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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

U.N. High Commissioner Concerned About Kidnappings;

Aired January 04, 2005 - 17:00   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.


WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now. A new concern for the children of the tsunami. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees tells CNN he's deeply concerned about kidnappings as reports surface of child exploitation. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The marines land in Sri Lanka as American aid makes a difference in Indonesia. Is it also helping the U.S.?

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: It does give the Muslim world and the rest of the world an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action.

BLITZER: Lost Americans. Thousands may still be missing. For some families, their worst fears confirmed.

The children. Back at school, but reliving the nightmare.

Another nightmare in the making. Shocking reports that young survivors are being stolen.

Five days at sea, clinging to an uprooted tree. Incredible stories of survival.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, January 4, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us. We begin with new developments in the tsunami disaster. U.S. marines are now on the ground in Sri Lanka, adding military muscle to the humanitarian mission. They're bringing bulldozers, heavy lift helicopters and tons of food, water and medical supplies. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew into Indonesia today after visiting Thailand's devastated Phuket resort, where they inspected relief efforts and were briefed on efforts to track down Americans reported missing. According to CNN sources, the overall death toll from the quake-spawned tsunamis is more than 155,000, more than 94,000 were killed in Indonesia alone.

CNN has correspondents and crews throughout the stricken region. Today, we have 14 reporters and anchors in four countries. It's a desperate race against death. The U.S. military spearheading an operation to save survivors in hardest-hit Indonesia. Our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy reports from Banda Aceh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One after another, they were carried off the choppers, lucky to be alive, but some very close to death. Rescued by U.S. air crews along the devastated western coast of Sumatra. They were cut and battered, dazed and dehydrated. After more than a week with no help, their wounds were seriously infected.

MICHAEL BAR, USAID: Some of the cases are so severe, doctors said that if we hadn't have plucked them, they probably wouldn't have made it another few days.

CHINOY: The survivors were taken to a temporary emergency ward set up just off the runway, staffed by doctors from across the globe. In this tent, physicians from China work to stabilize the latest arrivals.

(on camera): The casualties being flown in here represent just a fraction of the total number of injured, but already the only two functioning hospitals in Banda Aceh are full and are not accepting any more patients. There is literally nowhere to put these people.

(voice-over): So acute is the shortage of hospital beds that U.S. chopper crews have been asked to limit the number of injured they bring back here, but the Americans made clear they would carry on.

CAPT. LARRY BURT, U.S. NAVY: It's an issue that our air crew are having a hard time dealing with. You see children out there, young people that are seriously, seriously injured. You know they need help and it's hard to leave them there until we get this problem fixed.

CHINOY: But this is hardly the only problem. In a bizarre accident, a Boeing 737, a commercial cargo jet, plowed into a water buffalo on the airport's only runway. Vital deliveries of relief supplies were halted for nearly 18 hours, although helicopter flights did continue. It was a devastating blow. Aid workers warn that stockpiles could run out within a day, shutting down the chopper air drops with potentially fatal results. In the end, American, Australian and Indonesian soldiers managed to tow the jet to the side. The airport reopened. Within minutes, an Indonesian C-130 was on the ground, its boxes of food, water and medicine being unloaded and readied for the next round of chopper flights. But the fact remains that one water buffalo nearly brought this relief operation to its knees, a testament to the fragility of the effort on which so many lives depend. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: United States marines are taking on the task of helping Sri Lanka, where at last report more than 46,000 people died in the tsunamis and many more are at risk. But they're not the only military force involved in the rescue effort. Bill Neely has the story from Sri Lanka.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL NEELY, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On course for a disaster. A British brigade speeding towards Sri Lanka's devastated coast line. On board HMS Chattum (ph), helicopters and men now a part of the biggest relief operation in history. More help arrived today. Hundreds more American marines, part of the force of 1,500. With 20 helicopters and an aircraft carrier to back them up. The navies of the world are coming to Asia's aid.

Sri Lanka needs it more than most. Its government admits, it can't cope. Its people certainly can't. The hands of 1.5 million of them are outstretched, and busy trying to stay alive. The lucky ones get food from local charities and it's the best time of the day, the only time of the day when they'll eat. 1.5 million are homeless, like this man, they've got so little now that even a light bulb is worth salvaging. Though, no one came for this or for the clock that stopped when disaster struck.

Today, the government here added another 5,000 names to the list of the dead. Sri Lanka's total now stands at 35,000 lives lost in a few horrific seconds. The scale of this disaster, the death and the damage still hard to take in and very hard to do anything about. And the death toll is rising still, with every body that rises from the deep water.

At the scene of the world's worst rail disaster, where up to 2,500 died, they pulled carriages up to reveal more horrors underneath.

On the waves that brought disaster, the tourists who stay on, dozens of foreigners died here, the disbelieving are left.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I walked down a few guest houses down this way and they're completely gone, bedrooms gone and everything. My bedroom is intact here. I shouldn't really be standing here talking to you right now, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a war zone. It looks like, I don't know, like 9/11, but multiplied by 100.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Bill Neely of Independent Television News reporting from Sri Lanka.

The Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the Florida Governor Jeb Bush, are making a high profile visit to the disaster zone. They're in Indonesia right now after surveying the damage and the relief efforts in Thailand. Our senior White House correspondent John King is traveling with them. He filed this report from Jakarta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Phuket, a firsthand update on the tsunami relief effort and an acknowledgement the challenge in Thailand is far different than in poorer and more remote areas harder hit.

POWELL: I will go back and see if there is not more we can do. It has to do with identification of remains, forensic activity, forensic pathology.

KING: Secretary Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush were briefed on efforts to track down Americans still unaccounted for and the president's brother visited the makeshift wall where family members of the many more missing Europeans and Asians appeal for help.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: It breaks my heart that we talk about how, in Thailand, the number -- the damage was less than Indonesia, but to put it in perspective, thousands of people lost their lives here from all over the world, half of them from Thailand, half of them from the rest of the world. It was more than the number of people that were killed on September 11.

KING: Flying into Phuket, it was clear the damage here is significant, but in isolated pockets. Some 4,000 people are still listed as missing and the Thailand's foreign minister said additional search plans and forensics teams are critical to the now fading hopes of getting a reliable count of the victims and their nationalities.

SURAKIAT SATHIKATHAI, THAI FOREIGN MINISTER: We have to wait for the final data analysis and comparison to be able to tell exactly who are the Thais are, who are foreigners.

KING: Looking past the immediate relief effort, Thailand's prime minister pledged $20 million to develop a tsunami early warning system for his country. And Secretary Powell said talks Thursday in Jakarta, and later this month in Japan will anchor a broader system covering the Indian Ocean and the south China Sea.

From Thailand, it was on to Indonesia where the destruction is worse and where Secretary Powell sees the relief effort as a possible antidote to deep anti-American sentiment.

POWELL: Well, I think it does gives to the Muslim world and the rest of the world an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action.

KING: First in Thailand, then here in Indonesia, officials thanked the United States for what they called prompt and generous aid. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Secretary Powell says prove wrong those who rushed to criticize the Bush White House in the hours and days after the tsunami. John King, CNN, Jakarta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Preying on the smallest victims of the tsunami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In an emergency, adults, unfortunately, take advantage of children. And we're seeing it again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: New concerns of kidnapping and sex trafficking. Why many children could be in serious danger.

Amazing survival. A woman found alive five days after being washed out to sea by massive waves.

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In my quiet moments and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes that I realize it's very real. It's not just a bad nightmare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Americans lost. The people who never made it home from their vacation.

And we have an unmatched team of our top journalists on the front lines of this still developing story. Along with checking in with us for reports of new developments throughout the day, tonight at 7:00, we'll bring you all the latest stories and development in our CNN special report, "Turning the Tide."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Some amazing stories of survival are shining through the shroud of disaster that's covered South Asia in the wake of the tsunamis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Like many Indonesians, this woman has only one name, Malawadi (ph). The crew of a Malaysian fishing boat found the 23-year-old adrift in the Indian Ocean, clinging to a palm tree five days after being washed out to sea by the killer waves.

A health official says the woman survived by eating the tree's fruit and bark. Another Malaysian fishing boat reportedly made a similar rescue, saving a man found floating on tree branches 100 miles from shore.

Some day this 18-month-old boy will have quite a story to tell. According to Thai News Agency, he was found floating on a mattress in the sea almost a week after tsunamis devastated a nearby resort. The boy, whose parents are believed to have been killed, is from Kazakhstan and was turned over to that country's ambassador.

There have also been incredible rescues on land. In hard-hit Indonesia, this 24-year-old man was found trapped under his fishing boat a full week after it was tossed ashore by tsunamis. Officials say the man had no food or water during his ordeal and was barely conscious when he was found.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Amazing stories, indeed. The State Department, by the way says 16 Americans are now confirmed dead in the tsunami disaster. Eight of them in Thailand, eight in Sri Lanka. Our Brian Todd has been looking into their stories.

Brian, what have you found?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, getting specific information about those Americans who were killed in the tsunamis is a tricky and evolving process. But we have been able to piece together some compelling stories of people who left for adventures or to visit their homelands and never came back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): The State Department won't release their names, because their families haven't signed privacy waivers. Through phone calls, wire service and affiliate reports, we get their stories from those they've left behind.

BRUCE ANDERSON, SISTER DIED IN TSUNAMI: The most beautiful place that she has always wanted to go is where her life ended.

TODD: That was near a beach lodge in southeastern Sri Lanka, where Bruce Anderson was told his 42-year-old sister, Christy (ph), spent the last moments of a well-traveled life. Bruce tends to Christy's affairs in Las Vegas, makes funeral arrangements, tries to cope. He says mornings are his worst time.

Same for Janet Nicholas.

JANET NICHOLAS, BROTHER DIED IN TSUNAMI: My quiet moments and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes, that I realize it's very real. It's not just a bad nightmare.

TODD: Janet's brother, 59-year-old Brian King (ph), an Alaskan commercial fisherman with a wanderlust, who had gone on to vacation to Thailand and e-mailed his sister just before she believes he was swept under water in his sleep.

NICHOLAS: Hi Janet and Mark, don't worry, I'm fine. I'm at a dive beach resort about 100 kilometers north of Phuket. I'm going to start diving lessons soon.

TODD: 15-year-old Kali Bryshe (ph) was also vacationing reportedly inside a bungalow on a Thai beach with her 16-year-old brother when the tsunami hit. Kali's brother was badly injured, her father and sister spent days looking for her. News of her body being found, hard to process for friends back in Salt Lake City.

KILIONA PALAUNI, FRIEND DIED IN TSUNAMI: I don't know what to do right now, not seeing her sitting in the back row like she always did, not seeing her in the chairs where we always sat and worked together.

TODD: In Chicago, a memorial service for Tamara Mendes (ph) the 55-year-old ministers wife was visiting family back home in Sri Lanka on board that ill-fated train that was submerged, knocked off its tracks by a massive wave. Mendes She was traveling with her twenty- something daughter, who survived but could not rescue her mother.

Parents, children, young, middle-aged, adventurers, immigrants returning home, Americans lost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: At least two of those victims we profiled are leaving a very meaningful legacy. Christy Anderson's relatives say they plan to use money from her estate to establish a foundation for tsunami relief. And at Kali Bryshe's high school, students are selling wrist- bands and donating proceeds to a foundation set up by her father to help tsunami victims -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd, thanks very much. Brian is going to stay on top of the other Americans who have died in the tsunami as well. Thank you very much, Brian.

BLITZER: Would the U.S. be prepared if something of this magnitude hit this country? Our Jeanne Meserve has been investigating.

Millions of injured and displaced people, thousands of dead bodies. Is an effective relief plan in place?

Children in danger. New fears young tsunami victims are being exploited.

And missing Americans. More than 4,000 unanswered inquiries. Why can't the U.S. government confirm the numbers?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In our CNN security watch, how prepared is the United States to handle a disaster like the one that struck the shores of the Indian Ocean? Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has been investigating. She's joining us now live. Jeanne, what have you found out?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Hurricane Andrew, 9/11, just a couple of events that have taxed if not overwhelmed the nation's response capabilities. Now, some are looking at the tsunamis and asking, what if?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): If something like this happened here, would we be ready?

RICHARD FALKENRATH, FMR. HOMELAND SEC. ADVISER: It is entirely possible we will have a disaster or catastrophe in America which was not foreseen and for which our preparedness was completely inadequate. MESERVE: Public warning might allow for evacuations and other preparations, but some disasters...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. Jack! It's a tornado!

MESERVE: Give little or no warning of their arrival. U.S. building codes might lessen the death and destruction in the disaster but the loss of electricity, the Internet and transportation infrastructure could cripple response efforts. Some experts say the nation's search and rescue capabilities would be overwhelmed by a major event. hit's widely recognized that the nation's hospital system is not prepared for a surge of casualties, though some in the health field say the issue is being addressed.

DR. CHRISTINA CATLETT, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: It's all about collaboration and really pulling together resources, not only from your own hospital, but also from the whole city.

MESERVE: Prepositioned medical supplies are guaranteed to arrive anywhere in the U.S. within 12 hours, but the recent shortage of flu vaccine exposed weaknesses in distribution systems.

And what about the dead? Identifying them, storing them, burying them would be a logistical and management nightmare. Though many doubt we would ever see in this country what we've seen in southeast Asia.

JOHN FITCH, NATL. FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSN.: I do not see, unless it was an absolute dire exigency where we would ever consider mass graves. I can't even fathom whether we would ever have funeral piles.

MESERVE: There is consensus among the experts that the nation's preparedness and response capabilities have markedly improved since 9/11.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): And though there is more to be done and more to be learned, there is debate about just how much preparation should be made for low probability, high consequence events like a tsunami -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve. Thank you very much. Eye-opening report. Appreciate it.

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

To our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. Is the United States prepared to handle a disaster on the scale of the Indian Ocean tsunamis? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Turning now to some new information about the antidepressant, Prozac, and its possible side effects. We reported yesterday on this program that internal documents from the manufacturer seem to show that the Eli Lilly & Company knew more than 15 years ago that the drug was more likely to cause suicide attempts than other antidepressants. Today, the company confirmed the documents were, in fact, genuine but said, and let me quote, "we do not believe these data, for a number of reasons, are terribly useful or informative in terms of suggesting anything about a casual link between the drug and the adverse events being reported."

A heartbreaking story from Thailand that targets the most harmless survivors: children. Could kids being falling prey to sex traffickers? How this could happen and what aid organizations are doing to protect these young victims.

It's back to school in Thailand, but it's hardly a return to normality. Many are still fearful, scared, traumatized. Their stories coming up ahead.

As the search for missing Americans continues, we'll have Senators Jon Corzine and Sam Brownback. They're about to head out to the region. We'll get their assessments. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back. As if their suffering has not been enough, there are now concerns children are being exploited and possibly kidnapped in regions affected by the tsunami. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories now in the news.

The governor of Iraq's Baghdad province Ali al-Haidri was killed in a roadside ambush today along with a bodyguard. Witnesses reported an intense gun battle between the assassins and al-Haidri's entourage. Two other bodyguards were injured. Al-Haidri survived a similar ambush in September.

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Allawi called President Bush to discuss the increasing violence and the upcoming elections. A White House spokesman wouldn't give details of the call, but said that there was no discussion of postponing the vote scheduled for the end of this month.

A New Jersey man is facing charges for allegedly pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week. He's free right now on $100,000 bail. There was speculation the incidents might be terror-related, but investigators say there's no evidence to support that.

And the 109th Congress is now in Session. Members took the oath of office today and got straight to work. President Bush's proposal for Social Security reform will be a focal point this session but one of the first orders of business will be tsunami disaster relief. Here is an update on the latest developments in the tsunami disaster. The death count now stands at more than 155,000. After visiting Thailand's Phuket Island, a U.S.-led delegation led by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush arrived in Indonesia, where a meeting of regional leaders will take place Thursday. And the U.S. Marines have landed in Sri Lanka, where they will distribute food, medicine and water.

As we continue our coverage of the tsunami, we're going to focus on how the disaster is affecting some of the most vulnerable survivors, children. Not only do they face natural threats, including disease and malnutrition. They also face a manmade threat, sexual predators.

Shiulie Ghosh of International Television News reports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SHIULIE GHOSH, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): When the wave struck the coast of Thailand nine days ago, they not only ripped away lives, but tore thousands of families apart, parents from children, brother from sister.

Among the survivors were youngsters left injured, orphaned, traumatized and alone. Now Thai authorities are investigating the dreadful possibility that when some of these victims needed help the most, they may have fallen prey to child traffickers. The father of this boy, 12-year-old Christian Walker (ph), is desperately trying to discover if his son was one of those victims.

Christian was on holiday in Khao Lak with his mother, now presumed dead, and his brother and sister, who were found safe in Phuket. Doctors at this hospital have confirmed they treated Christian for minor injuries the day after the tsunami, but they say he left the hospital with a dark-haired European man and he hasn't been heard of since.

Swedish police are now treating Christian's disappearance as a possible kidnapping. Aid agencies say children are particularly vulnerable to child snatchers in the chaotic aftermath of disasters. They have reported cases of local children being abducted by ruthless child sex traders, but this is a first time a Western child has been taken. It's a nightmare for any parent. Christian's family are now doing all they can to trace him with the help of the Thai authorities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Shiulie Ghosh.

This update. Swedish police now say they have sent a team to Thailand to help authorities look into the child kidnapping reports.

Aid officials are well aware of the threat to children.

CNN's Mary Snow is in New York with an in-depth look at what's being done to try to protect them -- Mary. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, relief groups are concerned, UNICEF saying that it received a -- or saw disturbing text messages.

And it read -- quote -- "Three hundred orphans, age 3 to 10 years from Aceh for adoption. All paperwork will be taken care of. No fee. Please state age and sex of child required." These are the kind of messages that have concerns being raised about children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): As if it weren't enough of a nightmare to endure the tsunami, the smallest victims face another threat that aid organizations are trying to prevent, children, particularly orphans, being exploited, whether it's abduction or sexual abuse.

In an emergency, adults, unfortunately, take advantage of children. And we're seeing it again. So, the scale of the problem, so far as we have seen, is not enormous. But when you have so many children who are vulnerable, when you have children who have lost their parents, who have either physically or actually just lost them in the location, it mean that they are more vulnerable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Put them in a box.

SNOW: Bob Laprade of Save the Children is heading to Indonesia, where one of the priorities is to have a system to monitor children so they can be registered and tracked.

BOB LAPRADE, SAVE THE CHILDREN: Because exploitation of children is such an issue around the world, especially in a time of natural disaster, like now, it is very important that we focus on it.

SNOW: In Aceh, child exploitation was a problem long before the tsunami.

LAPRADE: Aceh is, in fact, a place where trafficking has been a problem in the past. So, it is something that I think the international community and the Indonesian government rightly is concerned about.

SNOW: What's also not uncommon in the wake of a disaster, say relief groups, are rumors about exploitation. And adding to their job is separating fact from fiction, but they say they are braced for the worst.

RUUD LUBBERS, UNHCR: For my people, I don't have this solid evidence. So, we are prepared for these sort of ill behaviors and terrible things. So, we are cautious. We are prepared, trying to prevent it. We will work with others. But I cannot confirm reports that it's happening on a large scale right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And the government of Indonesia has also stepped up its efforts. It is now barring children under 16 from leaving the province of Aceh, fearing that they will be exploited. It fears that thousands of children have been left without parents and the government says it's afraid they'll be taken advantage of -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow reporting for us. -- Mary, thank you very much.

Other children are heading back to school, but for many of them, things are hardly back to normal.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports from Thailand's hard-hit island resort Phuket.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Classes began on schedule after the holiday break at this Thai school untouched by the tsunami. But for these students, there are savage scenes close at hand and searing memories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I was shocked. I was playing when my cousin screamed. Then my father and me ran up the hill. And then the water came rushing through. I was so shocked. Then my mother grabbed me and we immediately got in the car and sped away from our house.

RAMAN: Others now forever fearful of the ocean that surrounds this island.

AIYARIN SRIRAT, STUDENT (through translator): Because it might come again. I'm afraid to die.

RAMAN: Teachers are not just educators now. They are counselors. They are mindful that these students' vacations were nothing short of horrific.

MIKE BRASS, TEACHER: I'm looking for children that might be withdrawn or things like that, and just keeping an eye out that way. When the older students in the course of the remainder of the week, I'll be able to get more things out of them, but the younger ones, it's hard to draw it out in English.

RAMAN: At a time when hope is hard to find, when tragedy is everywhere, one day at one school and one story of people starting to live again.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Phuket, southern Thailand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The slow search for missing Americans. While many loved ones stay glued to e-mail for any updates, we'll tell you why the fate of so many is still unresolved.

Plus, ahead of their trip to the hardest-hit areas, two U.S. senators join me live to discuss their plans. And a personal account of the tsunami disaster. CNN's Satinder Bindra shares with us the damage and grief he has seen as a result of this terrible tragedy.

We have an unmatched team of our top journalists on the front lines of this still developing story. Along with checking in with us for reports of new developments throughout the day, tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll bring you all the latest stories and developments in our CNN special report, "Turning the Tide."

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. Marines landed in Sri Lanka today on a mission of mercy. They'll be working to get tons of food, water and medical supplies to tsunami survivors.

Just a short time ago, I spoke with CNN's Satinder Bindra, who is in Sri Lanka.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Satinder, take us behind the scenes. Give us a little flavor of what's happening in Sri Lanka right now.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's happening, Wolf, is still a lot of grieving, and some of the stories that you hear here really turn your insides out.

I met a man, for instance, just yesterday. He had lost eight members of his family. His home was damaged, his business entirely destroyed. He started looking around then for his family members and could only find six bodies, so, a terrible tale to hear.

Then, when I was on the east coast, a lot of orphanages there were completely destroyed. And in just one area alone, a Catholic priest told me some 30 orphans were just sucked out by the tsunami. So it's very painful, both as a human being and as a journalist, to hear such stories.

BLITZER: Where are you right now, Satinder? Give us a little sense of the devastation, the destruction around you.

BINDRA: I'm about an hour and a half drive south of the capital of Colombo and I'm in a beach resort in a hotel.

And I'll give you a quick pan around and you can see the damage here. The waves came up to this hotel. The waves came up about 500 meters. And then the force of the sea or the tsunami was so powerful -- you're seeing a boat in this picture. That boat came right into this hotel. And the waves were about 15 feet high. So, most of the people ran up on to the first floor.

Only one person was killed here, but, in that sense, at least the residents here were lucky. In parts of eastern Sri Lanka, large tracks were just completely devoured by the tsunami and several dozens of people killed in one large building alone -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And what how about you? How concerned are you and our other journalistic colleagues, Satinder, about disease breaking out, cholera, God forbid, all the other additional problems that could easily explode right now?

BINDRA: Wolf, I think everyone's biggest fear here is, what if another killer wave came along?

I'll give you a personal experience. Just about four days ago, I was in a Zodiac. I was in the Galle harbor and I was being taken out to an Indian naval ship. The officer with us radioed the ship and said, we're coming on board and there was a panicky voice at the other end, which said, get out of here. Get out of here. A tsunami is going to strike in about 20 minutes.

Wolf, I can't tell you the panic. I had about 100 kilograms of gear. All of us just scrambled out of the Zodiac, ran. We were huffing and panting, didn't know where to go, disoriented. And we all feared for our lives. But, luckily, residents guided us to some higher ground. We got there. And this turned out to be a false alarm. But I can tell you, that was one of the scariest moments of my life.

BLITZER: Well, thank God it was a false alarm.

Satinder Bindra, thanks very much for joining us. Keep up the good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The tsunamis affected some areas and including some very small islands that are home to indigenous peoples. This photo -- take a look at this -- it's been released by the Indian Coast Guard -- shows a member of the Sentinel tribe, which lives on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

He is pointing his bow and arrow at a Coast Guard helicopter which was surveying the islands for damage. The archipelago is home to five tribes whose numbers have dwindled over the years to less than 1,000 in total. Some anthropologists speculate that the transcribe's knowledge of nature may have helped them escape the tsunami's devastation.

Americans still missing in the wake of the tsunami. Do the numbers tell the whole story? New information we're getting right now. Our Andrea Koppel standing by at the State Department.

And I'll speak live with two U.S. senators. They're about to head out to the region. What will they be doing to help confirm the numbers? Senators Brownback and Corzine joining me live, that is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Nine days after the tsunamis struck, there's growing concern over the fate of Americans who have been reported missing by family or friends.

Let's go live to our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel.

Andrea, what are you hearing?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in the days immediately following last month's tsunami, the State Department logged over 20,000 phone calls or inquiries from Americans concerned about missing family or friends. Today, that number has been dwindled down to just over 4,000.

But the State Department still won't say how many of these inquiries are related to missing Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): Karen Foust is glued to her computer in Howell, Michigan, reading e-mails from Thailand.

KAREN FOUST, STEPMOTHER OF MISSING AMERICAN: There is always hope. I heard stories of miracles yesterday.

KOPPEL: Hoping against hope her stepdaughter, Angie Foust, and boyfriend Luke Scully are still alive. The couple was on vacation in Thailand when the tsunami struck.

FOUST: As time passes, it gets much more hard to hear, to even read the e-mails, because you're thinking the worst at every one.

KOPPEL: Like thousands of other Americans, Karen Foust called a State Department hot line when she heard the news to let them know Angie was missing. But more than a week after the tsunami, still no news about Angie and still uncertainty as to just how many Americans are actually missing.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 Americans that we're trying to get track of. I don't know how many of them were in Thailand, how many were elsewhere. And I don't even know if they should be called missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people over the last couple of days have received e-mails and telephone calls.

KOPPEL: A State Department task force is devoted to running down an estimated 4,100 inquiries or phone calls made on behalf of Americans whose relatives believe are missing. On the defensive, State Department officials say 16 Americans are now confirmed dead.

QUESTION: Can't you, you know, bite the bullet and make some statement about Americans probably missing?

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Yes. Yes. I think, frankly, Barry (ph), that we'll soon be in a position to do that.

KOPPEL: But other countries, like Sweden, for which this is already an unprecedented national disaster, have managed to get answers; 52 Swedes are confirmed dead; 2,000 others are classified as missing.

JAN ELIASSON, SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES: I will not paint a rosy picture. It's extremely difficult. There are many uncertainties. But we have worked through the families, through the travel agencies. We have sent down hundreds -- up to 100 people to Thailand to go through thee hospitals.

KOPPEL: Complicating matters, State Department officials say, of the 4,100 unresolved inquiries, there are multiple reports for the same person, different names used and sometimes the names are misspelled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The U.S. insists it, too, is devoting countless resources to tracking down missing Americans, saying that it's working with immigration authorities, that it's working through plane manifests and is trying everything it can, Wolf, on the ground and here in Washington to evaluate and find out how many of those inquiries are actually related to missing Americans -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, good report. Thanks very much.

And to our viewers, if you have not heard the status of a loved one in the tsunami-affected region, CNN would like to hear from you. We want to find out about your efforts to locate missing friends or relatives. And are you still waiting to hear from them? You can call CNN. This is the number. You see it on the screen, 404-878-1500, 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. After those hours, the line will connect to voice mail. We would love to help you if we can.

Joining us now from Capitol Hill, two U.S. senators who this week will head to the disaster zone for a firsthand look, New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine and Sam Brownback.

Senator Corzine, I assume -- let me start with you. I assume you have constituents that are worried about loved ones. Is that right?

SEN. JON CORZINE (D), NEW JERSEY: We've worked, actually, through a few problems of trying to resolve identification of where children, loved ones are.

I had quite a bit of success, as it was noted by the speaker you had. And a lot of times, there are just double identification that builds up this list and other things that lead to such large numbers. But we have to pursue these aggressively in each case. And I think the State Department has been very open and willing to work with us in searching out and finding individuals.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, I don't know how many Kansans were in that part of the world at this time of the year. But are you frustrated that there are 4,100 still unresolved cases at this point, more than a week into this disaster?

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: I think we're all frustrated, the Swedish government, the U.S. government, the people around the world about the number of people still unaccounted for.

Yet, it also reflects just the horrific, huge level of this disaster. And rather than casting aspersions, what we're trying to do is get people focused in on, OK, which specific people are missing? What are the numbers? What are the actual names? And let's do as much checking as we possibly can.

And, at the same time, let's do everything we can right now to get as much aid and relief into the region so that the death, loss doesn't mount up further from this point on forward.

BLITZER: Is there anything, Senator Brownback, the State Department should be doing now, the U.S. government should be doing to resolve these 4,100 people, the question marks around them, that it's not doing?

BROWNBACK: I don't know of anything. I would just urge people if they have a loved one that's missing, contact the State Department, contact CNN or my office, your U.S. senator's office or congressman's office, so we make sure that name is in the system.

Or, if this is a person that has put in a question mark as missing and you know they're here, contact them as well.

BLITZER: Senator Corzine, you have been involved in a lot of these humanitarian missions, including in Sudan, in Africa. What do you hope to accomplish by heading out to the region this week?

CORZINE: Well, first of all, I think all of us want to express our commitment to humanity and our concern for this tragedy. That's an important statement for America and those of us who are elected representatives to do.

Two, we are going to have need to make good and strong and thoughtful judgments about how aid comes to help in this tragedy, make sure that it's thoughtfully put together. It's also going to have to be executed over a longer period of time. It's not just a short-term event. There are issues that are immediate, but there are going to be long-run reconstruction efforts.

I hope to come away educated about what the nature and the scope of the problem are, both on the immediate basis of the people that were imperiled by the tragedy, but what are we going to have to do over the long run? There's a great opportunity for America here to express its soul and heart, reach out, but also to, I think, promote our strategic interests by showing that we care whether someone is Muslim, whether they're Buddhist. We're about humanity.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, the Pentagon confirmed today that some of the Marines and other U.S. troops who are now in the tsunami region were planning on going to Iraq as early as next month. Bottom- line question, is the U.S. military stretched too thin right now to handle both of these crises?

BROWNBACK: Well, we're stretched. There's no question about it. But I don't think we're stretched too thin.

And we have got a substantial force, obviously, in Iraq and in Afghanistan and in a number of places around the world. But I think it's a wise choice for us to put these people in that region where the tsunami victims are and to try to reduce the level of human tragedy that continues to take place, because now you've got issues of dehydration, of disease.

The quicker we can get in with food, medicine, water, supplies, these sort of things, the less the death toll will mount. And I think it's a right move to make.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, Senator Corzine, good luck to both of you on your mission. Come back safe and sound. We'll speak to you upon your return as well.

BROWNBACK: Thank you.

CORZINE: Thank you.

BLITZER: And we'll have the results of our Web question of the day. That's coming up next.

Plus, some new images of the aftermath and the relief efforts through the eyes of photographers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. Take a look at this. Remember, though, it's not a scientific poll.

We end this hour with a photographic look at the tsunami destruction and the struggle to recover.

And please stay with CNN throughout the night for continuing coverage. Thanks very much for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts 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 4, 2005 - 17:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, HOST: Happening now. A new concern for the children of the tsunami. The United Nations high commissioner for refugees tells CNN he's deeply concerned about kidnappings as reports surface of child exploitation. Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): The marines land in Sri Lanka as American aid makes a difference in Indonesia. Is it also helping the U.S.?

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: It does give the Muslim world and the rest of the world an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action.

BLITZER: Lost Americans. Thousands may still be missing. For some families, their worst fears confirmed.

The children. Back at school, but reliving the nightmare.

Another nightmare in the making. Shocking reports that young survivors are being stolen.

Five days at sea, clinging to an uprooted tree. Incredible stories of survival.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, January 4, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining us. We begin with new developments in the tsunami disaster. U.S. marines are now on the ground in Sri Lanka, adding military muscle to the humanitarian mission. They're bringing bulldozers, heavy lift helicopters and tons of food, water and medical supplies. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush flew into Indonesia today after visiting Thailand's devastated Phuket resort, where they inspected relief efforts and were briefed on efforts to track down Americans reported missing. According to CNN sources, the overall death toll from the quake-spawned tsunamis is more than 155,000, more than 94,000 were killed in Indonesia alone.

CNN has correspondents and crews throughout the stricken region. Today, we have 14 reporters and anchors in four countries. It's a desperate race against death. The U.S. military spearheading an operation to save survivors in hardest-hit Indonesia. Our senior Asia correspondent Mike Chinoy reports from Banda Aceh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE CHINOY, CNN SR. ASIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One after another, they were carried off the choppers, lucky to be alive, but some very close to death. Rescued by U.S. air crews along the devastated western coast of Sumatra. They were cut and battered, dazed and dehydrated. After more than a week with no help, their wounds were seriously infected.

MICHAEL BAR, USAID: Some of the cases are so severe, doctors said that if we hadn't have plucked them, they probably wouldn't have made it another few days.

CHINOY: The survivors were taken to a temporary emergency ward set up just off the runway, staffed by doctors from across the globe. In this tent, physicians from China work to stabilize the latest arrivals.

(on camera): The casualties being flown in here represent just a fraction of the total number of injured, but already the only two functioning hospitals in Banda Aceh are full and are not accepting any more patients. There is literally nowhere to put these people.

(voice-over): So acute is the shortage of hospital beds that U.S. chopper crews have been asked to limit the number of injured they bring back here, but the Americans made clear they would carry on.

CAPT. LARRY BURT, U.S. NAVY: It's an issue that our air crew are having a hard time dealing with. You see children out there, young people that are seriously, seriously injured. You know they need help and it's hard to leave them there until we get this problem fixed.

CHINOY: But this is hardly the only problem. In a bizarre accident, a Boeing 737, a commercial cargo jet, plowed into a water buffalo on the airport's only runway. Vital deliveries of relief supplies were halted for nearly 18 hours, although helicopter flights did continue. It was a devastating blow. Aid workers warn that stockpiles could run out within a day, shutting down the chopper air drops with potentially fatal results. In the end, American, Australian and Indonesian soldiers managed to tow the jet to the side. The airport reopened. Within minutes, an Indonesian C-130 was on the ground, its boxes of food, water and medicine being unloaded and readied for the next round of chopper flights. But the fact remains that one water buffalo nearly brought this relief operation to its knees, a testament to the fragility of the effort on which so many lives depend. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: United States marines are taking on the task of helping Sri Lanka, where at last report more than 46,000 people died in the tsunamis and many more are at risk. But they're not the only military force involved in the rescue effort. Bill Neely has the story from Sri Lanka.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL NEELY, ITN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On course for a disaster. A British brigade speeding towards Sri Lanka's devastated coast line. On board HMS Chattum (ph), helicopters and men now a part of the biggest relief operation in history. More help arrived today. Hundreds more American marines, part of the force of 1,500. With 20 helicopters and an aircraft carrier to back them up. The navies of the world are coming to Asia's aid.

Sri Lanka needs it more than most. Its government admits, it can't cope. Its people certainly can't. The hands of 1.5 million of them are outstretched, and busy trying to stay alive. The lucky ones get food from local charities and it's the best time of the day, the only time of the day when they'll eat. 1.5 million are homeless, like this man, they've got so little now that even a light bulb is worth salvaging. Though, no one came for this or for the clock that stopped when disaster struck.

Today, the government here added another 5,000 names to the list of the dead. Sri Lanka's total now stands at 35,000 lives lost in a few horrific seconds. The scale of this disaster, the death and the damage still hard to take in and very hard to do anything about. And the death toll is rising still, with every body that rises from the deep water.

At the scene of the world's worst rail disaster, where up to 2,500 died, they pulled carriages up to reveal more horrors underneath.

On the waves that brought disaster, the tourists who stay on, dozens of foreigners died here, the disbelieving are left.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I walked down a few guest houses down this way and they're completely gone, bedrooms gone and everything. My bedroom is intact here. I shouldn't really be standing here talking to you right now, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looks like a war zone. It looks like, I don't know, like 9/11, but multiplied by 100.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Bill Neely of Independent Television News reporting from Sri Lanka.

The Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the Florida Governor Jeb Bush, are making a high profile visit to the disaster zone. They're in Indonesia right now after surveying the damage and the relief efforts in Thailand. Our senior White House correspondent John King is traveling with them. He filed this report from Jakarta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Phuket, a firsthand update on the tsunami relief effort and an acknowledgement the challenge in Thailand is far different than in poorer and more remote areas harder hit.

POWELL: I will go back and see if there is not more we can do. It has to do with identification of remains, forensic activity, forensic pathology.

KING: Secretary Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush were briefed on efforts to track down Americans still unaccounted for and the president's brother visited the makeshift wall where family members of the many more missing Europeans and Asians appeal for help.

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: It breaks my heart that we talk about how, in Thailand, the number -- the damage was less than Indonesia, but to put it in perspective, thousands of people lost their lives here from all over the world, half of them from Thailand, half of them from the rest of the world. It was more than the number of people that were killed on September 11.

KING: Flying into Phuket, it was clear the damage here is significant, but in isolated pockets. Some 4,000 people are still listed as missing and the Thailand's foreign minister said additional search plans and forensics teams are critical to the now fading hopes of getting a reliable count of the victims and their nationalities.

SURAKIAT SATHIKATHAI, THAI FOREIGN MINISTER: We have to wait for the final data analysis and comparison to be able to tell exactly who are the Thais are, who are foreigners.

KING: Looking past the immediate relief effort, Thailand's prime minister pledged $20 million to develop a tsunami early warning system for his country. And Secretary Powell said talks Thursday in Jakarta, and later this month in Japan will anchor a broader system covering the Indian Ocean and the south China Sea.

From Thailand, it was on to Indonesia where the destruction is worse and where Secretary Powell sees the relief effort as a possible antidote to deep anti-American sentiment.

POWELL: Well, I think it does gives to the Muslim world and the rest of the world an opportunity to see American generosity, American values in action.

KING: First in Thailand, then here in Indonesia, officials thanked the United States for what they called prompt and generous aid. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Secretary Powell says prove wrong those who rushed to criticize the Bush White House in the hours and days after the tsunami. John King, CNN, Jakarta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Preying on the smallest victims of the tsunami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In an emergency, adults, unfortunately, take advantage of children. And we're seeing it again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: New concerns of kidnapping and sex trafficking. Why many children could be in serious danger.

Amazing survival. A woman found alive five days after being washed out to sea by massive waves.

Also ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In my quiet moments and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes that I realize it's very real. It's not just a bad nightmare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Americans lost. The people who never made it home from their vacation.

And we have an unmatched team of our top journalists on the front lines of this still developing story. Along with checking in with us for reports of new developments throughout the day, tonight at 7:00, we'll bring you all the latest stories and development in our CNN special report, "Turning the Tide."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Some amazing stories of survival are shining through the shroud of disaster that's covered South Asia in the wake of the tsunamis.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER (voice-over): Like many Indonesians, this woman has only one name, Malawadi (ph). The crew of a Malaysian fishing boat found the 23-year-old adrift in the Indian Ocean, clinging to a palm tree five days after being washed out to sea by the killer waves.

A health official says the woman survived by eating the tree's fruit and bark. Another Malaysian fishing boat reportedly made a similar rescue, saving a man found floating on tree branches 100 miles from shore.

Some day this 18-month-old boy will have quite a story to tell. According to Thai News Agency, he was found floating on a mattress in the sea almost a week after tsunamis devastated a nearby resort. The boy, whose parents are believed to have been killed, is from Kazakhstan and was turned over to that country's ambassador.

There have also been incredible rescues on land. In hard-hit Indonesia, this 24-year-old man was found trapped under his fishing boat a full week after it was tossed ashore by tsunamis. Officials say the man had no food or water during his ordeal and was barely conscious when he was found.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Amazing stories, indeed. The State Department, by the way says 16 Americans are now confirmed dead in the tsunami disaster. Eight of them in Thailand, eight in Sri Lanka. Our Brian Todd has been looking into their stories.

Brian, what have you found?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, getting specific information about those Americans who were killed in the tsunamis is a tricky and evolving process. But we have been able to piece together some compelling stories of people who left for adventures or to visit their homelands and never came back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): The State Department won't release their names, because their families haven't signed privacy waivers. Through phone calls, wire service and affiliate reports, we get their stories from those they've left behind.

BRUCE ANDERSON, SISTER DIED IN TSUNAMI: The most beautiful place that she has always wanted to go is where her life ended.

TODD: That was near a beach lodge in southeastern Sri Lanka, where Bruce Anderson was told his 42-year-old sister, Christy (ph), spent the last moments of a well-traveled life. Bruce tends to Christy's affairs in Las Vegas, makes funeral arrangements, tries to cope. He says mornings are his worst time.

Same for Janet Nicholas.

JANET NICHOLAS, BROTHER DIED IN TSUNAMI: My quiet moments and when I wake up in the morning and first open my eyes, that I realize it's very real. It's not just a bad nightmare.

TODD: Janet's brother, 59-year-old Brian King (ph), an Alaskan commercial fisherman with a wanderlust, who had gone on to vacation to Thailand and e-mailed his sister just before she believes he was swept under water in his sleep.

NICHOLAS: Hi Janet and Mark, don't worry, I'm fine. I'm at a dive beach resort about 100 kilometers north of Phuket. I'm going to start diving lessons soon.

TODD: 15-year-old Kali Bryshe (ph) was also vacationing reportedly inside a bungalow on a Thai beach with her 16-year-old brother when the tsunami hit. Kali's brother was badly injured, her father and sister spent days looking for her. News of her body being found, hard to process for friends back in Salt Lake City.

KILIONA PALAUNI, FRIEND DIED IN TSUNAMI: I don't know what to do right now, not seeing her sitting in the back row like she always did, not seeing her in the chairs where we always sat and worked together.

TODD: In Chicago, a memorial service for Tamara Mendes (ph) the 55-year-old ministers wife was visiting family back home in Sri Lanka on board that ill-fated train that was submerged, knocked off its tracks by a massive wave. Mendes She was traveling with her twenty- something daughter, who survived but could not rescue her mother.

Parents, children, young, middle-aged, adventurers, immigrants returning home, Americans lost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: At least two of those victims we profiled are leaving a very meaningful legacy. Christy Anderson's relatives say they plan to use money from her estate to establish a foundation for tsunami relief. And at Kali Bryshe's high school, students are selling wrist- bands and donating proceeds to a foundation set up by her father to help tsunami victims -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd, thanks very much. Brian is going to stay on top of the other Americans who have died in the tsunami as well. Thank you very much, Brian.

BLITZER: Would the U.S. be prepared if something of this magnitude hit this country? Our Jeanne Meserve has been investigating.

Millions of injured and displaced people, thousands of dead bodies. Is an effective relief plan in place?

Children in danger. New fears young tsunami victims are being exploited.

And missing Americans. More than 4,000 unanswered inquiries. Why can't the U.S. government confirm the numbers?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: In our CNN security watch, how prepared is the United States to handle a disaster like the one that struck the shores of the Indian Ocean? Our homeland security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has been investigating. She's joining us now live. Jeanne, what have you found out?

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, Hurricane Andrew, 9/11, just a couple of events that have taxed if not overwhelmed the nation's response capabilities. Now, some are looking at the tsunamis and asking, what if?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): If something like this happened here, would we be ready?

RICHARD FALKENRATH, FMR. HOMELAND SEC. ADVISER: It is entirely possible we will have a disaster or catastrophe in America which was not foreseen and for which our preparedness was completely inadequate. MESERVE: Public warning might allow for evacuations and other preparations, but some disasters...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. Jack! It's a tornado!

MESERVE: Give little or no warning of their arrival. U.S. building codes might lessen the death and destruction in the disaster but the loss of electricity, the Internet and transportation infrastructure could cripple response efforts. Some experts say the nation's search and rescue capabilities would be overwhelmed by a major event. hit's widely recognized that the nation's hospital system is not prepared for a surge of casualties, though some in the health field say the issue is being addressed.

DR. CHRISTINA CATLETT, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.: It's all about collaboration and really pulling together resources, not only from your own hospital, but also from the whole city.

MESERVE: Prepositioned medical supplies are guaranteed to arrive anywhere in the U.S. within 12 hours, but the recent shortage of flu vaccine exposed weaknesses in distribution systems.

And what about the dead? Identifying them, storing them, burying them would be a logistical and management nightmare. Though many doubt we would ever see in this country what we've seen in southeast Asia.

JOHN FITCH, NATL. FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSN.: I do not see, unless it was an absolute dire exigency where we would ever consider mass graves. I can't even fathom whether we would ever have funeral piles.

MESERVE: There is consensus among the experts that the nation's preparedness and response capabilities have markedly improved since 9/11.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(on camera): And though there is more to be done and more to be learned, there is debate about just how much preparation should be made for low probability, high consequence events like a tsunami -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Jeanne Meserve. Thank you very much. Eye-opening report. Appreciate it.

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

To our viewers, here's your chance to weigh in on this story. Our web question of the day is this. Is the United States prepared to handle a disaster on the scale of the Indian Ocean tsunamis? You can vote right now. Go to CNN.com/wolf. We'll have the results later in this broadcast.

Turning now to some new information about the antidepressant, Prozac, and its possible side effects. We reported yesterday on this program that internal documents from the manufacturer seem to show that the Eli Lilly & Company knew more than 15 years ago that the drug was more likely to cause suicide attempts than other antidepressants. Today, the company confirmed the documents were, in fact, genuine but said, and let me quote, "we do not believe these data, for a number of reasons, are terribly useful or informative in terms of suggesting anything about a casual link between the drug and the adverse events being reported."

A heartbreaking story from Thailand that targets the most harmless survivors: children. Could kids being falling prey to sex traffickers? How this could happen and what aid organizations are doing to protect these young victims.

It's back to school in Thailand, but it's hardly a return to normality. Many are still fearful, scared, traumatized. Their stories coming up ahead.

As the search for missing Americans continues, we'll have Senators Jon Corzine and Sam Brownback. They're about to head out to the region. We'll get their assessments. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From our studios in Washington, once again, Wolf Blitzer.

BLITZER: Welcome back. As if their suffering has not been enough, there are now concerns children are being exploited and possibly kidnapped in regions affected by the tsunami. We'll get to that.

First, though, a quick check of some other stories now in the news.

The governor of Iraq's Baghdad province Ali al-Haidri was killed in a roadside ambush today along with a bodyguard. Witnesses reported an intense gun battle between the assassins and al-Haidri's entourage. Two other bodyguards were injured. Al-Haidri survived a similar ambush in September.

Iraq's interim Prime Minister Allawi called President Bush to discuss the increasing violence and the upcoming elections. A White House spokesman wouldn't give details of the call, but said that there was no discussion of postponing the vote scheduled for the end of this month.

A New Jersey man is facing charges for allegedly pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week. He's free right now on $100,000 bail. There was speculation the incidents might be terror-related, but investigators say there's no evidence to support that.

And the 109th Congress is now in Session. Members took the oath of office today and got straight to work. President Bush's proposal for Social Security reform will be a focal point this session but one of the first orders of business will be tsunami disaster relief. Here is an update on the latest developments in the tsunami disaster. The death count now stands at more than 155,000. After visiting Thailand's Phuket Island, a U.S.-led delegation led by Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush arrived in Indonesia, where a meeting of regional leaders will take place Thursday. And the U.S. Marines have landed in Sri Lanka, where they will distribute food, medicine and water.

As we continue our coverage of the tsunami, we're going to focus on how the disaster is affecting some of the most vulnerable survivors, children. Not only do they face natural threats, including disease and malnutrition. They also face a manmade threat, sexual predators.

Shiulie Ghosh of International Television News reports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SHIULIE GHOSH, ITN REPORTER (voice-over): When the wave struck the coast of Thailand nine days ago, they not only ripped away lives, but tore thousands of families apart, parents from children, brother from sister.

Among the survivors were youngsters left injured, orphaned, traumatized and alone. Now Thai authorities are investigating the dreadful possibility that when some of these victims needed help the most, they may have fallen prey to child traffickers. The father of this boy, 12-year-old Christian Walker (ph), is desperately trying to discover if his son was one of those victims.

Christian was on holiday in Khao Lak with his mother, now presumed dead, and his brother and sister, who were found safe in Phuket. Doctors at this hospital have confirmed they treated Christian for minor injuries the day after the tsunami, but they say he left the hospital with a dark-haired European man and he hasn't been heard of since.

Swedish police are now treating Christian's disappearance as a possible kidnapping. Aid agencies say children are particularly vulnerable to child snatchers in the chaotic aftermath of disasters. They have reported cases of local children being abducted by ruthless child sex traders, but this is a first time a Western child has been taken. It's a nightmare for any parent. Christian's family are now doing all they can to trace him with the help of the Thai authorities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: That report from Shiulie Ghosh.

This update. Swedish police now say they have sent a team to Thailand to help authorities look into the child kidnapping reports.

Aid officials are well aware of the threat to children.

CNN's Mary Snow is in New York with an in-depth look at what's being done to try to protect them -- Mary. MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, relief groups are concerned, UNICEF saying that it received a -- or saw disturbing text messages.

And it read -- quote -- "Three hundred orphans, age 3 to 10 years from Aceh for adoption. All paperwork will be taken care of. No fee. Please state age and sex of child required." These are the kind of messages that have concerns being raised about children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice-over): As if it weren't enough of a nightmare to endure the tsunami, the smallest victims face another threat that aid organizations are trying to prevent, children, particularly orphans, being exploited, whether it's abduction or sexual abuse.

In an emergency, adults, unfortunately, take advantage of children. And we're seeing it again. So, the scale of the problem, so far as we have seen, is not enormous. But when you have so many children who are vulnerable, when you have children who have lost their parents, who have either physically or actually just lost them in the location, it mean that they are more vulnerable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Put them in a box.

SNOW: Bob Laprade of Save the Children is heading to Indonesia, where one of the priorities is to have a system to monitor children so they can be registered and tracked.

BOB LAPRADE, SAVE THE CHILDREN: Because exploitation of children is such an issue around the world, especially in a time of natural disaster, like now, it is very important that we focus on it.

SNOW: In Aceh, child exploitation was a problem long before the tsunami.

LAPRADE: Aceh is, in fact, a place where trafficking has been a problem in the past. So, it is something that I think the international community and the Indonesian government rightly is concerned about.

SNOW: What's also not uncommon in the wake of a disaster, say relief groups, are rumors about exploitation. And adding to their job is separating fact from fiction, but they say they are braced for the worst.

RUUD LUBBERS, UNHCR: For my people, I don't have this solid evidence. So, we are prepared for these sort of ill behaviors and terrible things. So, we are cautious. We are prepared, trying to prevent it. We will work with others. But I cannot confirm reports that it's happening on a large scale right now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And the government of Indonesia has also stepped up its efforts. It is now barring children under 16 from leaving the province of Aceh, fearing that they will be exploited. It fears that thousands of children have been left without parents and the government says it's afraid they'll be taken advantage of -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Mary Snow reporting for us. -- Mary, thank you very much.

Other children are heading back to school, but for many of them, things are hardly back to normal.

CNN's Aneesh Raman reports from Thailand's hard-hit island resort Phuket.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Classes began on schedule after the holiday break at this Thai school untouched by the tsunami. But for these students, there are savage scenes close at hand and searing memories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I was shocked. I was playing when my cousin screamed. Then my father and me ran up the hill. And then the water came rushing through. I was so shocked. Then my mother grabbed me and we immediately got in the car and sped away from our house.

RAMAN: Others now forever fearful of the ocean that surrounds this island.

AIYARIN SRIRAT, STUDENT (through translator): Because it might come again. I'm afraid to die.

RAMAN: Teachers are not just educators now. They are counselors. They are mindful that these students' vacations were nothing short of horrific.

MIKE BRASS, TEACHER: I'm looking for children that might be withdrawn or things like that, and just keeping an eye out that way. When the older students in the course of the remainder of the week, I'll be able to get more things out of them, but the younger ones, it's hard to draw it out in English.

RAMAN: At a time when hope is hard to find, when tragedy is everywhere, one day at one school and one story of people starting to live again.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Phuket, southern Thailand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The slow search for missing Americans. While many loved ones stay glued to e-mail for any updates, we'll tell you why the fate of so many is still unresolved.

Plus, ahead of their trip to the hardest-hit areas, two U.S. senators join me live to discuss their plans. And a personal account of the tsunami disaster. CNN's Satinder Bindra shares with us the damage and grief he has seen as a result of this terrible tragedy.

We have an unmatched team of our top journalists on the front lines of this still developing story. Along with checking in with us for reports of new developments throughout the day, tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll bring you all the latest stories and developments in our CNN special report, "Turning the Tide."

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: U.S. Marines landed in Sri Lanka today on a mission of mercy. They'll be working to get tons of food, water and medical supplies to tsunami survivors.

Just a short time ago, I spoke with CNN's Satinder Bindra, who is in Sri Lanka.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Satinder, take us behind the scenes. Give us a little flavor of what's happening in Sri Lanka right now.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what's happening, Wolf, is still a lot of grieving, and some of the stories that you hear here really turn your insides out.

I met a man, for instance, just yesterday. He had lost eight members of his family. His home was damaged, his business entirely destroyed. He started looking around then for his family members and could only find six bodies, so, a terrible tale to hear.

Then, when I was on the east coast, a lot of orphanages there were completely destroyed. And in just one area alone, a Catholic priest told me some 30 orphans were just sucked out by the tsunami. So it's very painful, both as a human being and as a journalist, to hear such stories.

BLITZER: Where are you right now, Satinder? Give us a little sense of the devastation, the destruction around you.

BINDRA: I'm about an hour and a half drive south of the capital of Colombo and I'm in a beach resort in a hotel.

And I'll give you a quick pan around and you can see the damage here. The waves came up to this hotel. The waves came up about 500 meters. And then the force of the sea or the tsunami was so powerful -- you're seeing a boat in this picture. That boat came right into this hotel. And the waves were about 15 feet high. So, most of the people ran up on to the first floor.

Only one person was killed here, but, in that sense, at least the residents here were lucky. In parts of eastern Sri Lanka, large tracks were just completely devoured by the tsunami and several dozens of people killed in one large building alone -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And what how about you? How concerned are you and our other journalistic colleagues, Satinder, about disease breaking out, cholera, God forbid, all the other additional problems that could easily explode right now?

BINDRA: Wolf, I think everyone's biggest fear here is, what if another killer wave came along?

I'll give you a personal experience. Just about four days ago, I was in a Zodiac. I was in the Galle harbor and I was being taken out to an Indian naval ship. The officer with us radioed the ship and said, we're coming on board and there was a panicky voice at the other end, which said, get out of here. Get out of here. A tsunami is going to strike in about 20 minutes.

Wolf, I can't tell you the panic. I had about 100 kilograms of gear. All of us just scrambled out of the Zodiac, ran. We were huffing and panting, didn't know where to go, disoriented. And we all feared for our lives. But, luckily, residents guided us to some higher ground. We got there. And this turned out to be a false alarm. But I can tell you, that was one of the scariest moments of my life.

BLITZER: Well, thank God it was a false alarm.

Satinder Bindra, thanks very much for joining us. Keep up the good work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: The tsunamis affected some areas and including some very small islands that are home to indigenous peoples. This photo -- take a look at this -- it's been released by the Indian Coast Guard -- shows a member of the Sentinel tribe, which lives on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

He is pointing his bow and arrow at a Coast Guard helicopter which was surveying the islands for damage. The archipelago is home to five tribes whose numbers have dwindled over the years to less than 1,000 in total. Some anthropologists speculate that the transcribe's knowledge of nature may have helped them escape the tsunami's devastation.

Americans still missing in the wake of the tsunami. Do the numbers tell the whole story? New information we're getting right now. Our Andrea Koppel standing by at the State Department.

And I'll speak live with two U.S. senators. They're about to head out to the region. What will they be doing to help confirm the numbers? Senators Brownback and Corzine joining me live, that is coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Nine days after the tsunamis struck, there's growing concern over the fate of Americans who have been reported missing by family or friends.

Let's go live to our State Department correspondent Andrea Koppel.

Andrea, what are you hearing?

ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, in the days immediately following last month's tsunami, the State Department logged over 20,000 phone calls or inquiries from Americans concerned about missing family or friends. Today, that number has been dwindled down to just over 4,000.

But the State Department still won't say how many of these inquiries are related to missing Americans.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL (voice-over): Karen Foust is glued to her computer in Howell, Michigan, reading e-mails from Thailand.

KAREN FOUST, STEPMOTHER OF MISSING AMERICAN: There is always hope. I heard stories of miracles yesterday.

KOPPEL: Hoping against hope her stepdaughter, Angie Foust, and boyfriend Luke Scully are still alive. The couple was on vacation in Thailand when the tsunami struck.

FOUST: As time passes, it gets much more hard to hear, to even read the e-mails, because you're thinking the worst at every one.

KOPPEL: Like thousands of other Americans, Karen Foust called a State Department hot line when she heard the news to let them know Angie was missing. But more than a week after the tsunami, still no news about Angie and still uncertainty as to just how many Americans are actually missing.

COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 4,000 Americans that we're trying to get track of. I don't know how many of them were in Thailand, how many were elsewhere. And I don't even know if they should be called missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of people over the last couple of days have received e-mails and telephone calls.

KOPPEL: A State Department task force is devoted to running down an estimated 4,100 inquiries or phone calls made on behalf of Americans whose relatives believe are missing. On the defensive, State Department officials say 16 Americans are now confirmed dead.

QUESTION: Can't you, you know, bite the bullet and make some statement about Americans probably missing?

ADAM ERELI, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: Yes. Yes. I think, frankly, Barry (ph), that we'll soon be in a position to do that.

KOPPEL: But other countries, like Sweden, for which this is already an unprecedented national disaster, have managed to get answers; 52 Swedes are confirmed dead; 2,000 others are classified as missing.

JAN ELIASSON, SWEDISH AMBASSADOR TO UNITED STATES: I will not paint a rosy picture. It's extremely difficult. There are many uncertainties. But we have worked through the families, through the travel agencies. We have sent down hundreds -- up to 100 people to Thailand to go through thee hospitals.

KOPPEL: Complicating matters, State Department officials say, of the 4,100 unresolved inquiries, there are multiple reports for the same person, different names used and sometimes the names are misspelled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The U.S. insists it, too, is devoting countless resources to tracking down missing Americans, saying that it's working with immigration authorities, that it's working through plane manifests and is trying everything it can, Wolf, on the ground and here in Washington to evaluate and find out how many of those inquiries are actually related to missing Americans -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Andrea Koppel at the State Department, good report. Thanks very much.

And to our viewers, if you have not heard the status of a loved one in the tsunami-affected region, CNN would like to hear from you. We want to find out about your efforts to locate missing friends or relatives. And are you still waiting to hear from them? You can call CNN. This is the number. You see it on the screen, 404-878-1500, 404-878-1500. The phone will be staffed from 8:00 a.m. Eastern to 5:00 p.m. Eastern. After those hours, the line will connect to voice mail. We would love to help you if we can.

Joining us now from Capitol Hill, two U.S. senators who this week will head to the disaster zone for a firsthand look, New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine and Sam Brownback.

Senator Corzine, I assume -- let me start with you. I assume you have constituents that are worried about loved ones. Is that right?

SEN. JON CORZINE (D), NEW JERSEY: We've worked, actually, through a few problems of trying to resolve identification of where children, loved ones are.

I had quite a bit of success, as it was noted by the speaker you had. And a lot of times, there are just double identification that builds up this list and other things that lead to such large numbers. But we have to pursue these aggressively in each case. And I think the State Department has been very open and willing to work with us in searching out and finding individuals.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, I don't know how many Kansans were in that part of the world at this time of the year. But are you frustrated that there are 4,100 still unresolved cases at this point, more than a week into this disaster?

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R), KANSAS: I think we're all frustrated, the Swedish government, the U.S. government, the people around the world about the number of people still unaccounted for.

Yet, it also reflects just the horrific, huge level of this disaster. And rather than casting aspersions, what we're trying to do is get people focused in on, OK, which specific people are missing? What are the numbers? What are the actual names? And let's do as much checking as we possibly can.

And, at the same time, let's do everything we can right now to get as much aid and relief into the region so that the death, loss doesn't mount up further from this point on forward.

BLITZER: Is there anything, Senator Brownback, the State Department should be doing now, the U.S. government should be doing to resolve these 4,100 people, the question marks around them, that it's not doing?

BROWNBACK: I don't know of anything. I would just urge people if they have a loved one that's missing, contact the State Department, contact CNN or my office, your U.S. senator's office or congressman's office, so we make sure that name is in the system.

Or, if this is a person that has put in a question mark as missing and you know they're here, contact them as well.

BLITZER: Senator Corzine, you have been involved in a lot of these humanitarian missions, including in Sudan, in Africa. What do you hope to accomplish by heading out to the region this week?

CORZINE: Well, first of all, I think all of us want to express our commitment to humanity and our concern for this tragedy. That's an important statement for America and those of us who are elected representatives to do.

Two, we are going to have need to make good and strong and thoughtful judgments about how aid comes to help in this tragedy, make sure that it's thoughtfully put together. It's also going to have to be executed over a longer period of time. It's not just a short-term event. There are issues that are immediate, but there are going to be long-run reconstruction efforts.

I hope to come away educated about what the nature and the scope of the problem are, both on the immediate basis of the people that were imperiled by the tragedy, but what are we going to have to do over the long run? There's a great opportunity for America here to express its soul and heart, reach out, but also to, I think, promote our strategic interests by showing that we care whether someone is Muslim, whether they're Buddhist. We're about humanity.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, the Pentagon confirmed today that some of the Marines and other U.S. troops who are now in the tsunami region were planning on going to Iraq as early as next month. Bottom- line question, is the U.S. military stretched too thin right now to handle both of these crises?

BROWNBACK: Well, we're stretched. There's no question about it. But I don't think we're stretched too thin.

And we have got a substantial force, obviously, in Iraq and in Afghanistan and in a number of places around the world. But I think it's a wise choice for us to put these people in that region where the tsunami victims are and to try to reduce the level of human tragedy that continues to take place, because now you've got issues of dehydration, of disease.

The quicker we can get in with food, medicine, water, supplies, these sort of things, the less the death toll will mount. And I think it's a right move to make.

BLITZER: Senator Brownback, Senator Corzine, good luck to both of you on your mission. Come back safe and sound. We'll speak to you upon your return as well.

BROWNBACK: Thank you.

CORZINE: Thank you.

BLITZER: And we'll have the results of our Web question of the day. That's coming up next.

Plus, some new images of the aftermath and the relief efforts through the eyes of photographers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLITZER: Here's how you're weighing in our Web question of the day. Take a look at this. Remember, though, it's not a scientific poll.

We end this hour with a photographic look at the tsunami destruction and the struggle to recover.

And please stay with CNN throughout the night for continuing coverage. Thanks very much for joining us.

"LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now.

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