri Lanka $25 million. And Indian officials here say this money and this relief effort is a symbol of the deep ties that exist between these countries. In the next coming days, the Indian naval officers have their tasks cut out for them.

They have to clear out (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Harbor. Apparently there's a lot of debris, sunken fishing boats and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). The Indians are also watching the coastal area very closely. They fear that has things exist right now, there may be an outbreak of an epidemic.

On board the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) just off the coast of Galle, I'm Satinder Bindra for CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: President Bush responded to increasing international pressure by upping U.S. aid to tsunami victims from $35 million to $350 million. The president is also sending a top delegation to south Asia this week to get a firsthand look at the devastation. For more on the U.S. response, let's go straight to White House Correspondent let's go to Elaine Quijano. She is with the president in Crawford (ph), Texas. Good morning Elaine.

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you Tony. That's right. The White House's announcement yesterday came after days of criticism that the Bush administration was not doing enough, and moving quickly enough to help the tsunami victims.

As you mentioned, President Bush while on vacation at his ranch here in Crawford, Texas making the announcement, multiplying the initial pledge ten fold of $35 million up to $350 million. Now, the president issuing a written statement to make that announcement. But also talking about some of what he says are the substantial U.S. relief efforts already underway in the affected areas, noting that cargo planes by the U.S. are helping to deliver relief supplies.

Also noting that military ships and personnel will be helping teams on the ground to generate clean sources of drinking water. Now, while the president was out of sight yesterday, his secretary of state Colin Powell was in New York City meeting with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan to discuss the disaster.

Mr. Powell saying that the decision to increase the money by the U.S. came after some of the initial assessments came in. Mr. Powell also saying that that number, $350 million could actually go up. As you mentioned, Secretary Powell is headed to the region along with President Bush's own brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush. They will be heading up a U.S. delegation to survey the damage. The survey the destruction.

The White House saying that Governor Bush is qualified as a person who has had firsthand experience dealing with natural disasters. Governor Bush, in fact, was at the helm this past year, 2004 when four major hurricanes hit his state. Tony?

HARRIS: Elaine, a couple of questions. It sounds like that response to Jeb Bush going is to the question of why Jeb Bush. Does that make sense?

QUIJANO: Well, it does. It's interesting because Jeb Bush, some are saying, did quite well in the post hurricane aftermath. There were four hurricanes, as you recall, that were within, perhaps, about a month or month-and-a-half, if I recall correctly, and it was one right after the other. He was widely praised at that time for coming out publicly, responding, letting the residents of Florida know that help was on the way.

Now, interestingly, some people have said perhaps, perhaps, this was a move to elevate his profile on a national level, on an international level as well. And perhaps, preposition him for the 2008 presidential race. Governor Bush made clear this past fall that after his term ends; he's not interested in running. Of course as some have noted, that's three years away and anything could happen.

HARRIS: No! Politics? No way. For a while there, there was a lot of conversation that the United States was organizing its own relief effort separate and apart from the U.N. has that pretty much been squashed?

QUIJANO: At this point all we're hearing about is this core group of nations. That's something that the administration has pretty much reaffirmed. We heard not only Secretary Powell talk about this, but even President Bush in his statement yesterday noting that the United States was working with the international community.

The initial core group as you recall was not only the United States, but also Japan, Australia and India. And the purpose, really, was to make sure they didn't duplicate their efforts. As you can imagine, a lot of resources pouring into some of these areas. They wanted to be sure they wouldn't be wasting any of those resources.

Secretary Powell saying yesterday he hopes eventually this core group will work itself out of business, meaning the nations involved will be so organized, there simply won't be a need for that core group.

HARRIS: Elaine Quijano on vacation with the president in Crawford Texas, although she's not on vacation. Elaine, thank you.

And good morning Chicago, we have your windy city forecast and weather across the nation just ahead.

KAY: Also on the docket, we'll look at the legal cases that kept us on our toes this past year.

HARRIS: And your weekend house call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on tap today. Focusing on health effects for tsunami survivors.

KAY: As we reflect on the tragedy in Southeast Asia, we're bringing you memorable quotes that bring the scale of the disaster into focus in a profound way.

A scene of unbelievable devastation. With entire towns completely vaporized. That from Conservationist Mike Griffith, describing what he saw flying over the western coast of Sumatra.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Good morning. Chicago, we'll have your complete weather forecast in about a minute.

Aid is arriving and the death toll is rising. The tsunami disaster tops our covers this morning. U.S. military helicopters are dropping relief supplies into parts of Indonesia's hard-hit Aceh Province. The area has been virtually cut off for nearly a week.

Desperate survivors swarmed towards one chopper as it briefly touched down. The death toll from last Sunday's massive earthquake and tsunami has topped 138,000, and it is likely to rise. Thousands of people are still missing across Southeast Asia.

Meantime, Japan has boosted its pledge of aid to tsunami victims this morning. Japan is now offering $500 million in grant aid, making it the single largest donor to relief efforts.

What made 2004 unforgettable for you? That's our e-mail question this morning. Take a moment now to reflect and share your thoughts with us. We're at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

KAY: I don't know about you, but I have lots of friends across the country who are awfully cold in parts of Minnesota, pretty chilly out there. Brad?

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAY: In our legal briefs this morning, recognize these faces? They were at the center of the most prominent court cases of 2004. Prosecutors dropped a sexual assault case against NBA star Kobe Bryant. Domestic Diva Martha Stewart is serving a five-month prison term for lying about a stock sale. And Scott Peterson was convicting of killing his pregnant wife and unborn son. The jury recommended death.

Those cases soaked up the public's attention in a big way. Our legal analysts say they also represent the best and the worst the legal system has to offer. Joining us now from Miami, Florida is civil liberties lawyer Leda Rodriguez Tassiff. And from Houston Texas, former prosecutor Nelda Blair. Good morning ladies.

Nelda, let's start with you and Kobe Bryant. Did the prosecution rush to charge there?

NELDA BLAIR, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Yes sure they did. And when you talk about best and worse, this is one of the worst, and for that reason. Whether the prosecution didn't investigate correctly, whether they just charged out of the blue, or whether they made mistakes during the pretrial by not giving over evidence when they should have, it was all a bad way to prosecute.

It shows what happens when you might have a decent case, but you don't follow through correctly. And these folks, they had one main person they had to rely on, and she became very unreliable.

KAY: Leda, do you agree?

LEDA RODRIGUEZ TASSIF, CIVIL LIBERTIES LAWYER: Absolutely. And you know this is funny. Because I'm glad we're into the New Year. The old year, she defended her to the end and even after the charges were dismissed. This was a bad case and it's a bad precedent for another reason.

One of the biggest disasters and travesties of this case is the misinformation or disinformation about victim impact and victim history. And about the history of a woman's sexual conduct in the past. I think a lot of people, a lot of legal commentators are running around saying that this case spells the end for protecting the history of a woman, and it is not true.

What happened here was that this woman's sexual acts after the alleged encounter became very relevant, and that's why she became very unreliable. And so we need to remember that a woman's --

BLAIR: Well in addition to that, you are right about that Leda (ph). Except in addition to that, there was a whole lot more than just whether or not she had sex with someone else after she was with Kobe Bryant. This judge practically disabled the rape shield law in this case. And that's another reason it's the worst case for the year. Because we can't have victims being tried.

TASSIF: That's not exactly how it went and you know it. But go ahead.

KAY: All right ladies. Let's move on so we can get to all of them. How about Martha Stewart? Nelda, slap on the hand?

BLAIR: Martha Stewart is -- well, it's best and worst. Worst because it's a slap on the hand. That's exactly right. Martha's comment was she hopes she's out of federal prison in time for spring planting, like it's an inconvenience for her. That's a very bad message.

But on the other hand, it's a good case because it shows the little guy that even those people with a lot of money are not above the law. I still don't understand why Martha's serving the sentence while her appeal is pending. Leda (ph) perhaps you can explain that one.

TASSIF: I'm not quite sure why she is serving her sentence, other than she's smart and she wants to get on with her life. This is a case that sets a dangerous precedent for people. This woman was prosecuted, not for being a criminal, but for lying about something that isn't even a crime.

Imagine, if you will, a murder takes place and the lover - the illicit lover of the victim lies about his affair. But he had nothing to do with the murder. So what does the prosecution do? They prosecute him for lying to them about the affair. That's exactly what happened here.

Why aren't we outraged? Because the prosecution in this case has misstated the facts and continues to claim even now that this is a case about insider trading. Nelda you know it is not.

BLAIR: Leda (ph), you don't go to federal prison if you're not a criminal.

KAY: All right. Let's move on to Scott Peterson. Nelda, best or worst?

BLAIR: Absolute best. This is a perfect example of how the legal system is supposed to work. The whole world now knows that a circumstantial case without an eyewitness, without a smoking gun, without even a cause of death can be won by a proper prosecution.

This prosecution ignored public scrutiny. It ignored the questioning by armchair quarterbacks, stuck to their guns, made their play, and did a great job of putting on their case. The jury did the same thing. They had the upheaval of jurors being dismissed. They had undue media attention to some of the jurors. They took care. They took thoroughness and made the right decision.

KAY: Do you think the fact he didn't testify may have hurt him?

BLAIRE: I think it would have killed him if he had testified. He was a lying, cheating scoundrel. We knew that much. Why should we believe him on a witness stand?

KAY: All right Leda (ph). Your thoughts?

TASSIF: Way to turn a phrase. No, this is prosecution by substitution. What happened here is that every good fact was substituted by a lie by the prosecution. And every juror who wanted to question the evidence was substituted by a juror who didn't want to question the evidence.

In the end, what won this prosecution was the hunches that these jurors had formed prior to this case coming to trial. A hunch is not reasonable doubt. And it's not proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

All you had to do is hear what these jurors had to say afterwards to know. One juror said as far as he was concerned, if the body had been found in the desert, we wouldn't be here today. But, by God, since the body was found in the same place he went fishing, he must guilty. My goodness. Where was the reasonable doubt?

JAY: Leda (ph), it's going to be another year of anti- prosecution from you. I think it's going to be. Leda Rodriquez Tassif (ph) and Nelda Blair, happy New Year to both of you. Thanks again for being with us.

BLAIR: Happy New Year.

HARRIS: And they started so well.

KAY: They were getting along.

HARRIS: So what made 2004 memorable for you? We are reading your e-mails next on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: It is one of the most heart-breaking elements of a tragic story. A huge number of children were killed in the massive tsunamis in south Asia. Many lived in Sri Lanka. A country at war. CNN's Miguel Marquez reports on U.S. relief help for Sri Lankan children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT, (voice over): (UNINTELLIGIBLE), a Sri Lankan born and raised in Beverly Hills is focused.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very overwhelming. There's so many things going on sometimes.

MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) has spent the last several summers helping orphans along Sri Lanka's northeast coast. Now she's volunteering at the L.A. of Operation USA.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard one of the orphanages is six to 10 feet under water. One of the orphanages with 65 children was totally destroyed. Those children, none of them survived.

MARQUEZ: Sri Lanka is home to a huge number of orphans because of decades of civil war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The tsunami happened in a political climate which was very, very tense.

MARQUEZ: Though a peace accord was signed two years ago, the terms were never implemented. (UNINTELLIGIBLE), who is getting her PhD from U.C.L.A. in political science hopes the tsunami cleared a path for peace.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the destruction of the infrastructure in the area is going to make it very difficult to return to war.

RICHARD WALDEN, PRESIDENT, OPERATION USA: Sri Lanka actually can use all the stuff coming in, but they don't have the means to absorb it.

MARQUEZ: Richard Walden, president of Operation USA says working with ethnic groups in Sri Lanka has given them a leg up in getting aid to those who need it most.

WALDEN: We're sort of more accustomed to navigating the minefield of the government approval process.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are the boys we worked with.

MARQUEZ: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) holds on to a handful of pictures and cards, memories of children whose fate is unknown.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To know that, you know, maybe tens or hundreds of them have died, I don't know what you're supposed to deal with that.

MARQUEZ: For now, she's found relief work a relief of its own.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HARRIS: And we want to get to your e-mail responses. The question this morning is what made 2004 unforgettable for you?

KAY: And we have gotten many responses and we want to share one with you. It is 2004 will not easily be forgotten. Living in Hernando Florida with three hurricanes back-to-back, we had a taste of what it is like to have no electricity, no water being displaced. And now worse even than 9/11, the tsunami. I cannot even imagine so many deaths. That's from Susan.

HARRIS: Wow. We'll continue to do this. Send us your e-mails. What made 2004 unforgettable for you? E-mail us at wam@cnn.com. We'll take those e-mails in the 9:00 hour.

It's New Year's Day, and you know what that means. Randy, the Rose Parade. And once again this year, animal lover Jack Hanna (ph) will be part of the festivities. We'll talk to him live in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

KAY: And your weekend house call with Dr. Sanjay Gupta is on tap today. Focusing on health effects for tsunami survivors. I'm Randy Kay.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. We'll see you again at the top of the hour. HOUSE CALL with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and your top stories straight ahead.

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