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CNN Live At Daybreak
National Security Adviser Wants Another Private Meeting with 9/11 Commission; Al Qaeda's Number Two Man Believed to be Voice Behind Newly Aired Audiotape
Aired March 26, 2004 - 05:00 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: Good morning to you.
Happy Friday.
It's March 26th.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date.
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice wants to set the record straight. She's asking for another private meeting with the 9/11 Commission to counter Richard Clarke's attacks.
A truck carrying 12,000 gallons of fuel crashes in Bridgeport, Connecticut, forcing both sides of the rush hour artery, I-95, to close. Take a look at those pictures. Thankfully, no one is seriously injured, but the incident is expected to cause a traffic nightmare for anyone heading to and from New York.
The U.S. vetoes a Security Council resolution condemning Israel's killing of Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin. The U.S. ambassador says the resolution should have also condemned Hamas attacks.
The Senate passes a bill making it a federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman. The bill now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign it.
And trouble at the Tyco trial. The judge is expected to give jurors new instructions this morning. It'll be his response to a note from the jury saying the atmosphere of their deliberations has turned poisonous.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next news update comes your way at 5:15 Eastern.
Condoleezza Rice wants another turn at bat, but not in an empty stadium -- but in an empty stadium, I should say. The national security adviser wants another private meeting with the 9/11 Commission.
Here's CNN's Dana Bash with the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: the White House released just a short while ago this letter. It is from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and it's written to the chair and vice-chair of the 9/11 commission and, as you said, it is requesting a private meeting for Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Adviser and members of the 9/11 commission.
It reads: "In light of yesterday's hearings in which there were a number of mischaracterizations of Dr. Rice's statements and positions" they want to have a meeting.
Clearly, Dr. Rice wants to be able to combat some of the allegations that we heard from Richard Clarke, somebody who used to work for her and for the president, who obviously made charges that the president was not adequately ready for the al Qaeda and terrorist attacks.
But also, it's important to note here that Dr. Rice has met with commissioners before privately. She met here for about four hours back in February. But what commission members have been asking for is a public hearing. They want her to testify in public. They voted unanimously to do so.
And what we heard from Democrats today, including Senator Tom Daschle, the Minority Leader, is questions of why Dr. Rice has been able to be on television, why she has met with reporters privately and not in public.
The White House says tonight again in this letter that it's not about that. It's about principle. It's about executive privilege. They don't want somebody who is not confirmed by the Senate to go before Congress or, at least a body that is legislated by Congress -- Heidi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And that is White House correspondent Dana Bash.
A spokesman for the 9/11 Commission says a meeting with Rice will probably be set up soon.
Another voice in the Bush administration wants to clear up what he calls inaccuracies in Richard Clarke's testimony. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, appearing on PBS' "Newshour with Jim Lehrer," denies the terror war as undermined by the invasion of Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER")
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There's no logic pattern that supports that contention. It is, it just is invalid. First of all, we are still attacking al Qaeda and Taliban around -- in the Afghanistan area, our cooperative arrangement with Musharraf. He's working against the al Qaeda and the foreign terrorists there. The foreign terrorists are in Iraq and we're working them at the same time. The efforts in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere in the world haven't stopped. The idea that the world has stopped is just inaccurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Last week, Ayman al-Zawahri was thought to be cornered by Pakistani forces near the Afghan border. Well, now al Qaeda's number two man is believed to be the voice behind a newly aired audiotape urging rebellion.
Let's head live to Islamabad, Pakistan and Ash-Har Quraishi to explain more about this tape.
Is there any way to prove it's really Zawahari on the tape -- Ash-Har?
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what we're waiting to hear. Even government officials here in Pakistan said that they won't comment on the content of the tape until the CIA verifies it and matches it up with other recordings by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri.
Now, this is -- the message, at least, is not something that we haven't heard before, Ayman al-Zawahri saying, calling for Pakistanis to rise up against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. He calls him an enemy of the state, basically saying that he's an enemy to Muslims and that he has been supporting the United States in the war on terrorism and that is the reason Pakistanis should rise up against him.
Now, a similar tape was released back in September and aired on the Arabic news channels in which Zawahari was saying that you need to rise up against Musharraf. So this is something we've heard in the past. The government in the past has really disregarded these types of messages. President Musharraf says that these types of threats are the kinds of things he expects for his support in the war on terrorism.
And, Carol, this coming as the military is in the midst of an offensive, the largest offensive in the area of Waziristan in northwest Pakistan against suspected al Qaeda fighters. So many say that this will not waiver the resolve of President Musharraf, who thinks this is much -- very much a personal fight, in which al Qaeda has tried to kill him twice in December.
So the resolve, they say, unwavering at this time. But there's been no official reaction out of the government on this latest tape -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, is this tape resonating at all with the people of Pakistan?
QURAISHI: Well, the fear, really, is not whether or not it will resonate with the people of Pakistan. The mentality, really, here, at least in official circles, is that this may be a call for the fringe groups, the militant groups, the extremists who are opposed to President Musharraf's policies, to really act on these types of calls by what's purported to be Ayman al-Zawahri. So that's really the fear. And as we've seen in these attacks against President Musharraf back in December, there are some who are willing to carry out these attacks, some who are willing to try and remove President Musharraf by force. But by and large, the public of Pakistan doesn't seem to subscribe to that kind of a notion, even the religious right saying that if Musharraf is removed, they'd like him removed democratically, even though they do disagree with some of his policies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ash-Har Quraishi reporting live from Islamabad, Pakistan this morning.
George Bush makes a campaign stop today in New Mexico and then he's on to Arizona. He forayed briefly into John Kerry territory to add to his record war chest. The president spoke at a Boston hotel ballroom less than a mile from Kerry's home. Organizers say the event raised $1.3 million for the Bush reelection campaign. The president's jabs at the hometown Democrat got some of the biggest responses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Someone asked Senator Kerry why he voted against the $87 billion funding bill to help our troops in Iraq. Here's what he said: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." End of quote. That sure clears things up, doesn't it? His answers aren't always so clear, but the voters will have a clear choice in this campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: John Kerry, of course, lags behind George Bush in the race for campaign funds. But he made up a bit of the difference last night with a little help from his friends.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): It was to be a Democratic show of force, former presidents, a former vice president, and most of this year's presidential candidates. The body language shows there may still be differences but the goal trying to put those aside to win back the White House.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't support John Kerry. President Carter didn't support John Kerry. President Clinton didn't support John Kerry. Terry McAuliffe didn't support John Kerry in the primaries. John Kerry earned the nomination of this party. He won it the hard way.
WALLACE: And this from the country's most popular Democrat.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, if people think in this election, if they think about the choices that have been made and the vision John Kerry offers, we win.
WALLACE: Former President Jimmy Carter was a crowd pleaser, this message to third party candidate Ralph Nader.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ralph, go back to umpiring softball games or examining the rear end of automobiles and don't risk costing the Democrats the White House this year as you did four years ago.
WALLACE: And then it was John Kerry's turn. He praised those he battled to become the presumptive Democratic nominee.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so personally grateful for what they have taught me during this process and far more, all of us, every single one of us here as Americans and Democrats are grateful to what each and every one of them gave this nation in this primary campaign.
WALLACE: Earlier, another photo op that had the Kerry camp beaming, Howard Dean once one of John Kerry's sharpest critics sending this message to the hundreds of thousands of supporters backing Dean.
HOWARD DEAN (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know who I trust. I trust John Kerry and that's who I'm voting for and that's who I'm working for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: John Kerry will introduce his economic proposal at a speech in Detroit today. We'll keep you posted.
In News Across America this Friday morning, searchers have found 3-year-old Aidan Burke safe, sound and soaked by a rain storm. The boy wandered away from his home in the mountains of Santa Cruz, California Wednesday night. Searchers looked all night long and finally found Aidan the next morning. One of them said he smelled like dirty diapers, but we're just happy to see him.
Singer Bob Brown due back in court today in Massachusetts. The judge wants to make sure Brown has paid $63,000 in child support to Kim Ward. Brown, who is now married to singer Whitney Houston, was jailed overnight for failing to pay child support.
In Houston, Daniel Leach saw the movie "The Passion of the Christ" and then he went to the sheriff's office and confessed to killing his girlfriend. The woman's death by hanging was originally ruled a suicide. Leach has now been indicted on murder charges.
To the forecast center to say good morning to Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Happy Friday.
MYERS: Yes. Not after those stories.
COSTELLO: That was something, wasn't it?
MYERS: I'll have to pick you up a little bit here.
COSTELLO: Oh, please do.
MYERS: I'll try to get some good news going on here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: You know, I wanted to mention our cups.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Because our cups are soon to be in to be sent out to viewers who win our DAYBREAK questions of the morning quiz, which comes in our six o'clock hour.
MYERS: Right. We said that last Friday.
COSTELLO: Chad, they're coming in. They are. And they're going to look like this and they're going to come in all different colors, so you won't know what color you'll get.
MYERS: Oh, great.
COSTELLO: Isn't that exciting?
MYERS: So you can keep winning them over and over and over.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Still to come, her past on parade, her life at a standstill -- the accuser in the Kobe Bryant case says she wants the trial over now.
Plus, squabbling, bickering, complaining -- no, this ain't kindergarten. It's the jury in a corporate corruption trial.
Also, does below ground mean below the radar? Is Osama bin Laden's right hand man in one of these tunnels?
And young, unemployed and uninsured? Join the club as more and more twentysomethings live on the edge without health insurance.
It is Friday, March 26th.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 5:15 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at the top stories now. Another chance -- the 9/11 Commission says it will likely meet again in private with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. The White House requested the meeting to clear up what it calls the mischaracterization of former counter-terrorism director Richard Clarke.
In Arizona, retired Bishop Thomas O'Brien will be sentenced today for leaving the scene of a deadly hit and run accident.
And National Park officials say the Statue of Liberty will reopen soon. It has been closed to visitors since the September 11 attacks.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 5:30 Eastern.
All this week on DAYBREAK, we are looking at the health care challenges facing middle class Americans. This morning, the problems of young, uninsured adults. Many have a gap in coverage from when they leave home to when they get a job with benefits.
But as CNN's Casey Wian reports, there's not a gap in the need for medical care.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC MOORE, UNINSURED PATIENT: The last time I had health insurance was when I was a UCLA student from between 1998 and 2000.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Moore is typical of many young adult Americans, in and out of work since college, no health insurance. Two years ago, disaster struck. Moore had ignored persistent leg pain until he passed out on the street and wound up here, under the care of Dr. Susan Fleischman.
MOORE: She said, Mr. Moore, you have what's called a pulmonary embolism and it's a potentially fatal situation. And I was completely shocked. I had never even heard of the word pulmonary embolism.
WIAN: After four days in the hospital, having the blood clot dissolved, Moore left with a $14,000 bill and no way to pay.
MOORE: I have never seen really a bill that much for anything.
WIAN: Moore was evicted from his apartment and now lives with his mother, still deeply in debt.
Tonya Kirk is another recent college graduate working two part- time jobs. She has decided not to buy health insurance.
TONYA KIRK, UNINSURED WORKER: I don't want to spend the money on it. I guess I just figured full-time work is going to come soon. And so why start paying into something if I'm going to get something else? But full-time work is taking longer than what I expected.
WIAN: Whether by circumstance or choice, 30 percent of 18-to-24- year-olds don't have health insurance, double the rate for all age groups.
DR. SUSAN FLEISCHMAN, VENICE FAMILY CLINIC: When you are 18 or 19 or even 32, you feel pretty -- fairly invulnerable. So as long as they don't get sick, they don't perceive not having health insurance as a problem. It is a problem, though, if they wake up with appendicitis in the middle of the night.
WIAN: A growing number of the young uninspired are middle class who have recently lost jobs.
(on camera): The newly unemployed often have fewer health care options than even low-income patients. This free clinic says it is turning away 100 recently unemployed people a week because they made too much money during the past year.
Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And be sure to tune in tonight for the conclusion of our series of reports, The Middle-Class Squeeze. Tonight's report looks at what the federal government is going to do about the problem. That's on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" at 6:00 Eastern.
Time now to check the overseas markets to see how the end of the week may shape up for Wall Street. Oh, let's hope it's good.
Let's head live to London and Todd Benjamin -- good morning, Todd.
TODD BENJAMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, you had a great day on Thursday, the NASDAQ up three percent, its best performance in many months. And, of course, the Dow was up 1.7 percent. A lot of good news on Thursday on the economic front and some upbeat comments in the tech sector from some of the chip players like Micron and Applied Materials. And that really helped set the tone for the markets.
A lot of people had been saying these markets were over sold and it was ripe for some strong bargain hunting, and that's exactly what you got yesterday.
Although I've got to tell you, the futures right now is pointing to a slightly lower open and there are some analysts out there who are a little skeptical that this is the actual bottom of the correction we've seen. Even if the market rallies now, into the end of the month, some people think hmmm, maybe in April it will really be the time to get back into the market. So there's a lot of cross currents in terms of people thinking whether or not this is the bottom of this correction.
In terms of what's going on in Europe today, we've got a German business confidence survey out today. This is a very key survey. And it fell for the second month in a row. And there are growing calls for the European Central Bank here to cut rates, because the economy in Europe is very weak, unlike the U.S., where it's been quite strong. The markets are little changed, with the exception of the CAC in Paris. It's up about a half percent. And in case you're thinking about a trip to Europe or you know friends who are traveling right now, the euro is at 121 1/2 against the greenback and sterling is at 181.50 -- Carol, back to you.
Have a great weekend.
COSTELLO: You, too.
Thank you, Todd.
The right place at the right time. You'll never guess what fell from this hotel balcony into one man's arms. Hmmm.
And more upsets in the NCAA tourney. We'll have all the highlights for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
A lesson about the dangers of driving and using a cell phone at the same time tops our DAYBREAK Eye-Opener.
The driver of this truck says he was reaching to answer his cell phone when whoops, he swerved off a bridge of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Despite a 60 foot plunge, the driver got out of the cab and swam to safety. He's OK this morning, but he probably missed that phone call.
Here's a story about another plunge, and a hero to the rescue. Alan Burns was sitting by the pool at a resort in Kissimmee, Florida when he heard a woman screaming. A 2-year-old girl was hanging from a third floor railing. Burns jumped up, grabbed the screaming woman to see what was going on we'll let him tell you what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN BURNS, CAUGHT FALLING BABY: The child lets go and everybody's screaming, "The baby! The baby!" And I just let go of her and I try and catch the child as she's falling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He caught the baby. The baby's mother showed up several minutes later. She's now charged with child neglect.
And there may be snow on the ground but that is no problem for duffers in Minneapolis. Several golf courses have now opened for the season and it is making a lot of golfers very happy. Oh, that'd be tough, wouldn't it -- Chad?
MYERS: Sixty-three in Minneapolis yesterday.
COSTELLO: Really? MYERS: How is that?
COSTELLO: So it's melting, at least.
MYERS: Yes. And it was raining overnight, but the temperature is still nice and mild this morning, 46. Why not play?
COSTELLO: I have to read you this e-mail.
MYERS: All right, I'm ready.
COSTELLO: This is from Lucy.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: "The more I see of the weather segments on CNN news at daybreak, the more I'm impressed with Chad Myers.
MYERS: Whoa.
COSTELLO: I wish I were a famous Hollywood producer or director. It wouldn't take me long to cast him in a comedy. So it's not your weather skills.
MYERS: Thanks, I think.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Lucy.
MYERS: No, really.
COSTELLO: That was funny.
MYERS: It was. That was good.
Anyway, good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning, Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: It's Friday. I'm so glad.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Syracuse University will not be repeating as basketball champs of the NCAA. Oh, no. Alabama coach crimson-clad players got the best of the Orangemen last night, 80-71. The Cinderella team at the tourney already had upset number one Stanford. Up next, Connecticut, which beat Vanderbilt.
In other games last night, Oklahoma State beat Pittsburgh and St. Joseph's defeated Wake Forest.
Up next on DAYBREAK, the war on terror goes on and the Pentagon might cut back on troops in places we've been -- on places they've been since WWII. We'll tell you where.
And Kobe Bryant's accuser makes an urgent request to the judge.
This is DAYBREAK for Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired March 26, 2004 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you.
Happy Friday.
It's March 26th.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date.
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice wants to set the record straight. She's asking for another private meeting with the 9/11 Commission to counter Richard Clarke's attacks.
A truck carrying 12,000 gallons of fuel crashes in Bridgeport, Connecticut, forcing both sides of the rush hour artery, I-95, to close. Take a look at those pictures. Thankfully, no one is seriously injured, but the incident is expected to cause a traffic nightmare for anyone heading to and from New York.
The U.S. vetoes a Security Council resolution condemning Israel's killing of Hamas spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin. The U.S. ambassador says the resolution should have also condemned Hamas attacks.
The Senate passes a bill making it a federal crime to harm a fetus during an attack on a pregnant woman. The bill now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign it.
And trouble at the Tyco trial. The judge is expected to give jurors new instructions this morning. It'll be his response to a note from the jury saying the atmosphere of their deliberations has turned poisonous.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next news update comes your way at 5:15 Eastern.
Condoleezza Rice wants another turn at bat, but not in an empty stadium -- but in an empty stadium, I should say. The national security adviser wants another private meeting with the 9/11 Commission.
Here's CNN's Dana Bash with the latest developments.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: the White House released just a short while ago this letter. It is from White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and it's written to the chair and vice-chair of the 9/11 commission and, as you said, it is requesting a private meeting for Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the National Security Adviser and members of the 9/11 commission.
It reads: "In light of yesterday's hearings in which there were a number of mischaracterizations of Dr. Rice's statements and positions" they want to have a meeting.
Clearly, Dr. Rice wants to be able to combat some of the allegations that we heard from Richard Clarke, somebody who used to work for her and for the president, who obviously made charges that the president was not adequately ready for the al Qaeda and terrorist attacks.
But also, it's important to note here that Dr. Rice has met with commissioners before privately. She met here for about four hours back in February. But what commission members have been asking for is a public hearing. They want her to testify in public. They voted unanimously to do so.
And what we heard from Democrats today, including Senator Tom Daschle, the Minority Leader, is questions of why Dr. Rice has been able to be on television, why she has met with reporters privately and not in public.
The White House says tonight again in this letter that it's not about that. It's about principle. It's about executive privilege. They don't want somebody who is not confirmed by the Senate to go before Congress or, at least a body that is legislated by Congress -- Heidi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And that is White House correspondent Dana Bash.
A spokesman for the 9/11 Commission says a meeting with Rice will probably be set up soon.
Another voice in the Bush administration wants to clear up what he calls inaccuracies in Richard Clarke's testimony. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, appearing on PBS' "Newshour with Jim Lehrer," denies the terror war as undermined by the invasion of Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "NEWSHOUR WITH JIM LEHRER")
DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: There's no logic pattern that supports that contention. It is, it just is invalid. First of all, we are still attacking al Qaeda and Taliban around -- in the Afghanistan area, our cooperative arrangement with Musharraf. He's working against the al Qaeda and the foreign terrorists there. The foreign terrorists are in Iraq and we're working them at the same time. The efforts in the Horn of Africa and elsewhere in the world haven't stopped. The idea that the world has stopped is just inaccurate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Last week, Ayman al-Zawahri was thought to be cornered by Pakistani forces near the Afghan border. Well, now al Qaeda's number two man is believed to be the voice behind a newly aired audiotape urging rebellion.
Let's head live to Islamabad, Pakistan and Ash-Har Quraishi to explain more about this tape.
Is there any way to prove it's really Zawahari on the tape -- Ash-Har?
ASH-HAR QURAISHI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what we're waiting to hear. Even government officials here in Pakistan said that they won't comment on the content of the tape until the CIA verifies it and matches it up with other recordings by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri.
Now, this is -- the message, at least, is not something that we haven't heard before, Ayman al-Zawahri saying, calling for Pakistanis to rise up against Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. He calls him an enemy of the state, basically saying that he's an enemy to Muslims and that he has been supporting the United States in the war on terrorism and that is the reason Pakistanis should rise up against him.
Now, a similar tape was released back in September and aired on the Arabic news channels in which Zawahari was saying that you need to rise up against Musharraf. So this is something we've heard in the past. The government in the past has really disregarded these types of messages. President Musharraf says that these types of threats are the kinds of things he expects for his support in the war on terrorism.
And, Carol, this coming as the military is in the midst of an offensive, the largest offensive in the area of Waziristan in northwest Pakistan against suspected al Qaeda fighters. So many say that this will not waiver the resolve of President Musharraf, who thinks this is much -- very much a personal fight, in which al Qaeda has tried to kill him twice in December.
So the resolve, they say, unwavering at this time. But there's been no official reaction out of the government on this latest tape -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So, is this tape resonating at all with the people of Pakistan?
QURAISHI: Well, the fear, really, is not whether or not it will resonate with the people of Pakistan. The mentality, really, here, at least in official circles, is that this may be a call for the fringe groups, the militant groups, the extremists who are opposed to President Musharraf's policies, to really act on these types of calls by what's purported to be Ayman al-Zawahri. So that's really the fear. And as we've seen in these attacks against President Musharraf back in December, there are some who are willing to carry out these attacks, some who are willing to try and remove President Musharraf by force. But by and large, the public of Pakistan doesn't seem to subscribe to that kind of a notion, even the religious right saying that if Musharraf is removed, they'd like him removed democratically, even though they do disagree with some of his policies -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ash-Har Quraishi reporting live from Islamabad, Pakistan this morning.
George Bush makes a campaign stop today in New Mexico and then he's on to Arizona. He forayed briefly into John Kerry territory to add to his record war chest. The president spoke at a Boston hotel ballroom less than a mile from Kerry's home. Organizers say the event raised $1.3 million for the Bush reelection campaign. The president's jabs at the hometown Democrat got some of the biggest responses.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Someone asked Senator Kerry why he voted against the $87 billion funding bill to help our troops in Iraq. Here's what he said: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it." End of quote. That sure clears things up, doesn't it? His answers aren't always so clear, but the voters will have a clear choice in this campaign.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: John Kerry, of course, lags behind George Bush in the race for campaign funds. But he made up a bit of the difference last night with a little help from his friends.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WALLACE (voice-over): It was to be a Democratic show of force, former presidents, a former vice president, and most of this year's presidential candidates. The body language shows there may still be differences but the goal trying to put those aside to win back the White House.
AL GORE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't support John Kerry. President Carter didn't support John Kerry. President Clinton didn't support John Kerry. Terry McAuliffe didn't support John Kerry in the primaries. John Kerry earned the nomination of this party. He won it the hard way.
WALLACE: And this from the country's most popular Democrat.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look, if people think in this election, if they think about the choices that have been made and the vision John Kerry offers, we win.
WALLACE: Former President Jimmy Carter was a crowd pleaser, this message to third party candidate Ralph Nader.
JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Ralph, go back to umpiring softball games or examining the rear end of automobiles and don't risk costing the Democrats the White House this year as you did four years ago.
WALLACE: And then it was John Kerry's turn. He praised those he battled to become the presumptive Democratic nominee.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so personally grateful for what they have taught me during this process and far more, all of us, every single one of us here as Americans and Democrats are grateful to what each and every one of them gave this nation in this primary campaign.
WALLACE: Earlier, another photo op that had the Kerry camp beaming, Howard Dean once one of John Kerry's sharpest critics sending this message to the hundreds of thousands of supporters backing Dean.
HOWARD DEAN (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know who I trust. I trust John Kerry and that's who I'm voting for and that's who I'm working for.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: John Kerry will introduce his economic proposal at a speech in Detroit today. We'll keep you posted.
In News Across America this Friday morning, searchers have found 3-year-old Aidan Burke safe, sound and soaked by a rain storm. The boy wandered away from his home in the mountains of Santa Cruz, California Wednesday night. Searchers looked all night long and finally found Aidan the next morning. One of them said he smelled like dirty diapers, but we're just happy to see him.
Singer Bob Brown due back in court today in Massachusetts. The judge wants to make sure Brown has paid $63,000 in child support to Kim Ward. Brown, who is now married to singer Whitney Houston, was jailed overnight for failing to pay child support.
In Houston, Daniel Leach saw the movie "The Passion of the Christ" and then he went to the sheriff's office and confessed to killing his girlfriend. The woman's death by hanging was originally ruled a suicide. Leach has now been indicted on murder charges.
To the forecast center to say good morning to Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Happy Friday.
MYERS: Yes. Not after those stories.
COSTELLO: That was something, wasn't it?
MYERS: I'll have to pick you up a little bit here.
COSTELLO: Oh, please do.
MYERS: I'll try to get some good news going on here.
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COSTELLO: You know, I wanted to mention our cups.
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Because our cups are soon to be in to be sent out to viewers who win our DAYBREAK questions of the morning quiz, which comes in our six o'clock hour.
MYERS: Right. We said that last Friday.
COSTELLO: Chad, they're coming in. They are. And they're going to look like this and they're going to come in all different colors, so you won't know what color you'll get.
MYERS: Oh, great.
COSTELLO: Isn't that exciting?
MYERS: So you can keep winning them over and over and over.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Still to come, her past on parade, her life at a standstill -- the accuser in the Kobe Bryant case says she wants the trial over now.
Plus, squabbling, bickering, complaining -- no, this ain't kindergarten. It's the jury in a corporate corruption trial.
Also, does below ground mean below the radar? Is Osama bin Laden's right hand man in one of these tunnels?
And young, unemployed and uninsured? Join the club as more and more twentysomethings live on the edge without health insurance.
It is Friday, March 26th.
You are watching DAYBREAK.
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COSTELLO: It is 5:15 Eastern time.
Time to take a quick look at the top stories now. Another chance -- the 9/11 Commission says it will likely meet again in private with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. The White House requested the meeting to clear up what it calls the mischaracterization of former counter-terrorism director Richard Clarke.
In Arizona, retired Bishop Thomas O'Brien will be sentenced today for leaving the scene of a deadly hit and run accident.
And National Park officials say the Statue of Liberty will reopen soon. It has been closed to visitors since the September 11 attacks.
We update the top stories every 15 minutes. The next update comes your way at 5:30 Eastern.
All this week on DAYBREAK, we are looking at the health care challenges facing middle class Americans. This morning, the problems of young, uninsured adults. Many have a gap in coverage from when they leave home to when they get a job with benefits.
But as CNN's Casey Wian reports, there's not a gap in the need for medical care.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIC MOORE, UNINSURED PATIENT: The last time I had health insurance was when I was a UCLA student from between 1998 and 2000.
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Eric Moore is typical of many young adult Americans, in and out of work since college, no health insurance. Two years ago, disaster struck. Moore had ignored persistent leg pain until he passed out on the street and wound up here, under the care of Dr. Susan Fleischman.
MOORE: She said, Mr. Moore, you have what's called a pulmonary embolism and it's a potentially fatal situation. And I was completely shocked. I had never even heard of the word pulmonary embolism.
WIAN: After four days in the hospital, having the blood clot dissolved, Moore left with a $14,000 bill and no way to pay.
MOORE: I have never seen really a bill that much for anything.
WIAN: Moore was evicted from his apartment and now lives with his mother, still deeply in debt.
Tonya Kirk is another recent college graduate working two part- time jobs. She has decided not to buy health insurance.
TONYA KIRK, UNINSURED WORKER: I don't want to spend the money on it. I guess I just figured full-time work is going to come soon. And so why start paying into something if I'm going to get something else? But full-time work is taking longer than what I expected.
WIAN: Whether by circumstance or choice, 30 percent of 18-to-24- year-olds don't have health insurance, double the rate for all age groups.
DR. SUSAN FLEISCHMAN, VENICE FAMILY CLINIC: When you are 18 or 19 or even 32, you feel pretty -- fairly invulnerable. So as long as they don't get sick, they don't perceive not having health insurance as a problem. It is a problem, though, if they wake up with appendicitis in the middle of the night.
WIAN: A growing number of the young uninspired are middle class who have recently lost jobs.
(on camera): The newly unemployed often have fewer health care options than even low-income patients. This free clinic says it is turning away 100 recently unemployed people a week because they made too much money during the past year.
Casey Wian, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And be sure to tune in tonight for the conclusion of our series of reports, The Middle-Class Squeeze. Tonight's report looks at what the federal government is going to do about the problem. That's on "Lou Dobbs Tonight" at 6:00 Eastern.
Time now to check the overseas markets to see how the end of the week may shape up for Wall Street. Oh, let's hope it's good.
Let's head live to London and Todd Benjamin -- good morning, Todd.
TODD BENJAMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, you had a great day on Thursday, the NASDAQ up three percent, its best performance in many months. And, of course, the Dow was up 1.7 percent. A lot of good news on Thursday on the economic front and some upbeat comments in the tech sector from some of the chip players like Micron and Applied Materials. And that really helped set the tone for the markets.
A lot of people had been saying these markets were over sold and it was ripe for some strong bargain hunting, and that's exactly what you got yesterday.
Although I've got to tell you, the futures right now is pointing to a slightly lower open and there are some analysts out there who are a little skeptical that this is the actual bottom of the correction we've seen. Even if the market rallies now, into the end of the month, some people think hmmm, maybe in April it will really be the time to get back into the market. So there's a lot of cross currents in terms of people thinking whether or not this is the bottom of this correction.
In terms of what's going on in Europe today, we've got a German business confidence survey out today. This is a very key survey. And it fell for the second month in a row. And there are growing calls for the European Central Bank here to cut rates, because the economy in Europe is very weak, unlike the U.S., where it's been quite strong. The markets are little changed, with the exception of the CAC in Paris. It's up about a half percent. And in case you're thinking about a trip to Europe or you know friends who are traveling right now, the euro is at 121 1/2 against the greenback and sterling is at 181.50 -- Carol, back to you.
Have a great weekend.
COSTELLO: You, too.
Thank you, Todd.
The right place at the right time. You'll never guess what fell from this hotel balcony into one man's arms. Hmmm.
And more upsets in the NCAA tourney. We'll have all the highlights for you.
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COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.
A lesson about the dangers of driving and using a cell phone at the same time tops our DAYBREAK Eye-Opener.
The driver of this truck says he was reaching to answer his cell phone when whoops, he swerved off a bridge of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Despite a 60 foot plunge, the driver got out of the cab and swam to safety. He's OK this morning, but he probably missed that phone call.
Here's a story about another plunge, and a hero to the rescue. Alan Burns was sitting by the pool at a resort in Kissimmee, Florida when he heard a woman screaming. A 2-year-old girl was hanging from a third floor railing. Burns jumped up, grabbed the screaming woman to see what was going on we'll let him tell you what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN BURNS, CAUGHT FALLING BABY: The child lets go and everybody's screaming, "The baby! The baby!" And I just let go of her and I try and catch the child as she's falling.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He caught the baby. The baby's mother showed up several minutes later. She's now charged with child neglect.
And there may be snow on the ground but that is no problem for duffers in Minneapolis. Several golf courses have now opened for the season and it is making a lot of golfers very happy. Oh, that'd be tough, wouldn't it -- Chad?
MYERS: Sixty-three in Minneapolis yesterday.
COSTELLO: Really? MYERS: How is that?
COSTELLO: So it's melting, at least.
MYERS: Yes. And it was raining overnight, but the temperature is still nice and mild this morning, 46. Why not play?
COSTELLO: I have to read you this e-mail.
MYERS: All right, I'm ready.
COSTELLO: This is from Lucy.
MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: "The more I see of the weather segments on CNN news at daybreak, the more I'm impressed with Chad Myers.
MYERS: Whoa.
COSTELLO: I wish I were a famous Hollywood producer or director. It wouldn't take me long to cast him in a comedy. So it's not your weather skills.
MYERS: Thanks, I think.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Lucy.
MYERS: No, really.
COSTELLO: That was funny.
MYERS: It was. That was good.
Anyway, good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: Good morning, Chad.
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COSTELLO: It's Friday. I'm so glad.
Thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Syracuse University will not be repeating as basketball champs of the NCAA. Oh, no. Alabama coach crimson-clad players got the best of the Orangemen last night, 80-71. The Cinderella team at the tourney already had upset number one Stanford. Up next, Connecticut, which beat Vanderbilt.
In other games last night, Oklahoma State beat Pittsburgh and St. Joseph's defeated Wake Forest.
Up next on DAYBREAK, the war on terror goes on and the Pentagon might cut back on troops in places we've been -- on places they've been since WWII. We'll tell you where.
And Kobe Bryant's accuser makes an urgent request to the judge.
This is DAYBREAK for Friday.
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