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CNN Live At Daybreak

President Bush to Visit Rumsfeld Today at Pentagon Today; Thousands Attend Funeral of Chechen Leader; Lessening Blow of Prisoner Abuse Scandal

Aired May 10, 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.


(WEATHER BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the war zone and the latest on the situation in Iraq this morning. We have new pictures. They're arriving within the hour to CNN, a U.S. military Humvee. You can see it burning there in a Baghdad suburb. No word yet from the military on casualties or what prompted this incident.

Also in Baghdad, two British and two Iraqi civilians were wounded last night when a bomb exploded at the Four Seasons Hotel.

And the first court martial in the prisoner abuse scandal is set to begin May 19 in Baghdad. Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits will be tried on charges of maltreatment of prisoners, conspiracy and dereliction of duty.

President Bush is heading to the Pentagon today for a military briefing. Now, this visit was planned before the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal broke. Now there are calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down.

But as CNN's Suzanne Malveaux reports, the president is expected to continue to stand by his man.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush enduring one of the most damaging weeks of his presidency and bracing himself for the release of even more graphic photos and video of prisoner abuse. He will continue to stand by his beleaguered defense secretary, aides say, but his support has not quieted the furor over Secretary Rumsfeld's fate.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it would be very patriotic if Secretary Rumsfeld resigned.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R) NEBRASKA: It's still in question whether Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and, quite frankly, General Myers can command the respect and the trust and the confidence of the military and the American people.

LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I think it's nonsense. The secretary of defense ought to be judged on how well he does his overall job, not whether some group of people in Iraq, where he could not possibly have known about it at the time, did what they did.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN, (D) DELAWARE: I don't give a damn about Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld going seems to me an essential first step.

MALVEAUX: Lawmakers who appeared on TV were followed by a half- dozen anti-war protesters, one dressed to reflect the Iraqi prisoner who was forced to hold wires and threatened with electrocution.

Despite the scandal, White House officials say the president's support of the secretary has not waned. Having led the country through two wars, and efforts to transform the military, Rumsfeld is considered too valuable to lose. And so far, his support from the Republican leadership has not cracked.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: If you're calling for his resignation, you're missing the boat. If you're in the White House, say get off his back, you're missing the boat. The problem we have before us as a nation and in the Congress and private citizens as well, is how do we show the world we can did better?

MALVEAUX: Some Democratic lawmakers believe that responsibility is on the president.

SEN. EVAN BAYH, (D) INDIANA: Don Rumsfeld works for the president. He's instituting the president's policies. So, the question should be: Are the president's policies being effective in Iraq or not? Do we need a new president or not?

MALVEAUX (on camera): Monday, Mr. Bush will travel to the Pentagon for a military briefing on the war on terror and on the newest photos in the prison abuse scandal. Aides say afterwards he will stand shoulder to shoulder with Secretary Rumsfeld to show his support.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And as you heard, the president is expected to make remarks after the Pentagon briefing. CNN, of course, will bring them to you live. That's at 11:30 Eastern, 8:30 Pacific Time.

Editorials published in foreign newspapers that make up the Military Times Media Group demands someone be held accountable in the Iraqi prisoner scandal, even if it means going all the way to the top. It criticizes the staff of Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, but it also goes one step farther.

The editorial reads in part: "Myers, Rumsfeld and their staff failed to recognize the impact the scandal would have not only in the United States, but around the world. Their staffs failed to alert Myers and Rumsfeld. Shame on them. But shame, too, on the chairman and secretary who failed to inform even President Bush. He was left to learn of the explosive scandal from media reports instead of from his own military leaders." The four papers are a private venture, published by Gannett, a news media company, and it's read in the military.

In all, six members of the U.S. military police face criminal charges. Ivan and Jo Ann Frederick, the parents of Sergeant Chip Frederick, one of those charged, appears in the 7:00 a.m. Eastern hour of "AMERICAN MORNING" with Bill and Soledad.

Thousands turned out this morning for the funeral of the Russian- backed leader of Chechnya. He was assassinated in an explosion over the weekend.

For more on that attack and what's next, let's head live to Moscow and CNN's Ryan Chilcote.

Hello -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With all due respect to the late Chechen leader, Mr. Kadyrov, who was buried just a couple of hours ago, he was not the only casualty of that attack. Another five people were killed in that attack, including a cameraman from the Reuters News Agency. And an additional 57 people were injured. Among them, five children and the commander of all Russian forces in Chechnya, a three-star general, General Valery Baranov.

All of this taking place as Russians were celebrating one of their most sacred holidays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Raw video shows Russian servicemen at the Victory Day celebration in Chechnya, remembering the Soviet Union's defeat over the Nazis in 1945.

Then, spectators scrambling to take cover from gunfire that erupts moments after the blast. A scene of carnage at the VIP stand, where President Akhmad Kadyrov was killed. Among the injured, the commander of all Russian forces in Chechnya.

Children, World War II veterans and officials are whisked away from the scene.

In Moscow, the Russian president receives Kadyrov's son and pays tribute to his father's service in what he calls "the battle against terrorists in Chechnya."

"All these years," the Russian president says, "he was protecting Chechnya and its people. He was leading the republic to peaceful life."

Just two days ago, President Putin declared that peace had come to Chechnya, a claim that now looks hollow. He is promising retribution against the attackers.

(END VIDEOTAPE) Russia is desperately seeking a return to normalcy in Chechnya, a return to normal civilian affairs there. It has been four years now since they announced an end to offensive operations there, and they really need to see things call down. This, obviously, is not going to help.

The Russian president has appointed an interim leader there and has promised that elections will be carried out within the constitution regional elections there within the next four months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Moscow this morning.

The fallout is far from over. On the heels of more photographs being released, the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal only seems to intensify. A live report with the Arab perspective just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: New more explosive pictures may come out soon. Those pictures and possibly videotape of alleged Iraqi prisoner abuse are about to be reviewed at the Pentagon. That will happen later this morning.

So, with these new pictures and possibly videotape becoming public, will tensions continue to rise in the Arab world? And what can be done?

Joining us live from Boston, Ahmed Al Ramin, who was raised in Iraq and now teaches at Harvard. He's also a member of the American Islamic Congress.

Welcome.

AHMED AL RAMIN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: These new pictures of Iraqis being allegedly abused in the prison is set to come out, may come out soon -- maybe even videotape of alleged rape and alleged murder. Iraqis are already incensed. So, how does the U.S. lessen the blow?

AL RAMIN: Well, I think we lessen the blow by doing exactly what we're doing, going after those who committed these abuses. The Iraqis need to see that this process go on. But at the same time we also need to focus on the transition to Iraqi independence, because this is really what's on the minds of Iraqis right now is the form of the transition government and who is going to be part of it.

COSTELLO: So, you're -- well, therein lies another problem, because nobody knows who is going to take over after the June 30 deadline. Is there anyone in mind from your perspective?

AL RAMIN: Well, there are names that are being passed around now -- Hachachi (ph) as president, Falabani as vice president, Abdul Haziz Hakeem (ph) as another vice president. There are a number of names, but it's still not clear. And Ambassador Brahimi is having a lot of pressure put on him to include members of the IGC, the Iraqi Governing Council.

So, it's not at all clear right now who is going to be part of this government.

COSTELLO: Let's get back to the pictures and the court martials that may be made public in Iraq. In fact, one of the court martials -- court's martial, I should say, is taking place on May 19, and it may be televised in Iraq. Is that a good thing?

AL RAMIN: I think it is a good thing. I think Iraqis need to see this process. They did not see this process in any way under Saddam. When torture and abuse occurred in Iraqi prisons under the previous regime, the culprits never had to pay the price. And now, I think that they need to see this process, and they need to see those who are guilty for it pay some sort of price for it.

COSTELLO: So, if they see these things taking place on television and if some compensation is given to the victims' families, will this scandal die down in Iraq?

AL RAMIN: I'm not sure if it will die down. It certainly is going to be on Iraqis' minds for a long time, because it puts a damper on the perception of the U.S. in Iraq and in the region. But at the same time, I think one thing that we have to keep in perspective is that this is -- even though it's a major incident, this is something that is a small part of the big picture of what's happening in Iraq.

Again, we need to focus on the transition process. We need to let the process of indicting those who were involved in committing these crimes take its role, and we need to let Iraqis see that.

COSTELLO: A last question for you. Many Americans feel that some Iraqis -- well, they should be more grateful about what America has done as far as getting rid of Saddam Hussein. Can you address that for us?

AL RAMIN: Well, look, Iraqis feel grateful that the U.S. has gotten rid of Saddam Hussein. What they are frustrated with is this transition process. We are basically at the same point that we were about a year ago under General Garner, politically that is. We're talking about a technocratic government. We're talking about some form of re-Baathification.

Iraqis are very frustrated with the political developments up until this point, and this is what they're expressing. If we can get the political program set up for them that allows for transition, if we can begin creating consensus to have direct elections, if we can begin showing them that we're doing all these things, not only will the problem of these abuses subside, but also there will be some sort of stability coming about. But we have to make some decisions about politically what's going to happen in Iraq.

COSTELLO: All right, Ahmad Al Ramin joining us live from Boston this morning. Thank you so much.

AL RAMIN: Thanks. Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush heads to the Pentagon later this morning for a briefing on the military situation in Iraq, plus the latest in the prison abuse scandal.

American Marines are back in Fallujah this morning. A convoy of about 16 U.S. military vehicles entered the city center alongside the newly-formed Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

In money news, gas prices keep pumping up. They've gone up 10 cents a gallon in the last two weeks. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular nationwide is $1.93.

In sports, the Calgary Flames used another overtime ball to beat the San Jose Sharks in game one of the Western Conference championship. Calgary has won four games in overtime during the post- season.

And in culture, monsters and mayhem captured your attention this weekend. Hugh Jackman as "Van Helsing" opened in the top spot at the box office with more than $54 million in ticket sales.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines.

Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Soledad.

Soledad, welcome back.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much. You know, can I tell you it is so nice to sleep in until like 7:15 in the morning?

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure.

O'BRIEN: What a joy. How sad is that?

HEMMER: She looks fresh and refreshed.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that's concealer. That's not sleep.

HEMMER: We're all envious.

Carol, how are you? Good morning to you on a Monday. A lot on the prisoner abuse latest. We'll have Barbara Starr at the Pentagon today. Senator Joseph Biden was on the talk shows yesterday saying that moral clarity has been lost. We'll have him on today to explain that today.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, the big question: Who is to blame in all this? This morning, we talk to the parents of one of the soldiers who's accused and ask them questions about their son. HEMMER: Also, in the election 2004 forefront, you know, George Bush and John Kerry have differences, but wait until you hear how many similarities these two men have on some of the bigger issues. Bill Schneider looks at that today for us as well.

O'BRIEN: That's all ahead, Carol. We'll see you in a few minutes.

COSTELLO: Sure will. Thanks to both of you.

May is one of those months where sports fans just don't know what to do with themselves. Baseball is just getting started. In basketball and hockey, we're at the peak of the playoffs. Coming up, the weekend's winners and losers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

It is Monday morning, and this is the time we usually set aside to talk sports. So, what should we start with? The Grand Prix of Spain? Or maybe -- whoa! Come back down here, camera.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, the books on the wall.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Obviously, you're not the Grand Prix of Spain.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: No.

COTTER: Michael Shumaker (ph), it's boring, he wins everything, let's move on.

MYERS: Five in a row, 50 points, he's not catachable.

COSTELLO: He's not, no, not at all. Oh, so you know all about that. But we have to talk about basketball.

MYERS: I only care about racing.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the Lakers, because they had a big win.

COTTER: Yes, actually you had teams yesterday and the Lakers and New Jersey both down 0-2. New Jersey, the two-time defending Eastern Conference champs, and the Lakers, you know, completely absent in their first two games against San Antonio. They came to play yesterday, though, in L.A. Defense...

COSTELLO: Whoa!

COTTER: ... Gary Peyton (ph) right here, who was much maligned in the first couple of games. The 35-year-old point guard came out strong and played great defense, scored 15 points on his own. So, now the Lakers are trying to do what only seven teams have ever done in NBA history: come back from 0-2. But no one has ever come back from 0-3. So, with that in mind, the Lakers had to win, and so did the Nets, and both of them did.

And TV executives all over the planet and David Stern (ph) in the NBA are thanking the good Lord, because now they can go maybe three weekends with this round. I mean, that's what they're trying to do.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: Make it last over three weekends. That's why it's taking so long. Last week we talked about the Lakers, they've only played two games since we last talked.

COSTELLO: I know. It's just been an endless basketball season.

COTTER: It will go forever.

MYERS: And they want a seven-game series.

COTTER: Oh, yes.

MYERS: They want to make that money.

COTTER: And they want the Lakers to advance big time.

COSTELLO: That's a big television market, that's right.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the NBA draft before we move on to hockey.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Because LeBron James, with the advent of his enormous success as a teenager. Will more teenagers be involved in this year's NBA draft?

COTTER: Well, I think that you'll have that same chunk of teenagers that will be going. The problem is I don't think they'll be drafted as high, and maybe the expectations for them won't be as high.

But you have a Sebastian Telfare (ph), for example, who is going to be drafted. He's coming out of New York City right out of high school. He signed a big multimillion-dollar deal with Adidas already. He won't even be a top 10 draft choice, and I don't expect him to contribute right away at all. But he comes out of New York City, so all of the kids kind of have their eye on him, and Adidas says we've got to hook up with this kid right away.

MYERS: The kid gets a $500,000 contract to play basketball, he's got a $3 million contract to put shoes on.

COTTER: That's right. And for an inner-city kid to get that first rookie contract and to get a shoe contract on top of that...

MYERS: Yes. COTTER: ... multimillion, how can you say no?

MYERS: Right.

COTTER: I mean, the kid is going to say yes. He's going to jump all over it, even if it hurts his prospects for a better career down the road.

COSTELLO: It's just unbelievable.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Quickly, hockey.

COTTER: The Calgary Flames did it again last night, huh?

MYERS: Amazing.

COTTER: Into overtime.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: I mean, the people in Calgary, they've suffered. They won the Stanley Cup in '89, but they've had no success since then, 15 years. Now, they're getting it done in overtime. Here, you see Steve Montadore (ph) with the goal to finish the game, another overtime winner, exciting for Calgary on the road in San Jose. Now, they take a 1-0 lead. This team may be for real, but...

MYERS: Oh, I'll tell you what. Detroit is still in shock.

COTTER: And we talk about TV...

MYERS: In shock!

COTTER: ... the NHL people really wanted Detroit and Colorado for TV ratings. Right now, you have Calgary, San Jose. Tampa Bay is still in it.

COSTELLO: Oh!

COTTER: I mean, Philadelphia is the only real big-time team that's still involved. The NHL right now is thinking it's great for hockey, but it's bad for television. And the NBA doesn't want that. They want the Lakers to stay in it as long as they can, and the big- market Nets as well.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, as far as hockey goes, they really want a good series, because of all of the violence that's been taking place in hockey.

COTTER: Yes. They'd love to see great hockey. I think we will see great hockey, and we saw it yesterday with San Jose and Calgary. The problem is you can't get people in the United States interested in what's going on with the Calgary Flames, the San Jose Sharks. You know, you don't even have the big-time Canadian teams like the Canadians and the Maple Leafs in it.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chris Cotter.

COTTER: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Appreciate it as always.

We're going to give away a mug in DAYBREAK coffee quiz. That's coming up next, right?

MYERS: Yes, I'm ready.

COSTELLO: First the headlines, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MYERS: It's your birthday.

COSTELLO: Thank you. I was kind of missing that music.

MYERS: That's right. Hey, time to give away a coffee mug. From last Friday, we asked two questions. Our business report on Friday asked about Wal-Mart's video game prices. How much higher are they than other retailers and by what percent? Nine percent higher than BestBuy and I think it was Circuit City. And then, how much water should you drink two hours before you do any type of a race? Talking about like not a car race, but a running race. You should drink two cups.

And Ray Sooley from West Milford, New Jersey, is our winner this morning. Thank you, Ray.

COSTELLO: Congratulations!

MYERS: Now, again, don't answer those questions, because we've already done that. You won't believe how many people answer yesterday's questions.

Here are today's questions.

In our business report, the Lundburg survey now estimates a gallon of self-serve gas across the country on average at what price?

And combined, there are four military newspapers published by the Gannett company making up what group? The four military newspapers published by Gannett...

COSTELLO: Make up what group? Oh, that's a tough one. You will win this beautiful mug is you get both questions correct. Daybreak@CNN.com. Daybreak@CNN.com.

MYERS: Carol, you had a special honor this weekend.

COSTELLO: I did. I got to deliver the commencement address at my alma mater, Kent State University, and there I am at the podium. And it was a terrific time.

MYERS: Wow! You look fabulous! Did you -- wow!

COSTELLO: Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: Yikes!

COSTELLO: What I said was even better.

MYERS: Oh, that was more important, of course.

COSTELLO: And I talked about failure and how failures can sometimes turn into your best successes, and what a great time I had.

A funny story. Do I have time to tell my story?

MYERS: Sure you do.

COSTELLO: OK. I was sitting in a coffee shop, a father comes up and say, "Hey, aren't you Carol Costello from DAYBREAK?" I said, 'Yes.' He goes, "I'm here for my daughter's commencement. It took place in the morning, but she overslept and missed the graduation."

MYERS: Oops.

COSTELLO: I would have killed her.

MYERS: Well, I'm sure you'd still get your degree.

COSTELLO: You do, but still, can you believe it?

MYERS: I cannot believe it. Anyway, congratulations. What a great honor for you, I know. And, again, most of the things that you do in life that turn out to be failures are clearly something that you learn from if you can learn from them.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: So great.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. We'll see you again tomorrow.

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 10, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(WEATHER BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now to the war zone and the latest on the situation in Iraq this morning. We have new pictures. They're arriving within the hour to CNN, a U.S. military Humvee. You can see it burning there in a Baghdad suburb. No word yet from the military on casualties or what prompted this incident.

Also in Baghdad, two British and two Iraqi civilians were wounded last night when a bomb exploded at the Four Seasons Hotel.

And the first court martial in the prisoner abuse scandal is set to begin May 19 in Baghdad. Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits will be tried on charges of maltreatment of prisoners, conspiracy and dereliction of duty.

President Bush is heading to the Pentagon today for a military briefing. Now, this visit was planned before the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal broke. Now there are calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down.

But as CNN's Suzanne Malveaux reports, the president is expected to continue to stand by his man.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush enduring one of the most damaging weeks of his presidency and bracing himself for the release of even more graphic photos and video of prisoner abuse. He will continue to stand by his beleaguered defense secretary, aides say, but his support has not quieted the furor over Secretary Rumsfeld's fate.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it would be very patriotic if Secretary Rumsfeld resigned.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R) NEBRASKA: It's still in question whether Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and, quite frankly, General Myers can command the respect and the trust and the confidence of the military and the American people.

LAWRENCE EAGLEBURGER, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I think it's nonsense. The secretary of defense ought to be judged on how well he does his overall job, not whether some group of people in Iraq, where he could not possibly have known about it at the time, did what they did.

SEN. JOSEPH BIDEN, (D) DELAWARE: I don't give a damn about Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld going seems to me an essential first step.

MALVEAUX: Lawmakers who appeared on TV were followed by a half- dozen anti-war protesters, one dressed to reflect the Iraqi prisoner who was forced to hold wires and threatened with electrocution.

Despite the scandal, White House officials say the president's support of the secretary has not waned. Having led the country through two wars, and efforts to transform the military, Rumsfeld is considered too valuable to lose. And so far, his support from the Republican leadership has not cracked.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: If you're calling for his resignation, you're missing the boat. If you're in the White House, say get off his back, you're missing the boat. The problem we have before us as a nation and in the Congress and private citizens as well, is how do we show the world we can did better?

MALVEAUX: Some Democratic lawmakers believe that responsibility is on the president.

SEN. EVAN BAYH, (D) INDIANA: Don Rumsfeld works for the president. He's instituting the president's policies. So, the question should be: Are the president's policies being effective in Iraq or not? Do we need a new president or not?

MALVEAUX (on camera): Monday, Mr. Bush will travel to the Pentagon for a military briefing on the war on terror and on the newest photos in the prison abuse scandal. Aides say afterwards he will stand shoulder to shoulder with Secretary Rumsfeld to show his support.

Suzanne Malveaux, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And as you heard, the president is expected to make remarks after the Pentagon briefing. CNN, of course, will bring them to you live. That's at 11:30 Eastern, 8:30 Pacific Time.

Editorials published in foreign newspapers that make up the Military Times Media Group demands someone be held accountable in the Iraqi prisoner scandal, even if it means going all the way to the top. It criticizes the staff of Joint Chiefs Chairman General Richard Myers and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, but it also goes one step farther.

The editorial reads in part: "Myers, Rumsfeld and their staff failed to recognize the impact the scandal would have not only in the United States, but around the world. Their staffs failed to alert Myers and Rumsfeld. Shame on them. But shame, too, on the chairman and secretary who failed to inform even President Bush. He was left to learn of the explosive scandal from media reports instead of from his own military leaders." The four papers are a private venture, published by Gannett, a news media company, and it's read in the military.

In all, six members of the U.S. military police face criminal charges. Ivan and Jo Ann Frederick, the parents of Sergeant Chip Frederick, one of those charged, appears in the 7:00 a.m. Eastern hour of "AMERICAN MORNING" with Bill and Soledad.

Thousands turned out this morning for the funeral of the Russian- backed leader of Chechnya. He was assassinated in an explosion over the weekend.

For more on that attack and what's next, let's head live to Moscow and CNN's Ryan Chilcote.

Hello -- Ryan.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With all due respect to the late Chechen leader, Mr. Kadyrov, who was buried just a couple of hours ago, he was not the only casualty of that attack. Another five people were killed in that attack, including a cameraman from the Reuters News Agency. And an additional 57 people were injured. Among them, five children and the commander of all Russian forces in Chechnya, a three-star general, General Valery Baranov.

All of this taking place as Russians were celebrating one of their most sacred holidays.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Raw video shows Russian servicemen at the Victory Day celebration in Chechnya, remembering the Soviet Union's defeat over the Nazis in 1945.

Then, spectators scrambling to take cover from gunfire that erupts moments after the blast. A scene of carnage at the VIP stand, where President Akhmad Kadyrov was killed. Among the injured, the commander of all Russian forces in Chechnya.

Children, World War II veterans and officials are whisked away from the scene.

In Moscow, the Russian president receives Kadyrov's son and pays tribute to his father's service in what he calls "the battle against terrorists in Chechnya."

"All these years," the Russian president says, "he was protecting Chechnya and its people. He was leading the republic to peaceful life."

Just two days ago, President Putin declared that peace had come to Chechnya, a claim that now looks hollow. He is promising retribution against the attackers.

(END VIDEOTAPE) Russia is desperately seeking a return to normalcy in Chechnya, a return to normal civilian affairs there. It has been four years now since they announced an end to offensive operations there, and they really need to see things call down. This, obviously, is not going to help.

The Russian president has appointed an interim leader there and has promised that elections will be carried out within the constitution regional elections there within the next four months -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote live in Moscow this morning.

The fallout is far from over. On the heels of more photographs being released, the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal only seems to intensify. A live report with the Arab perspective just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: New more explosive pictures may come out soon. Those pictures and possibly videotape of alleged Iraqi prisoner abuse are about to be reviewed at the Pentagon. That will happen later this morning.

So, with these new pictures and possibly videotape becoming public, will tensions continue to rise in the Arab world? And what can be done?

Joining us live from Boston, Ahmed Al Ramin, who was raised in Iraq and now teaches at Harvard. He's also a member of the American Islamic Congress.

Welcome.

AHMED AL RAMIN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: These new pictures of Iraqis being allegedly abused in the prison is set to come out, may come out soon -- maybe even videotape of alleged rape and alleged murder. Iraqis are already incensed. So, how does the U.S. lessen the blow?

AL RAMIN: Well, I think we lessen the blow by doing exactly what we're doing, going after those who committed these abuses. The Iraqis need to see that this process go on. But at the same time we also need to focus on the transition to Iraqi independence, because this is really what's on the minds of Iraqis right now is the form of the transition government and who is going to be part of it.

COSTELLO: So, you're -- well, therein lies another problem, because nobody knows who is going to take over after the June 30 deadline. Is there anyone in mind from your perspective?

AL RAMIN: Well, there are names that are being passed around now -- Hachachi (ph) as president, Falabani as vice president, Abdul Haziz Hakeem (ph) as another vice president. There are a number of names, but it's still not clear. And Ambassador Brahimi is having a lot of pressure put on him to include members of the IGC, the Iraqi Governing Council.

So, it's not at all clear right now who is going to be part of this government.

COSTELLO: Let's get back to the pictures and the court martials that may be made public in Iraq. In fact, one of the court martials -- court's martial, I should say, is taking place on May 19, and it may be televised in Iraq. Is that a good thing?

AL RAMIN: I think it is a good thing. I think Iraqis need to see this process. They did not see this process in any way under Saddam. When torture and abuse occurred in Iraqi prisons under the previous regime, the culprits never had to pay the price. And now, I think that they need to see this process, and they need to see those who are guilty for it pay some sort of price for it.

COSTELLO: So, if they see these things taking place on television and if some compensation is given to the victims' families, will this scandal die down in Iraq?

AL RAMIN: I'm not sure if it will die down. It certainly is going to be on Iraqis' minds for a long time, because it puts a damper on the perception of the U.S. in Iraq and in the region. But at the same time, I think one thing that we have to keep in perspective is that this is -- even though it's a major incident, this is something that is a small part of the big picture of what's happening in Iraq.

Again, we need to focus on the transition process. We need to let the process of indicting those who were involved in committing these crimes take its role, and we need to let Iraqis see that.

COSTELLO: A last question for you. Many Americans feel that some Iraqis -- well, they should be more grateful about what America has done as far as getting rid of Saddam Hussein. Can you address that for us?

AL RAMIN: Well, look, Iraqis feel grateful that the U.S. has gotten rid of Saddam Hussein. What they are frustrated with is this transition process. We are basically at the same point that we were about a year ago under General Garner, politically that is. We're talking about a technocratic government. We're talking about some form of re-Baathification.

Iraqis are very frustrated with the political developments up until this point, and this is what they're expressing. If we can get the political program set up for them that allows for transition, if we can begin creating consensus to have direct elections, if we can begin showing them that we're doing all these things, not only will the problem of these abuses subside, but also there will be some sort of stability coming about. But we have to make some decisions about politically what's going to happen in Iraq.

COSTELLO: All right, Ahmad Al Ramin joining us live from Boston this morning. Thank you so much.

AL RAMIN: Thanks. Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern Time. Here's what's all new this morning.

President Bush heads to the Pentagon later this morning for a briefing on the military situation in Iraq, plus the latest in the prison abuse scandal.

American Marines are back in Fallujah this morning. A convoy of about 16 U.S. military vehicles entered the city center alongside the newly-formed Iraqi Civil Defense Corps.

In money news, gas prices keep pumping up. They've gone up 10 cents a gallon in the last two weeks. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular nationwide is $1.93.

In sports, the Calgary Flames used another overtime ball to beat the San Jose Sharks in game one of the Western Conference championship. Calgary has won four games in overtime during the post- season.

And in culture, monsters and mayhem captured your attention this weekend. Hugh Jackman as "Van Helsing" opened in the top spot at the box office with more than $54 million in ticket sales.

(WEATHER BREAK)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines.

Let's head live to New York now to check in with Bill and Soledad.

Soledad, welcome back.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you very much. You know, can I tell you it is so nice to sleep in until like 7:15 in the morning?

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure.

O'BRIEN: What a joy. How sad is that?

HEMMER: She looks fresh and refreshed.

O'BRIEN: Oh, that's concealer. That's not sleep.

HEMMER: We're all envious.

Carol, how are you? Good morning to you on a Monday. A lot on the prisoner abuse latest. We'll have Barbara Starr at the Pentagon today. Senator Joseph Biden was on the talk shows yesterday saying that moral clarity has been lost. We'll have him on today to explain that today.

O'BRIEN: And, of course, the big question: Who is to blame in all this? This morning, we talk to the parents of one of the soldiers who's accused and ask them questions about their son. HEMMER: Also, in the election 2004 forefront, you know, George Bush and John Kerry have differences, but wait until you hear how many similarities these two men have on some of the bigger issues. Bill Schneider looks at that today for us as well.

O'BRIEN: That's all ahead, Carol. We'll see you in a few minutes.

COSTELLO: Sure will. Thanks to both of you.

May is one of those months where sports fans just don't know what to do with themselves. Baseball is just getting started. In basketball and hockey, we're at the peak of the playoffs. Coming up, the weekend's winners and losers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

It is Monday morning, and this is the time we usually set aside to talk sports. So, what should we start with? The Grand Prix of Spain? Or maybe -- whoa! Come back down here, camera.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Oh, the books on the wall.

CHRIS COTTER, CNN SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Obviously, you're not the Grand Prix of Spain.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: No.

COTTER: Michael Shumaker (ph), it's boring, he wins everything, let's move on.

MYERS: Five in a row, 50 points, he's not catachable.

COSTELLO: He's not, no, not at all. Oh, so you know all about that. But we have to talk about basketball.

MYERS: I only care about racing.

COSTELLO: Let's talk about the Lakers, because they had a big win.

COTTER: Yes, actually you had teams yesterday and the Lakers and New Jersey both down 0-2. New Jersey, the two-time defending Eastern Conference champs, and the Lakers, you know, completely absent in their first two games against San Antonio. They came to play yesterday, though, in L.A. Defense...

COSTELLO: Whoa!

COTTER: ... Gary Peyton (ph) right here, who was much maligned in the first couple of games. The 35-year-old point guard came out strong and played great defense, scored 15 points on his own. So, now the Lakers are trying to do what only seven teams have ever done in NBA history: come back from 0-2. But no one has ever come back from 0-3. So, with that in mind, the Lakers had to win, and so did the Nets, and both of them did.

And TV executives all over the planet and David Stern (ph) in the NBA are thanking the good Lord, because now they can go maybe three weekends with this round. I mean, that's what they're trying to do.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: Make it last over three weekends. That's why it's taking so long. Last week we talked about the Lakers, they've only played two games since we last talked.

COSTELLO: I know. It's just been an endless basketball season.

COTTER: It will go forever.

MYERS: And they want a seven-game series.

COTTER: Oh, yes.

MYERS: They want to make that money.

COTTER: And they want the Lakers to advance big time.

COSTELLO: That's a big television market, that's right.

I wanted to talk a little bit about the NBA draft before we move on to hockey.

COTTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Because LeBron James, with the advent of his enormous success as a teenager. Will more teenagers be involved in this year's NBA draft?

COTTER: Well, I think that you'll have that same chunk of teenagers that will be going. The problem is I don't think they'll be drafted as high, and maybe the expectations for them won't be as high.

But you have a Sebastian Telfare (ph), for example, who is going to be drafted. He's coming out of New York City right out of high school. He signed a big multimillion-dollar deal with Adidas already. He won't even be a top 10 draft choice, and I don't expect him to contribute right away at all. But he comes out of New York City, so all of the kids kind of have their eye on him, and Adidas says we've got to hook up with this kid right away.

MYERS: The kid gets a $500,000 contract to play basketball, he's got a $3 million contract to put shoes on.

COTTER: That's right. And for an inner-city kid to get that first rookie contract and to get a shoe contract on top of that...

MYERS: Yes. COTTER: ... multimillion, how can you say no?

MYERS: Right.

COTTER: I mean, the kid is going to say yes. He's going to jump all over it, even if it hurts his prospects for a better career down the road.

COSTELLO: It's just unbelievable.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Quickly, hockey.

COTTER: The Calgary Flames did it again last night, huh?

MYERS: Amazing.

COTTER: Into overtime.

MYERS: Yes.

COTTER: I mean, the people in Calgary, they've suffered. They won the Stanley Cup in '89, but they've had no success since then, 15 years. Now, they're getting it done in overtime. Here, you see Steve Montadore (ph) with the goal to finish the game, another overtime winner, exciting for Calgary on the road in San Jose. Now, they take a 1-0 lead. This team may be for real, but...

MYERS: Oh, I'll tell you what. Detroit is still in shock.

COTTER: And we talk about TV...

MYERS: In shock!

COTTER: ... the NHL people really wanted Detroit and Colorado for TV ratings. Right now, you have Calgary, San Jose. Tampa Bay is still in it.

COSTELLO: Oh!

COTTER: I mean, Philadelphia is the only real big-time team that's still involved. The NHL right now is thinking it's great for hockey, but it's bad for television. And the NBA doesn't want that. They want the Lakers to stay in it as long as they can, and the big- market Nets as well.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, as far as hockey goes, they really want a good series, because of all of the violence that's been taking place in hockey.

COTTER: Yes. They'd love to see great hockey. I think we will see great hockey, and we saw it yesterday with San Jose and Calgary. The problem is you can't get people in the United States interested in what's going on with the Calgary Flames, the San Jose Sharks. You know, you don't even have the big-time Canadian teams like the Canadians and the Maple Leafs in it.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chris Cotter.

COTTER: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Appreciate it as always.

We're going to give away a mug in DAYBREAK coffee quiz. That's coming up next, right?

MYERS: Yes, I'm ready.

COSTELLO: First the headlines, though.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MYERS: It's your birthday.

COSTELLO: Thank you. I was kind of missing that music.

MYERS: That's right. Hey, time to give away a coffee mug. From last Friday, we asked two questions. Our business report on Friday asked about Wal-Mart's video game prices. How much higher are they than other retailers and by what percent? Nine percent higher than BestBuy and I think it was Circuit City. And then, how much water should you drink two hours before you do any type of a race? Talking about like not a car race, but a running race. You should drink two cups.

And Ray Sooley from West Milford, New Jersey, is our winner this morning. Thank you, Ray.

COSTELLO: Congratulations!

MYERS: Now, again, don't answer those questions, because we've already done that. You won't believe how many people answer yesterday's questions.

Here are today's questions.

In our business report, the Lundburg survey now estimates a gallon of self-serve gas across the country on average at what price?

And combined, there are four military newspapers published by the Gannett company making up what group? The four military newspapers published by Gannett...

COSTELLO: Make up what group? Oh, that's a tough one. You will win this beautiful mug is you get both questions correct. Daybreak@CNN.com. Daybreak@CNN.com.

MYERS: Carol, you had a special honor this weekend.

COSTELLO: I did. I got to deliver the commencement address at my alma mater, Kent State University, and there I am at the podium. And it was a terrific time.

MYERS: Wow! You look fabulous! Did you -- wow!

COSTELLO: Thanks, Chad.

MYERS: Yikes!

COSTELLO: What I said was even better.

MYERS: Oh, that was more important, of course.

COSTELLO: And I talked about failure and how failures can sometimes turn into your best successes, and what a great time I had.

A funny story. Do I have time to tell my story?

MYERS: Sure you do.

COSTELLO: OK. I was sitting in a coffee shop, a father comes up and say, "Hey, aren't you Carol Costello from DAYBREAK?" I said, 'Yes.' He goes, "I'm here for my daughter's commencement. It took place in the morning, but she overslept and missed the graduation."

MYERS: Oops.

COSTELLO: I would have killed her.

MYERS: Well, I'm sure you'd still get your degree.

COSTELLO: You do, but still, can you believe it?

MYERS: I cannot believe it. Anyway, congratulations. What a great honor for you, I know. And, again, most of the things that you do in life that turn out to be failures are clearly something that you learn from if you can learn from them.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: So great.

COSTELLO: "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now. We'll see you again tomorrow.

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