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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraqi Outrage Over U.S. Attack on Wedding Party; Infighting Between Republicans in Congress

Aired May 20, 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: New pictures that are out this morning show the extent of the abuse inside this Iraqi prison.
This is DAYBREAK for May 20.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

First, here are the latest headlines for you.

Just into CNN, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police have surrounded the home and offices of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi. The troops are said to be searching for fugitives. The Iraqi National Congress leader is a long time Pentagon favorite.

In Baghdad this morning, one U.S. soldier is killed and three wounded in a hand grenade attack. The death toll since the start of the war now stands at 794 U.S. troops.

In Israel, Marwan Barghouthi, a leader of the Palestinian uprising, has been convicted of murder in the deaths of three Israelis.

In money news, the rising price of oil has the stock market over a barrel. U.S. blue chip stocks fell because of the oil concerns. The Dow ended below 10, 000 again.

In sports, for the third year in a row, the Sacramento Kings lose game seven in the play-offs. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat them 83- 80 to move onto the Western Conference finals.

In culture, Dreamworks Studios hopes a green ogre will help bring in the green. "Shrek 2" now showing. Along with it, a massive campaign to sell millions of dollars in movie related products -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Winning the hearts and minds in Iraq just keeps getting harder for the United States. There are still questions this morning about a U.S. attack. Did it target insurgents or mistakenly hit a wedding party? Plus, two more disturbing pictures in the prison abuse scandal are out now. And what about the hand over plans?

Let's take you live to Washington and talk with Jennifer Davis -- good morning, Jennifer.

JENNIFER DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

As you mentioned, there is growing concern that a deadly air strike could further inflame anti-American sentiment. The Pentagon says coalition forces were simply defending themselves. But Iraqi witnesses say U.S. planes fired on a wedding party, killing dozens, including children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): One attack, two stories -- Iraqi witnesses say U.S. planes bombed a wedding party in an Iraqi village near the Syrian border. But the Pentagon says the attack was against a foreign fighter's safe house, not a wedding celebration. With more than 40 dead, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq quickly went on Arab television to deny the U.S. might have mistaken celebrity gunfire for hostile fire. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera, "I cannot prove it was a wedding. Neither can you."

Back in Washington, President Bush continues to push forward with the transfer of power June 30. He's asked a U.N. envoy to pick members of the new Iraqi government, and to do it soon.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I anticipate in the next couple of weeks decisions will be made toward who will be the president and the vice presidents, as well as the prime minister and other ministers.

DAVIS: And two more prison abuse photos from Abu Ghraib Prison have surfaced. They could be the most disturbing so far. Two smiling American soldiers, Specialist Charles Graner and Specialist Sabrina Harmon, give the camera a thumbs up as they pose next to a dead Iraqi wrapped in ice. The prisoner reportedly died while in American custody. The White House has repeatedly condemned all the abuse photos.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It is important that we show the world that we take this matter seriously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: And the first conviction has now been handed down in this prison abuse scandal. Specialist Jeremy Sivits plead guilty on all charges. He will now spend a year in jail, be demoted and discharged, and he could now testify against others.

Reporting live in Washington, I'm Jennifer Davis, CNN -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jennifer, I know you talked about those two new pictures coming out this morning. But apparently there are even more.

DAVIS: Apparently that is true. Senator John Warner, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said yesterday that Pentagon investigators have found a whole another disk that contains more images and more photographs showing abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Exactly what kind of abuse, though, and when those pictures will be released is not yet known.

COSTELLO: And as for that strike in Iraq that supposedly hit a wedding party, has there been any reaction from the White House?

DAVIS: Well, a little bit this morning. We did hear, first of all, though, from the International Committee of the Red Cross. They are condemning this incident, calling it an excessive use of force. But both the White House and the Pentagon are stressing that they did recover weapons, money and foreign passports at the site, and they maintain that foreign insurgents were using this as a safe house.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Davis live in D.C. this morning.

The U.S. is stepping up its criticism of Israel's operations in Gaza, which have killed about three dozen Palestinians so far this week. The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians and calling on Israel to stop demolishing homes there. The U.N. resolution vote was 14-0, with the United States abstaining. The U.S. usually vetoes resolutions against Israel, saying they neglect to condemn Palestinian terror attacks.

We will have a live report out of the Middle East a little later this hour.

President Bush did not specifically criticize Israel, although a White House statement later did. The president told reporters, "I continue to urge restraint. It is essential that people respect innocent life."

Mr. Bush heads for Capitol Hill this morning to address a meeting of the House and Senate Republican Conferences.

As if bickering between Republicans and Democrats isn't enough, now GOP leaders are going at each other.

Joe Johns reports on the political infighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another day of GOP versus GOP. The top Republican in the House took an unusually harsh swipe at Senator John McCain for arguing against cutting taxes during wartime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyway, his observation was never before when we've been at war have we been worrying about cutting taxes. And his question was where is the sacrifice? So we have the war in Iraq and we all call it...

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: If you want to see the sacrifice, John McCain ought to visit our young men and women at Walter Reed and Bethesda. There's the sacrifice in this country.

JOHNS: McCain fired back in a written statement: "I fondly remember a time when real Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility. Apparently those days are long gone for some in our party." But most of the Republican sniping this week is over whether Senator John Warner should keep holding high profile public hearings on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: It's an open process and we're going to show the world how we fairly, firmly and calmly deal with this situation.

JOHNS: But some Republicans disagree, saying the generals need to be fighting the war instead of answering questions before Congress.

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: And, quite frankly, I'm sorry that you guys are here. I'd rather be handling this in some way where we could get your statement, get it in the record and have that done with, because you have an awesome responsibility.

JOHNS: And in the House, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who has accused his Senate counterparts of being mesmerized by the TV cameras, pointedly turned down an offer by General Ricardo Sanchez to testify. Congressmen Duncan Hunter told Sanchez in a letter: "Go back to Iraq. Please return to the troops as soon as possible. They need you there, we need you there."

(on camera): Part of the frustration among Republicans is that the war in Iraq is drowning out the congressional agenda and in an election year there is fear foreign policy will matter more in the race for the White House than in campaigns for House and Senate.

Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we will have more on the prisoner abuse investigation when retired Army General Daniel Christman joins us live later this hour.

In stories across America this Thursday, at the Denver airport, things were up in the air for a while -- or should I say they weren't? A radar failure grounded all flights for more than an hour last night and you can imagine the chain reaction of delays that this caused.

In northern Texas, a more serious transportation problem -- an engineer was killed, four people were hurt when two freight trains collided head on. The accident derailed about 20 cars. Still not known why both trains were on the same track.

Twelve-year-old Malcolm Locke may have, oh, he has quite a headache this morning. He was swimming in a Deltona, Florida lake when an alligator grabbed him by the head. The boy fought back and he swam to shore. Searchers still looking for that gator. Locke and his mother Misty Warren will talk about the experience on "American Morning" with Bill and Soledad. That will happen in the eight o'clock Eastern hour.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the former mayor of New York recalls the people, the events and the emotion of September 11. And a car company has your health in mind. Seat belts aren't the only safety feature they want to promote.

And a lot can happen when you're a baseball player on the road. But wait until you hear what happened when one relief pitcher returned home.

This is DAYBREAK for May 20.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Time for a little business buzz.

Safety warnings from car companies are nothing new. But one company's got a little extra advice to keep you protected while you drive. Oooh, this is intriguing.

Carrie Lee has more from the NASDAQ market site.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... here coming from Mazda. You know, you hear about things like safety belts, child restraints, air bags. How about sunscreen? That's what Mazda is focusing on. A new press release touting the use of sunscreen if you're in a Mazda vehicle that has a sun roof.

Let me read you part of the press release here. "For safe and enjoyable top down driving this summer, Mazda reminds drivers that applying sunscreen for protection from the sun could be as important as buckling up before stepping on the gas."

Ah, kind of interesting, Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

LEE: This is what they're doing. You know, one could argue if Mazda is spending money doing this, well, they might have a pretty good financial position behind them. I'm not sure about that. But, anyway, this is what Mazda is focusing on...

COSTELLO: It's like duh.

LEE: I'm kind of, you know, I'm reading this and I'm kind of thinking why not put out a campaign talking about the use of cell phones driving? Or I've even seen people in New York driving and they have a television screen on the side of their car and they're driving and watching television at the same time. Hopefully they're watching CNN. Maybe they're watching our show.

COSTELLO: Oh, god, I hope not.

LEE: But, anyway, this is Mazda's new ad campaign.

COSTELLO: Especially if they're driving. Oh, that's a bizarre one. LEE: A little whacky.

COSTELLO: Yes.

LEE: Yes it is, but there you go.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures.

LEE: Things looking pretty flat this morning. Yesterday the Dow couldn't hold onto gains. The S&P 500, as well, finishing a little bit lower. The NASDAQ pretty much flat. Oil prices, interest rates, the situation in Iraq -- all of these weighing on investors' minds. Oil prices this morning coming pretty close to those intraday highs we hit on Monday. So that's going to be something to keep an eye on today, probably, those rising oil prices.

We also have weekly jobless claims coming out, something on investors' minds, as well.

But right now, Carol, looking like a pretty flat start to today's session.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you.

Carrie Lee reporting live from the NASDAQ market site.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

U.S. troops and Iraqi police are at the Baghdad home of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi this morning. And an aide says the offices of Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress have also been raided. Chalabi is a former Iraqi exile leader and a one time Pentagon favorite.

Pressure on private contractors in Iraq. Senator Charles Schumer will demand today that civilian contractors who may have committed offenses in Iraq -- in the Iraq prisons -- be prosecuted. And Schumer promises to unveil new evidence.

In money news, the Republican majority in the House has rammed through a $2.4 trillion budget for 2005. The House vote was 216-213. The Senate takes up the bill today.

In sports, American sprinter Kelley White has accepted a two year suspension for using a banned stimulant. The suspension will cost White a trip to the Athens Olympics and she'll lose every medal she has won in the past four years.

In culture, elementary, my Dear Watson -- a collection of the papers of Arthur Conan Doyle has been sold at auction in London for $1.7 million. Conan Doyle was the author who created Sherlock Holmes -- Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you. In New York, families of 9/11 attack victims made sure they showed up for both days of the 9/11 Commission hearings. Some of them didn't like what they heard from either the Commission members or its star witness.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does not need leadership. It is a vacuum of leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was directed at Rudy Giuliani. Some family members accused the Commission of tossing softball questions at the former mayor.

And during those two days of hearings, the Commission said rivalries between the police and fire departments, equipment problems and weak coordination hurt rescue efforts. The former mayor conceded that mistakes were made. Giuliani's testimony recalls that horrendous day. We'd like to have you listen to some excerpts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDOLPH GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The morning of September 11, 2001 was primary day in the City of New York. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party were voting to select the next mayor of the city. And I was having breakfast that morning at the Peninsula Hotel on 55th Street with two old friends and colleagues....

As we finished breakfast, the police notified Denny...my counsel, and Denny walked up to me and he said the following, that it's been reported that a twin engine plane has crashed into the North Tower and there's a terrible fire there....

And as I walked out into the street, Denny and I looked up in the sky. And what we saw was a beautiful clear day, about as clear as we had had in a long time, and came to the immediate conclusion that it could not have been an accident, that it had to have been an attack....

We passed St. Vincent's Hospital. And I looked outside and I saw outside many, many doctors and nurses and stretchers. And it registered in my mind that we were looking at a war zone, not a normal emergency. That was probably the first thing that said to me we're into something beyond anything we've handled before....

As we got very, very close to the World Trade Center, one of my police officers said to me, and all of us, "Keep looking up, keep looking up." Because things were falling down around us....But when I looked up at that point, I realized that I saw a man -- it wasn't debris -- that I saw a man hurling himself out of the 102nd, 103rd, 104th floor. And I stopped, probably for two seconds, but it seems like a minute or two. And I was in shock....

My first question to Chief Ganci, maybe because of what I had just seen, was, "Can we get helicopters up to the roof....And Pete pointed to a big flame that was shooting out of the North Tower at the time. And he said to me, "My guys can save everybody below the fire. But I can't put a helicopter above the fire...."

And I was brought into a, like a cubicle inner office and told that we had reached the White House....within seconds got a call from the vice president. I walked over to that room, picked up the phone. The White House operator was on the phone and said, "Mr. Mayor, the vice president will be on in a moment." And at that point, I heard a click. The desk started to shake and I heard next Chief Esposito...I heard him say, "The tower is down. The tower has come down...."

So the commissioner and I had to make a quick decision -- do we remain in the building or do we go outside? And the choice that we made was to go outside...and that if we went outside, we had a better chance of more people surviving....

I saw people running. I saw people fleeing....But I didn't see people knocking each other over. I didn't see people in chaos. I didn't see people in panic....I actually saw acts of people helping each other....

When you evaluate the performance of the firefighters and the police officers, we got a story of heroism and we got a story of pride and we got a story of support that helped get us through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before we get to our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers, we'd like to talk about something that's just been put on eBay.

MARCIANO: Oh, they're selling an airport?

COSTELLO: Yes, in California.

MARCIANO: Of all things. How much was that? Two point something million for an airport just to the east of Palm Springs by about an hour.

COSTELLO: Yes. They want $2 million for the airport in Riverside County. There's a small airport there. And they've put it on eBay because it costs so much to maintain. In fact, the County decided to sell the airport because it brings in about $7, 200 a year in revenue but costs $80, 000 a year to maintain.

MARCIANO: Boy, look at all that weed whacking you've got to deal with. The weeds are coming right up through the pavement.

COSTELLO: Exactly. MARCIANO: That would be a great spot to drive your plane, though. You've been -- you sometimes have traffic issues when you fly your private jet out to Palm Springs, don't you?

COSTELLO: You know, that's true. But...

MARCIANO: Runway 2-3.

COSTELLO: But the thought of an airport on eBay frankly scares me in the climate of our times, because who knows who's going to bid on it and buy it?

MARCIANO: Right. Well, you remember it wasn't too long ago they had a Blue Angels jet that was on eBay; I think about six months ago.

COSTELLO: Did they sell it?

MARCIANO: I don't know what happened. I got -- I probably...

COSTELLO: You didn't bid on that?

MARCIANO: No, I didn't bid on that, no. No. I was pre-screened and not allowed to.

COSTELLO: I understand.

MARCIANO: I've bid on other things smaller than that.

COSTELLO: It's time for our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers now.

Cincinnati pitcher Danny Graves got an overnight package that surprised him. He'd lost his wallet on the West Coast last week -- $1, 400 in cash along with credit cards and driver's license were gone forever -- or so he thought. Someone actually found the wallet and mailed it back to them -- mailed it back to him, I should say. All the finder wanted was an autograph. Graves says he is sending that, along with some money and other items.

It's a happy story.

MARCIANO: There are good people in the world, Carol.

COSTELLO: That's right.

Meet Jason Tully and Jeremy Duncan, buddies for the last 15 years. Duncan is a Marine first lieutenant. When Tulley learned he needed a kidney transplant, Duncan did what Marines do -- he came to the rescue. He's offering one of his kidneys. The operation will take place in San Antonio.

You're right, there are good people.

MARCIANO: More good people.

COSTELLO: There are more good people in the world. Some people have bad hair days, others bad manicure days. Take, for instance, Paula Abdul. The entertainer tells the TV program "Celebrity Justice" she may sue over a manicure. She claims the manicure left her with an infected thumbnail that doctors had to remove.

MARCIANO: That's more painful than it sounds, I'm sure.

COSTELLO: You've got that right.

MARCIANO: And she's got grounds for a lawsuit.

COSTELLO: That would be really painful.

If you were wondering what the answer was to Wednesday's Photo of the Day, take a look at it. We're going to reveal it now.

MARCIANO: Well, I know the answer. It's a bug of some sort.

COSTELLO: It's a cicada.

MARCIANO: A cicada?

COSTELLO: Yes. They're about to come out of the ground in Washington, D.C. and, what, 12 other states?

MARCIANO: And they're underground like feeding on roots of trees for something like 17 years before they come out? Did I read that right?

COSTELLO: Exactly right. They feed on the sap of trees and then they crawl out, they sprout wings, they mate and then they die in two weeks.

MARCIANO: This guy is -- speaking of -- he's looking at you. This guy's looking at you.

COSTELLO: A scary looking bug but not harmful.

MARCIANO: With the mating call on his voice.

COSTELLO: Oh, jeez.

MARCIANO: No. I'm sorry. We'll be back in a little bit.

COSTELLO: Coming up later this hour, how would you like to be the editor who has to proofread the bible? We're talking about that challenging job.

Plus, the Army's top brass under oath and under fire as senators throw tough questions at them. I'll talk to a former general about that.

And more about what's happening inside of Iraq a little later.

And a deadly attack in Gaza. Children caught in the crossfire. Now the U.N. has a message for Israel. We'll take you live to the Mideast.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired May 20, 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: New pictures that are out this morning show the extent of the abuse inside this Iraqi prison.
This is DAYBREAK for May 20.

And good morning to you.

From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

First, here are the latest headlines for you.

Just into CNN, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi police have surrounded the home and offices of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi. The troops are said to be searching for fugitives. The Iraqi National Congress leader is a long time Pentagon favorite.

In Baghdad this morning, one U.S. soldier is killed and three wounded in a hand grenade attack. The death toll since the start of the war now stands at 794 U.S. troops.

In Israel, Marwan Barghouthi, a leader of the Palestinian uprising, has been convicted of murder in the deaths of three Israelis.

In money news, the rising price of oil has the stock market over a barrel. U.S. blue chip stocks fell because of the oil concerns. The Dow ended below 10, 000 again.

In sports, for the third year in a row, the Sacramento Kings lose game seven in the play-offs. The Minnesota Timberwolves beat them 83- 80 to move onto the Western Conference finals.

In culture, Dreamworks Studios hopes a green ogre will help bring in the green. "Shrek 2" now showing. Along with it, a massive campaign to sell millions of dollars in movie related products -- Rob.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Winning the hearts and minds in Iraq just keeps getting harder for the United States. There are still questions this morning about a U.S. attack. Did it target insurgents or mistakenly hit a wedding party? Plus, two more disturbing pictures in the prison abuse scandal are out now. And what about the hand over plans?

Let's take you live to Washington and talk with Jennifer Davis -- good morning, Jennifer.

JENNIFER DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Carol.

As you mentioned, there is growing concern that a deadly air strike could further inflame anti-American sentiment. The Pentagon says coalition forces were simply defending themselves. But Iraqi witnesses say U.S. planes fired on a wedding party, killing dozens, including children.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS (voice-over): One attack, two stories -- Iraqi witnesses say U.S. planes bombed a wedding party in an Iraqi village near the Syrian border. But the Pentagon says the attack was against a foreign fighter's safe house, not a wedding celebration. With more than 40 dead, the top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq quickly went on Arab television to deny the U.S. might have mistaken celebrity gunfire for hostile fire. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera, "I cannot prove it was a wedding. Neither can you."

Back in Washington, President Bush continues to push forward with the transfer of power June 30. He's asked a U.N. envoy to pick members of the new Iraqi government, and to do it soon.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I anticipate in the next couple of weeks decisions will be made toward who will be the president and the vice presidents, as well as the prime minister and other ministers.

DAVIS: And two more prison abuse photos from Abu Ghraib Prison have surfaced. They could be the most disturbing so far. Two smiling American soldiers, Specialist Charles Graner and Specialist Sabrina Harmon, give the camera a thumbs up as they pose next to a dead Iraqi wrapped in ice. The prisoner reportedly died while in American custody. The White House has repeatedly condemned all the abuse photos.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: It is important that we show the world that we take this matter seriously.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DAVIS: And the first conviction has now been handed down in this prison abuse scandal. Specialist Jeremy Sivits plead guilty on all charges. He will now spend a year in jail, be demoted and discharged, and he could now testify against others.

Reporting live in Washington, I'm Jennifer Davis, CNN -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jennifer, I know you talked about those two new pictures coming out this morning. But apparently there are even more.

DAVIS: Apparently that is true. Senator John Warner, who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee, said yesterday that Pentagon investigators have found a whole another disk that contains more images and more photographs showing abuse at the Abu Ghraib Prison. Exactly what kind of abuse, though, and when those pictures will be released is not yet known.

COSTELLO: And as for that strike in Iraq that supposedly hit a wedding party, has there been any reaction from the White House?

DAVIS: Well, a little bit this morning. We did hear, first of all, though, from the International Committee of the Red Cross. They are condemning this incident, calling it an excessive use of force. But both the White House and the Pentagon are stressing that they did recover weapons, money and foreign passports at the site, and they maintain that foreign insurgents were using this as a safe house.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Davis live in D.C. this morning.

The U.S. is stepping up its criticism of Israel's operations in Gaza, which have killed about three dozen Palestinians so far this week. The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians and calling on Israel to stop demolishing homes there. The U.N. resolution vote was 14-0, with the United States abstaining. The U.S. usually vetoes resolutions against Israel, saying they neglect to condemn Palestinian terror attacks.

We will have a live report out of the Middle East a little later this hour.

President Bush did not specifically criticize Israel, although a White House statement later did. The president told reporters, "I continue to urge restraint. It is essential that people respect innocent life."

Mr. Bush heads for Capitol Hill this morning to address a meeting of the House and Senate Republican Conferences.

As if bickering between Republicans and Democrats isn't enough, now GOP leaders are going at each other.

Joe Johns reports on the political infighting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Another day of GOP versus GOP. The top Republican in the House took an unusually harsh swipe at Senator John McCain for arguing against cutting taxes during wartime.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyway, his observation was never before when we've been at war have we been worrying about cutting taxes. And his question was where is the sacrifice? So we have the war in Iraq and we all call it...

REP. DENNIS HASTERT (R-IL), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: If you want to see the sacrifice, John McCain ought to visit our young men and women at Walter Reed and Bethesda. There's the sacrifice in this country.

JOHNS: McCain fired back in a written statement: "I fondly remember a time when real Republicans stood for fiscal responsibility. Apparently those days are long gone for some in our party." But most of the Republican sniping this week is over whether Senator John Warner should keep holding high profile public hearings on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: It's an open process and we're going to show the world how we fairly, firmly and calmly deal with this situation.

JOHNS: But some Republicans disagree, saying the generals need to be fighting the war instead of answering questions before Congress.

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA: And, quite frankly, I'm sorry that you guys are here. I'd rather be handling this in some way where we could get your statement, get it in the record and have that done with, because you have an awesome responsibility.

JOHNS: And in the House, the Republican chairman of the Armed Services Committee, who has accused his Senate counterparts of being mesmerized by the TV cameras, pointedly turned down an offer by General Ricardo Sanchez to testify. Congressmen Duncan Hunter told Sanchez in a letter: "Go back to Iraq. Please return to the troops as soon as possible. They need you there, we need you there."

(on camera): Part of the frustration among Republicans is that the war in Iraq is drowning out the congressional agenda and in an election year there is fear foreign policy will matter more in the race for the White House than in campaigns for House and Senate.

Joe Johns, CNN, Capitol Hill.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we will have more on the prisoner abuse investigation when retired Army General Daniel Christman joins us live later this hour.

In stories across America this Thursday, at the Denver airport, things were up in the air for a while -- or should I say they weren't? A radar failure grounded all flights for more than an hour last night and you can imagine the chain reaction of delays that this caused.

In northern Texas, a more serious transportation problem -- an engineer was killed, four people were hurt when two freight trains collided head on. The accident derailed about 20 cars. Still not known why both trains were on the same track.

Twelve-year-old Malcolm Locke may have, oh, he has quite a headache this morning. He was swimming in a Deltona, Florida lake when an alligator grabbed him by the head. The boy fought back and he swam to shore. Searchers still looking for that gator. Locke and his mother Misty Warren will talk about the experience on "American Morning" with Bill and Soledad. That will happen in the eight o'clock Eastern hour.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, the former mayor of New York recalls the people, the events and the emotion of September 11. And a car company has your health in mind. Seat belts aren't the only safety feature they want to promote.

And a lot can happen when you're a baseball player on the road. But wait until you hear what happened when one relief pitcher returned home.

This is DAYBREAK for May 20.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Welcome back to DAYBREAK.

Time for a little business buzz.

Safety warnings from car companies are nothing new. But one company's got a little extra advice to keep you protected while you drive. Oooh, this is intriguing.

Carrie Lee has more from the NASDAQ market site.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... here coming from Mazda. You know, you hear about things like safety belts, child restraints, air bags. How about sunscreen? That's what Mazda is focusing on. A new press release touting the use of sunscreen if you're in a Mazda vehicle that has a sun roof.

Let me read you part of the press release here. "For safe and enjoyable top down driving this summer, Mazda reminds drivers that applying sunscreen for protection from the sun could be as important as buckling up before stepping on the gas."

Ah, kind of interesting, Carol.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on.

LEE: This is what they're doing. You know, one could argue if Mazda is spending money doing this, well, they might have a pretty good financial position behind them. I'm not sure about that. But, anyway, this is what Mazda is focusing on...

COSTELLO: It's like duh.

LEE: I'm kind of, you know, I'm reading this and I'm kind of thinking why not put out a campaign talking about the use of cell phones driving? Or I've even seen people in New York driving and they have a television screen on the side of their car and they're driving and watching television at the same time. Hopefully they're watching CNN. Maybe they're watching our show.

COSTELLO: Oh, god, I hope not.

LEE: But, anyway, this is Mazda's new ad campaign.

COSTELLO: Especially if they're driving. Oh, that's a bizarre one. LEE: A little whacky.

COSTELLO: Yes.

LEE: Yes it is, but there you go.

COSTELLO: A quick look at the futures.

LEE: Things looking pretty flat this morning. Yesterday the Dow couldn't hold onto gains. The S&P 500, as well, finishing a little bit lower. The NASDAQ pretty much flat. Oil prices, interest rates, the situation in Iraq -- all of these weighing on investors' minds. Oil prices this morning coming pretty close to those intraday highs we hit on Monday. So that's going to be something to keep an eye on today, probably, those rising oil prices.

We also have weekly jobless claims coming out, something on investors' minds, as well.

But right now, Carol, looking like a pretty flat start to today's session.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you.

Carrie Lee reporting live from the NASDAQ market site.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

U.S. troops and Iraqi police are at the Baghdad home of Iraqi politician Ahmad Chalabi this morning. And an aide says the offices of Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress have also been raided. Chalabi is a former Iraqi exile leader and a one time Pentagon favorite.

Pressure on private contractors in Iraq. Senator Charles Schumer will demand today that civilian contractors who may have committed offenses in Iraq -- in the Iraq prisons -- be prosecuted. And Schumer promises to unveil new evidence.

In money news, the Republican majority in the House has rammed through a $2.4 trillion budget for 2005. The House vote was 216-213. The Senate takes up the bill today.

In sports, American sprinter Kelley White has accepted a two year suspension for using a banned stimulant. The suspension will cost White a trip to the Athens Olympics and she'll lose every medal she has won in the past four years.

In culture, elementary, my Dear Watson -- a collection of the papers of Arthur Conan Doyle has been sold at auction in London for $1.7 million. Conan Doyle was the author who created Sherlock Holmes -- Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you. In New York, families of 9/11 attack victims made sure they showed up for both days of the 9/11 Commission hearings. Some of them didn't like what they heard from either the Commission members or its star witness.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does not need leadership. It is a vacuum of leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was directed at Rudy Giuliani. Some family members accused the Commission of tossing softball questions at the former mayor.

And during those two days of hearings, the Commission said rivalries between the police and fire departments, equipment problems and weak coordination hurt rescue efforts. The former mayor conceded that mistakes were made. Giuliani's testimony recalls that horrendous day. We'd like to have you listen to some excerpts now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDOLPH GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The morning of September 11, 2001 was primary day in the City of New York. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party were voting to select the next mayor of the city. And I was having breakfast that morning at the Peninsula Hotel on 55th Street with two old friends and colleagues....

As we finished breakfast, the police notified Denny...my counsel, and Denny walked up to me and he said the following, that it's been reported that a twin engine plane has crashed into the North Tower and there's a terrible fire there....

And as I walked out into the street, Denny and I looked up in the sky. And what we saw was a beautiful clear day, about as clear as we had had in a long time, and came to the immediate conclusion that it could not have been an accident, that it had to have been an attack....

We passed St. Vincent's Hospital. And I looked outside and I saw outside many, many doctors and nurses and stretchers. And it registered in my mind that we were looking at a war zone, not a normal emergency. That was probably the first thing that said to me we're into something beyond anything we've handled before....

As we got very, very close to the World Trade Center, one of my police officers said to me, and all of us, "Keep looking up, keep looking up." Because things were falling down around us....But when I looked up at that point, I realized that I saw a man -- it wasn't debris -- that I saw a man hurling himself out of the 102nd, 103rd, 104th floor. And I stopped, probably for two seconds, but it seems like a minute or two. And I was in shock....

My first question to Chief Ganci, maybe because of what I had just seen, was, "Can we get helicopters up to the roof....And Pete pointed to a big flame that was shooting out of the North Tower at the time. And he said to me, "My guys can save everybody below the fire. But I can't put a helicopter above the fire...."

And I was brought into a, like a cubicle inner office and told that we had reached the White House....within seconds got a call from the vice president. I walked over to that room, picked up the phone. The White House operator was on the phone and said, "Mr. Mayor, the vice president will be on in a moment." And at that point, I heard a click. The desk started to shake and I heard next Chief Esposito...I heard him say, "The tower is down. The tower has come down...."

So the commissioner and I had to make a quick decision -- do we remain in the building or do we go outside? And the choice that we made was to go outside...and that if we went outside, we had a better chance of more people surviving....

I saw people running. I saw people fleeing....But I didn't see people knocking each other over. I didn't see people in chaos. I didn't see people in panic....I actually saw acts of people helping each other....

When you evaluate the performance of the firefighters and the police officers, we got a story of heroism and we got a story of pride and we got a story of support that helped get us through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before we get to our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers, we'd like to talk about something that's just been put on eBay.

MARCIANO: Oh, they're selling an airport?

COSTELLO: Yes, in California.

MARCIANO: Of all things. How much was that? Two point something million for an airport just to the east of Palm Springs by about an hour.

COSTELLO: Yes. They want $2 million for the airport in Riverside County. There's a small airport there. And they've put it on eBay because it costs so much to maintain. In fact, the County decided to sell the airport because it brings in about $7, 200 a year in revenue but costs $80, 000 a year to maintain.

MARCIANO: Boy, look at all that weed whacking you've got to deal with. The weeds are coming right up through the pavement.

COSTELLO: Exactly. MARCIANO: That would be a great spot to drive your plane, though. You've been -- you sometimes have traffic issues when you fly your private jet out to Palm Springs, don't you?

COSTELLO: You know, that's true. But...

MARCIANO: Runway 2-3.

COSTELLO: But the thought of an airport on eBay frankly scares me in the climate of our times, because who knows who's going to bid on it and buy it?

MARCIANO: Right. Well, you remember it wasn't too long ago they had a Blue Angels jet that was on eBay; I think about six months ago.

COSTELLO: Did they sell it?

MARCIANO: I don't know what happened. I got -- I probably...

COSTELLO: You didn't bid on that?

MARCIANO: No, I didn't bid on that, no. No. I was pre-screened and not allowed to.

COSTELLO: I understand.

MARCIANO: I've bid on other things smaller than that.

COSTELLO: It's time for our DAYBREAK Eye-Openers now.

Cincinnati pitcher Danny Graves got an overnight package that surprised him. He'd lost his wallet on the West Coast last week -- $1, 400 in cash along with credit cards and driver's license were gone forever -- or so he thought. Someone actually found the wallet and mailed it back to them -- mailed it back to him, I should say. All the finder wanted was an autograph. Graves says he is sending that, along with some money and other items.

It's a happy story.

MARCIANO: There are good people in the world, Carol.

COSTELLO: That's right.

Meet Jason Tully and Jeremy Duncan, buddies for the last 15 years. Duncan is a Marine first lieutenant. When Tulley learned he needed a kidney transplant, Duncan did what Marines do -- he came to the rescue. He's offering one of his kidneys. The operation will take place in San Antonio.

You're right, there are good people.

MARCIANO: More good people.

COSTELLO: There are more good people in the world. Some people have bad hair days, others bad manicure days. Take, for instance, Paula Abdul. The entertainer tells the TV program "Celebrity Justice" she may sue over a manicure. She claims the manicure left her with an infected thumbnail that doctors had to remove.

MARCIANO: That's more painful than it sounds, I'm sure.

COSTELLO: You've got that right.

MARCIANO: And she's got grounds for a lawsuit.

COSTELLO: That would be really painful.

If you were wondering what the answer was to Wednesday's Photo of the Day, take a look at it. We're going to reveal it now.

MARCIANO: Well, I know the answer. It's a bug of some sort.

COSTELLO: It's a cicada.

MARCIANO: A cicada?

COSTELLO: Yes. They're about to come out of the ground in Washington, D.C. and, what, 12 other states?

MARCIANO: And they're underground like feeding on roots of trees for something like 17 years before they come out? Did I read that right?

COSTELLO: Exactly right. They feed on the sap of trees and then they crawl out, they sprout wings, they mate and then they die in two weeks.

MARCIANO: This guy is -- speaking of -- he's looking at you. This guy's looking at you.

COSTELLO: A scary looking bug but not harmful.

MARCIANO: With the mating call on his voice.

COSTELLO: Oh, jeez.

MARCIANO: No. I'm sorry. We'll be back in a little bit.

COSTELLO: Coming up later this hour, how would you like to be the editor who has to proofread the bible? We're talking about that challenging job.

Plus, the Army's top brass under oath and under fire as senators throw tough questions at them. I'll talk to a former general about that.

And more about what's happening inside of Iraq a little later.

And a deadly attack in Gaza. Children caught in the crossfire. Now the U.N. has a message for Israel. We'll take you live to the Mideast.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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