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CNN Live At Daybreak

Chalabi Fall From Grace; Deadly Link to Lariam?; Young, Single, Female; Airport Collapse; Predictive Medicine

Aired May 24, 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: 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.

One peacekeeper from Norway has been killed and another wounded in an attack on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. A vehicle of the International Security Assistance Force was hit by rocket-propelled grenades.

Authorities in Paris now say four people and not five were killed when a terminal roof at the de Gaulle Airport collapsed. No reason given for the lower death toll, and it's still unclear what caused the roof to collapse.

In money news, Treasury Secretary John Snow tells G7 finance ministers that oil-producing nations must increase their production. Saudi Arabia has agreed to boost its production next month by 28 percent.

In sports, a great birthday for golf pro Steve Flesch. He turns 37 and shoots an 11-under -- 11-under 269 to win the Colonial Golf Tournament one stroke ahead of Chad Campbell.

In culture, David turns 500 this year. The masterpiece by Michelangelo has spent the past year being restored and now he is being put back on public view in Florence.

Severe storms brought heavy rains, which brought floods into neighborhoods in Illinois -- in Gurney, Illinois north of Chicago. Des Plains River is expected to crest today well over flood stage at Gurney.

The forecast now from Rob.

Good morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you -- Rob.

MARCIANO: You bet.

COSTELLO: The future of Iraq being discussed today behind closed doors at the United Nations Security Council. The Associated Press reports the Bush administration will introduce a resolution authorizing the change of power in Baghdad. The council will debate the resolution, but a vote is not expected today. The Bush administration plans to hand over sovereignty of Iraq on June 30, 37 days from now.

President Bush makes what's being billed as a major speech on Iraq tonight. The president speaks at the Army's War College in Pennsylvania and is expected to concentrate on the transfer of power to the Iraqis on June 30. The speech is at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific. CNN will carry it live on a special edition of "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

Former Vietnam War hero, retired U.S. General Anthony Zinni is against sounding the alarm over the Bush administration's policy on Iraq. In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," Zinni posts his points to serious problems with planning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. ANTHONY ZINNI, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET).: Well I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan. I think there was dereliction in lack of planning. The president is owed the finest strategic thinking. He is owed the finest operational planning. He is owed the finest tactical execution on the ground. He got the latter. He didn't get the first two.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Zinni once served as chief of Central Command and oversaw enforcement of the two no-fly zones in Iraq.

Who is to blame for Ahmed Chalabi's fall from grace with the Bush administration? CNN's Elaine Quijano has all the finger pointing in this report from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqi governing council member Ahmed Chalabi, once a favorite of the Pentagon, denied that he spied for Iran.

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQ GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER: We never provided any classified information from the U.S. to Iran and neither I nor anyone in the INC. And that is a charge being put out by George Tenet.

QUIJANO: Chalabi says he's the victim of a CIA smear campaign. And he wants a hearing before Congress to clear his name. But judging by the reaction of senior lawmakers, Congress will be a hostile audience. SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: I think he's a charlatan. I think he's a manipulator. I don't believe he's a man that you can trust.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: What we have here is a guy who has a record like we all do. And that record has not turned out very well. Trouble has followed him everywhere he's been.

QUIJANO: Chalabi heads up the dissident Iraqi National Congress, which advocated war to oust Saddam Hussein, helped gather intelligence for the U.S., and until this month, was on the U.S.' payroll, receiving more than $30 million in all.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: There is a school of thought, especially by the CIA, that Mr. Chalabi's intelligence input was not that good. And that's probably an understatement.

QUIJANO: As for Chalabi's request for congressional hearings to clear his name, a Democratic member of the Senate intelligence committee said why bother?

SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: It's not clear to me that Mr. Chalabi speaks for anybody other than Mr. Chalabi right now. And I don't know if you have a congressional hearing just to give a platform to one individual to sort of speak out.

QUIJANO (on camera): Neither the White House nor the Pentagon will comment on Ahmed Chalabi's credibility. When asked last week, a White House spokesman said it was not the president's place to weigh in on who the future leaders of Iraq should be.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: One more note about Ahmed Chalabi, and we're going to get that right now from our senior international editor David Clinch.

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

COSTELLO: The big concern here is where he got information.

CLINCH: Right. We've heard enough from Chalabi. But one of the things that we are keeping our eyes very closely on is that there is an investigation going on into who at a very high level, we are told, of government could -- only a very high level could have had this kind of intelligence who would have given it to Chalabi's group. So that aspect of the story is really switching to Washington now. Who gave the information to him, the intelligence to him or his group in the first place? So still watching then.

COSTELLO: Want to know more about this video that you've been grappling with all morning.

CLINCH: Right. Right. We've been watching, you know since last week we had this report of an attack near the Syrian border in Iraq, which locals said was a wedding going on. The United States military says they had intelligence there was a high level meeting of foreign fighters and militants at this site. Clearly a lot of people were dead after the fact.

We have received some more video today via one of the news agencies. It's home video they got their hands on reportedly showing a wedding. And it does, by all accounts, show a wedding, including some interesting sequences, which show, you know, the people dancing.

There is a sequence at the end that shows a man playing a piano. Now we looked at that very closely, as did the news agencies -- news agencies when they got it, because news agencies then sell -- now this is home video from the event. News agencies themselves went to this scene after the fact. And one sequence of video shot after the attack appears to show one of the men who is playing a piano at this event. To me, I've looked at this video, it seems to be the same man.

Now of course the U.S. has pointed out bad guys have celebrations, too. Just because it may have been a wedding or a celebration of some kind, does not mean it was not also foreign fighters and militants. The U.S. military telling us today they haven't seen this home video yet. They are going to take a look at it. They -- quote -- "remain open-minded" and are still investigating, but they are sticking by their intelligence that it was foreign fighters.

COSTELLO: In the meantime, this video is playing on Arab television.

CLINCH: Yes, you see this is the other aspect of the story. Just like the prison abuse, you know we're looking at it, we're following our sequence of editorially looking at this. In the meantime, all over the Arab media today, home video of a wedding, or what appears to be a wedding, lead story on a lot of the Arab networks. So it takes on a life of its own beyond what we do with it. But we will carefully look at this and show it through the day, and remembering that the U.S. sticking by its intelligence that there were foreign fighters at this scene.

COSTELLO: OK, maybe we'll know more as DAYBREAK progresses.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

One senior U.S. Navy Reserve officer who served in Iraq blames the anti-malaria drug Lariam for terrible physical and psychological disorders, and he is not alone. For some military families, the lives of their loved ones have ended, and it's not clear who is to blame. In collaboration with UPI reporter Mark Benjamin, CNN's Jonathan Mann has been investigating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monument, Colorado, March 14, a chilling 911 call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

OPERATOR: El Paso County 911. What's the address of your emergency.

LAURA HOWELL, WIFE OF BILL HOWELL: Park Trail Drive.

OPERATOR: OK. What's the problem? Tell me exactly what happened.

HOWELL: My husband just hit me and he's gone downstairs to get his gun.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MANN: Bill Howell got his gun and used it. Minutes after the call, he shot himself in his front yard. Howell was a special forces officer who had returned home to his wife and children from duty in Iraq just three weeks later.

HOWELL: Bill's patriotism and devotion to his country and fellow special forces soldiers is beyond what most Americans are capable of comprehending. I would like Bill to be remembered for his 36 years of accomplishment and not final moments of impulsivity.

MANN: Laura Howell doesn't know why her husband did it. He had been drinking heavily. But Howell was also taking Lariam, an anti- malaria drug given to thousands of military personnel who took part in the war in Iraq. The company that makes Lariam, Roche Pharmaceuticals, says it's been used safely by more than 20 million people to prevent malaria, a potentially fatal disease.

But Roche is repaired by the FDA to warn users that, in some cases, Lariam can cause sever anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. In North Carolina, families around Fort Bragg wonder whether the drug had anything to do with a sudden surge in killing and suicides among the soldiers there in the summer of 2002. Among the cases, Master Sergeant William Wright, who confessed to killing his wife and later killed himself in jail while awaiting trial. He had taken Lariam during a deployment in Afghanistan.

The Army investigated the cluster of killings. It found that not all the soldiers involved in the killings were taking the drug and concluded that Lariam, known generically as mefloquine, was not the likely cause for the deaths.

Sue Rose is an activist who is trying to raise consumer awareness about Lariam.

SUE ROSE, PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: The military is drawing the wrong conclusion from those deaths. The true cluster, the true group you want to look at are those men who took Lariam. And of the men who took Lariam, who all served in Afghanistan, all three of them killed their wives and subsequently committed suicide.

MANN: The mounting concerns have now led the Pentagon to begin a wide-ranging study of the drug.

WILLIAM WINKENWERDER, ASST. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS: With respect to Lariam, we don't have any evidence that suggests that there is a tie-in between suicides and the use of the medication. We want to understand, if there is, the absence of evidence does not prove that there's no relationship. But we want to understand if there is, and that's why we're doing a study to try to determine that.

MANN (on camera): The military has scaled back on the use of Lariam because it says, temporarily at least, it's not facing the same threat of malaria. But for the months or even years that the safety study takes, it says it will continue to regard the drug as being as safe as ever and it will continue to distribute it to men and women in uniform wherever it feels it is necessary.

Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, as summer starts to sizzle, those who get hot head to the beach, but it could prove deadly this year. What one group is doing to break the grip of the rip.

An inquiry is launched in France after a terminal roof caves in at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport. We'll take you live for the latest.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: As you know the race for president is a tight one, but young, single, successful women under 30 are not going to the polls.

CNN's Alina Cho looks at why these so-called Lipstick Liberals are choosing not to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Some call them the "sex and the city" demographic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you saying you have never voted in New York City?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are correct Mr. President.

CHO: Others, Lipstick Liberals. Jennifer Dematio (ph) fits the ballet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you vote?

JENNIFER DEMATIO (ph): I just registered. I haven't voted in a while. I have to admit I haven't voted in a while.

CHO: Dematio (ph) is not alone. She's young, single, successful, and doesn't vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it scary to think about politics?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not scary. It's boring. It's confusing. It's boring.

CHO (on camera): New studies by several universities found just one in five women under 30 regularly goes to the polls. Experts say most are skipping elections and instead are chasing careers and looking for love.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to meet him. How am I going to meet him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women who have what we call the four magic M's, marriage, munchkins, mortgages, and mutual funds, are much more likely to vote than their unmarried, non-stake holding non-ownership counterparts.

CHO: Perhaps no one knows better the importance of voting than Karenna Gore Schiff. Her father Al Gore lost Florida, ultimately the presidency in 2000 by a mere 537 votes.

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: The candidates will go to swing states, and they'll go to senior centers. And there's a reason for that. That's who will decide the election because they're out there voting. If young women do the same thing, they could really change the direction of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretend it's a hair appointment we won't miss. Make an appointment with Election Day, and get there.

CHO: Dematio (ph) lived in Florida in 2000, could have voted but didn't. Now she says the war in Iraq is pushing her to the polls.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It only needs to be one thing you say, this is something I care about, and if nothing else focus on that and --.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then register?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And register?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And vote.

CHO: A giant step towards having a voice. Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Israeli troops began their withdrawal today from parts of the Rafah Refugee Camp in southern Gaza. The move ends a deadly six-day occupation. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to present his latest plan for Gaza to the cabinet this coming Sunday.

President Bush is expected to outline plans for the handover of power in Iraq when he addresses the nation tonight. CNN will have live coverage of the president's speech that begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

In money news, Nasdaq is closing up shop in China. The move comes less than a week after China announced it was opening its own high tech index. Ten Chinese companies are listed by Nasdaq.

In sports, the French Open got under way just about 30 minutes ago. Americans Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Lindsay Davenport all in action in Paris today.

In culture, it was big green at the box office for the big green guy. "Shrek 2" crushed the competition with $104.3 million at the box officer over the weekend. The film made more than $44 million on Saturday alone, breaking the one-day record set two years ago by "Spider-Man" -- Rob.

MARCIANO: He's got to get himself some table manners there. Good for him packing in the money.

Hey, here's the forecast across the country today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Rob.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Two separate investigations under way in Paris this morning following the collapse of a passenger terminal roof at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Four people died in that collapse.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is live in Paris. He has an update for us.

Good morning -- Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Carol.

In fact, the firemen are going through the wreckage again this morning with sniffer dogs just to make sure they have not overlooked any possible victims of that crash, that collapse yesterday that brought the ceiling down at Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The police this morning are being credited with saving a number of lives. Because after this initial very loud noise, this thud that everyone heard, they noticed that there was concrete dust coming from the ceiling of the terminal and they immediately took steps to cordon off an area and evacuate some of the passengers who were in the terminal. They managed to get a number of people away from this area, which is about 30 by 30 yards of ceiling that came in and then crashed down onto the ground, crushing a number of vehicles. And, as you mentioned, four people were killed, three people have been injured in that crash -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann live in Paris this morning.

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, the NBA's top brass gets down to business. The defending champion Lakers hit a low point as the Timberwolves lay claim to the courts. Chris Cotter will be in. He'll have all the details for you in our DAYBREAK scorecard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Obesity may be responsible for an increase in breast cancer among men. That's according to a new study. It shows a 26 percent jump in the number of cases in the United States. Obesity already is associated with cancers of the cervix, prostate, kidney and stomach.

If you are battling the bulge, this one is for you. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Olestra in prepackaged microwave popcorn. Procter & Gamble uses the fat substitute in its ready-to-eat snacks but not in products that have to be heated.

And there is new hope for people with spinal cord injuries, a combination of treatments to help paralyzed rats walk again. The treatment involves transplanting cells from peripheral nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord into the damaged area. It could lead to treatments for more than 240,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries.

A question, what is the opposite of reverse discrimination? Using DNA, our generic fingerprint, new technology can predict what illnesses and diseases we may be more likely to get.

CNN's Kathleen Koch reports on the new debate raging over genetic discrimination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky Fisher and her daughter share more than a family resemblance. Genetic testing reveals they share a heightened risk of cancer. Ovarian cancer claimed Becky's grandmother at age 41. Becky and her mother were both diagnosed with breast cancer in their 30s.

BECKY FISHER, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: It is a legacy for us. A painful legacy. It has a lot of risk in it. It has a lot of fear in it.

KOCH: One of the greatest fears for both women, losing health insurance or a job because of their genetic makeup.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now I'm covered under their group insurance plan. So I don't have that risk right now. It's definitely a fear for the future.

KOCH: More than 30 states have laws barring genetic discrimination. And the senate last year unanimously voted for a federal ban against it. But the measure is stalled in the House. Health insurers oppose a clause in the House bill that could block questions about a patient's family medical history.

KAREN IGNAGNI, PRES. AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS: The definition was so broad that it would have prohibited any kind of questioning in the area of family history, which otherwise would have been relevant for disease management.

KOCH (on camera): The Chamber of Commerce insist there are already enough protections against genetic discrimination. Its business owner members fear the bill would encourage frivolous lawsuits

LAWRENCE EORBER, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: They are concerned about having genetic testing be converted into another cause of action to cause yet another series of lawsuits when there's no evidence whatsoever that there's employment derivation because of people's genetic makeup.

KOCH (voice over): But advocates point out fear of discrimination is real and could hinder progress in genetic research.

DEBRA NESS, NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES: We fear that the enormous promise that this research holds out will never be realized because people will be afraid to get tested.

KOCH: The Fishers point out having the genetic proclivity toward an illness doesn't necessarily mean you will be ill. Still, they want federal protections so their genes can never be used against them.

FISHER: We have a problem with being absolutely vulnerable and hung out to dry because of something that we couldn't help.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, up, up and away. If you think you are paying more at the pump, you're right. Do I even need to tell you that now? But as gas prices go through the roof, is there relief in sight? The possibly encouraging answer just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Pain at the pump, but this morning crude prices are falling, if only by a drop.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday, May 24.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired May 24, 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: 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.

One peacekeeper from Norway has been killed and another wounded in an attack on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. A vehicle of the International Security Assistance Force was hit by rocket-propelled grenades.

Authorities in Paris now say four people and not five were killed when a terminal roof at the de Gaulle Airport collapsed. No reason given for the lower death toll, and it's still unclear what caused the roof to collapse.

In money news, Treasury Secretary John Snow tells G7 finance ministers that oil-producing nations must increase their production. Saudi Arabia has agreed to boost its production next month by 28 percent.

In sports, a great birthday for golf pro Steve Flesch. He turns 37 and shoots an 11-under -- 11-under 269 to win the Colonial Golf Tournament one stroke ahead of Chad Campbell.

In culture, David turns 500 this year. The masterpiece by Michelangelo has spent the past year being restored and now he is being put back on public view in Florence.

Severe storms brought heavy rains, which brought floods into neighborhoods in Illinois -- in Gurney, Illinois north of Chicago. Des Plains River is expected to crest today well over flood stage at Gurney.

The forecast now from Rob.

Good morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you -- Rob.

MARCIANO: You bet.

COSTELLO: The future of Iraq being discussed today behind closed doors at the United Nations Security Council. The Associated Press reports the Bush administration will introduce a resolution authorizing the change of power in Baghdad. The council will debate the resolution, but a vote is not expected today. The Bush administration plans to hand over sovereignty of Iraq on June 30, 37 days from now.

President Bush makes what's being billed as a major speech on Iraq tonight. The president speaks at the Army's War College in Pennsylvania and is expected to concentrate on the transfer of power to the Iraqis on June 30. The speech is at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific. CNN will carry it live on a special edition of "PAULA ZAHN NOW."

Former Vietnam War hero, retired U.S. General Anthony Zinni is against sounding the alarm over the Bush administration's policy on Iraq. In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes," Zinni posts his points to serious problems with planning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. ANTHONY ZINNI, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET).: Well I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan. I think there was dereliction in lack of planning. The president is owed the finest strategic thinking. He is owed the finest operational planning. He is owed the finest tactical execution on the ground. He got the latter. He didn't get the first two.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Zinni once served as chief of Central Command and oversaw enforcement of the two no-fly zones in Iraq.

Who is to blame for Ahmed Chalabi's fall from grace with the Bush administration? CNN's Elaine Quijano has all the finger pointing in this report from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Iraqi governing council member Ahmed Chalabi, once a favorite of the Pentagon, denied that he spied for Iran.

AHMED CHALABI, IRAQ GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER: We never provided any classified information from the U.S. to Iran and neither I nor anyone in the INC. And that is a charge being put out by George Tenet.

QUIJANO: Chalabi says he's the victim of a CIA smear campaign. And he wants a hearing before Congress to clear his name. But judging by the reaction of senior lawmakers, Congress will be a hostile audience. SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: I think he's a charlatan. I think he's a manipulator. I don't believe he's a man that you can trust.

SEN. CHUCK HAGEL (R), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: What we have here is a guy who has a record like we all do. And that record has not turned out very well. Trouble has followed him everywhere he's been.

QUIJANO: Chalabi heads up the dissident Iraqi National Congress, which advocated war to oust Saddam Hussein, helped gather intelligence for the U.S., and until this month, was on the U.S.' payroll, receiving more than $30 million in all.

SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), ARMED SERVICES CMTE.: There is a school of thought, especially by the CIA, that Mr. Chalabi's intelligence input was not that good. And that's probably an understatement.

QUIJANO: As for Chalabi's request for congressional hearings to clear his name, a Democratic member of the Senate intelligence committee said why bother?

SEN. EVAN BAYH (D), INTELLIGENCE CMTE.: It's not clear to me that Mr. Chalabi speaks for anybody other than Mr. Chalabi right now. And I don't know if you have a congressional hearing just to give a platform to one individual to sort of speak out.

QUIJANO (on camera): Neither the White House nor the Pentagon will comment on Ahmed Chalabi's credibility. When asked last week, a White House spokesman said it was not the president's place to weigh in on who the future leaders of Iraq should be.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: One more note about Ahmed Chalabi, and we're going to get that right now from our senior international editor David Clinch.

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

COSTELLO: The big concern here is where he got information.

CLINCH: Right. We've heard enough from Chalabi. But one of the things that we are keeping our eyes very closely on is that there is an investigation going on into who at a very high level, we are told, of government could -- only a very high level could have had this kind of intelligence who would have given it to Chalabi's group. So that aspect of the story is really switching to Washington now. Who gave the information to him, the intelligence to him or his group in the first place? So still watching then.

COSTELLO: Want to know more about this video that you've been grappling with all morning.

CLINCH: Right. Right. We've been watching, you know since last week we had this report of an attack near the Syrian border in Iraq, which locals said was a wedding going on. The United States military says they had intelligence there was a high level meeting of foreign fighters and militants at this site. Clearly a lot of people were dead after the fact.

We have received some more video today via one of the news agencies. It's home video they got their hands on reportedly showing a wedding. And it does, by all accounts, show a wedding, including some interesting sequences, which show, you know, the people dancing.

There is a sequence at the end that shows a man playing a piano. Now we looked at that very closely, as did the news agencies -- news agencies when they got it, because news agencies then sell -- now this is home video from the event. News agencies themselves went to this scene after the fact. And one sequence of video shot after the attack appears to show one of the men who is playing a piano at this event. To me, I've looked at this video, it seems to be the same man.

Now of course the U.S. has pointed out bad guys have celebrations, too. Just because it may have been a wedding or a celebration of some kind, does not mean it was not also foreign fighters and militants. The U.S. military telling us today they haven't seen this home video yet. They are going to take a look at it. They -- quote -- "remain open-minded" and are still investigating, but they are sticking by their intelligence that it was foreign fighters.

COSTELLO: In the meantime, this video is playing on Arab television.

CLINCH: Yes, you see this is the other aspect of the story. Just like the prison abuse, you know we're looking at it, we're following our sequence of editorially looking at this. In the meantime, all over the Arab media today, home video of a wedding, or what appears to be a wedding, lead story on a lot of the Arab networks. So it takes on a life of its own beyond what we do with it. But we will carefully look at this and show it through the day, and remembering that the U.S. sticking by its intelligence that there were foreign fighters at this scene.

COSTELLO: OK, maybe we'll know more as DAYBREAK progresses.

CLINCH: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David.

One senior U.S. Navy Reserve officer who served in Iraq blames the anti-malaria drug Lariam for terrible physical and psychological disorders, and he is not alone. For some military families, the lives of their loved ones have ended, and it's not clear who is to blame. In collaboration with UPI reporter Mark Benjamin, CNN's Jonathan Mann has been investigating.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Monument, Colorado, March 14, a chilling 911 call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

OPERATOR: El Paso County 911. What's the address of your emergency.

LAURA HOWELL, WIFE OF BILL HOWELL: Park Trail Drive.

OPERATOR: OK. What's the problem? Tell me exactly what happened.

HOWELL: My husband just hit me and he's gone downstairs to get his gun.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MANN: Bill Howell got his gun and used it. Minutes after the call, he shot himself in his front yard. Howell was a special forces officer who had returned home to his wife and children from duty in Iraq just three weeks later.

HOWELL: Bill's patriotism and devotion to his country and fellow special forces soldiers is beyond what most Americans are capable of comprehending. I would like Bill to be remembered for his 36 years of accomplishment and not final moments of impulsivity.

MANN: Laura Howell doesn't know why her husband did it. He had been drinking heavily. But Howell was also taking Lariam, an anti- malaria drug given to thousands of military personnel who took part in the war in Iraq. The company that makes Lariam, Roche Pharmaceuticals, says it's been used safely by more than 20 million people to prevent malaria, a potentially fatal disease.

But Roche is repaired by the FDA to warn users that, in some cases, Lariam can cause sever anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. In North Carolina, families around Fort Bragg wonder whether the drug had anything to do with a sudden surge in killing and suicides among the soldiers there in the summer of 2002. Among the cases, Master Sergeant William Wright, who confessed to killing his wife and later killed himself in jail while awaiting trial. He had taken Lariam during a deployment in Afghanistan.

The Army investigated the cluster of killings. It found that not all the soldiers involved in the killings were taking the drug and concluded that Lariam, known generically as mefloquine, was not the likely cause for the deaths.

Sue Rose is an activist who is trying to raise consumer awareness about Lariam.

SUE ROSE, PUBLIC HEALTH SPECIALIST: The military is drawing the wrong conclusion from those deaths. The true cluster, the true group you want to look at are those men who took Lariam. And of the men who took Lariam, who all served in Afghanistan, all three of them killed their wives and subsequently committed suicide.

MANN: The mounting concerns have now led the Pentagon to begin a wide-ranging study of the drug.

WILLIAM WINKENWERDER, ASST. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR HEALTH AFFAIRS: With respect to Lariam, we don't have any evidence that suggests that there is a tie-in between suicides and the use of the medication. We want to understand, if there is, the absence of evidence does not prove that there's no relationship. But we want to understand if there is, and that's why we're doing a study to try to determine that.

MANN (on camera): The military has scaled back on the use of Lariam because it says, temporarily at least, it's not facing the same threat of malaria. But for the months or even years that the safety study takes, it says it will continue to regard the drug as being as safe as ever and it will continue to distribute it to men and women in uniform wherever it feels it is necessary.

Jonathan Mann, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In the next hour of DAYBREAK, as summer starts to sizzle, those who get hot head to the beach, but it could prove deadly this year. What one group is doing to break the grip of the rip.

An inquiry is launched in France after a terminal roof caves in at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport. We'll take you live for the latest.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: As you know the race for president is a tight one, but young, single, successful women under 30 are not going to the polls.

CNN's Alina Cho looks at why these so-called Lipstick Liberals are choosing not to vote.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Some call them the "sex and the city" demographic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you saying you have never voted in New York City?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are correct Mr. President.

CHO: Others, Lipstick Liberals. Jennifer Dematio (ph) fits the ballet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you vote?

JENNIFER DEMATIO (ph): I just registered. I haven't voted in a while. I have to admit I haven't voted in a while.

CHO: Dematio (ph) is not alone. She's young, single, successful, and doesn't vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is it scary to think about politics?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not scary. It's boring. It's confusing. It's boring.

CHO (on camera): New studies by several universities found just one in five women under 30 regularly goes to the polls. Experts say most are skipping elections and instead are chasing careers and looking for love.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to meet him. How am I going to meet him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women who have what we call the four magic M's, marriage, munchkins, mortgages, and mutual funds, are much more likely to vote than their unmarried, non-stake holding non-ownership counterparts.

CHO: Perhaps no one knows better the importance of voting than Karenna Gore Schiff. Her father Al Gore lost Florida, ultimately the presidency in 2000 by a mere 537 votes.

UNIDENTFIED FEMALE: The candidates will go to swing states, and they'll go to senior centers. And there's a reason for that. That's who will decide the election because they're out there voting. If young women do the same thing, they could really change the direction of the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretend it's a hair appointment we won't miss. Make an appointment with Election Day, and get there.

CHO: Dematio (ph) lived in Florida in 2000, could have voted but didn't. Now she says the war in Iraq is pushing her to the polls.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It only needs to be one thing you say, this is something I care about, and if nothing else focus on that and --.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then register?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And register?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And then vote.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And vote.

CHO: A giant step towards having a voice. Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Israeli troops began their withdrawal today from parts of the Rafah Refugee Camp in southern Gaza. The move ends a deadly six-day occupation. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon plans to present his latest plan for Gaza to the cabinet this coming Sunday.

President Bush is expected to outline plans for the handover of power in Iraq when he addresses the nation tonight. CNN will have live coverage of the president's speech that begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

In money news, Nasdaq is closing up shop in China. The move comes less than a week after China announced it was opening its own high tech index. Ten Chinese companies are listed by Nasdaq.

In sports, the French Open got under way just about 30 minutes ago. Americans Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Lindsay Davenport all in action in Paris today.

In culture, it was big green at the box office for the big green guy. "Shrek 2" crushed the competition with $104.3 million at the box officer over the weekend. The film made more than $44 million on Saturday alone, breaking the one-day record set two years ago by "Spider-Man" -- Rob.

MARCIANO: He's got to get himself some table manners there. Good for him packing in the money.

Hey, here's the forecast across the country today.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Rob.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Two separate investigations under way in Paris this morning following the collapse of a passenger terminal roof at Charles de Gaulle Airport. Four people died in that collapse.

CNN's Jim Bittermann is live in Paris. He has an update for us.

Good morning -- Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Carol.

In fact, the firemen are going through the wreckage again this morning with sniffer dogs just to make sure they have not overlooked any possible victims of that crash, that collapse yesterday that brought the ceiling down at Terminal 2E at Charles de Gaulle Airport.

The police this morning are being credited with saving a number of lives. Because after this initial very loud noise, this thud that everyone heard, they noticed that there was concrete dust coming from the ceiling of the terminal and they immediately took steps to cordon off an area and evacuate some of the passengers who were in the terminal. They managed to get a number of people away from this area, which is about 30 by 30 yards of ceiling that came in and then crashed down onto the ground, crushing a number of vehicles. And, as you mentioned, four people were killed, three people have been injured in that crash -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jim Bittermann live in Paris this morning.

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, the NBA's top brass gets down to business. The defending champion Lakers hit a low point as the Timberwolves lay claim to the courts. Chris Cotter will be in. He'll have all the details for you in our DAYBREAK scorecard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

Obesity may be responsible for an increase in breast cancer among men. That's according to a new study. It shows a 26 percent jump in the number of cases in the United States. Obesity already is associated with cancers of the cervix, prostate, kidney and stomach.

If you are battling the bulge, this one is for you. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Olestra in prepackaged microwave popcorn. Procter & Gamble uses the fat substitute in its ready-to-eat snacks but not in products that have to be heated.

And there is new hope for people with spinal cord injuries, a combination of treatments to help paralyzed rats walk again. The treatment involves transplanting cells from peripheral nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord into the damaged area. It could lead to treatments for more than 240,000 Americans with spinal cord injuries.

A question, what is the opposite of reverse discrimination? Using DNA, our generic fingerprint, new technology can predict what illnesses and diseases we may be more likely to get.

CNN's Kathleen Koch reports on the new debate raging over genetic discrimination.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Becky Fisher and her daughter share more than a family resemblance. Genetic testing reveals they share a heightened risk of cancer. Ovarian cancer claimed Becky's grandmother at age 41. Becky and her mother were both diagnosed with breast cancer in their 30s.

BECKY FISHER, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: It is a legacy for us. A painful legacy. It has a lot of risk in it. It has a lot of fear in it.

KOCH: One of the greatest fears for both women, losing health insurance or a job because of their genetic makeup.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right now I'm covered under their group insurance plan. So I don't have that risk right now. It's definitely a fear for the future.

KOCH: More than 30 states have laws barring genetic discrimination. And the senate last year unanimously voted for a federal ban against it. But the measure is stalled in the House. Health insurers oppose a clause in the House bill that could block questions about a patient's family medical history.

KAREN IGNAGNI, PRES. AMERICA'S HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS: The definition was so broad that it would have prohibited any kind of questioning in the area of family history, which otherwise would have been relevant for disease management.

KOCH (on camera): The Chamber of Commerce insist there are already enough protections against genetic discrimination. Its business owner members fear the bill would encourage frivolous lawsuits

LAWRENCE EORBER, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: They are concerned about having genetic testing be converted into another cause of action to cause yet another series of lawsuits when there's no evidence whatsoever that there's employment derivation because of people's genetic makeup.

KOCH (voice over): But advocates point out fear of discrimination is real and could hinder progress in genetic research.

DEBRA NESS, NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR WOMEN AND FAMILIES: We fear that the enormous promise that this research holds out will never be realized because people will be afraid to get tested.

KOCH: The Fishers point out having the genetic proclivity toward an illness doesn't necessarily mean you will be ill. Still, they want federal protections so their genes can never be used against them.

FISHER: We have a problem with being absolutely vulnerable and hung out to dry because of something that we couldn't help.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

In the next hour of DAYBREAK, up, up and away. If you think you are paying more at the pump, you're right. Do I even need to tell you that now? But as gas prices go through the roof, is there relief in sight? The possibly encouraging answer just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Pain at the pump, but this morning crude prices are falling, if only by a drop.

This is DAYBREAK for Monday, May 24.

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