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CNN Live At Daybreak
At Least 10 Mortar Rounds Fired on U.S. Military in Najaf; Abuse Allegations of Iraqi Prisoners; American Hostage Leaves Iraq
Aired May 03, 2004 - 06:30 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Jane Arraf was at that U.S. base, where the troops were being fired upon. Here's what she told us a little earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: We're just constant gun fire here. We have not seen any U.S. casualties, but there is a constant barrage of gunfire behind us.
We're basically ringed by soldiers (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tanks, mortar guns that are firing, and there is the biggest battle going on here that we have seen in the week or so since we've been in this very volatile area.
The situation at Najaf is perhaps even more volatile than Fallujah, because essentially this base, it used to be the Spanish base. It is in the middle of Najaf. It is within Najaf's city limits. It's well away from those holy shrines, which are the most sensitive areas.
But essentially, the base here is surrounded by the city. So, when mortar attacks come in, as they do on a regular basis, it is very difficult for the Army to fire back. They risk hitting civilians. They risk inflaming the situation and turning it into even a more explosive situation than it is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And, of course, it's expected that the insurgents firing upon the U.S. troops are the militia of Muqtada al-Sadr, the sheikh there.
We have Jane Arraf live on the phone from Najaf right now.
Jane -- have things died down? Or is the battle still raging?
ARRAF: It is still going on around us, Carol. Now, there has been firing coming from almost all sides, including mortar fire. The U.S. military here has just brought in a Stealth reconnaissance helicopter team from Hillah, further north near Babylon. There's another U.S. base there.
And that seems -- those attack helicopters, as well as reconnaissance, have just arrived. They have been authorized to shoot if they have to, and they have been authorized as well to enable the U.S. to use its own mortars to fight back.
So far, they have been very restrained in fighting back against what has been the worst attack on this base since the U.S. military arrived here to fill in when the Spanish troops left.
Now, as I mentioned, there have been mortar rounds, dozens of mortar rounds it seems, rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms fire. This place has not been under assault by armed militia members themselves, but they are from a distance continuing to launch attacks on the base.
No coalition casualties that we know of -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And that is good news. Jane Arraf reporting live for us from Najaf, Iraq, this morning with breaking news.
Some new information we learned, too, this morning. Six U.S. Army officers have now been reprimanded for alleged abuse of prisoners in an Iraqi prison. And the controversy is not over yet.
Live on the phone from Washington with more, CNN's Kathleen Koch.
Kathleen -- bring us up-to-date.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I'm here at the Pentagon this morning, and you see Associated Press is reporting that six officers and non-commissioners officers have been reprimanded in connection with these alleged abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison. A seventh officer was given a more lenient admonition. And this, of course, is in addition to the six U.S. military police Reservists, who are already facing criminal charges in connection with all of this.
Now, the attorney for one of those is Sergeant Chip Frederick. We spoke with him yesterday. He's appearing on CNN this morning. And he told us that he is filing legal papers this morning to ask for a broad sweeping inquiry -- something called a Court of Inquiry -- to really look from top to bottom, all the way from the MPs there at the prison to top-level generals, commanders, in charge of this prison, to see just exactly where the blame lies.
Obviously, this young man, Chip Frederick, he contends that he was simply following orders. His family yesterday, and in the days earlier, to some newspapers released a journal that he had been keeping that catalogued some of these abuses and his concerns, saying that he went numerous times to commanding officers, saying what about this, I have problems with it. And they said, go ahead. We give you permission to do it. This is the way military intelligence wants it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kathleen, I know that these six troops -- soldiers are facing criminal charges. But these six Army officers that were reprimanded this morning, will they face criminal charges? And what does a reprimand exactly mean?
KOCH: Well, at the point, the reprimand, from what the Associated Press is reporting, is that it is the most severe level of administrative punishment that can be meted out in the U.S. military. It's unclear at this point, because there are a couple of investigations into these alleged abuses that are not complete. So, it's unclear whether or not any criminal charges could follow at this point.
But obviously, the military is doing everything it can to show that this is not acceptable behavior. And the senior defense official I spoke with yesterday was simply livid when it came to some of these allegations, well, we just did what we were told to do. Or indeed the brigadier general in charge of the prison, Janis Karpinski, who said that, well, she'd warned superiors about this, but they didn't have the manpower, they didn't have the training, and that's why this happened.
And the senior defense official, again, was just furious. He said, you know, this is nothing that can be connected to any shortage of training, shortage of manpower, and that the idea that any officer, any enlisted man or woman, would think that these were legal orders that had to be followed is simply ludicrous.
COSTELLO: Kathleen Koch reporting for us live from the Pentagon this morning.
For more on the prisoner abuse story, be sure to catch Seymour Hersh of "The New Yorker" magazine. He'll be on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." That comes your way, oh, in just about 35 minutes.
Thomas Hamill, the former American hostage who escaped his captors, left Iraq a short time ago. He's heading to Germany, and he will eventually be reunited with his wife. She's also on her way to Germany.
CNN's Chris Burns joins us live by phone from Germany.
What will happen when Thomas Hamill arrives -- Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Thomas Hamill is just about wheels down any minute now at Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. and NATO air base. It's right outside of Landstuhl. And here, we're at Landstuhl Hospital waiting for his arrival. He will be checked here, as many wounded soldiers are when they come back from Iraq. They do pass through Landstuhl, where they're given initial medical treatment and checks.
And this is where he, as a civilian -- they made a special case for him to check him. He was shot in the arm. And military officials believe his arm might be infected. So, he will undergo checks here.
But we do hope to speak to him in the next few hours or maybe a day or so. He had a dramatic -- he has a dramatic story to tell of how he escaped from his captors after three weeks in captivity after he was ambushed, along with others, in a fuel convoy in Iraq just outside of Baghdad.
So, he will have a lot of dramatic accounts to tell of how he forced open a door. According to military officials, he forced open the door where he was being held captive and ran and caught up with a U.S. military convoy yesterday, who took him in.
So, quite a dramatic story there -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Chris Burns reporting live from Germany. When Thomas Hamill touches down -- or actually when his plane touches down, we'll head back to Chris Burns at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Hamill's friends and family, of course, anxiously awaits the couple's return to Macon, Mississippi, because, as we told you, the wife, she's already heading to Germany.
CNN's Mike Brooks is in Mississippi, though, this morning to tell us the story from that vantage point.
Good morning.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it looks like Kellie will be having a reunion with her husband very shortly. But yesterday was a joyous day here. At the house yesterday, the house was draped with an American flag with yellow balloons all over the front yard. We heard from Kellie. She talked about that her husband, Tommy, as they call him here in Macon, sounded well.
Then there was a bittersweet prayer ceremony last night here at the Noxubee courthouse when she spoke to the people of Mississippi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLIE HAMILL, WIFE: It was a wonderful feeling. You know, you're happy. You're excited. We still have feelings for the other ones that are over there still being held. You know, I just -- I really can't put it into words. I'm happy for us, but I'm also still worrying and praying for the others as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: The mayor of Macon says that when Tommy Hamill does return to town that there will a Tommy Hamill Day and a parade through Macon -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And I'm sure we will be there covering it all. Mike Brooks reporting live from Mississippi this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, your teenager is not being lazy. Summer jobs really are tough to find this year. Coming up, we'll explain why that's a sign for the rest of the real world.
Then, we'll hear what happens when you give a late-night TV host the microphone in a room full of Washington's movers and shakers.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now.
It may be a jobless summer for your teenager. But do not get mad at your teenager. This time it really isn't because they're not trying very hard.
Joya Doss has more on this story, live from the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Good morning.
JOYA DOSS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Good morning.
Watch out, mom and dad, because your teens might be spending some time at home this summer. There's actually a study out in "USA Today" this morning that says that teens could be facing the toughest summer since the end of World War II.
The reasons? Well, first of all, companies are now more likely to hire unemployed seniors, as well as new immigrants. Many cash- strapped cities and states have been cutting funding for summer teen jobs programs. And, in fact, for example, if you look at what's going on in Denver at the Six Flags amusement park there, that company has already gotten 9,000 applications, and it's only the first of May. It's the first couple of days of May. Compare that to last year when they only got 11,000 for the entire season.
COSTELLO: Wow!
DOSS: Yes. It's just a marker, I think, of things to come. Right? Well, there are some statistics to back this up. The Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University says that the annual teen employment rate last year fell to 37 percent from what we saw in the year 2000 when it stood at 45 percent.
COSTELLO: Well, at least they're out there trying, but it makes you feel so bad that they're not getting anything from their efforts.
DOSS: Right. And this is, of course, in the face of the fact that we are hearing ticks of more job growth here in the United States. And we're certainly going to find out on Friday when we get the April employment report. So, we'll find out how the adults are doing anyway.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's just troubling, because, you know, the cost of a college education is so high. So, those teenagers really do have to get out there to work to save some money up.
DOSS: Well, one of the kids in the article says that, hey, I've got to pay for my own gas and insurance, both of which, we know, aren't cheap, either.
COSTELLO: Oh, no. You're right about that, especially the insurance part for kids.
DOSS: Right.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Joya Doss, reporting live from the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.
American contractor Thomas Hamill arrives in Germany shortly on the first leg of his trip home to Mississippi. Hamill escaped from his captors in Iraq after being held for more than three weeks.
Today is the day older Americans can begin signing up for Medicare discounts. The drug discount card program will be kicked off this morning by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson.
In money news, Federal Reserve policymakers are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the state of the economy. They are not expected to raise interest rates yet.
In sports, the Associated Press reports Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnet will be named the NBA's most valuable player later today. It will be Garnet's first MVP award.
In culture, the stars are out in New York for the third annual Tribeca Film Festival. More than 250 films from 42 nations are being shown during this weeklong event.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Let's head live to New York now to check in with Soledad and Miles, who is filling in for Bill Hemmer this morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: O'Brien and O'Brien today, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, that's right, but no relation.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No, no.
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: Not that we know of anyhow.
S. O'BRIEN: No. Brother and sister.
M. O'BRIEN: We haven't done the full (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
S. O'BRIEN: Anyway, coming up this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING," as you have been reporting all morning, Thomas Hamill is free now. He, of course, is the contractor who was kidnapped in Iraq. Fantastic news for the folks in his hometown, where they are celebrating today, and our Bob Franken is in his hometown. He's going to report on the festivities there.
M. O'BRIEN: And they will be celebrating in Macon.
Meanwhile, that whole Iraqi prisoner story seems to continue. We're going to hear this morning from the chief spokesperson in Iraq, General Kimmitt. But we're also going to talk to Seymour Hersh, who's out with an article in "The New Yorker" magazine, talking about how it may not have been an isolated situation there; that it might have been very systematic what was going on in the Abu Ghraib prison.
S. O'BRIEN: Which as of right now a lot of the military officials are denying at this point.
Also this morning, we talk to Sanjay Gupta. He's got a fascinating report for us. That and much more ahead this morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Wait a minute.
M. O'BRIEN: Wait, Sanjay is going to eat fire.
COSTELLO: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Sanjay is going to eat fire.
COSTELLO: Did you see pictures of that?
M. O'BRIEN: No. No. You've already seen it?
COSTELLO: I have. I'm connected.
M. O'BRIEN: You are. You are wired.
S. O'BRIEN: He's not really eating the fire.
COSTELLO: Yes, he is.
M. O'BRIEN: He is eating fire. That is true. It's...
COSTELLO: It comes out of his mouth.
S. O'BRIEN: It's magic and mirrors.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, it might be, but...
COSTELLO: I'm telling you it's not.
M. O'BRIEN: That's television, isn't it?
S. O'BRIEN: Well, we will see (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That's ahead this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Magic and mirrors, three hours of magic and mirrors if you stay tuned, all right?
COSTELLO: Yes, we do that a lot here. Thank you, Soledad and Miles. We'll catch you in about 10 minutes.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, the fastest two minutes in sports is over, but the limelight is not fading for this derby star and his jockey.
Plus, they may not look like typical beauty queens, but they (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the title of supermodel in a popular pageant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, we're having some fun now. It is 6:50 Eastern Time. It was a big weekend for sports, if you like basketball and horse racing. And, of course, I love both sports.
Chris Cotter is here. Chad, help me out, because you...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Careful with that nose, because (UNINTELLIGIBLE) if it gets any longer.
COSTELLO: I know. You know, I love football and baseball.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: I'm glued to the set.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: But the Kentucky Derby...
CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: The most exciting two minutes in all sports.
COSTELLO: It's true. It's short.
COTTER: It's only two minutes.
COSTELLO: It's a short watch.
COTTER: Right. You can watch it for two minutes, and then flip right back to baseball and watch a four-and-a-half-hour game, where they change the pitchers 12 times.
COSTELLO: I love that, though. I love that!
COTTER: I'm sure you do.
COSTELLO: But, Chad, you watched the entire race.
MYERS: I did, yes.
COSTELLO: And Smarty Jones, the horse won.
MYERS: Yes, from Pennsylvania. The guy has been racing horses in Philadelphia for years and years and years. He said he'd never go to the Kentucky Derby, not even go as a viewer, as a bystander, until he had a horse that could run and that he had a horse that could win. And obviously, he really did.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Boy, could that horse run and win. MYERS: Yes, even it was in the mud. It was a heavy track. It was sloppy. Only four times in the Kentucky Derby history has there been a sloppy track on race day.
COSTELLO: We do have a sound byte from the jockey, Stewart Elliott. Shall we listen?
COTTER: Sure.
MYERS: Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART ELLIOTT, SMARTY JONES' JOCKEY: I thought, 'We're on our way. Where are the rest -- where are they? Where are they?' And I just kept riding my horse. When I reached the finish line in front, it was like a dream come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And that was nice to hear, Chris.
COTTER: Yes, and it's an interesting story, too, as Chad was saying. I mean, you have -- it's really the second year in a row you had what they would call a people's horse. Last year, with Funny Side going for the Triple Crown, you know, you had an interesting story there.
MYERS: Right.
COTTER: It's a horse that, as Chad said, racing from a small track in Philadelphia. It's not from Florida or California or Kentucky, or even New York for that matter. So, it's kind of coming out of nowhere...
MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COTTER: Yes, right. Even though undefeated, it's not coming from the traditional blue blood that you would see a lot of these thoroughbreds come from.
COSTELLO: And it could be a Triple Crown winner.
COTTER: It could be. That's what makes it exciting, too, is you never know. So, after the Kentucky Derby, you have one winner. You have two more races, the Preakness and Belmont, that come. Let's see what happens in these two.
MYERS: I felt bad that the horse, that Dwain Guinness (ph) didn't win, you know, I mean...
COTTER: That would have been the best story of all.
MYERS: That would have been a good story.
COSTELLO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) formula. MYERS: It is a good story.
COTTER: That's right.
COSTELLO: We want to touch on the NBA playoffs, because these have been the longest playoffs in the history of man.
COTTER: Well, and they do that, too, for TV. They'll have a couple of games in a weekend, you know, wait until the following weekend to put some more games on.
MYERS: Yes.
COTTER: So, you actually had the second round starting yesterday with the Spurs and Lakers. And would you please just give that a chance? Watch the Spurs and Lakers. That's going to be a good, maybe even a great series. In the Eastern Conference...
COSTELLO: Well, I know Kobe Bryant is doing well. I do know that.
COTTER: Well, he is doing well. With everything he's having to deal with, that's saying something about his ability to play basketball. But the Spurs are too good defensively, I think, in this series. I think they're going to win it. It's going to be long, though -- six, seven games. You have Shaq, you have Kobe, you have the other two Hall of Famers on the Lakers, you know, Manny -- or Gary Peyton, rather, and Karl Malone.
So, you've got the names there. Let's see how long this series goes. There is still one series going on in the Eastern Conference from the first round.
MYERS: That one is not done yet.
COTTER: I know.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
COTTER: The Heat and the Hornets are still going at it, and they'll finish up on Tuesday.
COSTELLO: They're going to play until July?
COTTER: Two mediocre teams trying to get into the second round, and we'll see if that can happen. I still think, though -- everybody talks about the Western Conference and how good it is, and I think it is -- I think a team from the East, Pistons or Pacers maybe, they could give somebody a run in the Western Conference if they can get there.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much, Chris. We must get to our mug question.
COTTER: Yes, go ahead.
MYERS: We've got to give away the mug from Friday.
Hey, good morning, everybody. Did you answer this question? Somebody answered it right. What type of spacecraft just carried three station crewmembers -- space station crewmembers back to Earth? That the Soyuz space station. Obviously, the Soyuz capsule came back down. And obviously, what was and is the Google's company slogan? It is "Don't be evil."
The winner from, hey, Kentucky, another Kentucky winner. John Boyd in Winchester, Kentucky got both answers right. And you must answer them both. Have I said that every day now for the past two months? Please, answer them both today.
Here are your questions for today to win the mug: What organization will release its report on Muslim discrimination in the U.S. today? And which player will receive the NBA's most valuable player award? We'll name the two winners tomorrow.
COSTELLO: Oh, that first one is a tough one!
MYERS: It is.
COSTELLO: It's a tough one, isn't it? You can't answer it, can you?
COTTER: Do you know the second one?
COSTELLO: I do.
COTTER: I can't answer the first one. I have no idea. The second one, I got down pat.
COSTELLO: Well, did you listen to Chad? You're not going to win the mug then. Don't be e-mailing us.
Chad will join me for "The Lightning Round" that's coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Well, just to keep you up-to-date, Thomas Hamill, the American contractor that escaped from his Iraqi captors over the weekend, his plane has now landed in Germany. He's going to get some medical treatment there, and then eventually he will have a big reunion with his wife, who is flying to Germany from Mississippi. More on that on "AMERICAN MORNING."
But right now on DAYBREAK, it is time for "The Lightning Round."
MYERS: Ready.
COSTELLO: Twenty contestants, but only one big winner in the Miss Jumbo Supermodel contest in Thailand, Chad. You know, thousands watch this show live on television every year. To be in this contest, you must weigh more than 175 pounds to compete. You must participate in a talent contest and answer questions about a variety of issues. We don't know what the questions are. We only wish we did.
MYERS: Keep moving.
COSTELLO: I know. I knew you would not comment about that story.
Late-night talk show hosts like to poke fun at the powers that be in Washington, but this weekend they got a chance to tell some of those jokes face to face at the White House correspondents' dinner. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": According to Bob Woodward's book, Colin Powell and Dick Cheney no longer speak to each other. To give you an idea of how bad it's gotten, their Secret Service code names are Bill and Hillary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There were some funny moments. I do like the part about Condoleezza Rice and her hair being compared to Al Sharpton's, which was kind of mean, but she thought it was funny, too -- or maybe she didn't.
MYERS: She did laugh at it. She was really a good sport about it. Everybody -- I mean, everybody knows you're going to get fun poked at you at some point in that day.
COSTELLO: So true. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great day.
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Aired May 3, 2004 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Jane Arraf was at that U.S. base, where the troops were being fired upon. Here's what she told us a little earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: We're just constant gun fire here. We have not seen any U.S. casualties, but there is a constant barrage of gunfire behind us.
We're basically ringed by soldiers (UNINTELLIGIBLE) tanks, mortar guns that are firing, and there is the biggest battle going on here that we have seen in the week or so since we've been in this very volatile area.
The situation at Najaf is perhaps even more volatile than Fallujah, because essentially this base, it used to be the Spanish base. It is in the middle of Najaf. It is within Najaf's city limits. It's well away from those holy shrines, which are the most sensitive areas.
But essentially, the base here is surrounded by the city. So, when mortar attacks come in, as they do on a regular basis, it is very difficult for the Army to fire back. They risk hitting civilians. They risk inflaming the situation and turning it into even a more explosive situation than it is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And, of course, it's expected that the insurgents firing upon the U.S. troops are the militia of Muqtada al-Sadr, the sheikh there.
We have Jane Arraf live on the phone from Najaf right now.
Jane -- have things died down? Or is the battle still raging?
ARRAF: It is still going on around us, Carol. Now, there has been firing coming from almost all sides, including mortar fire. The U.S. military here has just brought in a Stealth reconnaissance helicopter team from Hillah, further north near Babylon. There's another U.S. base there.
And that seems -- those attack helicopters, as well as reconnaissance, have just arrived. They have been authorized to shoot if they have to, and they have been authorized as well to enable the U.S. to use its own mortars to fight back.
So far, they have been very restrained in fighting back against what has been the worst attack on this base since the U.S. military arrived here to fill in when the Spanish troops left.
Now, as I mentioned, there have been mortar rounds, dozens of mortar rounds it seems, rocket-propelled grenades, small-arms fire. This place has not been under assault by armed militia members themselves, but they are from a distance continuing to launch attacks on the base.
No coalition casualties that we know of -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And that is good news. Jane Arraf reporting live for us from Najaf, Iraq, this morning with breaking news.
Some new information we learned, too, this morning. Six U.S. Army officers have now been reprimanded for alleged abuse of prisoners in an Iraqi prison. And the controversy is not over yet.
Live on the phone from Washington with more, CNN's Kathleen Koch.
Kathleen -- bring us up-to-date.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, I'm here at the Pentagon this morning, and you see Associated Press is reporting that six officers and non-commissioners officers have been reprimanded in connection with these alleged abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison. A seventh officer was given a more lenient admonition. And this, of course, is in addition to the six U.S. military police Reservists, who are already facing criminal charges in connection with all of this.
Now, the attorney for one of those is Sergeant Chip Frederick. We spoke with him yesterday. He's appearing on CNN this morning. And he told us that he is filing legal papers this morning to ask for a broad sweeping inquiry -- something called a Court of Inquiry -- to really look from top to bottom, all the way from the MPs there at the prison to top-level generals, commanders, in charge of this prison, to see just exactly where the blame lies.
Obviously, this young man, Chip Frederick, he contends that he was simply following orders. His family yesterday, and in the days earlier, to some newspapers released a journal that he had been keeping that catalogued some of these abuses and his concerns, saying that he went numerous times to commanding officers, saying what about this, I have problems with it. And they said, go ahead. We give you permission to do it. This is the way military intelligence wants it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kathleen, I know that these six troops -- soldiers are facing criminal charges. But these six Army officers that were reprimanded this morning, will they face criminal charges? And what does a reprimand exactly mean?
KOCH: Well, at the point, the reprimand, from what the Associated Press is reporting, is that it is the most severe level of administrative punishment that can be meted out in the U.S. military. It's unclear at this point, because there are a couple of investigations into these alleged abuses that are not complete. So, it's unclear whether or not any criminal charges could follow at this point.
But obviously, the military is doing everything it can to show that this is not acceptable behavior. And the senior defense official I spoke with yesterday was simply livid when it came to some of these allegations, well, we just did what we were told to do. Or indeed the brigadier general in charge of the prison, Janis Karpinski, who said that, well, she'd warned superiors about this, but they didn't have the manpower, they didn't have the training, and that's why this happened.
And the senior defense official, again, was just furious. He said, you know, this is nothing that can be connected to any shortage of training, shortage of manpower, and that the idea that any officer, any enlisted man or woman, would think that these were legal orders that had to be followed is simply ludicrous.
COSTELLO: Kathleen Koch reporting for us live from the Pentagon this morning.
For more on the prisoner abuse story, be sure to catch Seymour Hersh of "The New Yorker" magazine. He'll be on CNN's "AMERICAN MORNING." That comes your way, oh, in just about 35 minutes.
Thomas Hamill, the former American hostage who escaped his captors, left Iraq a short time ago. He's heading to Germany, and he will eventually be reunited with his wife. She's also on her way to Germany.
CNN's Chris Burns joins us live by phone from Germany.
What will happen when Thomas Hamill arrives -- Chris?
CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, Thomas Hamill is just about wheels down any minute now at Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. and NATO air base. It's right outside of Landstuhl. And here, we're at Landstuhl Hospital waiting for his arrival. He will be checked here, as many wounded soldiers are when they come back from Iraq. They do pass through Landstuhl, where they're given initial medical treatment and checks.
And this is where he, as a civilian -- they made a special case for him to check him. He was shot in the arm. And military officials believe his arm might be infected. So, he will undergo checks here.
But we do hope to speak to him in the next few hours or maybe a day or so. He had a dramatic -- he has a dramatic story to tell of how he escaped from his captors after three weeks in captivity after he was ambushed, along with others, in a fuel convoy in Iraq just outside of Baghdad.
So, he will have a lot of dramatic accounts to tell of how he forced open a door. According to military officials, he forced open the door where he was being held captive and ran and caught up with a U.S. military convoy yesterday, who took him in.
So, quite a dramatic story there -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Chris Burns reporting live from Germany. When Thomas Hamill touches down -- or actually when his plane touches down, we'll head back to Chris Burns at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Hamill's friends and family, of course, anxiously awaits the couple's return to Macon, Mississippi, because, as we told you, the wife, she's already heading to Germany.
CNN's Mike Brooks is in Mississippi, though, this morning to tell us the story from that vantage point.
Good morning.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it looks like Kellie will be having a reunion with her husband very shortly. But yesterday was a joyous day here. At the house yesterday, the house was draped with an American flag with yellow balloons all over the front yard. We heard from Kellie. She talked about that her husband, Tommy, as they call him here in Macon, sounded well.
Then there was a bittersweet prayer ceremony last night here at the Noxubee courthouse when she spoke to the people of Mississippi.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLIE HAMILL, WIFE: It was a wonderful feeling. You know, you're happy. You're excited. We still have feelings for the other ones that are over there still being held. You know, I just -- I really can't put it into words. I'm happy for us, but I'm also still worrying and praying for the others as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKS: The mayor of Macon says that when Tommy Hamill does return to town that there will a Tommy Hamill Day and a parade through Macon -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And I'm sure we will be there covering it all. Mike Brooks reporting live from Mississippi this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, your teenager is not being lazy. Summer jobs really are tough to find this year. Coming up, we'll explain why that's a sign for the rest of the real world.
Then, we'll hear what happens when you give a late-night TV host the microphone in a room full of Washington's movers and shakers.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Time for a little business buzz now.
It may be a jobless summer for your teenager. But do not get mad at your teenager. This time it really isn't because they're not trying very hard.
Joya Doss has more on this story, live from the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Good morning.
JOYA DOSS, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS: Good morning.
Watch out, mom and dad, because your teens might be spending some time at home this summer. There's actually a study out in "USA Today" this morning that says that teens could be facing the toughest summer since the end of World War II.
The reasons? Well, first of all, companies are now more likely to hire unemployed seniors, as well as new immigrants. Many cash- strapped cities and states have been cutting funding for summer teen jobs programs. And, in fact, for example, if you look at what's going on in Denver at the Six Flags amusement park there, that company has already gotten 9,000 applications, and it's only the first of May. It's the first couple of days of May. Compare that to last year when they only got 11,000 for the entire season.
COSTELLO: Wow!
DOSS: Yes. It's just a marker, I think, of things to come. Right? Well, there are some statistics to back this up. The Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University says that the annual teen employment rate last year fell to 37 percent from what we saw in the year 2000 when it stood at 45 percent.
COSTELLO: Well, at least they're out there trying, but it makes you feel so bad that they're not getting anything from their efforts.
DOSS: Right. And this is, of course, in the face of the fact that we are hearing ticks of more job growth here in the United States. And we're certainly going to find out on Friday when we get the April employment report. So, we'll find out how the adults are doing anyway.
COSTELLO: Yes, it's just troubling, because, you know, the cost of a college education is so high. So, those teenagers really do have to get out there to work to save some money up.
DOSS: Well, one of the kids in the article says that, hey, I've got to pay for my own gas and insurance, both of which, we know, aren't cheap, either.
COSTELLO: Oh, no. You're right about that, especially the insurance part for kids.
DOSS: Right.
COSTELLO: Thank you, Joya Doss, reporting live from the Nasdaq Marketsite.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.
American contractor Thomas Hamill arrives in Germany shortly on the first leg of his trip home to Mississippi. Hamill escaped from his captors in Iraq after being held for more than three weeks.
Today is the day older Americans can begin signing up for Medicare discounts. The drug discount card program will be kicked off this morning by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson.
In money news, Federal Reserve policymakers are scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss the state of the economy. They are not expected to raise interest rates yet.
In sports, the Associated Press reports Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnet will be named the NBA's most valuable player later today. It will be Garnet's first MVP award.
In culture, the stars are out in New York for the third annual Tribeca Film Festival. More than 250 films from 42 nations are being shown during this weeklong event.
(WEATHER BREAK)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Let's head live to New York now to check in with Soledad and Miles, who is filling in for Bill Hemmer this morning.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: O'Brien and O'Brien today, Carol.
COSTELLO: Oh, that's right, but no relation.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: No, no.
S. O'BRIEN: No.
M. O'BRIEN: Not that we know of anyhow.
S. O'BRIEN: No. Brother and sister.
M. O'BRIEN: We haven't done the full (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
S. O'BRIEN: Anyway, coming up this morning on "AMERICAN MORNING," as you have been reporting all morning, Thomas Hamill is free now. He, of course, is the contractor who was kidnapped in Iraq. Fantastic news for the folks in his hometown, where they are celebrating today, and our Bob Franken is in his hometown. He's going to report on the festivities there.
M. O'BRIEN: And they will be celebrating in Macon.
Meanwhile, that whole Iraqi prisoner story seems to continue. We're going to hear this morning from the chief spokesperson in Iraq, General Kimmitt. But we're also going to talk to Seymour Hersh, who's out with an article in "The New Yorker" magazine, talking about how it may not have been an isolated situation there; that it might have been very systematic what was going on in the Abu Ghraib prison.
S. O'BRIEN: Which as of right now a lot of the military officials are denying at this point.
Also this morning, we talk to Sanjay Gupta. He's got a fascinating report for us. That and much more ahead this morning -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Wait a minute.
M. O'BRIEN: Wait, Sanjay is going to eat fire.
COSTELLO: Yes.
M. O'BRIEN: Sanjay is going to eat fire.
COSTELLO: Did you see pictures of that?
M. O'BRIEN: No. No. You've already seen it?
COSTELLO: I have. I'm connected.
M. O'BRIEN: You are. You are wired.
S. O'BRIEN: He's not really eating the fire.
COSTELLO: Yes, he is.
M. O'BRIEN: He is eating fire. That is true. It's...
COSTELLO: It comes out of his mouth.
S. O'BRIEN: It's magic and mirrors.
M. O'BRIEN: Well, it might be, but...
COSTELLO: I'm telling you it's not.
M. O'BRIEN: That's television, isn't it?
S. O'BRIEN: Well, we will see (UNINTELLIGIBLE). That's ahead this morning.
M. O'BRIEN: Magic and mirrors, three hours of magic and mirrors if you stay tuned, all right?
COSTELLO: Yes, we do that a lot here. Thank you, Soledad and Miles. We'll catch you in about 10 minutes.
S. O'BRIEN: All right.
COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, the fastest two minutes in sports is over, but the limelight is not fading for this derby star and his jockey.
Plus, they may not look like typical beauty queens, but they (UNINTELLIGIBLE) the title of supermodel in a popular pageant.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh, we're having some fun now. It is 6:50 Eastern Time. It was a big weekend for sports, if you like basketball and horse racing. And, of course, I love both sports.
Chris Cotter is here. Chad, help me out, because you...
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Careful with that nose, because (UNINTELLIGIBLE) if it gets any longer.
COSTELLO: I know. You know, I love football and baseball.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: I'm glued to the set.
MYERS: I know.
COSTELLO: But the Kentucky Derby...
CHRIS COTTER, 790 THE ZONE: The most exciting two minutes in all sports.
COSTELLO: It's true. It's short.
COTTER: It's only two minutes.
COSTELLO: It's a short watch.
COTTER: Right. You can watch it for two minutes, and then flip right back to baseball and watch a four-and-a-half-hour game, where they change the pitchers 12 times.
COSTELLO: I love that, though. I love that!
COTTER: I'm sure you do.
COSTELLO: But, Chad, you watched the entire race.
MYERS: I did, yes.
COSTELLO: And Smarty Jones, the horse won.
MYERS: Yes, from Pennsylvania. The guy has been racing horses in Philadelphia for years and years and years. He said he'd never go to the Kentucky Derby, not even go as a viewer, as a bystander, until he had a horse that could run and that he had a horse that could win. And obviously, he really did.
COSTELLO: Oh, yes. Boy, could that horse run and win. MYERS: Yes, even it was in the mud. It was a heavy track. It was sloppy. Only four times in the Kentucky Derby history has there been a sloppy track on race day.
COSTELLO: We do have a sound byte from the jockey, Stewart Elliott. Shall we listen?
COTTER: Sure.
MYERS: Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEWART ELLIOTT, SMARTY JONES' JOCKEY: I thought, 'We're on our way. Where are the rest -- where are they? Where are they?' And I just kept riding my horse. When I reached the finish line in front, it was like a dream come true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And that was nice to hear, Chris.
COTTER: Yes, and it's an interesting story, too, as Chad was saying. I mean, you have -- it's really the second year in a row you had what they would call a people's horse. Last year, with Funny Side going for the Triple Crown, you know, you had an interesting story there.
MYERS: Right.
COTTER: It's a horse that, as Chad said, racing from a small track in Philadelphia. It's not from Florida or California or Kentucky, or even New York for that matter. So, it's kind of coming out of nowhere...
MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
COTTER: Yes, right. Even though undefeated, it's not coming from the traditional blue blood that you would see a lot of these thoroughbreds come from.
COSTELLO: And it could be a Triple Crown winner.
COTTER: It could be. That's what makes it exciting, too, is you never know. So, after the Kentucky Derby, you have one winner. You have two more races, the Preakness and Belmont, that come. Let's see what happens in these two.
MYERS: I felt bad that the horse, that Dwain Guinness (ph) didn't win, you know, I mean...
COTTER: That would have been the best story of all.
MYERS: That would have been a good story.
COSTELLO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) formula. MYERS: It is a good story.
COTTER: That's right.
COSTELLO: We want to touch on the NBA playoffs, because these have been the longest playoffs in the history of man.
COTTER: Well, and they do that, too, for TV. They'll have a couple of games in a weekend, you know, wait until the following weekend to put some more games on.
MYERS: Yes.
COTTER: So, you actually had the second round starting yesterday with the Spurs and Lakers. And would you please just give that a chance? Watch the Spurs and Lakers. That's going to be a good, maybe even a great series. In the Eastern Conference...
COSTELLO: Well, I know Kobe Bryant is doing well. I do know that.
COTTER: Well, he is doing well. With everything he's having to deal with, that's saying something about his ability to play basketball. But the Spurs are too good defensively, I think, in this series. I think they're going to win it. It's going to be long, though -- six, seven games. You have Shaq, you have Kobe, you have the other two Hall of Famers on the Lakers, you know, Manny -- or Gary Peyton, rather, and Karl Malone.
So, you've got the names there. Let's see how long this series goes. There is still one series going on in the Eastern Conference from the first round.
MYERS: That one is not done yet.
COTTER: I know.
COSTELLO: Exactly.
COTTER: The Heat and the Hornets are still going at it, and they'll finish up on Tuesday.
COSTELLO: They're going to play until July?
COTTER: Two mediocre teams trying to get into the second round, and we'll see if that can happen. I still think, though -- everybody talks about the Western Conference and how good it is, and I think it is -- I think a team from the East, Pistons or Pacers maybe, they could give somebody a run in the Western Conference if they can get there.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you very much, Chris. We must get to our mug question.
COTTER: Yes, go ahead.
MYERS: We've got to give away the mug from Friday.
Hey, good morning, everybody. Did you answer this question? Somebody answered it right. What type of spacecraft just carried three station crewmembers -- space station crewmembers back to Earth? That the Soyuz space station. Obviously, the Soyuz capsule came back down. And obviously, what was and is the Google's company slogan? It is "Don't be evil."
The winner from, hey, Kentucky, another Kentucky winner. John Boyd in Winchester, Kentucky got both answers right. And you must answer them both. Have I said that every day now for the past two months? Please, answer them both today.
Here are your questions for today to win the mug: What organization will release its report on Muslim discrimination in the U.S. today? And which player will receive the NBA's most valuable player award? We'll name the two winners tomorrow.
COSTELLO: Oh, that first one is a tough one!
MYERS: It is.
COSTELLO: It's a tough one, isn't it? You can't answer it, can you?
COTTER: Do you know the second one?
COSTELLO: I do.
COTTER: I can't answer the first one. I have no idea. The second one, I got down pat.
COSTELLO: Well, did you listen to Chad? You're not going to win the mug then. Don't be e-mailing us.
Chad will join me for "The Lightning Round" that's coming up, but first the latest headlines for you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Well, just to keep you up-to-date, Thomas Hamill, the American contractor that escaped from his Iraqi captors over the weekend, his plane has now landed in Germany. He's going to get some medical treatment there, and then eventually he will have a big reunion with his wife, who is flying to Germany from Mississippi. More on that on "AMERICAN MORNING."
But right now on DAYBREAK, it is time for "The Lightning Round."
MYERS: Ready.
COSTELLO: Twenty contestants, but only one big winner in the Miss Jumbo Supermodel contest in Thailand, Chad. You know, thousands watch this show live on television every year. To be in this contest, you must weigh more than 175 pounds to compete. You must participate in a talent contest and answer questions about a variety of issues. We don't know what the questions are. We only wish we did.
MYERS: Keep moving.
COSTELLO: I know. I knew you would not comment about that story.
Late-night talk show hosts like to poke fun at the powers that be in Washington, but this weekend they got a chance to tell some of those jokes face to face at the White House correspondents' dinner. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": According to Bob Woodward's book, Colin Powell and Dick Cheney no longer speak to each other. To give you an idea of how bad it's gotten, their Secret Service code names are Bill and Hillary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: There were some funny moments. I do like the part about Condoleezza Rice and her hair being compared to Al Sharpton's, which was kind of mean, but she thought it was funny, too -- or maybe she didn't.
MYERS: She did laugh at it. She was really a good sport about it. Everybody -- I mean, everybody knows you're going to get fun poked at you at some point in that day.
COSTELLO: So true. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. You make it a great day.
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