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CNN Saturday Morning News

Special Report: Tsunami Aftermath

Aired January 01, 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.


TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is January 1, 2005.

Happy new year.

7:00 a.m. in the East. Night crawlers trying to pull in a little...

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Making their way home.

HARRIS: 4:00 a.m. out West, which means the party is still going.

KAYE: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye in today for Betty Nguyen.

Thanks for being with us.

U.S. aid arrives in Indonesia aboard helicopters from the Aircraft Carrier Lincoln. The choppers touched down this morning in the devastated Sumatran town of Banda Aceh, loaded supplies and headed for other hard hit communities.

CNN's Mike Chinoy has a live report just ahead.

Even more misery this morning for people living in Sri Lanka. Flash floods washed out refugee camps in two eastern provinces in the island nation. The floods caused no casualties, but complicated efforts to get relief supplies to the refugees.

Palestinian security forces say a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was killed when a rocket slammed into her home in northern Gaza. Palestinian militants often fire this type of rocket, which isn't very accurate, from northern Gaza into Israel.

In a special mass today, Pope John Paul II prayed for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunamis. And on the Catholic Church's World Peace Day, the pope called on all men of goodwill to renew their commitment to peace.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

HARRIS: And other stories you won't want to miss this hour, a powerful mix of conflicting emotions this New Year's Day amid the usual hoopla and fireworks to welcome 2005. No one can forget that 2004 ended with great tragedy. A report from Times Square is ahead.

Also coming up, a view of the tsunami disaster you'll see only on CNN. We'll take you inside rebel held territory in Sri Lanka for a firsthand look at the devastation there.

And later, the rich tradition of the Bowl games and the riches that lie within. CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow takes us "Beyond The Game."

KAYE: 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 is on the rise. In Thailand and Sri Lanka, more worry and woe, as both those 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 relief efforts. But a lack of coordination, a shortage of fuel and some rough roads to cross are making those efforts difficult. Despite those difficulties, 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.

Meanwhile, more help is on the way. U.S. military helicopters touched down in the Sumatran town of Banda Aceh, where they were loaded with supplies for areas hit hard by the tsunamis almost a week ago.

CNN's Mike Chinoy rode along on one of those relief flights and he joins us live with the details -- Mike, if you will, could you set the scene for us on the ground as those relief supplies landed there.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I certainly could. The scene on the ground at Banda Aceh Airport is a constant flurry of helicopters from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, as well as Australian and Indonesian military transport aircraft bringing in supplies.

And a few hours ago, the first U.S. relief mission took off, heading toward the worst hit areas. And I was along on that flight. A helicopter going toward a town called Kultitanam (ph), about 70 miles south of Banda Aceh. It was a scene of absolute devastation. And when we touched down, a crowd of desperate survivors surged toward the helicopter.

The men on board were delivering supplies of milk and nutritional supplements. These people obviously hadn't eaten anything, clearly hadn't drunk anything, hadn't had any medicine for almost credible desperation, frantic scenes, as they lunged for this first, relatively small, delivery of supplies. One man saying to me, "Aceh has drowned. We are finished." Another man coming up and tearfully saying, "Thank you. Thank you."

We were only on a ground a few moments and then the chopper took off, heading for the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to pick up more fuel and then planning to go back and deliver more supplies. This is a routine that is going to be a regular one for these American servicemen for some time to come.

KAYE: All right, Mike Chinoy for us in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Thank you, Mike.

A group of elite relief workers from Virginia are among the crews on their way to help tsunami survivors. The team left on a flight last night, along with some other specially trained crews from Los Angeles. They will be advising local officials on reconstruction efforts.

More on the U.S. military relief role just minutes from now. We'll talk with Air Force Brigadier General John Allen, Jr., the Pentagon's director of East Asia and Pacific affairs.

HARRIS: A tremendous loss of life in South Asia from the earthquake and tsunamis led to muted, in some cases, even somber new year's observances around the world.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa reports on the event in New York's Times Square.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the traditional ball drop, 2005 descended on the city that never sleeps. For 100 years now, Times Square has been wide awake on New Year's Eve.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We wanted to do something excited, and where do you go? New York.

HINOJOSA: Revelers arrived in the last hours of 2004, planning to keep the party going well into the first morning of 2005. But given the solemn events in Southeast Asia this past week, it was also a night for reflection, including an official moment of silence. With that, New Yorkers, who still vividly remember 9/11, paid their respects. Then, as they say here on Broadway, they went on with the show.

(on camera): And now that the ball has dropped and the partiers have gone home and the cleanup has begun, New York City can say it has safely and securely brought in a new year.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: The new year around the world now. In Thailand, where the giant waves killed more than 4, 800 people, there was a candlelight vigil. But the new year was also celebrated with tourists dancing and drinking in nightclubs on Phuket.

In Moscow, fireworks illuminated the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin said his top priority in 2005 is to improve the lives of Russian citizens.

Rockets also exploded over London and crowds packed the streets. But the celebrations were overshadowed by 34 British deaths from the Indian Ocean tsunamis. Two minutes of silence commemorated the victims.

So what made 2004 unforgettable for you? That's our E-Mail Question this morning. Take a moment, reflect and share your thoughts with us. We are at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

KAYE: Now to our "Security Watch," where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror.

Tuesday, U.S. intelligence officials said Osama bin Laden may be using political arguments instead of threats of violence to rally Muslim opposition against the U.S. Analysts have noticed the change in the last few messages bin Laden is thought to have released. Officials believe bin Laden is trying to exploit some allies' concerns with U.S. policy in the Middle East to sway moderate Muslims. The latest audio message purported to be from bin Laden came out Monday.

Wednesday, the government said it is sharing detailed information with all levels of law enforcement on al Qaeda's surveillance activities inside the U.S. But a bulletin released this week says there's no sign that al Qaeda surveillance is helping to advance plans for an attack.

And clashes between some government agencies on sharing fingerprint information may be making it easier for known terrorists to entire the country. That's one of the findings in a Justice Department review released Wednesday. Among the concerns is which law enforcement agencies should have access to fingerprint records.

FBI agents have questioned a Parsippany, New Jersey man about a laser beam that illuminated a police helicopter and a Cessna plane. The New Jersey incidents were among several involving lasers and aircraft, most of them commercial planes that were approaching airports. All the aircraft did land safely. The man was questioned at his home by agents and by officers of New York's joint terrorist task force. He has not been charged with anything.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

You've rung in the new year. It's almost time to cheer on your favorite team.

HARRIS: Yes.

KAYE: A preview of the day's college match-ups is just ahead.

HARRIS: And later, we'll hear from a couple who survived the tsunami in Sri Lanka, plane in blissful ignorance, until they broke the surface of the ocean.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart and Scott Peterson -- the legal highlights of 2004, some might say low lights, are on the docket in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From the CNN Weather Center, I'm meteorologist Brad Huffines with your cold and flu report across the country from the CDC.

We are still seeing some local activity across parts of the nation's middle, from Kansas through Colorado.

Across the rest of the country, just sporadic activity, except for some regional activity across the upper Midwest, across parts of the Ohio Valley, also toward Alaska.

Look at the Northeast. Things are breaking out there, with widespread activity through parts of New York, and, again, local activity across the mid-Atlantic states and other parts of New England.

Your complete we forecast still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Other headlines across America this New Year's Day, a slow roll along the Mississippi River marks the start of a new chapter for the space shuttle program. The newly redesigned external fuel tank will travel by barge from New Orleans to Cape Canaveral, a journey that will take five days. NASA plans to use the tank for a May or June launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.

In the Gulf of Mexico, what was supposed to be a few hours of leisurely sailing turned into a cold and scary night for a family on vacation. The experienced sailors were left drifting for six hours after a powerful gust of wind capsized their rented catamaran. The Coast Guard eventually located them several miles out in the Gulf.

And in Pasadena, California, everything's coming up roses. The annual Rose Parade gets under way at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. This year's event features 50 flower-covered floats, 26 equestrian units and 25 marching bands. Mickey Mouse is serving as grand marshal.

Among those floats in Pasadena will be naturalist Jack Hanna. Stay close at 9:00 Eastern. We're going to talk with Jack, get a preview of his float and also talk about the amazing reaction many animals in Asia had to the tsunami this week.

HARRIS: And we are going "Beyond The Game" this morning with a whole bunch of games. The new year means the college football Bowl game marathon is under way. Some games have already been played.

Here's a taste of what's to come.

The granddaddy of Bowl games, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, pits Michigan against Texas at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Wisconsin takes on Georgia in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. That's at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time.

At 1:00 p.m., Iowa takes on LSU in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

How am I doing, Rick?

Jacksonville, Florida hosts the Toyota Gator Bowl at half past noon.

Florida State meets West Virginia.

And on January 4, the BCS championship game, the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami pits number one Southern Cal against number two Oklahoma.

College football fans know the sun rises and sets around the Bowl games this time of year. But while our attention is focused so intently on the field, there's another competition going on behind- the-scenes. Bowl sponsors go head to head to see who can rake in the biggest bucks.

More on that as we go "Beyond The Game" with the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," our very own Rick Horrow.

Rick is in studio with us this morning.

And -- Rick, as I look at you, I didn't know, Rick -- good to see you, Rick.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Yes. That's enough talking from you, man, all right?

HARRIS: I'm sorry. No.

HORROW: That's enough talking.

Happy new year to you, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, happy new year.

Good to see you.

HORROW: I decided to wear a bright tie today because I wanted to make sure that we didn't have your audiences put to sleep today.

HARRIS: Nice. Nice.

Happy new year, sir. HORROW: Yes, really.

HARRIS: Well, how have the travels been so far? You've been all over the place, haven't you?

HORROW: Twenty Bowls down, six today.

HARRIS: Really?

HORROW: For me, this is Bowl four, five and six. We do Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. We eat steak at the Outback Bowl. We get financing at the Capitol Bowl. We buy a car at the Gator Bowl. We rest for a day, then we do the national championship on Tuesday.

HARRIS: The games been OK? Pretty good? What do you think?

HORROW: The games have been great because these niche Bowls take a useful place. It's only a three quarter of a million dollar payout to these teams and, for example, 6-5 Alabama; 6-5 Minnesota yesterday. You'd think that wasn't a big deal. $30 million for the city of Nashville. The alumni were there. Everybody was excited. They felt it was like a Super Bowl.

HARRIS: OK, Rick, so there was a lot of money being made by these colleges across-the-board, correct?

HORROW: Right. Right. That's correct.

HARRIS: When will this translate for athletes? Are we going to start to pay some of these athletes?

HORROW: Well, you know, some of them are being paid right now under the table and the real problem is how to deal with it and make it legitimate, so to speak. Nebraska, California, Texas have all introduced legislation to actually pay the athlete. They haven't worked that way, but we've got $750 million from a college fund out of a CBS basketball contract that the NCA may spread around.

HARRIS: Whoa.

HORROW: They're even talking about unionizing. The problem with that is these athletes are only in college for three or four years, so it's hard to get them to have a personal stake in the process. We'll just have to see how they get paid.

HARRIS: OK.

And sharing the wealth, when are ladies going to get a bigger slice of this enormous pie out there?

HORROW: Well, you know, we're talking about college football now. That's the revenue driver. But only 6 percent of the programs in college sports actually make money. So someone has to cut somewhere. And when Clinton amended the rules for Title IX in '86...

HARRIS: Title IX. HORROW: ... we thought about how to structure the deal better. And now, frankly, 170 men's programs have been cut, but yet only 41 percent of the dollars go to women's sports. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but there continues to be some needs for some definition in the future so we can structure it even better.

HARRIS: OK. And your travel plans today, what do they call for here?

HORROW: Well, out of here pretty quick, a flight to Tampa, a flight to Orlando, a helicopter to Jacksonville, and then back, man. So we see about five quarters of football in three cities, and we get really very excited about it. We'll report later on about the Bowls as we get into the next set of Bowls, which is the Bowl championship series. We'll do this tomorrow, too.

HARRIS: And the Bowl championship series, that pits -- now we're going to get to the nitty-gritty, right? We're going to figure out who the number one team is in the country.

HORROW: The first 24 games are one phase. The next phase is the next four, which is the Bowl championship series, a $17 million payout per team. We may have three undefeated teams at the end of this.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: Boyden State lost yesterday, but Utah and Auburn are still undefeated and, of course, Oklahoma and Southern Cal.

HARRIS: This is nuts.

HORROW: One of them is going to be undefeated. But, hey, controversy is good for a $5 billion business, which is college football.

HARRIS: OK. Rick, good to see you.

Let me set your itinerary one more time.

HORROW: Got it.

HARRIS: OK?

Rick's Bowl mania continues today. At 12:00 Eastern, after he gets back from the Outback Bowl and then he's off to the Toyota Gator Bowl. That game starts at 12:30 Eastern -- Randi.

KAYE: OK.

Thank you, Tony.

Time now for a preview of weekend weather.

Brad, what's it looking like out there?

HUFFINES: Well, Rick may take you to three games today. I'll take you to all five coming up next on CNN SATURDAY as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: 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.

Here is one.

"It brought back images of the war which I lived through as a boy. It looked like after a heavy bombardment." That's former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who narrowly escaped the tsunami in a Sri Lankan hotel. He planned to stay in the country at a time of need rather than return to Germany.

HARRIS: As we reported, the first U.S. relief supplies have made it to earthquake and tsunami shattered areas of Sumatra. The supplies, along with military assessment teams, arrived this morning aboard helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

Joining us now from Washington is Air Force Brigadier General John Allen, Jr., director of East Asia and Pacific Affairs for the Defense Department.

General, good to see you this morning.

BRIG. GEN, JOHN ALLEN, JR., USAF: Good morning.

HARRIS: OK, where do we go from here? Now, we understand that the military assets are on the ground in Sumatra now and some of those hardest hit areas, like Banda Aceh. Where do we go from here?

ALLEN: Well, we have a significant U.S. government reaction that's going on right now. Massive U.S. response is under way, coordinated by the State Department and USAID and the Department of Defense is helping by moving a significant military presence to the region.

As you see by these pictures, that presence immediately is in the form of the Carrier Strike Group Abraham Lincoln, which is off the coast of Sumatra. The helicopters of the Abraham Lincoln are beginning to move to Banda Aceh, pick up the supplies that are building up there and are delivering them to remote sites throughout the northern portion of Sumatra.

As these supplies build up, it's important for us to be able to move those supplies quickly to those areas that have been so badly ravaged by this disaster. As you know, of course, the infrastructure, the logistics of that region, the roads, the bridges, etc., have been badly damaged by the results of the tsunami. So these helicopters are immediately beginning to play in the process to deliver these supplies forward from Banda Aceh to those people who so desperately need this response and this system.

HARRIS: General, when you see those pictures of so many desperate people rushing the helicopters, do you worry about that situation, that it's not as safe, as contained as you would like to have it? Certainly we all understand the desperation that's going on on the ground right now.

ALLEN: Well, you phrased it well. It is a desperate situation. This is also a humanitarian operation, as well, and we're going to do all we can to ensure that these supplies reach these people. And we'll do all we can to assist in the process of the distribution of these supplies so that they reach the right people in the right manner.

But, yes, there will be desperation on the ground.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALLEN: But we believe that our forces are well enough trained to be able to handle that.

HARRIS: General, we've heard a lot this week about coordination.

Can you talk to us about how well the coordination effort has gone? We understand that India is sending naval ships into the area to help, as well.

How has the coordination effort gone?

ALLEN: We think it's gone very well. At this juncture, there has been formed something called a core group, which is a group of nations to whom we have made contact, with whom we've made contact, and they are contributing as best they can and we're coordinating that contribution at all levels, both political, diplomatic, material and military. And this cooperation and this coordination will continue so that we can focus the resources to effectively and efficiently deliver those resources to the point of need as quickly as we possibly can.

The State Department has done magnificent work in this and the militaries, in conjunction with the U.S. military in the region, have been cooperating marvelously.

HARRIS: Now, have you ever seen anything quite like this?

ALLEN: No. There have been other disasters in that region, of course -- Mount Pinatubo, the disaster in Bangladesh, with which we -- to which we responded with Operation Sea Angel years ago. But the enormity of the area, the size of the suffering, the numbers of dead, this is probably unprecedented. And if you were to superimpose this region over a map of the United States, you'd probably realize immediately that we're operating in a region that covers virtually the entire geographic region of the United States.

So for our diplomatic services, our military services to be able to respond to that, this should give the world and the United States, the people of the United States, a sense of the magnitude of this response and how quickly the United States swung into action to marshal its resources to be able to be effective and efficient in this process.

HARRIS: Brigadier General John Allen, Jr.

Thank you for your time this morning.

Happy new year and thanks for your efforts to try to bring some comfort to those people in South Asia.

We appreciate it.

ALLEN: Happy new year to you, as well.

Thank you.

HARRIS: OK.

KAYE: Well, lots of folks will be inside watching the Bowl games today. But...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

KAYE: You're one of them, right?

HARRIS: Me, too.

OK.

KAYE: After work, you're heading home, turning on that TV.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

KAYE: Well, Brad Huffines, still, we want to know what's going on out there in the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: Nice.

HARRIS: Well, they play in rain. They're football players. Come on.

KAYE: They're tough.

HARRIS: They play -- well...

HUFFINES: Well, it's kind of a vacation, too for those guys.

HARRIS: Yes, that's true. Warm everywhere. It looks great.

Brad, thank you.

KAYE: Thank you.

HUFFINES: All right.

HARRIS: Believe it or not, tourists are already back on the island of Phuket. We'll take you there live next. KAYE: And an unanticipated sidebar to that massive disaster in Sri Lanka. Two factions that have been warring for decades are coming together to help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Only on CNN we are getting the first look at the disaster aftermath in the northern part of Sri Lanka.

Welcome back.

I'm Randi Kaye.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

That report in a minute.

First, a look at the morning headlines.

More aid is arriving into areas devastated by this week's earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia. The U.S. has raised its relief contribution tenfold, from $35 million to $350 million. And the death toll throughout the region is now more than 138,000.

In eastern Sri Lanka, heavy rains added to the misery of those left homeless by last weekend's tsunamis. Some 2,000 people were displaced yet again after flash flooding early this morning that blocked several roads.

Millions of people across the world ushered in the new year with solemn celebrations. A candlelight vigil was held on the Thai resort island of Phuket, which was devastated by Sunday's tsunamis. Some cities around the world replaced new year's festivities with memorials. Others interrupted it with a moment of silence.

The FBI is questioning a New Jersey man to see if he pointed a laser beam at a police helicopter and a small aircraft flying over New Jersey this week. Authorities are also investigating whether the man may have been involved in similar incidents involving six commercial jets.

KAYE: In the wake of the crushing tsunamis that hit South Asia, life is returning to normal in some areas of Thailand. Tourists frolicked on the beach on the southern island of Phuket today. But reminders of the giant waves that killed more than 4,800 people in Thailand are not too far away.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us from Phuket -- and Aneesh, I understand you're finding a real sense of resilience there.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, good morning.

It is really the odd juxtaposition of Phuket Island. It seems, perhaps, a bit callous to talk of tourism, but that industry is the lifeblood here in Thailand and here in this area. Thousands of livelihoods are at stake. As we go east from where we are, Phi Phi Island is destroyed. The beach area of Kalak is destroyed.

Phuket is really the only thing that in some semblance is still standing, so the responsibility and the pressure falls upon the hotel owners here to try and rebuild and try and do so as quickly as possible. The Thai tourism minister saying he hopes most structures will be rebuilt and operational within the month.

The reason for all of this is economics. Some $10 billion of revenue comes into this country from tourism, more than 40 percent of that from this area. Some five million people come here annually. But already, Randi, 70 percent of those who were planning to come here have canceled their reservations.

So as we go forward now, these are critical weeks for this industry, the perhaps thought of economic devastation in the long-term is very real. But as you say, it's an odd situation given that the relief efforts continue. Debris continues to be cleared. The death toll here now hovering close to 5,000. The Thai prime minister saying it could go as high as 8,000, but perhaps even higher. There are still thousands of people missing.

We now know from the Swedish ambassador that 3,500 Swedes are among those missing. And as we go forward and as no one hears from them and they are unaccounted for, it is increasingly likely that a good number of those are, in fact, dead -- Randi.

KAYE: Aneesh, as you've been talking, we've been looking at pictures of some of the relief efforts and pictures such a stark contrast. Those folks frolicking on the beach and then some of the massive destruction that we've seen in this last week.

Are hotels there being used at all, as they rebuild, to house any of the folks who were displaced by this?

RAMAN: They are. Keep in mind that a lot of the people, especially here on Phuket Island, who would have been displaced, besides the tourists, are Thais that work within this industry. So they clearly would have found shelter with those that they know. A large number of those would have been at hotels.

But it really is a surreal experience to have these two images, these two stark images side-by-side. But it is one that the Thai government and those that are here need to go forward with. There has to be some sort of rebuilding here because those that are living, their livelihoods are contingent on this.

So while those relief efforts continue, a lot of tourists who are here tell us the reason they are staying, the reason they've come is to try and put money into this economy. A hotel manager we spoke to put it as simply as you can understand it. One dollar spent is one dollar that goes back into this economy. And so going forward, this area, more so than anywhere else, must rebuild and must try to do so as quickly as possible.

KAYE: How many hotels, Aneesh, were actually left standing and where were they in relation to the coast? RAMAN: The vast majority, as far as we can tell, of hotels on Phuket Island are, in fact, still standing. It was a matter of days before they got power back up, before they got running water. But you did not see any sort of severe structural damage like you saw in Kalak. That's where the hotels, such as the Sofitel, were completely gutted, where a large number of this death toll does come from. And so those areas are utterly devastated.

We were there earlier this week, and rebuilding there is beyond comprehension. They simply have to try and stabilize that situation and find all the bodies before contamination spreads.

But in Phuket, relatively speaking, they are quite aware that they are lucky. The structures here were incredibly well fortified and were able to withstand a good deal of those forceful waves. So they're trying to make the best of this situation and they're keeping in mind the large numbers of people dependent on what happens here in the next few weeks -- Randi.

KAYE: All right, Aneesh Raman from Phuket, Thailand.

Thank you, Aneesh.

HARRIS: And turning to another region hit hard by the tsunamis, Sri Lanka. The government says it is cooperating with the Tamil Tigers rebel group to get aid to rebel-held spots. The two sides have been in a civil war for decades.

CNN's Stan Grant is the only broadcast journalist to get into the Tigers' territory.

He is in Mollaittivu in northern Sri Lanka with the latest -- Stan.

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've just moved up from Mollaittivu, actually, to a place called Muliawali (ph). And I'm standing now in a refugee camp. These people that you can see around me here are all the people who fled from Mollaittivu after the tsunami came through and caused that enormous destruction.

Now, there is such an uncertain future for these people. There's about 1,000 of them here in this particular refugee camp. But the latest figures coming from the Tamil Tigers and also from the United Nations here, is that there are around about 700,000 people who have actually been displaced by this tsunami.

Now, add to that a death toll that is skyrocketing. Just in the past 24 hours, we have seen it increase by many, many thousands. The official death toll at the moment for the north and also the northeast of Sri Lanka stands at around 18,000. However, there is another 19,000 people who have -- who are missing and they are presumed dead. The United Nations and the Tamil Tigers told me there is absolutely no chance that those people actually will be found alive.

The final death toll here will certainly surpass around 40,000, going on those figures that are coming in. Now, there is such an uncertain future, as I say, for these people here. Much of the industry that they actually relied upon, the fishing industry, has been destroyed. Eight hundred kilometers of coastline here, up to one kilometer actually inland, as well, has been destroyed by the tsunami. They've lost their livelihoods. They've lost their homes. And they are now waiting for the relief from those aid agencies, who must negotiate with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

You rightly point out there's been a two decade long civil war with the Sri Lankans in the south to create a separate homeland here. And the Tamil Tiger are saying that any aid agency must go through them. At the moment, they are getting their cooperation. But the people here who need the fresh water, who need the fresh bedding, who need the food, the babies who need their protein simply to stay alive, are not getting enough of it and they're not getting enough of it quickly enough.

HARRIS: Well, Stan, give me a sense of how the rebel group and the government are actually working together. Describe that cooperation. Are they side-by-side? An aid box comes off of a plane, a transport of some kind, and it's handed to one of the members of the Tigers? Is that how it's working here?

GRANT: That is not how it's working. In fact, it's working the very opposite. The Tamil Tiger work directly with the aid groups, with the United Nations, with the Red Cross. They work with the various non-governmental organizations. And they work directly with them. The aid comes in through those groups. It's handled through the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and they dispense that aid.

What we -- the situation to understand a little bit more clearly here is you're effectively dealing with two countries. To get into this region, we had to go through, out of the borders of Sri Lanka and through a checkpoint into the Tamil Tiger' stronghold.

The Tigers have fought here for more than 20 years and they have established what can best be called a de facto state. They run their own operations and they are very used to relief organizations such as this getting relief to people because of that 20 years plus long war.

Just a final note. I did speak to the head of the political wing of the Tamil Tiger today, effectively the prime minister, if you like, of this de facto state. He said he would like to see a renewed push for peace with the south come out of this. But he's saying the south must cooperate with the Tamil Tiger. There cannot be, as he calls it, an asymmetrical distribution of aid. It cannot be uneven. He says the people in this region of Sri Lanka have been hit the hardest, far worse than the south, and they are the ones who need it.

If they're going to cooperate with the government of the south, the government must make sure that the bulk of that aid gets to the people who do need it. At that stage you cannot say, at this stage, rather, you cannot say there is cooperation between the government in the south and the Tamil Tiger.

HARRIS: Stan Grant in northern Sri Lanka. Stan, we appreciate it. thank you.

And you won't want to miss what's coming up this morning. A miraculous tale of survival. One island nearly at the quake's epicenter barely had a coconut out of place after all was said and done. We will take you there just ahead.

KAYE: In the days immediately after the disaster in Southern Asia, cnn.com opened its site to people desperately searching for information about loved ones in the tsunami zone. Well, it paid off. Many people used CNN as a clearinghouse for information.

Here now some of their messages and the result.

"Looking for information about my 37-year-old nephew, his wife Echo and 2-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Their location in Phuket is still unknown."

And here's the update. "I have gotten a lot of calls about my nephew and family in Phuket. Thanks to everybody, good news. They are well and alive."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Here is what's all new in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

One woman's effort to deliver aid to some of the hardest to get to areas in Sri Lanka, where weather, waves and blocked roads are still cutting people off from the supplies and help they are so desperate for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We told you some amazing survivors' stories. But wait until you hear this one. After being trapped for five days after the earthquake and tsunami, a man was pulled alive from the rubble in Indonesia's Banda Aceh. Some parts of the remote area are just now being reached by search and rescue teams. Local media reports say the man is in pretty good shape, despite being without food or water for so long.

And the tsunami disaster tops our coverage this New Year's Day.

Here's the latest.

The death toll has topped 138,000 and it is still climbing. Thousands of people remain missing in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Indonesia is the hardest hit. Nearly 80,000 are reported dead there.

Meantime, U.S. military helicopters are bringing aid to Indonesia's Sumatra Island, near the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the deadly tsunamis. But aid workers face some big hurdles, including a lack of coordination, a fuel shortage, rough weather and rough roads. Other nations are also making big offers of aid this morning. Japan's prime minister has pledged up to $500 million for tsunami ravaged areas. That makes Japan the biggest single donor so far.

So what was your top story of last year? Our E-Mail Question this morning is what made 2004 unforgettable for you? We are at wam@cnn.com and we'll be reading some of your replies a little later this hour.

KAYE: We've seen the video of the tsunamis as they rolled into various places. But it's difficult to gauge the scale of those waves. This graphic does offer some comparison and helps explain why the tsunamis were so destructive.

In the northernmost point of Sumatra, which was closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, witnesses say the tsunami was 60 feet high when it smashed ashore.

It's being called a miracle island -- an area along Indonesia's coast not only survived last Sunday's earthquake and tsunamis, it was virtually unscathed.

Our Atika Shubert has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, from the epicenter of one of the biggest earthquakes in recent history, the island of Simeulue is amazingly intact. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake picked up and shifted the entire island.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've even seen your coconut (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SHUBERT: Yet from our plane window, we can see idyllic seaside villages seemingly impervious to the devastation that has swept the region. This plane was the first to arrive since the earthquake amid rumors the island was under water.

(on camera): Before this plane arrived, the island of Simeulue has lost all communication with the world and many had believed the island had been simply wiped off the map.

(voice-over): The local governor is overjoyed. Without any other means of communication, this is his chance to get the word out that the island survived, but still needs help. "Thanks be to god that we did not lose many lives," he said. "But we did lose our homes, schools and mosques."

In fact, the island did not escape unscathed. Scores of homes on the northern coast were destroyed and need to be rebuilt. What saved lives was this scene -- villagers running for the hills after the initial earthquake. Islanders received a tsunami warning handed down from generation to generation. The island's harbor manager explained it like this: "The story goes that in the 1800s, there was an earthquake so big that it brought the sea onto land. So whenever there's an earthquake, we run for the hills."

A few days later, residents came down and returned to normal life, thankful that they minded island folklore. In what is otherwise a sea of despair, this is an island of hope.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Simeulue, Indonesia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: It is still hard to believe, we were here last Sunday when this story started and when we went on the air last Sunday, the death toll was 1,700 and the number now, you just can't even get your mind around all of the loss of life and devastation in the area.

KAYE: And we may never know when we've lost islands that are now underwater and countless lives so.

HARRIS: We may never know. We'll be reporting this story for another year.

Let's bring it back home now.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Happy New Year, Philadelphia. The weekend forecast for you and the rest of the nation is coming up with Brad Huffines in about five minutes on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: The tsunami tragedy is dominating the headlines this week.

But right now, we're going to "Rewind" and take a look at some of the other stories in the news from the past five days.

Tuesday, actor Jerry Orbach died of prostate cancer at the age of 69. the award winning actor was perhaps best known for his role as Detective Lenny Briscoe on the NBC crime drama "Law and Order."

Wednesday, a government official told CNN that over the course of four days, six commercial jets had their cockpits lit up by laser beams as they made their descent for landing. None of the flights were affected. A New Jersey man has been questioned about possible involvement in similar incidents, but he hasn't been charged.

And Thursday, at least 175 people were killed in a fire during a rock concert at a crowded nightclub in Buenos Aires. Officials say stampeding crowds were trapped inside by locked doors. Hundreds were injured. The fire is thought to have been caused by a flare that was fired during the show.

Tomorrow, we'll "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

HARRIS: Take a moment now and rewind 2004, the year that was. What made it unforgettable for you? Share your thoughts with us. We'll read what you wrote in just a couple of minutes. Our address is wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning, Philadelphia.

Happy new year.

That is the Ben Franklin Bridge there. We're going to get to meteorologist Brad Huffines with your weekend forecast in just a moment.

Why don't we do it now?

KAYE: That is beautiful. Yes, it's...

HARRIS: Isn't that great?

KAYE: We're done with the bridge. We're on to Brad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We want to get to out E-mail Question of the Day.

We've asked you what made 2004 unforgettable for you.

KAYE: And this is our first one. Our first response comes from Stephen in California. And he writes: "What made 2004 unforgettable to me was the amount of death, destruction and chaos in the world. Happy New Year."

HARRIS: Yes, and this from Charles: "On the basis solely of media coverage, Abu Ghraib was the biggest story of 2004, maybe the biggest story ever."

We want to thank you for your e-mails and encourage you to keep writing us.

What made 2004 unforgettable for you? Here's our address: wam@cnn.com.

KAYE: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

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 - 07:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And from the CNN Center in Atlanta, this is CNN SATURDAY MORNING.
It is January 1, 2005.

Happy new year.

7:00 a.m. in the East. Night crawlers trying to pull in a little...

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Making their way home.

HARRIS: 4:00 a.m. out West, which means the party is still going.

KAYE: Oh, yes.

HARRIS: Good morning, everyone.

I'm Tony Harris.

KAYE: And I'm Randi Kaye in today for Betty Nguyen.

Thanks for being with us.

U.S. aid arrives in Indonesia aboard helicopters from the Aircraft Carrier Lincoln. The choppers touched down this morning in the devastated Sumatran town of Banda Aceh, loaded supplies and headed for other hard hit communities.

CNN's Mike Chinoy has a live report just ahead.

Even more misery this morning for people living in Sri Lanka. Flash floods washed out refugee camps in two eastern provinces in the island nation. The floods caused no casualties, but complicated efforts to get relief supplies to the refugees.

Palestinian security forces say a 10-year-old Palestinian girl was killed when a rocket slammed into her home in northern Gaza. Palestinian militants often fire this type of rocket, which isn't very accurate, from northern Gaza into Israel.

In a special mass today, Pope John Paul II prayed for the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunamis. And on the Catholic Church's World Peace Day, the pope called on all men of goodwill to renew their commitment to peace.

Keeping you informed, CNN, the most trusted name in news.

HARRIS: And other stories you won't want to miss this hour, a powerful mix of conflicting emotions this New Year's Day amid the usual hoopla and fireworks to welcome 2005. No one can forget that 2004 ended with great tragedy. A report from Times Square is ahead.

Also coming up, a view of the tsunami disaster you'll see only on CNN. We'll take you inside rebel held territory in Sri Lanka for a firsthand look at the devastation there.

And later, the rich tradition of the Bowl games and the riches that lie within. CNN sports business analyst Rick Horrow takes us "Beyond The Game."

KAYE: 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 is on the rise. In Thailand and Sri Lanka, more worry and woe, as both those 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 relief efforts. But a lack of coordination, a shortage of fuel and some rough roads to cross are making those efforts difficult. Despite those difficulties, 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.

Meanwhile, more help is on the way. U.S. military helicopters touched down in the Sumatran town of Banda Aceh, where they were loaded with supplies for areas hit hard by the tsunamis almost a week ago.

CNN's Mike Chinoy rode along on one of those relief flights and he joins us live with the details -- Mike, if you will, could you set the scene for us on the ground as those relief supplies landed there.

MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I certainly could. The scene on the ground at Banda Aceh Airport is a constant flurry of helicopters from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, as well as Australian and Indonesian military transport aircraft bringing in supplies.

And a few hours ago, the first U.S. relief mission took off, heading toward the worst hit areas. And I was along on that flight. A helicopter going toward a town called Kultitanam (ph), about 70 miles south of Banda Aceh. It was a scene of absolute devastation. And when we touched down, a crowd of desperate survivors surged toward the helicopter.

The men on board were delivering supplies of milk and nutritional supplements. These people obviously hadn't eaten anything, clearly hadn't drunk anything, hadn't had any medicine for almost credible desperation, frantic scenes, as they lunged for this first, relatively small, delivery of supplies. One man saying to me, "Aceh has drowned. We are finished." Another man coming up and tearfully saying, "Thank you. Thank you."

We were only on a ground a few moments and then the chopper took off, heading for the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to pick up more fuel and then planning to go back and deliver more supplies. This is a routine that is going to be a regular one for these American servicemen for some time to come.

KAYE: All right, Mike Chinoy for us in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Thank you, Mike.

A group of elite relief workers from Virginia are among the crews on their way to help tsunami survivors. The team left on a flight last night, along with some other specially trained crews from Los Angeles. They will be advising local officials on reconstruction efforts.

More on the U.S. military relief role just minutes from now. We'll talk with Air Force Brigadier General John Allen, Jr., the Pentagon's director of East Asia and Pacific affairs.

HARRIS: A tremendous loss of life in South Asia from the earthquake and tsunamis led to muted, in some cases, even somber new year's observances around the world.

CNN's Maria Hinojosa reports on the event in New York's Times Square.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With the traditional ball drop, 2005 descended on the city that never sleeps. For 100 years now, Times Square has been wide awake on New Year's Eve.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We wanted to do something excited, and where do you go? New York.

HINOJOSA: Revelers arrived in the last hours of 2004, planning to keep the party going well into the first morning of 2005. But given the solemn events in Southeast Asia this past week, it was also a night for reflection, including an official moment of silence. With that, New Yorkers, who still vividly remember 9/11, paid their respects. Then, as they say here on Broadway, they went on with the show.

(on camera): And now that the ball has dropped and the partiers have gone home and the cleanup has begun, New York City can say it has safely and securely brought in a new year.

Maria Hinojosa, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: The new year around the world now. In Thailand, where the giant waves killed more than 4, 800 people, there was a candlelight vigil. But the new year was also celebrated with tourists dancing and drinking in nightclubs on Phuket.

In Moscow, fireworks illuminated the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin said his top priority in 2005 is to improve the lives of Russian citizens.

Rockets also exploded over London and crowds packed the streets. But the celebrations were overshadowed by 34 British deaths from the Indian Ocean tsunamis. Two minutes of silence commemorated the victims.

So what made 2004 unforgettable for you? That's our E-Mail Question this morning. Take a moment, reflect and share your thoughts with us. We are at wam@cnn.com. We'll be reading your replies throughout the morning.

KAYE: Now to our "Security Watch," where we update you on the week's major developments in the war on terror.

Tuesday, U.S. intelligence officials said Osama bin Laden may be using political arguments instead of threats of violence to rally Muslim opposition against the U.S. Analysts have noticed the change in the last few messages bin Laden is thought to have released. Officials believe bin Laden is trying to exploit some allies' concerns with U.S. policy in the Middle East to sway moderate Muslims. The latest audio message purported to be from bin Laden came out Monday.

Wednesday, the government said it is sharing detailed information with all levels of law enforcement on al Qaeda's surveillance activities inside the U.S. But a bulletin released this week says there's no sign that al Qaeda surveillance is helping to advance plans for an attack.

And clashes between some government agencies on sharing fingerprint information may be making it easier for known terrorists to entire the country. That's one of the findings in a Justice Department review released Wednesday. Among the concerns is which law enforcement agencies should have access to fingerprint records.

FBI agents have questioned a Parsippany, New Jersey man about a laser beam that illuminated a police helicopter and a Cessna plane. The New Jersey incidents were among several involving lasers and aircraft, most of them commercial planes that were approaching airports. All the aircraft did land safely. The man was questioned at his home by agents and by officers of New York's joint terrorist task force. He has not been charged with anything.

Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

You've rung in the new year. It's almost time to cheer on your favorite team.

HARRIS: Yes.

KAYE: A preview of the day's college match-ups is just ahead.

HARRIS: And later, we'll hear from a couple who survived the tsunami in Sri Lanka, plane in blissful ignorance, until they broke the surface of the ocean.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart and Scott Peterson -- the legal highlights of 2004, some might say low lights, are on the docket in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

BRAD HUFFINES, CNN METEOROLOGIST: From the CNN Weather Center, I'm meteorologist Brad Huffines with your cold and flu report across the country from the CDC.

We are still seeing some local activity across parts of the nation's middle, from Kansas through Colorado.

Across the rest of the country, just sporadic activity, except for some regional activity across the upper Midwest, across parts of the Ohio Valley, also toward Alaska.

Look at the Northeast. Things are breaking out there, with widespread activity through parts of New York, and, again, local activity across the mid-Atlantic states and other parts of New England.

Your complete we forecast still ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Other headlines across America this New Year's Day, a slow roll along the Mississippi River marks the start of a new chapter for the space shuttle program. The newly redesigned external fuel tank will travel by barge from New Orleans to Cape Canaveral, a journey that will take five days. NASA plans to use the tank for a May or June launch of Space Shuttle Discovery.

In the Gulf of Mexico, what was supposed to be a few hours of leisurely sailing turned into a cold and scary night for a family on vacation. The experienced sailors were left drifting for six hours after a powerful gust of wind capsized their rented catamaran. The Coast Guard eventually located them several miles out in the Gulf.

And in Pasadena, California, everything's coming up roses. The annual Rose Parade gets under way at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time. This year's event features 50 flower-covered floats, 26 equestrian units and 25 marching bands. Mickey Mouse is serving as grand marshal.

Among those floats in Pasadena will be naturalist Jack Hanna. Stay close at 9:00 Eastern. We're going to talk with Jack, get a preview of his float and also talk about the amazing reaction many animals in Asia had to the tsunami this week.

HARRIS: And we are going "Beyond The Game" this morning with a whole bunch of games. The new year means the college football Bowl game marathon is under way. Some games have already been played.

Here's a taste of what's to come.

The granddaddy of Bowl games, the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, pits Michigan against Texas at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Wisconsin takes on Georgia in the Outback Bowl in Tampa, Florida. That's at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time.

At 1:00 p.m., Iowa takes on LSU in the Capitol One Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

How am I doing, Rick?

Jacksonville, Florida hosts the Toyota Gator Bowl at half past noon.

Florida State meets West Virginia.

And on January 4, the BCS championship game, the FedEx Orange Bowl in Miami pits number one Southern Cal against number two Oklahoma.

College football fans know the sun rises and sets around the Bowl games this time of year. But while our attention is focused so intently on the field, there's another competition going on behind- the-scenes. Bowl sponsors go head to head to see who can rake in the biggest bucks.

More on that as we go "Beyond The Game" with the author of "When the Game Is On the Line," our very own Rick Horrow.

Rick is in studio with us this morning.

And -- Rick, as I look at you, I didn't know, Rick -- good to see you, Rick.

RICK HORROW, CNN SPORTS BUSINESS ANALYST: Yes. That's enough talking from you, man, all right?

HARRIS: I'm sorry. No.

HORROW: That's enough talking.

Happy new year to you, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, happy new year.

Good to see you.

HORROW: I decided to wear a bright tie today because I wanted to make sure that we didn't have your audiences put to sleep today.

HARRIS: Nice. Nice.

Happy new year, sir. HORROW: Yes, really.

HARRIS: Well, how have the travels been so far? You've been all over the place, haven't you?

HORROW: Twenty Bowls down, six today.

HARRIS: Really?

HORROW: For me, this is Bowl four, five and six. We do Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. We eat steak at the Outback Bowl. We get financing at the Capitol Bowl. We buy a car at the Gator Bowl. We rest for a day, then we do the national championship on Tuesday.

HARRIS: The games been OK? Pretty good? What do you think?

HORROW: The games have been great because these niche Bowls take a useful place. It's only a three quarter of a million dollar payout to these teams and, for example, 6-5 Alabama; 6-5 Minnesota yesterday. You'd think that wasn't a big deal. $30 million for the city of Nashville. The alumni were there. Everybody was excited. They felt it was like a Super Bowl.

HARRIS: OK, Rick, so there was a lot of money being made by these colleges across-the-board, correct?

HORROW: Right. Right. That's correct.

HARRIS: When will this translate for athletes? Are we going to start to pay some of these athletes?

HORROW: Well, you know, some of them are being paid right now under the table and the real problem is how to deal with it and make it legitimate, so to speak. Nebraska, California, Texas have all introduced legislation to actually pay the athlete. They haven't worked that way, but we've got $750 million from a college fund out of a CBS basketball contract that the NCA may spread around.

HARRIS: Whoa.

HORROW: They're even talking about unionizing. The problem with that is these athletes are only in college for three or four years, so it's hard to get them to have a personal stake in the process. We'll just have to see how they get paid.

HARRIS: OK.

And sharing the wealth, when are ladies going to get a bigger slice of this enormous pie out there?

HORROW: Well, you know, we're talking about college football now. That's the revenue driver. But only 6 percent of the programs in college sports actually make money. So someone has to cut somewhere. And when Clinton amended the rules for Title IX in '86...

HARRIS: Title IX. HORROW: ... we thought about how to structure the deal better. And now, frankly, 170 men's programs have been cut, but yet only 41 percent of the dollars go to women's sports. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, but there continues to be some needs for some definition in the future so we can structure it even better.

HARRIS: OK. And your travel plans today, what do they call for here?

HORROW: Well, out of here pretty quick, a flight to Tampa, a flight to Orlando, a helicopter to Jacksonville, and then back, man. So we see about five quarters of football in three cities, and we get really very excited about it. We'll report later on about the Bowls as we get into the next set of Bowls, which is the Bowl championship series. We'll do this tomorrow, too.

HARRIS: And the Bowl championship series, that pits -- now we're going to get to the nitty-gritty, right? We're going to figure out who the number one team is in the country.

HORROW: The first 24 games are one phase. The next phase is the next four, which is the Bowl championship series, a $17 million payout per team. We may have three undefeated teams at the end of this.

HARRIS: Yes.

HORROW: Boyden State lost yesterday, but Utah and Auburn are still undefeated and, of course, Oklahoma and Southern Cal.

HARRIS: This is nuts.

HORROW: One of them is going to be undefeated. But, hey, controversy is good for a $5 billion business, which is college football.

HARRIS: OK. Rick, good to see you.

Let me set your itinerary one more time.

HORROW: Got it.

HARRIS: OK?

Rick's Bowl mania continues today. At 12:00 Eastern, after he gets back from the Outback Bowl and then he's off to the Toyota Gator Bowl. That game starts at 12:30 Eastern -- Randi.

KAYE: OK.

Thank you, Tony.

Time now for a preview of weekend weather.

Brad, what's it looking like out there?

HUFFINES: Well, Rick may take you to three games today. I'll take you to all five coming up next on CNN SATURDAY as we continue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: 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.

Here is one.

"It brought back images of the war which I lived through as a boy. It looked like after a heavy bombardment." That's former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who narrowly escaped the tsunami in a Sri Lankan hotel. He planned to stay in the country at a time of need rather than return to Germany.

HARRIS: As we reported, the first U.S. relief supplies have made it to earthquake and tsunami shattered areas of Sumatra. The supplies, along with military assessment teams, arrived this morning aboard helicopters from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.

Joining us now from Washington is Air Force Brigadier General John Allen, Jr., director of East Asia and Pacific Affairs for the Defense Department.

General, good to see you this morning.

BRIG. GEN, JOHN ALLEN, JR., USAF: Good morning.

HARRIS: OK, where do we go from here? Now, we understand that the military assets are on the ground in Sumatra now and some of those hardest hit areas, like Banda Aceh. Where do we go from here?

ALLEN: Well, we have a significant U.S. government reaction that's going on right now. Massive U.S. response is under way, coordinated by the State Department and USAID and the Department of Defense is helping by moving a significant military presence to the region.

As you see by these pictures, that presence immediately is in the form of the Carrier Strike Group Abraham Lincoln, which is off the coast of Sumatra. The helicopters of the Abraham Lincoln are beginning to move to Banda Aceh, pick up the supplies that are building up there and are delivering them to remote sites throughout the northern portion of Sumatra.

As these supplies build up, it's important for us to be able to move those supplies quickly to those areas that have been so badly ravaged by this disaster. As you know, of course, the infrastructure, the logistics of that region, the roads, the bridges, etc., have been badly damaged by the results of the tsunami. So these helicopters are immediately beginning to play in the process to deliver these supplies forward from Banda Aceh to those people who so desperately need this response and this system.

HARRIS: General, when you see those pictures of so many desperate people rushing the helicopters, do you worry about that situation, that it's not as safe, as contained as you would like to have it? Certainly we all understand the desperation that's going on on the ground right now.

ALLEN: Well, you phrased it well. It is a desperate situation. This is also a humanitarian operation, as well, and we're going to do all we can to ensure that these supplies reach these people. And we'll do all we can to assist in the process of the distribution of these supplies so that they reach the right people in the right manner.

But, yes, there will be desperation on the ground.

HARRIS: Yes.

ALLEN: But we believe that our forces are well enough trained to be able to handle that.

HARRIS: General, we've heard a lot this week about coordination.

Can you talk to us about how well the coordination effort has gone? We understand that India is sending naval ships into the area to help, as well.

How has the coordination effort gone?

ALLEN: We think it's gone very well. At this juncture, there has been formed something called a core group, which is a group of nations to whom we have made contact, with whom we've made contact, and they are contributing as best they can and we're coordinating that contribution at all levels, both political, diplomatic, material and military. And this cooperation and this coordination will continue so that we can focus the resources to effectively and efficiently deliver those resources to the point of need as quickly as we possibly can.

The State Department has done magnificent work in this and the militaries, in conjunction with the U.S. military in the region, have been cooperating marvelously.

HARRIS: Now, have you ever seen anything quite like this?

ALLEN: No. There have been other disasters in that region, of course -- Mount Pinatubo, the disaster in Bangladesh, with which we -- to which we responded with Operation Sea Angel years ago. But the enormity of the area, the size of the suffering, the numbers of dead, this is probably unprecedented. And if you were to superimpose this region over a map of the United States, you'd probably realize immediately that we're operating in a region that covers virtually the entire geographic region of the United States.

So for our diplomatic services, our military services to be able to respond to that, this should give the world and the United States, the people of the United States, a sense of the magnitude of this response and how quickly the United States swung into action to marshal its resources to be able to be effective and efficient in this process.

HARRIS: Brigadier General John Allen, Jr.

Thank you for your time this morning.

Happy new year and thanks for your efforts to try to bring some comfort to those people in South Asia.

We appreciate it.

ALLEN: Happy new year to you, as well.

Thank you.

HARRIS: OK.

KAYE: Well, lots of folks will be inside watching the Bowl games today. But...

HARRIS: Yes. Yes.

KAYE: You're one of them, right?

HARRIS: Me, too.

OK.

KAYE: After work, you're heading home, turning on that TV.

HARRIS: Absolutely.

KAYE: Well, Brad Huffines, still, we want to know what's going on out there in the weather.

(WEATHER REPORT)

KAYE: Nice.

HARRIS: Well, they play in rain. They're football players. Come on.

KAYE: They're tough.

HARRIS: They play -- well...

HUFFINES: Well, it's kind of a vacation, too for those guys.

HARRIS: Yes, that's true. Warm everywhere. It looks great.

Brad, thank you.

KAYE: Thank you.

HUFFINES: All right.

HARRIS: Believe it or not, tourists are already back on the island of Phuket. We'll take you there live next. KAYE: And an unanticipated sidebar to that massive disaster in Sri Lanka. Two factions that have been warring for decades are coming together to help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Only on CNN we are getting the first look at the disaster aftermath in the northern part of Sri Lanka.

Welcome back.

I'm Randi Kaye.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris.

That report in a minute.

First, a look at the morning headlines.

More aid is arriving into areas devastated by this week's earthquake and tsunamis in South Asia. The U.S. has raised its relief contribution tenfold, from $35 million to $350 million. And the death toll throughout the region is now more than 138,000.

In eastern Sri Lanka, heavy rains added to the misery of those left homeless by last weekend's tsunamis. Some 2,000 people were displaced yet again after flash flooding early this morning that blocked several roads.

Millions of people across the world ushered in the new year with solemn celebrations. A candlelight vigil was held on the Thai resort island of Phuket, which was devastated by Sunday's tsunamis. Some cities around the world replaced new year's festivities with memorials. Others interrupted it with a moment of silence.

The FBI is questioning a New Jersey man to see if he pointed a laser beam at a police helicopter and a small aircraft flying over New Jersey this week. Authorities are also investigating whether the man may have been involved in similar incidents involving six commercial jets.

KAYE: In the wake of the crushing tsunamis that hit South Asia, life is returning to normal in some areas of Thailand. Tourists frolicked on the beach on the southern island of Phuket today. But reminders of the giant waves that killed more than 4,800 people in Thailand are not too far away.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us from Phuket -- and Aneesh, I understand you're finding a real sense of resilience there.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, good morning.

It is really the odd juxtaposition of Phuket Island. It seems, perhaps, a bit callous to talk of tourism, but that industry is the lifeblood here in Thailand and here in this area. Thousands of livelihoods are at stake. As we go east from where we are, Phi Phi Island is destroyed. The beach area of Kalak is destroyed.

Phuket is really the only thing that in some semblance is still standing, so the responsibility and the pressure falls upon the hotel owners here to try and rebuild and try and do so as quickly as possible. The Thai tourism minister saying he hopes most structures will be rebuilt and operational within the month.

The reason for all of this is economics. Some $10 billion of revenue comes into this country from tourism, more than 40 percent of that from this area. Some five million people come here annually. But already, Randi, 70 percent of those who were planning to come here have canceled their reservations.

So as we go forward now, these are critical weeks for this industry, the perhaps thought of economic devastation in the long-term is very real. But as you say, it's an odd situation given that the relief efforts continue. Debris continues to be cleared. The death toll here now hovering close to 5,000. The Thai prime minister saying it could go as high as 8,000, but perhaps even higher. There are still thousands of people missing.

We now know from the Swedish ambassador that 3,500 Swedes are among those missing. And as we go forward and as no one hears from them and they are unaccounted for, it is increasingly likely that a good number of those are, in fact, dead -- Randi.

KAYE: Aneesh, as you've been talking, we've been looking at pictures of some of the relief efforts and pictures such a stark contrast. Those folks frolicking on the beach and then some of the massive destruction that we've seen in this last week.

Are hotels there being used at all, as they rebuild, to house any of the folks who were displaced by this?

RAMAN: They are. Keep in mind that a lot of the people, especially here on Phuket Island, who would have been displaced, besides the tourists, are Thais that work within this industry. So they clearly would have found shelter with those that they know. A large number of those would have been at hotels.

But it really is a surreal experience to have these two images, these two stark images side-by-side. But it is one that the Thai government and those that are here need to go forward with. There has to be some sort of rebuilding here because those that are living, their livelihoods are contingent on this.

So while those relief efforts continue, a lot of tourists who are here tell us the reason they are staying, the reason they've come is to try and put money into this economy. A hotel manager we spoke to put it as simply as you can understand it. One dollar spent is one dollar that goes back into this economy. And so going forward, this area, more so than anywhere else, must rebuild and must try to do so as quickly as possible.

KAYE: How many hotels, Aneesh, were actually left standing and where were they in relation to the coast? RAMAN: The vast majority, as far as we can tell, of hotels on Phuket Island are, in fact, still standing. It was a matter of days before they got power back up, before they got running water. But you did not see any sort of severe structural damage like you saw in Kalak. That's where the hotels, such as the Sofitel, were completely gutted, where a large number of this death toll does come from. And so those areas are utterly devastated.

We were there earlier this week, and rebuilding there is beyond comprehension. They simply have to try and stabilize that situation and find all the bodies before contamination spreads.

But in Phuket, relatively speaking, they are quite aware that they are lucky. The structures here were incredibly well fortified and were able to withstand a good deal of those forceful waves. So they're trying to make the best of this situation and they're keeping in mind the large numbers of people dependent on what happens here in the next few weeks -- Randi.

KAYE: All right, Aneesh Raman from Phuket, Thailand.

Thank you, Aneesh.

HARRIS: And turning to another region hit hard by the tsunamis, Sri Lanka. The government says it is cooperating with the Tamil Tigers rebel group to get aid to rebel-held spots. The two sides have been in a civil war for decades.

CNN's Stan Grant is the only broadcast journalist to get into the Tigers' territory.

He is in Mollaittivu in northern Sri Lanka with the latest -- Stan.

STAN GRANT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've just moved up from Mollaittivu, actually, to a place called Muliawali (ph). And I'm standing now in a refugee camp. These people that you can see around me here are all the people who fled from Mollaittivu after the tsunami came through and caused that enormous destruction.

Now, there is such an uncertain future for these people. There's about 1,000 of them here in this particular refugee camp. But the latest figures coming from the Tamil Tigers and also from the United Nations here, is that there are around about 700,000 people who have actually been displaced by this tsunami.

Now, add to that a death toll that is skyrocketing. Just in the past 24 hours, we have seen it increase by many, many thousands. The official death toll at the moment for the north and also the northeast of Sri Lanka stands at around 18,000. However, there is another 19,000 people who have -- who are missing and they are presumed dead. The United Nations and the Tamil Tigers told me there is absolutely no chance that those people actually will be found alive.

The final death toll here will certainly surpass around 40,000, going on those figures that are coming in. Now, there is such an uncertain future, as I say, for these people here. Much of the industry that they actually relied upon, the fishing industry, has been destroyed. Eight hundred kilometers of coastline here, up to one kilometer actually inland, as well, has been destroyed by the tsunami. They've lost their livelihoods. They've lost their homes. And they are now waiting for the relief from those aid agencies, who must negotiate with the Tamil Tiger rebels.

You rightly point out there's been a two decade long civil war with the Sri Lankans in the south to create a separate homeland here. And the Tamil Tiger are saying that any aid agency must go through them. At the moment, they are getting their cooperation. But the people here who need the fresh water, who need the fresh bedding, who need the food, the babies who need their protein simply to stay alive, are not getting enough of it and they're not getting enough of it quickly enough.

HARRIS: Well, Stan, give me a sense of how the rebel group and the government are actually working together. Describe that cooperation. Are they side-by-side? An aid box comes off of a plane, a transport of some kind, and it's handed to one of the members of the Tigers? Is that how it's working here?

GRANT: That is not how it's working. In fact, it's working the very opposite. The Tamil Tiger work directly with the aid groups, with the United Nations, with the Red Cross. They work with the various non-governmental organizations. And they work directly with them. The aid comes in through those groups. It's handled through the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization and they dispense that aid.

What we -- the situation to understand a little bit more clearly here is you're effectively dealing with two countries. To get into this region, we had to go through, out of the borders of Sri Lanka and through a checkpoint into the Tamil Tiger' stronghold.

The Tigers have fought here for more than 20 years and they have established what can best be called a de facto state. They run their own operations and they are very used to relief organizations such as this getting relief to people because of that 20 years plus long war.

Just a final note. I did speak to the head of the political wing of the Tamil Tiger today, effectively the prime minister, if you like, of this de facto state. He said he would like to see a renewed push for peace with the south come out of this. But he's saying the south must cooperate with the Tamil Tiger. There cannot be, as he calls it, an asymmetrical distribution of aid. It cannot be uneven. He says the people in this region of Sri Lanka have been hit the hardest, far worse than the south, and they are the ones who need it.

If they're going to cooperate with the government of the south, the government must make sure that the bulk of that aid gets to the people who do need it. At that stage you cannot say, at this stage, rather, you cannot say there is cooperation between the government in the south and the Tamil Tiger.

HARRIS: Stan Grant in northern Sri Lanka. Stan, we appreciate it. thank you.

And you won't want to miss what's coming up this morning. A miraculous tale of survival. One island nearly at the quake's epicenter barely had a coconut out of place after all was said and done. We will take you there just ahead.

KAYE: In the days immediately after the disaster in Southern Asia, cnn.com opened its site to people desperately searching for information about loved ones in the tsunami zone. Well, it paid off. Many people used CNN as a clearinghouse for information.

Here now some of their messages and the result.

"Looking for information about my 37-year-old nephew, his wife Echo and 2-year-old daughter Elizabeth. Their location in Phuket is still unknown."

And here's the update. "I have gotten a lot of calls about my nephew and family in Phuket. Thanks to everybody, good news. They are well and alive."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: Here is what's all new in the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

One woman's effort to deliver aid to some of the hardest to get to areas in Sri Lanka, where weather, waves and blocked roads are still cutting people off from the supplies and help they are so desperate for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: We told you some amazing survivors' stories. But wait until you hear this one. After being trapped for five days after the earthquake and tsunami, a man was pulled alive from the rubble in Indonesia's Banda Aceh. Some parts of the remote area are just now being reached by search and rescue teams. Local media reports say the man is in pretty good shape, despite being without food or water for so long.

And the tsunami disaster tops our coverage this New Year's Day.

Here's the latest.

The death toll has topped 138,000 and it is still climbing. Thousands of people remain missing in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Indonesia is the hardest hit. Nearly 80,000 are reported dead there.

Meantime, U.S. military helicopters are bringing aid to Indonesia's Sumatra Island, near the epicenter of the earthquake that triggered the deadly tsunamis. But aid workers face some big hurdles, including a lack of coordination, a fuel shortage, rough weather and rough roads. Other nations are also making big offers of aid this morning. Japan's prime minister has pledged up to $500 million for tsunami ravaged areas. That makes Japan the biggest single donor so far.

So what was your top story of last year? Our E-Mail Question this morning is what made 2004 unforgettable for you? We are at wam@cnn.com and we'll be reading some of your replies a little later this hour.

KAYE: We've seen the video of the tsunamis as they rolled into various places. But it's difficult to gauge the scale of those waves. This graphic does offer some comparison and helps explain why the tsunamis were so destructive.

In the northernmost point of Sumatra, which was closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, witnesses say the tsunami was 60 feet high when it smashed ashore.

It's being called a miracle island -- an area along Indonesia's coast not only survived last Sunday's earthquake and tsunamis, it was virtually unscathed.

Our Atika Shubert has more.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, from the epicenter of one of the biggest earthquakes in recent history, the island of Simeulue is amazingly intact. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake picked up and shifted the entire island.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've even seen your coconut (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

SHUBERT: Yet from our plane window, we can see idyllic seaside villages seemingly impervious to the devastation that has swept the region. This plane was the first to arrive since the earthquake amid rumors the island was under water.

(on camera): Before this plane arrived, the island of Simeulue has lost all communication with the world and many had believed the island had been simply wiped off the map.

(voice-over): The local governor is overjoyed. Without any other means of communication, this is his chance to get the word out that the island survived, but still needs help. "Thanks be to god that we did not lose many lives," he said. "But we did lose our homes, schools and mosques."

In fact, the island did not escape unscathed. Scores of homes on the northern coast were destroyed and need to be rebuilt. What saved lives was this scene -- villagers running for the hills after the initial earthquake. Islanders received a tsunami warning handed down from generation to generation. The island's harbor manager explained it like this: "The story goes that in the 1800s, there was an earthquake so big that it brought the sea onto land. So whenever there's an earthquake, we run for the hills."

A few days later, residents came down and returned to normal life, thankful that they minded island folklore. In what is otherwise a sea of despair, this is an island of hope.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Simeulue, Indonesia.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

HARRIS: It is still hard to believe, we were here last Sunday when this story started and when we went on the air last Sunday, the death toll was 1,700 and the number now, you just can't even get your mind around all of the loss of life and devastation in the area.

KAYE: And we may never know when we've lost islands that are now underwater and countless lives so.

HARRIS: We may never know. We'll be reporting this story for another year.

Let's bring it back home now.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Happy New Year, Philadelphia. The weekend forecast for you and the rest of the nation is coming up with Brad Huffines in about five minutes on CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: The tsunami tragedy is dominating the headlines this week.

But right now, we're going to "Rewind" and take a look at some of the other stories in the news from the past five days.

Tuesday, actor Jerry Orbach died of prostate cancer at the age of 69. the award winning actor was perhaps best known for his role as Detective Lenny Briscoe on the NBC crime drama "Law and Order."

Wednesday, a government official told CNN that over the course of four days, six commercial jets had their cockpits lit up by laser beams as they made their descent for landing. None of the flights were affected. A New Jersey man has been questioned about possible involvement in similar incidents, but he hasn't been charged.

And Thursday, at least 175 people were killed in a fire during a rock concert at a crowded nightclub in Buenos Aires. Officials say stampeding crowds were trapped inside by locked doors. Hundreds were injured. The fire is thought to have been caused by a flare that was fired during the show.

Tomorrow, we'll "Fast Forward" to the week ahead and tell you which stories will grab the spotlight.

HARRIS: Take a moment now and rewind 2004, the year that was. What made it unforgettable for you? Share your thoughts with us. We'll read what you wrote in just a couple of minutes. Our address is wam@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: And good morning, Philadelphia.

Happy new year.

That is the Ben Franklin Bridge there. We're going to get to meteorologist Brad Huffines with your weekend forecast in just a moment.

Why don't we do it now?

KAYE: That is beautiful. Yes, it's...

HARRIS: Isn't that great?

KAYE: We're done with the bridge. We're on to Brad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We want to get to out E-mail Question of the Day.

We've asked you what made 2004 unforgettable for you.

KAYE: And this is our first one. Our first response comes from Stephen in California. And he writes: "What made 2004 unforgettable to me was the amount of death, destruction and chaos in the world. Happy New Year."

HARRIS: Yes, and this from Charles: "On the basis solely of media coverage, Abu Ghraib was the biggest story of 2004, maybe the biggest story ever."

We want to thank you for your e-mails and encourage you to keep writing us.

What made 2004 unforgettable for you? Here's our address: wam@cnn.com.

KAYE: And the next hour of CNN SATURDAY MORNING begins right now.

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