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CNN Live At Daybreak

Caribbean Storms; War on Terror; Terry Nichols Trial; Highway Safety; Truth or Consequence?

Aired May 27, 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: Entire villages wiped out in an instant. The aftermath of devastating floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
It is Thursday, May 27. This is DAYBREAK.

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

Let me bring you up to date now.

A new warning from the FBI, a possible terror attack in the United States in the next few months, but nothing specific. The bulletin names seven possible suspects in connection with the latest threats.

Police sources say radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza Al-Masri has been arrested in London. The British government accuses him of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda.

In money news, sales of new homes dropped nearly 12 percent last month, the biggest decline in a decade. The drop came as mortgage rates reached a five-month high.

In sports, the top finisher is Morphosis. The architectural firm has been named the winner of a design study for housing 16,000 athletes at the proposed 2012 Summer Olympics in New York City.

In culture, Sarah Jessica Parker is going to work at the Gap, not as a cashier. The "Sex and the City" star will appear in TV ads for the clothes company -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Chad is mentioning all the rain that's coming down. Well the death toll from flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic has become staggering, 500 people now confirmed dead from flash floods and mudslides. Hundreds more are missing and presumed dead. More than 1,000 people are feared dead in one town in southern Haiti. Severe storms swept that island last weekend.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is covering the story. She has a report for you from the Dominican Republic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a riverbed that's become a burial site. When Sunday's storm roared through in the dead of night, rushing water consumed everyone and everything in its path.

EDDY OLIVARES, CIVIL DEFENSE SPOKESMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It's bad, very, very bad.

CANDIOTTI: Hundreds are dead, many remain missing in the Dominican Republic and neighboring Haiti. At least 300 bodies recovered in Jimani on the Dominican side. Those who could not be identified have been moved from temporary morgues to common graves.

(on camera): Residents here paint a devastating picture, describing how the streets of Jimani became rivers of death.

(voice-over): Herardo Dotell (ph) appears dazed as he picks his way through muck next to his mud-filled home. His 9-month-old daughter, Yvonne (ph), was swept away by the raging flood.

They can't find her anywhere, says her mother.

Around every corner, more despair. This woman says she was sleeping when the water rose as high as eight feet. She describes bodies pilled everywhere.

Throughout Jimani, a struggle to salvage belongings. Here a man desperately trying to wash the mud from a mattress. People take turns drawing water for cleaning.

Civil defense workers and the Red Cross working to bring in drinking water, food, shelter. For Herardo and Geraldine (ph) Dotell, an effort to start over, getting rid of mud, holding on to the memory of a lost child.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Jimani, the Dominican Republic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on the devastating floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, visit our Web site, CNN.com.

In London this morning, British authorities got him, American authorities want him. A radical Muslim cleric has now been arrested.

Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): To the U.S. and British governments and some in the Muslim mainstream, Abu Hamza Al-Masri is seen as a dangerous radical whose extreme views nourish hatred, mainly among disaffected young Britons.

The Egyptian-born cleric is fighting attempts to strip him of his U.K. citizenship. The British Home Office accuses Hamza of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda. British government lawyers also allege he has encouraged terrorism and jihad and has offered safe have for extremists.

Hamza was banned from his Finsbury Park mosque in London's northern suburbs last year. Undeterred, he has continued to preach on the pavement outside. Hamza sparked outrage when he added his voice to those claiming the September 11 attacks were a Jewish plot. He also alleges U.S. astronauts killed in the Columbia Shuttle tragedy were -- quote -- "punished by Allah."

In his sermons, the cleric has castigated Britain and called the invasion of Iraq -- quote -- "a war against Islam." Recently, he had his Web site banned after offering a direct link to online footage of the execution of American hostage Nick Berg in Iraq.

But his freedom to air his controversial views could be about to end. This morning, Scotland Yard issued a statement confirming they have arrested a 47-year-old man in his west London home and anti- terrorism officers are searching the house. He'll appear at London's Belmarsh magistrate's court later in the day.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And here is our 'Iraq Situation Report' for you this morning.

Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he will withdrawal most of his militiamen from Najaf if coalition troops will leave the city. Coalition commanders are skeptical that al-Sadr will keep his word and they plan to continue their operations at Najaf.

There have been more American casualties in the war. Three U.S. Marines were killed in action in Al Anbar Province west of Baghdad. Details not immediately available. The deaths bring the American toll in Iraq to 805.

Iraqi nuclear scientist Hussain al-Shahristani has been a favorite for a top job with the interim Iraqi government, maybe even prime minister. But Shahristani has told a U.N. envoy he does not want the job or any other government post.

Let's talk more with our senior international editor David Clinch now.

I want to talk more about that possible deal...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... for Najaf.

CLINCH: Yes. When we came in this morning, a lot of excitement coming out of Iraq about the idea of a new peace deal offered to end the Shiite rebellion from Muqtada al-Sadr. We looked at this deal. He's sent a statement to Shiite leaders in the Iraqi Governing Council. One of them was on our air last night, read the deal to us.

We looked at it in detail. It doesn't seem significantly different from previous deals. Basically the idea that his militia would not disband, but just basically go home. Not all of them live in Najaf. They would all go home to wherever they go home to...

COSTELLO: If...

CLINCH: ... if the U.S. withdrawals completely from all of the Shiite holy cities. Well, that's fine. There's an unanswered question, though, he's a wanted man, a wanted man for questioning on charges of murder of another Shiite cleric. What about those charges? He's not really interested in talking about that right now. And what about not just sending the militia home, but disarming them, disbanding them and promising not to hit at the U.S. Army again? No mention of that. So it's a...

COSTELLO: Might this also be a sign of desperation, because I think al-Sadr came out and spoke and looked quite exhausted?

CLINCH: Yes, he did.

COSTELLO: Might U.S. forces be wearing the militiamen down?

CLINCH: Well it's hard to say. What we know is he was on Al Jazeera yesterday. He looked -- we've run file of him where he's a big, chunky-looking fellow. The video of him on Al Jazeera yesterday, he looks exhausted and he's lost about 30 pounds. So clearly he's on the tiring side.

His brother-in-law was arrested a day and a half ago. That may be affecting him. But also from the U.S. point of view, they have been killing 40, 50 of these militia everyday and yet, of course, they can't go in to the mosques themselves to get them. It's not clear there's a military solution. So both sides interested in making a deal but it's not there yet. It's the U.S. is saying they'll wait to see whether he does what he said he'll do which is send his militia home. That hasn't happened yet.

COSTELLO: Want to quickly talk about Shahristani?

CLINCH: Yes, well I mean I feel a little bit used, I don't know about you. But we were talking yesterday morning about this man who, according to sources, and you know it's never clear exactly which sources they were, Shahristani was going to be the next prime minister of Iraq. Well today, or actually late last night, he said I'm not interested. So there are other names out there. I'm not -- I'm not interested in putting those names out there right now, because we talked all day yesterday about Shahristani and then he said he wasn't interested. So let's just wait and see. Brahimi expected to announce the names within the next few days, perhaps this coming weekend, so we'll wait and see.

COSTELLO: And we might get new information from him. I don't know if we're allowed to say this or not, but...

CLINCH: Well we intend to try and talk to him today in Baghdad. But I have a funny feeling that he won't be interested in using specific names, but we'll wait and see. I'm not speculating. I'm just saying he has made it clear that he thinks talking about names is not a good idea. So we will talk to him today in Baghdad, but whether he will give specifics is another thing.

Just one other thing, separate but related, this idea that the U.S. has had out there for a long time of a greater Middle East peace process and a peace plan, democracy in the Middle East. There's going to be a front page "USA Today" story today saying that a new proposal on that lines which President Bush will bring to the G8 summit in June will be much downscaled from that, admitting, acknowledging that democracy and change cannot be imposed from the outside.

Now they never really claimed they could or would do that, but that's what you could infer from the first version of the plan. The new version much more downscaled, we're being told. So we'll see at the G8 what President Bush has to say about that.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: Time to check the DAYBREAK 'Legal Briefs' now.

Jury selection is expected to wrap up today in the Scott Peterson murder trial. It took nine weeks to choose the 12 jurors and 6 alternates that will hear the case. The trial officially begins next Tuesday.

The judge in the Kobe Bryant case may set a trial date today. Bryant is expected to appear in the Eagle, Colorado courtroom. The judge must also decide whether to allow the testimony of expert witnesses who also testified in the O.J. Simpson murder case. After the hearing, Bryant will return to Los Angeles for game 4 of the Lakers playoff series.

The family of Michael Jackson's alleged victim may sue the Department of Child Services and the County of Los Angeles. They filed a claim for damages over the leak of a confidential report on the family. A department report posted last December said the allegations against Jackson were unfounded.

Took a jury only about five hours to find Terry Nichols guilty of murder in the Oklahoma City bombing. Now they must decide if he'll face the death penalty.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the story from McAlester, Oklahoma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN DALLAS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Terry Nichols had no reaction as the guilty verdict was read in the courtroom. One female juror cried as Nichols learned he was convicted on 161 counts of first degree murder, conspiracy and arson.

DIANE LEONARD, LOST HUSBAND IN BOMBING: I am -- I am so thrilled for these 160 families who have had loved ones who no one had been tried for their murder until this trial.

DORIS DELMAN, LOST DAUGHTER IN BOMBING: He's responsible for everything he's ever done and God will take care of him one way or another.

LAVANDERA: The question before the jurors was whether Nichols was the mastermind behind the bombing or a pawn in the conspiracy. Deliberations began Wednesday morning in McAllister, Oklahoma after two months of testimony from some 250 witnesses.

Defense attorneys argue Timothy McVeigh who was executed in 2001 orchestrated the bombing plot with co-conspirators who set up Nichols as the fall guy. They claim the government failed to follow up on leads which would have provided evidence of that.

But the prosecution argued Nichols was the one who gathered the ingredients to make the bomb, the ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the detonation cord and blasting caps.

They said his motive was the same as McVeigh's to avenge the deadly government siege in Waco, Texas two years prior to the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City. The attack on the Murrah Federal Building left 168 people dead.

(on camera): There is still a gag order in place and that's why we haven't heard from defense attorneys or prosecutors. Now the same jury that convicted Terry Nichols must decide if he should be sentenced to death. Punishment phase testimony begins next Tuesday.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, McAlester, Oklahoma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: With tornadoes, flooding and fires this week alone and a scary new movie in the theaters, do we really need to worry now about global warming? We'll explore that issue in our next hour.

But first, hitting the road for the holiday weekend, what you need to know to keep your family safe as driving's deadliest season gets under way.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:47 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

More British troops will soon be heading to Iraq. That's the word this morning from a British Defense Ministry spokesman. He says commanders on the ground asked for more soldiers.

Police sources say radical cleric Abu Hamza Al-Masri has been arrested in London. The British government accuses him of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda.

In money news, the Postmaster General warns that snail mail could cost more. Bills concerning changes in postal operations are now in the House and Senate committees.

In sports, the Orlando Magic gets the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery. The Los Angeles Clippers will get second choice in next month's draft, followed by Chicago, Charlotte and Washington.

In culture, Richard Simmons is out of legal hot water. A misdemeanor assault lawsuit against the exercise guru has now been dropped. Simmons slapped a 250-pound cage wrestler for making an offhand comment about Simmons' exercise videos.

I'm glad it's over for Richard -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes, it's over for that cage wrestler, too. He doesn't have to go to that big court case.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Summertime and the travel can be deadly. The summer driving season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend.

CNN's Julie Vallese has some things for you to keep in mind while you are behind the wheel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Slattery's of Nebraska are lucky to be alive this summer. They were on vacation last year when...

TONI SLATTERY, CAR ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: Our SUV fishtailed out of control on a gravel road, hit a corner post and rolled four or five times. When we came to a stop, the first thing I heard was the voice of my oldest daughter asking are we dead?

VALLESE: The family was fine and they had properly installed child seats to thank.

SUSAN PIKRALLIDAS, AAA PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Statistics over the past five years tell us that of the 25 deadliest days in America, 20 of them fell during the 101 days from the Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

VALLESE: A five-year study by a national coalition of driving safety groups using government data found higher mileage, more children in cars and a peak in teens driving when school is out among the reasons for the increase in crashes.

PAUL BURRIS, PARTNERS FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: One of the things that we want people to know, that we want people across this country to know and understand today is that it can happen to you and it can happen to your family.

VALLESE: But the report also says while Americans are at risk, drivers can reduce the danger by making sure seatbelts and child seats are properly used, avoiding distractions, getting plenty of rest, avoiding alcohol when driving and obeying speed limits.

(on camera): The Department of Transportation is predicting more than 500 people will have died during each holiday weekend of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

(voice-over): Consonia Taylor (ph) could have been a summer statistic. She was hit by a drunk driver when she was eight-months pregnant last July. Consonia was wearing her seatbelt, but says she is lucky to be alive. So much so her son's middle name is Miracle. He will celebrate his first birthday in July.

In Washington, I'm Julie Vallese.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: High gas prices are not going to keep holiday travelers down on the farm. We'll get some pointers from AAA's Mantill Williams. That will happen in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Is it the weight loss solution you have been searching for or just a worthless piece of plastic? More on the latest weight loss trend. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Want to lose weight? The FDA says an estimated 50 million Americans will go on a diet this year. Today they are warning you to be ware of the quick fix, though. Is what you're going to see the next big thing? Is it just around the corner? You be the judge.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a sign of the times. A $500 piece of plastic designed to make you eat less. DR. DEBRA GRAY KING, DENTIST, DDS SYSTEM SPOKESWOMAN: It fits right in the roof of your mouth. And it's very comfortable. But what it does is makes your mouth a little bit smaller. So that you are forced to take smaller bites. And chew more slowly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My first reaction when I heard about it was to laugh.

COHEN: A device to keep your mouth shut is not without historical precedence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go to the orthodontist and have your jaws wired shut.

COHEN: But this latest incarnation has one major difference.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's in. It's that easy.

COHEN: And it comes out that easily, too. That's why many diet experts we talked to are so skeptical.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's say Memorial Day you're going to the big picnic, you just don't put it in or Thanksgiving. You just don't put it in. That's what I predict will happen.

COHEN: We asked a dentist and paid consultant for the product called the DDS system to bite one doughnut with the device in her mouth and bite another doughnut without the device. We didn't see much of a difference in size, but she says she has lost weight with it by slowing down her eating. DDS says they gave the device to 16 people for one day, and they ate 23 percent less food. But one day does not a lifetime make, so the question is, will people who don't have the willpower to diet have the willpower to put a piece of plastic in their mouths at every single meal?

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Other 'Health Headlines' for you this morning. Disturbing news, many cases of prostate cancer escape detection. A new study finds 15 percent of older men with apparent normal readings for prostate cancer are found to have had the cancer anyway.

Going for a first. A team of doctors in Kentucky seeking permission to perform a face transplant. The team must first seek approval from the ethics committee of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

And in Manchester, England, a British woman has given birth to a baby boy using sperm from her husband that had been frozen for 21 years. Word of the birth just coming out. It occurred two years ago, but a reproductive specialist says the birth proves long-term freezing obviously can work.

A Shiite cleric's offer to withdrawal from Najaf, what does it mean for the U.S. strategy in Iraq and can the U.S. really trust the offer? That's ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Have you seen any of these people? The FBI says they could be in America and working for al Qaeda.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday, May 27.

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 27, 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: Entire villages wiped out in an instant. The aftermath of devastating floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
It is Thursday, May 27. This is DAYBREAK.

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

Let me bring you up to date now.

A new warning from the FBI, a possible terror attack in the United States in the next few months, but nothing specific. The bulletin names seven possible suspects in connection with the latest threats.

Police sources say radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza Al-Masri has been arrested in London. The British government accuses him of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda.

In money news, sales of new homes dropped nearly 12 percent last month, the biggest decline in a decade. The drop came as mortgage rates reached a five-month high.

In sports, the top finisher is Morphosis. The architectural firm has been named the winner of a design study for housing 16,000 athletes at the proposed 2012 Summer Olympics in New York City.

In culture, Sarah Jessica Parker is going to work at the Gap, not as a cashier. The "Sex and the City" star will appear in TV ads for the clothes company -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Chad is mentioning all the rain that's coming down. Well the death toll from flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic has become staggering, 500 people now confirmed dead from flash floods and mudslides. Hundreds more are missing and presumed dead. More than 1,000 people are feared dead in one town in southern Haiti. Severe storms swept that island last weekend.

CNN's Susan Candiotti is covering the story. She has a report for you from the Dominican Republic.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a riverbed that's become a burial site. When Sunday's storm roared through in the dead of night, rushing water consumed everyone and everything in its path.

EDDY OLIVARES, CIVIL DEFENSE SPOKESMAN: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It's bad, very, very bad.

CANDIOTTI: Hundreds are dead, many remain missing in the Dominican Republic and neighboring Haiti. At least 300 bodies recovered in Jimani on the Dominican side. Those who could not be identified have been moved from temporary morgues to common graves.

(on camera): Residents here paint a devastating picture, describing how the streets of Jimani became rivers of death.

(voice-over): Herardo Dotell (ph) appears dazed as he picks his way through muck next to his mud-filled home. His 9-month-old daughter, Yvonne (ph), was swept away by the raging flood.

They can't find her anywhere, says her mother.

Around every corner, more despair. This woman says she was sleeping when the water rose as high as eight feet. She describes bodies pilled everywhere.

Throughout Jimani, a struggle to salvage belongings. Here a man desperately trying to wash the mud from a mattress. People take turns drawing water for cleaning.

Civil defense workers and the Red Cross working to bring in drinking water, food, shelter. For Herardo and Geraldine (ph) Dotell, an effort to start over, getting rid of mud, holding on to the memory of a lost child.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Jimani, the Dominican Republic.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: For more on the devastating floods in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, visit our Web site, CNN.com.

In London this morning, British authorities got him, American authorities want him. A radical Muslim cleric has now been arrested.

Our senior international correspondent Walter Rodgers has more on this story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) WALTER RODGERS, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): To the U.S. and British governments and some in the Muslim mainstream, Abu Hamza Al-Masri is seen as a dangerous radical whose extreme views nourish hatred, mainly among disaffected young Britons.

The Egyptian-born cleric is fighting attempts to strip him of his U.K. citizenship. The British Home Office accuses Hamza of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda. British government lawyers also allege he has encouraged terrorism and jihad and has offered safe have for extremists.

Hamza was banned from his Finsbury Park mosque in London's northern suburbs last year. Undeterred, he has continued to preach on the pavement outside. Hamza sparked outrage when he added his voice to those claiming the September 11 attacks were a Jewish plot. He also alleges U.S. astronauts killed in the Columbia Shuttle tragedy were -- quote -- "punished by Allah."

In his sermons, the cleric has castigated Britain and called the invasion of Iraq -- quote -- "a war against Islam." Recently, he had his Web site banned after offering a direct link to online footage of the execution of American hostage Nick Berg in Iraq.

But his freedom to air his controversial views could be about to end. This morning, Scotland Yard issued a statement confirming they have arrested a 47-year-old man in his west London home and anti- terrorism officers are searching the house. He'll appear at London's Belmarsh magistrate's court later in the day.

Walter Rodgers, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And here is our 'Iraq Situation Report' for you this morning.

Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says he will withdrawal most of his militiamen from Najaf if coalition troops will leave the city. Coalition commanders are skeptical that al-Sadr will keep his word and they plan to continue their operations at Najaf.

There have been more American casualties in the war. Three U.S. Marines were killed in action in Al Anbar Province west of Baghdad. Details not immediately available. The deaths bring the American toll in Iraq to 805.

Iraqi nuclear scientist Hussain al-Shahristani has been a favorite for a top job with the interim Iraqi government, maybe even prime minister. But Shahristani has told a U.N. envoy he does not want the job or any other government post.

Let's talk more with our senior international editor David Clinch now.

I want to talk more about that possible deal...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... for Najaf.

CLINCH: Yes. When we came in this morning, a lot of excitement coming out of Iraq about the idea of a new peace deal offered to end the Shiite rebellion from Muqtada al-Sadr. We looked at this deal. He's sent a statement to Shiite leaders in the Iraqi Governing Council. One of them was on our air last night, read the deal to us.

We looked at it in detail. It doesn't seem significantly different from previous deals. Basically the idea that his militia would not disband, but just basically go home. Not all of them live in Najaf. They would all go home to wherever they go home to...

COSTELLO: If...

CLINCH: ... if the U.S. withdrawals completely from all of the Shiite holy cities. Well, that's fine. There's an unanswered question, though, he's a wanted man, a wanted man for questioning on charges of murder of another Shiite cleric. What about those charges? He's not really interested in talking about that right now. And what about not just sending the militia home, but disarming them, disbanding them and promising not to hit at the U.S. Army again? No mention of that. So it's a...

COSTELLO: Might this also be a sign of desperation, because I think al-Sadr came out and spoke and looked quite exhausted?

CLINCH: Yes, he did.

COSTELLO: Might U.S. forces be wearing the militiamen down?

CLINCH: Well it's hard to say. What we know is he was on Al Jazeera yesterday. He looked -- we've run file of him where he's a big, chunky-looking fellow. The video of him on Al Jazeera yesterday, he looks exhausted and he's lost about 30 pounds. So clearly he's on the tiring side.

His brother-in-law was arrested a day and a half ago. That may be affecting him. But also from the U.S. point of view, they have been killing 40, 50 of these militia everyday and yet, of course, they can't go in to the mosques themselves to get them. It's not clear there's a military solution. So both sides interested in making a deal but it's not there yet. It's the U.S. is saying they'll wait to see whether he does what he said he'll do which is send his militia home. That hasn't happened yet.

COSTELLO: Want to quickly talk about Shahristani?

CLINCH: Yes, well I mean I feel a little bit used, I don't know about you. But we were talking yesterday morning about this man who, according to sources, and you know it's never clear exactly which sources they were, Shahristani was going to be the next prime minister of Iraq. Well today, or actually late last night, he said I'm not interested. So there are other names out there. I'm not -- I'm not interested in putting those names out there right now, because we talked all day yesterday about Shahristani and then he said he wasn't interested. So let's just wait and see. Brahimi expected to announce the names within the next few days, perhaps this coming weekend, so we'll wait and see.

COSTELLO: And we might get new information from him. I don't know if we're allowed to say this or not, but...

CLINCH: Well we intend to try and talk to him today in Baghdad. But I have a funny feeling that he won't be interested in using specific names, but we'll wait and see. I'm not speculating. I'm just saying he has made it clear that he thinks talking about names is not a good idea. So we will talk to him today in Baghdad, but whether he will give specifics is another thing.

Just one other thing, separate but related, this idea that the U.S. has had out there for a long time of a greater Middle East peace process and a peace plan, democracy in the Middle East. There's going to be a front page "USA Today" story today saying that a new proposal on that lines which President Bush will bring to the G8 summit in June will be much downscaled from that, admitting, acknowledging that democracy and change cannot be imposed from the outside.

Now they never really claimed they could or would do that, but that's what you could infer from the first version of the plan. The new version much more downscaled, we're being told. So we'll see at the G8 what President Bush has to say about that.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, David.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: Time to check the DAYBREAK 'Legal Briefs' now.

Jury selection is expected to wrap up today in the Scott Peterson murder trial. It took nine weeks to choose the 12 jurors and 6 alternates that will hear the case. The trial officially begins next Tuesday.

The judge in the Kobe Bryant case may set a trial date today. Bryant is expected to appear in the Eagle, Colorado courtroom. The judge must also decide whether to allow the testimony of expert witnesses who also testified in the O.J. Simpson murder case. After the hearing, Bryant will return to Los Angeles for game 4 of the Lakers playoff series.

The family of Michael Jackson's alleged victim may sue the Department of Child Services and the County of Los Angeles. They filed a claim for damages over the leak of a confidential report on the family. A department report posted last December said the allegations against Jackson were unfounded.

Took a jury only about five hours to find Terry Nichols guilty of murder in the Oklahoma City bombing. Now they must decide if he'll face the death penalty.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the story from McAlester, Oklahoma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN DALLAS BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Terry Nichols had no reaction as the guilty verdict was read in the courtroom. One female juror cried as Nichols learned he was convicted on 161 counts of first degree murder, conspiracy and arson.

DIANE LEONARD, LOST HUSBAND IN BOMBING: I am -- I am so thrilled for these 160 families who have had loved ones who no one had been tried for their murder until this trial.

DORIS DELMAN, LOST DAUGHTER IN BOMBING: He's responsible for everything he's ever done and God will take care of him one way or another.

LAVANDERA: The question before the jurors was whether Nichols was the mastermind behind the bombing or a pawn in the conspiracy. Deliberations began Wednesday morning in McAllister, Oklahoma after two months of testimony from some 250 witnesses.

Defense attorneys argue Timothy McVeigh who was executed in 2001 orchestrated the bombing plot with co-conspirators who set up Nichols as the fall guy. They claim the government failed to follow up on leads which would have provided evidence of that.

But the prosecution argued Nichols was the one who gathered the ingredients to make the bomb, the ammonium nitrate fertilizer, the detonation cord and blasting caps.

They said his motive was the same as McVeigh's to avenge the deadly government siege in Waco, Texas two years prior to the 1995 bombing in Oklahoma City. The attack on the Murrah Federal Building left 168 people dead.

(on camera): There is still a gag order in place and that's why we haven't heard from defense attorneys or prosecutors. Now the same jury that convicted Terry Nichols must decide if he should be sentenced to death. Punishment phase testimony begins next Tuesday.

Ed Lavandera, CNN, McAlester, Oklahoma.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: With tornadoes, flooding and fires this week alone and a scary new movie in the theaters, do we really need to worry now about global warming? We'll explore that issue in our next hour.

But first, hitting the road for the holiday weekend, what you need to know to keep your family safe as driving's deadliest season gets under way.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:47 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

More British troops will soon be heading to Iraq. That's the word this morning from a British Defense Ministry spokesman. He says commanders on the ground asked for more soldiers.

Police sources say radical cleric Abu Hamza Al-Masri has been arrested in London. The British government accuses him of providing support and advice to a number of terrorist groups, including al Qaeda.

In money news, the Postmaster General warns that snail mail could cost more. Bills concerning changes in postal operations are now in the House and Senate committees.

In sports, the Orlando Magic gets the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft lottery. The Los Angeles Clippers will get second choice in next month's draft, followed by Chicago, Charlotte and Washington.

In culture, Richard Simmons is out of legal hot water. A misdemeanor assault lawsuit against the exercise guru has now been dropped. Simmons slapped a 250-pound cage wrestler for making an offhand comment about Simmons' exercise videos.

I'm glad it's over for Richard -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes, it's over for that cage wrestler, too. He doesn't have to go to that big court case.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Summertime and the travel can be deadly. The summer driving season kicks off this Memorial Day weekend.

CNN's Julie Vallese has some things for you to keep in mind while you are behind the wheel.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JULIE VALLESE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Slattery's of Nebraska are lucky to be alive this summer. They were on vacation last year when...

TONI SLATTERY, CAR ACCIDENT SURVIVOR: Our SUV fishtailed out of control on a gravel road, hit a corner post and rolled four or five times. When we came to a stop, the first thing I heard was the voice of my oldest daughter asking are we dead?

VALLESE: The family was fine and they had properly installed child seats to thank.

SUSAN PIKRALLIDAS, AAA PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Statistics over the past five years tell us that of the 25 deadliest days in America, 20 of them fell during the 101 days from the Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

VALLESE: A five-year study by a national coalition of driving safety groups using government data found higher mileage, more children in cars and a peak in teens driving when school is out among the reasons for the increase in crashes.

PAUL BURRIS, PARTNERS FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY: One of the things that we want people to know, that we want people across this country to know and understand today is that it can happen to you and it can happen to your family.

VALLESE: But the report also says while Americans are at risk, drivers can reduce the danger by making sure seatbelts and child seats are properly used, avoiding distractions, getting plenty of rest, avoiding alcohol when driving and obeying speed limits.

(on camera): The Department of Transportation is predicting more than 500 people will have died during each holiday weekend of Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day.

(voice-over): Consonia Taylor (ph) could have been a summer statistic. She was hit by a drunk driver when she was eight-months pregnant last July. Consonia was wearing her seatbelt, but says she is lucky to be alive. So much so her son's middle name is Miracle. He will celebrate his first birthday in July.

In Washington, I'm Julie Vallese.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: High gas prices are not going to keep holiday travelers down on the farm. We'll get some pointers from AAA's Mantill Williams. That will happen in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

Is it the weight loss solution you have been searching for or just a worthless piece of plastic? More on the latest weight loss trend. That's up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Want to lose weight? The FDA says an estimated 50 million Americans will go on a diet this year. Today they are warning you to be ware of the quick fix, though. Is what you're going to see the next big thing? Is it just around the corner? You be the judge.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: This is a sign of the times. A $500 piece of plastic designed to make you eat less. DR. DEBRA GRAY KING, DENTIST, DDS SYSTEM SPOKESWOMAN: It fits right in the roof of your mouth. And it's very comfortable. But what it does is makes your mouth a little bit smaller. So that you are forced to take smaller bites. And chew more slowly.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My first reaction when I heard about it was to laugh.

COHEN: A device to keep your mouth shut is not without historical precedence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You go to the orthodontist and have your jaws wired shut.

COHEN: But this latest incarnation has one major difference.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's in. It's that easy.

COHEN: And it comes out that easily, too. That's why many diet experts we talked to are so skeptical.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's say Memorial Day you're going to the big picnic, you just don't put it in or Thanksgiving. You just don't put it in. That's what I predict will happen.

COHEN: We asked a dentist and paid consultant for the product called the DDS system to bite one doughnut with the device in her mouth and bite another doughnut without the device. We didn't see much of a difference in size, but she says she has lost weight with it by slowing down her eating. DDS says they gave the device to 16 people for one day, and they ate 23 percent less food. But one day does not a lifetime make, so the question is, will people who don't have the willpower to diet have the willpower to put a piece of plastic in their mouths at every single meal?

Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Other 'Health Headlines' for you this morning. Disturbing news, many cases of prostate cancer escape detection. A new study finds 15 percent of older men with apparent normal readings for prostate cancer are found to have had the cancer anyway.

Going for a first. A team of doctors in Kentucky seeking permission to perform a face transplant. The team must first seek approval from the ethics committee of the University of Louisville School of Medicine.

And in Manchester, England, a British woman has given birth to a baby boy using sperm from her husband that had been frozen for 21 years. Word of the birth just coming out. It occurred two years ago, but a reproductive specialist says the birth proves long-term freezing obviously can work.

A Shiite cleric's offer to withdrawal from Najaf, what does it mean for the U.S. strategy in Iraq and can the U.S. really trust the offer? That's ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Have you seen any of these people? The FBI says they could be in America and working for al Qaeda.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday, May 27.

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