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CNN Live At Daybreak

Humiliating Pictures; Fight for Iraq; Doing Their Duty; Saying 'I Don't'

Aired May 11, 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: Testimony today will take us inside Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib Prison for a closer look at the abuses there.
It is Tuesday, May 11. This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date now.

You have seen the pictures, now you can hear from the Army general who documented these abuses. He testifies before the Senate this morning. You can watch it live here on CNN.

Smoke rises over Gaza City. You are looking at pictures just in to us this morning of an Israeli attack. Palestinian sources say the Israelis killed at least 5 people and wounded 40 others. And they say militants killed several Israeli soldiers.

Iraqi gunmen have killed a Russian contract worker. Two other Russians were taken hostage during the attack at a power plant south of Baghdad.

And several people are missing from a civilian convoy that was attacked in Iraq. It happened today. The 21-vehicle convoy was heading from Jordan to Baghdad. It was operated by a subsidiary of Halliburton.

Now over to Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Straight from the horse's mouth, the general who wrote the Pentagon report detailing Iraqi prisoner abuse appears on Capitol Hill this morning. Army Major General Antonio Taguba will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In his report, Taguba cited the -- quote -- "systematic and illegal abuses of detainees." He concluded numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees.

CNN, of course, will bring you live coverage of Taguba's testimony this morning. That begins at 9:30 Eastern.

Pentagon sources say there are as many as 300 more prison abuse pictures. The worst one shows U.S. troops sodomizing Iraqis with chemical lights.

Our Brian Todd reports on the seven soldiers charged so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seven names, faces, stories, whether guilty or innocent, certainly notorious, moving through the public consciousness and the military court system with mind-numbing speed.

First on the docket, Specialist Jeremy Sivits, charged with four counts, including cruelty and maltreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. Half a world away, in southwestern Pennsylvania, the father of the girl Sivits took to his high school prom, speaks of a double standard.

MIKE FLEEGLE, FRIEND OF ACCUSED SOLDIER: Bring him home. Let's pin a medal on him and have a parade. They drug our kids through the streets behind jeeps. They burn them. They hung them from a bridge. And why are we held higher standards than they are?

TODD: Three women are among those facing courts-martial, the best known, Private Lynndie England, a 21-year-old West Virginia native. Among the charges against her, assaulting a prisoner and indecent exposure. Her families and attorney say, even in these picture, she is being set up.

ROSE MARY ZAPOR, ATTORNEY FOR PFC. ENGLAND: That leash being handed to our client and saying, stand there while we take this picture. That is staged. That is not a picture of our client abusing a prisoner in any way.

TODD: England's family said she is pregnant by another soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib case. Specialist Charles Graner Jr., formerly a prison guard in Pennsylvania, whose attorney says the pictures do not tell the story.

GUY WOMACK, ATTORNEY FOR SPECIALIST CHARLES GRANER: I have only seen seven photos. And those were ones that he was ordered to have taken or be involved in.

TODD: Two other women facing military trial, Specialist Megan Ambuhl, described by her attorney in media reports as a clean and wholesome girl who studied biology in college; and 26-year-old Specialist Sabrina Harman of Alexandria, Virginia, shown here smiling over a pile of naked detainees.

In an e-mail to "The Washington Post," Harman said this was part of her job, to -- quote -- "keep them awake, make it hell so they would talk."

(on camera): That defense, just following orders, is consistent among the families of the accused. The fathers of the Sergeant Javal Davis and Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick speak of their sons as unfailingly loyal.

JONATHAN DAVIS, FATHER OF SGT. JAVAL DAVIS: I have a good son. I have a good son. He's a good father. He's a good provider. And he's a good soldier. And good soldiers do what good soldiers do, what they are told.

IVAN FREDERICK, FATHER OF STAFF SGT. IVAN FREDERICK: That is one thing they teach you in basic training is the senior officer gives you a command, you will do it or you are subject to court-martial or you may wish you had of.

TODD: As for some senior officers Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, commander of Abu Ghraib at the time of the alleged abuse, is no longer in charge of the prison and could face disciplinary action. Nine others including at least three officers also face possible discipline.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Now for our e-mail question of the day, will there be a scapegoat in the Iraqi prison abuse scandal? And if so, who will that be? E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

There are other developments in Iraq to tell you about this morning. We're getting word that American soldiers have killed 13 militiamen loyal to renegade radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Let's head live to Najaf and Jane Arraf to get the latest.

And you are joined by a special guest, Jane, tell us who it is.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are, Carol. It is actually a special day at the governor's house, which now has a new occupant. It's a new governor appointed by the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council. His name is Adnan al-Zurufi and he is from Najaf, but most recently from Detroit and Chicago. We'll be speaking with him later.

We have with us now coalition coordinator for Najaf, Phil Kosnett.

Phil, thanks very much for speaking with us.

PHIL KOSNETT, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY: Hi, Jane, always a pleasure.

ARRAF: Now a new occupant in this palace, a really tough and dangerous job. What do you expect he can do? KOSNETT: Well the governor is today having meetings with local political and tribal leaders, business leaders, other figures in the community to discuss his plans to revitalize the economy and get the local administration off to a good start.

A few days ago, he was in Baghdad with Ambassador Bremer for the announcement of the new governor. And Governor al-Zurufi emphasized that he wants to have a real clean sweep in Najaf, to have a new administration free of any hint of corruption, people who are really dedicated to working for all the people of Najaf. And at the same time, helping the local economy to achieve -- to achieve its own -- its own level of performance so that the local economy isn't dependent only on outside assistance.

ARRAF: Now there hasn't been a great track record we have to find out of governors in Najaf. The first one appointed by the coalition was jailed for some time for embezzlement, kidnapping, other things. Does that taint what the new governor will be able to do, the fact that he is being so publicly installed by the United States?

KOSNETT: Well the new governor is a provisional governor. And I think sometime after the handover of sovereignty in June, there will be an election for governor here. And whether Governor al-Zurufi chooses to run or not is a decision that he will make later on. But the point is, the next governor certainly will have the opportunity to demonstrate his legitimacy through an election. Under the circumstances now, the threat to the city posed by say Muqtada and his militia, it was important to reestablish a legitimate government very early on.

And I think that governor al-Zurufi, who is a native born Najaf, he has a wonderful reputation here. He was an anti-Saddam student leader. He was jailed by Saddam. He then quite heroically fought against Saddam in the 1991 uprising. And after his defeat, with you know $2 in his pocket and not a word of English, he went to the States to build a new life as a small businessman. And then he gave that up to come back and help the people of Najaf. So I think that the people here have a lot of respect for the governor.

ARRAF: Thank you so much for that.

That was the coalition coordinator for Najaf telling us about the new governor appointed by the coalition in the hope that it will help lead to a stop to the bloodshed here in Najaf -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Najaf this morning.

Let's talk to our senior international editor David Clinch now for more information on those prisoner abuse stories that are in the hands of Congress right now and there are hundreds more.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right. Yes, hundreds more. We're told, in fact, up to 1,000 photographs. Only about 200 or 300 relevant in terms of abuse, we're told, but some of those horrific, according, and disgusting, according to President Bush himself who saw some of the worst ones yesterday. No more have leaked out in the last 24 hours or so that we can see. Even Congress saying that they want rules to be established before they get them into their hands. So we'll be watching that closely.

But you know this story is a lot about perception. It's fairly clear that abuses have happened. It's obvious that abuses have happened. But the perception is very interesting. We have been looking at this story now for more than a week or so. It's really interesting to see and hear some of the perceptions from different people in different parts of the world about this story.

I mean, for instance, obvious to us that Abu Ghraib is a huge prison and that in that prison, for instance, 99 percent of the time we have seen some photographs released just within the last 48 hours or so, most of the prisoners are treated perfectly well. Most of the U.S. troops who are in charge of the prisoners there, not only since this scandal started, but even before that, behaved themselves perfectly well, had reasonable training and did the right thing.

The perception, of course, that's created by just a few incidents having happened is the photographs. It's the images that really create the perception of something horrific. But then the perception also, I have heard some people, for instance, even on CNN saying from one perspective they are angry with the leadership that allowed these photographs to be taken of abuse. It's kind of a funny way of thinking about it, really, in some ways imagining that it wouldn't be so bad if there were no photographs of it.

COSTELLO: Well it would be unbelievable. I mean you would hear these things about Americans torturing prisoners,...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... and I would say...

CLINCH: Well...

COSTELLO: ... most Americans would not believe that stuff goes on, but the pictures prove it.

CLINCH: Right, and perhaps that's true. I mean even from our own perspective here at CNN, we were aware of this story and the reports of this story for months. It was only when the photographs, the images started to come out that the resonance that that created not only here in the U.S. but abroad.

And that's, of course, where the other perspective comes in is that the whole backdrop to the U.S. action in Iraq is bringing American values to the Middle East. That, at least, is the now once weapons of mass destruction were put aside, that is the new mantra of the role of the U.S. And of course this and these images do nothing to help that idea of U.S. bringing their own values to the Middle East. So perception playing a very key part in this not just the actual events themselves.

COSTELLO: OK, and you'll have more for us later?

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

I'm going to read a few of our e-mails, because we have been having our e-mail question of the day. We're asking who the scapegoat will be in this prison abuse scandal?

And this is from Charles (ph). He writes, everyone below Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz will be scapegoats.

Another one from Lloyd (ph) from Staples, Texas. He says do I feel there will be a scapegoat in this subject fiasco? You bet I do. Top brass will try to lay the complete blame on the peon level. Isn't that the way it's done? When one finds themselves in an untenable position, just lie.

And this one from Bobby (ph) who is a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force, lives in Hampton, Virginia. He says without a doubt the enlisted troops will be the ones to suffer the brunt of the punishment in this incident while officers in charge run and hide without accepting their responsibility in letting this terrible mess happen.

DAYBREAK@CNN.com if you have an opinion on this scandal. Who will be the scapegoat? Will anyone be named responsible?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

The general at the heart of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal will testify before Congress today. Major General Antonio Taguba authored the Pentagon report on the abuse earlier this year calling it sadistic and criminal.

Kobe Bryant expected back in court today where he may enter a plea in his sexual assault case. Bryant's accuser made a surprise appearance in court during Monday's hearing.

In money news, the Dow will open this morning down more than 127 points, much of the drop due to fears over a possible rise in interest rates. The Nasdaq down more than 20 points.

In sports, the Philadelphia Flyers spanked the Tampa Bay Lightnings 6-2 in game two of the Eastern Conference finals. The series is tied at one game apiece.

In culture, possible trouble for the Cannes Film Festival, protesting French showbiz workers blocked the delivery of some films. They are upset about cuts in unemployment benefits and they are promising more protests when the festival begins tomorrow -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines.

Thank you, Chad.

The first U.S. soil that American soldiers touch when they return from Iraq or Afghanistan is Bangor, Maine. At the airport, a handful of residents gather for each planeload. They are there to say welcome home, soldier.

Our Frank Buckley brings us this touching story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The planes pull up in Bangor, Maine, to refuel. For the soldiers, it's the first time their boots are on the ground in America, on their way home from war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BUCKLEY: Every time, it's a celebration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back to the States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BUCKLEY: The Mainers are strangers to these Marines, but troop greeters like Elaine Greene and Joanne Miller (ph) say it's their duty to say thanks.

ELAINE GREENE, MAINE TROOP GREETER: He's why we're here. They deserve to have this country telling them how much they care.

BUCKLEY: It's enough to make a tough-as-nails Marine major with 19 years in the Corps choke up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just never really had a welcome home.

BUCKLEY: A local cell phone company donates phones and minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, Mama! I miss you!

BUCKLEY: The greeters, many of them veterans themselves, trade stories with the troops or just listen. For Donna Sorkin, it's a chance to be Mom. She's got a son, that little boy in the picture, Chris, greeting a soldier. That was in 1991. Today Chris is a soldier himself in Iraq. Being a surrogate mother for the other soldiers helps Sorkin get through it.

DONNA SORKIN, MAINE TROOP GREETER: If their mother can't be here when they first step foot on U.S. soil, it's nice to be here and be a mother for a while. BUCKLEY (on camera): The troop greetings began here in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm. A year ago, they resumed. Since then, more than 460 planes and 82,000 U.S. service members have been greeted in Bangor, Maine.

(voice-over): And at the head of the line for each flight that passes through, 82-year-old Bill Knight.

BILL KNIGHT, MAINE TROOP GREETER: Welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir.

KNIGHT: Welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

KNIGHT: Welcome home.

BUCKLEY: Knight was Army Air Corps during World War II. Later he was Navy. Hours before each plane comes in...

KNIGHT: That plane will be in at 2:15 today.

BUCKLEY: ... Mr. Knight works the phones to get the greeters to the airport. He's determined to prevent what happened to some soldiers of an unpopular war called Vietnam.

KNIGHT: The only thing I would rather be doing is I'd rather be back in the service, doing my time with these boys.

BUCKLEY: And occasionally, one of those boys sees not a stranger's face but the mom who lived across the street when he was a kid. Sergeant 1st Class John Leclair was welcomed home by Dee Winthrop Denning (ph). Dee still lives in Maine. In some ways, so does John.

SGT. JON LECLAIR, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION: I'm proud to be from here. Everywhere I go, I'm from Maine, even though I've lived around the world.

BUCKLEY: For most of these soldiers, though, Maine is just a refueling stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a few more hours. Just a few more hours.

BUCKLEY: They're headed home. Maine, a memory of war.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Bangor, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Private companies are offering health insurance benefits to gay couples at the rate of three per day. That's according to a new study. But some heterosexual couples are still angry that their gay friends can't get married.

And as CNN's David Mattingly reports, many heterosexuals are choosing not to tie the knot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Walking arm in arm, baby in tow, Jim and Amy seem the picture of a young, married couple. They had a beautiful ceremony three years ago. Friends and family were there. They've got the rings to prove it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are a symbol of being committed in lifelong sense to each other.

MATTINGLY: Committed, yes. But in spite of appearances, not married.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sort of came to the conclusion that it was at least right now somewhat of a discriminatory institution.

MATTINGLY: Unwilling to obtain the marriage license denied to their gay friends, Jim and Amy are among heterosexual couples trying to make a go of it as domestic partners. There's an organization on the Internet that even offers a how-to guide for a marriage boycott.

DORIAN SOLOT, ALTERNATIVES TO MARRIAGE PROJECT: We're very concerned that the laws in this country are really out of step with the reality of families. So, we have growing numbers of unmarried families.

MATTINGLY: The Web site reports a spike in discussion about a marriage boycott from let row sexual couples early this spring when the subject of gay marriage made headlines. The number of couples deciding not to get married in a show of solidarity with their gay friends is believed to be very small.

(on camera): Even so, experts say any move toward domestic partnerships gives momentum to what has become a 50-year-old trend. A trend away from tying the knot.

DAVID POPENOE, NATIONAL MARRIAGE PROJECT: The marriage rate since 1970 has dropped by about 40 percent. And a lot of that is because people are not marrying, they're just living together.

MATTINGLY: The result is a growing cohabitation nation. Where a new political incentive may join the host of reasons behind couples rejecting the traditional I do's.

David Mattingly, CNN, Seattle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what's new at 6:00. The Army general whose report details sadistic criminal abuses of Iraqi prisoners goes to Capitol Hill today. We'll have a live report on what to expect.

And training military police in Iraq. We'll get some insights on how it should work so that we don't see more pictures like these.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 11, 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: Testimony today will take us inside Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib Prison for a closer look at the abuses there.
It is Tuesday, May 11. This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

Let me bring you up to date now.

You have seen the pictures, now you can hear from the Army general who documented these abuses. He testifies before the Senate this morning. You can watch it live here on CNN.

Smoke rises over Gaza City. You are looking at pictures just in to us this morning of an Israeli attack. Palestinian sources say the Israelis killed at least 5 people and wounded 40 others. And they say militants killed several Israeli soldiers.

Iraqi gunmen have killed a Russian contract worker. Two other Russians were taken hostage during the attack at a power plant south of Baghdad.

And several people are missing from a civilian convoy that was attacked in Iraq. It happened today. The 21-vehicle convoy was heading from Jordan to Baghdad. It was operated by a subsidiary of Halliburton.

Now over to Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Straight from the horse's mouth, the general who wrote the Pentagon report detailing Iraqi prisoner abuse appears on Capitol Hill this morning. Army Major General Antonio Taguba will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In his report, Taguba cited the -- quote -- "systematic and illegal abuses of detainees." He concluded numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees.

CNN, of course, will bring you live coverage of Taguba's testimony this morning. That begins at 9:30 Eastern.

Pentagon sources say there are as many as 300 more prison abuse pictures. The worst one shows U.S. troops sodomizing Iraqis with chemical lights.

Our Brian Todd reports on the seven soldiers charged so far.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Seven names, faces, stories, whether guilty or innocent, certainly notorious, moving through the public consciousness and the military court system with mind-numbing speed.

First on the docket, Specialist Jeremy Sivits, charged with four counts, including cruelty and maltreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. Half a world away, in southwestern Pennsylvania, the father of the girl Sivits took to his high school prom, speaks of a double standard.

MIKE FLEEGLE, FRIEND OF ACCUSED SOLDIER: Bring him home. Let's pin a medal on him and have a parade. They drug our kids through the streets behind jeeps. They burn them. They hung them from a bridge. And why are we held higher standards than they are?

TODD: Three women are among those facing courts-martial, the best known, Private Lynndie England, a 21-year-old West Virginia native. Among the charges against her, assaulting a prisoner and indecent exposure. Her families and attorney say, even in these picture, she is being set up.

ROSE MARY ZAPOR, ATTORNEY FOR PFC. ENGLAND: That leash being handed to our client and saying, stand there while we take this picture. That is staged. That is not a picture of our client abusing a prisoner in any way.

TODD: England's family said she is pregnant by another soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib case. Specialist Charles Graner Jr., formerly a prison guard in Pennsylvania, whose attorney says the pictures do not tell the story.

GUY WOMACK, ATTORNEY FOR SPECIALIST CHARLES GRANER: I have only seen seven photos. And those were ones that he was ordered to have taken or be involved in.

TODD: Two other women facing military trial, Specialist Megan Ambuhl, described by her attorney in media reports as a clean and wholesome girl who studied biology in college; and 26-year-old Specialist Sabrina Harman of Alexandria, Virginia, shown here smiling over a pile of naked detainees.

In an e-mail to "The Washington Post," Harman said this was part of her job, to -- quote -- "keep them awake, make it hell so they would talk."

(on camera): That defense, just following orders, is consistent among the families of the accused. The fathers of the Sergeant Javal Davis and Staff Sergeant Ivan Frederick speak of their sons as unfailingly loyal.

JONATHAN DAVIS, FATHER OF SGT. JAVAL DAVIS: I have a good son. I have a good son. He's a good father. He's a good provider. And he's a good soldier. And good soldiers do what good soldiers do, what they are told.

IVAN FREDERICK, FATHER OF STAFF SGT. IVAN FREDERICK: That is one thing they teach you in basic training is the senior officer gives you a command, you will do it or you are subject to court-martial or you may wish you had of.

TODD: As for some senior officers Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, commander of Abu Ghraib at the time of the alleged abuse, is no longer in charge of the prison and could face disciplinary action. Nine others including at least three officers also face possible discipline.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Now for our e-mail question of the day, will there be a scapegoat in the Iraqi prison abuse scandal? And if so, who will that be? E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

There are other developments in Iraq to tell you about this morning. We're getting word that American soldiers have killed 13 militiamen loyal to renegade radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Let's head live to Najaf and Jane Arraf to get the latest.

And you are joined by a special guest, Jane, tell us who it is.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are, Carol. It is actually a special day at the governor's house, which now has a new occupant. It's a new governor appointed by the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Iraqi Governing Council. His name is Adnan al-Zurufi and he is from Najaf, but most recently from Detroit and Chicago. We'll be speaking with him later.

We have with us now coalition coordinator for Najaf, Phil Kosnett.

Phil, thanks very much for speaking with us.

PHIL KOSNETT, COALITION PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY: Hi, Jane, always a pleasure.

ARRAF: Now a new occupant in this palace, a really tough and dangerous job. What do you expect he can do? KOSNETT: Well the governor is today having meetings with local political and tribal leaders, business leaders, other figures in the community to discuss his plans to revitalize the economy and get the local administration off to a good start.

A few days ago, he was in Baghdad with Ambassador Bremer for the announcement of the new governor. And Governor al-Zurufi emphasized that he wants to have a real clean sweep in Najaf, to have a new administration free of any hint of corruption, people who are really dedicated to working for all the people of Najaf. And at the same time, helping the local economy to achieve -- to achieve its own -- its own level of performance so that the local economy isn't dependent only on outside assistance.

ARRAF: Now there hasn't been a great track record we have to find out of governors in Najaf. The first one appointed by the coalition was jailed for some time for embezzlement, kidnapping, other things. Does that taint what the new governor will be able to do, the fact that he is being so publicly installed by the United States?

KOSNETT: Well the new governor is a provisional governor. And I think sometime after the handover of sovereignty in June, there will be an election for governor here. And whether Governor al-Zurufi chooses to run or not is a decision that he will make later on. But the point is, the next governor certainly will have the opportunity to demonstrate his legitimacy through an election. Under the circumstances now, the threat to the city posed by say Muqtada and his militia, it was important to reestablish a legitimate government very early on.

And I think that governor al-Zurufi, who is a native born Najaf, he has a wonderful reputation here. He was an anti-Saddam student leader. He was jailed by Saddam. He then quite heroically fought against Saddam in the 1991 uprising. And after his defeat, with you know $2 in his pocket and not a word of English, he went to the States to build a new life as a small businessman. And then he gave that up to come back and help the people of Najaf. So I think that the people here have a lot of respect for the governor.

ARRAF: Thank you so much for that.

That was the coalition coordinator for Najaf telling us about the new governor appointed by the coalition in the hope that it will help lead to a stop to the bloodshed here in Najaf -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Najaf this morning.

Let's talk to our senior international editor David Clinch now for more information on those prisoner abuse stories that are in the hands of Congress right now and there are hundreds more.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right. Yes, hundreds more. We're told, in fact, up to 1,000 photographs. Only about 200 or 300 relevant in terms of abuse, we're told, but some of those horrific, according, and disgusting, according to President Bush himself who saw some of the worst ones yesterday. No more have leaked out in the last 24 hours or so that we can see. Even Congress saying that they want rules to be established before they get them into their hands. So we'll be watching that closely.

But you know this story is a lot about perception. It's fairly clear that abuses have happened. It's obvious that abuses have happened. But the perception is very interesting. We have been looking at this story now for more than a week or so. It's really interesting to see and hear some of the perceptions from different people in different parts of the world about this story.

I mean, for instance, obvious to us that Abu Ghraib is a huge prison and that in that prison, for instance, 99 percent of the time we have seen some photographs released just within the last 48 hours or so, most of the prisoners are treated perfectly well. Most of the U.S. troops who are in charge of the prisoners there, not only since this scandal started, but even before that, behaved themselves perfectly well, had reasonable training and did the right thing.

The perception, of course, that's created by just a few incidents having happened is the photographs. It's the images that really create the perception of something horrific. But then the perception also, I have heard some people, for instance, even on CNN saying from one perspective they are angry with the leadership that allowed these photographs to be taken of abuse. It's kind of a funny way of thinking about it, really, in some ways imagining that it wouldn't be so bad if there were no photographs of it.

COSTELLO: Well it would be unbelievable. I mean you would hear these things about Americans torturing prisoners,...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... and I would say...

CLINCH: Well...

COSTELLO: ... most Americans would not believe that stuff goes on, but the pictures prove it.

CLINCH: Right, and perhaps that's true. I mean even from our own perspective here at CNN, we were aware of this story and the reports of this story for months. It was only when the photographs, the images started to come out that the resonance that that created not only here in the U.S. but abroad.

And that's, of course, where the other perspective comes in is that the whole backdrop to the U.S. action in Iraq is bringing American values to the Middle East. That, at least, is the now once weapons of mass destruction were put aside, that is the new mantra of the role of the U.S. And of course this and these images do nothing to help that idea of U.S. bringing their own values to the Middle East. So perception playing a very key part in this not just the actual events themselves.

COSTELLO: OK, and you'll have more for us later?

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

I'm going to read a few of our e-mails, because we have been having our e-mail question of the day. We're asking who the scapegoat will be in this prison abuse scandal?

And this is from Charles (ph). He writes, everyone below Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz will be scapegoats.

Another one from Lloyd (ph) from Staples, Texas. He says do I feel there will be a scapegoat in this subject fiasco? You bet I do. Top brass will try to lay the complete blame on the peon level. Isn't that the way it's done? When one finds themselves in an untenable position, just lie.

And this one from Bobby (ph) who is a Master Sergeant in the United States Air Force, lives in Hampton, Virginia. He says without a doubt the enlisted troops will be the ones to suffer the brunt of the punishment in this incident while officers in charge run and hide without accepting their responsibility in letting this terrible mess happen.

DAYBREAK@CNN.com if you have an opinion on this scandal. Who will be the scapegoat? Will anyone be named responsible?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

The general at the heart of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal will testify before Congress today. Major General Antonio Taguba authored the Pentagon report on the abuse earlier this year calling it sadistic and criminal.

Kobe Bryant expected back in court today where he may enter a plea in his sexual assault case. Bryant's accuser made a surprise appearance in court during Monday's hearing.

In money news, the Dow will open this morning down more than 127 points, much of the drop due to fears over a possible rise in interest rates. The Nasdaq down more than 20 points.

In sports, the Philadelphia Flyers spanked the Tampa Bay Lightnings 6-2 in game two of the Eastern Conference finals. The series is tied at one game apiece.

In culture, possible trouble for the Cannes Film Festival, protesting French showbiz workers blocked the delivery of some films. They are upset about cuts in unemployment benefits and they are promising more protests when the festival begins tomorrow -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines.

Thank you, Chad.

The first U.S. soil that American soldiers touch when they return from Iraq or Afghanistan is Bangor, Maine. At the airport, a handful of residents gather for each planeload. They are there to say welcome home, soldier.

Our Frank Buckley brings us this touching story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The planes pull up in Bangor, Maine, to refuel. For the soldiers, it's the first time their boots are on the ground in America, on their way home from war.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Welcome back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BUCKLEY: Every time, it's a celebration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome back to the States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BUCKLEY: The Mainers are strangers to these Marines, but troop greeters like Elaine Greene and Joanne Miller (ph) say it's their duty to say thanks.

ELAINE GREENE, MAINE TROOP GREETER: He's why we're here. They deserve to have this country telling them how much they care.

BUCKLEY: It's enough to make a tough-as-nails Marine major with 19 years in the Corps choke up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just never really had a welcome home.

BUCKLEY: A local cell phone company donates phones and minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you, Mama! I miss you!

BUCKLEY: The greeters, many of them veterans themselves, trade stories with the troops or just listen. For Donna Sorkin, it's a chance to be Mom. She's got a son, that little boy in the picture, Chris, greeting a soldier. That was in 1991. Today Chris is a soldier himself in Iraq. Being a surrogate mother for the other soldiers helps Sorkin get through it.

DONNA SORKIN, MAINE TROOP GREETER: If their mother can't be here when they first step foot on U.S. soil, it's nice to be here and be a mother for a while. BUCKLEY (on camera): The troop greetings began here in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm. A year ago, they resumed. Since then, more than 460 planes and 82,000 U.S. service members have been greeted in Bangor, Maine.

(voice-over): And at the head of the line for each flight that passes through, 82-year-old Bill Knight.

BILL KNIGHT, MAINE TROOP GREETER: Welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir.

KNIGHT: Welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

KNIGHT: Welcome home.

BUCKLEY: Knight was Army Air Corps during World War II. Later he was Navy. Hours before each plane comes in...

KNIGHT: That plane will be in at 2:15 today.

BUCKLEY: ... Mr. Knight works the phones to get the greeters to the airport. He's determined to prevent what happened to some soldiers of an unpopular war called Vietnam.

KNIGHT: The only thing I would rather be doing is I'd rather be back in the service, doing my time with these boys.

BUCKLEY: And occasionally, one of those boys sees not a stranger's face but the mom who lived across the street when he was a kid. Sergeant 1st Class John Leclair was welcomed home by Dee Winthrop Denning (ph). Dee still lives in Maine. In some ways, so does John.

SGT. JON LECLAIR, 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION: I'm proud to be from here. Everywhere I go, I'm from Maine, even though I've lived around the world.

BUCKLEY: For most of these soldiers, though, Maine is just a refueling stop.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just a few more hours. Just a few more hours.

BUCKLEY: They're headed home. Maine, a memory of war.

Frank Buckley, CNN, Bangor, Maine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Private companies are offering health insurance benefits to gay couples at the rate of three per day. That's according to a new study. But some heterosexual couples are still angry that their gay friends can't get married.

And as CNN's David Mattingly reports, many heterosexuals are choosing not to tie the knot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Walking arm in arm, baby in tow, Jim and Amy seem the picture of a young, married couple. They had a beautiful ceremony three years ago. Friends and family were there. They've got the rings to prove it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These are a symbol of being committed in lifelong sense to each other.

MATTINGLY: Committed, yes. But in spite of appearances, not married.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sort of came to the conclusion that it was at least right now somewhat of a discriminatory institution.

MATTINGLY: Unwilling to obtain the marriage license denied to their gay friends, Jim and Amy are among heterosexual couples trying to make a go of it as domestic partners. There's an organization on the Internet that even offers a how-to guide for a marriage boycott.

DORIAN SOLOT, ALTERNATIVES TO MARRIAGE PROJECT: We're very concerned that the laws in this country are really out of step with the reality of families. So, we have growing numbers of unmarried families.

MATTINGLY: The Web site reports a spike in discussion about a marriage boycott from let row sexual couples early this spring when the subject of gay marriage made headlines. The number of couples deciding not to get married in a show of solidarity with their gay friends is believed to be very small.

(on camera): Even so, experts say any move toward domestic partnerships gives momentum to what has become a 50-year-old trend. A trend away from tying the knot.

DAVID POPENOE, NATIONAL MARRIAGE PROJECT: The marriage rate since 1970 has dropped by about 40 percent. And a lot of that is because people are not marrying, they're just living together.

MATTINGLY: The result is a growing cohabitation nation. Where a new political incentive may join the host of reasons behind couples rejecting the traditional I do's.

David Mattingly, CNN, Seattle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what's new at 6:00. The Army general whose report details sadistic criminal abuses of Iraqi prisoners goes to Capitol Hill today. We'll have a live report on what to expect.

And training military police in Iraq. We'll get some insights on how it should work so that we don't see more pictures like these.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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