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CNN Saturday Morning News

Rumsfeld Speaks In Mosul; Cheney Believes He Got Big Issues Right In Iraq; Mark Marks Remembers Wife; American Soldiers Celebrate Christmas Overseas; Nelson Lebraun Interview; Post-Traumatic Stress Rampant After Tsunami; Jim Brickman Interview

Aired December 24, 2005 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: It's hard to think of anything I've ever done that is as important or as -- gives me as much pleasure as working with each of you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it was a little emotional. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld delivers a heartfelt Christmas Eve speech to U.S. troops in Iraq where it is 6:00 p.m., 10:00 a.m. here at the CNN Center in Atlanta, 5:00 p.m. in Bethlehem. Saturday, the 24th day of December, Christmas Eve. Welcome Randi Kaye.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. Good to be here.

HARRIS: Good to see you, Randi.

KAYE: I'm Randi Kaye, as you just heard, in today for Betty Nguyen. Thanks for starting your day with us. We'll take you live to Baghdad in just a moment, but first, a quick look at some of the other stories making news this hour.

In Bethlehem, crowds gather for Christmas Eve mass. Tourists from all over the world have traveled to the town where Christians believe Jesus was born. Larger crowds are turning out for this year's celebration, due to a sharp drop in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

CNN has learned the FBI is monitoring dozens of mosques, homes and businesses in the U.S. They're tested for suspicious radiation levels associated with making dirty bombs. At least 100 Muslim- related sites in Washington and several other cities have been under surveillance without a warrant.

All 23 people killed in a Southwest Asia plane crash have been recovered. The turboprop aircraft went down yesterday in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan along the Caspian Sea. The plane disappeared from radar shortly after takeoff from Azerbaijan capital of Baku.

HARRIS: And here's a quick peek at some of the other stories coming up this hour.

Spending the holidays away from family in a war zone, Navy officer stationed in Afghanistan joins us live from the war zone to talk about troop morale and more.

Also ahead, losing everything and still feeling lucky. A New Orleans businessman gets a new beginning and forges a close friendship in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and this ...

(MUSIC)

HARRIS: Randi Kaye's best friend. Holiday sounds and my conversation with recording artist Jim Brickman.

KAYE: Christmas at war -- that's what U.S. troops face in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Iraq this Christmas Eve traveling the country, dishing out meals, handing out medals, and showing support.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us from Baghdad with more on Rumsfeld's visit. Hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Randi, good morning. It's day three of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's trip to Iraq. This morning he was in the northern city of Mosul serving an early Christmas Eve dinner to the troops there.

He also spoke to them about how victory is the absolute end goal of the struggle here, that the U.S. will win against the insurgency. And on a more personal note, while he's here during the holidays to boost morale of U.S. troops, he spoke about his own experience interacting with the troops who are here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUMSFELD: I've lived a long life and as I think about it, it's hard to think of anything I've ever done that is as important or gives me as much pleasure as working with each of you doing what you're doing. You do it so well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: Some rare public emotion from the secretary of defense there. He spent the night in the Iraqi capital. Here he met with U.S. troops as well last night. He dined with Iraq's political leadership this morning, talking to a number of U.S. military commanders, specifically about intelligence, how to get better intel on the insurgency that's here.

The headline, of course, Randi, of this trip came yesterday when Secretary Rumsfeld announced that going into next year they would be dropping the number of battalions in Iraq, at the president's approval, from 17 to 15. Now what that means in terms of numbers is some 7,000 U.S. troops will not be coming here and it brings to just below the 138,000 baseline we've seen all year in terms of a number of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Now further reductions he cautioned would be dependent on conditions on the ground, the success of Iraqi security forces to train and conduct independent operations, as well as the political landscape as this permanent government sets to take shape early next year -- Randi.

KAYE: All right. CNN's Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad for us this morning. Thank you, Aneesh.

HARRIS: And Vice President Dick Cheney made his first trip to Iraq since the war began last week. White House correspondent Dana Bash traveled with him, and Dana joins us now from Washington with more on Mr. Cheney's trip.

And, Dana, last hour we heard the vice president in that extraordinary interview with you, talking about the domestic spying story. And you have more about the vice president's thoughts on the war in general in Iraq.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Tony. You know, we have been reporting extensively about the fact that the White House has been engaged in a full-court press to try to convince Americans, A, that there is progress in Iraq, that there is a victory possible.

Of course, that's the word we hear from the White House time and time again, but from the president's point of view, he has tried to change the tone. His tone has changed quite a bit trying to sound more candid about miscalculations, missteps about the war.

Well, in the vice president's speeches, while traveling abroad both in Iraq and Afghanistan, that more introspective tone was noticeably absent. So I asked Mr. Cheney about that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: The president has had a little bit of a new tone, seeming to be maybe more humble, more contrite about miscalculations, some setbacks when it comes to Iraq.

I wonder if you, looking back at some of the things that you thought at the time, maybe you said at the time -- that the United States would be greeted as liberators, for example -- do you think looking back that might have raised expectations for the American people about what to expect in Iraq that maybe weren't met?

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No, I don't think so. I think on Iraq, we've got the big issues right. I think the decision we made was the right decision. I think when all is said and done from the perspective of history, the vast majority of the Iraqi people are grateful for what we did.

Far better to have their democracy that's now in place rather than Saddam Hussein ruling, and the world is a far safer place because of what we did. Those are the big items, the big issues. And you can get down and argue about various aspects, tactics and so forth, but I think on the big issues, we got it right.

BASH: And understanding that you believe that, in terms of the context of the argument made for the American people given the lengthy battle that we've seen so far, do you think maybe it could have been explained in a different way to the American people so that they had more patience at this point?

CHENEY: Well, you explain it the best way you can based on the knowledge and the information you have at the time. The question of whether or not we have the stomach for the fight, so to speak, as a nation is an important one. And partly what the terrorists are betting on is that we don't.

They're betting they can create enough havoc and enough violence and slaughter enough people and as long as they can get television coverage on in the United States, that will somehow undermine the determination of the American people to stick with it.

And what we have to do is continually remind the American people what's at stake. This is not a voluntary kind of war. It's not an optional war. This was a war that was posed upon us on 9/11 and we have to go wherever we have to go, wherever we find the terrorists, wherever we think that threat exists in order to deal with that threat.

And I think the American people, if they sit down and think about it, will understand that. I don't believe for a minute that the vast majority of Americans are prepared to accept defeat, to retreat in the face of terror and turn over Iran or Afghanistan to the likes of Osama bin Laden.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: So you heard the vice president. We got the big things right. That no regrets answer is vintage Cheney and you heard him say that the only way to lose is -- the fight is to quit. That is not an option.

Just like the president, Tony, the vice president over and over said that he is convinced that when you look at this through history, eventually it will show that what he did -- of course, he was a major architect of the U.S. policies that led to the war -- and of course, what the president did in toppling Saddam Hussein and setting up what they hope will eventually be a democracy in the Middle East, was the right thing to do.

HARRIS: Wow. Dana, how revealing is that? Dana bash for us at the White House. Dana, thank you.

BASH: Thank you.

HARRIS: And a new Gallup Poll shows a change in the president's approval ratings. When asked how Mr. Bush is handling his job as president, 43 percent of Americans surveyed gave him the thumbs up. But the majority, 53 percent, gave him a thumbs down. Still, it's a bounce from November which showed only a 38 percent approval rating. These polls have a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.

The lives of hundreds of thousands were changed forever a year ago Monday. That's when a tsunami struck south-central Asia, leaving destruction in its wake. We'll talk live with a witness later on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. KAYE: Plus a New Orleans cabinetmaker builds a lasting friendship on this Christmas Eve. It's a holiday story you have to see -- Bonnie.

(WEATHER REPORT)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, this is Captain Love (ph) from Baghdad, Iraq. I'm wishing my wife and my three beautiful daughters a happy holidays.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, my name's Staff Sergeant David Ludlam (ph) from Dayton, Texas. I want to wish everybody happy holidays and hi to my son Hunter and my mom and dad and my best friend John Paul. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I'm Specialist Magru (ph). I'm here in Al Asad, Iraq. I'd like to say happy holidays and hi to my husband and my kids in Killeen, Texas. I love you guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm PFC Marcum (ph) from Al Asad, Iraq. I just wanted to say hi to my wife Marisa (ph), my newborn baby, Giovanni, and my son Joe (ph) and wish everybody a happy holidays. And I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: I just sort of hope all those family members are watching this morning.

Boy, in case you're joining us, good morning, merry Christmas Eve to you. Here are some of the top stories we're following this morning.

Bethlehem is filled with holiday spirit for the first time in six years. More than 30,000 people are expected to gather for Christmas Eve celebrations. Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and a sharp drop in violence this year is contributing to the joyful atmosphere in the holy West Bank town.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Mosul, Iraq, this Christmas Eve talking to U.S. troops about their mission. He also met with U.S. and Iraqi officials. His visit comes amid more violence. Insurgents killed eight people in Baghdad today.

And government sources confirm to CNN the FBI has been monitoring dozens of Islamic-related sites in the U.S. for suspicious radiation levels since 2002. Sources say the agency is monitoring mosques, homes and businesses for signs that dirty bombs are being built. The FBI is not confirming or denying the program.

RANDI KAYE, CNN ANCHOR: And on this Christmas Eve, lots of folks wondering if they're going get that white Christmas. I know you are. Maybe not here in Atlanta, but ...

HARRIS: Some areas -- yes. Not here. Some areas, Bonnie, the answer is yes.

(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: We want to get to some breaking news right now. We're going to send you to Boynton Beach, Florida, where we are going to hear now from Mark Marks. He is the husband of Michelle Marks who was one of the pilots killed when that seaplane went down near Miami -- just off the coast of Miami at South Beach on Monday.

MARK MARKS, HUSBAND OF SEAPLANE PILOT: She was my soul mate, my best friend and my wife. I really feel privileged that I had the eight years with her. I don't know how I'm going to do this without her and I just -- I really want to know what happened for her, the co- pilot Paul, the families of the other 15 passengers and the three children that died.

This is Michelle after she'd become a first officer. She had a smile for everyone. Anyone who met her could tell you she had the uncanny ability of lighting up a room. I'm so dry -- can I get some water, please? I'll take questions if you have them. Thank you.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE).

MARKS: The NTSB is still in the process of their investigation. It will take about a year, I believe, to complete the investigation. I know very little. I wish I could tell you more. It -- I just don't know anything yet.

Yesterday afternoon we held a service and it was just overwhelming by the amount of support and people that were there from customs agents to Bahamians, to people who knew her, that didn't, to Chalk's, her fellow pilots, friends that flew out from all over, family.

Michelle was one of those unique individuals that if you're fortunate in life to meet, had this amazing combination of compassion, a love for life. She was courageous. I'm a marine biologist. We dove all over the world together. She's been around white sharks, great whites. That's what I study.

She climbed mountains, together jumped from planes, loved aviation. Her dream as a career was to fly for Chalk's, but her love of aviation was far beyond what she did for a paycheck. She loved flying and being amongst the clouds and her spirit is just unlike anyone I've ever met.

I would hope that no one ever has to go through the misfortune of outliving their loved ones. It's not -- it's just -- this is the single most difficult thing I've ever been through.

QUESTION: Are there any problems concerning Chalk's? Are they making an effort? MARKS: The issues that will surround her death I think will be addressed at a later time when there's something more to say. I'm really reluctant to say anything because I don't know.

I would prefer if we could just talk about who she was because she was outstanding. I think she was only fourth woman pilot to ever fly for Chalk's, you know, the oldest airline operating since 1919. She had made it to the rank of captain.

HARRIS: We've been listening to Mark Marks. He is the husband of Michelle Marks, one of the co-pilots who was killed in the seaplane crash in Miami on Monday. As you'll recall, all 20 people on board that seaplane were killed when it went down shortly after takeoff, and 19 of the victims were recovered almost immediately.

The body of the 20th victim was recovered yesterday afternoon. Mark Marks really eulogizing his wife this morning, remembering her as a pilot, a diver, a mountain climber. Randi, 37 years old?

KAYE: She was 37 years old and a master scuba diver, loved the great white sharks. She had an unblemished flying record, had worked for the Chalk's Ocean Airways for just four years. And he was certainly eulogizing her today.

HARRIS: Mark Marks remembering his wife and her life of adventure. We'll take a break. We'll come back with more CNN SATURDAY MORNING, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: 'Tis the season of giving. Many Americans are supporting loved ones overseas and the people those troops are helping. Time for a true holiday story. CNN's Becky Diamond joins us by videophone -- Becky.

BECKY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Randi. Well, every soldier that I've spoken to here at Camp Eggers in Kabul says the same thing. They would love to be with their family members over the holiday. They miss their loved once, but they're extremely proud to serve their country and extremely proud to be here in Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are going start a tug-of-war with the boy to keep them occupied until we finish giving gifts to the girls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, they don't share Christmas here, but we know what it means.

DIAMOND (voice-over): Afghanistan is 7,600 miles from Tim Watkins' hometown, but for this National Guard soldier, Christmas in Kabul ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shoes?

DIAMOND: ... is not that different from Thomasville, Georgia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At Christmastime we give to the needy. So I'm doing what I would be doing back there, except I'm doing over here.

DIAMOND: This deputy sheriff has been here since July, helping to train the Afghan army. He and a small group from the 53rd Brigade, a Florida National Guard unit, collected gifts from American citizens to distribute to Kabul's neediest children.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just make me feel like yes, it's kind of Christmas. Now I feel it, you know? And my kids back home telling me mommy, I can wait until I open my presents and this one is like the kids are just so happy to get, you know, all these things.

DIAMOND: The girls are getting items they never received under the Taliban. And the boys are playing games that weren't allowed back then. The 450 kids at Allauddin (ph) Orphanage, certainly appreciate the attention, their parents either dead or too poor to care for them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love the children of Afghanistan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

DIAMOND: 11-year-old Nazir (ph) doesn't know if his father is alive or dead. He disappeared under Taliban rule and his mother died four years ago. He says Sergeant Watkins' visit makes him very happy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you like to come to America?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

DIAMOND: And the Sergeant has a son of his own.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christmastime everyone wants to be home, but I know my country needs me here. And I'm glad to be here and I hope we make a difference while we're here. If I have to sacrifice one Christmas away from home, then, it's well worth it.

DIAMOND: The spirit of American Christmas travels with its soldiers, however far from home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DIAMOND: Not only are soldiers here distributing gifts, but they're also getting gifts from American civilians back in the states. They're receiving many stocking stuffers filled with candies, face lotions, warm socks and also beautiful cards written by children as well as adults thanking the soldiers for their service here. It's something the soldiers say help them get through this holiday season.

Also, the soldiers really appreciate the high-profile visits. Vice President Cheney was here, as was Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, but soldiers here say there is a frustration. They say they're not receiving enough attention not only on the war on terror here in Afghanistan, but also they say on the progress they're making in helping Afghanistan's citizens rebuild their country.

They say that much of the attention is going -- is focusing on the violence, but this year has been very, very violent. About double the people have died this year over last year in insurgent attacks and also nearly double the American soldiers have been killed this year compared to last. But despite that violence, people serving here say a lot of progress is being made. Back to you, Randi.

KAYE: All right, Becky Diamond reporting for us from Kabul.

HARRIS: And when we come back, we will talk live with a U.S. soldier on duty in Afghanistan on this Christmas eve, plus this. A gift from us to you, holiday music from renowned composer Jim Brickman.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAYE: And welcome back to CNN SATURDAY MORNING. I'm Randi Kaye in for Betty Nguyen.

HARRIS: And I'm Tony Harris. Here is a quick look at what's happening right now in the news. In south Florida, an emotional news conference just wrapped up just moments ago that many of you were able to watch right here on CNN. Mark Marks, the husband of the pilot who died in Monday's crash of that seaplane thanked the public for an outpouring of support. Michelle Marks and 19 others died in that crash. Michelle Marks was 37 years old.

The Christmas spirit returns to Bethlehem. Hundreds of pilgrims from around the world packed the town of Jesus' birth for Christmas Eve celebrations. It's the largest crowd since the Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000.

A mess hall pep talk in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited the northern city of Mosul today. He served up some lunch to American troops. Then he told them to shrug off any misgivings about the U.S.-led mission. Rumsfeld told them America will prevail.

KAYE: We talk so much about Iraq these days, it might be easy to forget the second war front, Afghanistan. Over there the war on terror is being fought on the ground and in the air by U.S. troops who for the most part remain faceless and nameless.

On this Christmas Eve, we want to put a face and a name on our men and women fighting half a world away with Navy petty officer second class and Bronx native Nelson Lebraun. He joins us via video phone from Kabul. Officer, why don't you tell us first of all, what you're doing over there.

NELSON LEBRAUN, NAVY OFFICER: My job is primarily to be a chaplain's assistant and I'm also his bodyguard in time of war.

KAYE: And is this your first Christmas away from home?

LEBRAUN: No, ma'am, this is about my ninth Christmas away from home. KAYE: So you're pretty used to this. Does it get any easier and how do you deal with it personally?

LEBRAUN: It does get easier with time. I mean, you get accustomed, you know a little bit more of what to expect. I deal with it mainly just staying focused with my sailor counterparts, my Marine counterparts and Army counterparts and Air Force counterparts. I teach martial arts out here, so that's a good outlet for me and it's also a good outlet for the guys here.

Since I'm a closed combat instructor, it allows me to facilitate a lot to the guys and keep them motivated and the martial arts is a good outlet for the people and it lets them unleash stress and being a chaplain's assistant can also give you an opportunity to let them know -- my counterparts feel a little bit better and hook them up with the chaplain should they need somebody to talk to and get stressed out.

KAYE: And you half a world away from us which would explain the delay here with you joining us by video phone and just trying to have a conversation with you. What about your family? Do you expect to have some contact with them this Christmas?

LEBRAUN: Yes. I actually spoke to my dad yesterday and my mother yesterday. They're doing fine. My dad's a former Marine so he always offers a lot of encouraging words to me. So, yes.

KAYE: I'm sure he does. Well we would like to offer the same. Petty officer second class Nelson Lebraun, Merry Christmas and we wish you the best for the new year.

LEBRAUN: Merry Christmas to everyone back home, too.

KAYE: Thank you.

HARRIS: Monday marks the one-year milestone since the tsunami disaster which devastated south central Asia and relief efforts are still ongoing. The huge waves ripped apart the ocean floor wiping out beautiful white beaches along the shores of Thailand and Indonesia. More than 200,000 people died. Thousands more are living day by day. CNN correspondent Alex Quade takes you back to Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX QUADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Hasmullah's secret way to catch fish.

HASMULLAH (through translator): I chase the fish by bashing the water. I beat the water so the fish will come out.

QUADE: And this is Hasmullah's secret fishing hole.

HASMULLAH (through translator): At this location there were houses. After the tsunami there is water here and no more houses. They were taken by the tsunami.

QUADE: The 13-year-old's relatives lived right here. They and their homes are gone. What do you remember about the tsunami?

HASMULLAH (through translator): I heard people screaming, water. The water is rising. I wondered why. I ran. I saw my friends also running. Five of my close friends died.

QUADE: More than 169,000 people lost their lives in Aceh, more than anywhere else the wave hit. Hasmullah and his parents survived. His home, relatives and schoolmates did not.

HASMULLAH (through translator): There are many dead bodies everywhere after the tsunami. There are damaged houses and schools. It makes me feel unhappy and sad to think about it.

QUADE: Though he smiles, he says he hates this water. But he must fish to help support what's left of his family. Today is a good day.

HASMULLAH (through translator): These two cost 5,000 rupees.

QUADE: About 50 cents in U.S. dollars. Fishing for a living after the tsunami is hard. Muck and debris choke the ecosystem.

HASMULLAH (through translator): Now there's no place to fish. The water has gone deeper. It's not good.

QUADE: All around Hasmullah, workers are rebuilding.

HASMULLAH (through translator): There are no houses, many poor people. I feel sad. I still feel sad.

QUADE: The tsunami made 500,000 Acehnese homeless. Today, nearly 68,000 in this provincial capital alone still live in tents. Humanitarian shanty towns are going up, but rebuilding lives is harder.

HASMULLAH (through translator): It's not the same now. I don't enjoy school anymore. I lost so many friends.

QUADE: As he fishes, Hasmullah dreams of becoming a Muslim cleric, but worries he'll be stuck for the rest of his life beating the water that took his relatives.

HASMULLAH (through translator): I don't know why the tsunami happened.

QUADE: A year later, he's still afraid it will happen again.

HASMULLAH (through translator): It was scary. I'm still scared.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Alex Quade joins us now live from New York. Alex, good to see you. Good to talk to you.

QUADE: Thank you, Tony. HARRIS: Post traumatic stress disorder. I would imagine it is everywhere in that region of the country, particularly with the young people.

QUADE: It really is. We visited a refugee camp. There's still 68,000 people just in Banda Aceh, the one city alone that are still living in tents over there in tent camps. We visited one of these camps and the people really are still traumatized. They can't get over the loss of their family members and it's a year later. But it's also compounded by the fact that it's difficult to find jobs.

Only about 5 percent of the people who were living in these tent camps have been able to find jobs and a lot of the children that we met, they still think about it. You saw Hasmullah there. He worries about the future. He wants to be a Muslim cleric, but he has a lot of things weighing on him, just the daily struggle to survive, to try to help his family get by.

HARRIS: And Alex, how much is evidence there of rebuilding and how many people are still living in these camps?

QUADE: As I said, about 68,000 people just in Banda Aceh alone are still living in these camps, but there is the effort to rebuild. It was amazing to go back when we were there a year ago, there was rubble that was as much as two and three stories high, rubble everywhere. And now we go back and the rubble has been cleared. There is still some very damaged houses there, but there is grass fields that the nature has just basically reclaimed the area.

There is a lot of rebuilding. There's a lot of aid groups who were in initially who left to go to the Pakistan earthquakes, to the hurricanes. So they're hoping that a lot of these aid groups comes back. There's been a lot of effort, but there is -- there's a good 10 years of recovery that is still needed there.

HARRIS: Alex, a couple of very quick ones because I need to get this before we're out of time, what did you see while over there that you will never forget?

QUADE: Oh -- I -- the image that sticks with me the most and I've covered war zones. I've been to various conflicts and regions that you just don't really want to go to, but the thing that stuck with me the most is the bodies. When we were first there, there were just bodies everywhere in the street. Everywhere we looked, everywhere we stepped, bodies.

We had to go back to the mass grave to see how people are coping with this and 54,000 people were dumped in this mass grave near the airport in Banda Aceh alone that were not identified and the people who go back there looking for their relatives hoping that maybe their relatives are there, they have really no way of knowing. So it's a very tough time still, even a year later for these poor people over there.

HARRIS: Alex Quade, good to see you. Good to talk to you and thanks for your reporting. Appreciate it. HARRIS: Well, we couldn't ring in the Christmas season, Christmas Eve, Christmas day without the sweet sounds of the holiday.

KAYE: Coming up, we will talk to world renowned musician who is joining forces with Mickey Mouse. We'll explain.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: He is a performer, a composer, a hit recording artist and not to mention good friends with Kermit the frog and our own Randi Kaye. Jim Brickman has gained an international reputation for his collaborations with many of the entertainment industry's most gifted musical artists. For his newest CD, Brickman joins forces with the Walt Disney studios. I had a chance to talk to Jim Brickman yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: It's wonderful to be with you for Christmas and tell me about this latest project now. I'm familiar with "Grace" from this year so I'm a little slow in getting up to speed on this project, the "Disney Songbook." Tell us about it.

JIM BRICKMAN, PIANIST/COMPOSER: This was the year that was sort of dedicated to family. "Grace," the sacred music and the hymns that my version of those and then later this year, the "Disney Songbook," my version and interpretation of the Disney classics which is something I always wanted to do my whole life. I've always been a huge fan of Disney.

HARRIS: So give us an idea of some of the selections that you've chosen and some of the people that you're working with, because the great thing about a Jim Brickman CD is that you know you're going get great collaborations.

BRICKMAN: Well, collaboration has become sort of a tradition in my albums and a lot of the songs are my solo piano versions of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Zip-A- Dee-Doo-Dah" and you don't hear those songs often done as instrumentals. In a way, they're sort of calming kind of lullaby type of versions of them, but it also features collaborations. Wayne Brady joins me on a song called

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: How talented is he?

BRICKMAN: Unbelievable, great guy too and Kimberley Locke and Josh Gracin from "American Idol." He sings "When I See an Elephant Fly" from "Dumbo," Lila McCann, Dobie Gray (ph), a very eclectic group of people as always.

HARRIS: Jim, I have to ask you, this is the time of year when a lot of folks tend to reflect a little bit on the year that has gone ahead and what has happened over the course of the year. I'm going to ask you to reflect on what has been a wonderful career that you have fashioned for yourself. When you take a moment and think about this career, what kinds of things come to mind to you?

BRICKMAN: Really, the most important thing to me is the connection that the music makes with people. The fact that people come to me and say, you know, I found comfort in the music or I found healing in the music or romance.

Anything that is -- that people make a part of their lives is such an honor to be part of, and when I perform live, certainly you feel that way because you feel the connection with people and music is a great powerful healer. It's a great way to just emotionally connect, to calm down sometimes whether you're going through a hard time or whether you're celebrating.

HARRIS: And this year in particular, when you look back at '05 and all that has transpired, for many folks it was, it was just a terrible year.

BRICKMAN: Yes, it really was.

HARRIS: A lot of devastation. It seems to me, for a lot of your fans, your music is played in those quiet spaces when you get an opportunity to reflect. So I would think that looking back on '05, there is probably a lot in this and a lot in "Grace" that might be helpful for folks.

BRICKMAN: I think so, because in many ways, it's very nostalgic. You're talking about songs that are familiar, both the hymns and inspirational songs and "Grace" that take you back, that remind you of the way you grew up, the songs that you knew. Same with Disney. The celebration of hope and of fantasy and magic and things that make you smile. All of that and you're right. The world this year was a tough year for everybody and you have to find places to soothe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Your holiday forecast is next but first, more music from Jim Brickman.

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(WEATHER REPORT)

HARRIS: Bonnie, thank you. The e-mail question of the morning. You guys have been great in sending these really touching responses to the question, what's your fondest Christmas memory?

KAYE: I have one from Harold McClendon from Alexandria, Virginia. She says, "in 1950 I saw Santa. We were sitting at the dining room table and all of a sudden I heard a sound in the living room, jumped up, ran into the room, only to see Santa going out the front door and under the tree were presents. I ran to the door, but he was gone."

HARRIS: And this from Kate who is now 18. "I need to set it up that way. My mother got me the felicity American girl doll. I was 8 years old. My smile couldn't have been bigger!" KAYE: And it is still so popular.

HARRIS: They are. Is that it? Are we done?

KAYE: We're done. Of course, there's much more, much more ahead on CNN SATURDAY MORNING. For many hurricane evacuees, it might be tough to find the Christmas spirit hundreds of miles from home.

HARRIS: And joining us live next hour, one evacuee from New Orleans who is now living right here in Atlanta, Georgia. We visited with her on Thanksgiving. Now we'll see if the Christmas spirit is visiting her and her family. We will be right back.

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