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CNN Live At Daybreak

Hostage Crisis in Iraq Deepens; 'Hot Topics'

Aired September 22, 2004 - 06:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq this morning, the hostage crisis deepens and new violence breaks out. Insurgents claimed to have killed a second American hostage, and they're marking a British hostage for death unless they get their demand that female Iraqi prisoners be released.
The Iraqis say they do plan to release one female prisoner on bail, a jailed scientist who once headed a bio-weapons program. But they're not saying if the case is linked to the terrorists' demands.

In the meantime, there is word U.S. and Iraqi forces have killed four insurgents and arrested 27 others. It happened in a raid in Baghdad's Sadr city neighborhood.

And there has been a car bombing in Baghdad; this time near a police recruiting site. At least seven people were killed.

More now on that growing hostage crisis in Iraq. Family and friends in Britain have held a vigil for Kenneth Bigley, who insurgents are threatening to kill.

Joining us live from London is CNN European political editor, Robin Oakley.

Hello -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hello, Carol.

Obviously a desperate time for Kenneth Bigley and a hugely emotional time for his family, who have been issuing appeals to Prime Minister Tony Blair to do everything he can to save Kenneth Bigley's life by intervening in any way he can. And obviously there has been much concern in Mr. Bigley's home community in Liverpool, a vigil in the local church.

One of Kenneth Bigley's family has actually said that if he should be killed by his captors in Iraq, then Tony Blair will have blood on his hands.

But I think there is some public sympathy at the same time for Tony Blair accepting the difficulties of any prime minister in this situation that if you start negotiating with terrorists or giving in to any of their demands, then you put at risk other people, because the terrorists will simply increase their demands, make more captures and make more death threats for other objectives -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Robin, we've been intrigued all morning long about the possible release of "Dr. Germ" from an Iraqi prison, one of the two Iraqi women being held prisoner in Iraq. Is there any evidence at all that Tony Blair might have pressured the Interim Iraqi Government to do that?

OAKLEY: No hard evidence, Carol. But obviously, one would expect these episodes to be tied together. It would be a very curious coincidence of timing otherwise that the Iraq Justice Ministry is talking about the release of one of these weapons scientists.

They, of course, are saying it's nothing to do with the kidnappers' demands, but we do know that the British government was trying to make any contact it could with the kidnappers using clerics in Iraq perhaps as a medium of getting some kind of communication with them.

But the British Foreign Office diplomat who went on Arabic television yesterday to plead for the release of Kenneth Bigley said that the British government had no say over the release of Iraqi women in jail; that it was not a British responsibility, he said -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley live from London this morning, thank you.

Iraqi insurgents show no signs of slowing down. Just a few minutes ago, we learned a U.S. soldier was killed near the northern city of Tikrit.

Joining us live by videophone from Tikrit is CNN's Jane Arraf.

Hello -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Carol.

It's kind of symbolic of what's going on here in Iraq's Sunni heartland, including Saddam's ancestral home of Tikrit. But a soldier was indeed killed just outside of Tikrit when he stopped to investigate a suspected roadside bomb. The bomb blew up, killing him.

Half an hour later, a much happier event, the reopening of a major bridge between Kirkuk and Tikrit. Now, this is a bridge that was bombed just after the war -- during the war actually, and has just now been reopened.

The beheadings and the killings of those foreigners are overshadowing everything. We spoke to some of the people there, some of the Western contractors, about what effect that was having, including the Iraq program director of Bechtel, Terry Valenzano, who said that despite the horrifying news, American workers were still signing up to come out to Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY VALENZANO, IRAQ PROGRAM DIRECTOR, BECHTEL: That's scary to anybody. No question about it. We are very conservative and very careful in our security measures. And we just -- we're on Amber Alert at all times. But anything like that, no matter what you do, has got to affect people, and it's unfortunate. It will take some time for us to get over that and for others as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARRAF: The bottom line, Carol, despite the setbacks, despite the fatalities and despite the ongoing kidnappings and killings, there are other things going on, particularly out here, Iraqis and Americans, progress is being made -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane, we've been soliciting e-mail all morning about if the contractors and, you know, the private workers there in Iraq should be temporarily removed until the security station -- situation improves there.

This is from Pat, and I'd like you to answer his question. He says: "Considering the danger in Iraq, why would anyone stay?"

Why do they stay? Is it just because of the money, or is it more?

ARRAF: You know, the motivation is different for everyone. Certainly, a lot of these business people coming out have the chance to -- let's be frank. They have the chance to make more money than they ever would in the United States. And a lot of them think -- and we've talked to a lot of them. They think they are going to be lucky. It's not going to happen to them. They are going to take the risk, so they can buy that house, so they can send their kids to college.

For other people it's different. Every time one of these kidnappings, beheadings happens, even journalists say to themselves, "Do I really want to be here?"

But for most of us who are out here, and certainly everyone at this Army base in Tikrit particularly, we stay out here because we feel that it's worth it, because we're actually doing something worthwhile -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Tikrit, Iraq, this morning.

Forty-one days and counting until the November presidential elections. Here is the latest from the campaign trail.

Senator John Kerry spent another day campaigning in Florida, and then he'll head -- actually, he'll head from Orlando to West Palm Beach for a town hall meeting, and then he'll move on to Columbus, Ohio.

President Bush heads to the battleground state of Pennsylvania today. First, he'll wrap up his visit to the U.N. in New York, and then he'll fly to suburban Philadelphia to talk about education. He'll also visit Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Bush-backers want some answers from the Kerry campaign about those suspicious CBS documents. The documents were used by CBS News in a story about the president's National Guard service. A senior Kerry advisor and one of Kerry's most prominent supporters had contact with the source, Bill Burkett. Burkett is the man who supplied the documents to CBS.

Burkett's attorney had this to say about what the network told his client.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID VAN OS, BILL BURKETT'S ATTORNEY: They promised him that they would keep his identity absolutely confidential. And they promised him that they would make sure that the documents are authentic, and that they would not use them unless their studies of the documents proved to them that they were authentic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, CBS-gate drags on with some conservatives calling for more extreme measures.

Let's head live to Washington and Chuck Todd, editor-in-chief of the "National's Journal's" "Hotline."

Good morning.

CHUCK TODD, "THE HOTLINE": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, we've been surfing the Web for editorials this morning. This one is from "The Washington Times." It says: "CBS has learned an all-too-painful lesson that is taught to first- year journalism students: The message means nothing if the facts are wrong."

The author, Joe Allbaugh, calls for Dan Rather to apologize directly to President Bush. But come on, he's already apologized. But if he does address President Bush, would that quiet the people asking -- or I hate to call them this, but I can't think of another word. Would that quiet the conspiracists?

TODD: I don't think it would. You know, look, conservatives have had a vendetta against Dan Rather for years. This has been in the making, and they've just been waiting for Rather to do something to prove their hunches correct. And he did something to prove their hunches correct.

I think the drive is going to be to continue this -- with some is to continue this until Rather quits or is fired, one or the other. Because they won't -- I don't think it will stop until then.

COSTELLO: Wow! Do you think that this will have an effect on the election?

TODD: I don't. I think this is -- I don't know if you remember four years ago and there was about a three-week -- I don't know. It was almost if you thought about this as a Greek tragedy. You know, there is always this sort of the comic scene on the side or whatever, the crazy comedian scene. About four years ago, we had that whole conspiracy over the debate tape. And did somebody leak a debate tape? And did somebody from the Bush campaign mail a copy of Bush's debate- practicing to Gore?

If you recall, it sort of got all of the Beltway media excited and playing, you know, Inspector Clouseau for about two weeks. But the voter didn't -- you know, it had no -- you know, at the end of -- none of us talked about it. None of us know that it feel like it ever did anything to the electorate or anything.

So, I think sometimes -- I think this is a media obsession, and I don't think the average voter is paying attention to this story very closely. All they know is, oh, wow, the media is -- you know, look, journalism -- I think journalists have a lower -- are thought of more lowly than lawyers these days. So, I don't think there is anything that can -- that the voter is going to learn on this.

COSTELLO: OK. OK, having said that, we're going to move on from our obsession with CBS and Dan Rather, on to "The New York Times" now. An editorial this morning calls President Bush's speech before the United Nations yesterday a defiant and wasted effort. It says: "Mr. Bush might have done better at wooing broader international support if he had spent less time on self-justification and scolding and more on praising the importance of international cooperation and a strengthened United Nations."

But as far as the electorate goes, does it matter? I mean, many Americans are not particularly fond of the United Nations these days.

TODD: Well, no. And it certainly plays to -- I mean, certainly President Bush's base is not a big fan of the United Nations and never has been.

I think that Bush had no choice but to keep the same tone. I mean, one of the things that has made the Iraq issue more of a problem for Kerry than for Bush is the fact that Bush has kept -- has sort of stuck to his guns or kept the perception that he's sticking to his guns, that he's not going to change, that he's steadfast, that he's steady, et cetera, et cetera.

And it's been a contrast to Kerry, who has the appearance of looking like that he's moving around on the issue, that he was more pro-Iraq war during the primaries, less now. It's a little nuance the way that the Bush campaign is attacking him, but it's having an effect, because Bush is so -- his positions haven't changed at all.

So, I think that he had no choice but to give the same type of speech. If he had suddenly sort of tried to, you know, invite more nations in to do these things then he would have looked like he was flip-flopping.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Chuck Todd, thanks for joining us this morning.

And just a clarification for you. "The Washington Times," the man who wrote that editorial, we were talking about Joe Allbaugh, is a contributor to "The Washington Times." And his article is in "The Washington Times" this morning, and you can catch it online. CNN's Election Express bus is rolling toward Palm Beach, Florida, for John Kerry's town hall meeting this afternoon. Be sure to join Judy Woodruff for that at 3:00 Eastern, noon Pacific.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, go Greek and live longer, the benefits of Mediterranean diet.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In the international markets, Tokyo's Nikkei is down around 61 points. The London FTSE is up 4 points. And the Paris CAC is down, oh, just about 4.

Let's head live to New York and check in with Bill and Heidi to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

Politics and Iraq are topping our agenda today. Does either side have a viable solution for what's happening there? We'll talk to Jamie Rubin on the Kerry side. We'll talk to Dan Bartlett on the Republican side, too. So that's coming up.

COLLINS: We're also going to be talking about the Peterson trial today. There are some new audiotapes between Scott Peterson and the Modesto police detective that we told you about yesterday. That detective tried to get Peterson to confess, but there are some issues to talk about with that. So, we'll hear from prosecutor -- former prosecutor, that is, Dean Johnson on that one.

HEMMER: A lot of people in Florida and Alabama and Louisiana and North Carolina and South Carolina want to know this: When it comes to a hurricane, why are some spots hit so hard and others are spared? Chad is looking into that today for us today, Carol. So, we'll have it for you.

COLLINS: Yes, it was strange how you looked at some of that video, and a lot of people told us that, you know, one house was fine and the next house was just demolished.

HEMMER: Very true. Or even entire regions when it comes to the beaches.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: You can see the cut of the land on the ocean side, how storms sometimes skirt one way or the other.

COLLINS: Right. HEMMER: And you can go decades without a direct hit. So, we'll have it for you, Carol. How are you today, by the way?

COSTELLO: I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

HEMMER: You got it. Bye.

COLLINS: Bye, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll catch you guys in 10 minutes.

HEMMER: Sure.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A car bomb attack today in Baghdad kills at least seven Iraqis. At least 47 others were wounded. The blast occurred near a police recruit center.

A Detroit-area teenager is now in jail after police say he threatened to gun down students at his high school. The 17-year-old is being held on more than $1 million bond. He was arrested after Internet message he allegedly sent to a girl outlining the attack were given to police.

In money news, little to smile about on your daily oil price report. Prices are up for a fourth day in a row. A barrel of crude costs $47.10.

In culture, Pele is still tops of the soccer world. A jersey worn by the Brazilian in the 1958 World Cup fetched over $100,000 at auction, but that is still behind his own record. Two years ago, his jersey from the 1970 World Cup brought in almost $300,000.

In sports, Barry Bonds will be around for at least two more seasons. The San Francisco Giants decided to drop their right to void his contract after next year. Ooh, what a smart move! That means that if and when Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's homerun record, it will be as a Giant.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

All of you carb-conscious dieters listen up for a minute. We've got a menu that will turn your food pyramid on its side. Nutritionist Lisa Drayer will be here next to explain. You are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There are numerous diets to help you trim down. But how about a diet for longevity?

Joining us now with details on the Mediterranean diet is registered dietitian Lisa Drayer.

Lisa, we've heard a lot about this diet. So, you know, it sort of goes by the wayside with the Atkins and stuff. So, tell us more about the Mediterranean diet.

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Right. Well, Carol, this is a great diet, and it's shown some pretty dramatic results. It comes from overseas. It originated in Crete, Greece and southern Italy.

Let's take a look at some research now that just came out of "The Journal of the American Medical Association." Individuals 70 to 90 years old living in Europe and following the Mediterranean diet -- this is a diet that's rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, also fish. But the diet is low in red meat and low and high-fat dairy foods. And the diet incorporates olive oil as the main source of fat. This is actually a separate category on the Mediterranean food guide pyramid. Individuals who consumed this diet were more likely to live longer, compared to those who didn't.

And just to give you some numbers, Carol, when researchers followed these individuals over a 10-year period, they found that those who consumed this diet had a 23-percent lower risk of death from all causes. And if these older individuals exercised, consumed a moderate amount of alcohol and didn't smoke, their risk of death was reduced by 65 percent.

Flipping this around, those who didn't follow this lifestyle had three times greater risk of death.

COSTELLO: Wow! I know this study looked at those over 70, suggesting it's never too late to benefit from dietary changes. But what about younger people?

DRAYER: Right. Well, clearly, it's never too late to start. That's the good news out of this diet. And I talked to Eric Rim (ph). He's a nutritional epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. He says the conclusion would not be to say that you can wait until you're 70 and then start this diet.

In fact, in another study on the Mediterranean diet published just this week, those who followed the diet experienced greater drops in body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin. These are indicators of diabetes risk. That was over a two-year period. And in this group, Carol, the average age was 44. So, clearly, we're talking about a younger group here.

COSTELLO: And what a delicious diet. I like the food in that diet. So, how do we put the plan into action, so to speak?

DRAYER: Right. Well, you don't necessarily have to travel to Greece, although it might be a nice trip. But let's take a look at some makeovers, some diet makeovers that we can make to shift towards a Mediterranean style of eating.

Instead of butter with your bread, you can dip it in olive oil. Instead of white rice, you can choose couscous, specifically whole wheat couscous. Instead of steak, choose salmon. Nuts instead of candy. And also a glass of wine instead of a can of soda. Alcohol was consumed moderately in moderate amounts among these individuals.

So, those are some quick tips that you can make to shift towards this beneficial style of eating.

COSTELLO: I'm going home right now to prepare. Thank you, Lisa.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Today's mug winner will be announced in two minutes. This is DAYBREAK for a Wednesday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Earlier, we were talking to a political analyst about an op-ed piece in "The Washington Times." And it was written by Joe Allbaugh, and he wants CBS news anchor, Dan Rather, to apologize directly to President Bush. And we just wanted to make clear who Mr. Allbaugh is. He's president and CEO of the Allbaugh Company. He served as the director of FEMA under President Bush until March of 2003. And he was chief of staff to then Governor Bush. So just to clarify things for you.

And if you want to catch his op-ed piece, it's in "The Washington Times." And it's online this morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And all you have to do is register if you want to read it.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Hey, it's time to give away a mug. Well, actually, give a chance to give away a mug. You've got to answer these two correctly. What is the main source of fat in this new Mediterranean diet? And uzo (ph) is not the answer, because that is not a fat. So keep that in mind. And what pro-consumer bill will be considered by a House committee today? Maybe we'll call it a pro-driver bill, if you will.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's a nice quote.

MYERS: That's a little bit of a clue, because we did that a little bit -- probably 45 minutes ago. So, if you are just joining us, you'll have a better chance for that.

COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com. That's Daybreak@CNN.com. And thanks for your e-mail this morning. It was quite interesting.

I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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Aired September 22, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: In Iraq this morning, the hostage crisis deepens and new violence breaks out. Insurgents claimed to have killed a second American hostage, and they're marking a British hostage for death unless they get their demand that female Iraqi prisoners be released.
The Iraqis say they do plan to release one female prisoner on bail, a jailed scientist who once headed a bio-weapons program. But they're not saying if the case is linked to the terrorists' demands.

In the meantime, there is word U.S. and Iraqi forces have killed four insurgents and arrested 27 others. It happened in a raid in Baghdad's Sadr city neighborhood.

And there has been a car bombing in Baghdad; this time near a police recruiting site. At least seven people were killed.

More now on that growing hostage crisis in Iraq. Family and friends in Britain have held a vigil for Kenneth Bigley, who insurgents are threatening to kill.

Joining us live from London is CNN European political editor, Robin Oakley.

Hello -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Hello, Carol.

Obviously a desperate time for Kenneth Bigley and a hugely emotional time for his family, who have been issuing appeals to Prime Minister Tony Blair to do everything he can to save Kenneth Bigley's life by intervening in any way he can. And obviously there has been much concern in Mr. Bigley's home community in Liverpool, a vigil in the local church.

One of Kenneth Bigley's family has actually said that if he should be killed by his captors in Iraq, then Tony Blair will have blood on his hands.

But I think there is some public sympathy at the same time for Tony Blair accepting the difficulties of any prime minister in this situation that if you start negotiating with terrorists or giving in to any of their demands, then you put at risk other people, because the terrorists will simply increase their demands, make more captures and make more death threats for other objectives -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, Robin, we've been intrigued all morning long about the possible release of "Dr. Germ" from an Iraqi prison, one of the two Iraqi women being held prisoner in Iraq. Is there any evidence at all that Tony Blair might have pressured the Interim Iraqi Government to do that?

OAKLEY: No hard evidence, Carol. But obviously, one would expect these episodes to be tied together. It would be a very curious coincidence of timing otherwise that the Iraq Justice Ministry is talking about the release of one of these weapons scientists.

They, of course, are saying it's nothing to do with the kidnappers' demands, but we do know that the British government was trying to make any contact it could with the kidnappers using clerics in Iraq perhaps as a medium of getting some kind of communication with them.

But the British Foreign Office diplomat who went on Arabic television yesterday to plead for the release of Kenneth Bigley said that the British government had no say over the release of Iraqi women in jail; that it was not a British responsibility, he said -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley live from London this morning, thank you.

Iraqi insurgents show no signs of slowing down. Just a few minutes ago, we learned a U.S. soldier was killed near the northern city of Tikrit.

Joining us live by videophone from Tikrit is CNN's Jane Arraf.

Hello -- Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Hi, Carol.

It's kind of symbolic of what's going on here in Iraq's Sunni heartland, including Saddam's ancestral home of Tikrit. But a soldier was indeed killed just outside of Tikrit when he stopped to investigate a suspected roadside bomb. The bomb blew up, killing him.

Half an hour later, a much happier event, the reopening of a major bridge between Kirkuk and Tikrit. Now, this is a bridge that was bombed just after the war -- during the war actually, and has just now been reopened.

The beheadings and the killings of those foreigners are overshadowing everything. We spoke to some of the people there, some of the Western contractors, about what effect that was having, including the Iraq program director of Bechtel, Terry Valenzano, who said that despite the horrifying news, American workers were still signing up to come out to Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY VALENZANO, IRAQ PROGRAM DIRECTOR, BECHTEL: That's scary to anybody. No question about it. We are very conservative and very careful in our security measures. And we just -- we're on Amber Alert at all times. But anything like that, no matter what you do, has got to affect people, and it's unfortunate. It will take some time for us to get over that and for others as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ARRAF: The bottom line, Carol, despite the setbacks, despite the fatalities and despite the ongoing kidnappings and killings, there are other things going on, particularly out here, Iraqis and Americans, progress is being made -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane, we've been soliciting e-mail all morning about if the contractors and, you know, the private workers there in Iraq should be temporarily removed until the security station -- situation improves there.

This is from Pat, and I'd like you to answer his question. He says: "Considering the danger in Iraq, why would anyone stay?"

Why do they stay? Is it just because of the money, or is it more?

ARRAF: You know, the motivation is different for everyone. Certainly, a lot of these business people coming out have the chance to -- let's be frank. They have the chance to make more money than they ever would in the United States. And a lot of them think -- and we've talked to a lot of them. They think they are going to be lucky. It's not going to happen to them. They are going to take the risk, so they can buy that house, so they can send their kids to college.

For other people it's different. Every time one of these kidnappings, beheadings happens, even journalists say to themselves, "Do I really want to be here?"

But for most of us who are out here, and certainly everyone at this Army base in Tikrit particularly, we stay out here because we feel that it's worth it, because we're actually doing something worthwhile -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jane Arraf reporting live from Tikrit, Iraq, this morning.

Forty-one days and counting until the November presidential elections. Here is the latest from the campaign trail.

Senator John Kerry spent another day campaigning in Florida, and then he'll head -- actually, he'll head from Orlando to West Palm Beach for a town hall meeting, and then he'll move on to Columbus, Ohio.

President Bush heads to the battleground state of Pennsylvania today. First, he'll wrap up his visit to the U.N. in New York, and then he'll fly to suburban Philadelphia to talk about education. He'll also visit Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Bush-backers want some answers from the Kerry campaign about those suspicious CBS documents. The documents were used by CBS News in a story about the president's National Guard service. A senior Kerry advisor and one of Kerry's most prominent supporters had contact with the source, Bill Burkett. Burkett is the man who supplied the documents to CBS.

Burkett's attorney had this to say about what the network told his client.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID VAN OS, BILL BURKETT'S ATTORNEY: They promised him that they would keep his identity absolutely confidential. And they promised him that they would make sure that the documents are authentic, and that they would not use them unless their studies of the documents proved to them that they were authentic.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So, CBS-gate drags on with some conservatives calling for more extreme measures.

Let's head live to Washington and Chuck Todd, editor-in-chief of the "National's Journal's" "Hotline."

Good morning.

CHUCK TODD, "THE HOTLINE": Good morning.

COSTELLO: You know, we've been surfing the Web for editorials this morning. This one is from "The Washington Times." It says: "CBS has learned an all-too-painful lesson that is taught to first- year journalism students: The message means nothing if the facts are wrong."

The author, Joe Allbaugh, calls for Dan Rather to apologize directly to President Bush. But come on, he's already apologized. But if he does address President Bush, would that quiet the people asking -- or I hate to call them this, but I can't think of another word. Would that quiet the conspiracists?

TODD: I don't think it would. You know, look, conservatives have had a vendetta against Dan Rather for years. This has been in the making, and they've just been waiting for Rather to do something to prove their hunches correct. And he did something to prove their hunches correct.

I think the drive is going to be to continue this -- with some is to continue this until Rather quits or is fired, one or the other. Because they won't -- I don't think it will stop until then.

COSTELLO: Wow! Do you think that this will have an effect on the election?

TODD: I don't. I think this is -- I don't know if you remember four years ago and there was about a three-week -- I don't know. It was almost if you thought about this as a Greek tragedy. You know, there is always this sort of the comic scene on the side or whatever, the crazy comedian scene. About four years ago, we had that whole conspiracy over the debate tape. And did somebody leak a debate tape? And did somebody from the Bush campaign mail a copy of Bush's debate- practicing to Gore?

If you recall, it sort of got all of the Beltway media excited and playing, you know, Inspector Clouseau for about two weeks. But the voter didn't -- you know, it had no -- you know, at the end of -- none of us talked about it. None of us know that it feel like it ever did anything to the electorate or anything.

So, I think sometimes -- I think this is a media obsession, and I don't think the average voter is paying attention to this story very closely. All they know is, oh, wow, the media is -- you know, look, journalism -- I think journalists have a lower -- are thought of more lowly than lawyers these days. So, I don't think there is anything that can -- that the voter is going to learn on this.

COSTELLO: OK. OK, having said that, we're going to move on from our obsession with CBS and Dan Rather, on to "The New York Times" now. An editorial this morning calls President Bush's speech before the United Nations yesterday a defiant and wasted effort. It says: "Mr. Bush might have done better at wooing broader international support if he had spent less time on self-justification and scolding and more on praising the importance of international cooperation and a strengthened United Nations."

But as far as the electorate goes, does it matter? I mean, many Americans are not particularly fond of the United Nations these days.

TODD: Well, no. And it certainly plays to -- I mean, certainly President Bush's base is not a big fan of the United Nations and never has been.

I think that Bush had no choice but to keep the same tone. I mean, one of the things that has made the Iraq issue more of a problem for Kerry than for Bush is the fact that Bush has kept -- has sort of stuck to his guns or kept the perception that he's sticking to his guns, that he's not going to change, that he's steadfast, that he's steady, et cetera, et cetera.

And it's been a contrast to Kerry, who has the appearance of looking like that he's moving around on the issue, that he was more pro-Iraq war during the primaries, less now. It's a little nuance the way that the Bush campaign is attacking him, but it's having an effect, because Bush is so -- his positions haven't changed at all.

So, I think that he had no choice but to give the same type of speech. If he had suddenly sort of tried to, you know, invite more nations in to do these things then he would have looked like he was flip-flopping.

COSTELLO: Interesting. Chuck Todd, thanks for joining us this morning.

And just a clarification for you. "The Washington Times," the man who wrote that editorial, we were talking about Joe Allbaugh, is a contributor to "The Washington Times." And his article is in "The Washington Times" this morning, and you can catch it online. CNN's Election Express bus is rolling toward Palm Beach, Florida, for John Kerry's town hall meeting this afternoon. Be sure to join Judy Woodruff for that at 3:00 Eastern, noon Pacific.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, go Greek and live longer, the benefits of Mediterranean diet.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning.

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COSTELLO: In the international markets, Tokyo's Nikkei is down around 61 points. The London FTSE is up 4 points. And the Paris CAC is down, oh, just about 4.

Let's head live to New York and check in with Bill and Heidi to see what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Good morning.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

Politics and Iraq are topping our agenda today. Does either side have a viable solution for what's happening there? We'll talk to Jamie Rubin on the Kerry side. We'll talk to Dan Bartlett on the Republican side, too. So that's coming up.

COLLINS: We're also going to be talking about the Peterson trial today. There are some new audiotapes between Scott Peterson and the Modesto police detective that we told you about yesterday. That detective tried to get Peterson to confess, but there are some issues to talk about with that. So, we'll hear from prosecutor -- former prosecutor, that is, Dean Johnson on that one.

HEMMER: A lot of people in Florida and Alabama and Louisiana and North Carolina and South Carolina want to know this: When it comes to a hurricane, why are some spots hit so hard and others are spared? Chad is looking into that today for us today, Carol. So, we'll have it for you.

COLLINS: Yes, it was strange how you looked at some of that video, and a lot of people told us that, you know, one house was fine and the next house was just demolished.

HEMMER: Very true. Or even entire regions when it comes to the beaches.

COLLINS: Yes.

HEMMER: You can see the cut of the land on the ocean side, how storms sometimes skirt one way or the other.

COLLINS: Right. HEMMER: And you can go decades without a direct hit. So, we'll have it for you, Carol. How are you today, by the way?

COSTELLO: I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

HEMMER: You got it. Bye.

COLLINS: Bye, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll catch you guys in 10 minutes.

HEMMER: Sure.

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A car bomb attack today in Baghdad kills at least seven Iraqis. At least 47 others were wounded. The blast occurred near a police recruit center.

A Detroit-area teenager is now in jail after police say he threatened to gun down students at his high school. The 17-year-old is being held on more than $1 million bond. He was arrested after Internet message he allegedly sent to a girl outlining the attack were given to police.

In money news, little to smile about on your daily oil price report. Prices are up for a fourth day in a row. A barrel of crude costs $47.10.

In culture, Pele is still tops of the soccer world. A jersey worn by the Brazilian in the 1958 World Cup fetched over $100,000 at auction, but that is still behind his own record. Two years ago, his jersey from the 1970 World Cup brought in almost $300,000.

In sports, Barry Bonds will be around for at least two more seasons. The San Francisco Giants decided to drop their right to void his contract after next year. Ooh, what a smart move! That means that if and when Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's homerun record, it will be as a Giant.

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COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you.

All of you carb-conscious dieters listen up for a minute. We've got a menu that will turn your food pyramid on its side. Nutritionist Lisa Drayer will be here next to explain. You are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

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COSTELLO: There are numerous diets to help you trim down. But how about a diet for longevity?

Joining us now with details on the Mediterranean diet is registered dietitian Lisa Drayer.

Lisa, we've heard a lot about this diet. So, you know, it sort of goes by the wayside with the Atkins and stuff. So, tell us more about the Mediterranean diet.

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Right. Well, Carol, this is a great diet, and it's shown some pretty dramatic results. It comes from overseas. It originated in Crete, Greece and southern Italy.

Let's take a look at some research now that just came out of "The Journal of the American Medical Association." Individuals 70 to 90 years old living in Europe and following the Mediterranean diet -- this is a diet that's rich in whole grains, vegetables and fruits, also fish. But the diet is low in red meat and low and high-fat dairy foods. And the diet incorporates olive oil as the main source of fat. This is actually a separate category on the Mediterranean food guide pyramid. Individuals who consumed this diet were more likely to live longer, compared to those who didn't.

And just to give you some numbers, Carol, when researchers followed these individuals over a 10-year period, they found that those who consumed this diet had a 23-percent lower risk of death from all causes. And if these older individuals exercised, consumed a moderate amount of alcohol and didn't smoke, their risk of death was reduced by 65 percent.

Flipping this around, those who didn't follow this lifestyle had three times greater risk of death.

COSTELLO: Wow! I know this study looked at those over 70, suggesting it's never too late to benefit from dietary changes. But what about younger people?

DRAYER: Right. Well, clearly, it's never too late to start. That's the good news out of this diet. And I talked to Eric Rim (ph). He's a nutritional epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. He says the conclusion would not be to say that you can wait until you're 70 and then start this diet.

In fact, in another study on the Mediterranean diet published just this week, those who followed the diet experienced greater drops in body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin. These are indicators of diabetes risk. That was over a two-year period. And in this group, Carol, the average age was 44. So, clearly, we're talking about a younger group here.

COSTELLO: And what a delicious diet. I like the food in that diet. So, how do we put the plan into action, so to speak?

DRAYER: Right. Well, you don't necessarily have to travel to Greece, although it might be a nice trip. But let's take a look at some makeovers, some diet makeovers that we can make to shift towards a Mediterranean style of eating.

Instead of butter with your bread, you can dip it in olive oil. Instead of white rice, you can choose couscous, specifically whole wheat couscous. Instead of steak, choose salmon. Nuts instead of candy. And also a glass of wine instead of a can of soda. Alcohol was consumed moderately in moderate amounts among these individuals.

So, those are some quick tips that you can make to shift towards this beneficial style of eating.

COSTELLO: I'm going home right now to prepare. Thank you, Lisa.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Today's mug winner will be announced in two minutes. This is DAYBREAK for a Wednesday morning.

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COSTELLO: Earlier, we were talking to a political analyst about an op-ed piece in "The Washington Times." And it was written by Joe Allbaugh, and he wants CBS news anchor, Dan Rather, to apologize directly to President Bush. And we just wanted to make clear who Mr. Allbaugh is. He's president and CEO of the Allbaugh Company. He served as the director of FEMA under President Bush until March of 2003. And he was chief of staff to then Governor Bush. So just to clarify things for you.

And if you want to catch his op-ed piece, it's in "The Washington Times." And it's online this morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And all you have to do is register if you want to read it.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Hey, it's time to give away a mug. Well, actually, give a chance to give away a mug. You've got to answer these two correctly. What is the main source of fat in this new Mediterranean diet? And uzo (ph) is not the answer, because that is not a fat. So keep that in mind. And what pro-consumer bill will be considered by a House committee today? Maybe we'll call it a pro-driver bill, if you will.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's a nice quote.

MYERS: That's a little bit of a clue, because we did that a little bit -- probably 45 minutes ago. So, if you are just joining us, you'll have a better chance for that.

COSTELLO: Daybreak@CNN.com. That's Daybreak@CNN.com. And thanks for your e-mail this morning. It was quite interesting.

I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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