CNN Student News Transcript: September 13, 2007




(CNN Student News) -- September 13, 2007

Quick Guide

Earthquake in Indonesia - Discover what island nation was struck by an 8.4-magnitude earthquake.

Talking to the Troops - Hear from some U.S. troops who are being deployed to serve in Iraq.

Youssif Arrives - Learn why one Iraqi family's move to the U.S. is a "dream come true."

Transcript

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

TEACHERS: Please preview the segment Youssif Arrives, as it contains images of a young burn victim that may not be appropriate for some students.

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CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: You've landed on CNN Student News this Thursday, and we're glad to have you with us. From the CNN Center, I'm Carl Azuz. We're going to start things off today with a Shoutout.

Shoutout

AZUZ: What best describes the island nation of Indonesia? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it: A) Peninsula, B) Isthmus, C) Inlet or D) Archipelago? You've got three seconds -- GO! A clue was in the question. An archipelago is a group of islands, and Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago

First Up: Earthquake in Indonesia

AZUZ: Parts of Indonesia are recovering right now after an earthquake struck the area last night. As of Wednesday evening, officials reported that nine people had been killed by the quake, which registered a magnitude, or intensity, of 8.4. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, that makes it a great earthquake, which is the strongest category of seismic activity. Now, Indonesia is located in an area that's prone to earthquakes. The archipelago lies on an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Ocean that's called the "Ring of Fire." Yesterday's quake knocked down trees and damaged buildings along the Sumatran coast. An I-Reporter shot this video during the earthquake. If you look, you can see her fish tank shaking hard enough to spill water over the sides.

Fast Facts

AZUZ: Wednesday's tremor was another in a series of devastating earthquakes to strike Indonesia. On December 26th, 2004, a devastating quake struck near the island of Sumatra. Its magnitude was between 9.1 and 9.3, capable of catastrophic damage. It triggered tsunamis, or massive walls of water, that killed more than 200,000 people throughout the region. Since then, the United States Geological Survey says Indonesia has been hit by 15 earthquakes with magnitudes of 6.3 or higher. They claimed almost 8,000 lives, with most of the deaths occurring in a pair of tremors that struck last summer.

Bush Speech

AZUZ: Shifting to the U.S. now. What you're seeing here is a bi-partisan meeting between President Bush and congressional leaders. They were talking about recent testimony from General David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Officials say Mr. Bush is ready to act on some of the general's recommendations, and he might talk about them during a televised address tonight. The president is scheduled to speak at 9 PM, and we want to hear your opinions on what he says. So tune in tonight, and then e-mail us here at CNN Student News afterwards and tell us what you thought.

Talking to the Troops

AZUZ: Now one of the things President Bush might address tonight is when some troops may be coming home from Iraq. Earlier this week, General Petraeus said he believes 30,000 troops could return to the U.S. by next summer. But right now, soldiers are being deployed to the Middle Eastern nation, and Gary Tuchman joined one group on their flight to Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN REPORTER: At an air base in a country that we can't disclose for security reasons, Army soldiers board an Air Force C-130. They are part of the surge. They are on their way to Iraq. This huge transport plane is packed with soldiers being taken to the war zone. Some seem relaxed and are able to sleep, but others are too nervous to do so. We have just crossed the border into Iraq, and for many of these troops, it is their first time here. They all know how indiscriminate the loss of life has been. You look at faces and wonder what they're thinking. Specialist Kevin Duong of California has been deployed for the first time and says he's ready.

SPECIALIST KEVIN DUONG, U.S. ARMY: It's pretty cool. I might re-enlist after my 4 years.

TUCHMAN: But ask the new soldier if he would change anything about the length and number of deployments in this war, and he says...

DUONG: Maybe we should send some soldiers home who have been here for longer than two years and give them a break.

TUCHMAN: What about those soldiers who keep coming back? Sergeant Juan Rivera of Florida is here for the third time.

TUCHMAN: Is it hard to keep your enthusiasm?

SERGEANT JUAN RIVERA, U.S. ARMY: I think it is, yes.

TUCHMAN: Are you coming back again?

RIVERA: Most likely, yes.

TUCHMAN: How does that make you feel, honestly?

RIVERA: It's just hard.

TUCHMAN: They fly in a stark windowless cabin, many of them not aware of the challenges happening in the cockpit one level above. The Air Force flight crew has to keep an eye out for insurgent attacks, particularly as they take off and land.

MAJOR PHILLIP CLINTON, U.S. AIR FORCE: What we're looking for is either a shoulder-launched rocket, anti-aircraft artillery or small arms.

TUCHMAN: They fly several flights across Iraq a day, more than eight hours of flying, also taking soldiers out of the war zone to go back home. Specialist Travis Pierce has been here a year.

TUCHMAN: Is it hard to keep morale up when you're here so long?

SPECIALIST TRAVIS PIERCE, U.S. ARMY: It comes and goes. It's like a roller coaster. Sometimes it's hard to keep morale. Other times it's easy to come by. It depends on the morale of others, your friends and other soldiers.

TUCHMAN: Sergeant Melinda Perry is also going home. She has four small children, but says if the war goes on, she'll probably be back.

TUCHMAN: How does this war end?

SERGEANT MELINDA PERRY, U.S. ARMY: Us winning.

TUCHMAN: When this war started, many troops felt victory would come when Saddam Hussein was caught. Now three-quarters of a year after his execution, it's hard for many troops to answer what signifies a win.

PERRY: I don't know. Just stick together, do what we have to do and do what we're told to do.

TUCHMAN: This war has now been going on for four-and-a-half years. The youngest soldiers on this plane were in junior high school when it began. Gary Tuchman, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Youssif Arrives

AZUZ: Last month, we introduced you to Youssif, a 5-year-old Iraqi boy who was the victim of a violent attack. An outpouring of support helped bring him and his family to the U.S., where Youssif is starting a long road to recovery. Arwa Damon was in California as the family arrived. Teachers, please preview this segment. It contains images that some students may find disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, CNN REPORTER: This has been an amazing journey for five-year-old Youssif and his family. A dream come true. A dream that Youssif's parents risked their lives to tell by telling their story to the world. The story of their five-year-old son, whose face was grotesquely disfigured after masked men poured gasoline on him and set him on fire.

Their journey from Amman, Jordan, took 24 hours to complete. They finally arrived here in Los Angeles, California, to begin months-long if not a year-long medical treatment for their son. The family arrived in California. He was greeted by Barbara Freidman and other members of the Children's Burn Foundation that came forward offering to help Youssif and his family. Here, we're in front of the Grossman Burn Center where Youssif is going to be receiving his medical treatment.

The family, when they arrived in the United States, was so struck by the reality that they were finally here that they were left speechless. All they could say was that this felt like a dream come true, that they felt like they were in paradise.

Youssif's mother, when they arrived at their new apartment, stepped out and said, "My God, you can't hear the gunfire, you can't hear the bullets or the explosions." This is a family that lived in a small, one-room home in a violent Baghdad neighborhood where their son suffered a horrific attack. And now they have found themselves in a two-bedroom, one-living room home filled with toys for Youssif, where he began to play almost immediately upon arrival despite being exhausted from the trip.

He and his family laughing, screaming, shouting. Such a true pleasure to finally see this family taking such joy in what was happening around them when they have suffered so much. This journey that they're undertaking largely due to the outpouring of viewers, various organizations that put their names forward wanting to help. The U.S. Embassy wanted to expedite the family's travel, documents that allowed them to come to the United States.

This is, though, the beginning of what is sure to be a very painful process for Youssif and his family. He's expected to have to undergo multiple surgeries, treatment lasting anywhere from nine months to about a year and a half. And there's of course the concern about the psychological impact that the attack has had on this little child. But right now, all the family can really concentrate on and focus on is that the risk they took has finally paid off. This is a dream come true for them, and they now know at the very least they gave it their best shot. And their little boy is going to be receiving the best treatment that is out there, in hopes that, in the future, he will have a relatively normal life. Arwa Damon, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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Before We Go

AZUZ: Before we go, prepare your taste buds for a delectable delicacy. It's a tasty treat made from the other white meat. It's Spam! And at this festival in New Mexico, it's the star of the show. Added to an egg. Designed as a dip. Even placed in a pie. Chefs popped open cans of Spam to come up with a winning dish. So what took home the prize? Yammy-Yammy Spam Shiitake Oriental Mushrooms.

Goodbye

AZUZ: Mmm... hope it's not too close to lunch time! That cleans our plate for today. But we'll see you tomorrow for more commercial-free CNN Student News. Thanks for watching, everyone. I'm Carl Azuz. E-mail to a friend

好像不怎么火热呀！