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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraqi Civilians Targeted; Shopping Security; Al Qaeda Camps; Hawaii Productions

Aired June 17, 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: In Baghdad, blood on the streets, the morning shattered by a car packed with artillery shells.

It is Thursday, June 17. 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 right now.

At least 35 people were killed this morning when a suicide car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi army recruiting center in Baghdad. Thirty-five people were killed, 138 wounded, most of the victims were Iraqi passersby. No casualties are reported among 175 recruits at the center and there are no U.S. casualties.

The commission investigating 9/11 holds its final hearing today with military officers and FAA officials among the witnesses. One commission member predicts that some so-called urban myths about 9/11 will be dispelled.

In money news, fallout from the sabotage of Iraq's oil pipelines. OPEC is asking non-OPEC countries to boost their output to avert another spike in oil prices. No response yet.

In culture, American entertainer Bob Dylan will get an honorary degree from a university in Scotland. St. Andrew's University will award the honorary doctorate during a graduation ceremony next week.

Chad, I have to have the sports story. It's been a bad morning for me, hasn't it -- Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You don't -- I thought you were doing the panda story again?

COSTELLO: No, no, no, we're off the panda story.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: In sports, Jim Furyk defends his title today when the U.S. Open gets under way at South Hampton, New York, but the big names, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, will get the spotlight -- Chad. (WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

We are just 13 days away from the handover of sovereignty in Iraq and the deadly attacks just keep coming. The latest just four-and-a- half hours ago in Baghdad.

For more details on this, let's head live to Baghdad and Christiane Amanpour.

Hello -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, well terrorists and insurgents are really going for the jugular ahead of the handover June 30. It was at the height of the rush hour, as so often happens here, 9:00 a.m. in the morning, when a massive explosion went off outside the recruiting center for the Iraq Civil Defense Corps. This is part of the new Iraqi army that is trying to be built up, trained by the United States and they hope to be able to take over at least part of the security after the handover June 30.

American soldiers, American Army were there on the scene. And afterwards, they cordoned off the area. They tell us that the suicide car was a SUV, a white sports utility vehicle, that was packed with artillery shells. And of course it was designed, obviously, for maximum, maximum impact.

The death toll has been climbing. At first we heard right afterwards that there were 18 dead and 60 or so wounded. Now it's down to, according to the Ministry of Health, at 35 dead and 138 wounded. According to the military, there were about 175 Iraqi army recruits inside the infrastructure, inside the place that was targeted. They were not harmed.

This is what Colonel Murray had to say about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. MIKE MURRAY, U.S. ARMY: This is where they recruit for the Iraqi army. So the people that were -- that were inside the gate were here to sign up as patriots for Iraq, to help defend their country. The people that were outside the gate, unfortunately, were just pedestrians either on their way to work or possibly on their way to the park across the street. Those were where the casualties came from was innocent civilians that just happened to be on the street when this bomb went off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now this has been really the trend ever since these insurgencies and terrorist attacks have started, the majority of the victims have been ordinary Iraqi civilians. The prime minister of Iraq, the new interim prime minister, visited the scene of this latest act of terrorism. And he took quite a risk going there, because officials are also targets. They are targets, along with infrastructure, and as we have seen, the security services.

Many of the wounded and dead were first taken to the two main hospitals in Baghdad. Some of them were then sent off to specialty hospitals. But as I say, according to the Ministry of Health, 35 dead right now, 138 wounded. That figure could climb. It has been climbing all morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll check back with you. Christiane Amanpour live in Baghdad this morning. Thank you.

Let's talk a little bit more about the security situation in Iraq. As you just saw, it's a serious problem.

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

And you told me something really interesting just a short time ago and that was that Iraqis...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well,...

COSTELLO: ... think the Americans are going to leave...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... after June 30.

CLINCH: Well some Iraqis do. Certainly in our coverage, and we're building up, ramping up our coverage in advance of this date, June 30, the handover date. And this date, in some ways, has sort of become far more significant than it really needs to be. And one of the problems, I mean this horrific scene in Baghdad this morning, when we're talking to Iraqis, one of the problems is that they believe that after the handover that the Americans will go away. Now not all Iraqis believe that but some do.

And of course in the understanding that the violence is getting worse up until the handover, it's going to be very interesting and a little bit frightening, at this point, to imagine what the reaction will be of most Iraqis after the handover when they look around and the Americans are still there and obviously nobody predicting...

COSTELLO: But surely they realize that the Americans need to still be there?

CLINCH: Well exactly. This is the Catch 22. The Iraqi government certainly has invited already and will officially again re- invite the Americans to stay and supply security. But that goes to the whole point that Christiane is covering this morning, should the Americans have been there providing security for these Iraqis who were killed this morning?

Well of course part of the problem is if the Americans are there, they themselves become targets, too. So it's in some ways a no-win situation. Going to be very interesting, again, after this date, of which of course we know not much is really going to change June 30. The Americans will still be there. The violence will still be there.

Now of course talking about things that people believe that may not be true, we, of course, saw the 9/11 Commission yesterday talk about the fact that there was no evidence of Iraq supporting the attacks on September the 11th. Well of course the Bush administration never really claimed that. But on the other hand, they did claim and have claimed connections between Iraq and al Qaeda, historically. But a lot of calls for clarification, at least on that, because, again, a lot of people believe there may have been a connection.

But other issues still out there on the international front that either the Bush administration, or whoever is elected in November, will have to face up to, Iran's nuclear program. We're watching the IAEA today with a decision on that. North Korea, the Middle East peace process, it's not all about Iraq, and those issues will all come again to the fore in this election year.

COSTELLO: You know it's interesting, there's more of a connection between Iran and al Qaeda than there was between Iraq and al Qaeda.

CLINCH: Right, and that's true (ph).

COSTELLO: In fact, the only connection between Iraq and al Qaeda seems to be that they agreed not to attack one another.

CLINCH: Right. And many connections between the Mideast peace process, or lack of it, and 9/11. At least from the terrorist point of view, they keep pointing to the Mideast peace process. So lots of connections.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- David.

CLINCH: All right.

COSTELLO: A federal judge has ordered tests to determine if Nuradin Abdi is competent to stand trial. Abdi, who is from Somali, is linked to a plot to blow up a shopping mall in Columbus, Ohio. Reporters say Abdi acted very strangely in court. And his brother says it appears the accused man did not recognize members of his own family.

An American suspect has also been named in that Ohio bombing plot. Law enforcement sources say Christopher Paul is under surveillance and his home has been searched. Sources say they suspect Paul was helping Abdi in either planning or carrying out the shopping mall plot.

And while huge shopping centers are on the radar screen for terrorists, security at your local mega mall is probably nonexistent, but that is not the case in Israel. Shoppers at Jerusalem's biggest mall are subjected to major security sweeps before they even get near the parking lot.

John Vause has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trip to Jerusalem's biggest shopping mall is an exercise in patience. Long lines of cars waiting to park as security guards check the glove box, backseats and the trunk. There are metal detectors and bags searched on a busy day. It can all take up to 20 minutes.

SUPT. GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE: So our society has grown accustomed. We're used to living with what we call the routine of terror.

VAUSE: A heavily armed private security guard roams outside. His job, shoot to kill any would-be suicide bombers. No one is above suspicion.

Inside security guards in plain clothes and constant video surveillance. Tammy van Doren and Lisa Ribibi (ph) shop here every two weeks. Like most Israelis they feel the mall is one of the safest places in Israel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything's checked, the cars are checked, bags are checked. So why should I fell -- I'm safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very sad, but it's a state that we -- this is how we live in this country unfortunately.

VAUSE (on camera): There are more than 120 shopping mall as cross Israel. They all need the usual permits from the health department or the fire department, for example. But under Israeli law, they must meet a minimum security standard as well.

(voice-over): Every entrance at every mall must have a bag checker, armed security guard, metal detectors and barricades.

KLEIMAN: If they don't meet requirements they don't get a license. And if they stop meeting requirements after they get the license we go to court and close their business down.

VAUSE: Suicide bombers regularly try and target shopping malls. But so far, none have made it past the security checks.

Two years ago, Israeli intelligence uncovered a plot to blow up the Jerusalem mall and officials here believe a mega attack on any mall is always a real possibility. Under these extraordinary circumstances, for Israelis, a trip to the mall is still part of an ordinary day.

John Vause, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As for those bag checkers at every entrance of every mall, well many have died stopping suicide bombers. And, Carol, here in Israel, they work for minimum wage, that's 17 shekels or less than 4 bucks an hour -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You're kidding! So as a shopper, John, what's it like to deal with that kind of thing every day?

VAUSE: Well that's actually my mall. I live fairly close to the Jerusalem mall. I go there most days. My gym is there. I go early in the morning. Even at 6:00 in the morning, there is someone at the entrance, someone at the parking lot. They check the car. They check the trunk. You go into the mall, they go through your bag, complete with smelly gym gear, every time you go in. But it's actually very reassuring to know that they actually do this.

COSTELLO: I would think so. John Vause reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning. Thank you.

Ambitious plans from al Qaeda, the attack on the U.S. was signed, sealed and delivered by Osama bin Laden. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, could more attacks be on the horizon? We'll have some answers for you.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:45 Eastern. He is what's all new this morning.

The latest toll at Baghdad, at least 35 are dead this morning after an apparent suicide car bombing. The attack wounded some 138 others outside of an Iraqi army recruitment center.

The State Department says it's doing all it can to help find American hostage Paul Johnson. The Lockheed Martin employee has been missing in Saudi Arabia since Saturday. A U.S. senator is calling the situation grim.

In money news, Napster is working hard to make it as a -- to make it as a legit online music service. The Web site is giving away a free MP3 player with a one-year subscription. The player is worth about 130 bucks.

In culture, some big bucks were spent on the memory of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Among the items sold at a London auction house was an original recording by Hendrix. It fetched more than $36,000.

In sports, the seeds are sewn, Serena Williams is the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon, even though she is ranked No. 10 in the world. Venus Williams, in the meantime, is the No. 3 seed -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Since 2001, the U.S. and its allies have been trying to run the al Qaeda training camps out of Afghanistan. But a new video suggests the camps have just moved and not very far.

Details now from our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to Gulf broadcaster al-Jazeera, the first to receive these pictures, this is al Qaeda training inside Afghanistan or the nearby tribal region of Pakistan, tests of physical fitness, including leapfrogging, reminiscent of pre-September the 11th al Qaeda training videos.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: This material appears to be new material. We haven't seen it before. It also strongly suggests it was shot in the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

ROBERTSON: On the tape, two grainy nighttime pictures of what Al-Jazeera says is a nighttime attack on a government building in Afghanistan showing dead combatants and, glowing under the camera's infrared illumination, a man Al-Jazeera identifies as al Qaeda field commander Abu-Leith al-Libi.

If authentic, and we have no independent verification of that, the pictures raise the possibility U.S. aims to deny al Qaeda the time and space to train in and around Afghanistan are failing. Intelligence experts believe al Qaeda is still actively recruiting.

BERGEN: The significance of this material is that the al Qaeda in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal areas feel sufficiently confident, as it were, to actually film some of their operations and film some of their training.

ROBERTSON (on camera): According to recently deployed U.S. Marines, they've been involved in firefights with up to 100 anti- coalition forces at one time and, although U.S. forces are bringing limited stability to the small areas where they operate, security experts inside Afghanistan say the countryside is far from secure.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And welcome back to DAYBREAK.

The fifth annual Maui Film Festival is under way in Hawaii. On the cinematic menu are big budget Hollywood features as well as documentaries and indie films. But the biggest star is arguably the lush island itself.

Our Sibila Vargas has drawn this tough assignment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With exquisite coastlines and the lush foliage, the Hawaiian islands have long been Hollywood's tropical back lot, the stage for more than 200 major feature films. And that iconic scene in "From Here to Eternity" was shot on the beach on Oahu. Elvis Presley was anything but blue as a soldier turned beach bum in 1961's "Blue Hawaii" shot on Kauai.

But feature film production started in Hawaii long before that, as early as 1913. In the '30s, the islands served as a backdrop for "Bird of Paradise" and "Waikiki Wedding." Back then, getting to the islands was no easy task.

LUIS REYES, AUTHOR, "BIRD OF PARADISE": It was an effort. It was a five-day journey by ship. You'd have to take all of your equipment with you. And most of the films were only partially shot in Hawaii and the rest would be done here in Los Angeles or on a soundstage.

VARGAS: The location has its advantages, often doubling for international venues. Africa in "Tears of the Sun," Costa Rica in "Jurassic Park."

STEVEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR, "JURASSIC PARK": Hawaii is convenient. It's in this country. It doesn't take business offshore. It doesn't take labor away from this country, which is happening so much and creating such job loss. I'd rather keep my business in this country.

VARGAS: Of course Hawaii can also star as itself, as it did for 12 years in the TV show "Hawaii Five-O."

REYES: Every week people were treaded to different images of Hawaii that made people want to go and visit Hawaii. So, consequently, it was a boom for Hawaiian tourism.

VARGAS (on camera): That boom and its benefits aren't lost on the state government. Since 1998, Hawaii has been offering producers financial incentives to bring their shoots to the island.

DONNE DAWSON, HAWAII STATE FILM COMMISSIONER: We are existing now in a highly competitive environment. So we're working very hard as a state to try to elevate our existing incentives in order to attract more production and help to build our industry.

VARGAS (voice-over): This summer and fall, Hawaii will be a popular place to channel surf. Fox, NBC and ABC are in production on Oahu with new series.

JORGE GARCIA, (UNINTELLIGIBLE): Pretty much like hitting the jackpot. It's like this is the beach and this is the gorgeous mountains and this is my office.

VARGAS: It's a tough job, but somebody has got to do it.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Maui.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Why don't we ever draw those assignments?

MYERS: I don't know.

COSTELLO: I don't get it.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Are we not talking to the right people, kissing the right you know what?

MYERS: Careful.

COSTELLO: OK, I've got to go on this morning. I'm going to get myself in trouble this morning.

MYERS: You already have.

COSTELLO: I know.

In 'Health Headlines' this morning, if you suffer from sleep apnea, a common treatment can help reduce the possibility of heart attacks. A new study says the treatment, which puts pressure on the airway to keep you breathing, is effective.

Women, ladies, how fast is your biological clock ticking? How loudly, I should say? Researchers in Scotland say they have developed a method that can predict when a woman is likely to go through menopause. They use ultrasound to determine if the number of eggs -- to determine the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries. Wow!

It can be risky to buy prescription medicine online. A new government report says you could get counterfeit medicine or not get proper instructions on how to take the drugs. And it says drugs from Web sites in other countries are especially likely to lack proper warnings.

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

You know they are predicting very long lines at the airport this summer.

MYERS: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: But there is a new program under way, it's a test program that for frequent flyers.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Those who travel once a week.

MYERS: Once a week, now that's really a frequent flyer.

COSTELLO: That's a really frequent flyer. MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Business travelers.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: So, anyway, the TSA will take fingerprints and it would also take eye prints, iris prints.

MYERS: Yes, right.

COSTELLO: And then you'd get a special government card and you could just zip through a special security line.

MYERS: Ten thousand people, five different airports, Reagan National, Houston Bush, I forget all the other ones.

COSTELLO: Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

MYERS: And Minneapolis, right, and LAX all are going to have the option to go through the quick line, if you will. But you are literally going to have to give them every name of your first born, your last born and every child that went down your whole family tree to make sure that there is no connection to anything that they don't want you to be connected to.

COSTELLO: I'd do that in a second.

MYERS: To get through those lines?

COSTELLO: In one second I would, definitely.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The 9/11 Commission opens its final day of hearings today, but despite its best effort, a critical link to a well-known Iraqi could not be found. We'll tell you who. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired June 17, 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: In Baghdad, blood on the streets, the morning shattered by a car packed with artillery shells.

It is Thursday, June 17. 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 right now.

At least 35 people were killed this morning when a suicide car bomb exploded outside an Iraqi army recruiting center in Baghdad. Thirty-five people were killed, 138 wounded, most of the victims were Iraqi passersby. No casualties are reported among 175 recruits at the center and there are no U.S. casualties.

The commission investigating 9/11 holds its final hearing today with military officers and FAA officials among the witnesses. One commission member predicts that some so-called urban myths about 9/11 will be dispelled.

In money news, fallout from the sabotage of Iraq's oil pipelines. OPEC is asking non-OPEC countries to boost their output to avert another spike in oil prices. No response yet.

In culture, American entertainer Bob Dylan will get an honorary degree from a university in Scotland. St. Andrew's University will award the honorary doctorate during a graduation ceremony next week.

Chad, I have to have the sports story. It's been a bad morning for me, hasn't it -- Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You don't -- I thought you were doing the panda story again?

COSTELLO: No, no, no, we're off the panda story.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: In sports, Jim Furyk defends his title today when the U.S. Open gets under way at South Hampton, New York, but the big names, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, will get the spotlight -- Chad. (WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

We are just 13 days away from the handover of sovereignty in Iraq and the deadly attacks just keep coming. The latest just four-and-a- half hours ago in Baghdad.

For more details on this, let's head live to Baghdad and Christiane Amanpour.

Hello -- Christiane.

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, well terrorists and insurgents are really going for the jugular ahead of the handover June 30. It was at the height of the rush hour, as so often happens here, 9:00 a.m. in the morning, when a massive explosion went off outside the recruiting center for the Iraq Civil Defense Corps. This is part of the new Iraqi army that is trying to be built up, trained by the United States and they hope to be able to take over at least part of the security after the handover June 30.

American soldiers, American Army were there on the scene. And afterwards, they cordoned off the area. They tell us that the suicide car was a SUV, a white sports utility vehicle, that was packed with artillery shells. And of course it was designed, obviously, for maximum, maximum impact.

The death toll has been climbing. At first we heard right afterwards that there were 18 dead and 60 or so wounded. Now it's down to, according to the Ministry of Health, at 35 dead and 138 wounded. According to the military, there were about 175 Iraqi army recruits inside the infrastructure, inside the place that was targeted. They were not harmed.

This is what Colonel Murray had to say about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. MIKE MURRAY, U.S. ARMY: This is where they recruit for the Iraqi army. So the people that were -- that were inside the gate were here to sign up as patriots for Iraq, to help defend their country. The people that were outside the gate, unfortunately, were just pedestrians either on their way to work or possibly on their way to the park across the street. Those were where the casualties came from was innocent civilians that just happened to be on the street when this bomb went off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AMANPOUR: Now this has been really the trend ever since these insurgencies and terrorist attacks have started, the majority of the victims have been ordinary Iraqi civilians. The prime minister of Iraq, the new interim prime minister, visited the scene of this latest act of terrorism. And he took quite a risk going there, because officials are also targets. They are targets, along with infrastructure, and as we have seen, the security services.

Many of the wounded and dead were first taken to the two main hospitals in Baghdad. Some of them were then sent off to specialty hospitals. But as I say, according to the Ministry of Health, 35 dead right now, 138 wounded. That figure could climb. It has been climbing all morning -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll check back with you. Christiane Amanpour live in Baghdad this morning. Thank you.

Let's talk a little bit more about the security situation in Iraq. As you just saw, it's a serious problem.

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

And you told me something really interesting just a short time ago and that was that Iraqis...

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Well,...

COSTELLO: ... think the Americans are going to leave...

CLINCH: Right.

COSTELLO: ... after June 30.

CLINCH: Well some Iraqis do. Certainly in our coverage, and we're building up, ramping up our coverage in advance of this date, June 30, the handover date. And this date, in some ways, has sort of become far more significant than it really needs to be. And one of the problems, I mean this horrific scene in Baghdad this morning, when we're talking to Iraqis, one of the problems is that they believe that after the handover that the Americans will go away. Now not all Iraqis believe that but some do.

And of course in the understanding that the violence is getting worse up until the handover, it's going to be very interesting and a little bit frightening, at this point, to imagine what the reaction will be of most Iraqis after the handover when they look around and the Americans are still there and obviously nobody predicting...

COSTELLO: But surely they realize that the Americans need to still be there?

CLINCH: Well exactly. This is the Catch 22. The Iraqi government certainly has invited already and will officially again re- invite the Americans to stay and supply security. But that goes to the whole point that Christiane is covering this morning, should the Americans have been there providing security for these Iraqis who were killed this morning?

Well of course part of the problem is if the Americans are there, they themselves become targets, too. So it's in some ways a no-win situation. Going to be very interesting, again, after this date, of which of course we know not much is really going to change June 30. The Americans will still be there. The violence will still be there.

Now of course talking about things that people believe that may not be true, we, of course, saw the 9/11 Commission yesterday talk about the fact that there was no evidence of Iraq supporting the attacks on September the 11th. Well of course the Bush administration never really claimed that. But on the other hand, they did claim and have claimed connections between Iraq and al Qaeda, historically. But a lot of calls for clarification, at least on that, because, again, a lot of people believe there may have been a connection.

But other issues still out there on the international front that either the Bush administration, or whoever is elected in November, will have to face up to, Iran's nuclear program. We're watching the IAEA today with a decision on that. North Korea, the Middle East peace process, it's not all about Iraq, and those issues will all come again to the fore in this election year.

COSTELLO: You know it's interesting, there's more of a connection between Iran and al Qaeda than there was between Iraq and al Qaeda.

CLINCH: Right, and that's true (ph).

COSTELLO: In fact, the only connection between Iraq and al Qaeda seems to be that they agreed not to attack one another.

CLINCH: Right. And many connections between the Mideast peace process, or lack of it, and 9/11. At least from the terrorist point of view, they keep pointing to the Mideast peace process. So lots of connections.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- David.

CLINCH: All right.

COSTELLO: A federal judge has ordered tests to determine if Nuradin Abdi is competent to stand trial. Abdi, who is from Somali, is linked to a plot to blow up a shopping mall in Columbus, Ohio. Reporters say Abdi acted very strangely in court. And his brother says it appears the accused man did not recognize members of his own family.

An American suspect has also been named in that Ohio bombing plot. Law enforcement sources say Christopher Paul is under surveillance and his home has been searched. Sources say they suspect Paul was helping Abdi in either planning or carrying out the shopping mall plot.

And while huge shopping centers are on the radar screen for terrorists, security at your local mega mall is probably nonexistent, but that is not the case in Israel. Shoppers at Jerusalem's biggest mall are subjected to major security sweeps before they even get near the parking lot.

John Vause has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JON VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A trip to Jerusalem's biggest shopping mall is an exercise in patience. Long lines of cars waiting to park as security guards check the glove box, backseats and the trunk. There are metal detectors and bags searched on a busy day. It can all take up to 20 minutes.

SUPT. GIL KLEIMAN, ISRAELI POLICE: So our society has grown accustomed. We're used to living with what we call the routine of terror.

VAUSE: A heavily armed private security guard roams outside. His job, shoot to kill any would-be suicide bombers. No one is above suspicion.

Inside security guards in plain clothes and constant video surveillance. Tammy van Doren and Lisa Ribibi (ph) shop here every two weeks. Like most Israelis they feel the mall is one of the safest places in Israel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everything's checked, the cars are checked, bags are checked. So why should I fell -- I'm safe.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's very sad, but it's a state that we -- this is how we live in this country unfortunately.

VAUSE (on camera): There are more than 120 shopping mall as cross Israel. They all need the usual permits from the health department or the fire department, for example. But under Israeli law, they must meet a minimum security standard as well.

(voice-over): Every entrance at every mall must have a bag checker, armed security guard, metal detectors and barricades.

KLEIMAN: If they don't meet requirements they don't get a license. And if they stop meeting requirements after they get the license we go to court and close their business down.

VAUSE: Suicide bombers regularly try and target shopping malls. But so far, none have made it past the security checks.

Two years ago, Israeli intelligence uncovered a plot to blow up the Jerusalem mall and officials here believe a mega attack on any mall is always a real possibility. Under these extraordinary circumstances, for Israelis, a trip to the mall is still part of an ordinary day.

John Vause, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As for those bag checkers at every entrance of every mall, well many have died stopping suicide bombers. And, Carol, here in Israel, they work for minimum wage, that's 17 shekels or less than 4 bucks an hour -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You're kidding! So as a shopper, John, what's it like to deal with that kind of thing every day?

VAUSE: Well that's actually my mall. I live fairly close to the Jerusalem mall. I go there most days. My gym is there. I go early in the morning. Even at 6:00 in the morning, there is someone at the entrance, someone at the parking lot. They check the car. They check the trunk. You go into the mall, they go through your bag, complete with smelly gym gear, every time you go in. But it's actually very reassuring to know that they actually do this.

COSTELLO: I would think so. John Vause reporting live for us from Jerusalem this morning. Thank you.

Ambitious plans from al Qaeda, the attack on the U.S. was signed, sealed and delivered by Osama bin Laden. In the next hour of DAYBREAK, could more attacks be on the horizon? We'll have some answers for you.

This is DAYBREAK for Thursday.

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COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:45 Eastern. He is what's all new this morning.

The latest toll at Baghdad, at least 35 are dead this morning after an apparent suicide car bombing. The attack wounded some 138 others outside of an Iraqi army recruitment center.

The State Department says it's doing all it can to help find American hostage Paul Johnson. The Lockheed Martin employee has been missing in Saudi Arabia since Saturday. A U.S. senator is calling the situation grim.

In money news, Napster is working hard to make it as a -- to make it as a legit online music service. The Web site is giving away a free MP3 player with a one-year subscription. The player is worth about 130 bucks.

In culture, some big bucks were spent on the memory of rock legend Jimi Hendrix. Among the items sold at a London auction house was an original recording by Hendrix. It fetched more than $36,000.

In sports, the seeds are sewn, Serena Williams is the No. 1 seed at Wimbledon, even though she is ranked No. 10 in the world. Venus Williams, in the meantime, is the No. 3 seed -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you.

Since 2001, the U.S. and its allies have been trying to run the al Qaeda training camps out of Afghanistan. But a new video suggests the camps have just moved and not very far.

Details now from our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): According to Gulf broadcaster al-Jazeera, the first to receive these pictures, this is al Qaeda training inside Afghanistan or the nearby tribal region of Pakistan, tests of physical fitness, including leapfrogging, reminiscent of pre-September the 11th al Qaeda training videos.

PETER BERGEN, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: This material appears to be new material. We haven't seen it before. It also strongly suggests it was shot in the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

ROBERTSON: On the tape, two grainy nighttime pictures of what Al-Jazeera says is a nighttime attack on a government building in Afghanistan showing dead combatants and, glowing under the camera's infrared illumination, a man Al-Jazeera identifies as al Qaeda field commander Abu-Leith al-Libi.

If authentic, and we have no independent verification of that, the pictures raise the possibility U.S. aims to deny al Qaeda the time and space to train in and around Afghanistan are failing. Intelligence experts believe al Qaeda is still actively recruiting.

BERGEN: The significance of this material is that the al Qaeda in the Afghan-Pakistan tribal areas feel sufficiently confident, as it were, to actually film some of their operations and film some of their training.

ROBERTSON (on camera): According to recently deployed U.S. Marines, they've been involved in firefights with up to 100 anti- coalition forces at one time and, although U.S. forces are bringing limited stability to the small areas where they operate, security experts inside Afghanistan say the countryside is far from secure.

Nic Robertson, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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COSTELLO: And welcome back to DAYBREAK.

The fifth annual Maui Film Festival is under way in Hawaii. On the cinematic menu are big budget Hollywood features as well as documentaries and indie films. But the biggest star is arguably the lush island itself.

Our Sibila Vargas has drawn this tough assignment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With exquisite coastlines and the lush foliage, the Hawaiian islands have long been Hollywood's tropical back lot, the stage for more than 200 major feature films. And that iconic scene in "From Here to Eternity" was shot on the beach on Oahu. Elvis Presley was anything but blue as a soldier turned beach bum in 1961's "Blue Hawaii" shot on Kauai.

But feature film production started in Hawaii long before that, as early as 1913. In the '30s, the islands served as a backdrop for "Bird of Paradise" and "Waikiki Wedding." Back then, getting to the islands was no easy task.

LUIS REYES, AUTHOR, "BIRD OF PARADISE": It was an effort. It was a five-day journey by ship. You'd have to take all of your equipment with you. And most of the films were only partially shot in Hawaii and the rest would be done here in Los Angeles or on a soundstage.

VARGAS: The location has its advantages, often doubling for international venues. Africa in "Tears of the Sun," Costa Rica in "Jurassic Park."

STEVEN SPIELBERG, DIRECTOR, "JURASSIC PARK": Hawaii is convenient. It's in this country. It doesn't take business offshore. It doesn't take labor away from this country, which is happening so much and creating such job loss. I'd rather keep my business in this country.

VARGAS: Of course Hawaii can also star as itself, as it did for 12 years in the TV show "Hawaii Five-O."

REYES: Every week people were treaded to different images of Hawaii that made people want to go and visit Hawaii. So, consequently, it was a boom for Hawaiian tourism.

VARGAS (on camera): That boom and its benefits aren't lost on the state government. Since 1998, Hawaii has been offering producers financial incentives to bring their shoots to the island.

DONNE DAWSON, HAWAII STATE FILM COMMISSIONER: We are existing now in a highly competitive environment. So we're working very hard as a state to try to elevate our existing incentives in order to attract more production and help to build our industry.

VARGAS (voice-over): This summer and fall, Hawaii will be a popular place to channel surf. Fox, NBC and ABC are in production on Oahu with new series.

JORGE GARCIA, (UNINTELLIGIBLE): Pretty much like hitting the jackpot. It's like this is the beach and this is the gorgeous mountains and this is my office.

VARGAS: It's a tough job, but somebody has got to do it.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Maui.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Why don't we ever draw those assignments?

MYERS: I don't know.

COSTELLO: I don't get it.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: Are we not talking to the right people, kissing the right you know what?

MYERS: Careful.

COSTELLO: OK, I've got to go on this morning. I'm going to get myself in trouble this morning.

MYERS: You already have.

COSTELLO: I know.

In 'Health Headlines' this morning, if you suffer from sleep apnea, a common treatment can help reduce the possibility of heart attacks. A new study says the treatment, which puts pressure on the airway to keep you breathing, is effective.

Women, ladies, how fast is your biological clock ticking? How loudly, I should say? Researchers in Scotland say they have developed a method that can predict when a woman is likely to go through menopause. They use ultrasound to determine if the number of eggs -- to determine the number of eggs remaining in the ovaries. Wow!

It can be risky to buy prescription medicine online. A new government report says you could get counterfeit medicine or not get proper instructions on how to take the drugs. And it says drugs from Web sites in other countries are especially likely to lack proper warnings.

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

You know they are predicting very long lines at the airport this summer.

MYERS: Yes. Yes.

COSTELLO: But there is a new program under way, it's a test program that for frequent flyers.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Those who travel once a week.

MYERS: Once a week, now that's really a frequent flyer.

COSTELLO: That's a really frequent flyer. MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Business travelers.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: So, anyway, the TSA will take fingerprints and it would also take eye prints, iris prints.

MYERS: Yes, right.

COSTELLO: And then you'd get a special government card and you could just zip through a special security line.

MYERS: Ten thousand people, five different airports, Reagan National, Houston Bush, I forget all the other ones.

COSTELLO: Boston and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

MYERS: And Minneapolis, right, and LAX all are going to have the option to go through the quick line, if you will. But you are literally going to have to give them every name of your first born, your last born and every child that went down your whole family tree to make sure that there is no connection to anything that they don't want you to be connected to.

COSTELLO: I'd do that in a second.

MYERS: To get through those lines?

COSTELLO: In one second I would, definitely.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The 9/11 Commission opens its final day of hearings today, but despite its best effort, a critical link to a well-known Iraqi could not be found. We'll tell you who. Stay tuned.

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