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CNN Live At Daybreak
Explosions in Iraq; Super Tuesday; Hargon Family's Bodies Found
Aired March 02, 2004 - 05:31 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 LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, deadly explosions rattle Baghdad and Karbala as Shiites observe their holiest day.
Good morning, and welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. It is Tuesday, March 2. And from CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin in for Carol Costello.
At least, at least 40 people dead in Iraq this morning following several explosions in Karbala and Baghdad. The attacks targeted observances of a major Shiite Muslim holiday. We are going to have a live report from Baghdad in just a moment.
The big day for Democrats is set to begin in just about 90 minutes as voters head to the polls in 10 states. More than a thousand delegates are at stake in today's Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.
Now in an interview with CNN, former Haitian President Jean- Bertrand Aristide says he is the victim of a U.S.-led coup. He adds he was whisked out of the country by the American military. The White House denies Aristide's charges.
In the Martha Stewart trial, Stewart's attorney will make his closing arguments today. Jurors may get the case as early as tomorrow.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes, and our next update is at 5:45 Eastern.
Let's get back to the horrific attacks in Iraq. Bodies were piled up this morning following several explosions aimed at Shiite Muslims on one of their holiest days.
Our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us now with the latest from there.
Jane, we spoke about a half hour ago and the scene was just, it looks like utter chaos this morning.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, it was chaos on top of tragedy on top of what was already just an incredible day. Now this was the -- sorry, the commemoration here in Baghdad at the third holiest site for Shiite Muslims of the death of the imam Hussein (ph). It was packed with people, tens of thousands of people, many of them making their way to the mosque, al-Kadamiya Mosque, when four explosions rang out. We were in the crowd following them to the mosque when we heard the explosions and saw ambulances rushing the other way shortly after. The Baghdad chief of police tells us at least 30 people dead, but that seems to be a very conservative estimate. Other sources in hospitals reporting at least 70 might be dead. And many more wounded.
From what we saw when we entered that courtyard, it's clear why. There were four explosions that ripped part of it -- part of the place apart. There was just debris everywhere, blood all over the marble tiles. And inside, people weeping, people distraught and people absolutely enraged at this attack on their holiest day -- Carol.
LIN: Jane, any sense of the timing of this, why this happened, what the intent might have been?
ARRAF: There had been fears that something like this would happen, because if one wanted to start a civil war, this is kind of the way that these things start. Violence inflicted on one member of the -- on one segment of the Iraqi population and blamed on another. But as it was, the people there did not blame Sunni Muslims, they did not blame other Iraqis, they blamed, and I know it's irrational, but they do tend to blame, when these things happen, American forces and people that they are working with.
Now the Americans were securing the area but had kept a discrete distance. After the explosions happened and they were trying to restore order, soldiers moved towards this mosque but they were driven back by people throwing stones. And the people weren't just throwing stones at the Americans, they were trying to attack the Iraqi police cars as well. There was just an overwhelming anger directed at essentially everyone -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Jane Arraf reporting live in Baghdad.
Also in Baghdad today, we were just showing the pictures of the American soldiers being stoned. There was also a U.S. soldier killed in Baghdad and another was seriously wounded when a homemade bomb was thrown at their humvee. The soldiers were from the First Armored Division.
All right, we're going to get more on today's deadly attacks in Karbala and Baghdad. We're going to turn to our senior international editor David Clinch who joins us now.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Carol.
LIN: Obviously a big logistical problem. We are hearing different numbers -- David.
CLINCH: Right.
LIN: You know as few as 17 dead to as many as 100.
CLINCH: You know, well, I can tell you, just watching some of the pictures that have come in, we have seen what I could say clearly was scores of dead in the combined attacks in Karbala and Baghdad today. And I'm emphasizing this is what we are watching here. We are showing you enough video to make clear how viscous these attacks were, but there is some video that we just cannot show.
LIN: Yes.
CLINCH: It is really a horrific attack in both Karbala and Baghdad today. And Jane Arraf making it clear that we are being responsible in our reporting as we don't know why, who has carried out these attacks. We don't know why they are happening today.
There clearly was a fear on the part of the U.S. and the Iraqis themselves that these hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims could be targeted today. This has happened. It will take some time for us to clear up exactly why and who has carried out these attacks, but it's really a horrible scene in both places.
And Jane not talking about her own bravery here, but this was obviously a factor for us. She was right at the heart of one of the attacks in Baghdad at the mosque nearby where one of the bombs went off. We had to actually keep her there for a couple of hours at the mosque. It was actually safer to keep her there than it was to pull her back to our bureau,...
LIN: Really?
CLINCH: ... because it was just -- the streets were just very, very dangerous, as illustrated by some of the pictures we have got of the U.S. military in Baghdad who were stoned by some of the crowd as they tried to approach the scene.
So the U.S. military, obviously, you can see the pictures here, trying to see if they could play a role in security only to find themselves becoming part of the story, being stoned by angry Iraqis as they arrived. Jane saying that, as always happens in these attacks, at least some people in the crowd blaming the Americans, either directly or indirectly, for these attacks.
LIN: For provoking the attack.
CLINCH: For provoking them.
LIN: Not actually planting the bombs.
CLINCH: For creating the situation in which they happen. And in some cases, for actually doing it, but that's the conspiracy theory. But you know obviously tension is very high, emotions are very high.
Another factor that we are looking at today is that many of the dead we're hearing may be Iranians. We know for a fact that there were tens of thousands of Iranian Shiites who, of course, for the first time in many, many years, have been able to crossover into Iraq to take part in these, adding to the crowds, making it more of a target. But also, obviously making Iran and the reaction there part of the story.
LIN: Right. Let me ask you about that, because Jane was reporting that the imam at the mosque was saying that these attacks were caused by outsiders infiltrating, trying to cause trouble. And what I'm saying is if Iranians can immigrate in for these special services on this very special religious holiday, how porous are the borders? How much control do you think there is (ph)?
CLINCH: Well they are porous. I mean this is something that we saw during the Haj (ph) when Iraqis were going to Saudi Arabia and then coming back. The U.S. was very concerned about who would come back in. They don't want to be in a situation, the United States does not want to be in the situation of checking every individual pilgrim, neither did they want to be in that situation with Iranians coming in here. They don't want to trade -- treat pilgrims as suspects.
LIN: Right.
CLINCH: But clearly that is something that they have to worry about and it is something that they will be looking into.
LIN: From a coverage standpoint, David, obviously one of the big questions is who planted these bombs?
CLINCH: Right.
LIN: How did they get into the country? From an investigative standpoint, how do our crews maneuver to gather that kind of a story?
CLINCH: Right. Well that's interesting, because we're in -- from the very beginning in Baghdad and Karbala, we were hearing suggestions that at least some of the attacks might have been mortars rather than bombs. That would be an unusual -- you know a lot of the attacks we have seen have been bombs. So we'll be looking into that.
The U.S. military not telling us yet and perhaps not even in a position where they can investigate directly. That's obviously a factor. When they arrive at the scene, part of it is to gather evidence. If they are being stoned and they have to withdraw, that creates problems for them.
LIN: All right. Well obviously we have two veteran correspondents on the scene.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
LIN: Jane, I believe, speaks Arabic.
CLINCH: Yes. Brent, obviously, long experienced also in Karbala today. And Brent Sadler as well. But you know we are told they are going to be cautious. We're not going to go out -- back out into the streets until we know they are relatively safer.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much -- David.
CLINCH: All right.
LIN: A lot of work ahead for you today.
CLINCH: Yes.
LIN: All right, we're going to talk about election politics here in the United States. You, of course who could forget the elections in 2000 and what a mess that was with hanging chads and recounts. Well things are different now, we hope.
Electronic voting machines will be put to the test this Super Tuesday. The machines are designed to make voting easier and more reliable. It's supposed to be impossible to accidentally vote twice on a touch screen. And voters can toggle between different languages.
But as CNN's Aaron Brown reports, there are still some big concerns about e-voting.
030100CN.V84
BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And of course stay with CNN for complete Super Tuesday coverage. Wolf Blitzer kicks off our primetime coverage schedule tonight at 7:00 Eastern as the first results role in. Larry King continues with live updates and analysis from the campaign trail at 9:00 Eastern. And then at 10:00, Wolf returns for another two hours of new results and reaction from the big prize, California. Stay up for a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" at midnight, followed at 1:00 a.m. Eastern by a complete wrap-up of Super Tuesday results on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN."
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Now about 45 minutes past the hour and here's a very quick look at our tops stories in the DAYBREAK 'Early Briefing.'
Several deadly explosions in Iraq today have killed scores of people, perhaps more than a hundred. Blasts in Baghdad and Karbala targeted the observance of a major Shiite Muslim holiday that had been banned for 30 years by Saddam Hussein.
Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide claims the United States forced him to leave office and the country. The White House denies the allegation.
The judge in the Kobe Bryant case has postponed today's expected testimony from Bryant's accuser. She may appear later this month.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. Our next update is at the top of the hour at 6:00 Eastern.
Turning now to a bizarre story out of Philadelphia. Police are searching for a woman accused of kidnapping a baby and raising her as her own. The child was believed to have been killed in a house fire back in 1997 when she was just 10 days old. Police believe the woman set the fire to cover her tracks in the kidnapping.
Now get this, this is the important part, the child's birth mother found her daughter in January after seeing her at a birthday party and recognizing the girl as her own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUZ CUEVAS, CHILD'S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: When she walked to me and I say to my sister when my baby was, you know, 10 day, when she smiled, when she was a baby, she do a dimple. And the little, the girl, you know my daughter, walked toward me and she smile and the dimple do it. I say to my sister, look, she is my daughter and you know, say, you know, she is my daughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Imagine that, the sight of a dimple.
Well, the girl's mother will be a guest on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" beginning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. Tune in.
In the meantime, we have a major development in the case of the missing family in Mississippi and the break came just hours after formal murder charges were filed against a relative.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities believe they have recovered the bodies of Michael Hargon, his wife, Rebecca, and their 4-year-old son, James Patrick, missing since Valentine's Day.
WARREN STRAIN, MISSISSIPPI DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY: They were recovered from a wooded area in a rural area of Covington County, Mississippi. The bodies have been turned over to the coroner.
MESERVE: Charged with three counts of capital murder, Michael Hargon's cousin, Earnest Lee Hargon, who lived a short distance from where the bodies were found.
JAMES POWELL, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The murders occurred during the course of a kidnapping of one or more of Michael Hargon's family.
MESERVE: Authorities have speculated a dispute over this cattle farm may have been the motive. It was originally willed to Earnest Lee Hargon by his adoptive father, Charles. But in January, just before his death, Charles Hargon changed his will, leaving the property to his great nephew, Michael, rather than Earnest Lee.
Carl Murphy owns a neighboring farm and knew them all.
CARL MURPHY, FRIEND OF CHARLES HARGON: The whole community is shook up and don't know what to think or don't know why it happened. MESERVE (on camera): Authorities say Earnest Lee Hargon became a suspect the day after the family disappeared. They characterize the case against him as rock solid and say they will pursue the death penalty.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Yazoo County, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well a celestial find has NASA all a buzz. Looks like the Rover may have stumbled on to an important piece of the Red Planet's history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: If you are up early with us, it's likely you missed the late night talk shows. Well California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a guest on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" promoting a bond measure in today's election. That's not the good part, because right after -- right actually in the middle of his interview, this is what happened.
Recalled governor -- California Governor Gray Davis dropped in as well. And the two governors had a little fun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY DAVIS, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: I talked to Arnold a little bit about some of the state problems, but he's helped me a lot with acting, particularly with my pronunciation.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Really, really.
DAVIS: Yes.
LENO: Like I know...
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (D), CALIFORNIA: I knew there would be a cheap shot, bang.
LENO: I know you -- I know you...
SCHWARZENEGGER: OK, go ahead, guys, have a good time.
LENO: I've heard you talk and you foolishly say California, which of course is ridiculous.
DAVIS: And I didn't know how to say...
SCHWARZENEGGER: What, that's the right -- that's actually the right way to pronounce it. In Spanish, it's California not (ph) California.
LENO: OK, but you're not in Spanish (ph)...
SCHWARZENEGGER: I can... LENO: I guess you are. I'm sorry, you're right, yes.
SCHWARZENEGGER: (INAUDIBLE).
DAVIS: I used to think I knew how to say I'll be back.
LENO: Yes.
DAVIS: Now I know it's I'll be back.
LENO: Now the big issue here in California is this gay marriage thing. What's your position in this? What -- how do you deal with this? What do you do here? Seriously.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Are you trying to ask me?
LENO: No, no, no, no, I'm not -- I'm not trying to ask you.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: Be honest -- Jay.
LENO: No, no, no, I'm serious.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Come on.
LENO: I'm...
SCHWARZENEGGER: You can admit it.
LENO: And it's a big issue. All right, I admit it, I'm in love with you. All right, fine.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Finally. Give him a big hand.
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right, on a slightly more serious note on gay marriages, Arnold Schwarzenegger said if the courts or voters change state law to make same-sex marriage legal, it would be fine with him. You know we're CNN, we've got to be very serious about these sorts of things.
Chad, how is the weather going? Good morning to you.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I thought that was a very tense interview or whatever the segment.
LIN: Well, you know, he...
MYERS: Those guys just didn't look like they liked each other at all. LIN: Well, I get the feeling the governor does not like surprises.
MYERS: I suppose.
LIN: You know.
MYERS: I was wondering who forgot the tie, because somebody didn't have a tie and the other guy that did have a tie took his off so that they both didn't have one (ph).
LIN: I am sure there was some consultant involved in all of that.
MYERS: Yes, there was something going on.
LIN: Yes.
MYERS: Hey, good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, it's down to the wire for the Democrats on the biggest primary day of all. And we've got your Super Tuesday preview just ahead so stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Found>
Aired March 2, 2004 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq, deadly explosions rattle Baghdad and Karbala as Shiites observe their holiest day.
Good morning, and welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. It is Tuesday, March 2. And from CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin in for Carol Costello.
At least, at least 40 people dead in Iraq this morning following several explosions in Karbala and Baghdad. The attacks targeted observances of a major Shiite Muslim holiday. We are going to have a live report from Baghdad in just a moment.
The big day for Democrats is set to begin in just about 90 minutes as voters head to the polls in 10 states. More than a thousand delegates are at stake in today's Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses.
Now in an interview with CNN, former Haitian President Jean- Bertrand Aristide says he is the victim of a U.S.-led coup. He adds he was whisked out of the country by the American military. The White House denies Aristide's charges.
In the Martha Stewart trial, Stewart's attorney will make his closing arguments today. Jurors may get the case as early as tomorrow.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes, and our next update is at 5:45 Eastern.
Let's get back to the horrific attacks in Iraq. Bodies were piled up this morning following several explosions aimed at Shiite Muslims on one of their holiest days.
Our Baghdad bureau chief Jane Arraf joins us now with the latest from there.
Jane, we spoke about a half hour ago and the scene was just, it looks like utter chaos this morning.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, it was chaos on top of tragedy on top of what was already just an incredible day. Now this was the -- sorry, the commemoration here in Baghdad at the third holiest site for Shiite Muslims of the death of the imam Hussein (ph). It was packed with people, tens of thousands of people, many of them making their way to the mosque, al-Kadamiya Mosque, when four explosions rang out. We were in the crowd following them to the mosque when we heard the explosions and saw ambulances rushing the other way shortly after. The Baghdad chief of police tells us at least 30 people dead, but that seems to be a very conservative estimate. Other sources in hospitals reporting at least 70 might be dead. And many more wounded.
From what we saw when we entered that courtyard, it's clear why. There were four explosions that ripped part of it -- part of the place apart. There was just debris everywhere, blood all over the marble tiles. And inside, people weeping, people distraught and people absolutely enraged at this attack on their holiest day -- Carol.
LIN: Jane, any sense of the timing of this, why this happened, what the intent might have been?
ARRAF: There had been fears that something like this would happen, because if one wanted to start a civil war, this is kind of the way that these things start. Violence inflicted on one member of the -- on one segment of the Iraqi population and blamed on another. But as it was, the people there did not blame Sunni Muslims, they did not blame other Iraqis, they blamed, and I know it's irrational, but they do tend to blame, when these things happen, American forces and people that they are working with.
Now the Americans were securing the area but had kept a discrete distance. After the explosions happened and they were trying to restore order, soldiers moved towards this mosque but they were driven back by people throwing stones. And the people weren't just throwing stones at the Americans, they were trying to attack the Iraqi police cars as well. There was just an overwhelming anger directed at essentially everyone -- Carol.
LIN: All right. Jane Arraf reporting live in Baghdad.
Also in Baghdad today, we were just showing the pictures of the American soldiers being stoned. There was also a U.S. soldier killed in Baghdad and another was seriously wounded when a homemade bomb was thrown at their humvee. The soldiers were from the First Armored Division.
All right, we're going to get more on today's deadly attacks in Karbala and Baghdad. We're going to turn to our senior international editor David Clinch who joins us now.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Carol.
LIN: Obviously a big logistical problem. We are hearing different numbers -- David.
CLINCH: Right.
LIN: You know as few as 17 dead to as many as 100.
CLINCH: You know, well, I can tell you, just watching some of the pictures that have come in, we have seen what I could say clearly was scores of dead in the combined attacks in Karbala and Baghdad today. And I'm emphasizing this is what we are watching here. We are showing you enough video to make clear how viscous these attacks were, but there is some video that we just cannot show.
LIN: Yes.
CLINCH: It is really a horrific attack in both Karbala and Baghdad today. And Jane Arraf making it clear that we are being responsible in our reporting as we don't know why, who has carried out these attacks. We don't know why they are happening today.
There clearly was a fear on the part of the U.S. and the Iraqis themselves that these hundreds of thousands of Shiite Muslims could be targeted today. This has happened. It will take some time for us to clear up exactly why and who has carried out these attacks, but it's really a horrible scene in both places.
And Jane not talking about her own bravery here, but this was obviously a factor for us. She was right at the heart of one of the attacks in Baghdad at the mosque nearby where one of the bombs went off. We had to actually keep her there for a couple of hours at the mosque. It was actually safer to keep her there than it was to pull her back to our bureau,...
LIN: Really?
CLINCH: ... because it was just -- the streets were just very, very dangerous, as illustrated by some of the pictures we have got of the U.S. military in Baghdad who were stoned by some of the crowd as they tried to approach the scene.
So the U.S. military, obviously, you can see the pictures here, trying to see if they could play a role in security only to find themselves becoming part of the story, being stoned by angry Iraqis as they arrived. Jane saying that, as always happens in these attacks, at least some people in the crowd blaming the Americans, either directly or indirectly, for these attacks.
LIN: For provoking the attack.
CLINCH: For provoking them.
LIN: Not actually planting the bombs.
CLINCH: For creating the situation in which they happen. And in some cases, for actually doing it, but that's the conspiracy theory. But you know obviously tension is very high, emotions are very high.
Another factor that we are looking at today is that many of the dead we're hearing may be Iranians. We know for a fact that there were tens of thousands of Iranian Shiites who, of course, for the first time in many, many years, have been able to crossover into Iraq to take part in these, adding to the crowds, making it more of a target. But also, obviously making Iran and the reaction there part of the story.
LIN: Right. Let me ask you about that, because Jane was reporting that the imam at the mosque was saying that these attacks were caused by outsiders infiltrating, trying to cause trouble. And what I'm saying is if Iranians can immigrate in for these special services on this very special religious holiday, how porous are the borders? How much control do you think there is (ph)?
CLINCH: Well they are porous. I mean this is something that we saw during the Haj (ph) when Iraqis were going to Saudi Arabia and then coming back. The U.S. was very concerned about who would come back in. They don't want to be in a situation, the United States does not want to be in the situation of checking every individual pilgrim, neither did they want to be in that situation with Iranians coming in here. They don't want to trade -- treat pilgrims as suspects.
LIN: Right.
CLINCH: But clearly that is something that they have to worry about and it is something that they will be looking into.
LIN: From a coverage standpoint, David, obviously one of the big questions is who planted these bombs?
CLINCH: Right.
LIN: How did they get into the country? From an investigative standpoint, how do our crews maneuver to gather that kind of a story?
CLINCH: Right. Well that's interesting, because we're in -- from the very beginning in Baghdad and Karbala, we were hearing suggestions that at least some of the attacks might have been mortars rather than bombs. That would be an unusual -- you know a lot of the attacks we have seen have been bombs. So we'll be looking into that.
The U.S. military not telling us yet and perhaps not even in a position where they can investigate directly. That's obviously a factor. When they arrive at the scene, part of it is to gather evidence. If they are being stoned and they have to withdraw, that creates problems for them.
LIN: All right. Well obviously we have two veteran correspondents on the scene.
CLINCH: Absolutely.
LIN: Jane, I believe, speaks Arabic.
CLINCH: Yes. Brent, obviously, long experienced also in Karbala today. And Brent Sadler as well. But you know we are told they are going to be cautious. We're not going to go out -- back out into the streets until we know they are relatively safer.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much -- David.
CLINCH: All right.
LIN: A lot of work ahead for you today.
CLINCH: Yes.
LIN: All right, we're going to talk about election politics here in the United States. You, of course who could forget the elections in 2000 and what a mess that was with hanging chads and recounts. Well things are different now, we hope.
Electronic voting machines will be put to the test this Super Tuesday. The machines are designed to make voting easier and more reliable. It's supposed to be impossible to accidentally vote twice on a touch screen. And voters can toggle between different languages.
But as CNN's Aaron Brown reports, there are still some big concerns about e-voting.
030100CN.V84
BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: And of course stay with CNN for complete Super Tuesday coverage. Wolf Blitzer kicks off our primetime coverage schedule tonight at 7:00 Eastern as the first results role in. Larry King continues with live updates and analysis from the campaign trail at 9:00 Eastern. And then at 10:00, Wolf returns for another two hours of new results and reaction from the big prize, California. Stay up for a special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE" at midnight, followed at 1:00 a.m. Eastern by a complete wrap-up of Super Tuesday results on "NEWSNIGHT WITH AARON BROWN."
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: Now about 45 minutes past the hour and here's a very quick look at our tops stories in the DAYBREAK 'Early Briefing.'
Several deadly explosions in Iraq today have killed scores of people, perhaps more than a hundred. Blasts in Baghdad and Karbala targeted the observance of a major Shiite Muslim holiday that had been banned for 30 years by Saddam Hussein.
Former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide claims the United States forced him to leave office and the country. The White House denies the allegation.
The judge in the Kobe Bryant case has postponed today's expected testimony from Bryant's accuser. She may appear later this month.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. Our next update is at the top of the hour at 6:00 Eastern.
Turning now to a bizarre story out of Philadelphia. Police are searching for a woman accused of kidnapping a baby and raising her as her own. The child was believed to have been killed in a house fire back in 1997 when she was just 10 days old. Police believe the woman set the fire to cover her tracks in the kidnapping.
Now get this, this is the important part, the child's birth mother found her daughter in January after seeing her at a birthday party and recognizing the girl as her own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUZ CUEVAS, CHILD'S BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: When she walked to me and I say to my sister when my baby was, you know, 10 day, when she smiled, when she was a baby, she do a dimple. And the little, the girl, you know my daughter, walked toward me and she smile and the dimple do it. I say to my sister, look, she is my daughter and you know, say, you know, she is my daughter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: Imagine that, the sight of a dimple.
Well, the girl's mother will be a guest on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING" beginning at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. Tune in.
In the meantime, we have a major development in the case of the missing family in Mississippi and the break came just hours after formal murder charges were filed against a relative.
CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities believe they have recovered the bodies of Michael Hargon, his wife, Rebecca, and their 4-year-old son, James Patrick, missing since Valentine's Day.
WARREN STRAIN, MISSISSIPPI DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY: They were recovered from a wooded area in a rural area of Covington County, Mississippi. The bodies have been turned over to the coroner.
MESERVE: Charged with three counts of capital murder, Michael Hargon's cousin, Earnest Lee Hargon, who lived a short distance from where the bodies were found.
JAMES POWELL, DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The murders occurred during the course of a kidnapping of one or more of Michael Hargon's family.
MESERVE: Authorities have speculated a dispute over this cattle farm may have been the motive. It was originally willed to Earnest Lee Hargon by his adoptive father, Charles. But in January, just before his death, Charles Hargon changed his will, leaving the property to his great nephew, Michael, rather than Earnest Lee.
Carl Murphy owns a neighboring farm and knew them all.
CARL MURPHY, FRIEND OF CHARLES HARGON: The whole community is shook up and don't know what to think or don't know why it happened. MESERVE (on camera): Authorities say Earnest Lee Hargon became a suspect the day after the family disappeared. They characterize the case against him as rock solid and say they will pursue the death penalty.
Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Yazoo County, Mississippi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: Well a celestial find has NASA all a buzz. Looks like the Rover may have stumbled on to an important piece of the Red Planet's history.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LIN: If you are up early with us, it's likely you missed the late night talk shows. Well California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a guest on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" promoting a bond measure in today's election. That's not the good part, because right after -- right actually in the middle of his interview, this is what happened.
Recalled governor -- California Governor Gray Davis dropped in as well. And the two governors had a little fun.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAY DAVIS, FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: I talked to Arnold a little bit about some of the state problems, but he's helped me a lot with acting, particularly with my pronunciation.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Really, really.
DAVIS: Yes.
LENO: Like I know...
GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (D), CALIFORNIA: I knew there would be a cheap shot, bang.
LENO: I know you -- I know you...
SCHWARZENEGGER: OK, go ahead, guys, have a good time.
LENO: I've heard you talk and you foolishly say California, which of course is ridiculous.
DAVIS: And I didn't know how to say...
SCHWARZENEGGER: What, that's the right -- that's actually the right way to pronounce it. In Spanish, it's California not (ph) California.
LENO: OK, but you're not in Spanish (ph)...
SCHWARZENEGGER: I can... LENO: I guess you are. I'm sorry, you're right, yes.
SCHWARZENEGGER: (INAUDIBLE).
DAVIS: I used to think I knew how to say I'll be back.
LENO: Yes.
DAVIS: Now I know it's I'll be back.
LENO: Now the big issue here in California is this gay marriage thing. What's your position in this? What -- how do you deal with this? What do you do here? Seriously.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Are you trying to ask me?
LENO: No, no, no, no, I'm not -- I'm not trying to ask you.
(LAUGHTER)
SCHWARZENEGGER: Be honest -- Jay.
LENO: No, no, no, I'm serious.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Come on.
LENO: I'm...
SCHWARZENEGGER: You can admit it.
LENO: And it's a big issue. All right, I admit it, I'm in love with you. All right, fine.
SCHWARZENEGGER: Finally. Give him a big hand.
(APPLAUSE)
LENO: Thank you very much.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: All right, on a slightly more serious note on gay marriages, Arnold Schwarzenegger said if the courts or voters change state law to make same-sex marriage legal, it would be fine with him. You know we're CNN, we've got to be very serious about these sorts of things.
Chad, how is the weather going? Good morning to you.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: I thought that was a very tense interview or whatever the segment.
LIN: Well, you know, he...
MYERS: Those guys just didn't look like they liked each other at all. LIN: Well, I get the feeling the governor does not like surprises.
MYERS: I suppose.
LIN: You know.
MYERS: I was wondering who forgot the tie, because somebody didn't have a tie and the other guy that did have a tie took his off so that they both didn't have one (ph).
LIN: I am sure there was some consultant involved in all of that.
MYERS: Yes, there was something going on.
LIN: Yes.
MYERS: Hey, good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
LIN: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, it's down to the wire for the Democrats on the biggest primary day of all. And we've got your Super Tuesday preview just ahead so stay right there.
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