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Pentagon Will Get Update on Troop Levels in Iraq; 'Daily Dose'

Aired April 12, 2004 - 11:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, HOST: Through the wonders of technology, we've been listening in to a news conference, the two generals in Baghdad and the go (ph) - and the reporters asking the questions back here in the U.S. at the Pentagon. Let's get the take on some of what we've heard and bring in CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Major Don Shepperd. He is listening in with us from Arizona.
General, thanks for being here with us.

GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's a pleasure, Daryn.

KAGAN: Let's go over some of the points that we heard the two generals make. Number one, it seemed at the top of everyone's list, this issue that General Abizaid brought up over the last couple of weeks, the need potentially for more troops to be brought into Iraq. And yet, today, the general not talking about how many or where those troops might come from.

SHEPPERD: Yes, he's talked about two brigades of combat forces. Think about it as about 10,000 people. Obviously, he's going to let the Pentagon name the bases that they're coming from and how, but it sounds like rather than going down to about 115,000 that we're going to end up at around 125,000, 130,000 people there in Iraq still, until this situation stabilizes or is cleared, Daryn. That's the best we can guess right now. Some of it will be done through delaying the rotation of forces back home, and then other new units, obviously, will be moved from other Army units in the United States and overseas.

KAGAN: A big factor in that, and also as we get closer to the June 30th handover date, the readiness of Iraqi troops. I think the generals were very frank today in talking about that, saying some are ready, some are doing well, some not doing so well. And they cited specifically as a problem the chain of command. It is not set right now within the Iraqi military.

SHEPPERD: Yes, they need a chain of command, a head general, if you will, and then the chain of command all the way down to the last soldier that they can rely on. It takes a long time to train and establish this type of chain of command.

Let me throw in a wild idea here, that I see a little bit of a bright spot in this supposed refusal of some of them to deploy to and fight in Fallujah. The Iraqi military certainly had no trouble killing Iraqis before the war, and now at least perhaps the idea of values, of Iraqis killing other Iraqis, is creeping in. That's something that we want. Now, I don't throw any great conclusion on that. Clearly, you have to have an Iraqi military that is capable of deploying to areas of concern and acting, but it's not all bad news right now, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, let's talk about what's happening in Fallujah and the concern that a number of civilians are being killed as the Marines try to get control there. You have a difficult problem with the insurgents mixing among the civilians, making the Marines' job almost - practically impossible - to keep all civilians safe.

SHEPPERD: Yes, indeed. A city with around 300,000 people. Reportedly, about 100,000 were allowed to leave over the weekend, and then they were turning back people of military age, and there is a truce going on right now in which members of the Iraqi Governing Council and our military, our coalition military, are talking with the city officials. They are trying to bring some calm to this.

But he harsh reality is, when fire is received by the Marines, they're going to return that fire. They're going to be careful if it's in houses. If it's in big buildings, they're going to employ helicopters and perhaps fighters against it. They're going to try to be as careful as possible, but the harsh reality is, when you return fire, it becomes indiscriminatory when the bullet hits, and if people are in the house, innocent civilians, they're going to be killed. So it's a fact of life.

We're trying to minimize any collateral damage and unnecessary death of civilians, but it happens, Daryn.

KAGAN: Major General Retired Don Shepperd joining us from Arizona.

General, thank you for being with us today. Appreciate it.

We were listening to that news conference for just over a half hour now. Time to fit in a break. We'll get to much more news after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's check the headlines at this hour. Democratic challenger John Kerry is campaigning in New Hampshire today with a focus on the economy. Kerry is releasing what he calls a misery index, pointing to the following, wages and rocketing costs for health care, college and gasoline.

The status of American hostage Tommy Hammel (ph) is unknown in Iraq today. The U.S. says the Mississippi is one of nine Americans unaccounted for in the country. Militants said that they would kill Hammel (ph) if U.S. troops do not leave Fallujah.

Vice President Dick Cheney is in Tokyo. He is praising Japan for its handling of their hostage situation. Iraqi militants hold three Japanese nationals, threatening to burn them alive if Japan doesn't withdraw its troops from Iraq. And Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" made a triumphant return to the top of the box office this Easter weekend. The film sold $17 million worth of tickets. It's now the eighth-highest grossing movie of all time in North America.

The Pentagon will get an update on troop levels in Iraq possibly as soon as tomorrow. The recent violence and the impending June 30th handoff date are factors that will weigh into those decisions. Details now from our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, fresh from that very interesting news conference with the reporters at the Pentagon and the generals in Baghdad.

Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Daryn, General John Abizaid, General Rick Sanchez, just finishing a half-hour press briefing with the Pentagon press corps by videophone, and it could only be described as a very candid briefing. General Abizaid first of all saying that he has made a request to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for a military capability to deal with the violence in Iraq, the equivalent of two combat brigades. That is about 10,000 troops.

The expectation is at this point is that request for 10,000 troops will initially be filled by not having some troops return home, by delaying their return, keeping them in place at least for the moment. But General Abizaid, one of the most candid military commanders out there, went a step further.

When asked about how Iraqi security forces fought in this latest round of violence over the last week, the Army, the Civil Defense Corps, the police, General Abizaid, extraordinarily blunt, he said they did not do very well in some cases.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: And in the south, a number of units, both in the police force and also in the ICDC did not stand up to the intimidators of the forces of Sadr's militia, and that was a great disappointment to us.

In other places, such as in and around Fallujah, we've had good, strong performances by several units, and we're satisfied with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, this is an assessment that no one at the Pentagon yet has been willing to publicly make. General Abizaid, but - though, making it very clear in Baghdad, and then he spoke about what he thinks is wrong and what must be fixed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABIZAID: Well, the truth of the matter is that until we get well formed Iraqi chains of command, all the way in the police service from the minister of the interior to the lowest patrolman on the beat in whatever city it may be, and the same for the Army from private to minister of defense that it's going to be tough them to perform at the level we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And one further update, General Sanchez telling everyone there are now seven civilian employees of Kellogg, Brown & Root unaccounted for in Iraq, as well as two U.S. soldiers.

Daryn?

KAGAN: Getting back to the problem with the Iraqi military and a lack of chain of command, the general is also talking about the pressure of this June 30th handover date. Of course, the U.S. military is not leaving at that point, but will be under completely different pressures than they are right now.

STARR: Well, that's true. The June 30th handover date, now just weeks away, is a handover of political sovereignty. But this issue of the capability and willingness of Iraqi security forces to fight the insurgents is becoming a very crucial issue, because after June 30th, there will be a question about who will really control them.

They essentially will be under the operational control of the coalition, but with Iraq in charge of its own political sovereignty, it does leave some question about whether or not whatever the new Iraqi interim government is, and there's no decision about that either, whether they will be able to really influence these Iraqi security forces to fight.

Both General Abizaid and General Sanchez said they are now taking a very hard look at the problem, at the situation, going back and seeing what types of additional training, of leadership, of command and control, what they need to do to straighten out this problem with the Iraqi security forces

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. It has been a half-hour and more, about 10 minutes past that, of a lot of military news. A lot of other stories to get to. We're going to do that after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Months (ph) have been going on about the questions of safety concerning the herbal supplement ephedra, but that could be decided today, its fate. Medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details in our daily dose of health news.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The ephedra ban will take place today unless a federal judge intercedes. There is appeal in play right now. Listen, this is a very big deal. About 12 million people have taken ephedra over time, for weightless primarily, but also athletes trying to enhance performance. But there has been some momentum building as well against it for some time - 164 deaths in some way associated with ephedra, 16,000 complications as well. These are the documented concerns. You can see them there. Heart attack, stroke, seizures, psychiatric problems and deaths.

As I mentioned, the momentum against ephedra for some time has been building. NFL, the NCAA and the IOC, that's the International Olympic Committee, have already banned ephedra. This could set an interesting precedent now, if this ban does go through, which it looks like it will. If the ban goes through, this will be the first time since the Drug Supplement Act was passed in '94 that in fact a ban has passed.

Now, a question a lot of people ask is why has this taken so long for this to happen? There is an interesting double standard for prescription medications. They have to prove the medication is safe before it goes to market. For herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications, it only has to be proven that it's unsafe to take it off the market.

There are other medications, herbal supplements out there, that consumers are probably going to be turning to. We'll give you the list of them here. They're going to be bitter orange extract peel, guarana, cola and mate. Again, hard to know if these are safe or unsafe. Only time will tell. Again, that ephedra ban, expected to happen later today.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Atlanta.

KAGAN: Are you looking for the perfect vacation for the whole family this summer? Well, that's our little teaser where you can go online. First we have our health and medical news, CNN.com. But we're also talking vacations. We have the ticket for you. It's next in our "GetAways" segment. We're talking families and that's up just after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Just finishing up spring break. That means summer is on the horizon and before all those choruses of, "Mom, there's nothing to do." Before those set in, now is a good time to think about a deal on a family vacation. That's why we have Laura Begley with us today. She's an editor with "Travel & Leisure Family Magazine," and she is in New York this morning for our Monday "GetAways" segment.

Never to soon to think about getting away, even on Monday.

LAURA BEGLEY, "TRAVEL & LEISURE": Now's the time.

KAGAN: Yes. Good morning, especially if you want to save some dollars for your family. I like the interesting list of choices that you've come with here. Let's start with the Caribbean.

BEGLEY: Well, Hyatt, which is actually known for its really amazing family programs, is offering a fantastic deal where you save about 20 to 25 percent at their Caribbean resorts, and you get a fourth or a fifth night free, and you get about $200 in airline vouchers, plus a free pass to their kids club. KAGAN: So we're still talking about some bucks here. It still costs some money to go on these trips, but these are ways you can save.

BEGLEY: Well, those are not too cheap. We're talking about $400 a night, but there are some less expensive options, like Resort Quest Vacation Rentals, which offers some great deals at their ski resorts in the western U.S. and Canada, and there you can say for about $198 a night in a condo.

KAGAN: That sounds good. What about Vermont? That's one of the prettiest states.

BEGLEY: Well, Vermont is so beautiful, and the hills really are alive with the sound of music at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, which is actually based - the family who the movie "Sound of Music" was based on own this resort. And it's pretty inexpensive. They're offering a great deal now for about 24 percent off their normal rate, so it comes out to be $198. And for families it's really great, because there are singalongs for the kids, and kids can even go and learn how to cook pastry with the pastry chefs.

KAGAN: That sounds fun. OK, if you're looked to branch out a little bit for your family, expand the horizons, go into Central America, and I love the name of this report. Mata Chica.

BEGLEY: Mata Chica ...

KAGAN: Mata Chica ...

BEGLEY: Mata Chica in Belize. And this is for more adventurous families. It's a series of little huts on the beach, and you can go swimming with sharks and swimming with stingrays. I don't know if I'd let my kids do that, but it could be fun. And this is not cheap. We're talking about a seven-night vacation for $1,600 per person. But it does include all of your meals. It includes most of the activities, and it's about a 25 percent savings off of their normal prices.

KAGAN: Well, that could be the answer to their question, the kids whine too much, there's nothing to do, in swimming with the sharks that they go. Thank you so much. Laura Begley, from "Travel & Leisure Family Magazine."

BEGLEY: Thank you.

KAGAN: We have time for some weather and also some business news. That's just ahead. Right now, we take a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET UPDATE)

KAGAN: That's going to do it for me for this morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll be right back here, though, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern, filling in for Wolf. Carol Lin going to be in here at noon. And then of course I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning.

You have a great day. I'll see you in a few hours.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired April 12, 2004 - 11:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, HOST: Through the wonders of technology, we've been listening in to a news conference, the two generals in Baghdad and the go (ph) - and the reporters asking the questions back here in the U.S. at the Pentagon. Let's get the take on some of what we've heard and bring in CNN military analyst, retired Air Force Major Don Shepperd. He is listening in with us from Arizona.
General, thanks for being here with us.

GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's a pleasure, Daryn.

KAGAN: Let's go over some of the points that we heard the two generals make. Number one, it seemed at the top of everyone's list, this issue that General Abizaid brought up over the last couple of weeks, the need potentially for more troops to be brought into Iraq. And yet, today, the general not talking about how many or where those troops might come from.

SHEPPERD: Yes, he's talked about two brigades of combat forces. Think about it as about 10,000 people. Obviously, he's going to let the Pentagon name the bases that they're coming from and how, but it sounds like rather than going down to about 115,000 that we're going to end up at around 125,000, 130,000 people there in Iraq still, until this situation stabilizes or is cleared, Daryn. That's the best we can guess right now. Some of it will be done through delaying the rotation of forces back home, and then other new units, obviously, will be moved from other Army units in the United States and overseas.

KAGAN: A big factor in that, and also as we get closer to the June 30th handover date, the readiness of Iraqi troops. I think the generals were very frank today in talking about that, saying some are ready, some are doing well, some not doing so well. And they cited specifically as a problem the chain of command. It is not set right now within the Iraqi military.

SHEPPERD: Yes, they need a chain of command, a head general, if you will, and then the chain of command all the way down to the last soldier that they can rely on. It takes a long time to train and establish this type of chain of command.

Let me throw in a wild idea here, that I see a little bit of a bright spot in this supposed refusal of some of them to deploy to and fight in Fallujah. The Iraqi military certainly had no trouble killing Iraqis before the war, and now at least perhaps the idea of values, of Iraqis killing other Iraqis, is creeping in. That's something that we want. Now, I don't throw any great conclusion on that. Clearly, you have to have an Iraqi military that is capable of deploying to areas of concern and acting, but it's not all bad news right now, Daryn.

KAGAN: Well, let's talk about what's happening in Fallujah and the concern that a number of civilians are being killed as the Marines try to get control there. You have a difficult problem with the insurgents mixing among the civilians, making the Marines' job almost - practically impossible - to keep all civilians safe.

SHEPPERD: Yes, indeed. A city with around 300,000 people. Reportedly, about 100,000 were allowed to leave over the weekend, and then they were turning back people of military age, and there is a truce going on right now in which members of the Iraqi Governing Council and our military, our coalition military, are talking with the city officials. They are trying to bring some calm to this.

But he harsh reality is, when fire is received by the Marines, they're going to return that fire. They're going to be careful if it's in houses. If it's in big buildings, they're going to employ helicopters and perhaps fighters against it. They're going to try to be as careful as possible, but the harsh reality is, when you return fire, it becomes indiscriminatory when the bullet hits, and if people are in the house, innocent civilians, they're going to be killed. So it's a fact of life.

We're trying to minimize any collateral damage and unnecessary death of civilians, but it happens, Daryn.

KAGAN: Major General Retired Don Shepperd joining us from Arizona.

General, thank you for being with us today. Appreciate it.

We were listening to that news conference for just over a half hour now. Time to fit in a break. We'll get to much more news after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: I'm Daryn Kagan at CNN Center in Atlanta. Let's check the headlines at this hour. Democratic challenger John Kerry is campaigning in New Hampshire today with a focus on the economy. Kerry is releasing what he calls a misery index, pointing to the following, wages and rocketing costs for health care, college and gasoline.

The status of American hostage Tommy Hammel (ph) is unknown in Iraq today. The U.S. says the Mississippi is one of nine Americans unaccounted for in the country. Militants said that they would kill Hammel (ph) if U.S. troops do not leave Fallujah.

Vice President Dick Cheney is in Tokyo. He is praising Japan for its handling of their hostage situation. Iraqi militants hold three Japanese nationals, threatening to burn them alive if Japan doesn't withdraw its troops from Iraq. And Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" made a triumphant return to the top of the box office this Easter weekend. The film sold $17 million worth of tickets. It's now the eighth-highest grossing movie of all time in North America.

The Pentagon will get an update on troop levels in Iraq possibly as soon as tomorrow. The recent violence and the impending June 30th handoff date are factors that will weigh into those decisions. Details now from our Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr, fresh from that very interesting news conference with the reporters at the Pentagon and the generals in Baghdad.

Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Daryn, General John Abizaid, General Rick Sanchez, just finishing a half-hour press briefing with the Pentagon press corps by videophone, and it could only be described as a very candid briefing. General Abizaid first of all saying that he has made a request to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for a military capability to deal with the violence in Iraq, the equivalent of two combat brigades. That is about 10,000 troops.

The expectation is at this point is that request for 10,000 troops will initially be filled by not having some troops return home, by delaying their return, keeping them in place at least for the moment. But General Abizaid, one of the most candid military commanders out there, went a step further.

When asked about how Iraqi security forces fought in this latest round of violence over the last week, the Army, the Civil Defense Corps, the police, General Abizaid, extraordinarily blunt, he said they did not do very well in some cases.

Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. JOHN ABIZAID, COMMANDER OF U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: And in the south, a number of units, both in the police force and also in the ICDC did not stand up to the intimidators of the forces of Sadr's militia, and that was a great disappointment to us.

In other places, such as in and around Fallujah, we've had good, strong performances by several units, and we're satisfied with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: Now, this is an assessment that no one at the Pentagon yet has been willing to publicly make. General Abizaid, but - though, making it very clear in Baghdad, and then he spoke about what he thinks is wrong and what must be fixed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABIZAID: Well, the truth of the matter is that until we get well formed Iraqi chains of command, all the way in the police service from the minister of the interior to the lowest patrolman on the beat in whatever city it may be, and the same for the Army from private to minister of defense that it's going to be tough them to perform at the level we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR: And one further update, General Sanchez telling everyone there are now seven civilian employees of Kellogg, Brown & Root unaccounted for in Iraq, as well as two U.S. soldiers.

Daryn?

KAGAN: Getting back to the problem with the Iraqi military and a lack of chain of command, the general is also talking about the pressure of this June 30th handover date. Of course, the U.S. military is not leaving at that point, but will be under completely different pressures than they are right now.

STARR: Well, that's true. The June 30th handover date, now just weeks away, is a handover of political sovereignty. But this issue of the capability and willingness of Iraqi security forces to fight the insurgents is becoming a very crucial issue, because after June 30th, there will be a question about who will really control them.

They essentially will be under the operational control of the coalition, but with Iraq in charge of its own political sovereignty, it does leave some question about whether or not whatever the new Iraqi interim government is, and there's no decision about that either, whether they will be able to really influence these Iraqi security forces to fight.

Both General Abizaid and General Sanchez said they are now taking a very hard look at the problem, at the situation, going back and seeing what types of additional training, of leadership, of command and control, what they need to do to straighten out this problem with the Iraqi security forces

KAGAN: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon. It has been a half-hour and more, about 10 minutes past that, of a lot of military news. A lot of other stories to get to. We're going to do that after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Months (ph) have been going on about the questions of safety concerning the herbal supplement ephedra, but that could be decided today, its fate. Medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has details in our daily dose of health news.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: The ephedra ban will take place today unless a federal judge intercedes. There is appeal in play right now. Listen, this is a very big deal. About 12 million people have taken ephedra over time, for weightless primarily, but also athletes trying to enhance performance. But there has been some momentum building as well against it for some time - 164 deaths in some way associated with ephedra, 16,000 complications as well. These are the documented concerns. You can see them there. Heart attack, stroke, seizures, psychiatric problems and deaths.

As I mentioned, the momentum against ephedra for some time has been building. NFL, the NCAA and the IOC, that's the International Olympic Committee, have already banned ephedra. This could set an interesting precedent now, if this ban does go through, which it looks like it will. If the ban goes through, this will be the first time since the Drug Supplement Act was passed in '94 that in fact a ban has passed.

Now, a question a lot of people ask is why has this taken so long for this to happen? There is an interesting double standard for prescription medications. They have to prove the medication is safe before it goes to market. For herbal supplements and over-the-counter medications, it only has to be proven that it's unsafe to take it off the market.

There are other medications, herbal supplements out there, that consumers are probably going to be turning to. We'll give you the list of them here. They're going to be bitter orange extract peel, guarana, cola and mate. Again, hard to know if these are safe or unsafe. Only time will tell. Again, that ephedra ban, expected to happen later today.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Atlanta.

KAGAN: Are you looking for the perfect vacation for the whole family this summer? Well, that's our little teaser where you can go online. First we have our health and medical news, CNN.com. But we're also talking vacations. We have the ticket for you. It's next in our "GetAways" segment. We're talking families and that's up just after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Just finishing up spring break. That means summer is on the horizon and before all those choruses of, "Mom, there's nothing to do." Before those set in, now is a good time to think about a deal on a family vacation. That's why we have Laura Begley with us today. She's an editor with "Travel & Leisure Family Magazine," and she is in New York this morning for our Monday "GetAways" segment.

Never to soon to think about getting away, even on Monday.

LAURA BEGLEY, "TRAVEL & LEISURE": Now's the time.

KAGAN: Yes. Good morning, especially if you want to save some dollars for your family. I like the interesting list of choices that you've come with here. Let's start with the Caribbean.

BEGLEY: Well, Hyatt, which is actually known for its really amazing family programs, is offering a fantastic deal where you save about 20 to 25 percent at their Caribbean resorts, and you get a fourth or a fifth night free, and you get about $200 in airline vouchers, plus a free pass to their kids club. KAGAN: So we're still talking about some bucks here. It still costs some money to go on these trips, but these are ways you can save.

BEGLEY: Well, those are not too cheap. We're talking about $400 a night, but there are some less expensive options, like Resort Quest Vacation Rentals, which offers some great deals at their ski resorts in the western U.S. and Canada, and there you can say for about $198 a night in a condo.

KAGAN: That sounds good. What about Vermont? That's one of the prettiest states.

BEGLEY: Well, Vermont is so beautiful, and the hills really are alive with the sound of music at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, which is actually based - the family who the movie "Sound of Music" was based on own this resort. And it's pretty inexpensive. They're offering a great deal now for about 24 percent off their normal rate, so it comes out to be $198. And for families it's really great, because there are singalongs for the kids, and kids can even go and learn how to cook pastry with the pastry chefs.

KAGAN: That sounds fun. OK, if you're looked to branch out a little bit for your family, expand the horizons, go into Central America, and I love the name of this report. Mata Chica.

BEGLEY: Mata Chica ...

KAGAN: Mata Chica ...

BEGLEY: Mata Chica in Belize. And this is for more adventurous families. It's a series of little huts on the beach, and you can go swimming with sharks and swimming with stingrays. I don't know if I'd let my kids do that, but it could be fun. And this is not cheap. We're talking about a seven-night vacation for $1,600 per person. But it does include all of your meals. It includes most of the activities, and it's about a 25 percent savings off of their normal prices.

KAGAN: Well, that could be the answer to their question, the kids whine too much, there's nothing to do, in swimming with the sharks that they go. Thank you so much. Laura Begley, from "Travel & Leisure Family Magazine."

BEGLEY: Thank you.

KAGAN: We have time for some weather and also some business news. That's just ahead. Right now, we take a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MARKET UPDATE)

KAGAN: That's going to do it for me for this morning. I'm Daryn Kagan. I'll be right back here, though, at 5:00 P.M. Eastern, filling in for Wolf. Carol Lin going to be in here at noon. And then of course I'll see you right back here tomorrow morning.

You have a great day. I'll see you in a few hours.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com