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CNN Live At Daybreak

Living in Fear; Eye on the World; Iran's Nuke Program; Alzheimer's Misdiagnosis

Aired June 15, 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.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Afghanistan's president prepares to meet with President Bush.

It is Tuesday, June 15. 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.

President Bush will hold talks at the White House today with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and continued fighting in that country. But before that, Karzai will speak at a joint session of Congress this morning.

A Somali citizen has been charged with plotting to blow up an unidentified shopping mall in Columbus, Ohio. Nuradin Abdi also has been indicted for providing material support to al Qaeda. He is now behind bars in Cincinnati.

In money news, oh the joy, the government says the average price for a gallon of regular gas has dipped below $2 for the first time in five weeks. Still, the price is 47 cents higher than one year ago.

In culture, the morning-after birth control pill has just gotten the endorsement of the nation's largest doctor's group. At its annual meeting, the American Medical Association approved a resolution opposing the government's rejection of over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive.

And in sports, L.A. Lakers forward Karl Malone will not face charges for poking a fan in the face before Game 3 of the NBA Finals. A prosecutor says the incident was way too minor to warrant prosecution -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: What is that game six or game five tonight -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Game five.

MYERS: Game five tonight. Could be all over. We'll see.

COSTELLO: Could be. MYERS: But there obviously could be three more games left, which the NBA would, of course, like.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: The U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia says the Saudi government is doing all it can to find kidnapped American Paul Johnson. Johnson, an employee of Lockheed Martin, was apparently kidnapped by Islamic militants over the weekend. Another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was killed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Johnson's son says his family is praying for his safe return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL JOHNSON III, SON OF KIDNAPPED AMERICAN: We are extremely distraught by this unforeseen situation and continue to pray for the safe and speedy return of my father. Dad said many times he loved living in Saudi Arabia. He felt he never had any fear for his safety. Our thoughts and prayers and condolences to the family of Kenneth Scroggs and to those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy of terrorism is in our hearts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In the meantime, for tens of thousands of expatriates working in Saudi Arabia and the companies that employ them, these are tense times.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These pictures may be U.S. contractor Paul Johnson's best hope of release right now but it's not much. His driver's license and passport posted on an Islamic extremist or jihadi Web site slender clues for the Saudi authorities hunting his kidnappers.

PAUL JOHNSON, SON OF KIDNAP VICTIM: He's worked for the Saudi government really for the last ten years of his life and I think that ought to be worth something to them and I hope -- I hope and I pray to God that they are trying to do something.

ROBERTSON: In Saudi Arabia the killings of three westerners in the last week has prompted some companies employing westerners to use telephone text messages about news events to calm employees' families and, although there is no panic yet, one large expatriate employer, who prefers anonymity, talked of rapidly rising concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main concern is the tactics have been changing. Before it was really put car bombs full of explosives and now it's something and individual targets and that is of concern because you don't know what's going to happen next.

ROBERTSON: Sources close to Saudi intelligence suspect this man, Abdel Aziz Al Muqrin, is behind the recent state of attacks on westerners and say his capture could significantly unravel what Saudi officials have described as the country's last significant al Qaeda cell. His speedy capture though, according to one Saudi security consultant, is by no means guaranteed nor is the safety of the western workers.

NAWAF OBEID, SAUDI SECURITY: You cannot protect every single expatriate that lives in Saudi Arabia when he's in his car going to his office and so forth. There is over 80,000 expatriates that are in Saudi Arabia. So, it comes back to the question how can they be protected and the question is they cannot.

ROBERTSON: Should these attacks continue analysts suspect Saudi Arabia's massive oil industry would likely bear the brunt of the departure of the western workers. Few though think it would have an immediate effect on oil output.

DOMINIC SIMPSON: Some Saudis are saying that maybe it's no -- it will be no bad thing if it happened because there are a lot of young Saudis coming onto the market who need employment and training.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Indeed it seems many Saudis believe most western workers will eventually leave the Gulf kingdom. Just how bloody the terror attacks will get before that exodus happens is still open to speculation.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we want to talk now about Hamid Karzai meeting with President Bush later today and what President Karzai might say.

David Clinch is here to tell us.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well very interesting story. Hamid Karzai, one of the central figures post 9/11 in the war on terror, the man who will lead Afghanistan, at least up until the elections that are coming up later this year and very likely after those elections.

But one of the interesting things, we look at what Nic was just reporting from Saudi Arabia. One of the sort of big issue, little issues that we're looking at both with Afghanistan and Iraq, up to the handover in Iraq and the elections in Afghanistan, the difference between a country like Saudi Arabia that has a terrorist problem and the question of whether countries like Afghanistan and Iraq just have terrorist problems or whether they really will be failed states. Now that's a big question. We don't know the answer to that.

COSTELLO: That's not a little issue -- David.

CLINCH: Exactly, it's not a little issue. But these are the central issues for people like Hamid Karzai asking for U.S. help, asking for NATO help to even have an election, let alone after an election.

COSTELLO: Isn't NATO more likely to help in Afghanistan because the international community was...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... with the United States on the invasion of Afghanistan?

CLINCH: Absolutely. And Hamid Karzai has made it very clear during his visit to Washington that while he is very grateful for the U.S. help and hopes that it will continue, that if he wants any expanded military help in Afghanistan, he is going to have to look elsewhere. He's going to have to look in Europe and beyond for NATO help. He doesn't have an answer in that yet, but that is what he is hoping for.

The U.S. unable, so far, to give much, or any European or NATO, help in Iraq, will have to supply the military security there.

Both questions, though, as you said, it is a big question. But as we go forward to the elections in Afghanistan and the handover in Iraq, that's really the underlying question that we're looking at here. Will these countries be able to go towards democracy in a meaningful way or will they have democracy on the surface and failed state underneath? And that's really the question.

And we're taking it very seriously this handover in Iraq coming up in just a couple of weeks. We've got Christiane Amanpour going in there. We've got Brent Sadler in there. We've got reporters in Kabul. We've got Nic following the story in Saudi Arabia. These are fundamental questions in an election year that we are taking very seriously.

COSTELLO: And you are talking about the handover to power. What, 21 Iraqis have died or Iraqis, Americans and others have died in the past, what, 24 hours?

CLINCH: Twenty-four hours. Almost two dozen people died in the last 24 hours. When you look at something like that, it's very easy to jump to the conclusion that failed state is to -- the answer to the question that we're posing. But of course you can't answer it on one day's coverage. That's why we're going to be there for the next two weeks and beyond all the way to the elections.

The handover, of course, at this point, not much is going to change, we know that. But as we go forward to the handover and to the election, those are the questions that we'll be looking at. Small picture, but also underlying that, the big picture.

COSTELLO: All right, David, many thanks to you.

CLINCH: OK. COSTELLO: There is new evidence this morning indicating the September 11th terrorist attacks were intended to be carried out months earlier. According to "The Washington Post," the independent commission investigating the attacks has learned they were planned for May or June, but they were postponed by al Qaeda leaders because lead hijacker Mohamed Atta wasn't ready. "The Post" quotes unidentified sources who had access to the panel's findings.

Workers for a 9/11 Compensation Fund are up against the clock trying to meet a midnight deadline to settle claims for the people killed or injured that awful day. Hundreds of claims still have to be finalized. The average death payment is just above $2 million, while the largest injury payment has been $8.6 million. The Compensation Fund was created by Congress.

Here are some stories making news 'Across America' this Tuesday. Other stories, I should say.

A Florida judge threw out a case brought by disabled travelers against 10 airlines. The flyers had sued for better access to airlines that accepted federal bailout money following September 11. The judge ruled that acceptance of the federal money doesn't subject the airlines to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The judge in the Michael Jackson case says Jackson's $3 million bail is not excessive. Jackson's attorney says his client is unfairly punished for being wealthy. But the judge says the high bail has been effective in making sure Jackson shows up in court.

James Brown will not contest a domestic violence charge in order to keep his wife from having to testify against him. The 71-year-old singer was accused of pushing his wife and threatening to kill her. Brown's attorney says that just because the singer isn't contesting the charge doesn't mean he's guilty. Brown's punishment, a $1,000 fine.

Staunch criticism could lead to limited cooperation. We'll tell you why the International Atomic Energy Agency has its eye on Iran. We'll go live to London.

This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:44 Eastern Time. Here is what's all new this morning.

An apparent failed car bombing in Gaza. Israeli military sources say Israeli troops fired on a car as it headed toward them this morning. Explosives in the car apparently detonated, killing the driver.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets this morning with President Bush. The Afghan president predicts security problems in the run up to the constitutional assembly elections in September. In money news, AT&T reportedly plans to stop offering local phone service in several states. It's in response to a court ruling that goes into effect today. That decision lifts regulations forcing regional phone carriers to share their networks with competitors at discounted rates.

In culture, a new movie about a love affair between two women is stirring protests across India. Police will be out in force today at theaters where that film is being shown.

In sports, quarterback Tim Couch heading to Green Bay. Cleveland's former top draft pick will be one of Brett Favre's backups. Couch will be paid 1,250,000 bucks for a one-year contract.

I could live with that -- Chad.

MYERS: To go play on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

COSTELLO: Yes, if he even gets in the game.

MYERS: Exactly. He can stand around with his coat on. I'm sure -- I'm sure he's going to want to get in, though. No great player wants to stand there and watch somebody else play.

COSTELLO: Well, and Brett Favre is getting kind of old...

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: ... and, yes.

MYERS: So there you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

China is helping Iran and North Korea with broad efforts in their weapons of mass destruction related programs. That's the finding by congressional investigators looking into U.S.-China security issues. The panel says China is sending nuclear technology to Iran in exchange for oil. The report also says China is letting North Korea use its air, rail and seaports to ship missiles and other weapons. China says any nuclear related trafficking goes on without the government's knowledge.

Iran's nuclear weapons program, though, is taking center stage at the U.N. meeting in Vienna. Now the U.N.'s chief weapons expert isn't too pleased with Iran's cooperation with inspectors.

CNN's Matthew Chance following developments for us live in London.

Good morning -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Carol.

And the U.N. nuclear watchdog expressing its deep frustration at Iran's record of cooperation with its nuclear inspectors. The Secretary-General of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, having particularly tough criticism for Iran, calling on that country to provide a full accounting of its nuclear activities within just a few months. The United States, as well as others, of course, accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran says it's pursuing nuclear technology purely for peaceful purposes to generate electricity. It has opened up its nuclear sites to inspection, but there are still big questions over key elements of its program. Iran, according to the IAEA, has told -- quote -- "changing and contradictory stories about its activities." There's deep concern, too, about the country's ability to produce highly enriched uranium, which is, of course, necessary for the production of weapons but not for the generation of electricity.

And this meeting is considered -- considering a sharp rebuke in the form of emotion put forward by Britain, France and Germany censuring Iran for its failure to disclose all of it -- all of its activities. In response, Iran has criticized those three European countries, saying that if this criticism persists, then it could threaten its future cooperation with the U.N. watchdog.

So what was a very quiet, diplomatic attempt to try and get Iran to come round and to reveal all of its nuclear activities is becoming quite heated over the last few days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance, live in London, thank you.

He's a NASCAR legend fueling ill children with memories to last a lifetime. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll show you a place where everyone ends up in the victory lane.

Alzheimer's, it's a frighteningly debilitating disease, but experts are concerned that some patients who may have been told they have Alzheimer's actually don't. They actually have a condition that can be reversed. We'll have the details for you just ahead on DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We asked. We do.

MYERS: Good.

COSTELLO: We do have pictures. I was just assuring Chad, but we'll get to those pictures we're talking about a little later.

Now some 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

A fat stomach may predict your chances of getting high blood pressure. A new study finds greater amounts of fat in the abdomen point to an increased risk of developing hypertension. Popping over-the-counter painkillers for headaches works, but doctors say taking too much of the medicine can actually trigger what's called rebound headaches. Researchers say it's not uncommon for adults to fall into that trap, but now they are seeing it in children, too.

Researchers say drugs, such as statins, which are used to lower cholesterol, may also reduce the risk of developing a common type of glaucoma. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.

There are some 370,000 -- 375,000 people in the United States who are hit by an illness called NPH, hydrocephalus. It's an illness that is treatable, even reversible. But for many, NPH is often wrongly diagnosed as Alzheimer's.

Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on that for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A few years ago, stooping down to pick up balls, even speaking with his granddaughter was impossible for 74-year-old Bob Fowler (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good shot, Emma.

GUPTA: When she was a baby he wasn't allowed to pick her up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I fell two or three times and almost hit her. I was scared to death.

GUPTA: His health and his family were slipping from his grasp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Driving a golf ball to driving a car to running our home, our business, all of that was dropping like a Stuka dive-bomber and it was very, very frustrating.

GUPTA: Scores of doctors visits across nine years and not one could tell him what was wrong. Then Bob had an MRI. His diagnosis was normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, the symptoms include a slow, shuffling walk, frequent urination and dementia. But the biggest problem for doctors...

DR. ANTHONY MARMAROU, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIV.: ... is to try to distinguish NPH from Alzheimer's.

GUPTA: The Hydrocephalus Association says 375,000 people in the U.S. are affected by NPH and many of them are mistaken for Alzheimer's patients. NPH is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the brain. On the left, a normal brain. On the right, a brain with NPH, the ventricles swelling with fluid.

MARMAROU: It's like if you were to take a garden hose that is running and pinch the end of it, it would blow up and that's what occurs to the ventricles. GUPTA: The problem, says Dr. Anthony Marmarou, is that like Bob, many patients with NPH are either misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. But unlike Alzheimer's, NPH is reversible. It involves a simple operation using what's called a shunt, a device which diverts fluid from the brain to the abdomen. Seventy-two hours after surgery, most patients are nearly back to their normal selves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few weeks after my surgery, I could do anything I had done 10 years earlier.

GUPTA: Now Bob hopes that thousands of people like him will get their own diagnosis and get their lives back.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And did you know that eating fruit may not only help you feel better but it will help you actually see better too? Coming up in the 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour of "AMERICAN MORNING," Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be along to tell you about that. That man knows it all.

MYERS: He does. He's great.

COSTELLO: He really is.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And he's nice, too.

MYERS: And my wife is in the medical profession, so when they get together it's like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's like enough, enough, enough with you two.

COSTELLO: I'm outside drinking beer.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Want to talk about these new uniforms that the Army is getting. They are quite nice.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And they actually cost a lot, but it seems like they have made a number of changes.

MYERS: You think that's a lot? I thought I was -- I was strikingly impressed by how cheap it was.

COSTELLO: Eighty-eight dollars.

MYERS: Eighty-eight bucks for the whole uniform.

COSTELLO: That's $30 more than they are spending now. MYERS: Than the BDUs, the old battle dress, right. But 20 new improvements, including computer designed camouflage.

COSTELLO: Yes, they took it out to the desert and they dragged it through the sand over and over again to make sure it like blended in and worked. And the interesting thing, I didn't realize, but they used to have black on their uniforms...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... and that's easily detectable. So that's why you see that there is no black on that uniform, all brown.

MYERS: No, all gone. And in fact, there are three. There is green woodland, there is urban gray and there is desert brown. So there are three different colors, depending on where the battle will be taking place.

COSTELLO: They moved the pockets up...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because when you wear your bulletproof vest.

MYERS: Guess where the pockets were, under the vest.

COSTELLO: Right under the vest.

MYERS: So you couldn't get anything. So now, because the vest only comes to the shoulder, the pockets are here now, here. There are places for elbow pads, arm pads in case that you're -- and knee pads in case you are down on the ground.

COSTELLO: And everything is velcro, no buttons.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Zippers or velcro...

MYERS: Correct.

COSTELLO: ... just to make it easier to get it off and on.

MYERS: And no -- the patches don't have to be sewn on. The patches are taken off when the -- when the uniform is washed and so, therefore, the patches will last longer, too.

COSTELLO: Just so you know.

Bill Clinton is gearing up for a book blitz, but will this public display help or hurt John Kerry? We're taking your e-mails this morning. The address, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Destined for democracy, the leader of Afghanistan makes a highly publicized trip to the White House today. What will he ask of President Bush?

It is Tuesday, June 15.

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 June 15, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Afghanistan's president prepares to meet with President Bush.

It is Tuesday, June 15. 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.

President Bush will hold talks at the White House today with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai and continued fighting in that country. But before that, Karzai will speak at a joint session of Congress this morning.

A Somali citizen has been charged with plotting to blow up an unidentified shopping mall in Columbus, Ohio. Nuradin Abdi also has been indicted for providing material support to al Qaeda. He is now behind bars in Cincinnati.

In money news, oh the joy, the government says the average price for a gallon of regular gas has dipped below $2 for the first time in five weeks. Still, the price is 47 cents higher than one year ago.

In culture, the morning-after birth control pill has just gotten the endorsement of the nation's largest doctor's group. At its annual meeting, the American Medical Association approved a resolution opposing the government's rejection of over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive.

And in sports, L.A. Lakers forward Karl Malone will not face charges for poking a fan in the face before Game 3 of the NBA Finals. A prosecutor says the incident was way too minor to warrant prosecution -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: What is that game six or game five tonight -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Game five.

MYERS: Game five tonight. Could be all over. We'll see.

COSTELLO: Could be. MYERS: But there obviously could be three more games left, which the NBA would, of course, like.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: The U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia says the Saudi government is doing all it can to find kidnapped American Paul Johnson. Johnson, an employee of Lockheed Martin, was apparently kidnapped by Islamic militants over the weekend. Another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was killed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. Johnson's son says his family is praying for his safe return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL JOHNSON III, SON OF KIDNAPPED AMERICAN: We are extremely distraught by this unforeseen situation and continue to pray for the safe and speedy return of my father. Dad said many times he loved living in Saudi Arabia. He felt he never had any fear for his safety. Our thoughts and prayers and condolences to the family of Kenneth Scroggs and to those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy of terrorism is in our hearts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In the meantime, for tens of thousands of expatriates working in Saudi Arabia and the companies that employ them, these are tense times.

CNN's senior international correspondent Nic Robertson has that part of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These pictures may be U.S. contractor Paul Johnson's best hope of release right now but it's not much. His driver's license and passport posted on an Islamic extremist or jihadi Web site slender clues for the Saudi authorities hunting his kidnappers.

PAUL JOHNSON, SON OF KIDNAP VICTIM: He's worked for the Saudi government really for the last ten years of his life and I think that ought to be worth something to them and I hope -- I hope and I pray to God that they are trying to do something.

ROBERTSON: In Saudi Arabia the killings of three westerners in the last week has prompted some companies employing westerners to use telephone text messages about news events to calm employees' families and, although there is no panic yet, one large expatriate employer, who prefers anonymity, talked of rapidly rising concern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The main concern is the tactics have been changing. Before it was really put car bombs full of explosives and now it's something and individual targets and that is of concern because you don't know what's going to happen next.

ROBERTSON: Sources close to Saudi intelligence suspect this man, Abdel Aziz Al Muqrin, is behind the recent state of attacks on westerners and say his capture could significantly unravel what Saudi officials have described as the country's last significant al Qaeda cell. His speedy capture though, according to one Saudi security consultant, is by no means guaranteed nor is the safety of the western workers.

NAWAF OBEID, SAUDI SECURITY: You cannot protect every single expatriate that lives in Saudi Arabia when he's in his car going to his office and so forth. There is over 80,000 expatriates that are in Saudi Arabia. So, it comes back to the question how can they be protected and the question is they cannot.

ROBERTSON: Should these attacks continue analysts suspect Saudi Arabia's massive oil industry would likely bear the brunt of the departure of the western workers. Few though think it would have an immediate effect on oil output.

DOMINIC SIMPSON: Some Saudis are saying that maybe it's no -- it will be no bad thing if it happened because there are a lot of young Saudis coming onto the market who need employment and training.

ROBERTSON (on camera): Indeed it seems many Saudis believe most western workers will eventually leave the Gulf kingdom. Just how bloody the terror attacks will get before that exodus happens is still open to speculation.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we want to talk now about Hamid Karzai meeting with President Bush later today and what President Karzai might say.

David Clinch is here to tell us.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well very interesting story. Hamid Karzai, one of the central figures post 9/11 in the war on terror, the man who will lead Afghanistan, at least up until the elections that are coming up later this year and very likely after those elections.

But one of the interesting things, we look at what Nic was just reporting from Saudi Arabia. One of the sort of big issue, little issues that we're looking at both with Afghanistan and Iraq, up to the handover in Iraq and the elections in Afghanistan, the difference between a country like Saudi Arabia that has a terrorist problem and the question of whether countries like Afghanistan and Iraq just have terrorist problems or whether they really will be failed states. Now that's a big question. We don't know the answer to that.

COSTELLO: That's not a little issue -- David.

CLINCH: Exactly, it's not a little issue. But these are the central issues for people like Hamid Karzai asking for U.S. help, asking for NATO help to even have an election, let alone after an election.

COSTELLO: Isn't NATO more likely to help in Afghanistan because the international community was...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... with the United States on the invasion of Afghanistan?

CLINCH: Absolutely. And Hamid Karzai has made it very clear during his visit to Washington that while he is very grateful for the U.S. help and hopes that it will continue, that if he wants any expanded military help in Afghanistan, he is going to have to look elsewhere. He's going to have to look in Europe and beyond for NATO help. He doesn't have an answer in that yet, but that is what he is hoping for.

The U.S. unable, so far, to give much, or any European or NATO, help in Iraq, will have to supply the military security there.

Both questions, though, as you said, it is a big question. But as we go forward to the elections in Afghanistan and the handover in Iraq, that's really the underlying question that we're looking at here. Will these countries be able to go towards democracy in a meaningful way or will they have democracy on the surface and failed state underneath? And that's really the question.

And we're taking it very seriously this handover in Iraq coming up in just a couple of weeks. We've got Christiane Amanpour going in there. We've got Brent Sadler in there. We've got reporters in Kabul. We've got Nic following the story in Saudi Arabia. These are fundamental questions in an election year that we are taking very seriously.

COSTELLO: And you are talking about the handover to power. What, 21 Iraqis have died or Iraqis, Americans and others have died in the past, what, 24 hours?

CLINCH: Twenty-four hours. Almost two dozen people died in the last 24 hours. When you look at something like that, it's very easy to jump to the conclusion that failed state is to -- the answer to the question that we're posing. But of course you can't answer it on one day's coverage. That's why we're going to be there for the next two weeks and beyond all the way to the elections.

The handover, of course, at this point, not much is going to change, we know that. But as we go forward to the handover and to the election, those are the questions that we'll be looking at. Small picture, but also underlying that, the big picture.

COSTELLO: All right, David, many thanks to you.

CLINCH: OK. COSTELLO: There is new evidence this morning indicating the September 11th terrorist attacks were intended to be carried out months earlier. According to "The Washington Post," the independent commission investigating the attacks has learned they were planned for May or June, but they were postponed by al Qaeda leaders because lead hijacker Mohamed Atta wasn't ready. "The Post" quotes unidentified sources who had access to the panel's findings.

Workers for a 9/11 Compensation Fund are up against the clock trying to meet a midnight deadline to settle claims for the people killed or injured that awful day. Hundreds of claims still have to be finalized. The average death payment is just above $2 million, while the largest injury payment has been $8.6 million. The Compensation Fund was created by Congress.

Here are some stories making news 'Across America' this Tuesday. Other stories, I should say.

A Florida judge threw out a case brought by disabled travelers against 10 airlines. The flyers had sued for better access to airlines that accepted federal bailout money following September 11. The judge ruled that acceptance of the federal money doesn't subject the airlines to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The judge in the Michael Jackson case says Jackson's $3 million bail is not excessive. Jackson's attorney says his client is unfairly punished for being wealthy. But the judge says the high bail has been effective in making sure Jackson shows up in court.

James Brown will not contest a domestic violence charge in order to keep his wife from having to testify against him. The 71-year-old singer was accused of pushing his wife and threatening to kill her. Brown's attorney says that just because the singer isn't contesting the charge doesn't mean he's guilty. Brown's punishment, a $1,000 fine.

Staunch criticism could lead to limited cooperation. We'll tell you why the International Atomic Energy Agency has its eye on Iran. We'll go live to London.

This is DAYBREAK for Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:44 Eastern Time. Here is what's all new this morning.

An apparent failed car bombing in Gaza. Israeli military sources say Israeli troops fired on a car as it headed toward them this morning. Explosives in the car apparently detonated, killing the driver.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets this morning with President Bush. The Afghan president predicts security problems in the run up to the constitutional assembly elections in September. In money news, AT&T reportedly plans to stop offering local phone service in several states. It's in response to a court ruling that goes into effect today. That decision lifts regulations forcing regional phone carriers to share their networks with competitors at discounted rates.

In culture, a new movie about a love affair between two women is stirring protests across India. Police will be out in force today at theaters where that film is being shown.

In sports, quarterback Tim Couch heading to Green Bay. Cleveland's former top draft pick will be one of Brett Favre's backups. Couch will be paid 1,250,000 bucks for a one-year contract.

I could live with that -- Chad.

MYERS: To go play on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

COSTELLO: Yes, if he even gets in the game.

MYERS: Exactly. He can stand around with his coat on. I'm sure -- I'm sure he's going to want to get in, though. No great player wants to stand there and watch somebody else play.

COSTELLO: Well, and Brett Favre is getting kind of old...

MYERS: Absolutely.

COSTELLO: ... and, yes.

MYERS: So there you go.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

China is helping Iran and North Korea with broad efforts in their weapons of mass destruction related programs. That's the finding by congressional investigators looking into U.S.-China security issues. The panel says China is sending nuclear technology to Iran in exchange for oil. The report also says China is letting North Korea use its air, rail and seaports to ship missiles and other weapons. China says any nuclear related trafficking goes on without the government's knowledge.

Iran's nuclear weapons program, though, is taking center stage at the U.N. meeting in Vienna. Now the U.N.'s chief weapons expert isn't too pleased with Iran's cooperation with inspectors.

CNN's Matthew Chance following developments for us live in London.

Good morning -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you as well, Carol.

And the U.N. nuclear watchdog expressing its deep frustration at Iran's record of cooperation with its nuclear inspectors. The Secretary-General of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, having particularly tough criticism for Iran, calling on that country to provide a full accounting of its nuclear activities within just a few months. The United States, as well as others, of course, accuse Iran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran says it's pursuing nuclear technology purely for peaceful purposes to generate electricity. It has opened up its nuclear sites to inspection, but there are still big questions over key elements of its program. Iran, according to the IAEA, has told -- quote -- "changing and contradictory stories about its activities." There's deep concern, too, about the country's ability to produce highly enriched uranium, which is, of course, necessary for the production of weapons but not for the generation of electricity.

And this meeting is considered -- considering a sharp rebuke in the form of emotion put forward by Britain, France and Germany censuring Iran for its failure to disclose all of it -- all of its activities. In response, Iran has criticized those three European countries, saying that if this criticism persists, then it could threaten its future cooperation with the U.N. watchdog.

So what was a very quiet, diplomatic attempt to try and get Iran to come round and to reveal all of its nuclear activities is becoming quite heated over the last few days -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Matthew Chance, live in London, thank you.

He's a NASCAR legend fueling ill children with memories to last a lifetime. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll show you a place where everyone ends up in the victory lane.

Alzheimer's, it's a frighteningly debilitating disease, but experts are concerned that some patients who may have been told they have Alzheimer's actually don't. They actually have a condition that can be reversed. We'll have the details for you just ahead on DAYBREAK.

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COSTELLO: We asked. We do.

MYERS: Good.

COSTELLO: We do have pictures. I was just assuring Chad, but we'll get to those pictures we're talking about a little later.

Now some 'Health Headlines' for you this morning.

A fat stomach may predict your chances of getting high blood pressure. A new study finds greater amounts of fat in the abdomen point to an increased risk of developing hypertension. Popping over-the-counter painkillers for headaches works, but doctors say taking too much of the medicine can actually trigger what's called rebound headaches. Researchers say it's not uncommon for adults to fall into that trap, but now they are seeing it in children, too.

Researchers say drugs, such as statins, which are used to lower cholesterol, may also reduce the risk of developing a common type of glaucoma. Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.

There are some 370,000 -- 375,000 people in the United States who are hit by an illness called NPH, hydrocephalus. It's an illness that is treatable, even reversible. But for many, NPH is often wrongly diagnosed as Alzheimer's.

Our senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more on that for you.

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DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SR. MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A few years ago, stooping down to pick up balls, even speaking with his granddaughter was impossible for 74-year-old Bob Fowler (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good shot, Emma.

GUPTA: When she was a baby he wasn't allowed to pick her up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I fell two or three times and almost hit her. I was scared to death.

GUPTA: His health and his family were slipping from his grasp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Driving a golf ball to driving a car to running our home, our business, all of that was dropping like a Stuka dive-bomber and it was very, very frustrating.

GUPTA: Scores of doctors visits across nine years and not one could tell him what was wrong. Then Bob had an MRI. His diagnosis was normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, the symptoms include a slow, shuffling walk, frequent urination and dementia. But the biggest problem for doctors...

DR. ANTHONY MARMAROU, VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIV.: ... is to try to distinguish NPH from Alzheimer's.

GUPTA: The Hydrocephalus Association says 375,000 people in the U.S. are affected by NPH and many of them are mistaken for Alzheimer's patients. NPH is an abnormal buildup of fluid in the brain. On the left, a normal brain. On the right, a brain with NPH, the ventricles swelling with fluid.

MARMAROU: It's like if you were to take a garden hose that is running and pinch the end of it, it would blow up and that's what occurs to the ventricles. GUPTA: The problem, says Dr. Anthony Marmarou, is that like Bob, many patients with NPH are either misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. But unlike Alzheimer's, NPH is reversible. It involves a simple operation using what's called a shunt, a device which diverts fluid from the brain to the abdomen. Seventy-two hours after surgery, most patients are nearly back to their normal selves.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few weeks after my surgery, I could do anything I had done 10 years earlier.

GUPTA: Now Bob hopes that thousands of people like him will get their own diagnosis and get their lives back.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And did you know that eating fruit may not only help you feel better but it will help you actually see better too? Coming up in the 8:00 a.m. Eastern hour of "AMERICAN MORNING," Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be along to tell you about that. That man knows it all.

MYERS: He does. He's great.

COSTELLO: He really is.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And he's nice, too.

MYERS: And my wife is in the medical profession, so when they get together it's like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. It's like enough, enough, enough with you two.

COSTELLO: I'm outside drinking beer.

MYERS: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Want to talk about these new uniforms that the Army is getting. They are quite nice.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And they actually cost a lot, but it seems like they have made a number of changes.

MYERS: You think that's a lot? I thought I was -- I was strikingly impressed by how cheap it was.

COSTELLO: Eighty-eight dollars.

MYERS: Eighty-eight bucks for the whole uniform.

COSTELLO: That's $30 more than they are spending now. MYERS: Than the BDUs, the old battle dress, right. But 20 new improvements, including computer designed camouflage.

COSTELLO: Yes, they took it out to the desert and they dragged it through the sand over and over again to make sure it like blended in and worked. And the interesting thing, I didn't realize, but they used to have black on their uniforms...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... and that's easily detectable. So that's why you see that there is no black on that uniform, all brown.

MYERS: No, all gone. And in fact, there are three. There is green woodland, there is urban gray and there is desert brown. So there are three different colors, depending on where the battle will be taking place.

COSTELLO: They moved the pockets up...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... because when you wear your bulletproof vest.

MYERS: Guess where the pockets were, under the vest.

COSTELLO: Right under the vest.

MYERS: So you couldn't get anything. So now, because the vest only comes to the shoulder, the pockets are here now, here. There are places for elbow pads, arm pads in case that you're -- and knee pads in case you are down on the ground.

COSTELLO: And everything is velcro, no buttons.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Zippers or velcro...

MYERS: Correct.

COSTELLO: ... just to make it easier to get it off and on.

MYERS: And no -- the patches don't have to be sewn on. The patches are taken off when the -- when the uniform is washed and so, therefore, the patches will last longer, too.

COSTELLO: Just so you know.

Bill Clinton is gearing up for a book blitz, but will this public display help or hurt John Kerry? We're taking your e-mails this morning. The address, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

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COSTELLO: Destined for democracy, the leader of Afghanistan makes a highly publicized trip to the White House today. What will he ask of President Bush?

It is Tuesday, June 15.

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