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U.S. Decision to Allow Some Members of Baath Party to Join Iraqi Army, Government; In North Korea, Train Explosion Kills or Injures at Least 1,200

Aired April 23, 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: The top American in Iraq does a 180 and decides members of the old regime, the Saddam regime, can take part in the nation's new government.
Good morning to you.

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

More from Iraq in just a minute, but first the very latest headlines for you now.

The Red Cross says 54 people were killed -- that is confirmed -- and more than 1,200 injured in a train explosion in North Korea. It also says nearly 2,000 homes were absolutely destroyed.

The University of North Dakota will hold a public memorial service next Wednesday for Dru Sjodin, whose body was found last weekend. Her funeral will be held tomorrow in Minnesota.

In the case against Zacarias Moussaoui, a court says the government can introduce evidence of the 9/11 attacks. But it also says he can use written testimony from al Qaeda captives.

The House approves a contingency plan in case it is targeted by terrorists. It calls for a special election to be held within 45 days if more than 100 House members are killed.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The latest developments now in the fight for Iraq. Retired General Tommy Franks says the recent spike in insurgent attacks in Iraq may be tied to the U.S. election cycle and Franks expects the attacks to increase as the presidential election draws nearer. Franks was commander of American forces in that region.

A report this morning says Iraqis are being recruited for an elite volunteer unit that would fight fellow Iraqis who are resisting the occupation. "USA Today" says the plan stems from the reluctance of regular Iraqi security forces to open fire on their countrymen.

U.S. Marines are warning insurgents in Falluja that time is running out for them to turn in their heavy weapons. And the Marine general in command says foreign fighters in Falluja have dug in during the so-called ceasefire and have no interest in surrendering.

And those Japanese civilians who were held hostage in Iraq have received a cool welcome upon their return home to Japan. The government and the public apparently blamed them for ignoring warnings against going to Iraq.

And this -- de-Baathification. Is it a new Iraq policy that will allow members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to be included in government and military positions. Not all Baath Party members will qualify, but some will.

Let's head live to Baghdad now and CNN's Jim Clancy -- so, Jim, what happens now?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you look at the situation, there are so many questions, Carol, that are being asked about all of this. I think it's important to remember that the Baath Party didn't develop under Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein joined the Baath Party.

Now, when we're talking about de-Baathification, allowing some members of the Baath Party to come back, no one is suggesting that members of Saddam Hussein's Revolutionary Command Council are going to now be sitting in government, in a new government, an interim government even here in Baghdad. That's not the case at all.

But there were a lot of people that were members of the Baath Party that were not seen to be involved in the crimes of that regime, in the oppression of people in that regime.

The U.S. looks at the situation on the ground, it realizes that many of these Iraqi troops are not going to be taking orders from Americans. They resent it. They won't do it. They also need to bring in some of that Sunni minority of which Saddam Hussein was a part, but bring in the clean ones, if you will, to be a part of the government so that minority, a very powerful, significant minority, has a role, has a sense that they, too, are a part of any interim government, of any future Iraq.

Now, as they do all of that, there's another question that comes into play here. You've got de-Baathification, if you want to call it that, bringing in some of these people on the one hand. But you've also got the hand over of power on June the 30th and the big question -- I talked to a member of the Iraqi Governing Council who sat down with 50 Iraqi general officers, discussing with them the possibilities. They told him, yes, we'd be willing to come back, but they have conditions. And the conditions are they don't want to be just taking orders from the Americans. They want to have some independence of their own.

How much, all of this still has to be worked out. But the situation right now is one, how do you get some people back with some credibility, with some discipline, with the ability to command these troops and at the same time not lead the country in the wrong direction -- Carol. COSTELLO: Well, Jim, that's kind of unsettling, because if you have these former Baathist generals coming in and having a free hand, won't that leave U.S. troops rather vulnerable?

CLANCY: Not in the view of Iraqi politicians and some of the military men. They believe the U.S. all along should have maintained its role as a liberating army and not become the occupation army, something that after a year it's readily apparent to everyone is resented deeply, not only by the Sunni minority, but a lot of other people in Iraq, the whole notion of being an occupying army.

Masud Barzani, who is now head of the Iraqi Governing Council and who is a political figure, a strong one, from Kurdistan in the north, he told me that they should have never become this occupation force and the best thing is to hand over all of the sovereignty to the Iraqis. He said that all of this on June 30 will be pointless unless they have the power to say no to the Americans when they need to.

And what are we talking about? Falluja. A lot of them do not believe that for four -- the deaths of four U.S. contractors should the U.S. military have gone in there. They've already got a death toll of more than 200 or 300 people. Some new numbers came out today from the health ministry, much lower than that 600 number we have heard.

But we know that there were scores of civilians in there. And they say look, this doesn't make any sense to be going in, putting a whole city under siege to do this. They think they can do it much better the Iraqi way.

COSTELLO: We'll see.

Jim Clancy live from Baghdad this morning.

Senator Joe Lieberman will talk about all of this with Bill and Soledad. That's coming up in the 8:00 Eastern hour of "American Morning."

Well, there could be literally thousands dead and injured after a huge train explosion in North Korea. There are reports of many, many homes incinerated. We are trying to get more information for you, so let's head live to China, near the North Korean border.

Jaime FlorCruz has managed to make his way there. He's -- oh, he's on video phone right now -- that's great, Jamie.

Can you see any of the damage from where you are?

JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not really, not from where we are, Carol. We're about 12 miles away from the disaster area. But right behind me is the city of Sinuiju, which is the closest city along the border with China. And just a while ago, we took a look at the banks along this Yellow River and it seemed like business as usual with South Koreans repairing boats and unloading goods.

But not too far from there, in fact, is a disaster area, where about 50 people are believed to have died, 1,000 people injured, and over 2,000 homes destroyed in apparently a very huge explosion that occurred about 24 hours ago.

The City of Sinuiju behind me must be now saddled with the task of taking care of the thousands of North Koreans injured -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jamie, a question for you. We're looking at a map and we see kind of the area. I want to go back to the map we had previous, if we could, to try to explain that. This darkened area, this is where it happened.

Is this in the middle of a town? Are there facilities there to help the dead or help the injured, rather? And are emergency aid workers getting through?

FLORCRUZ: The town is believed to have about 130,000 people, so it's a small town, fairly backward and the question is how, yes, the medical facilities can cope with the disaster. The Red Cross has sent a team there and the World Health Organization, which also operates inside North Korea, have moved their medical facilities close to the disaster area. And so the medical attention is a big challenge.

But they're saying that the measures are now being taken to bring them closest to the disaster area and to save the thousands of people who have been injured in this humanitarian disaster -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Jamie, one last question for you. This was a huge explosion. This explosion incinerated 2,000 homes. What was on board that train?

FLORCRUZ: There's still no official explanation or version from the North Korean media. But the North -- a Red Cross official on the ground in North Korea had said that perhaps the explosion may have been caused by a car, a train car laden with explosives, possibly intended for use for mining. And so it perhaps was triggered by this, the explosion of explosives being carried by this train in that town in North Korea -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jaime FlorCruz reporting live from China, right near the North Korean border.

Thank you.

A federal appeals court has lifted sanctions that could have limited the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. He is the only person charged in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks. The court says prosecutors may introduce evidence that Moussaoui was a conspirator and may seek the death penalty. But it also says Moussaoui may introduce testimony from al Qaeda captives, evidence his lawyers believe will absolve him of guilt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARD MACMAHON, MOUSSAOUI ATTORNEY: You can't underestimate the importance of a witness upon whose testimony the death penalty may ride. Moussaoui's life, in a death penalty case, we have argued, would rest upon the testimony of these witnesses. You cannot have a more important witness than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a statement saying the decision means the government can provide Zacarias Moussaoui with a fair trial while still protecting critical national security interests.

Newly released documents show how much the FBI is doing to prevent crop dusting planes from being used for biological or chemical attacks. They show the FBI has questioned more than 3,000 pilots and aircraft owners, most of them in the past year. The questioning has not resulted in any arrests, but has resulted in terror investigations that are still under way.

In another area of aviation related security, airport security screeners have been given low grades. A homeland security investigator says they're doing a poor job, whether they're government workers or privately employed. The report is based on tests designed to see if screeners can detect dangerous objects.

MYERS: Carol, it's time to give away a DAYBREAK mug this morning.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. Good, good, good.

MYERS: Time to have some good news for a change.

COSTELLO: There were tough questions yesterday. It took people a long time to answer those questions.

MYERS: True. True. And, you know what? We only got about 40 correct answers. Six so...

COSTELLO: The question was too hard.

MYERS: ... compared to the 480 we had the day before. Well, we're making you think in the morning once in a while.

Here are the questions now. In Keith Oppenheim's report about the soldiers from Fort Hood, they were part of which task force in Iraq? The correct answer, Task Force Iron Horse. And if you want to plant a tree or a shrub to provide shade on your house, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, like we are, what side of the house would you plant it on? And the south or southwest side, even the southeast side I would have taken, too.

COSTELLO: You know, the funny thing is, is I was reading through the e-mails and a person from Japan got that question right. They said the southwest side of the house. So, anyway.

MYERS: But, if you're from Bolivia and you answer northwest side, that would also be an answer, a correct answer.

The winner today, as I digress, Lisa Ford from Clover, South Carolina. Congratulations, Lisa. The DAYBREAK mug, as they say, is in the mail.

COSTELLO: Yes, it is. And we promise it won't be broken when it gets there. At least we think so. We'll use that bubble wrap stuff.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The new questions will come your way at, what, 6:50 Eastern time.

MYERS: 6:50.

COSTELLO: All right.

A new development in the Scott Peterson trial. A letter about Laci's killer. Is it for real? Plus, a CNN exclusive -- a Muslim leader behind bars has a message about terrorism for the outside world.

And a close-knit community shows its patriotism in the halls of a local high school.

But first, we'll find out why one company's foaming mad about the South Beach diet.

This is DAYBREAK for April 23.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A wake will be held in Minnesota today for college student Dru Sjodin, with funeral services scheduled for tomorrow. Sjodin's body was found last Saturday, nearly five months after she was abducted from a North Dakota mall parking lot. Sjodin's boyfriend told CNN's Larry King he's learned something from the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN'S "LARRY KING LIVE")

CHRIS LANG, DRU SJODIN'S BOYFRIEND: It really is a good world out there. Everybody, for every monster, there's about a million really wonderful people. And I've experienced it through, you know, be it from the National Guard bringing an army to search for Dru all the way down to an e-mail from a stranger in Japan to a gal giving me a hug at a cafe. All those efforts, they all come from one place, from the heart, and they all mean the same. They all weigh the same because it is amazing to me what the world has done to support Dru and love Dru.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh.

A convicted sex offender, Alfonso Rodriguez, has pleaded not guilty to Sjodin's kidnapping.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 6:17 Eastern time.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Some displaced residents of Falluja return to their homes today. The U.S. military warn a truce with insurgents may not last.

More fallout at "USA Today." A second senior editor has resigned following an investigation into a former star reporter's fabrications.

In money news, a former Healthsouth executive pleads guilty to fraud. He was accused of conspiring to receive kickbacks of $125,000 a year from a Saudi businessman.

And Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning is expected to be one of the top players selected in this weekend's NFL draft. San Diego has the first pick, but a pre-draft deal could land Manning elsewhere. Ooh, it'll be a fascinating draft this weekend.

In culture, "Thirteen Going On Thirty" starring Jennifer Garner and "Man On Fire" starring Denzel Washington, not Robert Mueller. Well, anyway, that movie opens this weekend. We'll get a critic's choice, coming up later this hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

Time now for a little business buzz. Skipping happy hour because you're on the South Beach diet? One beer maker says do not worry about the carbs.

Carrie Lee has more on this story live from the NASDAQ market site.

Why are you telling this story this morning -- Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, because this is a very big deal, Carol. Anheuser-Busch is spending a million dollars, taking out full page ads in 31 newspapers today across the country. Take a look. This is in the "New York Times." "Have a beer with your South Beach diet."

What's all the brouhaha about? Well, the author of the South Beach diet has been claiming that beer contains maltose. Now, maltose is basically a form of sugar derived from barley malt. The South Beach diet isn't necessarily a low carb diet; rather, it separates good carbs, good fats from the bad ones. And the South Beach diet author says that maltose is a bad carb.

Well, Anheuser-Busch says that there is no maltose in beer. True, it does exist in the early brewing stages, but then it's eliminated when yeast converts it to alcohol and carbonation. So Anheuser-Busch fighting back. There's big money in this, Carol. A lot of people following Atkins/South Beach diet. So Anheuser-Busch, maker of Bud and Michelob, among other beers, is trying to defend its turf. A million dollars spent on these ads today, so it is quite a big deal, at least for them.

COSTELLO: OK, I take it back.

Carrie Lee reporting live from the NASDAQ market site.

Flinging fish -- it ain't no fish story. Ooh, that was bad grammar, wasn't it? It's no fish story. Coming up, we'll tell you about a wild weekend attraction that draws a crowd of serious slingers each and every year.

But if movies are more your speed, we've got you covered on that, too. Ahead, blockbusters, low budgets and more big screen fare.

And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day -- what the heck is it? We'll tell you when we come back.

MYERS: It's something out of focus.

COSTELLO: Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is time for some DAYBREAK Eye-Openers.

Get yourself down to the Big Easy. It's Jazz Fest time now through May 2 in New Orleans. You can hear Harry Conick, Jr., B.B. King, Santana, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Brubeck and, as they say, a host of others. Or get yourself up to this Vermont maple festival. There's a parade, of course; an arts and crafts show; a talent show; an awards banquet; and, oh, yes, all kinds of maple stuff.

Or, get on down to the Gulf Coast, where something's really fishy. It's the annual not to be missed event, the famous Flora-Bama Lounge Interstate Mullet Toss. Oh, boy, you've just got to -- just see if you've got what it takes to toss a mullet from one state to the next. Toss a mullet.

MYERS: It's a bait fish.

COSTELLO: Oh, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: That's why it's called a fish toss.

Did you get the picture? Can you see what it is?

COSTELLO: Let's put that picture up.

MYERS: Actually, you know what? You can kind of tell a little bit, now that I know what it is. A little bit of a beak there to the top and to the right.

COSTELLO: Oh, the eyes.

MYERS: This is the cutest picture, as soon as we go into focus -- Holly, Michigan. Look at the little peeps. Baby ducks. Chick day, they call it in Holly, Michigan. COSTELLO: Well, that's the nicest story yet.

MYERS: From the "Flint Journal" that photo was, nice. Great.

COSTELLO: Very nice.

Oh, that just puts a big smile on your face, doesn't it?

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: I'm so glad it's Friday.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour.

A rebel Muslim leader wants others to say no to terrorism. We'll hear more of his message from his exclusive interview with CNN.

And in the middle of America, one community makes the ultimate war time sacrifice. See how one high school principal has turned a town's patriotism into a display of honor.

(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 23, 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: The top American in Iraq does a 180 and decides members of the old regime, the Saddam regime, can take part in the nation's new government.
Good morning to you.

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

More from Iraq in just a minute, but first the very latest headlines for you now.

The Red Cross says 54 people were killed -- that is confirmed -- and more than 1,200 injured in a train explosion in North Korea. It also says nearly 2,000 homes were absolutely destroyed.

The University of North Dakota will hold a public memorial service next Wednesday for Dru Sjodin, whose body was found last weekend. Her funeral will be held tomorrow in Minnesota.

In the case against Zacarias Moussaoui, a court says the government can introduce evidence of the 9/11 attacks. But it also says he can use written testimony from al Qaeda captives.

The House approves a contingency plan in case it is targeted by terrorists. It calls for a special election to be held within 45 days if more than 100 House members are killed.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The latest developments now in the fight for Iraq. Retired General Tommy Franks says the recent spike in insurgent attacks in Iraq may be tied to the U.S. election cycle and Franks expects the attacks to increase as the presidential election draws nearer. Franks was commander of American forces in that region.

A report this morning says Iraqis are being recruited for an elite volunteer unit that would fight fellow Iraqis who are resisting the occupation. "USA Today" says the plan stems from the reluctance of regular Iraqi security forces to open fire on their countrymen.

U.S. Marines are warning insurgents in Falluja that time is running out for them to turn in their heavy weapons. And the Marine general in command says foreign fighters in Falluja have dug in during the so-called ceasefire and have no interest in surrendering.

And those Japanese civilians who were held hostage in Iraq have received a cool welcome upon their return home to Japan. The government and the public apparently blamed them for ignoring warnings against going to Iraq.

And this -- de-Baathification. Is it a new Iraq policy that will allow members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to be included in government and military positions. Not all Baath Party members will qualify, but some will.

Let's head live to Baghdad now and CNN's Jim Clancy -- so, Jim, what happens now?

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you look at the situation, there are so many questions, Carol, that are being asked about all of this. I think it's important to remember that the Baath Party didn't develop under Saddam Hussein. Saddam Hussein joined the Baath Party.

Now, when we're talking about de-Baathification, allowing some members of the Baath Party to come back, no one is suggesting that members of Saddam Hussein's Revolutionary Command Council are going to now be sitting in government, in a new government, an interim government even here in Baghdad. That's not the case at all.

But there were a lot of people that were members of the Baath Party that were not seen to be involved in the crimes of that regime, in the oppression of people in that regime.

The U.S. looks at the situation on the ground, it realizes that many of these Iraqi troops are not going to be taking orders from Americans. They resent it. They won't do it. They also need to bring in some of that Sunni minority of which Saddam Hussein was a part, but bring in the clean ones, if you will, to be a part of the government so that minority, a very powerful, significant minority, has a role, has a sense that they, too, are a part of any interim government, of any future Iraq.

Now, as they do all of that, there's another question that comes into play here. You've got de-Baathification, if you want to call it that, bringing in some of these people on the one hand. But you've also got the hand over of power on June the 30th and the big question -- I talked to a member of the Iraqi Governing Council who sat down with 50 Iraqi general officers, discussing with them the possibilities. They told him, yes, we'd be willing to come back, but they have conditions. And the conditions are they don't want to be just taking orders from the Americans. They want to have some independence of their own.

How much, all of this still has to be worked out. But the situation right now is one, how do you get some people back with some credibility, with some discipline, with the ability to command these troops and at the same time not lead the country in the wrong direction -- Carol. COSTELLO: Well, Jim, that's kind of unsettling, because if you have these former Baathist generals coming in and having a free hand, won't that leave U.S. troops rather vulnerable?

CLANCY: Not in the view of Iraqi politicians and some of the military men. They believe the U.S. all along should have maintained its role as a liberating army and not become the occupation army, something that after a year it's readily apparent to everyone is resented deeply, not only by the Sunni minority, but a lot of other people in Iraq, the whole notion of being an occupying army.

Masud Barzani, who is now head of the Iraqi Governing Council and who is a political figure, a strong one, from Kurdistan in the north, he told me that they should have never become this occupation force and the best thing is to hand over all of the sovereignty to the Iraqis. He said that all of this on June 30 will be pointless unless they have the power to say no to the Americans when they need to.

And what are we talking about? Falluja. A lot of them do not believe that for four -- the deaths of four U.S. contractors should the U.S. military have gone in there. They've already got a death toll of more than 200 or 300 people. Some new numbers came out today from the health ministry, much lower than that 600 number we have heard.

But we know that there were scores of civilians in there. And they say look, this doesn't make any sense to be going in, putting a whole city under siege to do this. They think they can do it much better the Iraqi way.

COSTELLO: We'll see.

Jim Clancy live from Baghdad this morning.

Senator Joe Lieberman will talk about all of this with Bill and Soledad. That's coming up in the 8:00 Eastern hour of "American Morning."

Well, there could be literally thousands dead and injured after a huge train explosion in North Korea. There are reports of many, many homes incinerated. We are trying to get more information for you, so let's head live to China, near the North Korean border.

Jaime FlorCruz has managed to make his way there. He's -- oh, he's on video phone right now -- that's great, Jamie.

Can you see any of the damage from where you are?

JAMIE FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not really, not from where we are, Carol. We're about 12 miles away from the disaster area. But right behind me is the city of Sinuiju, which is the closest city along the border with China. And just a while ago, we took a look at the banks along this Yellow River and it seemed like business as usual with South Koreans repairing boats and unloading goods.

But not too far from there, in fact, is a disaster area, where about 50 people are believed to have died, 1,000 people injured, and over 2,000 homes destroyed in apparently a very huge explosion that occurred about 24 hours ago.

The City of Sinuiju behind me must be now saddled with the task of taking care of the thousands of North Koreans injured -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jamie, a question for you. We're looking at a map and we see kind of the area. I want to go back to the map we had previous, if we could, to try to explain that. This darkened area, this is where it happened.

Is this in the middle of a town? Are there facilities there to help the dead or help the injured, rather? And are emergency aid workers getting through?

FLORCRUZ: The town is believed to have about 130,000 people, so it's a small town, fairly backward and the question is how, yes, the medical facilities can cope with the disaster. The Red Cross has sent a team there and the World Health Organization, which also operates inside North Korea, have moved their medical facilities close to the disaster area. And so the medical attention is a big challenge.

But they're saying that the measures are now being taken to bring them closest to the disaster area and to save the thousands of people who have been injured in this humanitarian disaster -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And, Jamie, one last question for you. This was a huge explosion. This explosion incinerated 2,000 homes. What was on board that train?

FLORCRUZ: There's still no official explanation or version from the North Korean media. But the North -- a Red Cross official on the ground in North Korea had said that perhaps the explosion may have been caused by a car, a train car laden with explosives, possibly intended for use for mining. And so it perhaps was triggered by this, the explosion of explosives being carried by this train in that town in North Korea -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jaime FlorCruz reporting live from China, right near the North Korean border.

Thank you.

A federal appeals court has lifted sanctions that could have limited the prosecution of Zacarias Moussaoui. He is the only person charged in the United States in connection with the 9/11 attacks. The court says prosecutors may introduce evidence that Moussaoui was a conspirator and may seek the death penalty. But it also says Moussaoui may introduce testimony from al Qaeda captives, evidence his lawyers believe will absolve him of guilt.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARD MACMAHON, MOUSSAOUI ATTORNEY: You can't underestimate the importance of a witness upon whose testimony the death penalty may ride. Moussaoui's life, in a death penalty case, we have argued, would rest upon the testimony of these witnesses. You cannot have a more important witness than that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a statement saying the decision means the government can provide Zacarias Moussaoui with a fair trial while still protecting critical national security interests.

Newly released documents show how much the FBI is doing to prevent crop dusting planes from being used for biological or chemical attacks. They show the FBI has questioned more than 3,000 pilots and aircraft owners, most of them in the past year. The questioning has not resulted in any arrests, but has resulted in terror investigations that are still under way.

In another area of aviation related security, airport security screeners have been given low grades. A homeland security investigator says they're doing a poor job, whether they're government workers or privately employed. The report is based on tests designed to see if screeners can detect dangerous objects.

MYERS: Carol, it's time to give away a DAYBREAK mug this morning.

COSTELLO: Oh, good. Good, good, good.

MYERS: Time to have some good news for a change.

COSTELLO: There were tough questions yesterday. It took people a long time to answer those questions.

MYERS: True. True. And, you know what? We only got about 40 correct answers. Six so...

COSTELLO: The question was too hard.

MYERS: ... compared to the 480 we had the day before. Well, we're making you think in the morning once in a while.

Here are the questions now. In Keith Oppenheim's report about the soldiers from Fort Hood, they were part of which task force in Iraq? The correct answer, Task Force Iron Horse. And if you want to plant a tree or a shrub to provide shade on your house, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, like we are, what side of the house would you plant it on? And the south or southwest side, even the southeast side I would have taken, too.

COSTELLO: You know, the funny thing is, is I was reading through the e-mails and a person from Japan got that question right. They said the southwest side of the house. So, anyway.

MYERS: But, if you're from Bolivia and you answer northwest side, that would also be an answer, a correct answer.

The winner today, as I digress, Lisa Ford from Clover, South Carolina. Congratulations, Lisa. The DAYBREAK mug, as they say, is in the mail.

COSTELLO: Yes, it is. And we promise it won't be broken when it gets there. At least we think so. We'll use that bubble wrap stuff.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: The new questions will come your way at, what, 6:50 Eastern time.

MYERS: 6:50.

COSTELLO: All right.

A new development in the Scott Peterson trial. A letter about Laci's killer. Is it for real? Plus, a CNN exclusive -- a Muslim leader behind bars has a message about terrorism for the outside world.

And a close-knit community shows its patriotism in the halls of a local high school.

But first, we'll find out why one company's foaming mad about the South Beach diet.

This is DAYBREAK for April 23.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: A wake will be held in Minnesota today for college student Dru Sjodin, with funeral services scheduled for tomorrow. Sjodin's body was found last Saturday, nearly five months after she was abducted from a North Dakota mall parking lot. Sjodin's boyfriend told CNN's Larry King he's learned something from the tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN'S "LARRY KING LIVE")

CHRIS LANG, DRU SJODIN'S BOYFRIEND: It really is a good world out there. Everybody, for every monster, there's about a million really wonderful people. And I've experienced it through, you know, be it from the National Guard bringing an army to search for Dru all the way down to an e-mail from a stranger in Japan to a gal giving me a hug at a cafe. All those efforts, they all come from one place, from the heart, and they all mean the same. They all weigh the same because it is amazing to me what the world has done to support Dru and love Dru.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Oh.

A convicted sex offender, Alfonso Rodriguez, has pleaded not guilty to Sjodin's kidnapping.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 6:17 Eastern time.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Some displaced residents of Falluja return to their homes today. The U.S. military warn a truce with insurgents may not last.

More fallout at "USA Today." A second senior editor has resigned following an investigation into a former star reporter's fabrications.

In money news, a former Healthsouth executive pleads guilty to fraud. He was accused of conspiring to receive kickbacks of $125,000 a year from a Saudi businessman.

And Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning is expected to be one of the top players selected in this weekend's NFL draft. San Diego has the first pick, but a pre-draft deal could land Manning elsewhere. Ooh, it'll be a fascinating draft this weekend.

In culture, "Thirteen Going On Thirty" starring Jennifer Garner and "Man On Fire" starring Denzel Washington, not Robert Mueller. Well, anyway, that movie opens this weekend. We'll get a critic's choice, coming up later this hour.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

Time now for a little business buzz. Skipping happy hour because you're on the South Beach diet? One beer maker says do not worry about the carbs.

Carrie Lee has more on this story live from the NASDAQ market site.

Why are you telling this story this morning -- Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, because this is a very big deal, Carol. Anheuser-Busch is spending a million dollars, taking out full page ads in 31 newspapers today across the country. Take a look. This is in the "New York Times." "Have a beer with your South Beach diet."

What's all the brouhaha about? Well, the author of the South Beach diet has been claiming that beer contains maltose. Now, maltose is basically a form of sugar derived from barley malt. The South Beach diet isn't necessarily a low carb diet; rather, it separates good carbs, good fats from the bad ones. And the South Beach diet author says that maltose is a bad carb.

Well, Anheuser-Busch says that there is no maltose in beer. True, it does exist in the early brewing stages, but then it's eliminated when yeast converts it to alcohol and carbonation. So Anheuser-Busch fighting back. There's big money in this, Carol. A lot of people following Atkins/South Beach diet. So Anheuser-Busch, maker of Bud and Michelob, among other beers, is trying to defend its turf. A million dollars spent on these ads today, so it is quite a big deal, at least for them.

COSTELLO: OK, I take it back.

Carrie Lee reporting live from the NASDAQ market site.

Flinging fish -- it ain't no fish story. Ooh, that was bad grammar, wasn't it? It's no fish story. Coming up, we'll tell you about a wild weekend attraction that draws a crowd of serious slingers each and every year.

But if movies are more your speed, we've got you covered on that, too. Ahead, blockbusters, low budgets and more big screen fare.

And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day -- what the heck is it? We'll tell you when we come back.

MYERS: It's something out of focus.

COSTELLO: Yes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is time for some DAYBREAK Eye-Openers.

Get yourself down to the Big Easy. It's Jazz Fest time now through May 2 in New Orleans. You can hear Harry Conick, Jr., B.B. King, Santana, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Brubeck and, as they say, a host of others. Or get yourself up to this Vermont maple festival. There's a parade, of course; an arts and crafts show; a talent show; an awards banquet; and, oh, yes, all kinds of maple stuff.

Or, get on down to the Gulf Coast, where something's really fishy. It's the annual not to be missed event, the famous Flora-Bama Lounge Interstate Mullet Toss. Oh, boy, you've just got to -- just see if you've got what it takes to toss a mullet from one state to the next. Toss a mullet.

MYERS: It's a bait fish.

COSTELLO: Oh, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: That's why it's called a fish toss.

Did you get the picture? Can you see what it is?

COSTELLO: Let's put that picture up.

MYERS: Actually, you know what? You can kind of tell a little bit, now that I know what it is. A little bit of a beak there to the top and to the right.

COSTELLO: Oh, the eyes.

MYERS: This is the cutest picture, as soon as we go into focus -- Holly, Michigan. Look at the little peeps. Baby ducks. Chick day, they call it in Holly, Michigan. COSTELLO: Well, that's the nicest story yet.

MYERS: From the "Flint Journal" that photo was, nice. Great.

COSTELLO: Very nice.

Oh, that just puts a big smile on your face, doesn't it?

Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: I'm so glad it's Friday.

Here's what's all new in the next half hour.

A rebel Muslim leader wants others to say no to terrorism. We'll hear more of his message from his exclusive interview with CNN.

And in the middle of America, one community makes the ultimate war time sacrifice. See how one high school principal has turned a town's patriotism into a display of honor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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