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CNN Live At Daybreak

Prisoner Abuse Scandal; Olympic Security; Weighty Worries

Aired May 05, 2003 - 05:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Anti-American demonstrations outside of Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison. It comes as President Bush prepares to conduct damage control in the Arab world.
Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date with the latest headlines now.

A group of about 300 Iraqis have gathered outside of the Abu Ghraib Prison to demonstrate against the United States and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners there. President Bush will address the problems during interviews today with two Arab language networks.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to hold a closed door hearing today to look into the abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. The committee is trying to determine if intelligence officials had anything to do with the incident.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill is soon to be reunited with his wife. Kellie Hamill has arrived in Germany after being delayed with passport problems.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated ahead of a fast moving wildfire in southern California. In fact, six separate fires have scorched more than 15,000 acres -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Want to get more on those demonstrations outside of the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq.

Ben Wedeman watched the anti-American protest at the prison some 13 miles from Baghdad. He joins us live now.

Ben, what are the demonstrators saying?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well basically the demonstrators are calling for the United States to relinquish control of the Abu Ghraib Prison. Many of them actually saying that they want the United States to leave the country all together.

There are around 300 people there, as you can see from those pictures. They were carrying banners denouncing the United States' treatment of Iraqi detainees. They were carrying Iraqi flags. Now a small group leading the protest of basically Shiite and Sunni religious leaders did get an opportunity to speak to some of the military personnel who came out as representatives of the Abu Ghraib Prison administration. I spoke to one of them afterwards. He told me that they expressed their grievances. They expressed their concerns over the treatment of Iraqi prisoners, specifically regarding this alleged incident of abuse, but also in general. But afterwards, one of them told me that even though they felt that they should do this, they should make an effort to contact the U.S. authorities out there, that they really don't have a lot of faith in what they will do.

Many people in the crowd quite angry, quite disappointed, they said, with the performance of the United States in Iraq over the last year. Many of those people outside the prison, in fact, wait every day waiting for an opportunity to meet, to visit with their relatives inside. Others just looking for information, looking for relatives who have been detained or arrested by U.S. forces and now they just simply don't know where they are and Abu Ghraib is the obvious place to look -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ben, that Condoleezza Rice appeared on Arab television saying that the United States was sorry that this happened and that there would be a full investigation, that President Bush will go later today on Arab television to answer questions, will that help?

WEDEMAN: Well it certainly isn't a useful exercise in damage control. But I think, if judging from the people I spoke with this morning, the damage has already been done. And certainly many people did see Secretary Rumsfeld, that live press conference from the Pentagon. They are aware that President Bush will be speaking this evening.

But by and large it would seem, just judging from that group of -- group of people, that the credibility of the U.S. administration certainly is in a low point at this -- at this stage of affairs. And I don't -- didn't get the impression that they are going to put a lot of faith in whatever President Bush has to say -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman live in Baghdad this morning.

Let's chat with our senior international editor David Clinch now.

There is a pool camera that was inside the Abu Ghraib Prison.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: Pictures have been taken. We don't have access yet.

CLINCH: Well they are going to come out in an hour or so. And we'll get pictures, a look inside the scene of the crime, as we have been saying, where this prisoner abuse has been taking place.

And those are scary words, really, from Ben there, talking about the idea that the damage has been done. That for all the damage control that Colin Powell, Condi Rice, President Bush may be able to do, the damage having been done on one level, which is all of these years of hearts and minds, the efforts to win hearts and minds of the average Iraq, the whole concept of bringing democracy to Iraq, getting rid of Saddam Hussein and winning over hearts and minds, the idea that the U.S. are liberators in Iraq, that that has been lost is bad enough.

But then there is also the very real danger to U.S. lives. American lives in Iraq and throughout the Middle East and perhaps the world that the Bush administration is clearly aware. That I think it was in the words of the Bush administration official that these pictures from inside Abu Ghraib and elsewhere are like a recruiting poster, a recruiting video for al Qaeda and, of course, for the insurgency in Iraq as well.

COSTELLO: Understand. But interestingly enough, I was talking to our own Octavia Nasr yesterday about the possibility that President Bush will go on Arab television and apologize to the Iraqi people. I don't know if he will actually do that or if he will just answer questions.

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: But she was under the impression that if he did say he was sorry that that would go a long way in Iraq.

CLINCH: It may very well on one level. And again, there are two levels here. We are talking about the average Iraqi, that average Iraqi who, we are told by the...

COSTELLO: That outnumber the insurgents.

CLINCH: Exactly. We have been told by the Bush administration consistently, and there is evidence consistently that the average Iraqi will sympathize, will appreciate an apology and will fall back to supporting at least a quick handover of power by the Americans.

But then there is the other thing, the risk to American lives created by the extremists. And as we have -- as we have been saying, the idea that these pictures help enormously for the -- those extremists in their cause and not even just extremists from the al Qaeda side, the insurgency. While we are talking about this prison scandal, the insurgency continues, both the Shiites and the Sunni.

The U.S. has pulled out of Fallujah, but they didn't end the insurgency there, they are still there. They are still fighting with the Sadr army down in Najaf. And overnight in Karbala, another coalition soldier lost his life last night. That's 20 dead in the first five days of this month alone.

COSTELLO: All right, David Clinch, many thanks to you.

Today the Senate Intelligence Committee will meet behind closed doors to discuss the Iraqi prisoner abuse allegation. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are outraged that they found out about the abuse through the media.

Our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has more on that side of the story for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Members of Congress are irate they are only now being provided with an Army report already seen by CNN and other news organizations that details "egregious acts and numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison."

Among the examples cited by Major General Antonio Taguba, "pouring cold water on naked detainees; sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light or broomstick; a male military police guard having sex with a female detainee."

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The actions of the soldiers in those photographs are totally unacceptable and un-American.

MCINTYRE: The pictures put Rumsfeld in the uncomfortable position of having to explain the difference between the abuse by the U.S. military and the torture and murder by the regime of Saddam Hussein.

RUMSFELD: Equating the two I think is a fundamental misunderstanding of what took place.

MCINTYRE: With some in Congress calling for hearings, the Pentagon dispatched the Army's No. 2 general to reassure members it could investigate itself.

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, ARMY VICE CHIEF OF STAFF: We are fully committed to getting to the bottom of this and holding accountable those who we find guilty through the judicial process.

MCINTYRE: So far a dozen people have been reprimanded or face criminal charges but even with the investigation still underway, the Army is saying this is an isolated case.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: There were a number of allegations of prisoner abuse in both Afghanistan and in Iraq but we were assured that none of them were similar to this type of abuse.

MCINTYRE: The Army says there have been 25 prisoners who have died while in U.S. custody in Iraq or Afghanistan. Twelve of the deaths were said to be from natural causes, but three were ruled homicides, including one at the Abu Ghraib Prison that was ruled justifiable when a prisoner tried to escape.

(on camera): Rumsfeld has acknowledged the revelations have undercut the Pentagon's war of ideas in the Arab world, but he declined to offer any apology.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Our e-mail question of the morning, what can the United States do to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, or does it matter? DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We've been getting a lot of responses for you. We want to read a couple right now.

This is from Stewart (ph) from Oregon. He says win the hearts and minds, I heard this every day during my 18 months in Vietnam. This will not succeed any more in Iraq than it did there.

MYERS: And from Desmond (ph), a genuine respect for their views is what's needed. Life in the U.S. is good, but our model may not be applicable to everybody else. Let us learn to respect their culture, and war is not the only solution.

COSTELLO: This from Nicole (ph) from Las Vegas, Nevada. She says the cultural barriers between the United States and Iraq are so great, I think the only way to improve relations would be for the U.S. military to pull out.

We're going to be talking about this throughout the morning. Octavia Nasr, an expert in Arab affairs and on Al Jazeera television and Al-Arabiya, she's got some interesting stuff to show you in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Now for some more stories making news 'Across America' this Wednesday.

A California National Guard commander is facing a court martial for his actions at the infamous Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Captain Leo Merc (ph) allegedly took nude pictures of several female soldiers serving at the prison. One of the women told the "Contra Costa Times" newspaper, the "Contra Costa Times" newspaper that they caught the captain spying on them in the shower.

Still hot in California, but not as hot. After setting record temperatures for nearly two weeks, Californians are getting a break as cooler heads and temperatures have prevailed. In fact, temperatures in Los Angeles have dropped, what, Chad, more than 20 degrees since Monday?

MYERS: About 10, yes.

COSTELLO: That's good.

Kobe Bryant's attorney filed a brief seeking to change the way Bryant's accuser is referred to in court. They ask that prosecutors and witnesses not say victim since it implies that Bryant is guilty. Instead, they want her referred to by name or as the complaining witness.

The Olympics just 100 days away in Athens. Ahead on DAYBREAK, what happened in Greece today that's raising security fears about those upcoming games.

And in the next hour of DAYBREAK, live to Germany where recently freed American hostage Thomas Hamill will soon reunite with his wife.

This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 5. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:45 Eastern Time. Here is what's all new this morning.

About 300 Iraqis have gathered for an anti-American demonstration outside the Abu Ghraib Prison. We'll have more on the prison from CNN's Ben Wedeman. He will be live in our next hour.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill has been reunited with his wife. It just happened. Hamill did release a statement saying everything is going well and he plans to go home as soon as possible.

And I want to read one more thing, if I can, from his statement. He said his wife, Kellie, brought me my favorite boots, jeans and a red shirt so I could feel a lot more comfortable and closer to home. I am ready to get there and hug my children.

That's awesome. We'll have much more from Landstuhl, Germany in the moments to come on DAYBREAK.

In money news this morning, two consumer groups plan to release a report saying 66 percent of Americans want their cable channels on an ala carte basis. That is only paying for the channels you really want. What a great idea. Industry officials oppose such a plan.

In sports, the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets 85-77 in Game 7 of their playoff series. The Heat move on to round two against the Indiana Pacers.

In culture, a company led by former Vice President Al Gore has bought a 24-hour TV network. No, not this one. It's News World International, which Gore says will not become a political network -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol. Good morning, northeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Wacky weather.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Three bombs explode in Athens as the country begins its 100 day countdown to the Summer Olympics. The attack took place in an Athens neighborhood near where many Olympic officials will live during The Games. No one was injured during these blasts. Much of the area had been evacuated after an anonymous caller warned a newspaper. No group is claiming responsibility for those blasts.

About a billion dollars has been budgeted for Olympic security. But with just three months to go until the opening ceremony, security is not the only concern. Will Greece be ready for The Games?

For more on the preparations, we head live to London and CNN's Guy Raz.

Good morning -- Guy.

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And these attacks this morning simply underline some of the many, many issues that Greek security officials will face in the coming weeks and months. They have promised to deploy some 50,000 security personnel to protect not only the key Olympic venue sites, but also the athletes.

Now Greece has a long history in fighting against terrorists groups, particularly November 17, a group that was thought to have been dismantled. Of course there hasn't been any claim of responsibility for these attacks today. But it really does, as I say, underline the many challenges that officials will face in the coming weeks and months before the Summer Games -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well it kind of makes you fear for the safety of the athletes and the visitors to Athens. Will they be ready? Who is keeping watch over this?

RAZ: Well this is one of the main concerns, particularly when it comes to the main Athens Stadium complex. Now that complex will seat some 50,000 people. It's essentially ready. The problem is the roof. The roof is lying around the stadium in pieces and the International Olympic Committee has given Greek officials until May 20 to get it mounted. They have thrown down the gauntlet. They said if you don't have it done by that date, scrap the project.

The only problem with that, of course, is that temperatures in Athens in the summertime can reach upwards of 110 degrees. It certainly will make for uncomfortable viewing for spectators and of course for the athletes as well.

Now you know these kinds of gaffes are not unusual to Olympic committees. You'll recall in Atlanta in 1996 there were similar concerns. Of course organizers there managed to get things done on time and pull off quite a successful Olympic Games -- Carol.

COSTELLO: But you know these are very turbulent times. I mean you know what happened here in Atlanta, and that was pre-9/11. Now I would suppose that everyone wants every T crossed, every I dotted.

RAZ: Absolutely, and the officials in Greece aren't taking any chances. They promise to make this the most secure Olympics in history. As you mentioned, almost a billion dollars has been spent on counterterror measures. In fact, that amount of money has boosted the budget, made it -- in fact it's over budget. Organizers in Athens have spent more than a billion. They have gone over a billion dollars over budget in putting these Games together. So certainly there is a lot of concern about what could happen in these Games, but they say that they will be prepared come August 13 -- Carol. COSTELLO: Guy Raz live in London this morning.

Dieters, looks like you won't have to give up your soda after all. We'll tell you why next.

Plus, potent pot, why usage of an illegal substance is up among Americans.

And eating dangerously, the red flag is waiving in the face of obese children. What they need to do before it is too late.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: That's some heavy-duty music for 'Health Headlines' this morning, but we have some important 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

A whopping 20 million of you do not have health insurance, and it's not just a problem facing the poor. That's according to a new study that's out today. Researchers found that most uninsured workers live in southern states.

Yes, they are inhaling a lot. Researchers have found that marijuana abuse and dependence is on the rise. They think it's because pot is more potent these days.

This one is for all of you dieters. Coke and Pepsi are about to launch new soft drink brands that taste like regular sodas but have half the sugar, carbs and calories. We promise.

And speaking of diet issues, more kids are losing the battle against the bulge and it's proving deadly.

Our Christy Feig reports that because obesity often leads to other health problems, that's especially true in children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When Yun Lee (ph) came to America from Korea at age nine he wasn't overweight, but becoming a typical American teenager added about 30 pounds too many.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ate a lot of fast food or pizza or a lot of cheese, a lot of cokes. I guess that became the source of the obesity.

FEIG: Now at 19, he's battling high blood pressure, a hidden danger researchers found in their study of overweight kids reported in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

DR. PAUL MUNTNER, TULANE UNIVERSITY: We divided up our sample into ages 8 through 12 and 13 through 17, and we saw remarkably consistent results from blood pressure increased among children of all ages.

FEIG: In children, even a blood pressure increase of just a few points is significant. Because each one point increase in childhood raises the risk of high blood pressure as an adult by ten percent.

MUNTNER: If you have high blood pressure in a childhood, there is a much higher likelihood that you will sustain it into adulthood and if you do then you are into the group of people who are at risk for having kidney disease or stroke, heart disease.

FEIG: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it doesn't often have many symptoms. The doctor say this should be a red flag to get kids moving more and eating less. Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address CNN.com/Health.

So you say you aren't -- you're owed some money.

MYERS: Are you a singer?

COSTELLO: This is an amazing story.

MYERS: Did you play the Poconos in the '60s? You might have some money coming.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you. The New York State's attorney general office threatened to sue these music companies. That would be BMG, Sony Music, EMI, Warner Brothers or Warner Music Group, I should say, and Universal Music Group, but all of those record companies decided to work with the New York attorney general's office.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And eureka, they...

MYERS: They owe $50 million.

COSTELLO: To four singers out there. They own them royalties.

MYERS: To people they can't find, they said.

COSTELLO: Well,...

MYERS: Because Regis is so hard to find nowadays.

COSTELLO: The funniest part about that...

MYERS: He's playing -- he's played in the Poconos in 1968 and gets a...

COSTELLO: That's true. What he is saying is true. Regis earned this money in 1968...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... and has been waiting all of this time for his money. Of course he probably didn't even know he was owed that money.

MYERS: Right. And Elvis, they still owe Elvis. They can't find Elvis.

COSTELLO: He's obviously in Las Vegas.

MYERS: He's in Kansas City.

COSTELLO: Ice cream, milk, cheese, things dieters have been warned to stay away from. Well, in the next hour of DAYBREAK, how those foods may actually help you drop a few pounds. Details on the dairy diet.

And political psychics, how one U.S. town has an usual knack for picking presidents.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 5, 2003 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Anti-American demonstrations outside of Iraq's Abu Ghraib Prison. It comes as President Bush prepares to conduct damage control in the Arab world.
Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date with the latest headlines now.

A group of about 300 Iraqis have gathered outside of the Abu Ghraib Prison to demonstrate against the United States and the abuse of Iraqi prisoners there. President Bush will address the problems during interviews today with two Arab language networks.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is scheduled to hold a closed door hearing today to look into the abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. The committee is trying to determine if intelligence officials had anything to do with the incident.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill is soon to be reunited with his wife. Kellie Hamill has arrived in Germany after being delayed with passport problems.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated ahead of a fast moving wildfire in southern California. In fact, six separate fires have scorched more than 15,000 acres -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Want to get more on those demonstrations outside of the Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq.

Ben Wedeman watched the anti-American protest at the prison some 13 miles from Baghdad. He joins us live now.

Ben, what are the demonstrators saying?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well basically the demonstrators are calling for the United States to relinquish control of the Abu Ghraib Prison. Many of them actually saying that they want the United States to leave the country all together.

There are around 300 people there, as you can see from those pictures. They were carrying banners denouncing the United States' treatment of Iraqi detainees. They were carrying Iraqi flags. Now a small group leading the protest of basically Shiite and Sunni religious leaders did get an opportunity to speak to some of the military personnel who came out as representatives of the Abu Ghraib Prison administration. I spoke to one of them afterwards. He told me that they expressed their grievances. They expressed their concerns over the treatment of Iraqi prisoners, specifically regarding this alleged incident of abuse, but also in general. But afterwards, one of them told me that even though they felt that they should do this, they should make an effort to contact the U.S. authorities out there, that they really don't have a lot of faith in what they will do.

Many people in the crowd quite angry, quite disappointed, they said, with the performance of the United States in Iraq over the last year. Many of those people outside the prison, in fact, wait every day waiting for an opportunity to meet, to visit with their relatives inside. Others just looking for information, looking for relatives who have been detained or arrested by U.S. forces and now they just simply don't know where they are and Abu Ghraib is the obvious place to look -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ben, that Condoleezza Rice appeared on Arab television saying that the United States was sorry that this happened and that there would be a full investigation, that President Bush will go later today on Arab television to answer questions, will that help?

WEDEMAN: Well it certainly isn't a useful exercise in damage control. But I think, if judging from the people I spoke with this morning, the damage has already been done. And certainly many people did see Secretary Rumsfeld, that live press conference from the Pentagon. They are aware that President Bush will be speaking this evening.

But by and large it would seem, just judging from that group of -- group of people, that the credibility of the U.S. administration certainly is in a low point at this -- at this stage of affairs. And I don't -- didn't get the impression that they are going to put a lot of faith in whatever President Bush has to say -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman live in Baghdad this morning.

Let's chat with our senior international editor David Clinch now.

There is a pool camera that was inside the Abu Ghraib Prison.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: Pictures have been taken. We don't have access yet.

CLINCH: Well they are going to come out in an hour or so. And we'll get pictures, a look inside the scene of the crime, as we have been saying, where this prisoner abuse has been taking place.

And those are scary words, really, from Ben there, talking about the idea that the damage has been done. That for all the damage control that Colin Powell, Condi Rice, President Bush may be able to do, the damage having been done on one level, which is all of these years of hearts and minds, the efforts to win hearts and minds of the average Iraq, the whole concept of bringing democracy to Iraq, getting rid of Saddam Hussein and winning over hearts and minds, the idea that the U.S. are liberators in Iraq, that that has been lost is bad enough.

But then there is also the very real danger to U.S. lives. American lives in Iraq and throughout the Middle East and perhaps the world that the Bush administration is clearly aware. That I think it was in the words of the Bush administration official that these pictures from inside Abu Ghraib and elsewhere are like a recruiting poster, a recruiting video for al Qaeda and, of course, for the insurgency in Iraq as well.

COSTELLO: Understand. But interestingly enough, I was talking to our own Octavia Nasr yesterday about the possibility that President Bush will go on Arab television and apologize to the Iraqi people. I don't know if he will actually do that or if he will just answer questions.

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: But she was under the impression that if he did say he was sorry that that would go a long way in Iraq.

CLINCH: It may very well on one level. And again, there are two levels here. We are talking about the average Iraqi, that average Iraqi who, we are told by the...

COSTELLO: That outnumber the insurgents.

CLINCH: Exactly. We have been told by the Bush administration consistently, and there is evidence consistently that the average Iraqi will sympathize, will appreciate an apology and will fall back to supporting at least a quick handover of power by the Americans.

But then there is the other thing, the risk to American lives created by the extremists. And as we have -- as we have been saying, the idea that these pictures help enormously for the -- those extremists in their cause and not even just extremists from the al Qaeda side, the insurgency. While we are talking about this prison scandal, the insurgency continues, both the Shiites and the Sunni.

The U.S. has pulled out of Fallujah, but they didn't end the insurgency there, they are still there. They are still fighting with the Sadr army down in Najaf. And overnight in Karbala, another coalition soldier lost his life last night. That's 20 dead in the first five days of this month alone.

COSTELLO: All right, David Clinch, many thanks to you.

Today the Senate Intelligence Committee will meet behind closed doors to discuss the Iraqi prisoner abuse allegation. Lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are outraged that they found out about the abuse through the media.

Our senior Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre has more on that side of the story for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Members of Congress are irate they are only now being provided with an Army report already seen by CNN and other news organizations that details "egregious acts and numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses at the Abu Ghraib Prison."

Among the examples cited by Major General Antonio Taguba, "pouring cold water on naked detainees; sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light or broomstick; a male military police guard having sex with a female detainee."

DONALD RUMSFELD, DEFENSE SECRETARY: The actions of the soldiers in those photographs are totally unacceptable and un-American.

MCINTYRE: The pictures put Rumsfeld in the uncomfortable position of having to explain the difference between the abuse by the U.S. military and the torture and murder by the regime of Saddam Hussein.

RUMSFELD: Equating the two I think is a fundamental misunderstanding of what took place.

MCINTYRE: With some in Congress calling for hearings, the Pentagon dispatched the Army's No. 2 general to reassure members it could investigate itself.

GEN. GEORGE CASEY, ARMY VICE CHIEF OF STAFF: We are fully committed to getting to the bottom of this and holding accountable those who we find guilty through the judicial process.

MCINTYRE: So far a dozen people have been reprimanded or face criminal charges but even with the investigation still underway, the Army is saying this is an isolated case.

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: There were a number of allegations of prisoner abuse in both Afghanistan and in Iraq but we were assured that none of them were similar to this type of abuse.

MCINTYRE: The Army says there have been 25 prisoners who have died while in U.S. custody in Iraq or Afghanistan. Twelve of the deaths were said to be from natural causes, but three were ruled homicides, including one at the Abu Ghraib Prison that was ruled justifiable when a prisoner tried to escape.

(on camera): Rumsfeld has acknowledged the revelations have undercut the Pentagon's war of ideas in the Arab world, but he declined to offer any apology.

Jamie McIntyre, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Our e-mail question of the morning, what can the United States do to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people, or does it matter? DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We've been getting a lot of responses for you. We want to read a couple right now.

This is from Stewart (ph) from Oregon. He says win the hearts and minds, I heard this every day during my 18 months in Vietnam. This will not succeed any more in Iraq than it did there.

MYERS: And from Desmond (ph), a genuine respect for their views is what's needed. Life in the U.S. is good, but our model may not be applicable to everybody else. Let us learn to respect their culture, and war is not the only solution.

COSTELLO: This from Nicole (ph) from Las Vegas, Nevada. She says the cultural barriers between the United States and Iraq are so great, I think the only way to improve relations would be for the U.S. military to pull out.

We're going to be talking about this throughout the morning. Octavia Nasr, an expert in Arab affairs and on Al Jazeera television and Al-Arabiya, she's got some interesting stuff to show you in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Now for some more stories making news 'Across America' this Wednesday.

A California National Guard commander is facing a court martial for his actions at the infamous Abu Ghraib Prison in Iraq. Captain Leo Merc (ph) allegedly took nude pictures of several female soldiers serving at the prison. One of the women told the "Contra Costa Times" newspaper, the "Contra Costa Times" newspaper that they caught the captain spying on them in the shower.

Still hot in California, but not as hot. After setting record temperatures for nearly two weeks, Californians are getting a break as cooler heads and temperatures have prevailed. In fact, temperatures in Los Angeles have dropped, what, Chad, more than 20 degrees since Monday?

MYERS: About 10, yes.

COSTELLO: That's good.

Kobe Bryant's attorney filed a brief seeking to change the way Bryant's accuser is referred to in court. They ask that prosecutors and witnesses not say victim since it implies that Bryant is guilty. Instead, they want her referred to by name or as the complaining witness.

The Olympics just 100 days away in Athens. Ahead on DAYBREAK, what happened in Greece today that's raising security fears about those upcoming games.

And in the next hour of DAYBREAK, live to Germany where recently freed American hostage Thomas Hamill will soon reunite with his wife.

This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 5. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:45 Eastern Time. Here is what's all new this morning.

About 300 Iraqis have gathered for an anti-American demonstration outside the Abu Ghraib Prison. We'll have more on the prison from CNN's Ben Wedeman. He will be live in our next hour.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill has been reunited with his wife. It just happened. Hamill did release a statement saying everything is going well and he plans to go home as soon as possible.

And I want to read one more thing, if I can, from his statement. He said his wife, Kellie, brought me my favorite boots, jeans and a red shirt so I could feel a lot more comfortable and closer to home. I am ready to get there and hug my children.

That's awesome. We'll have much more from Landstuhl, Germany in the moments to come on DAYBREAK.

In money news this morning, two consumer groups plan to release a report saying 66 percent of Americans want their cable channels on an ala carte basis. That is only paying for the channels you really want. What a great idea. Industry officials oppose such a plan.

In sports, the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Hornets 85-77 in Game 7 of their playoff series. The Heat move on to round two against the Indiana Pacers.

In culture, a company led by former Vice President Al Gore has bought a 24-hour TV network. No, not this one. It's News World International, which Gore says will not become a political network -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol. Good morning, northeast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Wacky weather.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Three bombs explode in Athens as the country begins its 100 day countdown to the Summer Olympics. The attack took place in an Athens neighborhood near where many Olympic officials will live during The Games. No one was injured during these blasts. Much of the area had been evacuated after an anonymous caller warned a newspaper. No group is claiming responsibility for those blasts.

About a billion dollars has been budgeted for Olympic security. But with just three months to go until the opening ceremony, security is not the only concern. Will Greece be ready for The Games?

For more on the preparations, we head live to London and CNN's Guy Raz.

Good morning -- Guy.

GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And these attacks this morning simply underline some of the many, many issues that Greek security officials will face in the coming weeks and months. They have promised to deploy some 50,000 security personnel to protect not only the key Olympic venue sites, but also the athletes.

Now Greece has a long history in fighting against terrorists groups, particularly November 17, a group that was thought to have been dismantled. Of course there hasn't been any claim of responsibility for these attacks today. But it really does, as I say, underline the many challenges that officials will face in the coming weeks and months before the Summer Games -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well it kind of makes you fear for the safety of the athletes and the visitors to Athens. Will they be ready? Who is keeping watch over this?

RAZ: Well this is one of the main concerns, particularly when it comes to the main Athens Stadium complex. Now that complex will seat some 50,000 people. It's essentially ready. The problem is the roof. The roof is lying around the stadium in pieces and the International Olympic Committee has given Greek officials until May 20 to get it mounted. They have thrown down the gauntlet. They said if you don't have it done by that date, scrap the project.

The only problem with that, of course, is that temperatures in Athens in the summertime can reach upwards of 110 degrees. It certainly will make for uncomfortable viewing for spectators and of course for the athletes as well.

Now you know these kinds of gaffes are not unusual to Olympic committees. You'll recall in Atlanta in 1996 there were similar concerns. Of course organizers there managed to get things done on time and pull off quite a successful Olympic Games -- Carol.

COSTELLO: But you know these are very turbulent times. I mean you know what happened here in Atlanta, and that was pre-9/11. Now I would suppose that everyone wants every T crossed, every I dotted.

RAZ: Absolutely, and the officials in Greece aren't taking any chances. They promise to make this the most secure Olympics in history. As you mentioned, almost a billion dollars has been spent on counterterror measures. In fact, that amount of money has boosted the budget, made it -- in fact it's over budget. Organizers in Athens have spent more than a billion. They have gone over a billion dollars over budget in putting these Games together. So certainly there is a lot of concern about what could happen in these Games, but they say that they will be prepared come August 13 -- Carol. COSTELLO: Guy Raz live in London this morning.

Dieters, looks like you won't have to give up your soda after all. We'll tell you why next.

Plus, potent pot, why usage of an illegal substance is up among Americans.

And eating dangerously, the red flag is waiving in the face of obese children. What they need to do before it is too late.

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COSTELLO: That's some heavy-duty music for 'Health Headlines' this morning, but we have some important 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

A whopping 20 million of you do not have health insurance, and it's not just a problem facing the poor. That's according to a new study that's out today. Researchers found that most uninsured workers live in southern states.

Yes, they are inhaling a lot. Researchers have found that marijuana abuse and dependence is on the rise. They think it's because pot is more potent these days.

This one is for all of you dieters. Coke and Pepsi are about to launch new soft drink brands that taste like regular sodas but have half the sugar, carbs and calories. We promise.

And speaking of diet issues, more kids are losing the battle against the bulge and it's proving deadly.

Our Christy Feig reports that because obesity often leads to other health problems, that's especially true in children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: When Yun Lee (ph) came to America from Korea at age nine he wasn't overweight, but becoming a typical American teenager added about 30 pounds too many.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ate a lot of fast food or pizza or a lot of cheese, a lot of cokes. I guess that became the source of the obesity.

FEIG: Now at 19, he's battling high blood pressure, a hidden danger researchers found in their study of overweight kids reported in the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

DR. PAUL MUNTNER, TULANE UNIVERSITY: We divided up our sample into ages 8 through 12 and 13 through 17, and we saw remarkably consistent results from blood pressure increased among children of all ages.

FEIG: In children, even a blood pressure increase of just a few points is significant. Because each one point increase in childhood raises the risk of high blood pressure as an adult by ten percent.

MUNTNER: If you have high blood pressure in a childhood, there is a much higher likelihood that you will sustain it into adulthood and if you do then you are into the group of people who are at risk for having kidney disease or stroke, heart disease.

FEIG: High blood pressure is called the silent killer because it doesn't often have many symptoms. The doctor say this should be a red flag to get kids moving more and eating less. Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address CNN.com/Health.

So you say you aren't -- you're owed some money.

MYERS: Are you a singer?

COSTELLO: This is an amazing story.

MYERS: Did you play the Poconos in the '60s? You might have some money coming.

COSTELLO: I'm telling you. The New York State's attorney general office threatened to sue these music companies. That would be BMG, Sony Music, EMI, Warner Brothers or Warner Music Group, I should say, and Universal Music Group, but all of those record companies decided to work with the New York attorney general's office.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And eureka, they...

MYERS: They owe $50 million.

COSTELLO: To four singers out there. They own them royalties.

MYERS: To people they can't find, they said.

COSTELLO: Well,...

MYERS: Because Regis is so hard to find nowadays.

COSTELLO: The funniest part about that...

MYERS: He's playing -- he's played in the Poconos in 1968 and gets a...

COSTELLO: That's true. What he is saying is true. Regis earned this money in 1968...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... and has been waiting all of this time for his money. Of course he probably didn't even know he was owed that money.

MYERS: Right. And Elvis, they still owe Elvis. They can't find Elvis.

COSTELLO: He's obviously in Las Vegas.

MYERS: He's in Kansas City.

COSTELLO: Ice cream, milk, cheese, things dieters have been warned to stay away from. Well, in the next hour of DAYBREAK, how those foods may actually help you drop a few pounds. Details on the dairy diet.

And political psychics, how one U.S. town has an usual knack for picking presidents.

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