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CNN Live At Daybreak
Security Problems Facing Afghan President as Elections Approach; Update on Latest Developments in Abduction of American in Saudi Arabia
Aired June 15, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 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.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the life.
COSTELLO: Come back down here, honey.
All right, let's get right to the headlines.
We apologize for that.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Washington to shore up support for his government. He meets with President Bush this morning and also addresses a joint session of Congress. The Afghan president faces challenges to his leadership in a September election.
The Israeli military says it has killed a Palestinian militant leader and another member of his group in the West Bank. A missile struck a car carrying the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Nablus.
In money news, how does this sound -- assets of $1 trillion? That's what analysts say will come of the merger between J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One. But the move will eliminate about 10,000 jobs by 2006.
In culture, Warner Music Group is buying Madonna out of Maverick Records. She and Warner have feuded over the company the Material Girl founded 12 years ago.
And in sports, Houston Astros' pitcher Roger Clemens tried but failed to become the majors' first 10 game winner this year. The Chicago Cubs beat Clemens' Astros 7-2 -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but even after that, he's still nine and one as a 41-year-old pitcher. Yes, there's hope for all of us yet, isn't there? Some day we'll still make the majors. I've still got four years of eligibility left in college.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: The president of Afghanistan at the White House this morning. He's looking for help for his government. President Bush is looking for Osama bin Laden. President Hamid Karzai is warning of security problems in the run-up to elections this fall.
Let's head live to Kabul to talk more about this, and Ryan Chilcote -- hello, Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it seems like the closer we get to those elections, the more violence we see. Just last Thursday, 11 Chinese workers were killed as they were sleeping in a tent. in northern Afghanistan. The week before that, five aid workers from the group Doctors Without Borders were ambushed and killed in the northwest of the country. Very few people, including the president of Afghanistan himself, think that the situation is likely to get much better before the election.
Now, in terms of security, President Karzai is facing two real obstacles. One is the insurgency in the east and the southeast of the country. Those insurgents, primarily made up of Taliban and al Qaeda, would like to see these elections go away altogether. And thankfully for President Karzai -- and I'm sure he will be thanking President Bush today -- there are about 20,000 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen who are in pretty much daily contact in terms of fighting with those insurgents in that part of the country.
The other issue in terms of security is in these more traditionally stable places like the north and the west. There you have the problem of the warlords. President Karzai is already asking for more NATO peacekeepers to try and counter balance the power of the warlords in this country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Ryan, you would think in that meeting between Hamid Karzai and President Bush the subject of Osama bin Laden will come up.
Where does the search stand now?
CHILCOTE: That's a very good question, Carol, and it's very difficult to say because we are seeing some movement on the Pakistani side of the border. The Pakistani military has moved into those tribal areas which are thought to be a safe haven for al Qaeda and perhaps Osama bin Laden. But on the Afghan side of the border, the hunt for Osama bin Laden is really carried out by U.S. Army and U.S. military special operating forces, which we have no access to. So it would be really incorrect for me to say how well that search is going.
What I can tell you, however, is that conventional troops on the ground, the not so secret soldiers, say that al Qaeda still remains as a presence in the east of the country and that, at least in their view, although capturing or killing Osama bin Laden would be, of course, an enormous moral victory for the United States, they don't believe it would be a particularly big deal in terms of the tactical and strategic fight here in Afghanistan against the fight against terrorism. They say that the insurgents and the terrorists are so decentralized that capturing or killing Osama bin Laden might not make a big difference -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
Ryan Chilcote live in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning.
Thank you.
President Bush and the Afghan president will hold a news conference, by the way. That will happen in the White House Rose Garden this morning. Of course, CNN will bring that to you live. It is expected to begin at 11:25 Eastern.
Nearly two dozen people have died in terrorist attacks over the past 24 hours in Iraq. The predicted upsurge in violence has happened. But what to do about it and what to do about Westerners being targeted in Saudi Arabia?
Let's head live to D.C. and Bill Prasad -- good morning, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
American Paul Johnson has now been missing for four days. The group that kidnapped him now says it's putting together a video containing a confession and its demands.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice-over): They are praying in Stafford Township, New Jersey. Paul Johnson's passport and other documents appeared on an al Qaeda linked Web site. He disappeared Saturday in Saudi Arabia. His son begged for his release.
PAUL JOHNSON III, SON OF KIDNAPPED AMERICAN: I would tortured in a heartbeat with my father. He doesn't deserve this and I plead with y'all to please let my father go.
PRASAD: Johnson was working for Lockheed Martin repairing military helicopters. Militants say he was kidnapped to avenge what they call abuses of prisoners. They say they will release a video disclosing their demands and a confession by Johnson.
He vanished the same day another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was killed. Scroggs was the third Westerner killed in attacks in Saudi Arabia the past week.
ROBERT JORDAN, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA: And I think we now are finding that there are a lot more of these terrorists inside Saudi Arabia than we believed even a year ago.
PRASAD: In Iraq, the country's new prime minister vows to plug holes in security. At least 16 people have died in a string of bombings this week. Despite Coalition Provisional Authority beliefs that Iraqi insurgents will likely continue the attacks, they believe that only a small number of individuals are behind the violence.
DAN SENOR, COALITION SPOKESMAN: I think the fact that you have a couple of people cheering it on represents a tiny, tiny minority of Iraqis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD: U.S. officials say the latest attacks are aimed at stopping the handing over of sovereignty on June 30th. It's a deadline those same U.S. officials say will not be delayed -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Bill Prasad reporting live from D.C.
Thank you.
America on alert -- a Columbus, Ohio shopping mall allegedly targeted and a Somali man behind bars this morning. This morning, Nuradin Abdi's family is denying it all, saying their son loves America and hates terrorism. But Attorney General John Ashcroft calls Abdi a conspirator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Material support of terrorists is a serious crime that places the lives of innocent people at risk and endangers our nation's security. Our citizens are threatened as much by the financier, the trainer, the planner of the terrorist attacks as they are by those who actually carry the attacks out. Material support is not a charge that is pursued casually or lightly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Abdi allegedly plotted along with convicted al Qaeda operative Iyman Faris. The Justice Department alleges they planned to plant a bomb in a shopping mall in Columbus.
We've also heard subways could be targeted by terrorists, so Boston and New York have beefed up security. The problem is not every city is able to respond. The American Public Transit Association says most cities can't afford to. Subway officials say it could cost as much as $6 billion to improve security.
And there is new evidence indicating the September 11 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" quoted unidentified sources who had access to the panel's findings.
When your children go back to school, they can still utter the phrase "one nation under god." Yes, the Supreme Court has ruled in the Pledge of Allegiance case. And the justices did overturn an earlier appeals court ruling that struck the phrase "under God" from the Pledge. Atheist Michael Nudow had argued that he didn't want his daughter to have to say "under God." But the justices ruled Nudow didn't have standing in the case, since he doesn't have primary custody of his daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL NUDOW, PLAINTIFF, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LAWSUIT: The fact of the matter is that there is a fundamental constitutional right of parenthood. And to infringe upon fundamental constitutional rights, you need a compelling state interest and narrowly tailored laws. They never addressed that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Stay tuned for more with Michael Nudow when he joins Bill and Soledad on "American Morning." That comes your way at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. And we want your questions for today's Talkers segment. As President Clinton is out selling his book, he's going to stump for John Kerry, very subtly, he says. Do you think Clinton will help or hurt Kerry? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com. We're going to read your comments during out Hot Talkers segment. And, of course, we read some beyond that, as well.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, the epitome of determination. At 93, this woman is in training to play a very important role in the Summer Olympic Games. DAYBREAK'S special week long look at the Olympics continues.
And then, how do you make free even better? The battle of the e- mail all stars heats up.
And racing cars made them famous, but doing good has made them a beloved family inside NASCAR. Kyle Petty shares his latest venture.
This is DAYBREAK for June 15th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And we will have more of DAYBREAK'S Olympic special coverage in just a moment.
But first, your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 6:13 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, is scheduled to meet with President Bush today to discuss the future of his country. Afghanistan is set to hold open elections in September. Karzai will also address a joint session of Congress before meeting with the president.
A new round of multinational talks on North Korea will be held in Beijing next week. Six nations, including the U.S. and North Korea, will take part in the nuclear proliferation talks.
In money news, the Navy has chosen Boeing to build a new patrol plane. The multi-billion dollar contract is for a plane to replace the old one. The as yet named aircraft is expected to debut in about five years.
In culture, Michael Moore is contesting the R-rating being given to his award winning documentary, "Fahrenheit 911." He says the movie needs to be available to a wider audience. An appeal is set for next week.
In sports, Lance Armstrong is reportedly planning to sue for libel. He's upset over a new book that suggests he used performance enhancing drugs. The book was written by a former member of Armstrong's staff -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
You know, not just anybody can carry the Olympic Torch. You've got to be in fighting form. Meet 93-year-old Rosario Ingelsias. She is known as the world's fastest woman in the 90 and up category, and she'll get to show off her speed when she carries the Olympic Torch through the streets of Mexico City. That will happen later today.
Next stop on this Olympic sprint, Los Angeles. And then it's on to St. Louis and then it's here in Atlanta. So the torch will make its way back to Athens on July 9, and by then, it's hoped that Greece will be ready to host the Olympics. Even at this late date, there are worries.
So let's head live to London and Diana Muriel to check on the latest -- good morning, Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, with less than 60 days to go before the Olympic Games get under way in Athens, organizers are scrambling to get ready. Not only have there been serious construction delays for some of the sporting venues and much of the city's infrastructure, but Athens has been saddled with a huge security problem, to protect both the athletes and the public alike from the threat of terrorist attack.
But almost all cities that have hosted the Olympic Games have had problems in the final stages.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MURIEL (voice-over): The Olympic Flame on its way around the world -- the symbol of the Olympic spirit starts its journey in Sydney, widely acclaimed as the most successful venue for the Games in recent years. But no expense is being spared to make Athens successful and safe. The Greek Finance Ministry says the cost of the 2004 Games has ballooned from the original budget of $5.5 billion to very nearly $8 billion.
The Sydney Olympic budget totaled just $2.6 billion. But the Games don't always pay off for their hosts. The citizens of Montreal, who paid to stage the Games in 1976 out of the city's own funds, are still paying their debts with a supplementary tax on tobacco that won't clear the Olympic deficit until 2006.
Many host cities have faced huge transport and infrastructure challenges. Athens is racing to complete improvements.
The Atlanta Games were marred by poor transportation for the athletes, although the city still benefits from the expansion of its mass transit rail system for the Games.
One challenge Athens has more than any other previous host -- security.
Bill Rathburn directed security operations for the Atlanta Games and has helped train Greek law enforcement units for the Olympics.
BILL RATHBURN, FORMER SECURITY DIRECTOR, ATLANTA OLYMPICS: The threat level, in my opinion, is the highest it's ever been for the Olympic Games. The infrastructure in Greece is not up to the standards in the rest of Western Europe and certainly the United States. The law enforcement, the level of sophistication of the law enforcement generally is not up to the Western European standards.
MURIEL: The Games have proved a terrorist target in the past. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Palestinian guerrillas took many of the Israeli Olympic team hostage. Eleven athletes and six others were killed. The bomb explosion in Atlanta's Olympic Centennial Park killed one and injured 100. Several hundred frogmen will be deployed to prevent a repeat of the attempt at the Barcelona Games in 1992 to put a bomb on the hull of a ship. Seven cruise ships will be docked at Piraeus to house Olympic officials and visitors.
At least Athens can boost that this Olympiad will not be marred by any political boycotts. Only 80 countries turned up to the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the lowest number since 1956. The protest, led by the United States against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Russians retaliated in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games, refusing to send their athletes.
This year, a record 202 nations will be participating, though that in itself is part of the challenge for the organizers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MURIEL: But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Greek athletic championships are currently under way in the Olympic Stadium as a sort of test run for the Olympics. And everything seems to have gone smoothly. Even the two halves of the futuristic roof over the stadium slid into place perfectly -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's good to hear.
Diana Muriel live in London for us this morning.
As we watch the Olympic Torch travel across North America, DAYBREAK is taking a closer look at the Games in Athens. All week long, we'll be going in depth. And on Friday, when the torch comes here to Atlanta, we'll bring you the last half of DAYBREAK from our Olympic home, Centennial Park.
Time for a little business buzz now.
Yahoo! versus Google. Yahoo! is preparing for battle -- for e- mail users. It wants Google's e-mailers.
Carrie Lee has more on the story live from the NASDAQ market site -- good morning.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yahoo! is fighting hard to get some users back. Now, Google's g- mail -- let me just make clear -- is not yet available to people across-the-board. They've been in the test phase since April. But still, Yahoo! is trying to get a leg up on the e-mail competition. Starting today, Yahoo! is building up its free e-mail service with 25 times more storage. And they're also freeing up tens of millions of previously claimed e-mail addresses, basically letting people sign up for addresses that have been inactive for years. The company also says it's going to improve the tools used to search its e-mail.
So as the competition heats up, e-mail service is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Of course, a lot of people waiting for the Google IPO. A lot of people think it's going to be the hottest IPO of the year.
So that is the latest on Yahoo! and Google.
Now, in terms of stocks to watch, Lehman Brothers out with profits this morning. Wall Street expecting the bank to report earnings of $1.90 a share on sales of $2.8 billion.
And so far futures are looking up for today's session.
That is the latest business news.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And we have been soliciting your e-mail this morning. Bill Clinton is soon to go on his big book tour and he's supposed to be subtly campaigning for John Kerry. Our question of the morning: Will Clinton hurt or help John Kerry?
MYERS: He has already pre-sold 1.5 million of those books.
COSTELLO: It's amazing.
MYERS: It really is. COSTELLO: It's really amazing. But, back to our Question of the Day.
MYERS: Go right ahead.
COSTELLO: You have some -- oh, you want me to go first?
MYERS: Sure, you can go first.
COSTELLO: This is from Peter in Chattanooga. He says: "Kerry who?"
MYERS: That was it?
COSTELLO: So I guess he believes Bill Clinton could only help.
MYERS: I guess so.
"Bill Clinton's campaign for Kerry is a big plus for Kerry. Right-wing conservatives scared Gore from the Clinton campaign and he paid a price for it. Conservatives are afraid of Bill Clinton." That's from Pat.
COSTELLO: This is from Carl from Pinckney, Michigan. He says: "Bill Clinton will energize John Kerry's campaign. It will breathe in needed oxygen until a vice president can be put on the public stage."
MYERS: And from Melissa in Nevada: "Bill Clinton's campaign would definitely be a great help for John Kerry. If it wasn't for a totally blown out of proportion media scandal with Monica, Bill Clinton would be thought of as one of the best presidents ever."
COSTELLO: Oh. I can't wait till we get to our debate. We have a conservative and a liberal in and we're going to debate this very topic using some of your e-mails. So it should be a lot of fun.
MYERS: I can't wait to read his book. Nine hundred pages. I know it's going to like go, oh, my god. But I've got to read it so.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, he's quite chatty, that Bill Clinton.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Think it's too early to talk about the November election? Ah, we're talking about it right now. Tell that to the candidates. One of them is about to get some high profile publicity from a man who knows the White House well.
Then, an American worker held captive in Saudi Arabia. An emotional plea from his son.
And later, a NASCAR family puts a new twist on summer camp for some sick children. Chad will have that for you. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Another day of waiting for the family of an American kidnapped in Saudi Arabia.
It is Tuesday, June 15.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date right now.
President Bush will hold talks at the White House today with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and they'll probably talk about continued fighting in that country. Before that, Karzai will speak to a joint session of Congress.
A Somali citizen has been charged with providing material support for al Qaeda for allegedly conspiring to set off a bomb at an unidentified shopping mall in the Columbus, Ohio area. Nuradin Abdi is behind bars now in Cincinnati.
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Aired June 15, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: 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.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the life.
COSTELLO: Come back down here, honey.
All right, let's get right to the headlines.
We apologize for that.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Washington to shore up support for his government. He meets with President Bush this morning and also addresses a joint session of Congress. The Afghan president faces challenges to his leadership in a September election.
The Israeli military says it has killed a Palestinian militant leader and another member of his group in the West Bank. A missile struck a car carrying the leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Nablus.
In money news, how does this sound -- assets of $1 trillion? That's what analysts say will come of the merger between J.P. Morgan Chase and Bank One. But the move will eliminate about 10,000 jobs by 2006.
In culture, Warner Music Group is buying Madonna out of Maverick Records. She and Warner have feuded over the company the Material Girl founded 12 years ago.
And in sports, Houston Astros' pitcher Roger Clemens tried but failed to become the majors' first 10 game winner this year. The Chicago Cubs beat Clemens' Astros 7-2 -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but even after that, he's still nine and one as a 41-year-old pitcher. Yes, there's hope for all of us yet, isn't there? Some day we'll still make the majors. I've still got four years of eligibility left in college.
Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: The president of Afghanistan at the White House this morning. He's looking for help for his government. President Bush is looking for Osama bin Laden. President Hamid Karzai is warning of security problems in the run-up to elections this fall.
Let's head live to Kabul to talk more about this, and Ryan Chilcote -- hello, Ryan.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, it seems like the closer we get to those elections, the more violence we see. Just last Thursday, 11 Chinese workers were killed as they were sleeping in a tent. in northern Afghanistan. The week before that, five aid workers from the group Doctors Without Borders were ambushed and killed in the northwest of the country. Very few people, including the president of Afghanistan himself, think that the situation is likely to get much better before the election.
Now, in terms of security, President Karzai is facing two real obstacles. One is the insurgency in the east and the southeast of the country. Those insurgents, primarily made up of Taliban and al Qaeda, would like to see these elections go away altogether. And thankfully for President Karzai -- and I'm sure he will be thanking President Bush today -- there are about 20,000 U.S. servicemen and servicewomen who are in pretty much daily contact in terms of fighting with those insurgents in that part of the country.
The other issue in terms of security is in these more traditionally stable places like the north and the west. There you have the problem of the warlords. President Karzai is already asking for more NATO peacekeepers to try and counter balance the power of the warlords in this country -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And, Ryan, you would think in that meeting between Hamid Karzai and President Bush the subject of Osama bin Laden will come up.
Where does the search stand now?
CHILCOTE: That's a very good question, Carol, and it's very difficult to say because we are seeing some movement on the Pakistani side of the border. The Pakistani military has moved into those tribal areas which are thought to be a safe haven for al Qaeda and perhaps Osama bin Laden. But on the Afghan side of the border, the hunt for Osama bin Laden is really carried out by U.S. Army and U.S. military special operating forces, which we have no access to. So it would be really incorrect for me to say how well that search is going.
What I can tell you, however, is that conventional troops on the ground, the not so secret soldiers, say that al Qaeda still remains as a presence in the east of the country and that, at least in their view, although capturing or killing Osama bin Laden would be, of course, an enormous moral victory for the United States, they don't believe it would be a particularly big deal in terms of the tactical and strategic fight here in Afghanistan against the fight against terrorism. They say that the insurgents and the terrorists are so decentralized that capturing or killing Osama bin Laden might not make a big difference -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting.
Ryan Chilcote live in Kabul, Afghanistan this morning.
Thank you.
President Bush and the Afghan president will hold a news conference, by the way. That will happen in the White House Rose Garden this morning. Of course, CNN will bring that to you live. It is expected to begin at 11:25 Eastern.
Nearly two dozen people have died in terrorist attacks over the past 24 hours in Iraq. The predicted upsurge in violence has happened. But what to do about it and what to do about Westerners being targeted in Saudi Arabia?
Let's head live to D.C. and Bill Prasad -- good morning, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
American Paul Johnson has now been missing for four days. The group that kidnapped him now says it's putting together a video containing a confession and its demands.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD (voice-over): They are praying in Stafford Township, New Jersey. Paul Johnson's passport and other documents appeared on an al Qaeda linked Web site. He disappeared Saturday in Saudi Arabia. His son begged for his release.
PAUL JOHNSON III, SON OF KIDNAPPED AMERICAN: I would tortured in a heartbeat with my father. He doesn't deserve this and I plead with y'all to please let my father go.
PRASAD: Johnson was working for Lockheed Martin repairing military helicopters. Militants say he was kidnapped to avenge what they call abuses of prisoners. They say they will release a video disclosing their demands and a confession by Johnson.
He vanished the same day another American, Kenneth Scroggs, was killed. Scroggs was the third Westerner killed in attacks in Saudi Arabia the past week.
ROBERT JORDAN, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI ARABIA: And I think we now are finding that there are a lot more of these terrorists inside Saudi Arabia than we believed even a year ago.
PRASAD: In Iraq, the country's new prime minister vows to plug holes in security. At least 16 people have died in a string of bombings this week. Despite Coalition Provisional Authority beliefs that Iraqi insurgents will likely continue the attacks, they believe that only a small number of individuals are behind the violence.
DAN SENOR, COALITION SPOKESMAN: I think the fact that you have a couple of people cheering it on represents a tiny, tiny minority of Iraqis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PRASAD: U.S. officials say the latest attacks are aimed at stopping the handing over of sovereignty on June 30th. It's a deadline those same U.S. officials say will not be delayed -- Carol, back to you.
COSTELLO: Bill Prasad reporting live from D.C.
Thank you.
America on alert -- a Columbus, Ohio shopping mall allegedly targeted and a Somali man behind bars this morning. This morning, Nuradin Abdi's family is denying it all, saying their son loves America and hates terrorism. But Attorney General John Ashcroft calls Abdi a conspirator.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN ASHCROFT, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Material support of terrorists is a serious crime that places the lives of innocent people at risk and endangers our nation's security. Our citizens are threatened as much by the financier, the trainer, the planner of the terrorist attacks as they are by those who actually carry the attacks out. Material support is not a charge that is pursued casually or lightly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Abdi allegedly plotted along with convicted al Qaeda operative Iyman Faris. The Justice Department alleges they planned to plant a bomb in a shopping mall in Columbus.
We've also heard subways could be targeted by terrorists, so Boston and New York have beefed up security. The problem is not every city is able to respond. The American Public Transit Association says most cities can't afford to. Subway officials say it could cost as much as $6 billion to improve security.
And there is new evidence indicating the September 11 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" quoted unidentified sources who had access to the panel's findings.
When your children go back to school, they can still utter the phrase "one nation under god." Yes, the Supreme Court has ruled in the Pledge of Allegiance case. And the justices did overturn an earlier appeals court ruling that struck the phrase "under God" from the Pledge. Atheist Michael Nudow had argued that he didn't want his daughter to have to say "under God." But the justices ruled Nudow didn't have standing in the case, since he doesn't have primary custody of his daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL NUDOW, PLAINTIFF, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LAWSUIT: The fact of the matter is that there is a fundamental constitutional right of parenthood. And to infringe upon fundamental constitutional rights, you need a compelling state interest and narrowly tailored laws. They never addressed that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Stay tuned for more with Michael Nudow when he joins Bill and Soledad on "American Morning." That comes your way at 7:00 a.m. Eastern. And we want your questions for today's Talkers segment. As President Clinton is out selling his book, he's going to stump for John Kerry, very subtly, he says. Do you think Clinton will help or hurt Kerry? Let us know what you think. Daybreak@cnn.com. We're going to read your comments during out Hot Talkers segment. And, of course, we read some beyond that, as well.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, the epitome of determination. At 93, this woman is in training to play a very important role in the Summer Olympic Games. DAYBREAK'S special week long look at the Olympics continues.
And then, how do you make free even better? The battle of the e- mail all stars heats up.
And racing cars made them famous, but doing good has made them a beloved family inside NASCAR. Kyle Petty shares his latest venture.
This is DAYBREAK for June 15th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: And we will have more of DAYBREAK'S Olympic special coverage in just a moment.
But first, your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 6:13 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, is scheduled to meet with President Bush today to discuss the future of his country. Afghanistan is set to hold open elections in September. Karzai will also address a joint session of Congress before meeting with the president.
A new round of multinational talks on North Korea will be held in Beijing next week. Six nations, including the U.S. and North Korea, will take part in the nuclear proliferation talks.
In money news, the Navy has chosen Boeing to build a new patrol plane. The multi-billion dollar contract is for a plane to replace the old one. The as yet named aircraft is expected to debut in about five years.
In culture, Michael Moore is contesting the R-rating being given to his award winning documentary, "Fahrenheit 911." He says the movie needs to be available to a wider audience. An appeal is set for next week.
In sports, Lance Armstrong is reportedly planning to sue for libel. He's upset over a new book that suggests he used performance enhancing drugs. The book was written by a former member of Armstrong's staff -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
You know, not just anybody can carry the Olympic Torch. You've got to be in fighting form. Meet 93-year-old Rosario Ingelsias. She is known as the world's fastest woman in the 90 and up category, and she'll get to show off her speed when she carries the Olympic Torch through the streets of Mexico City. That will happen later today.
Next stop on this Olympic sprint, Los Angeles. And then it's on to St. Louis and then it's here in Atlanta. So the torch will make its way back to Athens on July 9, and by then, it's hoped that Greece will be ready to host the Olympics. Even at this late date, there are worries.
So let's head live to London and Diana Muriel to check on the latest -- good morning, Diana.
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, with less than 60 days to go before the Olympic Games get under way in Athens, organizers are scrambling to get ready. Not only have there been serious construction delays for some of the sporting venues and much of the city's infrastructure, but Athens has been saddled with a huge security problem, to protect both the athletes and the public alike from the threat of terrorist attack.
But almost all cities that have hosted the Olympic Games have had problems in the final stages.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MURIEL (voice-over): The Olympic Flame on its way around the world -- the symbol of the Olympic spirit starts its journey in Sydney, widely acclaimed as the most successful venue for the Games in recent years. But no expense is being spared to make Athens successful and safe. The Greek Finance Ministry says the cost of the 2004 Games has ballooned from the original budget of $5.5 billion to very nearly $8 billion.
The Sydney Olympic budget totaled just $2.6 billion. But the Games don't always pay off for their hosts. The citizens of Montreal, who paid to stage the Games in 1976 out of the city's own funds, are still paying their debts with a supplementary tax on tobacco that won't clear the Olympic deficit until 2006.
Many host cities have faced huge transport and infrastructure challenges. Athens is racing to complete improvements.
The Atlanta Games were marred by poor transportation for the athletes, although the city still benefits from the expansion of its mass transit rail system for the Games.
One challenge Athens has more than any other previous host -- security.
Bill Rathburn directed security operations for the Atlanta Games and has helped train Greek law enforcement units for the Olympics.
BILL RATHBURN, FORMER SECURITY DIRECTOR, ATLANTA OLYMPICS: The threat level, in my opinion, is the highest it's ever been for the Olympic Games. The infrastructure in Greece is not up to the standards in the rest of Western Europe and certainly the United States. The law enforcement, the level of sophistication of the law enforcement generally is not up to the Western European standards.
MURIEL: The Games have proved a terrorist target in the past. At the 1972 Munich Olympics, Palestinian guerrillas took many of the Israeli Olympic team hostage. Eleven athletes and six others were killed. The bomb explosion in Atlanta's Olympic Centennial Park killed one and injured 100. Several hundred frogmen will be deployed to prevent a repeat of the attempt at the Barcelona Games in 1992 to put a bomb on the hull of a ship. Seven cruise ships will be docked at Piraeus to house Olympic officials and visitors.
At least Athens can boost that this Olympiad will not be marred by any political boycotts. Only 80 countries turned up to the Moscow Olympics in 1980, the lowest number since 1956. The protest, led by the United States against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The Russians retaliated in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games, refusing to send their athletes.
This year, a record 202 nations will be participating, though that in itself is part of the challenge for the organizers.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MURIEL: But there is light at the end of the tunnel. The Greek athletic championships are currently under way in the Olympic Stadium as a sort of test run for the Olympics. And everything seems to have gone smoothly. Even the two halves of the futuristic roof over the stadium slid into place perfectly -- Carol.
COSTELLO: That's good to hear.
Diana Muriel live in London for us this morning.
As we watch the Olympic Torch travel across North America, DAYBREAK is taking a closer look at the Games in Athens. All week long, we'll be going in depth. And on Friday, when the torch comes here to Atlanta, we'll bring you the last half of DAYBREAK from our Olympic home, Centennial Park.
Time for a little business buzz now.
Yahoo! versus Google. Yahoo! is preparing for battle -- for e- mail users. It wants Google's e-mailers.
Carrie Lee has more on the story live from the NASDAQ market site -- good morning.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.
Yahoo! is fighting hard to get some users back. Now, Google's g- mail -- let me just make clear -- is not yet available to people across-the-board. They've been in the test phase since April. But still, Yahoo! is trying to get a leg up on the e-mail competition. Starting today, Yahoo! is building up its free e-mail service with 25 times more storage. And they're also freeing up tens of millions of previously claimed e-mail addresses, basically letting people sign up for addresses that have been inactive for years. The company also says it's going to improve the tools used to search its e-mail.
So as the competition heats up, e-mail service is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Of course, a lot of people waiting for the Google IPO. A lot of people think it's going to be the hottest IPO of the year.
So that is the latest on Yahoo! and Google.
Now, in terms of stocks to watch, Lehman Brothers out with profits this morning. Wall Street expecting the bank to report earnings of $1.90 a share on sales of $2.8 billion.
And so far futures are looking up for today's session.
That is the latest business news.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
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COSTELLO: And we have been soliciting your e-mail this morning. Bill Clinton is soon to go on his big book tour and he's supposed to be subtly campaigning for John Kerry. Our question of the morning: Will Clinton hurt or help John Kerry?
MYERS: He has already pre-sold 1.5 million of those books.
COSTELLO: It's amazing.
MYERS: It really is. COSTELLO: It's really amazing. But, back to our Question of the Day.
MYERS: Go right ahead.
COSTELLO: You have some -- oh, you want me to go first?
MYERS: Sure, you can go first.
COSTELLO: This is from Peter in Chattanooga. He says: "Kerry who?"
MYERS: That was it?
COSTELLO: So I guess he believes Bill Clinton could only help.
MYERS: I guess so.
"Bill Clinton's campaign for Kerry is a big plus for Kerry. Right-wing conservatives scared Gore from the Clinton campaign and he paid a price for it. Conservatives are afraid of Bill Clinton." That's from Pat.
COSTELLO: This is from Carl from Pinckney, Michigan. He says: "Bill Clinton will energize John Kerry's campaign. It will breathe in needed oxygen until a vice president can be put on the public stage."
MYERS: And from Melissa in Nevada: "Bill Clinton's campaign would definitely be a great help for John Kerry. If it wasn't for a totally blown out of proportion media scandal with Monica, Bill Clinton would be thought of as one of the best presidents ever."
COSTELLO: Oh. I can't wait till we get to our debate. We have a conservative and a liberal in and we're going to debate this very topic using some of your e-mails. So it should be a lot of fun.
MYERS: I can't wait to read his book. Nine hundred pages. I know it's going to like go, oh, my god. But I've got to read it so.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, he's quite chatty, that Bill Clinton.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Think it's too early to talk about the November election? Ah, we're talking about it right now. Tell that to the candidates. One of them is about to get some high profile publicity from a man who knows the White House well.
Then, an American worker held captive in Saudi Arabia. An emotional plea from his son.
And later, a NASCAR family puts a new twist on summer camp for some sick children. Chad will have that for you. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Another day of waiting for the family of an American kidnapped in Saudi Arabia.
It is Tuesday, June 15.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
Let me bring you up to date right now.
President Bush will hold talks at the White House today with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and they'll probably talk about continued fighting in that country. Before that, Karzai will speak to a joint session of Congress.
A Somali citizen has been charged with providing material support for al Qaeda for allegedly conspiring to set off a bomb at an unidentified shopping mall in the Columbus, Ohio area. Nuradin Abdi is behind bars now in Cincinnati.
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