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CNN Live At Daybreak

Eye on the World; Prisoner Abuse Probe; Jackson Memorabilia Seized; Blame China?; Planting Crosses

Aired May 04, 2004 - 05:30   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: The abuse of Iraqi prisoners is in the harsh glow of public scrutiny. Have the interrogation techniques saved lives or gone too far?
Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date now.

New details on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners coming out this morning. The military report, now in the hands of CNN, says there are -- and I'm quoting here -- "grave breaches of international law." It cites numerous incidents of sadistic and blatant criminal abuses.

Escaped hostage Thomas Hamill is spending a second day at the U.S. military's Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany. The American contractor is expected to be reunited with his wife today.

Professional hockey player Mike Danton will be arraigned in a St. Louis courtroom today. Danton is charged with conspiring to hire a hit man to kill an acquaintance.

A new security system for train travelers will be unveiled today at a station near Washington. The system tests the air around the passengers for traces of explosives.

Now to Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The controversy over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the finger pointing and the accusations. Here is our 'Situation Report' for you this morning.

A classified investigation of the Army's handling of Iraqi prisoners paints a picture of an undermanned and improperly trained military police brigade. The report says there was systematic abuse of prisoners.

Defense contractor CACI International has hired outside counsel to investigate its employees' actions. Pentagon officials say at least two military investigations are looking at whether private contractors had a role in mishandling of prisoners. A Canadian living in Los Angeles claims he was tortured and injured shortly after being taken into custody during the war in Iraq. He is now suing the Army for $350,000.

And in Najaf, there is intense fighting between U.S. troops and members of a militia group loyal to an anti-American cleric that's still holed up inside that city.

Let's talk more about that prisoner abuse, because new information is coming out of Iraq this morning.

Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now.

Tell us about this briefing that just happened.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol.

Well just to go from what you have been reporting there about this classified report that we now have in our hands of the military themselves looking into this prisoner abuse story well before we really became aware of it and started doing the story in the last few days. From that report, a classified report we have got our hands on, numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees, egregious acts, grave breaches of international law, a damning report.

And in the midst of that damning report, apparently very critical, specific items of criticism about the major general who was in charge of the prisons at that time, Karpinski. And now we are hearing from the man...

COSTELLO: Now, of course, let's pause there for just a second,...

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because she is saying she didn't know what was going on because military intelligence officers were in charge. Is that detailed anywhere in this report?

CLINCH: We are -- we are getting more details as we go through. We're going to have a full, you know, day of reporting on this. But there is criticism in that report, which she is aware of, of her specific role there. And obviously she is still facing that criticism in the eyes of the media as well. She has been on television all day yesterday. We -- she is...

COSTELLO: We have some sound from her.

CLINCH: Right. Yes, good idea.

COSTELLO: Let's listen to what she has to say right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. JANIS KARPINSKI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: I certainly take the responsibility for some of this, yes, because those soldiers were assigned to a company under my command. Blame, I don't think that the blame rests with me or with the 800th M.P. Brigade. In fact, it is unfair because we had 3,400 soldiers in 16 facilities and this was the only facility where interrogation operations were taking place and this is the only facility where there were infractions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Interestingly enough, six Army officers have been reprimanded for their role in the prisoner abuse. She has not been reprimanded.

CLINCH: No. Well, first of all, I called her a major general. She's a brigadier general. But, yes, she has not yet. And it will be interesting to see as we, and others, report the details from this, again, classified report which contains specific criticism of her. It also contains criticism of others as well. So there is plenty of blame to go around, but it will be interesting to see if any of it sticks on her.

Now interestingly today, in Baghdad, we just had an on-the-record briefing from Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller who is one of the officers who has now been given charge of the prison system in Iraq. He is saying now here today to us, and we'll be reporting on this from Baghdad all today, there were errors made. We have corrected them. They won't happen in the future. Very interesting, but you know exactly how remains to be seen. Very interesting again, we have changed this philosophy, trust us, we are doing this right.

COSTELLO: We have changed this philosophy, which begs the question, what philosophy exactly was in place?

CLINCH: Well, yes, I mean, again, we're looking at the words exactly here. We'll get more reporting as we go through today. But one of the interesting things is we're hearing that they are going to lower the amount of prisoners in some of the prisons, including Abu Ghraib. Stay, they will remain as prisons. This has been a question, will they keep prisoners there? And we're apparently being told that they will. So more to come from Baghdad during the day today about the woman who was in charge and now the man who will be in charge.

COSTELLO: And I know you will be studying those documents and hopefully you'll be back with those to explain more.

CLINCH: Yes, lots more -- lots more coming out today.

COSTELLO: All right, get reading -- David.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

A recent CNN-"USA Today" Gallup Poll finds just 9 percent of Iraqis think U.S. troops have conducted themselves well in Iraq. An overwhelming 81 percent said U.S. troops have conducted themselves badly. However, only 7 percent of those said they based their opinions on personal experience. The poll was conducted before the prisoner abuse story surfaced.

These pictures have created a firestorm and raised questions about the techniques of the people interrogating the inmates, but do some of those techniques actually work? Can they save American lives?

Our national security correspondent David Ensor takes a look for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior U.S. intelligence official says the humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in the photos was -- quote -- "stupid, immoral and counterproductive."

TOM MALINOWSKY, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: People will talk when you treat them this way, but they are libel to tell you whatever you -- they think you want to hear. It's not a good way of getting at the truth.

ENSOR: And says Malinowsky, inhuman, degrading treatment at the Abu Ghraib Prison is also a violation of the Geneva Conventions and of U.S. law.

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OFFICIAL: Everything that occurred in Abu Ghraib goes against everything that the military teaches and everything the CIA teaches about interrogation.

ENSOR: Even with known terrorists, top al Qaeda prisoners who are in CIA hands, humiliation and torture are not used officials say. A journalist who says he spoke to interrogators was told though that there is pressure brought to bear.

MARK BOWDEN, "ATLANTIC MONTHLY": What appears to be more effective are these techniques which fall under the rubric of coercion, what I call coercion, or it's often called torture light which is things -- which are things like sleep deprivation, keeping a person hungry, uncomfortable, tired, disoriented.

BAER: There is psychological stress which would be you know to go into a prisoner and say you know you're never going to get out of here until you talk. Or incentives you can use, we'll help your family, we'll help you, you'll get out of here, we won't identify you. These tricks, these psychological tricks are certainly used all the time.

ENSOR (on camera): Coercion in order to try to save lives is considered legitimate. But intelligence professionals say they are sickened by the photos and the terrible message about this country that they have sent to the Muslim world.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: A settlement in the suit against Cracker Barrel tops our look at stories making news 'Across America' this Tuesday, May 4. Cracker Barrel has settled a government lawsuit by agreeing to expand sensitivity training for its employees. Cracker Barrel was accused of discriminating against African-American customers. As part of the settlement, the company admits no wrongdoing and will pay no fines.

Police in Pennsylvania are searching for clues to explain why a 39-year-old woman killed her three teenage children. The children were shot in different locations in eastern Pennsylvania. Holly Gable (ph) also killed her boyfriend. Gable committed suicide in her home after a standoff with police.

In Georgia, a former high school football star was released from prison after a court overturned his 10-year sentence. Nineteen-year- old Marcus Dixon served 15 months in jail for having sex with a 15- year-old while girl. The court ruled Dixon should not have been charged with aggravated child molestation.

Santa Barbara police believe they may have more evidence against Michael Jackson. Authorities seized several items of Jackson family memorabilia from a New Jersey warehouse, including a pair of underwear.

CNN's Frank Buckley has more for you.

050300CN.V98

COSTELLO: Reaction from the Arab world to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Despicable, disgusting, unbelievable, inhuman. That shows how bad the Americans are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Outrage intensifies as more pictures are revealed in Arab media. We'll have more on that part of the story in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Plus, how rising gas prices here in the United States may be connected to the demand for oil in China. We'll have a live report for you out of Beijing.

This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday, May 4.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about finger pointing now. You are familiar with most of the reasons given for higher gas prices, uncertainty over Iraq, the seasonal surge in American driving, OPEC supply quotas, greater refinery costs, but now some analysts are pointing the finger at China.

For more on that story, let's head live to Beijing and CNN's Tara Duffy. Tara, what's this about?

TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well gas prices here, Carol, have gone up in recent weeks. And the Chinese drivers, like those in the United States, are not happy paying more at the pump. But some analysts are saying that they are not just feeling the pinch of higher prices, they are actually part of the problem. And there are many factors, as you mentioned, contributing to the price of oil in the international market.

But what some analysts are really focusing on is what they call the fundamental demand from China. China's oil import soared by about 35 percent in just the first three months of this year compared to last year. And driving that demand is the rapid economic growth here.

China's officials have realized that the economy is perhaps overheating or what they call, you know, the economy growing a little bit too fast. And they are trying to put some brakes on that. But at the same time, they are still expecting growth of about 7 percent this year. That means more orders for goods and factories turning out more products.

And one of the hottest items to come off of China's multitude of production lines are cars. Car sales nearly doubled last year. While that is good news for the company's operating here, like Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors, it means more cars on the road and more cars on the road means more people wanting to fill up -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know it's funny, Tara, when you think of China, you think of people, a lot of people riding bicycles or walking. That's really the traditional way to get around in cities, isn't it?

DUFFY: It is for many people. But you know, as I mentioned, car sales are really, really picking up pace. It was a record year last year for car sales, over two million cars were sold. And while they don't expect that kind of growth to be repeated this year, there are definitely more people who are starting to drive -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I know that China has taken some steps to cool the economy, but what's the official reaction to this -- to the finger pointing at China now?

DUFFY: Well China flatly rejects that it's responsible for the -- any kind of movement in the international price of oil. It has given the example that if you compare to the United States, which is the world's biggest consumer of oil, and China is now the second biggest consumer, but China's imports are only about a fifth of what the U.S. is importing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Tara Duffy reporting live from Beijing, China this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:48 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill may be reunited with his wife today. Hamill's mother says wife Kellie may be on her way to Germany as early as today. They are not being specific for obvious reasons. Hamill is now recovering at a military hospital.

The U.S. military is turning over control of Fallujah to Iraqi General Muhammad Latif. Latif is the second choice to lead the brigade after it was discovered the first general had ties to Saddam Hussein.

In money news, gas prices hit another record high. The national average is now $1.84 for a gallon of regular unleaded. That's up 33 cents a gallon since this time last year.

In sports, ABC has dropped Lisa Guererro after just one year as the sideline reporter for "Monday Night Football." Her replacement is veteran, veteran sports reporter Michelle Tafoya. She's a veteran, Chad. She knows what -- I shouldn't say it. I'm biased in that story.

In culture, more dough for "The Simpsons." The voices of the animated family will now get $250,000 per episode. Production was halted during the month-long contract negotiation -- Chad.

MYERS: If they really want a sideline reporter, Carol, it's you.

COSTELLO: I'd love it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

There are countless opinions about this Iraq war, but the one thing almost all Americans agree on is support for the troops. A California man has come up with a unique memorial to honor America's fallen heroes.

Our Miguel Marquez takes you there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has become a Sunday morning ritual.

STEPHEN SHERILL, CREATOR, ARLINGTON WEST: First and foremost, and above all else, it is to honor and memorialize those who have given their lives in service to our country. It's also a wake-up call.

MARQUEZ: Part memorial, part protest, it is the passion of Stephen Sherill, one cross for every American servicewoman and man killed in Iraq. On this Sunday, there are 747.

SHERILL: It seems to cut through all social strata. Rich, poor, young, old, white, black, brown, Democrat, Republican, it hits everyone equally.

LORRAINE ELEAUT, VISITOR: They're dead. They have mothers. They're people that believe -- they're people that believe in our freedom.

MARQUEZ: Though Sherill, a building contractor, never served in the military, every Sunday since November, he's had help from those who did.

RICHARD NELSON, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: I was in Company G (ph), 36th Armored Regiment of the 3rd Armored Division.

MARQUEZ: In World War II, Richard Nelson fought his way across Europe. He says he saw things no one should see, and planting crosses 60 years later is a little like therapy.

NELSON: You know, you try to stuff all that stuff all these years. It doesn't work. So that's the way it is.

MARQUEZ: Nelson is a member of Veterans for Peace. The group has taken up Sherill's cause as its own.

LANE ANDERSON, VIETNAM VETERAN: Even if the war was a mistake, even if the war was wrong, even if wrong things are done in warfare, it's not the fault of the soldiers doing it.

MARQUEZ: Anderson served in Vietnam. He helps place the crosses. Names of the dead attached to each, and donated flowers are placed at their bases. Loved ones of those killed in Iraq sometimes make their way to the beach and leave personal touches behind. They call it Arlington West, a reference to the national cemetery outside Washington, D.C. The only question now? How long will the ritual continue?

ANDERSON: We can't quit, anymore than it seems like our commander-in-chief can quit.

MARQUEZ: So every Sunday, as the sun rises, the crosses go up. There is talk that if the number of dead Americans hits 1,000, no more crosses beyond that will be built. It's a decision they hope never to make.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Santa Barbara, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 5:55 Eastern, welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Some 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Researchers finally think they know why African-Americans are at greater risk of dying from heart disease than whites. It's because blacks with high blood pressure are more likely to have an enlarged heart.

A new method of detecting breast cancer is in the works. Scientists say tests that measure water, oxygen and other breast tissue properties could be more effective than mammograms. And preventing the flu is getting easier. Two studies have found that a -- that a new version of the spray vaccine FluMist is as safe as those awful flu shots and even more effective.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site, the address CNN.com/Health.

One more health story to throw at you this morning.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and some other diet out there.

MYERS: Yes. I heard this -- I heard this yesterday how it's so expensive to be on the Atkins Diet.

COSTELLO: You were stunned at that, weren't you?

MYERS: I call bullcookies on this one.

COSTELLO: "USA Today" sent this grocery guru out to like determine the cost per day of staying on the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet and the, what, the Trinity -- the Thrifty Food Plan.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And eureka -- Chad.

MYERS: Eureka, here's the bottom line. The salmon-based dinners on the Atkins and South Beach menus are far more expensive than ground beef and noodle casseroles.

Well duh (ph)! How much did that just cost us in taxpayer money to know that?

COSTELLO: No, a newspaper paid for it.

MYERS: Whatever.

COSTELLO: It wasn't taxpayer money.

MYERS: All right. Fine.

COSTELLO: But still, the Atkins Diet is pretty darned expensive to stay on.

MYERS: It can be, but you know you don't eat salmon every day. You can have ground beef on the Atkins Diet and ground beef on the South Beach Diet the same way you can have ground beef on a regular diet.

COSTELLO: And some delicious hot dogs every single day.

MYERS: You can have hot dogs, you can have chicken.

COSTELLO: I just don't understand why people don't eat in moderation and exercise. It's so much easier.

MYERS: Cost per dollar I still think it's cheaper to be on the Atkins Diet.

COSTELLO: All right.

Just ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK, we're going to head live to Landstuhl, Germany. Doctors coming out to that podium shortly to talk about Thomas Hamill's medical condition. We'll hear what new they have to say.

And awaiting a reunion, how the wife of former hostage Thomas Hamill is trying to get to her husband. We'll have that, too, live from Germany.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And you're taking another live look at that podium in Germany where Thomas Hamill's doctors will soon come to the podium to talk more about his injuries. You know he escaped from captors not once, but twice. We'll find out if he had any other injuries other than that shot to the arm.

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 May 4, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The abuse of Iraqi prisoners is in the harsh glow of public scrutiny. Have the interrogation techniques saved lives or gone too far?
Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From CNN's Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date now.

New details on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners coming out this morning. The military report, now in the hands of CNN, says there are -- and I'm quoting here -- "grave breaches of international law." It cites numerous incidents of sadistic and blatant criminal abuses.

Escaped hostage Thomas Hamill is spending a second day at the U.S. military's Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany. The American contractor is expected to be reunited with his wife today.

Professional hockey player Mike Danton will be arraigned in a St. Louis courtroom today. Danton is charged with conspiring to hire a hit man to kill an acquaintance.

A new security system for train travelers will be unveiled today at a station near Washington. The system tests the air around the passengers for traces of explosives.

Now to Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The controversy over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, the finger pointing and the accusations. Here is our 'Situation Report' for you this morning.

A classified investigation of the Army's handling of Iraqi prisoners paints a picture of an undermanned and improperly trained military police brigade. The report says there was systematic abuse of prisoners.

Defense contractor CACI International has hired outside counsel to investigate its employees' actions. Pentagon officials say at least two military investigations are looking at whether private contractors had a role in mishandling of prisoners. A Canadian living in Los Angeles claims he was tortured and injured shortly after being taken into custody during the war in Iraq. He is now suing the Army for $350,000.

And in Najaf, there is intense fighting between U.S. troops and members of a militia group loyal to an anti-American cleric that's still holed up inside that city.

Let's talk more about that prisoner abuse, because new information is coming out of Iraq this morning.

Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us now.

Tell us about this briefing that just happened.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes, Carol.

Well just to go from what you have been reporting there about this classified report that we now have in our hands of the military themselves looking into this prisoner abuse story well before we really became aware of it and started doing the story in the last few days. From that report, a classified report we have got our hands on, numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees, egregious acts, grave breaches of international law, a damning report.

And in the midst of that damning report, apparently very critical, specific items of criticism about the major general who was in charge of the prisons at that time, Karpinski. And now we are hearing from the man...

COSTELLO: Now, of course, let's pause there for just a second,...

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because she is saying she didn't know what was going on because military intelligence officers were in charge. Is that detailed anywhere in this report?

CLINCH: We are -- we are getting more details as we go through. We're going to have a full, you know, day of reporting on this. But there is criticism in that report, which she is aware of, of her specific role there. And obviously she is still facing that criticism in the eyes of the media as well. She has been on television all day yesterday. We -- she is...

COSTELLO: We have some sound from her.

CLINCH: Right. Yes, good idea.

COSTELLO: Let's listen to what she has to say right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. JANIS KARPINSKI, U.S. ARMY RESERVE: I certainly take the responsibility for some of this, yes, because those soldiers were assigned to a company under my command. Blame, I don't think that the blame rests with me or with the 800th M.P. Brigade. In fact, it is unfair because we had 3,400 soldiers in 16 facilities and this was the only facility where interrogation operations were taking place and this is the only facility where there were infractions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Interestingly enough, six Army officers have been reprimanded for their role in the prisoner abuse. She has not been reprimanded.

CLINCH: No. Well, first of all, I called her a major general. She's a brigadier general. But, yes, she has not yet. And it will be interesting to see as we, and others, report the details from this, again, classified report which contains specific criticism of her. It also contains criticism of others as well. So there is plenty of blame to go around, but it will be interesting to see if any of it sticks on her.

Now interestingly today, in Baghdad, we just had an on-the-record briefing from Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller who is one of the officers who has now been given charge of the prison system in Iraq. He is saying now here today to us, and we'll be reporting on this from Baghdad all today, there were errors made. We have corrected them. They won't happen in the future. Very interesting, but you know exactly how remains to be seen. Very interesting again, we have changed this philosophy, trust us, we are doing this right.

COSTELLO: We have changed this philosophy, which begs the question, what philosophy exactly was in place?

CLINCH: Well, yes, I mean, again, we're looking at the words exactly here. We'll get more reporting as we go through today. But one of the interesting things is we're hearing that they are going to lower the amount of prisoners in some of the prisons, including Abu Ghraib. Stay, they will remain as prisons. This has been a question, will they keep prisoners there? And we're apparently being told that they will. So more to come from Baghdad during the day today about the woman who was in charge and now the man who will be in charge.

COSTELLO: And I know you will be studying those documents and hopefully you'll be back with those to explain more.

CLINCH: Yes, lots more -- lots more coming out today.

COSTELLO: All right, get reading -- David.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

A recent CNN-"USA Today" Gallup Poll finds just 9 percent of Iraqis think U.S. troops have conducted themselves well in Iraq. An overwhelming 81 percent said U.S. troops have conducted themselves badly. However, only 7 percent of those said they based their opinions on personal experience. The poll was conducted before the prisoner abuse story surfaced.

These pictures have created a firestorm and raised questions about the techniques of the people interrogating the inmates, but do some of those techniques actually work? Can they save American lives?

Our national security correspondent David Ensor takes a look for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A senior U.S. intelligence official says the humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in the photos was -- quote -- "stupid, immoral and counterproductive."

TOM MALINOWSKY, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: People will talk when you treat them this way, but they are libel to tell you whatever you -- they think you want to hear. It's not a good way of getting at the truth.

ENSOR: And says Malinowsky, inhuman, degrading treatment at the Abu Ghraib Prison is also a violation of the Geneva Conventions and of U.S. law.

ROBERT BAER, FORMER CIA OFFICIAL: Everything that occurred in Abu Ghraib goes against everything that the military teaches and everything the CIA teaches about interrogation.

ENSOR: Even with known terrorists, top al Qaeda prisoners who are in CIA hands, humiliation and torture are not used officials say. A journalist who says he spoke to interrogators was told though that there is pressure brought to bear.

MARK BOWDEN, "ATLANTIC MONTHLY": What appears to be more effective are these techniques which fall under the rubric of coercion, what I call coercion, or it's often called torture light which is things -- which are things like sleep deprivation, keeping a person hungry, uncomfortable, tired, disoriented.

BAER: There is psychological stress which would be you know to go into a prisoner and say you know you're never going to get out of here until you talk. Or incentives you can use, we'll help your family, we'll help you, you'll get out of here, we won't identify you. These tricks, these psychological tricks are certainly used all the time.

ENSOR (on camera): Coercion in order to try to save lives is considered legitimate. But intelligence professionals say they are sickened by the photos and the terrible message about this country that they have sent to the Muslim world.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: A settlement in the suit against Cracker Barrel tops our look at stories making news 'Across America' this Tuesday, May 4. Cracker Barrel has settled a government lawsuit by agreeing to expand sensitivity training for its employees. Cracker Barrel was accused of discriminating against African-American customers. As part of the settlement, the company admits no wrongdoing and will pay no fines.

Police in Pennsylvania are searching for clues to explain why a 39-year-old woman killed her three teenage children. The children were shot in different locations in eastern Pennsylvania. Holly Gable (ph) also killed her boyfriend. Gable committed suicide in her home after a standoff with police.

In Georgia, a former high school football star was released from prison after a court overturned his 10-year sentence. Nineteen-year- old Marcus Dixon served 15 months in jail for having sex with a 15- year-old while girl. The court ruled Dixon should not have been charged with aggravated child molestation.

Santa Barbara police believe they may have more evidence against Michael Jackson. Authorities seized several items of Jackson family memorabilia from a New Jersey warehouse, including a pair of underwear.

CNN's Frank Buckley has more for you.

050300CN.V98

COSTELLO: Reaction from the Arab world to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Despicable, disgusting, unbelievable, inhuman. That shows how bad the Americans are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Outrage intensifies as more pictures are revealed in Arab media. We'll have more on that part of the story in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Plus, how rising gas prices here in the United States may be connected to the demand for oil in China. We'll have a live report for you out of Beijing.

This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday, May 4.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about finger pointing now. You are familiar with most of the reasons given for higher gas prices, uncertainty over Iraq, the seasonal surge in American driving, OPEC supply quotas, greater refinery costs, but now some analysts are pointing the finger at China.

For more on that story, let's head live to Beijing and CNN's Tara Duffy. Tara, what's this about?

TARA DUFFY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well gas prices here, Carol, have gone up in recent weeks. And the Chinese drivers, like those in the United States, are not happy paying more at the pump. But some analysts are saying that they are not just feeling the pinch of higher prices, they are actually part of the problem. And there are many factors, as you mentioned, contributing to the price of oil in the international market.

But what some analysts are really focusing on is what they call the fundamental demand from China. China's oil import soared by about 35 percent in just the first three months of this year compared to last year. And driving that demand is the rapid economic growth here.

China's officials have realized that the economy is perhaps overheating or what they call, you know, the economy growing a little bit too fast. And they are trying to put some brakes on that. But at the same time, they are still expecting growth of about 7 percent this year. That means more orders for goods and factories turning out more products.

And one of the hottest items to come off of China's multitude of production lines are cars. Car sales nearly doubled last year. While that is good news for the company's operating here, like Volkswagen, Ford and General Motors, it means more cars on the road and more cars on the road means more people wanting to fill up -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know it's funny, Tara, when you think of China, you think of people, a lot of people riding bicycles or walking. That's really the traditional way to get around in cities, isn't it?

DUFFY: It is for many people. But you know, as I mentioned, car sales are really, really picking up pace. It was a record year last year for car sales, over two million cars were sold. And while they don't expect that kind of growth to be repeated this year, there are definitely more people who are starting to drive -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And I know that China has taken some steps to cool the economy, but what's the official reaction to this -- to the finger pointing at China now?

DUFFY: Well China flatly rejects that it's responsible for the -- any kind of movement in the international price of oil. It has given the example that if you compare to the United States, which is the world's biggest consumer of oil, and China is now the second biggest consumer, but China's imports are only about a fifth of what the U.S. is importing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Tara Duffy reporting live from Beijing, China this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:48 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

Former hostage Thomas Hamill may be reunited with his wife today. Hamill's mother says wife Kellie may be on her way to Germany as early as today. They are not being specific for obvious reasons. Hamill is now recovering at a military hospital.

The U.S. military is turning over control of Fallujah to Iraqi General Muhammad Latif. Latif is the second choice to lead the brigade after it was discovered the first general had ties to Saddam Hussein.

In money news, gas prices hit another record high. The national average is now $1.84 for a gallon of regular unleaded. That's up 33 cents a gallon since this time last year.

In sports, ABC has dropped Lisa Guererro after just one year as the sideline reporter for "Monday Night Football." Her replacement is veteran, veteran sports reporter Michelle Tafoya. She's a veteran, Chad. She knows what -- I shouldn't say it. I'm biased in that story.

In culture, more dough for "The Simpsons." The voices of the animated family will now get $250,000 per episode. Production was halted during the month-long contract negotiation -- Chad.

MYERS: If they really want a sideline reporter, Carol, it's you.

COSTELLO: I'd love it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

There are countless opinions about this Iraq war, but the one thing almost all Americans agree on is support for the troops. A California man has come up with a unique memorial to honor America's fallen heroes.

Our Miguel Marquez takes you there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It has become a Sunday morning ritual.

STEPHEN SHERILL, CREATOR, ARLINGTON WEST: First and foremost, and above all else, it is to honor and memorialize those who have given their lives in service to our country. It's also a wake-up call.

MARQUEZ: Part memorial, part protest, it is the passion of Stephen Sherill, one cross for every American servicewoman and man killed in Iraq. On this Sunday, there are 747.

SHERILL: It seems to cut through all social strata. Rich, poor, young, old, white, black, brown, Democrat, Republican, it hits everyone equally.

LORRAINE ELEAUT, VISITOR: They're dead. They have mothers. They're people that believe -- they're people that believe in our freedom.

MARQUEZ: Though Sherill, a building contractor, never served in the military, every Sunday since November, he's had help from those who did.

RICHARD NELSON, WORLD WAR II VETERAN: I was in Company G (ph), 36th Armored Regiment of the 3rd Armored Division.

MARQUEZ: In World War II, Richard Nelson fought his way across Europe. He says he saw things no one should see, and planting crosses 60 years later is a little like therapy.

NELSON: You know, you try to stuff all that stuff all these years. It doesn't work. So that's the way it is.

MARQUEZ: Nelson is a member of Veterans for Peace. The group has taken up Sherill's cause as its own.

LANE ANDERSON, VIETNAM VETERAN: Even if the war was a mistake, even if the war was wrong, even if wrong things are done in warfare, it's not the fault of the soldiers doing it.

MARQUEZ: Anderson served in Vietnam. He helps place the crosses. Names of the dead attached to each, and donated flowers are placed at their bases. Loved ones of those killed in Iraq sometimes make their way to the beach and leave personal touches behind. They call it Arlington West, a reference to the national cemetery outside Washington, D.C. The only question now? How long will the ritual continue?

ANDERSON: We can't quit, anymore than it seems like our commander-in-chief can quit.

MARQUEZ: So every Sunday, as the sun rises, the crosses go up. There is talk that if the number of dead Americans hits 1,000, no more crosses beyond that will be built. It's a decision they hope never to make.

Miguel Marquez, CNN, Santa Barbara, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 5:55 Eastern, welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Some 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Researchers finally think they know why African-Americans are at greater risk of dying from heart disease than whites. It's because blacks with high blood pressure are more likely to have an enlarged heart.

A new method of detecting breast cancer is in the works. Scientists say tests that measure water, oxygen and other breast tissue properties could be more effective than mammograms. And preventing the flu is getting easier. Two studies have found that a -- that a new version of the spray vaccine FluMist is as safe as those awful flu shots and even more effective.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site, the address CNN.com/Health.

One more health story to throw at you this morning.

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet and some other diet out there.

MYERS: Yes. I heard this -- I heard this yesterday how it's so expensive to be on the Atkins Diet.

COSTELLO: You were stunned at that, weren't you?

MYERS: I call bullcookies on this one.

COSTELLO: "USA Today" sent this grocery guru out to like determine the cost per day of staying on the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet and the, what, the Trinity -- the Thrifty Food Plan.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: And eureka -- Chad.

MYERS: Eureka, here's the bottom line. The salmon-based dinners on the Atkins and South Beach menus are far more expensive than ground beef and noodle casseroles.

Well duh (ph)! How much did that just cost us in taxpayer money to know that?

COSTELLO: No, a newspaper paid for it.

MYERS: Whatever.

COSTELLO: It wasn't taxpayer money.

MYERS: All right. Fine.

COSTELLO: But still, the Atkins Diet is pretty darned expensive to stay on.

MYERS: It can be, but you know you don't eat salmon every day. You can have ground beef on the Atkins Diet and ground beef on the South Beach Diet the same way you can have ground beef on a regular diet.

COSTELLO: And some delicious hot dogs every single day.

MYERS: You can have hot dogs, you can have chicken.

COSTELLO: I just don't understand why people don't eat in moderation and exercise. It's so much easier.

MYERS: Cost per dollar I still think it's cheaper to be on the Atkins Diet.

COSTELLO: All right.

Just ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK, we're going to head live to Landstuhl, Germany. Doctors coming out to that podium shortly to talk about Thomas Hamill's medical condition. We'll hear what new they have to say.

And awaiting a reunion, how the wife of former hostage Thomas Hamill is trying to get to her husband. We'll have that, too, live from Germany.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And you're taking another live look at that podium in Germany where Thomas Hamill's doctors will soon come to the podium to talk more about his injuries. You know he escaped from captors not once, but twice. We'll find out if he had any other injuries other than that shot to the arm.

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