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CNN Live At Daybreak
Hunt for Osama Bin Laden Heats Up; Bush Administration Taking Issue with John Kerry's Claim
Aired March 17, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
It is Wednesday, March 17th.
Happy St. Patrick's Day.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date now.
Israel strikes back after a suicide bombing. Three Palestinians are killed and more than 20 wounded in air and ground attacks in Gaza.
Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives for talks in the Afghan capital, while farther south, U.S. forces launch a new operation against al Qaeda.
The Red Cross now has a plan to ferry emergency supplies and vehicles to Washington in case of a terrorist attack. The "Washington Post" reporting military style landing craft would be used to cross the Potomac River.
And Vice President Dick Cheney says America's leaders must be unwavering in their commitment to the war on terror. Cheney speaks later today at the Reagan Presidential Library.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:15 Eastern.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden heats up again as Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Afghanistan. He's there right now talking with the Afghan president about the search and the war on terror.
Ryan Chilcote live in Kabul with more on what Secretary Powell is saying there today -- hello, Ryan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even before the U.S. secretary of state, Colin Powell, arrived in Afghanistan, it was clear that this visit was going to be part of a diplomatic offensive, if you will, in the war on terror.
He came here to meet with the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. At the top of the agenda in their talks, of course, the war on terror, security here in Afghanistan and the hunt for Taliban and al Qaeda in the border area.
Now, the secretary of state was asked about Pakistani operations in the border area yesterday. He said he was satisfied with those operations and said that the U.S. military would be prepared to react if any militants came back over the border from western Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: If Taliban elements are forced from Pakistan back into Afghanistan as a result of actions on the Pakistan side of the border, I'm sure that our military forces here, working with Afghan forces, will deal with those elements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHILCOTE: And that is, of course, exactly the hope of the U.S. military here. They hope that Pakistani officials will keep the pressure up on the tribal elders, that they will either at least apprehend them, kill them, or, at a minimum, push them out of western Pakistan. The U.S. military hoping that they will then, those forces, move westward, into Afghanistan, where the military says it's ready for them, together with the Afghan National Army. That's the national army here in Afghanistan that the U.S. military is training.
Now, lastly, the secretary of state went to a voter registration center to show his support for the registration of women here in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is set this summer to have its first Democratic presidential election ever. It is a very important effort, the U.S. says, in stabilizing this country. But so far registration has not been going well.
The secretary of state leaves Afghanistan today. He's headed for Pakistan, where, of course, the war on terror will be at the top of the agenda again.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we have new information for you this morning about the train bombings in Spain. Police say they now know the identities of at least six Moroccans who are suspected of carrying bombs onto the trains. The man you're looking at, Jamal Zougam, is in custody. Police say he has links to two brothers who are charged with last year's attacks in Casablanca. Zougam's picture appeared on the front page today of Spain's largest newspaper.
The Bush administration is taking issue with John Kerry over his claim that some world leaders would rather see Kerry as president.
Our senior White House correspondent John King has details on the controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, keeping the coalition together. President Bush meets with an ally who plans to stay in Iraq and calls on others to stand firm in the fight against terror.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are cold- blooded killers.
KING: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz will be our guest.
For the first time, John Kerry in his words insisting some foreign leaders want a Democrat in the White House. As the president calls on Senator Kerry to back up that allegation, a CNN exclusive on LOU DOBBS TONIGHT, a recording of the remarks that started an evolving campaign controversy.
"Exporting America." Secretary of State Colin Powell takes on the loss of American jobs to India with leaders in New Delhi.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a major issue we'll be focusing on in the months ahead.
KING: "Broken Borders" tonight, the government will use unmanned drones to spy on terrorists around the world to help keep millions of illegal aliens around this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Suddenly, I turned around and she was gone.
KING: And "America's Bright Future," a remarkable 14-year-old who has inspired millions in her short life with five books of poetry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The search goes on in central Ohio this morning and a sister has an emotional plea. Her brother is suspected in a string of Ohio highway shootings. She wants him to come home. That man, 28- year-old Charles McCoy, Jr., is accused of 24 shootings since May of last year.
McCoy's sister, Amy Walton, appeared outside of her mother's Grove City, Ohio home to make a public plea for her brother to come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM WSVX TV)
AMY WALTON, SUSPECT'S SISTER: Mom and I need you to call us. We will arrange for you to come home. We love you. We miss you. You need to call us. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: McCoy is accused of felonious assault. One of the shootings since last May was fatal.
An arraignment hearing today against a man accused of killing nine members -- nine of his own family members.
That tops a look at Stories Across America this morning.
Formal charges against mass murder suspect Marcus Wesson will be read in a Fresno, California courtroom. He's accused of shooting his victims before surrendering to police. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but say Wesson may have engaged in incest and polygamy.
A second county in Oregon plans to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The Board of Commissioners of Benton County voted to begin issuing the licenses next Wednesday. On Monday, commissioners in another county decided to ignore the state attorney general and issue same-sex marriage licenses. And that would be in Oregon's most populous county.
And just a reminder, as if you need it, spring does not officially start until this weekend. No reminder needed in the Northeast. A snowstorm moving in from the Midwest has caused numerous highway accidents. Five traffic deaths in Ohio and Pennsylvania may be storm related.
So, is the worst over? No -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes?
MYERS: You know what time it is?
COSTELLO: Oh, it is time to give the DAYBREAK mug away. Do you actually -- oh, I thought you had the actual mug, but no.
MYERS: Oh, no. We don't get those till Friday. We're giving away what we don't have.
COSTELLO: Well, yesterday -- should I ask the question again?
MYERS: Go ahead, yes, please.
COSTELLO: OK. Yesterday we asked you what city has been dubbed the allergy capital of the country by the American Asthma Association and we also asked you this question, according to the most recent Gallup poll, what is the most important problem facing the United States? The correct answers, Chad?
MYERS: Louisville, Kentucky and the economy, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: And the person, persons that got it first, William and Valarie Dennard from Palatka, Florida. Actually, not all that far from that picture we had in St. Augustine, Florida. Maybe a 30 mile drive to St. Augustine from Palatka, Florida.
COSTELLO: Well, we do like our Floridian viewers.
MYERS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Well, congrats to the Dennards.
MYERS: Because my mom is always one of them.
COSTELLO: We can always count on our moms watching.
MYERS: That's right.
COSTELLO: All right.
We'll ask you another question at 6:50.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And more of you have the opportunity to win a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
MYERS: That's good.
COSTELLO: Also coming up on DAYBREAK, a tire company could face more problems down the road. Millions of drivers ready to sue over what they say are dangerous treads.
If it's more time they need, then more time they will get. But what else does the 9/11 Commission need before it can release its report?
And calorie counting doesn't have to be a tedious task. We'll show you how to make changes and lose weight.
This is DAYBREAK for March 17th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: 6:12 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at the top stories now.
Israel has stepped up military action in Gaza following weekend suicide attacks in the city of Ashdod.
In Afghanistan today, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. military leaders in Kabul. They discussed the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the remnants of al Qaeda.
And a late winter snowstorm has made travel difficult for the Midwest and the Northeast. Hard to believe, but spring is just a few days away.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:30 Eastern.
Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to come out swinging today. He's in California now and he will deliver a hard hitting speech later this afternoon. We have a preview for you and new information on the 9/11 Commission.
Let's head live to Washington, D.C. now and our producer there, Paul Courson -- good morning, Paul.
PAUL COURSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, they've got another 60 days and another million dollars for the 9/11 Commission, which is looking into what went wrong with intelligence gathering in the events that led up to the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The Commission has four remaining public hearings coming up. Next week including Secretary of State Powell and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and their predecessors from the Clinton administration. The Commission will be asking them questions as to what they knew, how it was learned and what sort of weight was attached to the intelligence that may have been gathered before 9/11.
All this is part of its campaign, its effort to close those loops in the intelligence gathering process and prepare a final report to make some recommendations by July 26 now. The extra million dollars helps finance that for the next two months -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Some interesting things should be coming out of that Commission.
Tell us about Dick Cheney's speech later today in California.
COURSON: Dick Cheney is highlighting the Bush administration's success in the foreign policy and anti-terrorist arena in his speech that will happen at the Reagan Presidential Library out in California. Last night, yesterday, he spoke in Denver, Colorado and gave us kind of a preview by referring to the train bombings in Spain and how we have to be on the lookout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The attacks in Spain, once again, reveal the brutality of our enemy and once again show that the fight against terrorism is the responsibility of all free nations. The terrorists are testing the unity and the resolve of the civilized world and we must rise to that test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COURSON: Of course, that test includes, Carol, the November elections. And presidential candidate John Kerry has a speech today, as well, here in Washington, at George Washington University.
COSTELLO: And we'll be following both.
Paul Courson live from Washington this morning.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, they may be America's allies, but what do Europeans really feel about Americans? We take a look at the sentiment behind some new poll numbers.
Plus, a priest helping the youngest of Haiti's people in need. Father Paul Carrier joins us once again to talk about the children in Haiti.
And then we will reveal what our DAYBREAK Photo Of the Day is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: All right, this is our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day, Chad. And can you guess what it is?
MYERS: Not a clue. It looks something slimy.
COSTELLO: Well, let me give you a hint. It has to do with St. Patrick's Day.
MYERS: Ah, it is the river in Chicago.
COSTELLO: You got it!
MYERS: Hey!
COSTELLO: The plumbers local union, Plumbers Local 130 Union, to be exact, dies the Chicago River green every year for St. Patrick's Day. It looks prettier that way, doesn't it?
MYERS: It does. All right, yes. I can't do an Irish accent to save my life, so I'll try not to insult all the Irish people in our audience.
COSTELLO: Yes, please don't.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
Happy St. Patty's Day to you, as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: The White House upset with Jamaican officials. The reason? Oh, allowing ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to visit for several days. The White House spokesman says the visit does not help resolve the political turmoil in Haiti.
On the heels of that criticism, the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is offering Aristide refuge in his country. President Chavez says Venezuela does not recognize the new government in Haiti.
Is Aristide's near presence in Jamaica stirring more unrest in places where people are most desperate?
Well, all week long we've been talking to Father Paul Carrier. He runs a school for children in Haiti through Fairfield University in Connecticut.
He's in Cap Haitien this morning, trying to find food for kids living on the streets.
Good morning.
PAUL CARRIER, S.J., FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Tell us about the food shortage in Haiti.
CARRIER: Well, Carol, I mean food is always kind of tight here in Haiti and because of the lack of supplies and deliveries, you know, people aren't getting all the food that they can get. So the kids on the street, who are on the lowest level of the ladder as far as resources where people might give them a handout or might give them a little help, aren't getting it like they used to.
So they're pretty much the most vulnerable people in this society right now, the kids on the street.
COSTELLO: So you would say the lack of food is the most urgent problem for kids in Haiti.
How do kids usually find food to eat? Do they go to places like your school?
CARRIER: Well, certainly the school program takes them in and they do have food at the school program. They have a place to bathe and they even have a little school program, as well. So our program enables them to at least have some respite, a little safe haven from the streets, where they go back at night.
And, you know, when they do go back at night, that's where they kind of check around and maybe where they sleep in the stalls in the marketplace, they might have some throwaway food there or if they're sleeping on the streets of -- the steps of the Cathedral, they're able to get maybe some handouts. But things are so tight right now as far as resources and food that, again, they're the ones that are suffering the most.
COSTELLO: What can they usually find to eat?
CARRIER: Well, again, it's scraps -- rice, beans, some throwaway vegetables or food. And, you know, they really get around and get what they need. But I think the sad thing, Carol, is that when they don't, they often revert to sniffing paint thinner. And the high from the paint thinner numbs the hunger pains. And you see a lot of little kids, you know, nine, 10, 11 years old who are high on paint thinner during the day, not even -- not just at night.
COSTELLO: You know, the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was known as a champion of the poor. But how much did he really help the people in Haiti?
CARRIER: Well, you know, I think he gave them hope and he gave them a voice. And he remembered them in the sense that right now I think they're disenfranchised. The majority of the people who are poor have no representation. They have no voice. They have no one really thinking of them.
I think as I was walking around with the street kids yesterday and with our people who work with them and are so dedicated to them that my thought was that ultimately, you know, people really don't care. They're not thinking of these kids. They're not thinking of the poor. And, again, maybe a little harshly, I'm thinking that what's going on in the circles of power and the policymakers has no, just no relevance to the daily lives of all of these people who are suffering.
COSTELLO: Well, in fairness, the new interim president was just put into place.
Is his presence resonating at all?
CARRIER: No. I think, again, what's happening in Port-au-Prince has no effect whatsoever on what's going on here in Cap Haitien. And, again, I think the reality, Carol, is that, you know, the armed rebels are still in charge here. They're still in charge in Gonaives, in many cities. So I don't even have a sense that there's a sense of like there's a country here. It's like little fiefdoms of people in power and now they're starting to fight each other. There were reports yesterday that two rebel groups in the south were fighting each other for control of a town.
So, again, it's a feeling of things are not coming together very well.
COSTELLO: All right, Father Carrier, many thanks for joining us once again on DAYBREAK.
We'll talk to you again tomorrow.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, the war in Iraq one year later -- was it worth it? Hear what Americans think.
And are you carrying too much extra weight? I could affect your life span. More details for you, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
I'm Carol Costello.
It is Wednesday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.
Let me bring you up to date now.
A family makes an emotional appeal to a man suspected in a string of highway shootings in Ohio. Police are still searching for 28-year- old Charles McCoy, Jr., who has a history of mental illness.
A California man accused of killing nine members of his own family has an arraignment hearing today in Fresno. Authorities say Marcus Wesson shot everyone in the house before surrendering to police.
And the Transportation Security Administration is taking heat from members of Congress. They're upset because VIPs are being allowed to land private planes at Reagan National Airport. It's been closed to private aircraft since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:45 Eastern.
On the brink of war and the world was watching, that was the mood a year ago today, as U.N. staffers cleared out of Baghdad.
In the city, as our own Nic Robertson reported then, people were getting ready as best they could to face what then seemed inevitable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Certainly what we have seen, people stocking up food from the stops here. Many other store owners, in fact, closing down their stores, taking their stocks out, in some cases. Electronics goods in some stores, but even stores selling fruit and vegetables have been closing down, battening down the hatches in preparation for this, for the very likely war that most people assess is coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And here at home, President Bush addressed the nation. In that speech, he issued an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein -- leave Iraq or face the consequences. And we all know what happened then.
The war in Iraq has undermined Washington's credibility, though, around the world. That is according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. It finds that many Europeans don't trust America, and neither do Muslim nations.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here with more on this report.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: And, you know, I must say, in looking at the numbers, I wasn't very surprised.
CLINCH: No. I was going to say, no huge surprises here. But it's interesting, I think, in light of what we're seeing in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Madrid and the whole question of Spain pulling troops out of Iraq. All of these questions have sort of come to the fore again. And, of course, relations with foreign countries has become an issue in the domestic political race here for the presidency.
So it is worth looking at. Again, no great surprises. But the first issue we're looking at here is just the general favorability rate towards the United States. The best you could say is that in Britain, which, of course, is the traditional ally, the closest ally, still retaining something of a favorable view, 58 percent. That's way down from a few years ago, but it's still favorable.
Other countries, France and Germany, even further down in terms of their view, it's anything but favorable, of the United States, a lot of that centering on President Bush, the Bush administration and the foreign policy issues of Iraq and the war on terror.
Now, again, this was done before the Spain attacks, before the immediacy of that, but nevertheless reflecting the fairly strong anti- U.S. attitude in some countries in Europe.
Now, the other issue then just in terms of Iraq directly, we were looking at whether or not Iraq is better off now, a year after. That's obviously very important to us as we cover a year after.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Taking Issue with John Kerry's Claim>
Aired March 17, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you.
It is Wednesday, March 17th.
Happy St. Patrick's Day.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date now.
Israel strikes back after a suicide bombing. Three Palestinians are killed and more than 20 wounded in air and ground attacks in Gaza.
Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives for talks in the Afghan capital, while farther south, U.S. forces launch a new operation against al Qaeda.
The Red Cross now has a plan to ferry emergency supplies and vehicles to Washington in case of a terrorist attack. The "Washington Post" reporting military style landing craft would be used to cross the Potomac River.
And Vice President Dick Cheney says America's leaders must be unwavering in their commitment to the war on terror. Cheney speaks later today at the Reagan Presidential Library.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:15 Eastern.
The hunt for Osama bin Laden heats up again as Secretary of State Colin Powell arrives in Afghanistan. He's there right now talking with the Afghan president about the search and the war on terror.
Ryan Chilcote live in Kabul with more on what Secretary Powell is saying there today -- hello, Ryan.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even before the U.S. secretary of state, Colin Powell, arrived in Afghanistan, it was clear that this visit was going to be part of a diplomatic offensive, if you will, in the war on terror.
He came here to meet with the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. At the top of the agenda in their talks, of course, the war on terror, security here in Afghanistan and the hunt for Taliban and al Qaeda in the border area.
Now, the secretary of state was asked about Pakistani operations in the border area yesterday. He said he was satisfied with those operations and said that the U.S. military would be prepared to react if any militants came back over the border from western Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Let's listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: If Taliban elements are forced from Pakistan back into Afghanistan as a result of actions on the Pakistan side of the border, I'm sure that our military forces here, working with Afghan forces, will deal with those elements.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHILCOTE: And that is, of course, exactly the hope of the U.S. military here. They hope that Pakistani officials will keep the pressure up on the tribal elders, that they will either at least apprehend them, kill them, or, at a minimum, push them out of western Pakistan. The U.S. military hoping that they will then, those forces, move westward, into Afghanistan, where the military says it's ready for them, together with the Afghan National Army. That's the national army here in Afghanistan that the U.S. military is training.
Now, lastly, the secretary of state went to a voter registration center to show his support for the registration of women here in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is set this summer to have its first Democratic presidential election ever. It is a very important effort, the U.S. says, in stabilizing this country. But so far registration has not been going well.
The secretary of state leaves Afghanistan today. He's headed for Pakistan, where, of course, the war on terror will be at the top of the agenda again.
Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Kabul, Afghanistan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we have new information for you this morning about the train bombings in Spain. Police say they now know the identities of at least six Moroccans who are suspected of carrying bombs onto the trains. The man you're looking at, Jamal Zougam, is in custody. Police say he has links to two brothers who are charged with last year's attacks in Casablanca. Zougam's picture appeared on the front page today of Spain's largest newspaper.
The Bush administration is taking issue with John Kerry over his claim that some world leaders would rather see Kerry as president.
Our senior White House correspondent John King has details on the controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Tonight, keeping the coalition together. President Bush meets with an ally who plans to stay in Iraq and calls on others to stand firm in the fight against terror.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: These are cold- blooded killers.
KING: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz will be our guest.
For the first time, John Kerry in his words insisting some foreign leaders want a Democrat in the White House. As the president calls on Senator Kerry to back up that allegation, a CNN exclusive on LOU DOBBS TONIGHT, a recording of the remarks that started an evolving campaign controversy.
"Exporting America." Secretary of State Colin Powell takes on the loss of American jobs to India with leaders in New Delhi.
COLIN POWELL, SECRETARY OF STATE: This is a major issue we'll be focusing on in the months ahead.
KING: "Broken Borders" tonight, the government will use unmanned drones to spy on terrorists around the world to help keep millions of illegal aliens around this country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Suddenly, I turned around and she was gone.
KING: And "America's Bright Future," a remarkable 14-year-old who has inspired millions in her short life with five books of poetry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: The search goes on in central Ohio this morning and a sister has an emotional plea. Her brother is suspected in a string of Ohio highway shootings. She wants him to come home. That man, 28- year-old Charles McCoy, Jr., is accused of 24 shootings since May of last year.
McCoy's sister, Amy Walton, appeared outside of her mother's Grove City, Ohio home to make a public plea for her brother to come home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM WSVX TV)
AMY WALTON, SUSPECT'S SISTER: Mom and I need you to call us. We will arrange for you to come home. We love you. We miss you. You need to call us. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: McCoy is accused of felonious assault. One of the shootings since last May was fatal.
An arraignment hearing today against a man accused of killing nine members -- nine of his own family members.
That tops a look at Stories Across America this morning.
Formal charges against mass murder suspect Marcus Wesson will be read in a Fresno, California courtroom. He's accused of shooting his victims before surrendering to police. Authorities have not disclosed a motive, but say Wesson may have engaged in incest and polygamy.
A second county in Oregon plans to issue same-sex marriage licenses. The Board of Commissioners of Benton County voted to begin issuing the licenses next Wednesday. On Monday, commissioners in another county decided to ignore the state attorney general and issue same-sex marriage licenses. And that would be in Oregon's most populous county.
And just a reminder, as if you need it, spring does not officially start until this weekend. No reminder needed in the Northeast. A snowstorm moving in from the Midwest has caused numerous highway accidents. Five traffic deaths in Ohio and Pennsylvania may be storm related.
So, is the worst over? No -- good morning, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
MYERS: Carol?
COSTELLO: Yes?
MYERS: You know what time it is?
COSTELLO: Oh, it is time to give the DAYBREAK mug away. Do you actually -- oh, I thought you had the actual mug, but no.
MYERS: Oh, no. We don't get those till Friday. We're giving away what we don't have.
COSTELLO: Well, yesterday -- should I ask the question again?
MYERS: Go ahead, yes, please.
COSTELLO: OK. Yesterday we asked you what city has been dubbed the allergy capital of the country by the American Asthma Association and we also asked you this question, according to the most recent Gallup poll, what is the most important problem facing the United States? The correct answers, Chad?
MYERS: Louisville, Kentucky and the economy, Carol.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: And the person, persons that got it first, William and Valarie Dennard from Palatka, Florida. Actually, not all that far from that picture we had in St. Augustine, Florida. Maybe a 30 mile drive to St. Augustine from Palatka, Florida.
COSTELLO: Well, we do like our Floridian viewers.
MYERS: Absolutely.
COSTELLO: Well, congrats to the Dennards.
MYERS: Because my mom is always one of them.
COSTELLO: We can always count on our moms watching.
MYERS: That's right.
COSTELLO: All right.
We'll ask you another question at 6:50.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And more of you have the opportunity to win a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
MYERS: That's good.
COSTELLO: Also coming up on DAYBREAK, a tire company could face more problems down the road. Millions of drivers ready to sue over what they say are dangerous treads.
If it's more time they need, then more time they will get. But what else does the 9/11 Commission need before it can release its report?
And calorie counting doesn't have to be a tedious task. We'll show you how to make changes and lose weight.
This is DAYBREAK for March 17th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: 6:12 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at the top stories now.
Israel has stepped up military action in Gaza following weekend suicide attacks in the city of Ashdod.
In Afghanistan today, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. military leaders in Kabul. They discussed the hunt for Osama bin Laden and the remnants of al Qaeda.
And a late winter snowstorm has made travel difficult for the Midwest and the Northeast. Hard to believe, but spring is just a few days away.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:30 Eastern.
Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to come out swinging today. He's in California now and he will deliver a hard hitting speech later this afternoon. We have a preview for you and new information on the 9/11 Commission.
Let's head live to Washington, D.C. now and our producer there, Paul Courson -- good morning, Paul.
PAUL COURSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, they've got another 60 days and another million dollars for the 9/11 Commission, which is looking into what went wrong with intelligence gathering in the events that led up to the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The Commission has four remaining public hearings coming up. Next week including Secretary of State Powell and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and their predecessors from the Clinton administration. The Commission will be asking them questions as to what they knew, how it was learned and what sort of weight was attached to the intelligence that may have been gathered before 9/11.
All this is part of its campaign, its effort to close those loops in the intelligence gathering process and prepare a final report to make some recommendations by July 26 now. The extra million dollars helps finance that for the next two months -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Some interesting things should be coming out of that Commission.
Tell us about Dick Cheney's speech later today in California.
COURSON: Dick Cheney is highlighting the Bush administration's success in the foreign policy and anti-terrorist arena in his speech that will happen at the Reagan Presidential Library out in California. Last night, yesterday, he spoke in Denver, Colorado and gave us kind of a preview by referring to the train bombings in Spain and how we have to be on the lookout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The attacks in Spain, once again, reveal the brutality of our enemy and once again show that the fight against terrorism is the responsibility of all free nations. The terrorists are testing the unity and the resolve of the civilized world and we must rise to that test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COURSON: Of course, that test includes, Carol, the November elections. And presidential candidate John Kerry has a speech today, as well, here in Washington, at George Washington University.
COSTELLO: And we'll be following both.
Paul Courson live from Washington this morning.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, they may be America's allies, but what do Europeans really feel about Americans? We take a look at the sentiment behind some new poll numbers.
Plus, a priest helping the youngest of Haiti's people in need. Father Paul Carrier joins us once again to talk about the children in Haiti.
And then we will reveal what our DAYBREAK Photo Of the Day is.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: All right, this is our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day, Chad. And can you guess what it is?
MYERS: Not a clue. It looks something slimy.
COSTELLO: Well, let me give you a hint. It has to do with St. Patrick's Day.
MYERS: Ah, it is the river in Chicago.
COSTELLO: You got it!
MYERS: Hey!
COSTELLO: The plumbers local union, Plumbers Local 130 Union, to be exact, dies the Chicago River green every year for St. Patrick's Day. It looks prettier that way, doesn't it?
MYERS: It does. All right, yes. I can't do an Irish accent to save my life, so I'll try not to insult all the Irish people in our audience.
COSTELLO: Yes, please don't.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
Happy St. Patty's Day to you, as well.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: The White House upset with Jamaican officials. The reason? Oh, allowing ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to visit for several days. The White House spokesman says the visit does not help resolve the political turmoil in Haiti.
On the heels of that criticism, the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, is offering Aristide refuge in his country. President Chavez says Venezuela does not recognize the new government in Haiti.
Is Aristide's near presence in Jamaica stirring more unrest in places where people are most desperate?
Well, all week long we've been talking to Father Paul Carrier. He runs a school for children in Haiti through Fairfield University in Connecticut.
He's in Cap Haitien this morning, trying to find food for kids living on the streets.
Good morning.
PAUL CARRIER, S.J., FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Tell us about the food shortage in Haiti.
CARRIER: Well, Carol, I mean food is always kind of tight here in Haiti and because of the lack of supplies and deliveries, you know, people aren't getting all the food that they can get. So the kids on the street, who are on the lowest level of the ladder as far as resources where people might give them a handout or might give them a little help, aren't getting it like they used to.
So they're pretty much the most vulnerable people in this society right now, the kids on the street.
COSTELLO: So you would say the lack of food is the most urgent problem for kids in Haiti.
How do kids usually find food to eat? Do they go to places like your school?
CARRIER: Well, certainly the school program takes them in and they do have food at the school program. They have a place to bathe and they even have a little school program, as well. So our program enables them to at least have some respite, a little safe haven from the streets, where they go back at night.
And, you know, when they do go back at night, that's where they kind of check around and maybe where they sleep in the stalls in the marketplace, they might have some throwaway food there or if they're sleeping on the streets of -- the steps of the Cathedral, they're able to get maybe some handouts. But things are so tight right now as far as resources and food that, again, they're the ones that are suffering the most.
COSTELLO: What can they usually find to eat?
CARRIER: Well, again, it's scraps -- rice, beans, some throwaway vegetables or food. And, you know, they really get around and get what they need. But I think the sad thing, Carol, is that when they don't, they often revert to sniffing paint thinner. And the high from the paint thinner numbs the hunger pains. And you see a lot of little kids, you know, nine, 10, 11 years old who are high on paint thinner during the day, not even -- not just at night.
COSTELLO: You know, the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was known as a champion of the poor. But how much did he really help the people in Haiti?
CARRIER: Well, you know, I think he gave them hope and he gave them a voice. And he remembered them in the sense that right now I think they're disenfranchised. The majority of the people who are poor have no representation. They have no voice. They have no one really thinking of them.
I think as I was walking around with the street kids yesterday and with our people who work with them and are so dedicated to them that my thought was that ultimately, you know, people really don't care. They're not thinking of these kids. They're not thinking of the poor. And, again, maybe a little harshly, I'm thinking that what's going on in the circles of power and the policymakers has no, just no relevance to the daily lives of all of these people who are suffering.
COSTELLO: Well, in fairness, the new interim president was just put into place.
Is his presence resonating at all?
CARRIER: No. I think, again, what's happening in Port-au-Prince has no effect whatsoever on what's going on here in Cap Haitien. And, again, I think the reality, Carol, is that, you know, the armed rebels are still in charge here. They're still in charge in Gonaives, in many cities. So I don't even have a sense that there's a sense of like there's a country here. It's like little fiefdoms of people in power and now they're starting to fight each other. There were reports yesterday that two rebel groups in the south were fighting each other for control of a town.
So, again, it's a feeling of things are not coming together very well.
COSTELLO: All right, Father Carrier, many thanks for joining us once again on DAYBREAK.
We'll talk to you again tomorrow.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, the war in Iraq one year later -- was it worth it? Hear what Americans think.
And are you carrying too much extra weight? I could affect your life span. More details for you, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And good morning to you.
Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
I'm Carol Costello.
It is Wednesday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day.
Happy St. Patrick's Day to you.
Let me bring you up to date now.
A family makes an emotional appeal to a man suspected in a string of highway shootings in Ohio. Police are still searching for 28-year- old Charles McCoy, Jr., who has a history of mental illness.
A California man accused of killing nine members of his own family has an arraignment hearing today in Fresno. Authorities say Marcus Wesson shot everyone in the house before surrendering to police.
And the Transportation Security Administration is taking heat from members of Congress. They're upset because VIPs are being allowed to land private planes at Reagan National Airport. It's been closed to private aircraft since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 6:45 Eastern.
On the brink of war and the world was watching, that was the mood a year ago today, as U.N. staffers cleared out of Baghdad.
In the city, as our own Nic Robertson reported then, people were getting ready as best they could to face what then seemed inevitable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Certainly what we have seen, people stocking up food from the stops here. Many other store owners, in fact, closing down their stores, taking their stocks out, in some cases. Electronics goods in some stores, but even stores selling fruit and vegetables have been closing down, battening down the hatches in preparation for this, for the very likely war that most people assess is coming.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And here at home, President Bush addressed the nation. In that speech, he issued an ultimatum to Saddam Hussein -- leave Iraq or face the consequences. And we all know what happened then.
The war in Iraq has undermined Washington's credibility, though, around the world. That is according to a survey by the Pew Research Center. It finds that many Europeans don't trust America, and neither do Muslim nations.
Our senior international editor, David Clinch, is here with more on this report.
DAVID CLINCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Hi, Carol.
COSTELLO: And, you know, I must say, in looking at the numbers, I wasn't very surprised.
CLINCH: No. I was going to say, no huge surprises here. But it's interesting, I think, in light of what we're seeing in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Madrid and the whole question of Spain pulling troops out of Iraq. All of these questions have sort of come to the fore again. And, of course, relations with foreign countries has become an issue in the domestic political race here for the presidency.
So it is worth looking at. Again, no great surprises. But the first issue we're looking at here is just the general favorability rate towards the United States. The best you could say is that in Britain, which, of course, is the traditional ally, the closest ally, still retaining something of a favorable view, 58 percent. That's way down from a few years ago, but it's still favorable.
Other countries, France and Germany, even further down in terms of their view, it's anything but favorable, of the United States, a lot of that centering on President Bush, the Bush administration and the foreign policy issues of Iraq and the war on terror.
Now, again, this was done before the Spain attacks, before the immediacy of that, but nevertheless reflecting the fairly strong anti- U.S. attitude in some countries in Europe.
Now, the other issue then just in terms of Iraq directly, we were looking at whether or not Iraq is better off now, a year after. That's obviously very important to us as we cover a year after.
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Taking Issue with John Kerry's Claim>
