I Fought the Law & the Law Won

Pago Pago, American Samoa (CNN) -- When an earthquake-triggered tsunami cascaded into this tiny island in late September, the result was 34 lives lost and untold millions in property damage. But a CNN investigation to air on tonight's "AC 360" has uncovered an array of unsettling facts that point to a single conclusion: this natural disaster was in many ways a man-made tragedy.

Public records show that the Department of Homeland Security had awarded millions of federal dollars in grants for disaster preparedness here, including the construction of an island-wide siren warning system. But all the federal funding was frozen in early 2007 after DHS inspectors found that the local American Samoan government had been diverting millions of those dollars for its own uses.

Birdsall Alailima, director of American Samoa's territorial office of Homeland Security from 2003 through 2007, now lives in southern Illinois, not far from St. Louis, Missouri. He showed CNN on a map exactly where on the island the sirens were to have been placed. Thirty towers in all, he said, with 30 sirens that could have been activated by the push of a single button.

"You're saying that the systems should have been in place?" CNN correspondent Drew Griffin asked him.

"Absolutely," Alailima said.

"And people died as a result?"

"Yes."

He's not the only one who thinks so. Federal sources told CNN they believe that had the warning system been built, the death toll would likely have been lower.

In American Samoa, however, territorial Gov. Togiola Tulafono, told CNN that he knew of no viable plan for the siren system.

"There was a study, I believe, but never a plan for a system," the governor said. "I was trying to get verification of what happened to that system, but I could not get the definite information."

Alailima said he was fired by the governor when the federal funding was frozen, and that the governor was aware of the preparations.

"I'm not going to fault them for freezing the funds," Tulafono said. "These are federal funds that they have oversight responsibility for and they saw fit to freeze the funds."

The governor told CNN he had tried to correct the problem by firing his entire homeland security staff. But, he said, that failed to solve the problem.

"All I'm saying is we have tried to work with them and have tried to get partial releases (of the money), and so far that hasn't happened."

A federal official calls the governor's statement "nonsense." American Samoa would have access to the frozen funds if it had agreed to pay back even some of the money it misused, said the official. The government and the governor refused, and the tsunami siren system was stopped, according to the official.

A spokesman for the governor's office later declined comment on the nature of the negotiations.

American Samoan government officials said they purchased another warning system -- radios that would have triggered alarms across the island. But during the CNN interview, Tulafono conceded that the system "was not in place" when the tsunami struck.

CNN has learned that the FBI is now conducting an investigation into exactly what did happen to the federal preparedness dollars sent to American Samoa. It was launched, sources tell CNN, by the Interior Department as its Insular Affairs office has federal administrative responsibility for the island.

The FBI investigation is only the latest and most recent attempt by the federal government to try to track what one federal official told CNN was "endemic" corruption on the island.

Here are only a few instances of the alleged corruption:

• Both the current Samoan lieutenant governor and a former state senator are under federal indictment on allegations of fraud, bribery and conspiracy. A trial is pending in Washington because there are no federal courts on the island. Attorneys for both men have refuted the indictment in court filings and say their clients are innocent of all the charges.

• An inspector general's report by the Department of Homeland Security issued in May 2007 cites numerous examples of American Samoan officials misusing federal grant money. The report's findings include the purchase of six flat-screen televisions for more than $25,000; purchase of executive leather chairs for $4,000; spending $77,000 on equipment no auditor could find; and extensive travel and entertainment charges, including money spent in Las Vegas, Nevada, by a Samoan official for a conference he was scheduled to have attended in Colorado.

• The DHS letter freezing its funding was sent on January 12, 2007. The action was taken because "we have found that Homeland Security Grant funds have been diverted to uses by State government offices for other than the intended use of Homeland Security funds. This is not only in violation of public trust but In Lieu of agreement as well."

In the Samoan villages destroyed by the tsunami, stories of corruption are not new.

"The government here gets a lot of money from the U.S. federal government," Heinrich Tavai told CNN as he watched members of his Lofatonoa Pentacostal Church help in the clean up. "Every year, they get millions and millions of dollars. As you see, we look like a Third World country when we should be looking more like a U.S. territory."

In half a dozen villages either wiped out or badly damaged by the tsunami, CNN could find no visible evidence of local government assistance. Workers from a tuna fish processing plant were helping in one village; in another, students from an island community college were dredging rubbish out of a stream. Red Cross officials distributed tents in other villages. Children in another village were hauling furniture on their backs to help clear the debris.

When asked about the seeming lack of local government assistance, the governor told CNN, "Our departments are out there working and working very hard, and to say they haven't seen any assistance is totally false."

Since 1995, American Samoa has received nearly $2 billion in federal grants from nearly every federal agency. On average the 65,000-population -- the size of a typical American suburb -- receives about $250 million in federal money each year. Congressional sources tell CNN that oversight has always been a problem because of Samoa's isolation and the expense involved in even mounting an investigation.

"They can do half a dozen investigations in Wyoming or California for the amount just one investigation would cost in Samoa," a source told CNN.

Federal sources said they don't believe any official is getting rich off the U.S. Treasury. Instead, they said, federal funds -- including disaster-preparedness money that was to have gone to the warning system -- were instead used to create local government jobs in an economy almost totally dependent on U.S. federal grants.

Moreover, the source added, each federal agency may have many employees whose jobs are to allocate federal funds, but only a relative handful whose jobs are to "manage" or account for that money.

In an e-mail to CNN, an Interior Department spokeswoman said that in previous administrations "there were real issues of neglect and failed oversight that must be addressed quickly, thoroughly and responsibly."

"We will help the islands rebuild and recover," said Kendra Barkoff, "but taxpayer dollars will be invested with strong oversight and full accountability."

Man on the Moon

"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free."


In all probability, I may never walk on the moon or hula the rings of saturn. Yet living on an island surrounded by coral, a chance to come close exists. There is a reason that cosmonauts undertake extensive scuba training, in order to simulate the effects of outer space. Diving enables one to transcend the boundaries of space and experience altered gravity.


Due to budget constraints, it took Michelle 10 months to acquire her entire scuba arsenal. On Tutuila there is no local dive shop & the "de facto operator" from the National Park Service recently left the island for good. There is however a local dive scene, consisting of business owners, construction workers, engineers, and doctors. To fill your tank, take 5 bucks to Industrial Gases and return in the afternoon for pick-up. Previously, someone even delivered my tank to the hardware store near our house for free (that was until the tsunami leveled the store), which I reciprocated with chocolate cake.


The recent tsunami has decimated certain parts of the coral reef, leaving other sections virtually untouched. On an overcast Saturday afternoon, we headed over the pass to sleepy Fagasa Bay. The house next to where we usually launch our sea kayak and dive was decimated. A large crack split the foundation of the house in 2, all windows blown out, and our friend's things on the street. He recounted the day of the tsunami- frantically driving his family to higher ground when the first wave slammed their car into a concrete wall, water rushing over top of the vehicle. Luckily, they managed to emerge unscathed, he said "families are harder to repair than houses." He was sweeping up the rubbish that once was all his earthly belongings, said he "never saw anything like this before."


After such a melancholic story, we descended beneath the 1.37ft high tide. Fagasa reef is a land of enchantment, with coral spirals resembling Gothic architecture. The dive plan followed a northeast bearing, returning at 1500 psi or half-tank. Species encountered: Green turtle, Moorish idol, Surgeonfish, Giant clams, Sea slugs, Pipefish, Racoonfish, Clownfish, Trevally, among others. Dive log maximum depth 42 feet, 57 minutes, overcast. For you camera geeks, photography was shot with Olympus 740 stylus with Pt-035 waterproof case.


As a student in July/August of 2008, I recall thinking how great it would be to live in a place where you could scuba dive after work. With Faga'alu reef in front of the hospital and Utelei reef 5 minutes from the house, we can dive twice per week. The world seems to become larger when you dive, as you transcend into another medium. Also, the cardiovascular work-up keeps the arteries open.

Our brief diving history started in September 2008, becoming PADI certified after a 5 day course in Hilo, Hawaii. After much research, we embarked on a 3 month trip through the coral triangle- Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea. Home to the highest density of marine life/coral diversity in the world. Now living in the Samoan islands, we are slowly building a catalog of diving experience.


"A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it."
Jacques Yves Cousteau

The Rising of the Palolo

The palolo (Eunice viridis) is a segmented saltwater reef worm that lives below the low tide level in the crevices of shallow coral reefs. The worms seldom leave their burrows and are active mostly at night. Once or twice a year, however, great masses of the worms swarm to the ocean's surface to spawn as part of a predictable life cycle.

The palolo itself consists of two parts, a worm-like forward portion up to 10 centimeters long with eyes and a mouth, and a narrower 20-centimeter rear portion which is used for reproduction. The rear part is blue-green in the female and reddish in the male, and has a light-sensative eyespot. When the moment to spawn arrives one night, the palolos back out of their burrows and detach their rear portions. The front parts squirm back into the reef to begin growing new appendages for the next season, while the male and female tails swarm to the surface, writhing together until dawn when they burst, releasing the eggs and sperm. The fertilized eggs become larvae that drift along until they find a place in the coral to colonize.

The numberless worms must rise simultaneously for fertilization to take place, and this mass spawning always occurs on the last quarter moon in late spring, which in Samoa is seven days after full moon in late October or early November. Swarming can occur on two or three successive nights, with the second night being the most important. A brown foamy slick on the ocean surface and a strong salty smell, usually caused by a mass spawning of corals, often signals that the palolo will spawn two days later.

This event takes place in spring because at that time the larvae have their best chance of survival. Many species of fish and shellfish have adapted their lifestyles to that of the palolo, spawning around the same time so the palolo larvae will be available as a food source for their own offspring.

Although the palolo is common throughout the South Pacific, it doesn't swarm everywhere. The phenomena is best known in Samoa and Fiji, although it also occurs in Tonga and parts of Melanesia. The islanders have long considered palolo a delicacy to be eaten raw or fried, and it has an extremely rich taste and is high in protein. Thus each year on the assigned night, locals will be waiting with hand nets to scoop up in large numbers this caviar of the Pacific.

In Samoa, the people traditionally adorn themselves in the fragrant yellow blossoms of the moso'oi flower for the occasion. If you happen to be in Samoa or Fiji in October or early November, it's certainly worth asking when the rising of the palolo will occur. Sadly though, environmental degradation and overharvesting have taken their toll, and you must get away from major population centers to witness the spectacle at its best.

Radio Pago

In the early hours of September 29th a wall of water crashed over the jagged shoreline of Tutuila and changed the lives of its inhabitants forever. All told, 32 physical bodies were counted in American Samoa, yet the emotional lives affected roughly 69,000. This is a place where everyone knows everyone in some way or another.


Nearly 2 weeks after the tsunami, the remaining destruction is still staggering, the lingering stories spellbinding. Two neighbors drowned to the left of our house, in front the house flooded, cars were thrown into telephone polls, on the right 3 FEMA tents stand where once a persons home stood.


Stories

1. A women saw the water surging through her village, crushing houses instantly, her house is barely habitable. Yet, she has the only running toilet in her village, where everyone must come and do their business.
2. A co-worker know lives in a tent as her house simply doesn't exist anymore. Yet, she is at work just as before.
3. Children were recalled to school, even though some do not have homes any longer, their uniforms have been washed away, power flickers throughout the day.
4. A women has difficulty sleeping, because her village has no electricity, every sound in the night feels like another tsunami.
5. Emergency personnel have difficulty putting the image of a drowned child out of their minds, so much innocence.
6. Groups of villagers not wanting to leave the safety of the mountains elevation, for fear of the water returning.
7. A man driving his pickup truck to outrun the wall of water, not fast enough, as the car simply starts to float.
8. A couple tries to sail their boat against the rising waves as their boat capsizes, leaving only the wife to tell the story.
9. Cruise ships arrive to gawk and snap photos of others misery, the governor states that we cannot jeopardize the burgeoning tourist industry.
10. The golf course was officially closed last week, in order for top officials to conduct village assessment, if not they would be working on their swing.
11. Valium 5mg by mouth before bed, being handed out by the hospital to help an island avoid the nightmares.
12. An old man tells me that he was sipping tea as they waves poured through his house, laughing because he had Jesus in his heart.
13. Two elderly women were weaving baskets following the earthquake, when a palangi (white person)told them a tsunami warning was issued- they laughed at the fear of the foreigner- these women were swept out to sea.
14. At first, when a retired marine saw he waters rise- he thought to himself, "man this could be some good fishing".
15. Many people around the island believe the villages that were swept away, were due to the wickedness of the people. God's vengeance as non-believers.


As the worlds media attention, forgets the name Pago, the people slowly pickup the pieces. Picture 2 sets of fingers grasping onto edge of a ledge and you have the current state of affairs in Pago. This coincides with the demise of the local tuna industry, which employs 80% (in some shape or form) of the island. Seems like poor people always get the short end of the stick.


As one surveys the damage, ships are sprinkled randomly on the hillsides, the air is thick with dust/debris, water contaminated, cars upside down, buildings demolished, things not where they used to be. Yet, through all this carnage I counted as many smiles on the street as before, Samoans pushing on with pride and dignity.


These images are all within 2 minutes drive of our home. We feel lucky to be have spared the brunt of this tragedy, as our cottage sits on a hillside overlooking the may lay. I distinctly remember, saying to Michelle "i want a house by the seaside, a real south pacific dream," with my better half responding "we want a place that won't flood on a hillside." I will update as the saga continues and i travel to the outer villages. That's all from Radio Pago.

This blog took a week to publish, as electricity returned last night- 3 weeks after the tsunami.

Tsunami ER- surgical technician perspective

The ER is getting there but we still have people coming in who didn't have a way to get in before because of the road damages on the western side of the Island. Lots of infected wounds are coming back in from being seen on tues. It was not entirely a thorough treatment because everyone was doing everything at one time and were focusing on a treat-n-go type of treatment. We were overwhelmed in the first half of the day and soon after help came but that was after we treated most of the injuries. No Iv abx, tet tox, pain meds. Just look, local and clean. All of the wounds were dirty and filled with sand and stuff. The elderly were coming in also because of some mental breakdown and came in just because they were frightened, loss of loved ones, house gone, and all. The emotionally disturbed, drug seekers, those with the casper pain syndrome, and to tell you about the smell.