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CNN Live At Daybreak
Latest Developments in Fighting Between Coalition Forces, Insurgents; In Afghanistan, Allegations of Prisoner Abuse by U.S. Troops
Aired May 12, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Graphic, shocking, unspeakable -- the beheading of an American in Iraq caught on tape for the world to see.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 12.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Here are the latest headlines for you now.
The body of Nicholas Berg, the American beheaded in Iraq, could be returned to the United States today. His killers say his death is, in part, retaliation for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
And new this morning, American helicopter gunships over Karbala in Iraq today. As many as 25 militia members loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been killed. Seven coalition troops have been wounded in the fighting.
Did this National Guard soldier try to help terrorists? Twenty- six-year-old Ryan Anderson faces a military hearing at Fort Lewis, Washington today. He's accused of trying to pass information on troop strength and tactics to al Qaeda.
The government says gas prices will continue to rise over the next month. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is expected to top $2 in June.
To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Show me the money, please. Donald Rumsfeld will have his hand out as he appears before the Senate today. His request for more money comes after an American is brutally killed on tape.
Let's head live to D.C. for more and Bill Prasad -- good morning, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. They will be talking dollars and cents once again on Capitol Hill. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will be back. This time he and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers will appear before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He'll discuss the president's budget for fiscal year 2005 and his request for a $25 billion down payment for next year's U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This represents a change. The White House's previous plan was not to seek the money until after the elections.
But requests for money are being overshadowed by demands for justice. Congress is outraged by the killing of an American in Iraq. Senators will be looking at photos of prisoner abuse today. Some fear the release of these photos could prompt more violence against Americans, like what happened to Nicholas Berg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN'S "LARRY KING LIVE")
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: To state the obvious, Larry, it's been a very bad week. It's terrible. It's awful. We'll track down these killers and we'll get 'em and we'll bring 'em to the kind of justice that we adhere to, and that is a trial and then we will make sure that they receive the punishment that they deserve for this heinous crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: The beheading video is not only shocking, but it should be a wake up call as to exactly who we're dealing with here. We're dealing with an enemy that has absolutely no boundaries, that's despicable in every way and really behaves like animals in the name of god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRASAD: The White House says its prayers are with the victim and his family. The White House vows to catch the men who committed this horrifying crime -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: And, Bill, I know you're from Westchester, Pennsylvania, where Nicholas Berg was from. The family isn't speaking out much this morning. Of course, they're devastated.
But tell us something about his hometown.
PRASAD: This is a very small community, Carol, that's about a 30 minute drive that is west of Philadelphia. It is mostly known for its teaching institution, Westchester University. Not very much news comes from this small community, so the people there have got to be stunned at what they've seen.
COSTELLO: I'm sure they are.
Bill Prasad live from D.C. this morning.
As for why Nicholas Berg was in Iraq, this was his second trip to the country. He visited Iraq last December to help rebuild the infrastructure and returned to the United States on February 1. But by mid-March, he was on his way back to Iraq. Communication with his family ended on March 24. In fact, expecting his arrival, Berg's father waited at JFK Airport for his son's return on March 30. He didn't come home at that time. But the FBI informed the Berg family back in Pennsylvania that Nicholas was in coalition custody in Iraq at that time and that prompted the family to file suit against Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Berg was released from coalition custody in Iraq on April 6, but he disappeared again on April 9. His family had not heard anything about where he was until Monday, when they were informed of his death. And then yesterday the videotape of his killing was released on a pro- al Qaeda Web site. The State Department says Nicholas Berg's body could be returned to Pennsylvania as early as today.
For more information about Nicholas Berg and the group claiming responsibility for his death, you can log onto cnn.com.
During raids within the past 90 minutes in Karbala, Iraq, coalition troops have killed at least 20 members of the militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. It's all part of Operation Search and Cordon.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live from Baghdad with the latest on that -- hello, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, fighting overnight and throughout part of this morning in the city of Karbala. That's south of Baghdad. Coalition military authorities are telling us that U.S. troops have killed 20 to 25 members of the so-called Mahdi Army militia. That's the armed force loyal to the firebrand cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, whom coalition authorities want to arrest on murder charges.
Hospital authorities in Karbala say they haven't seen that scale of death. They say that they've seen seven bodies and that they've seen 15 wounded. From what we understand, the fighting does continue this morning, though the coalition authorities say they're still being very careful not to enter the area near some of the holy Shiite shrines in Karbala. They say fighting this morning has been about a third of a mile away from those shrines -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad this morning.
Who was in charge at Abu Ghraib Prison? That key question remains unanswered this morning, even after days of congressional hearings. This morning in the "Washington Post," the general said to be in charge, Janis Karpinski, says her superiors made the decision that opened the doors to abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Karpinski says General Geoffrey Miller and General Ricardo Sanchez overruled her concerns about the military intelligence takeover and the use of deadly force. Karpinski has since been reprimanded.
The U.S. military is investigating another incident of alleged abuse, this time in Afghanistan. The "New York Times" reports that an Afghan police officer was stripped naked and beaten on an American base. The "Times" quotes the officer, who says, "They were taunting me and laughing and asking very rude questions like which animal did I like having sex with and which animal do you want us to bring in for you to have sex w."
But the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan says this is the first time the military or the embassy has heard about the claims.
So we take you to Afghanistan and Nic Robertson, who joins us live via video phone.
What are you haring about this -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the troops I've talked to so far, again, disgusted if they say such claims are true. But certainly the coalition's point of view at this time is that these are just allegations. This is the first time, or yesterday was the first time they'd heard about it and they say that they will investigate these allegations thoroughly and if somebody does need to be brought to justice for it, they say that will happen. They will take appropriate actions.
The U.S. ambassador today, in his press release, saying that the media reports had prompted his statement. Now, the media reports, he said, were claims of abuse of an Afghan police officer taken into coalition detention in August last year, in the town of Gardez, just east of Kabul. He was taken into detention by the coalition there, moved to a coalition facility at Bagram. This, again, according to the U.S. Embassy press statement, again quoting the press reports, saying that he was stripped naked. He claims that he was kicked and physically abused and sexually taunted.
Again, the U.S. -- and, also, he claims, as well, that there were photographs taken of him while he was naked.
Now, the U.S. ambassador making it very clear that the U.S. Embassy has no knowledge of these photographs. This press report, they say, is the first that they've heard of these allegations and they will look into it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live from Afghanistan this morning.
If you're planning any road trips this summer, pack some extra cash. Later, wait until we show you just how high gas prices are expected to rise.
And ahead, they're back. These critters haven't been around in 17 years. Why the cicadas have decided to reappear now.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 12.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: We want to take you live again to the Middle East. There is renewed fighting in Gaza.
Matthew Chance live in Gaza now to tell us more -- hello, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, hi to you, as well.
And quite intensive fighting here in Gaza City between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants, battling around the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City, where Israel staged an incursion yesterday morning here, looking for suspected weapons making factories. There were fierce clashes then. Six Israeli soldiers were killed in those clashes by a roadside bomb, in fact, that destroyed their armored personnel carrier.
Israeli forces are still battling with militants of Palestinian militant groups -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade -- as they try to search door to door to retrieve the remains of those six Israeli soldiers.
Now, there have been very grizzly, gruesome images here presented to the media by the Palestinian militant groups over the course of the past 24 hours or so, with Palestinian militants showing the media the remains of these Israeli soldiers that they've captured. Various parts of Palestinian society have condemned this, Yasser Arafat amongst them, calling for the militants to hand back these remains.
The Red Cross has got involved to try and enter -- play an intermediary role to try and get those remains handed back.
Israel, for its part, says its troops won't leave that area of Gaza City until it's got back its killed soldiers -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Matthew Chance reporting live from Gaza this morning.
The beheading of an American hostage by masked men, well, it has enraged a good part of this country. Retaliation, of course, Americans can understand. But this is brutal.
To help us understand how this is perceived in the Arab world, our senior Arab affairs editor, Octavia Nasr -- thanks for joining us this morning.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Tell us, is the beheading itself being shown on Arab television?
NASR: No. That's a straight no. I tried to watch as many television stations as possible yesterday. The ones I couldn't watch that I expected could have run that tape I called this morning and they said no way. They didn't show it. They showed something like what we've shown, you know, the pre-beheading stage. And they reported on the story in this way.
COSTELLO: Many Americans are waiting for someone in the Arab world to come forward and express outrage at this.
Has this happened yet?
NASR: Not yet. On the official level, we didn't hear anything yet. On the street level, some stations have started showing people reacting to this. Also, agencies have been getting some reaction.
COSTELLO: And what has their reaction been?
NASR: Outrage, very much like this country. And I think you can judge by what airs on Arab television. This is how you can tell usually, this is our measurement to see what kind of reaction people are going to have. So...
COSTELLO: So are you saying because there is outrage, that's the reason why they're not showing this beheading on television?
NASR: No, it's the other way around. The Arab televisions usually show these things. This is something that's common in the Arab world. We see these pictures. We see pictures like not the beheading, but graphic images, gruesome images.
So for them to choose not to show it is a big sign of where they stand on this, that this is outrageous, this is unacceptable. We're not going to show it, basically, that's what they're saying.
COSTELLO: So is this act so outrageous by these terrorists that it will backfire and turn many more in the Arab world against what they're doing?
NASR: That's to be seen. One thing that is for sure -- and this happened even before we saw this beheading yesterday -- editorials are starting to call on people to be reasonable. They're saying where has this gotten us? This is getting out of hand. All these terrorists, they feel they can just take hostages here and there. These are civilians, after all, that we're seeing lately, especially last week and this week.
There is outrage in this sense, you know, journalists, thinkers, professionals are saying this is not acceptable. You're hearing people talk about it.
It's yet to be seen -- we have to wait until we hear from the officials to get the official reaction. But definitely the street is outraged.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, the hope is is that this will turn many in Iraq against all extremist acts and maybe more Iraqis will come forward to inform on these extremists.
NASR: Well, the interesting thing, this whole thing happened yesterday while the al-Sadr militia was trying to negotiate with the U.S., with the coalition forces, trying to say, OK, we're going to stop our insurgency if you give us these demands. So it's interesting. And a lot of people, a lot of experts are telling us -- and when we watch the Arab television, read the Arab papers, we're hearing a lot of people saying these are individual acts, these are groups that are not even known to Iraqis or Arabs in general. They're deciding on their own. They take hostages. They -- it's pay back in their mind.
So it's something to be careful of.
COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you this, too -- and I know David Clinch, our senior international editor, was telling us about the accents of these hooded men that beheaded Nicholas Berg. They were not -- they didn't have Jordanian accents. It sounded as if they were Iraqi accents.
So is there a connection to al Qaeda? Isn't there? Do we have any evidence?
NASR: Well, if there is, we just don't know about it. This group published a statement, along with this tape. The statement has nothing to do with al Qaeda or any other groups, except for Zarqawi, who is a Jordanian. They claim that he's the one who actually performed the beheading.
Indeed, the accent is not Jordanian. What does that tell us? Nothing, really. We don't know -- Jordanian, Iraqi -- who these people are. Who knows?
COSTELLO: Octavia Nasr, thanks for joining us on DAYBREAK this morning.
NASR: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:18 Eastern time.
Here's what's all new this morning.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to face some tough questions this morning when he appears in front of parliament. Blair has been criticized over the handling of abuse claims made against British troops in Iraq.
And today the Pentagon is giving all 100 U.S. senators three hours to view new pictures and videos of Iraqi prisoner abuse. The senators will not be allowed to keep the images or make copies.
In money news, the government says gas prices could spurt above $2 a gallon in June, and that's for regular. That would be the highest average in U.S. history. Experts say higher oil costs, higher demand and mergers in the oil industry are to blame.
In the NBA playoffs, the New Jersey Nets win by beating the Detroit Pistons last night. The final score, 94-79. The teams are tied 2-2 in the seven game series.
In culture, Celine Dion has canceled three performances this week in Las Vegas. She has a sprained neck and her doctors want her to rest until at least Saturday -- Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, they're loud, they have a short life span and only make an appearance every 17 years or so. The cicadas are coming.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Take a look. What is it? We'll share the answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, let's lighten the mood right now.
6:23 Eastern.
Listen to this. This is really strange. The cicadas are coming after 17 long years. The last time the locusts struck was back in 1987. That was the year of the Iran-Contra hearings. I don't know if it means anything in the cosmic world, but they -- the cicadas -- definitely will aggravate you.
Let's head live to D.C. and a man who spent Sunday night in a tree waiting for the cicadas to come up out of the ground, University of Maryland entomologist Michael Raupp.
And, wow, you have a little friend with you.
MICHAEL RAUPP, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Yes, Carol.
Good morning.
This is Willie.
COSTELLO: Willie the cicada. So I take it they don't harm anyone.
RAUPP: No. They're harmless, totally harmless. They can't sting, they can't bite. Hey, they're just up here for a good time.
COSTELLO: So 15 Eastern states and the District of Columbia will literally be swarming with trillions of cicadas.
First of all, tell us about this tree thing you did on Sunday.
RAUPP: Well, we were up in the treetop wrangling some cicadas. We had to have a firsthand look at the first ones out. Willie was one of the first ones out. And it's about to rock here in D.C.
COSTELLO: It's about to rock.
Chad is joining me right now, because he is so fascinated by the tale of the cicadas.
Why do they stay in the ground for 17 years? Explain that to us.
RAUPP: It's a very clever evolutionary strategy. Think about it. I'm starving right now. What predator can possibly wait 17 years for a meal? And those that are out right now, the whole game here for these guys is to emerge by the bazillions and simply overwhelm the predators that are out there. There is no predator that can possibly keep up with the number of cicadas that are going to be out here in the next four or five days.
MYERS: Doctor, there are cicadas every year, but this Brood 10, that's the one that we hear about the most, that's the highest population of all the broods, right?
RAUPP: Absolutely. This is the creme de la creme of cicadadom here.
MYERS: So to speak.
RAUPP: This, this is the -- so to speak. This is the largest mass occurrence of these things anywhere in the universe -- well, anywhere on the planet, anyway. And it's happening right here. Washington, D.C. is going to be the epicenter for this thing.
COSTELLO: So what can we expect? I mean will you walk -- I mean will they be ankle deep or something like that?
RAUPP: Maybe not that bad, but I tell you, it was a little bit crunchy wrangling last night. There were a lot of them out. I saw about a bazillion at one of the places that we were looking at these guys last night. It's going to be a little crunchy -- crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside for a little bit.
COSTELLO: Oh, jeez.
RAUPP: But there are going to be a lot of these guys.
MYERS: What do they eat? I mean are they going to eat my garden? Am I going to have nothing left of my tomato plant, or what?
RAUPP: Great question. Now, no harm to the plants. They really have sucking mouth parts. These guys are like an aphid. All they're going to do is hang around up in the treetops, maybe suck a little bit of plant sap, something like this. The only...
MYERS: It sounds like a great life.
RAUPP: What a life. Well, hey, they've been underground for 16 years sucking plant sap. So this is a big break for them.
COSTELLO: So, wait a minute. So I just want to know more about -- so they spend 17 years in the ground and they're sucking tree sap down there.
RAUPP: Sure. You've got it.
COSTELLO: And then they come up out of the ground to basically mate. And then how long do they live?
RAUPP: They're going to be out, Carol, anywhere from about, oh, two to four weeks, any individual lives. But because the generation spreads out in time, they're going to be with us, fortunately, for almost six weeks.
COSTELLO: And then they just die? So they stay in the ground for 17 years, come out, mate and then die?
RAUPP: What a life. And that's why Willie, you know, Willie's been living hard for 16 years underground and when he comes up here, he's going to sing, baby.
MYERS: Now, they don't have any problems with pets? You know, I mean they're not going to sting your pet or something like that and give them any kind of disease, right?
RAUPP: No, absolutely not. They don't vector any important diseases. As far as your pets go, your pets are going to eat these things with gusto.
MYERS: Ooh.
RAUPP: Dogs are already eating these things. You might want to limit the intake a little bit. They're plenty high in fiber. They're rich in several essential nutrients. They've got more protein and less fat than several cuts of meat so keep it down.
MYERS: Now, people eat these things, don't they? Some people eat these things?
RAUPP: Well, we've been eating these for about a month now and they are delicious.
COSTELLO: You have not.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: Come on.
RAUPP: We have. We have. They're wonderful, scrumptious.
COSTELLO: So how do you -- you sautee them and eat them?
MYERS: They taste like chicken, or what?
RAUPP: Hey, look, you can have boiled cicada, steamed cicada, cicada gumbo, Shanghai cicada, any kind of cicada you want.
COSTELLO: Well, I have noticed that Willie the cicada has disappeared from your shoulder.
RAUPP: Well, that's OK, he's not in the mouth. That's the important thing. If they're prepared wrong, I've got to be honest with you, sometimes they just taste like bugs.
COSTELLO: Ooh.
MYERS: But you know what? I don't know what they taste like anyway.
COSTELLO: Thank you so much Dr. Michael Raupp.
RAUPP: You're welcome.
It's been my pleasure.
COSTELLO: From the University of Maryland joining us.
RAUPP: Have a great morning.
Enjoy it.
COSTELLO: Oh, after that description, we will.
MYERS: Their sound is 100 decibels. That's more than like your car or your disposer. That's almost like a plane taking off.
COSTELLO: And that's their mating song. So they're sitting...
MYERS: Whir, whir. Oh, I can hardly wait.
COSTELLO: All right, let's go to our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: This is your thing, Chad.
MYERS: I have no idea what this is.
COSTELLO: It looks like a diamond to me.
MYERS: Yes. It's a nebula, called the red rectangle, from one of the most unusual celestial bodies in the galaxy, captured by the Hubble. You know, if we lose the Hubble, it's going to be so sad.
COSTELLO: Yes, I know.
MYERS: The telescope in 1999. It was released yesterday.
COSTELLO: Cool. OK. So as you gaze at that picture, you're going to gaze at a (COMMERCIAL BREAK). That's coming your way next, and then we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 12, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Graphic, shocking, unspeakable -- the beheading of an American in Iraq caught on tape for the world to see.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 12.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Here are the latest headlines for you now.
The body of Nicholas Berg, the American beheaded in Iraq, could be returned to the United States today. His killers say his death is, in part, retaliation for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
And new this morning, American helicopter gunships over Karbala in Iraq today. As many as 25 militia members loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have been killed. Seven coalition troops have been wounded in the fighting.
Did this National Guard soldier try to help terrorists? Twenty- six-year-old Ryan Anderson faces a military hearing at Fort Lewis, Washington today. He's accused of trying to pass information on troop strength and tactics to al Qaeda.
The government says gas prices will continue to rise over the next month. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is expected to top $2 in June.
To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Show me the money, please. Donald Rumsfeld will have his hand out as he appears before the Senate today. His request for more money comes after an American is brutally killed on tape.
Let's head live to D.C. for more and Bill Prasad -- good morning, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. They will be talking dollars and cents once again on Capitol Hill. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will be back. This time he and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers will appear before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He'll discuss the president's budget for fiscal year 2005 and his request for a $25 billion down payment for next year's U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This represents a change. The White House's previous plan was not to seek the money until after the elections.
But requests for money are being overshadowed by demands for justice. Congress is outraged by the killing of an American in Iraq. Senators will be looking at photos of prisoner abuse today. Some fear the release of these photos could prompt more violence against Americans, like what happened to Nicholas Berg.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM CNN'S "LARRY KING LIVE")
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: To state the obvious, Larry, it's been a very bad week. It's terrible. It's awful. We'll track down these killers and we'll get 'em and we'll bring 'em to the kind of justice that we adhere to, and that is a trial and then we will make sure that they receive the punishment that they deserve for this heinous crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BOB GRAHAM (D-FL), INTELLIGENCE CHAIRMAN: The beheading video is not only shocking, but it should be a wake up call as to exactly who we're dealing with here. We're dealing with an enemy that has absolutely no boundaries, that's despicable in every way and really behaves like animals in the name of god.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRASAD: The White House says its prayers are with the victim and his family. The White House vows to catch the men who committed this horrifying crime -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: And, Bill, I know you're from Westchester, Pennsylvania, where Nicholas Berg was from. The family isn't speaking out much this morning. Of course, they're devastated.
But tell us something about his hometown.
PRASAD: This is a very small community, Carol, that's about a 30 minute drive that is west of Philadelphia. It is mostly known for its teaching institution, Westchester University. Not very much news comes from this small community, so the people there have got to be stunned at what they've seen.
COSTELLO: I'm sure they are.
Bill Prasad live from D.C. this morning.
As for why Nicholas Berg was in Iraq, this was his second trip to the country. He visited Iraq last December to help rebuild the infrastructure and returned to the United States on February 1. But by mid-March, he was on his way back to Iraq. Communication with his family ended on March 24. In fact, expecting his arrival, Berg's father waited at JFK Airport for his son's return on March 30. He didn't come home at that time. But the FBI informed the Berg family back in Pennsylvania that Nicholas was in coalition custody in Iraq at that time and that prompted the family to file suit against Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Berg was released from coalition custody in Iraq on April 6, but he disappeared again on April 9. His family had not heard anything about where he was until Monday, when they were informed of his death. And then yesterday the videotape of his killing was released on a pro- al Qaeda Web site. The State Department says Nicholas Berg's body could be returned to Pennsylvania as early as today.
For more information about Nicholas Berg and the group claiming responsibility for his death, you can log onto cnn.com.
During raids within the past 90 minutes in Karbala, Iraq, coalition troops have killed at least 20 members of the militia loyal to cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. It's all part of Operation Search and Cordon.
CNN's Karl Penhaul joins us live from Baghdad with the latest on that -- hello, Karl.
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yes, fighting overnight and throughout part of this morning in the city of Karbala. That's south of Baghdad. Coalition military authorities are telling us that U.S. troops have killed 20 to 25 members of the so-called Mahdi Army militia. That's the armed force loyal to the firebrand cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, whom coalition authorities want to arrest on murder charges.
Hospital authorities in Karbala say they haven't seen that scale of death. They say that they've seen seven bodies and that they've seen 15 wounded. From what we understand, the fighting does continue this morning, though the coalition authorities say they're still being very careful not to enter the area near some of the holy Shiite shrines in Karbala. They say fighting this morning has been about a third of a mile away from those shrines -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad this morning.
Who was in charge at Abu Ghraib Prison? That key question remains unanswered this morning, even after days of congressional hearings. This morning in the "Washington Post," the general said to be in charge, Janis Karpinski, says her superiors made the decision that opened the doors to abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Karpinski says General Geoffrey Miller and General Ricardo Sanchez overruled her concerns about the military intelligence takeover and the use of deadly force. Karpinski has since been reprimanded.
The U.S. military is investigating another incident of alleged abuse, this time in Afghanistan. The "New York Times" reports that an Afghan police officer was stripped naked and beaten on an American base. The "Times" quotes the officer, who says, "They were taunting me and laughing and asking very rude questions like which animal did I like having sex with and which animal do you want us to bring in for you to have sex w."
But the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan says this is the first time the military or the embassy has heard about the claims.
So we take you to Afghanistan and Nic Robertson, who joins us live via video phone.
What are you haring about this -- Nic.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the troops I've talked to so far, again, disgusted if they say such claims are true. But certainly the coalition's point of view at this time is that these are just allegations. This is the first time, or yesterday was the first time they'd heard about it and they say that they will investigate these allegations thoroughly and if somebody does need to be brought to justice for it, they say that will happen. They will take appropriate actions.
The U.S. ambassador today, in his press release, saying that the media reports had prompted his statement. Now, the media reports, he said, were claims of abuse of an Afghan police officer taken into coalition detention in August last year, in the town of Gardez, just east of Kabul. He was taken into detention by the coalition there, moved to a coalition facility at Bagram. This, again, according to the U.S. Embassy press statement, again quoting the press reports, saying that he was stripped naked. He claims that he was kicked and physically abused and sexually taunted.
Again, the U.S. -- and, also, he claims, as well, that there were photographs taken of him while he was naked.
Now, the U.S. ambassador making it very clear that the U.S. Embassy has no knowledge of these photographs. This press report, they say, is the first that they've heard of these allegations and they will look into it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live from Afghanistan this morning.
If you're planning any road trips this summer, pack some extra cash. Later, wait until we show you just how high gas prices are expected to rise.
And ahead, they're back. These critters haven't been around in 17 years. Why the cicadas have decided to reappear now.
This is DAYBREAK for Wednesday, May 12.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COSTELLO: We want to take you live again to the Middle East. There is renewed fighting in Gaza.
Matthew Chance live in Gaza now to tell us more -- hello, Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, hi to you, as well.
And quite intensive fighting here in Gaza City between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants, battling around the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City, where Israel staged an incursion yesterday morning here, looking for suspected weapons making factories. There were fierce clashes then. Six Israeli soldiers were killed in those clashes by a roadside bomb, in fact, that destroyed their armored personnel carrier.
Israeli forces are still battling with militants of Palestinian militant groups -- Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigade -- as they try to search door to door to retrieve the remains of those six Israeli soldiers.
Now, there have been very grizzly, gruesome images here presented to the media by the Palestinian militant groups over the course of the past 24 hours or so, with Palestinian militants showing the media the remains of these Israeli soldiers that they've captured. Various parts of Palestinian society have condemned this, Yasser Arafat amongst them, calling for the militants to hand back these remains.
The Red Cross has got involved to try and enter -- play an intermediary role to try and get those remains handed back.
Israel, for its part, says its troops won't leave that area of Gaza City until it's got back its killed soldiers -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Matthew Chance reporting live from Gaza this morning.
The beheading of an American hostage by masked men, well, it has enraged a good part of this country. Retaliation, of course, Americans can understand. But this is brutal.
To help us understand how this is perceived in the Arab world, our senior Arab affairs editor, Octavia Nasr -- thanks for joining us this morning.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Tell us, is the beheading itself being shown on Arab television?
NASR: No. That's a straight no. I tried to watch as many television stations as possible yesterday. The ones I couldn't watch that I expected could have run that tape I called this morning and they said no way. They didn't show it. They showed something like what we've shown, you know, the pre-beheading stage. And they reported on the story in this way.
COSTELLO: Many Americans are waiting for someone in the Arab world to come forward and express outrage at this.
Has this happened yet?
NASR: Not yet. On the official level, we didn't hear anything yet. On the street level, some stations have started showing people reacting to this. Also, agencies have been getting some reaction.
COSTELLO: And what has their reaction been?
NASR: Outrage, very much like this country. And I think you can judge by what airs on Arab television. This is how you can tell usually, this is our measurement to see what kind of reaction people are going to have. So...
COSTELLO: So are you saying because there is outrage, that's the reason why they're not showing this beheading on television?
NASR: No, it's the other way around. The Arab televisions usually show these things. This is something that's common in the Arab world. We see these pictures. We see pictures like not the beheading, but graphic images, gruesome images.
So for them to choose not to show it is a big sign of where they stand on this, that this is outrageous, this is unacceptable. We're not going to show it, basically, that's what they're saying.
COSTELLO: So is this act so outrageous by these terrorists that it will backfire and turn many more in the Arab world against what they're doing?
NASR: That's to be seen. One thing that is for sure -- and this happened even before we saw this beheading yesterday -- editorials are starting to call on people to be reasonable. They're saying where has this gotten us? This is getting out of hand. All these terrorists, they feel they can just take hostages here and there. These are civilians, after all, that we're seeing lately, especially last week and this week.
There is outrage in this sense, you know, journalists, thinkers, professionals are saying this is not acceptable. You're hearing people talk about it.
It's yet to be seen -- we have to wait until we hear from the officials to get the official reaction. But definitely the street is outraged.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, the hope is is that this will turn many in Iraq against all extremist acts and maybe more Iraqis will come forward to inform on these extremists.
NASR: Well, the interesting thing, this whole thing happened yesterday while the al-Sadr militia was trying to negotiate with the U.S., with the coalition forces, trying to say, OK, we're going to stop our insurgency if you give us these demands. So it's interesting. And a lot of people, a lot of experts are telling us -- and when we watch the Arab television, read the Arab papers, we're hearing a lot of people saying these are individual acts, these are groups that are not even known to Iraqis or Arabs in general. They're deciding on their own. They take hostages. They -- it's pay back in their mind.
So it's something to be careful of.
COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you this, too -- and I know David Clinch, our senior international editor, was telling us about the accents of these hooded men that beheaded Nicholas Berg. They were not -- they didn't have Jordanian accents. It sounded as if they were Iraqi accents.
So is there a connection to al Qaeda? Isn't there? Do we have any evidence?
NASR: Well, if there is, we just don't know about it. This group published a statement, along with this tape. The statement has nothing to do with al Qaeda or any other groups, except for Zarqawi, who is a Jordanian. They claim that he's the one who actually performed the beheading.
Indeed, the accent is not Jordanian. What does that tell us? Nothing, really. We don't know -- Jordanian, Iraqi -- who these people are. Who knows?
COSTELLO: Octavia Nasr, thanks for joining us on DAYBREAK this morning.
NASR: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 6:18 Eastern time.
Here's what's all new this morning.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is going to face some tough questions this morning when he appears in front of parliament. Blair has been criticized over the handling of abuse claims made against British troops in Iraq.
And today the Pentagon is giving all 100 U.S. senators three hours to view new pictures and videos of Iraqi prisoner abuse. The senators will not be allowed to keep the images or make copies.
In money news, the government says gas prices could spurt above $2 a gallon in June, and that's for regular. That would be the highest average in U.S. history. Experts say higher oil costs, higher demand and mergers in the oil industry are to blame.
In the NBA playoffs, the New Jersey Nets win by beating the Detroit Pistons last night. The final score, 94-79. The teams are tied 2-2 in the seven game series.
In culture, Celine Dion has canceled three performances this week in Las Vegas. She has a sprained neck and her doctors want her to rest until at least Saturday -- Chad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, they're loud, they have a short life span and only make an appearance every 17 years or so. The cicadas are coming.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. Take a look. What is it? We'll share the answer after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, let's lighten the mood right now.
6:23 Eastern.
Listen to this. This is really strange. The cicadas are coming after 17 long years. The last time the locusts struck was back in 1987. That was the year of the Iran-Contra hearings. I don't know if it means anything in the cosmic world, but they -- the cicadas -- definitely will aggravate you.
Let's head live to D.C. and a man who spent Sunday night in a tree waiting for the cicadas to come up out of the ground, University of Maryland entomologist Michael Raupp.
And, wow, you have a little friend with you.
MICHAEL RAUPP, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND: Yes, Carol.
Good morning.
This is Willie.
COSTELLO: Willie the cicada. So I take it they don't harm anyone.
RAUPP: No. They're harmless, totally harmless. They can't sting, they can't bite. Hey, they're just up here for a good time.
COSTELLO: So 15 Eastern states and the District of Columbia will literally be swarming with trillions of cicadas.
First of all, tell us about this tree thing you did on Sunday.
RAUPP: Well, we were up in the treetop wrangling some cicadas. We had to have a firsthand look at the first ones out. Willie was one of the first ones out. And it's about to rock here in D.C.
COSTELLO: It's about to rock.
Chad is joining me right now, because he is so fascinated by the tale of the cicadas.
Why do they stay in the ground for 17 years? Explain that to us.
RAUPP: It's a very clever evolutionary strategy. Think about it. I'm starving right now. What predator can possibly wait 17 years for a meal? And those that are out right now, the whole game here for these guys is to emerge by the bazillions and simply overwhelm the predators that are out there. There is no predator that can possibly keep up with the number of cicadas that are going to be out here in the next four or five days.
MYERS: Doctor, there are cicadas every year, but this Brood 10, that's the one that we hear about the most, that's the highest population of all the broods, right?
RAUPP: Absolutely. This is the creme de la creme of cicadadom here.
MYERS: So to speak.
RAUPP: This, this is the -- so to speak. This is the largest mass occurrence of these things anywhere in the universe -- well, anywhere on the planet, anyway. And it's happening right here. Washington, D.C. is going to be the epicenter for this thing.
COSTELLO: So what can we expect? I mean will you walk -- I mean will they be ankle deep or something like that?
RAUPP: Maybe not that bad, but I tell you, it was a little bit crunchy wrangling last night. There were a lot of them out. I saw about a bazillion at one of the places that we were looking at these guys last night. It's going to be a little crunchy -- crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside for a little bit.
COSTELLO: Oh, jeez.
RAUPP: But there are going to be a lot of these guys.
MYERS: What do they eat? I mean are they going to eat my garden? Am I going to have nothing left of my tomato plant, or what?
RAUPP: Great question. Now, no harm to the plants. They really have sucking mouth parts. These guys are like an aphid. All they're going to do is hang around up in the treetops, maybe suck a little bit of plant sap, something like this. The only...
MYERS: It sounds like a great life.
RAUPP: What a life. Well, hey, they've been underground for 16 years sucking plant sap. So this is a big break for them.
COSTELLO: So, wait a minute. So I just want to know more about -- so they spend 17 years in the ground and they're sucking tree sap down there.
RAUPP: Sure. You've got it.
COSTELLO: And then they come up out of the ground to basically mate. And then how long do they live?
RAUPP: They're going to be out, Carol, anywhere from about, oh, two to four weeks, any individual lives. But because the generation spreads out in time, they're going to be with us, fortunately, for almost six weeks.
COSTELLO: And then they just die? So they stay in the ground for 17 years, come out, mate and then die?
RAUPP: What a life. And that's why Willie, you know, Willie's been living hard for 16 years underground and when he comes up here, he's going to sing, baby.
MYERS: Now, they don't have any problems with pets? You know, I mean they're not going to sting your pet or something like that and give them any kind of disease, right?
RAUPP: No, absolutely not. They don't vector any important diseases. As far as your pets go, your pets are going to eat these things with gusto.
MYERS: Ooh.
RAUPP: Dogs are already eating these things. You might want to limit the intake a little bit. They're plenty high in fiber. They're rich in several essential nutrients. They've got more protein and less fat than several cuts of meat so keep it down.
MYERS: Now, people eat these things, don't they? Some people eat these things?
RAUPP: Well, we've been eating these for about a month now and they are delicious.
COSTELLO: You have not.
MYERS: Great.
COSTELLO: Come on.
RAUPP: We have. We have. They're wonderful, scrumptious.
COSTELLO: So how do you -- you sautee them and eat them?
MYERS: They taste like chicken, or what?
RAUPP: Hey, look, you can have boiled cicada, steamed cicada, cicada gumbo, Shanghai cicada, any kind of cicada you want.
COSTELLO: Well, I have noticed that Willie the cicada has disappeared from your shoulder.
RAUPP: Well, that's OK, he's not in the mouth. That's the important thing. If they're prepared wrong, I've got to be honest with you, sometimes they just taste like bugs.
COSTELLO: Ooh.
MYERS: But you know what? I don't know what they taste like anyway.
COSTELLO: Thank you so much Dr. Michael Raupp.
RAUPP: You're welcome.
It's been my pleasure.
COSTELLO: From the University of Maryland joining us.
RAUPP: Have a great morning.
Enjoy it.
COSTELLO: Oh, after that description, we will.
MYERS: Their sound is 100 decibels. That's more than like your car or your disposer. That's almost like a plane taking off.
COSTELLO: And that's their mating song. So they're sitting...
MYERS: Whir, whir. Oh, I can hardly wait.
COSTELLO: All right, let's go to our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: This is your thing, Chad.
MYERS: I have no idea what this is.
COSTELLO: It looks like a diamond to me.
MYERS: Yes. It's a nebula, called the red rectangle, from one of the most unusual celestial bodies in the galaxy, captured by the Hubble. You know, if we lose the Hubble, it's going to be so sad.
COSTELLO: Yes, I know.
MYERS: The telescope in 1999. It was released yesterday.
COSTELLO: Cool. OK. So as you gaze at that picture, you're going to gaze at a (COMMERCIAL BREAK). That's coming your way next, and then we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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