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CNN Live At Daybreak

Welcome Home Party in Central Texas for Task Force Iron Horse; Funeral Services for Basra Bombings

Aired April 22, 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: A welcome home party for thousands of soldiers. A bittersweet celebration for one military community today.
It is Thursday, April 22.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date right now.

A heartfelt homecoming for 4th Infantry Division soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. Today, an estimated 50,000 people will be at the base to cheer more troops coming home from Iraq.

Terrorism in Turkey -- a bomb explodes under a bridge in Istanbul, damaging a bus carrying Turkish military officers. No one was hurt.

A group allied with al Qaeda claims responsibility for a bombing in Saudi Arabia and vows more attacks. Four people killed; 148 wounded.

The death toll doubles in Illinois. Eight people died in the tornadoes that swept through Utica. All the bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a tavern. No other people are missing this morning.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Talking about those people that were trapped yesterday morning, I thought maybe that we could get some of those out alive. But unfortunately nobody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A welcome home party this morning in central Texas for Task Force Iron Horse, back in Fort Hood after one year in Iraq. But nearly 80 soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division did not come home, as Keith Oppenheim reports live from Fort Hood.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Fort Hood is a military place which calls itself one of America's largest active duty posts. And today this is the place where they're going to put on an absolutely gigantic show. Three sound stages, and, as you said, an estimated 50,000 people in attendance will be a part of this welcome home concert today, all for soldiers and their families who are reuniting after a long year apart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): A wife dressed in red, white and blue runs to hug her husband. Relatives who've been apart wrap their arms in reunion. Fort Hood is filled with families and pride.

DIANA STANLEY, SOLDIER'S WIFE: They've got great support from their families back here. But they've just had a really tough time.

OPPENHEIM: Fort Hood is home to the 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force Iron Horse, all soldiers who have been in Iraq for a year and credited with capturing Saddam Hussein.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, he did send me a very nice picture with him and a general next to this little hole, you know? So it's something that, you know, we're never going to forget.

OPPENHEIM: The news of that capture flashed to this community with excitement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And guess what? They caught Saddam.

OPPENHEIM: Raising hopes that Fort Hood's own would be in less danger. But as insurgents continued attacks, soldiers from this base lost their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was the light of his dead mom's eyes.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): The family of Sergeant Sean Cataudella is one of those in mourning. Seventy-nine troops from Task Force Iron Horse have been killed in action in Iraq.

(voice-over): So for the 16,000 returning to Fort Hood safely, and their families, this is a bittersweet time, where emotions of sadness, relief and sheer joy come together at one very big party.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: So, who's going to be at this very big party today? There's a long list of entertainers, but I'll mention just a few. The classic rock band Leonard Skynyrd, actor/comedian Drew Carey, hip- hop's Ludicrous, and, of course, the very blonde Jessica Simpson.

And, Carol, I'll add that for the troops and their families today, this event, the food and the music, are all free -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's just terrific. It's supposed to rival Woodstock. That's what some are saying. Keith Oppenheim live from Fort Hood, Texas, thank you very much.

In Iraq today, funeral services for some of the dozens of people killed by suicide bombers in the southern city of Basra. At least 18 of those victims were children, some of them en route to kindergarten when they were killed.

Jim Clancy joining us now live from Baghdad with more on the funerals in Iraq today -- hello, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and good afternoon to you, Carol, from the capital of Iraq.

Certainly Wednesday was a day that changed everything for the residents of Basra. They were coming to grips with that today, as many of them mourned lost loved ones or lost friends. The situation, though, not entirely focused on the mourning. Some took to the streets in noisy demonstrations.

Perhaps correctly predicting that Arabic language and English language news networks would lap up images of a noisy demonstration that blamed the U.S. for the bombings, Muqtada al-Sadr put his people on the streets, many of the young men in the demonstration wearing the trademark black uniform of his paid militia, the Al-Mahdi Army. Of course, Muqtada al-Sadr locked in a battle of wills with the U.S.-led coalition, who wants to arrest him for -- on a charge of murder in connection with the killing of a rival cleric. They also want to ban his militia and disarm them.

Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters carried some coffins in the demonstration, but it was unclear whether there were any of the victims in those coffins or whether it was all for show.

Meantime, the real mourning, a much quieter scene -- in private many times. Some of the teachers who lost students who realized there are so many young lives that were snuffed out, in all about 18 of them in those bomb blasts on Wednesday, will never be coming back to their classrooms. They hung their heads in reflection and mourning for the losses of those young lives.

In all, CNN has confirmed 68 people reported dead. There are some reports that go a little bit higher than that, but almost everyone agrees it's in that number range. And there are 100 people that are wounded and require hospitalization. Al Qaeda and one of its associates, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi being blamed by U.S. officials in connection with these five suicide bomb attacks on Wednesday -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim, I wanted to ask you more about this supposed P.R. stunt by al-Sadr, Sheikh al-Sadr.

Using funerals to do that?

BOULDEN: Well, anything, certainly. There are many Iraqis who believe that all of this can be described as the fault of the coalition because they came here, the situation became insecure, they are charged with providing security and they don't do it. On the other hand, Muqtada al-Sadr, as I said, locked in this struggle, if you will, with the coalition to maintain his militia and to in some way or another get a hold on some of the power. He really wants to have that. Coalition officials realize that. Religious leaders in southern Iraq realize that. It is a panel of those religious leaders that is trying to deal with the situation now. Coalition troops, mostly U.S. troops now, situationed around Najaf. But they're holding back. They're trying to avoid a stand-off in that holy city because of the sensibilities and the sensitivities that might be involved -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Clancy live in Baghdad this morning.

A militant Saudi group calling itself the Brigade of the Two Holy Shrines has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Riyadh. The car bomb ripped through a building housing Saudi security forces, killing four people and injuring 148. The Saudi ambassador to the U.S. says this attack means war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: It's a total war with them now and there will be no compromises and no giving up. No, we're not going to give up on them. We're going to protect our people. We're going to protect the guests who live with us in our country. And good will beat evil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Officials in Riyadh believe the al Qaeda terror network is behind that attack.

And you can find out more about the attack in Saudi Arabia. Just visit our Web site, cnn.com.

A grand jury looking into molestation allegations against Michael Jackson has returned an indictment. We're still awaiting word on the exact charges. The pop star is expected to be arraigned on the new charges a week from tomorrow. Jackson's attorneys say he will plead not guilty.

And it was an indictment heard round the world. As we said, a grand jury in California has determined there is enough evidence to send Michael Jackson to trial. It may also mean we may find out more about the case against him.

Time for some Coffey Talk now with our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey -- good morning, Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: That hearing set for a week from tomorrow, what will happen there?

COFFEY: Well, the hearing that was going to be a preliminary hearing is off the schedule and won't be put back on because the effect of the grand jury indictment is that rather than have a preliminary hearing, like we saw in the Scott Peterson case and the Kobe Bryant case, where the prosecution puts forward some evidence and the defendant gets to do lots of cross-examination, that hearing won't take place now.

The grand jury indictment means that Michael Jackson will go to trial and all he'll be doing the next time he's in front of the judge is pleading not guilty.

COSTELLO: Should we expect circus atmosphere surrounding this proceeding?

COFFEY: Well, it's certainly going to be a colorful event. But I'm guessing this time Michael Jackson won't be 21 minutes late.

COSTELLO: Let's hope not, for his sake, anyway.

You know, what's different about a grand jury in California is some of the evidence presented can be made public, is that correct?

COFFEY: Well, and that's going to be, perhaps, a fight with the media. In a grand jury indictment process, the state is going to have to turn over to the defense transcripts of the witness testimony, which is, to some extent, an advantage to the defense that offsets the fact that they won't have a preliminary hearing.

On the other hand, both the prosecution and the defense will have the right to object to the transcripts being made public. So you can assume that there will be more to come in terms of court battles over the public's right and the media's right to have access to some or all of the witness testimony during the grand jury proceeding.

COSTELLO: And many people, of course, will be interested to hear all about that.

Do you know anything about those who testified before the grand jury and what kind of case they presented to the grand jury members?

COFFEY: We don't know officially, of course. Certainly it appears that the alleged victim and his family testified. But, Carol, it looked like one of the things that the prosecution was trying to do, in addition to avoiding the preliminary hearing, is deal with one of the central defense themes; that is, how come the alleged victim and his family totally changed his story from February and March of 2003, when they basically said Michael Jackson is a good guy and didn't do anything wrong, to the allegations five or six months later, when they said he was a child molester. And I think the prosecution attempting through that grand jury process to develop theories of a combination of witness intimidation and, to some extent, the suppression of the repression by the alleged victim of his knowledge and his willingness to talk about what Michael Jackson, they say, was really doing to him.

COSTELLO: We'll find out much more in the days to come.

Kendall Coffey live on DAYBREAK this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, skyrocketing sales -- what's behind one company's success story.

We'll see the public persona. What's the relationship really like among some of the most powerful leaders in the world?

And inside one of the most infamous organizations in history -- hear what it's like to be a son of al Qaeda from a man who's interviewed a bin Laden family insider.

This is DAYBREAK for April 22.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now.

Nothing is too good for mom and consumers will open their wallets and say thanks this Mother's Day.

Carrie Lee has more live from the NASDAQ market site -- good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, of course you can't put a price tag on your mother. But she is getting a little bit more expensive to shop for. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person plans to spend $98.64 on a gift for mom this year, and that's a 1.3 percent increase from a year ago.

Now, flowers, cards, jewelry, food are the top gift choices this year. Of course, Mother's Day coming up in about two week's time, so people should start thinking now about what they're going to do for their moms on that special day.

Turning to stocks, we did see a little bit of buying at the close yesterday. The major market indices ending a little bit higher this morning. Futures looking like a weak open. One stock to watch today is going to be Starbucks. The stock was up fractionally last night after reporting a profit increase in recent quarter, a gain of 53 percent over last year. The company did note those rising milk prices, a little bit of a concern, but still, they're raising 2004 guidance. And, Carol, five new frappacino drinks coming out this summer, with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors. It sounds pretty yummy for the hot months coming up -- back to you.

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, and lots and lots of calories.

LEE: Yes, you have to drink them sparingly.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:16 Eastern time.

Here's what's all new this morning. What a homecoming -- this is Fort Hood, Texas, where some troops from the 4th Infantry Division arrived home Wednesday from Iraq. More soldiers are returning today.

Funerals for some of the 73 victims from five suicide bombers in Basra are being held today. Among the dead, 17 schoolchildren.

In money news, American and United Airlines have agreed to radical cleric flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport this summer. The two and a half percent cutback is aimed at reducing flight delays and congestion.

In sports, Hubie Brown has been named NBA Coach of the Year. Brown the oldest coach in the league -- he's 70 -- led the Memphis Grizzlies to their very first play-off appearance.

In culture, CBS' "48 Hours" aired never before seen photos last night of Princess Diana from her fatal 1997 Paris car wreck. They showed her inside the car right after the accident. British tabloids are outraged. The program interviewed a witness to her autopsy, who says she was not pregnant.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about some piping hot coffee that will go inside this mug.

MYERS: Keeping somebody's hand warm in Vail.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: No, actually, the winner is not from Vail today. Did you answer the questions yesterday? Here are the questions and the answers. In Joe Johns' report, which two Senate committees held hearings on Iraq this week? That's the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. And, obviously, question number two, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year? Were you sleeping or were you in a cave? If you missed this one, obviously Lebron James.

And the winner from Oberlin, Ohio, Max Kornblith.

COSTELLO: Congratulations, Max, a fellow Ohioan.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We like that. You win this beautiful DAYBREAK coffee mug.

MYERS: The next chance.

COSTELLO: And I hope you have -- I hope you like yellow.

MYERS: Well...

COSTELLO: Of course, we'll ask our new questions at 6:50 Eastern time.

MYERS: Righty.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back with much more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 6:22 Eastern time.

Some very rough weather in the nation's heartland. Central Oklahoma is hit with severe storms for a second straight day. Look at these pictures, Chad -- heavy rain and hail. Hails the size of baseballs.

MYERS: Three inch hail right around the Broadway extension, piling up almost eight inches deep. And if we let this video roll, you'll actually see a car that got stuck, stuck in the hail, almost like a snowstorm. There you go. The firemen had to shovel this person out there was so much hail.

COSTELLO: Now, how often does it happen that hail stacks up that much on the ground?

MYERS: When a storm runs over another storm, we call it training. Think about the train where one box car runs over the other place where the box car just was, because it's on a train track. This train track continues one after another after another. That's what we had yesterday, we had one storm after another, and it just kept back building and back building and so the hail just kept coming and coming and coming.

COSTELLO: Crazy.

MYERS: Oh, we see this three or four times a year. But, man, when it comes down...

COSTELLO: Yes, it comes down.

MYERS: Baseball sized hail in Oklahoma City does a lot of damage to cars. I lived there for two years. They actually have these claim centers. And you just drive your car in and they write you a check. There you go, write you a check.

COSTELLO: You're kidding?

MYERS: There you go.

COSTELLO: That's amazing.

MYERS: They can't deal with fixing them all.

COSTELLO: Let's talk a little bit more about the tornadoes that hit Utica, Illinois.

MYERS: F3.

COSTELLO: Eight people died, F3.

MYERS: Right. We go from F0 to F5, Fujita Scale. There could even be some that are stronger than five, we just haven't seen too many of those. The F3 tornado between 156 and 206 miles per hour did really a lot of damage here. And there were reports that some of the folks that lived in mobile homes near there actually went

To the bar because they knew it was such a strong and sturdy place.

COSTELLO: And, of course, that bar was destroyed by the tornado and eight people died inside.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Really sad.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: I want to read this quote because it's just amazing. This is from a man who survived it in his home. He said, "It was like my brain wasn't comprehending what my eyes were seeing." He had rushed his family into the basement, as I said. He looked outside about 15 seconds later and he said: "Well, it looks like the car's OK." And then a split second later he said: "Wait a minute, I'm not supposed to be able to see my car. Where the hell's my garage?"

So his garage was gone, but his car was safe and sound.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Bizarre.

MYERS: That happens a lot. We call those -- when it gets to be an F3 tornado, you actually get multiple vortexes, multiple vortices, suction spots, if you will. You get so many things spinning around the inner part of this tornado, you actually -- we see one big wedge of dust. But there are certain littler tornadoes spinning around the inside. And that one tornado will hit your neighbor's house. It may completely miss you and then hit your garage, miss your house then move around. And that's why you see sometimes structures right next to each other, one completely destroyed and one just sitting there like it's brand new.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

All right. You'll have more on the forecast for us later.

MYERS: It's going to be another ugly day across the Plains today, a lot like yesterday. Maybe not as many tornadoes as the day before, which there were 51 tornadoes. Today we're probably going to get a few, though.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

The president and his secretary of state -- how close are these two powerful figures?

And we take you live to Santa Barbara, where a jury has handed up an indictment against the king of pop.

Plus, familiar with wanted terrorists -- a new documentary film tracks this man's relationship to the bin Laden's as a son of al Qaeda.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: After days of hearing evidence, a grand jury decides to indicate pop star Michael Jackson.

It is Thursday, April 22.

This is DAYBREAK.

Good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

We're going to take you live to Santa Barbara in just a few minutes.

But first, the latest headlines right now.

Sixteen thousand soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Iron Horse, have returned to Fort Hood, Texas after one year in Iraq. The deployment cost the 4th Division 79 soldiers. They were killed in action.

Israeli troops demolished several houses today during an incursion into the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses say at least 10 homes were destroyed in one town and a three story building was blown up in another.

Key witness Michael Fortier faces more cross-examination today in the Terry Nichols trial in Oklahoma. Fortier is a former Army buddy of Nichols, who is charged with murder in the Oklahoma City bombing.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

(WEATHER REPORT)

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Aired April 22, 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: A welcome home party for thousands of soldiers. A bittersweet celebration for one military community today.
It is Thursday, April 22.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date right now.

A heartfelt homecoming for 4th Infantry Division soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas. Today, an estimated 50,000 people will be at the base to cheer more troops coming home from Iraq.

Terrorism in Turkey -- a bomb explodes under a bridge in Istanbul, damaging a bus carrying Turkish military officers. No one was hurt.

A group allied with al Qaeda claims responsibility for a bombing in Saudi Arabia and vows more attacks. Four people killed; 148 wounded.

The death toll doubles in Illinois. Eight people died in the tornadoes that swept through Utica. All the bodies have been pulled from the rubble of a tavern. No other people are missing this morning.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Talking about those people that were trapped yesterday morning, I thought maybe that we could get some of those out alive. But unfortunately nobody.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A welcome home party this morning in central Texas for Task Force Iron Horse, back in Fort Hood after one year in Iraq. But nearly 80 soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division did not come home, as Keith Oppenheim reports live from Fort Hood.

KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Fort Hood is a military place which calls itself one of America's largest active duty posts. And today this is the place where they're going to put on an absolutely gigantic show. Three sound stages, and, as you said, an estimated 50,000 people in attendance will be a part of this welcome home concert today, all for soldiers and their families who are reuniting after a long year apart.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): A wife dressed in red, white and blue runs to hug her husband. Relatives who've been apart wrap their arms in reunion. Fort Hood is filled with families and pride.

DIANA STANLEY, SOLDIER'S WIFE: They've got great support from their families back here. But they've just had a really tough time.

OPPENHEIM: Fort Hood is home to the 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force Iron Horse, all soldiers who have been in Iraq for a year and credited with capturing Saddam Hussein.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, he did send me a very nice picture with him and a general next to this little hole, you know? So it's something that, you know, we're never going to forget.

OPPENHEIM: The news of that capture flashed to this community with excitement.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And guess what? They caught Saddam.

OPPENHEIM: Raising hopes that Fort Hood's own would be in less danger. But as insurgents continued attacks, soldiers from this base lost their lives.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was the light of his dead mom's eyes.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): The family of Sergeant Sean Cataudella is one of those in mourning. Seventy-nine troops from Task Force Iron Horse have been killed in action in Iraq.

(voice-over): So for the 16,000 returning to Fort Hood safely, and their families, this is a bittersweet time, where emotions of sadness, relief and sheer joy come together at one very big party.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

OPPENHEIM: So, who's going to be at this very big party today? There's a long list of entertainers, but I'll mention just a few. The classic rock band Leonard Skynyrd, actor/comedian Drew Carey, hip- hop's Ludicrous, and, of course, the very blonde Jessica Simpson.

And, Carol, I'll add that for the troops and their families today, this event, the food and the music, are all free -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's just terrific. It's supposed to rival Woodstock. That's what some are saying. Keith Oppenheim live from Fort Hood, Texas, thank you very much.

In Iraq today, funeral services for some of the dozens of people killed by suicide bombers in the southern city of Basra. At least 18 of those victims were children, some of them en route to kindergarten when they were killed.

Jim Clancy joining us now live from Baghdad with more on the funerals in Iraq today -- hello, Jim.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello and good afternoon to you, Carol, from the capital of Iraq.

Certainly Wednesday was a day that changed everything for the residents of Basra. They were coming to grips with that today, as many of them mourned lost loved ones or lost friends. The situation, though, not entirely focused on the mourning. Some took to the streets in noisy demonstrations.

Perhaps correctly predicting that Arabic language and English language news networks would lap up images of a noisy demonstration that blamed the U.S. for the bombings, Muqtada al-Sadr put his people on the streets, many of the young men in the demonstration wearing the trademark black uniform of his paid militia, the Al-Mahdi Army. Of course, Muqtada al-Sadr locked in a battle of wills with the U.S.-led coalition, who wants to arrest him for -- on a charge of murder in connection with the killing of a rival cleric. They also want to ban his militia and disarm them.

Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters carried some coffins in the demonstration, but it was unclear whether there were any of the victims in those coffins or whether it was all for show.

Meantime, the real mourning, a much quieter scene -- in private many times. Some of the teachers who lost students who realized there are so many young lives that were snuffed out, in all about 18 of them in those bomb blasts on Wednesday, will never be coming back to their classrooms. They hung their heads in reflection and mourning for the losses of those young lives.

In all, CNN has confirmed 68 people reported dead. There are some reports that go a little bit higher than that, but almost everyone agrees it's in that number range. And there are 100 people that are wounded and require hospitalization. Al Qaeda and one of its associates, Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi being blamed by U.S. officials in connection with these five suicide bomb attacks on Wednesday -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim, I wanted to ask you more about this supposed P.R. stunt by al-Sadr, Sheikh al-Sadr.

Using funerals to do that?

BOULDEN: Well, anything, certainly. There are many Iraqis who believe that all of this can be described as the fault of the coalition because they came here, the situation became insecure, they are charged with providing security and they don't do it. On the other hand, Muqtada al-Sadr, as I said, locked in this struggle, if you will, with the coalition to maintain his militia and to in some way or another get a hold on some of the power. He really wants to have that. Coalition officials realize that. Religious leaders in southern Iraq realize that. It is a panel of those religious leaders that is trying to deal with the situation now. Coalition troops, mostly U.S. troops now, situationed around Najaf. But they're holding back. They're trying to avoid a stand-off in that holy city because of the sensibilities and the sensitivities that might be involved -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Clancy live in Baghdad this morning.

A militant Saudi group calling itself the Brigade of the Two Holy Shrines has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Riyadh. The car bomb ripped through a building housing Saudi security forces, killing four people and injuring 148. The Saudi ambassador to the U.S. says this attack means war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE BANDAR BIN SULTAN, SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: It's a total war with them now and there will be no compromises and no giving up. No, we're not going to give up on them. We're going to protect our people. We're going to protect the guests who live with us in our country. And good will beat evil.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Officials in Riyadh believe the al Qaeda terror network is behind that attack.

And you can find out more about the attack in Saudi Arabia. Just visit our Web site, cnn.com.

A grand jury looking into molestation allegations against Michael Jackson has returned an indictment. We're still awaiting word on the exact charges. The pop star is expected to be arraigned on the new charges a week from tomorrow. Jackson's attorneys say he will plead not guilty.

And it was an indictment heard round the world. As we said, a grand jury in California has determined there is enough evidence to send Michael Jackson to trial. It may also mean we may find out more about the case against him.

Time for some Coffey Talk now with our legal analyst, Kendall Coffey -- good morning, Kendall.

KENDALL COFFEY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Hey, good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: That hearing set for a week from tomorrow, what will happen there?

COFFEY: Well, the hearing that was going to be a preliminary hearing is off the schedule and won't be put back on because the effect of the grand jury indictment is that rather than have a preliminary hearing, like we saw in the Scott Peterson case and the Kobe Bryant case, where the prosecution puts forward some evidence and the defendant gets to do lots of cross-examination, that hearing won't take place now.

The grand jury indictment means that Michael Jackson will go to trial and all he'll be doing the next time he's in front of the judge is pleading not guilty.

COSTELLO: Should we expect circus atmosphere surrounding this proceeding?

COFFEY: Well, it's certainly going to be a colorful event. But I'm guessing this time Michael Jackson won't be 21 minutes late.

COSTELLO: Let's hope not, for his sake, anyway.

You know, what's different about a grand jury in California is some of the evidence presented can be made public, is that correct?

COFFEY: Well, and that's going to be, perhaps, a fight with the media. In a grand jury indictment process, the state is going to have to turn over to the defense transcripts of the witness testimony, which is, to some extent, an advantage to the defense that offsets the fact that they won't have a preliminary hearing.

On the other hand, both the prosecution and the defense will have the right to object to the transcripts being made public. So you can assume that there will be more to come in terms of court battles over the public's right and the media's right to have access to some or all of the witness testimony during the grand jury proceeding.

COSTELLO: And many people, of course, will be interested to hear all about that.

Do you know anything about those who testified before the grand jury and what kind of case they presented to the grand jury members?

COFFEY: We don't know officially, of course. Certainly it appears that the alleged victim and his family testified. But, Carol, it looked like one of the things that the prosecution was trying to do, in addition to avoiding the preliminary hearing, is deal with one of the central defense themes; that is, how come the alleged victim and his family totally changed his story from February and March of 2003, when they basically said Michael Jackson is a good guy and didn't do anything wrong, to the allegations five or six months later, when they said he was a child molester. And I think the prosecution attempting through that grand jury process to develop theories of a combination of witness intimidation and, to some extent, the suppression of the repression by the alleged victim of his knowledge and his willingness to talk about what Michael Jackson, they say, was really doing to him.

COSTELLO: We'll find out much more in the days to come.

Kendall Coffey live on DAYBREAK this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, skyrocketing sales -- what's behind one company's success story.

We'll see the public persona. What's the relationship really like among some of the most powerful leaders in the world?

And inside one of the most infamous organizations in history -- hear what it's like to be a son of al Qaeda from a man who's interviewed a bin Laden family insider.

This is DAYBREAK for April 22.

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COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now.

Nothing is too good for mom and consumers will open their wallets and say thanks this Mother's Day.

Carrie Lee has more live from the NASDAQ market site -- good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, of course you can't put a price tag on your mother. But she is getting a little bit more expensive to shop for. According to the National Retail Federation, the average person plans to spend $98.64 on a gift for mom this year, and that's a 1.3 percent increase from a year ago.

Now, flowers, cards, jewelry, food are the top gift choices this year. Of course, Mother's Day coming up in about two week's time, so people should start thinking now about what they're going to do for their moms on that special day.

Turning to stocks, we did see a little bit of buying at the close yesterday. The major market indices ending a little bit higher this morning. Futures looking like a weak open. One stock to watch today is going to be Starbucks. The stock was up fractionally last night after reporting a profit increase in recent quarter, a gain of 53 percent over last year. The company did note those rising milk prices, a little bit of a concern, but still, they're raising 2004 guidance. And, Carol, five new frappacino drinks coming out this summer, with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors. It sounds pretty yummy for the hot months coming up -- back to you.

COSTELLO: I was just going to say, and lots and lots of calories.

LEE: Yes, you have to drink them sparingly.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:16 Eastern time.

Here's what's all new this morning. What a homecoming -- this is Fort Hood, Texas, where some troops from the 4th Infantry Division arrived home Wednesday from Iraq. More soldiers are returning today.

Funerals for some of the 73 victims from five suicide bombers in Basra are being held today. Among the dead, 17 schoolchildren.

In money news, American and United Airlines have agreed to radical cleric flights at Chicago's O'Hare Airport this summer. The two and a half percent cutback is aimed at reducing flight delays and congestion.

In sports, Hubie Brown has been named NBA Coach of the Year. Brown the oldest coach in the league -- he's 70 -- led the Memphis Grizzlies to their very first play-off appearance.

In culture, CBS' "48 Hours" aired never before seen photos last night of Princess Diana from her fatal 1997 Paris car wreck. They showed her inside the car right after the accident. British tabloids are outraged. The program interviewed a witness to her autopsy, who says she was not pregnant.

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COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about some piping hot coffee that will go inside this mug.

MYERS: Keeping somebody's hand warm in Vail.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: No, actually, the winner is not from Vail today. Did you answer the questions yesterday? Here are the questions and the answers. In Joe Johns' report, which two Senate committees held hearings on Iraq this week? That's the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. And, obviously, question number two, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year? Were you sleeping or were you in a cave? If you missed this one, obviously Lebron James.

And the winner from Oberlin, Ohio, Max Kornblith.

COSTELLO: Congratulations, Max, a fellow Ohioan.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We like that. You win this beautiful DAYBREAK coffee mug.

MYERS: The next chance.

COSTELLO: And I hope you have -- I hope you like yellow.

MYERS: Well...

COSTELLO: Of course, we'll ask our new questions at 6:50 Eastern time.

MYERS: Righty.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back with much more after this.

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COSTELLO: 6:22 Eastern time.

Some very rough weather in the nation's heartland. Central Oklahoma is hit with severe storms for a second straight day. Look at these pictures, Chad -- heavy rain and hail. Hails the size of baseballs.

MYERS: Three inch hail right around the Broadway extension, piling up almost eight inches deep. And if we let this video roll, you'll actually see a car that got stuck, stuck in the hail, almost like a snowstorm. There you go. The firemen had to shovel this person out there was so much hail.

COSTELLO: Now, how often does it happen that hail stacks up that much on the ground?

MYERS: When a storm runs over another storm, we call it training. Think about the train where one box car runs over the other place where the box car just was, because it's on a train track. This train track continues one after another after another. That's what we had yesterday, we had one storm after another, and it just kept back building and back building and so the hail just kept coming and coming and coming.

COSTELLO: Crazy.

MYERS: Oh, we see this three or four times a year. But, man, when it comes down...

COSTELLO: Yes, it comes down.

MYERS: Baseball sized hail in Oklahoma City does a lot of damage to cars. I lived there for two years. They actually have these claim centers. And you just drive your car in and they write you a check. There you go, write you a check.

COSTELLO: You're kidding?

MYERS: There you go.

COSTELLO: That's amazing.

MYERS: They can't deal with fixing them all.

COSTELLO: Let's talk a little bit more about the tornadoes that hit Utica, Illinois.

MYERS: F3.

COSTELLO: Eight people died, F3.

MYERS: Right. We go from F0 to F5, Fujita Scale. There could even be some that are stronger than five, we just haven't seen too many of those. The F3 tornado between 156 and 206 miles per hour did really a lot of damage here. And there were reports that some of the folks that lived in mobile homes near there actually went

To the bar because they knew it was such a strong and sturdy place.

COSTELLO: And, of course, that bar was destroyed by the tornado and eight people died inside.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Really sad.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: I want to read this quote because it's just amazing. This is from a man who survived it in his home. He said, "It was like my brain wasn't comprehending what my eyes were seeing." He had rushed his family into the basement, as I said. He looked outside about 15 seconds later and he said: "Well, it looks like the car's OK." And then a split second later he said: "Wait a minute, I'm not supposed to be able to see my car. Where the hell's my garage?"

So his garage was gone, but his car was safe and sound.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Bizarre.

MYERS: That happens a lot. We call those -- when it gets to be an F3 tornado, you actually get multiple vortexes, multiple vortices, suction spots, if you will. You get so many things spinning around the inner part of this tornado, you actually -- we see one big wedge of dust. But there are certain littler tornadoes spinning around the inside. And that one tornado will hit your neighbor's house. It may completely miss you and then hit your garage, miss your house then move around. And that's why you see sometimes structures right next to each other, one completely destroyed and one just sitting there like it's brand new.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable.

All right. You'll have more on the forecast for us later.

MYERS: It's going to be another ugly day across the Plains today, a lot like yesterday. Maybe not as many tornadoes as the day before, which there were 51 tornadoes. Today we're probably going to get a few, though.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

The president and his secretary of state -- how close are these two powerful figures?

And we take you live to Santa Barbara, where a jury has handed up an indictment against the king of pop.

Plus, familiar with wanted terrorists -- a new documentary film tracks this man's relationship to the bin Laden's as a son of al Qaeda.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: After days of hearing evidence, a grand jury decides to indicate pop star Michael Jackson.

It is Thursday, April 22.

This is DAYBREAK.

Good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

We're going to take you live to Santa Barbara in just a few minutes.

But first, the latest headlines right now.

Sixteen thousand soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division, Task Force Iron Horse, have returned to Fort Hood, Texas after one year in Iraq. The deployment cost the 4th Division 79 soldiers. They were killed in action.

Israeli troops demolished several houses today during an incursion into the southern Gaza Strip. Witnesses say at least 10 homes were destroyed in one town and a three story building was blown up in another.

Key witness Michael Fortier faces more cross-examination today in the Terry Nichols trial in Oklahoma. Fortier is a former Army buddy of Nichols, who is charged with murder in the Oklahoma City bombing.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

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