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CNN Live At Daybreak

Operation Vigilant Resolve Now Under Way; Condoleezza Rice and 9/11 Investigation

Aired April 05, 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: New pictures to show you this morning. U.S. military helicopters over Baghdad opening fire. The same is happening in Fallujah. We're going to take you there in just a minute.
Good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for April 5.

I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date. A lot is happening this morning.

Another U.S. soldier killed, one wounded, by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The attack happened in the northern city of Mosul.

In the meantime, west of Baghdad, a Marine has been killed in fighting around the volatile city of Fallujah. Marines have now closed all roads into that hot spot. It's in lockdown mode. Loud explosions are being heard there. Again, we'll take you there in just a bit.

Secretary of State Colin Powell heads to Haiti today to meet the country's new leaders. He'll urge them not to give government positions to rebel leaders who helped oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation holding legislative elections today. The president's party is not expected to win the most seats.

And in Ohio, Charles McCoy, Jr., the man accused of the Ohio highway shootings, back in court today. He'll be charged with aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

6:03 Eastern Daylight Time now, even though some of the clocks here and probably some of the clocks in your house still say 5:03.

Good morning.

Wake up. Get going.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about Iraq.

It has begun. Operation Vigilant Resolve now under way. One Marine has been killed in fighting around Fallujah this morning. U.S. Marines have now blocked off roads into and out of that city and we are hearing word of explosions. And that is not all. U.S. Apache helicopters have fired on unnamed targets in Baghdad today. You are looking at pictures just into CNN. We got them in just about a half an hour ago.

Let's get the latest now from Walter Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Early Monday morning, U.S. Marines sealed and shut down the city of Fallujah in the so-called Sunni Triangle. This in response to the murderous ambush last week, which saw the mutilation of the bodies of four American civilian contractors.

We're told that helicopters appeared over Fallujah about frock in the morning. Rockets were fired at selected targets and then U.S. Marine tanks and soldiers went into the city. Local schools and markets were shut down because the city has literally been locked down by the Marines, as has been the major east-west highway from Baghdad to Jordan.

U.S. officials have also warned that the violence could well continue into today, Monday. The reason for that being there has been a Shiite revolt, at least by the militant Shiites in this country, against U.S. occupation here.

It began in al-Najaf in a clash between the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr and coalition forces. U.S. officials have now warned there's a high probability of violence throughout Iraq, extending into Monday. This following the armed revolt by Shiite Muslims in the south.

It all began in al-Najaf. There was a clash between the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, a fiery Shiite cleric, and the coalition forces, mostly Spanish. At least 20 people died there. More than 130 were in hospital. U.S. officials warned the violence would not be tolerated, but Muqtada al-Sadr still sent his Mahdi army out into the streets in suburban Baghdad, in the Shiite neighborhoods there. This is an illegal private militia, but that did not prevent them from defying the Americans.

In Sadr City, they fired RPGs at U.S. soldiers, killing at least eight more, sending many U.S. soldiers into hospital. The U.S. Army returned fire and we're told that some 40 Iraqis, Shiites in the Sadr City area, were also killed, as were some 200 people that may have been sent to hospital.

Those demonstrations continued into today here in Baghdad and the outlook is not particularly good. The situation in Sadr City is very tense, the script not going according to Washington's plan. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oh, we have to talk about Condoleezza Rice and the 9/11 investigation. Important testimony from her and some expensive political pitches expected to highlight this week in Washington.

Let's head live to D.C. now and Bill Prasad to tell us more.

Start with the testimony -- Bill.

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Some call her one of the most powerful women in America. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is set to testify before the Commission in public under oath at approximately 9:00 Eastern time on Thursday. It could be the most important testimony the Commission has heard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD (voice-over): Her answers could help publicly define a war president's past and future. At first, the White House would not allow National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to testify in public, saying it would violate the confidentiality between she and the president.

KAREN HUGHES, FORMER BUSH COUNSELOR: The process debate, will she or won't she or when, has sort of over -- obscured what is really an extraordinary, unprecedented level of cooperation by the administration.

PRASAD: Thursday, the Commission will quiz Rice on topics that include the president's handling of terrorism and whether the administration heeded warnings by former counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke.

Some Commission members believe partisan bickering has not marred the hearings.

LEE HAMILTON, 9/11 COMMISSION VICE CHAIRMAN: It is true that some of the partisanship broke out in the Commission hearings with Mr. Clarke. But overall, if you look at the record of that hearing, it was very bipartisan.

PRASAD: On the campaign trail, an unprecedented duel of dollars, ads and accusations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry's record on the economy? Troubling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We probably are somewhere now approaching $40 million total that will be spent in the month of March alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM KERRY CAMPAIGN AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He ignored terrorism for months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRASAD: The result could be the most expensive advertising blitz in presidential election history. It is a battle for your vote here and it'll be a fight for the truth there. A great deal is at stake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD: You could say that today President Bush and Senator John Kerry will be exchanging places. John Kerry will be here in Washington to talk about the economy. President Bush goes to North Carolina to do some campaigning. Then it's off to St. Louis, to throw out the first pitch in a Cardinals/Milwaukee Brewers baseball game.

And, Carol, hopefully the president will see some warm weather.

COSTELLO: I hope so. And he is a baseball man, so we certainly understand.

Bill Prasad live in D.C. this morning.

As we've been telling you, Condoleezza Rice does testify before the 9/11 Commission Thursday morning publicly and under oath. That will happen at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific Time. And, of course, you can count on CNN to bring that to you live.

Let's head to Paris now. Police have conducted raids in an effort to capture suspected terrorists who may have been involved in last year's devastating bomb attacks in Casablanca. Were they connected to al Qaeda?

Joining us on the phone with the latest, CNN's Jim Bittermann -- hello, Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

In fact, police now have downgraded slightly the number of people they've detained this morning. Thirteen people, they are saying, were picked up in predawn raids in two Paris suburbs, suburbs that have a very large North African population. The 13 are reportedly members of the GICM, as the French acronym goes, the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, which emerged in the late 1990s in Morocco, was labeled a terrorist group by the United States and has had its assets frozen by the world community ever since.

It does, in fact, according to terrorist databases, it does, in fact, share al Qaeda's goal of a jihad or a holy war against the West. It's also working for the overthrow of the Moroccan government and its replacement with an Islamic republic.

The French counter-espionage service made the detentions this morning on the orders of a well known terrorist judge here, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, who has been following activities of members of the group for some time in connection with those bombings in Casablanca 11 months ago, which killed 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers. And while the French investigators are only dealing with the Casablanca bombers, the Spanish interior minister, as well as security officials in Morocco, have for the past few days been making a connection between the Casablanca attacks and those in Madrid last month, which killed 191 people, saying that GICM is a group which was involved in both -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, mission in Iraq -- the latest operation. We will check in with our Pentagon correspondent to find out more about the U.S. military's efforts that are under way right now.

Who comes out on top wnhen you compare the nation's airlines? We'll share some findings that you might find very interesting.

Plus, get your seat, get your peanuts, get your game face on. It is baseball season.

This is DAYBREAK for April 5.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before we get to the latest headlines, we want to take you out to Iraq. We're getting in new pictures every minute here on DAYBREAK. These are the latest pictures from Sadr City. This is a suburb of Baghdad. U.S. military helicopters have been flying over and as you can see, they have opened fire on targets inside of Sadr City.

Apparently what happened, the violence broke out after the U.S. coalition arrested the assistant to a Shiite cleric. That made the crowd go wild. In fact, the Shiite cleric has his own army. He sent the militiamen out into the streets. They clashed with U.S. forces and apparently there were some casualties. That actually happened yesterday.

Today, this morning, the U.S. military helicopters were flying over the city.

This comes on the same day that the city of Fallujah is in lockdown mode. All roads into and out of that city now blocked.

Barbara Starr, you're at the Pentagon. Maybe you can help us understand more about what's happening. I was talking about Fallujah. The city is in lockdown now and there have been U.S. military strikes within that city.

Can you tell us more about them?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it started to be a very difficult weekend for U.S. forces across many areas of Iraq and now today the U.S. response apparently unfolding from Baghdad to Fallujah. Fallujah, as Walter Rodgers reported, in lockdown, in such a lockdown that the highway out of city, the highway between that area all the way to Jordan now closed. The U.S. trying to encircle Fallujah and try and restore control.

Now, of course, we are getting some very spotty reports out of the city about what is going on there. But news crews in the city so far apparently unable to send their video out yet and show their pictures to the world. But people on the ground telling CNN that the Marines are moving through the city. And now, of course, you're showing our viewers these latest pictures from Sadr City.

The concern that the Pentagon is developing very rapidly this week, as they look at this, is whether there is essentially a new front opening in the opposition. Is there a new front in the Shia opposition to the coalition presence in Baghdad, in Iraq? Is this all beginning -- they question whether this is all beginning to signal some new development, rather than just random outbreaks of violence.

COSTELLO: And by that you mean, Barbara, there is a new U.S. strategy.

Can you tell us more about that?

STARR: Well, that's exactly what they're trying to figure out at the moment, as the week begins here on Monday -- do they need a new strategy? If there is a new front in Shia opposition, is there something new that the U.S. needs to do?

Now, so far, Carol, there is every indication the Bush administration is going to stick exactly with the strategy they have, which is to try and control the violence when it breaks out and still turn over security to Iraqi forces and basically have Iraq begin to run the country by June 30, less than 100 days from now.

But over the weekend, of course, here in Washington, we began to see calls from the Senate, from Congress, that maybe that turnover date is just too soon and that maybe the security situation is too uncertain.

COSTELLO: You know, I was wondering, are the Iraqi forces helping out in this present operation or don't we know?

STARR: We don't really have a good feel for that yet, especially in places like Fallujah, because we have been unable to see exactly what is going on. But this is really the test for Iraqi forces in several areas.

What we saw in the suburbs of Baghdad over the weekend, of course, was some of the Shia militants simply move in and take over police stations and begin to control neighborhoods, and that's how violence broke out, raising a lot of questions about whether the Iraqi security forces, even the ones who really want to help, do they have the equipment, the training and the capability to really handle their own security. That is the question being asked. COSTELLO: Well, not only in Sadr City, Barbara, but the coalition was asking for the Iraqis' help in Fallujah, as well, as far as hunting down these people responsible for desecrating those American bodies.

STARR: Well, that's exactly right. And that is part of the investigation about that terrible incident in Fallujah -- where were the Iraqi security forces? Why could they not come to the help of the people who were being attacked? And did they do something that allowed that terrible mob to be formed so quickly? Why were they unable to restore control?

At the end of the last week, what we heard here in the Pentagon was that all of that was under investigation. But certainly as the violence has continued over the last several days in Iraq, people are going to be looking for some serious answers pretty quick.

COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding.

The other interesting development this morning, you know, we hear a lot of violence from the Sunnis, but now the Shias apparently are fighting back violently.

Why is that? Why has that happened?

STARR: Well, that, apparently, by all accounts, is really the people who are loyal to this cleric, Muqtada Sadr al-Sadr. And what the U.S. is trying to assess is what kind of support does he really have, how many people does he control. By all accounts, he is not one of the main Shia clerics, certainly not with the influence of the Ayatollah al-Sistani down in Najaf.

But his supporters appear, over the last several days, to have grown in, if not numbers, at least their capability to launch violence. Many people believe this is because the coalition shut down several days ago a newspaper run by his followers and that was the beginning of some of the violence and some of the action on the streets by his supporters.

But the question now is has this young cleric, has his influence grown to the point where he now can muster sufficient forces on the street to really stage some of these violent attacks?

COSTELLO: Hence the U.S. helicopters flying overhead this morning.

Barbara Starr live from the Pentagon. We sure appreciate it.

We do have a report of one U.S. Marine killed in Fallujah because, as you know, as you heard Barbara say, that city is in a lockdown situation and there have been U.S. military strikes there.

We're going to have much more for you out of Iraq as the morning progresses so stay right where with CNN.

Let's move on now. We have a word for all of you travelers out there this morning. The annual airline quality study, well, it has some surprises this year.

JetBlue airlines, based in New York, is rated best overall. It has the fewest passengers bumped from its flights and it scores well in on time arrivals and secure luggage. Three of the top four airlines in the quality survey are low cost carriers and together they now have 25 percent of the market.

The lowest rated airlines -- American, Delta, American Eagle. And the worst of the worst, Atlantic Southeast.

Industry wide, the number of official passenger complaints down, but so are on time arrivals. Passenger bumping is up, as is lost luggage.

So there you go.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK, more on the photo that some say persuaded the White House to do a 180 and allow Condi Rice to testify about 9/11.

And here's one way to make sure your kid isn't spoiled. We'll tell you what one rich leader did to make sure his daughter is in touch with the real people.

And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Oh, Chad, what is it?

MYERS: Ooh, that's zoomed in. Ooh. But I can tell.

COSTELLO: What is it? You know the answer.

MYERS: Because I know what it is. But take a look at that black thing on top of the screen.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll tell you what it is when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

We want to make you laugh this morning because, of course, it is a sleepy Monday. So, did you see the pictures?

MYERS: Yes, it's technically only 5:25, but your clock says 6:25. I hope it's turned on.

COSTELLO: And you were correct.

But let's take a look at New York's mayor doing some soft shoe.

Michael Bloomberg dancing with the cast of "Chicago." Hopefully he'll come -- is that him up there?

MYERS: I can't tell.

COSTELLO: Yes. Isn't he good?

MYERS: A little soft shoe.

COSTELLO: Yes. He was doing this at the Inner Circle dinner. This is a charity show at the New York Hilton. And afterwards, he said...

MYERS: Did you say shoe?

COSTELLO: Soft shoe.

MYERS: Yes, I mean you said it's a really big show.

COSTELLO: Like Ed Sullivan?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Anyway, Michael Bloomberg said, "If you thought you saw me tap dance tonight, wait until you see my budget."

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: He's a card, isn't he?

MYERS: He is a good guy.

COSTELLO: All right.

Let's take a look now at our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers, shall we?

A very special delivery for some Massachusetts troopers tops it. These troopers welcomed little Colby LaGrassa into the world. Is that not a cute picture, Chad?

MYERS: I can't see the baby yet.

COSTELLO: There's the baby.

MYERS: Oh, I just see the bundle.

COSTELLO: You see, Colby's parents were not able to make it to the hospital on time.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: The troopers admitted they were a little nervous at the prospect of delivering a baby, but were happy for the departure from regular police work.

MYERS: Wow.

COSTELLO: I think he should play the DAYBREAK theme song, don't you?

MYERS: I like it.

COSTELLO: Hey, it's a new twist on an old cheesy profession, and we like cheesy here on DAYBREAK. Mike Silverman, known as that one guy, is the latest incarnation of the one man band. And he's taking his new age vaudeville act on the road with tour stops planned from Seattle to Miami.

Thailand's prime minister has taken a novel approach in his effort to promote a positive work ethic among teenagers. He sent his very own 17-year-old daughter to work, to work in a Bangkok McDonald's.

MYERS: You want fries with that podtai (ph)?

COSTELLO: Right. Over the next few months, she will run the cash register and learn to flip burgers.

MYERS: There you go. I worked there for three years. It did me good.

COSTELLO: Yes. That's right. And I'm sure it'll do her good, because her dad's a billionaire and she needs to be with the little people. Actually, he said the common people.

MYERS: I was going to say, I hope he didn't say that.

COSTELLO: No, he didn't.

MYERS: Because he won't be rich for long.

COSTELLO: OK, Photo of the Day.

MYERS: Yes, did you figure it out? Did you figure it out? That black top, the black little tip there, do you know what that is? Zoom out. Actually, Kelly McManus, the first one to write in with a shark. It's a shark. Yes. But, Kelly, you don't win the cup, because you didn't -- you have to answer the question at 6:50, not 6:30.

COSTELLO: What is that? That's the shark bay at the new lagoon in Sea World in Australia.

MYERS: They're letting people swim with the shark. Obviously he's well fed.

COSTELLO: He certainly is.

We're going to take a break. We'll be right back with more.

Actually, here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Part of Iraq under lockdown today. New U.S. military operations now under way.

And fear of a terror attack is clouding one country's national elections today.

Plus, two major leagues, nine innings and millions of fans -- we're talking opening day excitement in the next half hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired April 5, 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: New pictures to show you this morning. U.S. military helicopters over Baghdad opening fire. The same is happening in Fallujah. We're going to take you there in just a minute.
Good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for April 5.

I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date. A lot is happening this morning.

Another U.S. soldier killed, one wounded, by a roadside bomb in Iraq. The attack happened in the northern city of Mosul.

In the meantime, west of Baghdad, a Marine has been killed in fighting around the volatile city of Fallujah. Marines have now closed all roads into that hot spot. It's in lockdown mode. Loud explosions are being heard there. Again, we'll take you there in just a bit.

Secretary of State Colin Powell heads to Haiti today to meet the country's new leaders. He'll urge them not to give government positions to rebel leaders who helped oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation holding legislative elections today. The president's party is not expected to win the most seats.

And in Ohio, Charles McCoy, Jr., the man accused of the Ohio highway shootings, back in court today. He'll be charged with aggravated murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

6:03 Eastern Daylight Time now, even though some of the clocks here and probably some of the clocks in your house still say 5:03.

Good morning.

Wake up. Get going.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about Iraq.

It has begun. Operation Vigilant Resolve now under way. One Marine has been killed in fighting around Fallujah this morning. U.S. Marines have now blocked off roads into and out of that city and we are hearing word of explosions. And that is not all. U.S. Apache helicopters have fired on unnamed targets in Baghdad today. You are looking at pictures just into CNN. We got them in just about a half an hour ago.

Let's get the latest now from Walter Rodgers in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALTER RODGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Early Monday morning, U.S. Marines sealed and shut down the city of Fallujah in the so-called Sunni Triangle. This in response to the murderous ambush last week, which saw the mutilation of the bodies of four American civilian contractors.

We're told that helicopters appeared over Fallujah about frock in the morning. Rockets were fired at selected targets and then U.S. Marine tanks and soldiers went into the city. Local schools and markets were shut down because the city has literally been locked down by the Marines, as has been the major east-west highway from Baghdad to Jordan.

U.S. officials have also warned that the violence could well continue into today, Monday. The reason for that being there has been a Shiite revolt, at least by the militant Shiites in this country, against U.S. occupation here.

It began in al-Najaf in a clash between the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr and coalition forces. U.S. officials have now warned there's a high probability of violence throughout Iraq, extending into Monday. This following the armed revolt by Shiite Muslims in the south.

It all began in al-Najaf. There was a clash between the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, a fiery Shiite cleric, and the coalition forces, mostly Spanish. At least 20 people died there. More than 130 were in hospital. U.S. officials warned the violence would not be tolerated, but Muqtada al-Sadr still sent his Mahdi army out into the streets in suburban Baghdad, in the Shiite neighborhoods there. This is an illegal private militia, but that did not prevent them from defying the Americans.

In Sadr City, they fired RPGs at U.S. soldiers, killing at least eight more, sending many U.S. soldiers into hospital. The U.S. Army returned fire and we're told that some 40 Iraqis, Shiites in the Sadr City area, were also killed, as were some 200 people that may have been sent to hospital.

Those demonstrations continued into today here in Baghdad and the outlook is not particularly good. The situation in Sadr City is very tense, the script not going according to Washington's plan. Walter Rodgers, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Oh, we have to talk about Condoleezza Rice and the 9/11 investigation. Important testimony from her and some expensive political pitches expected to highlight this week in Washington.

Let's head live to D.C. now and Bill Prasad to tell us more.

Start with the testimony -- Bill.

BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Some call her one of the most powerful women in America. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice is set to testify before the Commission in public under oath at approximately 9:00 Eastern time on Thursday. It could be the most important testimony the Commission has heard.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD (voice-over): Her answers could help publicly define a war president's past and future. At first, the White House would not allow National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice to testify in public, saying it would violate the confidentiality between she and the president.

KAREN HUGHES, FORMER BUSH COUNSELOR: The process debate, will she or won't she or when, has sort of over -- obscured what is really an extraordinary, unprecedented level of cooperation by the administration.

PRASAD: Thursday, the Commission will quiz Rice on topics that include the president's handling of terrorism and whether the administration heeded warnings by former counter-terrorism adviser Richard Clarke.

Some Commission members believe partisan bickering has not marred the hearings.

LEE HAMILTON, 9/11 COMMISSION VICE CHAIRMAN: It is true that some of the partisanship broke out in the Commission hearings with Mr. Clarke. But overall, if you look at the record of that hearing, it was very bipartisan.

PRASAD: On the campaign trail, an unprecedented duel of dollars, ads and accusations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM BUSH CAMPAIGN AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Kerry's record on the economy? Troubling.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We probably are somewhere now approaching $40 million total that will be spent in the month of March alone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM KERRY CAMPAIGN AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He ignored terrorism for months.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRASAD: The result could be the most expensive advertising blitz in presidential election history. It is a battle for your vote here and it'll be a fight for the truth there. A great deal is at stake.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PRASAD: You could say that today President Bush and Senator John Kerry will be exchanging places. John Kerry will be here in Washington to talk about the economy. President Bush goes to North Carolina to do some campaigning. Then it's off to St. Louis, to throw out the first pitch in a Cardinals/Milwaukee Brewers baseball game.

And, Carol, hopefully the president will see some warm weather.

COSTELLO: I hope so. And he is a baseball man, so we certainly understand.

Bill Prasad live in D.C. this morning.

As we've been telling you, Condoleezza Rice does testify before the 9/11 Commission Thursday morning publicly and under oath. That will happen at 9:00 Eastern, 6:00 Pacific Time. And, of course, you can count on CNN to bring that to you live.

Let's head to Paris now. Police have conducted raids in an effort to capture suspected terrorists who may have been involved in last year's devastating bomb attacks in Casablanca. Were they connected to al Qaeda?

Joining us on the phone with the latest, CNN's Jim Bittermann -- hello, Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

In fact, police now have downgraded slightly the number of people they've detained this morning. Thirteen people, they are saying, were picked up in predawn raids in two Paris suburbs, suburbs that have a very large North African population. The 13 are reportedly members of the GICM, as the French acronym goes, the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, which emerged in the late 1990s in Morocco, was labeled a terrorist group by the United States and has had its assets frozen by the world community ever since.

It does, in fact, according to terrorist databases, it does, in fact, share al Qaeda's goal of a jihad or a holy war against the West. It's also working for the overthrow of the Moroccan government and its replacement with an Islamic republic.

The French counter-espionage service made the detentions this morning on the orders of a well known terrorist judge here, Jean-Louis Bruguiere, who has been following activities of members of the group for some time in connection with those bombings in Casablanca 11 months ago, which killed 45 people, including 12 suicide bombers. And while the French investigators are only dealing with the Casablanca bombers, the Spanish interior minister, as well as security officials in Morocco, have for the past few days been making a connection between the Casablanca attacks and those in Madrid last month, which killed 191 people, saying that GICM is a group which was involved in both -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann reporting live from Paris this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, mission in Iraq -- the latest operation. We will check in with our Pentagon correspondent to find out more about the U.S. military's efforts that are under way right now.

Who comes out on top wnhen you compare the nation's airlines? We'll share some findings that you might find very interesting.

Plus, get your seat, get your peanuts, get your game face on. It is baseball season.

This is DAYBREAK for April 5.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before we get to the latest headlines, we want to take you out to Iraq. We're getting in new pictures every minute here on DAYBREAK. These are the latest pictures from Sadr City. This is a suburb of Baghdad. U.S. military helicopters have been flying over and as you can see, they have opened fire on targets inside of Sadr City.

Apparently what happened, the violence broke out after the U.S. coalition arrested the assistant to a Shiite cleric. That made the crowd go wild. In fact, the Shiite cleric has his own army. He sent the militiamen out into the streets. They clashed with U.S. forces and apparently there were some casualties. That actually happened yesterday.

Today, this morning, the U.S. military helicopters were flying over the city.

This comes on the same day that the city of Fallujah is in lockdown mode. All roads into and out of that city now blocked.

Barbara Starr, you're at the Pentagon. Maybe you can help us understand more about what's happening. I was talking about Fallujah. The city is in lockdown now and there have been U.S. military strikes within that city.

Can you tell us more about them?

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, it started to be a very difficult weekend for U.S. forces across many areas of Iraq and now today the U.S. response apparently unfolding from Baghdad to Fallujah. Fallujah, as Walter Rodgers reported, in lockdown, in such a lockdown that the highway out of city, the highway between that area all the way to Jordan now closed. The U.S. trying to encircle Fallujah and try and restore control.

Now, of course, we are getting some very spotty reports out of the city about what is going on there. But news crews in the city so far apparently unable to send their video out yet and show their pictures to the world. But people on the ground telling CNN that the Marines are moving through the city. And now, of course, you're showing our viewers these latest pictures from Sadr City.

The concern that the Pentagon is developing very rapidly this week, as they look at this, is whether there is essentially a new front opening in the opposition. Is there a new front in the Shia opposition to the coalition presence in Baghdad, in Iraq? Is this all beginning -- they question whether this is all beginning to signal some new development, rather than just random outbreaks of violence.

COSTELLO: And by that you mean, Barbara, there is a new U.S. strategy.

Can you tell us more about that?

STARR: Well, that's exactly what they're trying to figure out at the moment, as the week begins here on Monday -- do they need a new strategy? If there is a new front in Shia opposition, is there something new that the U.S. needs to do?

Now, so far, Carol, there is every indication the Bush administration is going to stick exactly with the strategy they have, which is to try and control the violence when it breaks out and still turn over security to Iraqi forces and basically have Iraq begin to run the country by June 30, less than 100 days from now.

But over the weekend, of course, here in Washington, we began to see calls from the Senate, from Congress, that maybe that turnover date is just too soon and that maybe the security situation is too uncertain.

COSTELLO: You know, I was wondering, are the Iraqi forces helping out in this present operation or don't we know?

STARR: We don't really have a good feel for that yet, especially in places like Fallujah, because we have been unable to see exactly what is going on. But this is really the test for Iraqi forces in several areas.

What we saw in the suburbs of Baghdad over the weekend, of course, was some of the Shia militants simply move in and take over police stations and begin to control neighborhoods, and that's how violence broke out, raising a lot of questions about whether the Iraqi security forces, even the ones who really want to help, do they have the equipment, the training and the capability to really handle their own security. That is the question being asked. COSTELLO: Well, not only in Sadr City, Barbara, but the coalition was asking for the Iraqis' help in Fallujah, as well, as far as hunting down these people responsible for desecrating those American bodies.

STARR: Well, that's exactly right. And that is part of the investigation about that terrible incident in Fallujah -- where were the Iraqi security forces? Why could they not come to the help of the people who were being attacked? And did they do something that allowed that terrible mob to be formed so quickly? Why were they unable to restore control?

At the end of the last week, what we heard here in the Pentagon was that all of that was under investigation. But certainly as the violence has continued over the last several days in Iraq, people are going to be looking for some serious answers pretty quick.

COSTELLO: Oh, you're not kidding.

The other interesting development this morning, you know, we hear a lot of violence from the Sunnis, but now the Shias apparently are fighting back violently.

Why is that? Why has that happened?

STARR: Well, that, apparently, by all accounts, is really the people who are loyal to this cleric, Muqtada Sadr al-Sadr. And what the U.S. is trying to assess is what kind of support does he really have, how many people does he control. By all accounts, he is not one of the main Shia clerics, certainly not with the influence of the Ayatollah al-Sistani down in Najaf.

But his supporters appear, over the last several days, to have grown in, if not numbers, at least their capability to launch violence. Many people believe this is because the coalition shut down several days ago a newspaper run by his followers and that was the beginning of some of the violence and some of the action on the streets by his supporters.

But the question now is has this young cleric, has his influence grown to the point where he now can muster sufficient forces on the street to really stage some of these violent attacks?

COSTELLO: Hence the U.S. helicopters flying overhead this morning.

Barbara Starr live from the Pentagon. We sure appreciate it.

We do have a report of one U.S. Marine killed in Fallujah because, as you know, as you heard Barbara say, that city is in a lockdown situation and there have been U.S. military strikes there.

We're going to have much more for you out of Iraq as the morning progresses so stay right where with CNN.

Let's move on now. We have a word for all of you travelers out there this morning. The annual airline quality study, well, it has some surprises this year.

JetBlue airlines, based in New York, is rated best overall. It has the fewest passengers bumped from its flights and it scores well in on time arrivals and secure luggage. Three of the top four airlines in the quality survey are low cost carriers and together they now have 25 percent of the market.

The lowest rated airlines -- American, Delta, American Eagle. And the worst of the worst, Atlantic Southeast.

Industry wide, the number of official passenger complaints down, but so are on time arrivals. Passenger bumping is up, as is lost luggage.

So there you go.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK, more on the photo that some say persuaded the White House to do a 180 and allow Condi Rice to testify about 9/11.

And here's one way to make sure your kid isn't spoiled. We'll tell you what one rich leader did to make sure his daughter is in touch with the real people.

And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Oh, Chad, what is it?

MYERS: Ooh, that's zoomed in. Ooh. But I can tell.

COSTELLO: What is it? You know the answer.

MYERS: Because I know what it is. But take a look at that black thing on top of the screen.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll tell you what it is when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

We want to make you laugh this morning because, of course, it is a sleepy Monday. So, did you see the pictures?

MYERS: Yes, it's technically only 5:25, but your clock says 6:25. I hope it's turned on.

COSTELLO: And you were correct.

But let's take a look at New York's mayor doing some soft shoe.

Michael Bloomberg dancing with the cast of "Chicago." Hopefully he'll come -- is that him up there?

MYERS: I can't tell.

COSTELLO: Yes. Isn't he good?

MYERS: A little soft shoe.

COSTELLO: Yes. He was doing this at the Inner Circle dinner. This is a charity show at the New York Hilton. And afterwards, he said...

MYERS: Did you say shoe?

COSTELLO: Soft shoe.

MYERS: Yes, I mean you said it's a really big show.

COSTELLO: Like Ed Sullivan?

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Anyway, Michael Bloomberg said, "If you thought you saw me tap dance tonight, wait until you see my budget."

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: He's a card, isn't he?

MYERS: He is a good guy.

COSTELLO: All right.

Let's take a look now at our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers, shall we?

A very special delivery for some Massachusetts troopers tops it. These troopers welcomed little Colby LaGrassa into the world. Is that not a cute picture, Chad?

MYERS: I can't see the baby yet.

COSTELLO: There's the baby.

MYERS: Oh, I just see the bundle.

COSTELLO: You see, Colby's parents were not able to make it to the hospital on time.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: The troopers admitted they were a little nervous at the prospect of delivering a baby, but were happy for the departure from regular police work.

MYERS: Wow.

COSTELLO: I think he should play the DAYBREAK theme song, don't you?

MYERS: I like it.

COSTELLO: Hey, it's a new twist on an old cheesy profession, and we like cheesy here on DAYBREAK. Mike Silverman, known as that one guy, is the latest incarnation of the one man band. And he's taking his new age vaudeville act on the road with tour stops planned from Seattle to Miami.

Thailand's prime minister has taken a novel approach in his effort to promote a positive work ethic among teenagers. He sent his very own 17-year-old daughter to work, to work in a Bangkok McDonald's.

MYERS: You want fries with that podtai (ph)?

COSTELLO: Right. Over the next few months, she will run the cash register and learn to flip burgers.

MYERS: There you go. I worked there for three years. It did me good.

COSTELLO: Yes. That's right. And I'm sure it'll do her good, because her dad's a billionaire and she needs to be with the little people. Actually, he said the common people.

MYERS: I was going to say, I hope he didn't say that.

COSTELLO: No, he didn't.

MYERS: Because he won't be rich for long.

COSTELLO: OK, Photo of the Day.

MYERS: Yes, did you figure it out? Did you figure it out? That black top, the black little tip there, do you know what that is? Zoom out. Actually, Kelly McManus, the first one to write in with a shark. It's a shark. Yes. But, Kelly, you don't win the cup, because you didn't -- you have to answer the question at 6:50, not 6:30.

COSTELLO: What is that? That's the shark bay at the new lagoon in Sea World in Australia.

MYERS: They're letting people swim with the shark. Obviously he's well fed.

COSTELLO: He certainly is.

We're going to take a break. We'll be right back with more.

Actually, here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Part of Iraq under lockdown today. New U.S. military operations now under way.

And fear of a terror attack is clouding one country's national elections today.

Plus, two major leagues, nine innings and millions of fans -- we're talking opening day excitement in the next half hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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