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CNN Live At Daybreak
Discussions Under Way on Details of Arafat's Impending Funeral; U.S. Commanders Say Resistance Lighter Than Expected in Falluja
Aired November 10, 2004 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now In The News": More kidnappings in Iraq. This time it is three members of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's extended family. A former aide says Allawi's cousin, the cousin's wife, and another relative were taken at gunpoint from their Baghdad home.
Palestinian and Israeli officials are making plans for Yasser Arafat's funeral. The Palestinian leader is not dead yet. He's still gravely ill in that Paris hospital. But the talked about plan is when he dies. The funeral will be held in Cairo, Egypt. The burial in Ramallah.
The battle for the Iraqi city of Falluja, going on, at this hour. And today U.S. military says its troops control 70 percent of the city. So far, at least 10 American troops have died. Two Iraqi soldiers have been killed.
Beware if you are taking the arthritis drug Bextra (ph). The American Heart Association has reportedly found that people taking the Pfizer drug have a high incidence of heart attacks and strokes.
Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's a new one.
COSTELLO: Yes, it is always something, isn't it?
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
COSTELLO: Let's right to the latest on Yasser Arafat now. Discussions are underway on the details of his impending funeral, while a top Islamic cleric arrives in Paris to sit with the critically ill Palestinian leader.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Cairo with the latest on the funeral preparations. And Jim Bittermann standing by at the hospital in Paris.
Jim, let's start with you. We are awaiting the arrival of that cleric. What is the status on that?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we haven't heard anything yet, Carol. He was supposed to have been here about an hour ago. One of the things we have heard, though, was from the Palestinian representative here in France who says he is not coming, that Tasier Al Tamimi (ph), is not coming here to authorize the removal of any life support equipment.
He's coming here as a friend of Arafat and to provide religious support, as she put it, in what may be the final hours of Arafat's life.
She says, however, that Arafat's condition has not changed overnight. That he remains in critical condition and in a deep coma. His brain is still functioning, although, his lungs and his kidneys, she said, are not doing so well.
So, that is basically the status here. We're waiting the sheik's arrival here. She said that there has also been some planning done for after Arafat's death. That the body, Yasser Arafat's body, would be taken from the hospital here. There will be a brief ceremony and he will be taken to a military airport outside Paris and then flown by a French military jet back to the Middle East -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And to Cairo, Egypt, to be exact. Jim Bittermann, live in Paris.
Let's go to Cairo now and CNN's Cairo Bureau Chief Ben Wedeman.
Ben, fill us in on what details have been worked out so far for the funeral service for Yasser Arafat?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, our understanding is that Egyptian officials contacted their Palestinian counterparts late last night and essentially made and offer to host what would amount to a state funeral for Yasser Arafat here in Cairo. And we are already getting indications that that funeral is planned for Friday, which tells you something about the information that is out there about the state of the Palestinian leader and the expectation.
The wide expectation here is that his death will be announced within the coming hours. We are told that Egyptian officials plan to put on a military funeral for the Palestinian leader in a suburb of Cairo and that they will provide the Palestinians with a military helicopter, which after this funeral will take the body of Yasser Arafat to the West Bank town of Ramallah.
But all of this, obviously, depends on when and if the Palestinians are going to announce if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is in fact dead -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman, live in Cairo, Egypt, this morning.
Ed Abington is an adviser to the Palestinian Authority and former U.S. consulate general in Israel. He joins us live from Ramallah, with some insight now.
Good morning, Sir.
ED ABINGTON, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY ADVISER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: It seems that things are coming together. Israel will probably allow Arafat to be buried in Ramallah. Do you think his body will stay there, though? Or will there be an effort to move his body to Jerusalem, something Israel doesn't want?
ABINGTON: I think that the position that the Palestinian are likely to take is that they will inter him here in Ramallah. And that when a Palestinian state is founded, with Jerusalem as its capital, East Jerusalem as its capital, they are likely to say that they would plan to disinter his body and move it to Jerusalem.
But, of course, that presupposes a lot of things. But I think that the arrangement that they worked out now avoids the possibility of a confrontation over where Arafat's should be buried. And I think the Palestinians very much want to avoid a confrontation at this delicate time.
COSTELLO: You know, the Palestinians are blaming Israelis for Arafat's ill health, because, you know, the Ramallah compound was in disrepair and Israel forced Arafat to stay there for three years.
You know, and then you hear about all this money that Arafat had, in banks outside of the Palestinian territory. Why didn't he use that money to at least make the Ramallah compound livable?
ABINGTON: Well, you know, the Israelis went in a couple of years ago and basically turned the compound into rubble. They have at least rebuilt part of it. But I think the Palestinians feel that if they rebuilt it, if something -- if there should be a serious security incident, the Israelis might very well come back in and knock it down again.
If you look at Palestinian Authority facilities, a lot of them were damaged a couple of years ago, they have rebuilt a lot of them. But the Makata (ph) has straight symbolic value. And I think they felt that if they did try to refurbish it and put it back into order that the Israelis would either interfere or they would destroy it again.
COSTELLO: I understand.
Let's talk about the money, just a little more. Suha Arafat supposedly knows where the money is. Maybe she controls it? We don't know. She did allow Palestinian leaders in to see her husband. They say things are repaired with Suha Arafat. Do you think that is true?
ABINGTON: Well, the statement that Suha Arafat made yesterday created an awful lot of anger among the Palestinian population. Nabil Schott (ph), the foreign minister, said that she was under great stress and that was the result -- the statement was the result of that stress and that it was just a misunderstanding.
But certainly Palestinian was quite upset by what she said. The question is, will she come back for the funeral here. Some people say that she is likely to do so. I think that the French government wanted to see a resolution of this problem. And they used their influence to make sure that the Palestinian delegation visited the hospital, got a briefing from the doctors, and were able to view Arafat.
COSTELLO: Ed Abington, and adviser to the Palestinian Authority and former U.S. consulate general in Israel, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
ABINGTON: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Here's what is coming up for you on this Wednesday morning, at 45 minutes past the hour. And update from the Pentagon on the fight for Falluja.
And American women are always fighting the battle of the bulge. At 54 minutes past the hour, a warning, pregnancy is not the time to diet. You could be starving your baby.
And your comments are just ahead. Airport X-rays, extra protection or privacy invasion? Send your thoughts to Daybreak@cnn.com, , Daybreak@cnn.com.
But first here's a look at what else is making news this morning
(GRAPHIC WITH HEADLINES)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:43 Eastern. Here's what is all new this morning.
The kidnapping threat (ph) hit home for Iraq's interim prime minister. An aide says three members of Ayad Allawi's extended family were taken at gunpoint from their Baghdad home on Tuesday. The kidnappers have made no demands yet.
Don't drink the water. That travel advice extends to when you are in flight. The EPA has found harmful bacteria in the water of one out of every eight planes tested. The government plans more frequent airline water inspections.
In money news, interest rates are rising again. The Federal Reserve is expected to hike the rates today for the fourth time this year. And analysts say it probably won't stop there due to the recent strong economic data.
In culture, happy birthday to Big Bird and the bunch. "Sesame Street" debuted on PBS 35 years ago today. In the past 35 years there have been more than 4,000 episodes. "Sesame Street" is seen in 120 countries.
In sports, Roger Clemens claims a record seventh Cy Young Award. Clemens finished the season with an 18-4 record. The 42-year-old right-hander is the oldest pitcher to ever win the award.
And I don't think he's stopping, Chad.
MYERS: No, and that was in the National League, too. See, he won all the other ones back in the American League. COSTELLO: He's just incredible.
MYERS: So, congratulations to him. There is always hope for us 40-something year olds, after all.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
COSTELLO: We want to take you live to Paris for just a bit. We do have a bit of news just in to CNN.
This is the big -- I guess it is a route that is cordoned off, as you can see. And you can see the many reporters awaiting the arrival of an Islamic cleric. That Islamic cleric will go to the bedside of Yasser Arafat, who remains in that Paris hospital in a deep coma.
We don't exactly what will transpire when the cleric arrives inside that hospital room, whether they will take Arafat off of life support systems? Or whether he will simply sit by Arafat's bedside.
When he arrives, and we believe he has arrived and he is somewhere in that motorcade you are seeing right now.
Oh, there he is, right there.
Is this in English? Can we go to this? This is not in English. So we have no translator right now. But of course, we're working on that, and when we get it translated we'll tell you what this Islamic cleric is saying.
Let's go on now and talk about Falluja. U.S. forces now control about 70 percent of the city. That is according to a top Marine officer. The troops are beginning to push into the last parts of the city, still in the hands of insurgents. At least 10 American troops and two Iraqi soldiers have been killed. And at least 22 have been wounded in and around the city since the start of the assault earlier this week.
U.S. commanders say the resistance has been lighter than expected in Falluja, but the insurgents are still putting up a fight. Kathleen Koch, live at the Pentagon this morning.
Good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
As you said, U.S. military officials are encouraged by the progress that has been made thus far in Falluja. As you pointed out, the resistance that coalition forces have faced thus far is certainly less than they initially expected.
The commander of the multinational corps in Iraq, saying not only have fewer booby traps been found, but also the enemy -- while fighting hard, is not fighting to the death and is continuing to fall back.
And Lt. General Thomas Metz says that coalition forces, up to this point, have achieved all of their objectives on or ahead of schedule. As you did point out, at last report, 10 U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers have been killed. Metz does warn that the battle is far from over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULTINATIONAL FORCE CMDR.: We're looking at several more days of tough urban fighting. I'm very pleased at the position that we have the force in right now and the situation that the enemy is facing.
He doesn't have an escape route because we do have the cordon around the city very tight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH (voice over): Metz and other top Pentagon officials, though, do certainly believe that militant leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is long gone from Falluja. They say that it is their belief at least that he and his top lieutenants slipped out well before this city was cordoned off on Sunday.
Infrared cameras, though, that are on spy planes that are hovering high above Falluja still indicate hot spots that the U.S. military believes proves that there are still a significant number militants in Falluja.
But there is concern that the good progress that is being made in this city is because so many of the insurgents, like Zarqawi, left before the fight ever began.
So, that what was Falluja's insurgency last will pop up next week in another city and have to be dealt with there -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Kathleen Koch, reporting live from the Pentagon this morning. Thank you.
Thin and pregnant, two words that usually don't go together, right? Well, not exactly. We'll take a look at why women who are pregnant are dieting. We'll take a look at that in three minutes.
And something new on DAYBREAK. This time every morning, we're going to see how much history you know. Every day at this time, we'll test your knowledge of trivia, as it applies to history.
Today's questions, are you ready? I know you are awake. Come on, get awake.
It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the Washington area. And it was dedicated on this day in 1954. What was it? We'll have the answer coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, our history trivia question for the morning: It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the Washington area and it was dedicated on this day in 1954. What is it?
I wish I had a drum roll, but I don't.
What is it? It is the Marine Corp Memorial, most people know it as the Iwo Jima Memorial. The monument took nine and a half years to complete and cost $850,000 to build. So, there you have it.
Women in our society face enormous pressure to stay thin. But during pregnancy doctors actually encourage women to gain weight. As part of our week-long series, "Starved for Perfection", Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, looks at the growing pressure to stay thin even when you are eating for two.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For many pregnant women, it is the ultimate goal, to stay as skinny as Sarah Jessica, Reese, or Katherine (ph), to look like Julia.
Here she is seven months pregnant with twins, to have that bump in the belly and not an ounce of fat showing anywhere else.
But the drive to stay skinny and sexy could be putting some pregnant women and their babies in danger. A Johns Hopkins study have found that one in five pregnant women actually think it is OK to skip meals, even though studies show that women who don't gain enough weight are more likely to have premature babies.
Today's hottest maternity fashions certainly make women want to watch the pounds.
(on camera): Talk about feeling pressure to look tiny when you are pregnant, now at maternity stores they sell thongs.
LIZ LANG, MATERNITY CLOTHING DESIGNER: We have dressed so many pregnant celebrities.
COHEN (voice over): Liz Lang is maternity clothing designer to stars like Julia Roberts and Kelly Ripa. She knows about the desire to stay little when you are getting bigger.
LANG: We have, in fact, had to add a smaller size. That size being a zero, a zero isn't a true zero. We have our own size system here. But a very, very small size for those skinny mini women, who are just, you know, skinny, skinny, skinny, with a little belly.
COHEN: Some doctors say the trend is not necessarily worrisome. It is possible for underweight women to give to birth to healthy babies. It happens everyday.
But other health experts worry too many women are putting their appearance ahead of their babies.
JULIE TUPLER, AUTHOR, "MATERNITY FITNESS": Going without food, or not getting those calories really effects the baby. COHEN: Doctors say it is best to gain between 25 and 30 pounds during pregnancy and to never, ever diet while pregnant. And here is some advice from the designer to the stars.
LANG: The idea of trying to have a skinny pregnancy is kind of crazy. You just want to celebrate this time and look good and feel good and have fun with it.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Our "Starved for Perfection" series continues tomorrow when Adaora Udoji will examine the body image problems men face. Women aren't alone when it comes to feeling insecure in their own skin. For more on this or any other health story, head to our web site, the address, CNN.com/health.
It is like something out of a James Bond movie, but patrons are not amused. We'll tell you why privacy is an issue in the spotlight at London's Heathrow Airport. Yep, make it X-rays.
That gets us to our e-mail question of the morning: Airport X- rays, extra protection or privacy invasion?
Oh, you are on this morning. We've been getting a lot of good e- mails in. The address, Daybreak@cnn.com. That is, Daybreak@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Straight to some e-mails, because they are so good this morning.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Airport security in Britain is getting a second look thanks to a new X-ray system that is able to look through your clothes. Right through your clothes to see if there are any dangerous objects being carried onto planes. Passengers are picked at random, you are asked to volunteer for these scans. But a British civil rights group calls it an invasion of privacy.
The new X-ray machines are on a four-month test run at Heathrow Airport.
So, we've been asking you this question. Extra protection or an invasion of privacy? And oh, you responded.
Would you like to begin?
MYERS: Barris (ph) says, "I'd be worried if they start using sunglass versions of these machines."
And also, from Gary, in Glade Springs, Virginia, would like to show, "This should not be so difficult. I'd rather have someone, a stranger, even if that's OK, see through my clothes than be on a plane with a terrorist who blows up my plane."
COSTELLO: Good point.
"Hey, Chad and Carol, why does it have to be anatomically correct? Is a weapon less dangerous if you know where it is stored on a person? Why can't it just be a silhouette like on the public bathroom door. Then a simple red dot would appear to indicate where the weapon or offensive object is located.
"I'm 43 and in great shape, by the way, I personally would not mind."
This is from Nils in Pittsburgh.
MYERS: It is really a silhouette, though.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: There really isn't anything.
COSTELLO: But it is a little more than a silhouette.
MYERS: Well, we do have some pictures here. They are hard to show. So, it is just -- you know what? If you could actually see something on a person that the X-ray or the little metal machine doesn't see. Doesn't that seem more important?
COSTELLO: Well, that is why we are soliciting e-mails this morning.
MYERS: Maybe there needs to be a men's line and a woman's line and then, you know, so that nobody is thinking something else.
COSTELLO: That's your e-mails this morning.
MYERS: Keep them coming.
COSTELLO: You might not realize it, but more people tend to watch the country music awards than tune in to see the Grammys or the Emmys. And there was plenty to see last night in Nashville.
For a while there, it almost looked like the Kenny Chesney show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, it's stuck!
MYERS: But he's real quiet.
(KENNY CHESNEY SINGING)
COSTELLO: That sounds nice. Chesney was named CMA's Entertainer of the Year. And also took home the top album award for "When The Sun Goes Down".
And for a third time in a row, Martina McBride was named Female Vocalist of the Year. Oh, I love her.
Keith Urban is this year's Best Male Vocalist.
MYERS: Brooks and Dunn!
COSTELLO: They were busy.
MYERS: They are my heroes.
COSTELLO: They were busy.
MYERS: "My Maria", that's the best song ever.
COSTELLO: They were busy, too, as hosts performers and winners of the Vocal Duo award.
MYERS: It is nice to see that they are ...
(SHANIA TWAIN SINGING)
COSTELLO: Shania Twain performed her new single, "Party of Two" and made several other appearances on the show. Twain also presented Single of the Year, which went to Tim McGraw for his hit "Live Like You Were Dying".
A cheery song from Tim McGraw.
MYERS: Good one, too. It is good to see that they're wearing their felt hats.
Because it is time to put away the straw hats, because it is winter.
COSTELLO: Oh, I didn't realize that. But thanks for filling us in.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 10, 2004 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Welcome to the second half hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.
"Now In The News": More kidnappings in Iraq. This time it is three members of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's extended family. A former aide says Allawi's cousin, the cousin's wife, and another relative were taken at gunpoint from their Baghdad home.
Palestinian and Israeli officials are making plans for Yasser Arafat's funeral. The Palestinian leader is not dead yet. He's still gravely ill in that Paris hospital. But the talked about plan is when he dies. The funeral will be held in Cairo, Egypt. The burial in Ramallah.
The battle for the Iraqi city of Falluja, going on, at this hour. And today U.S. military says its troops control 70 percent of the city. So far, at least 10 American troops have died. Two Iraqi soldiers have been killed.
Beware if you are taking the arthritis drug Bextra (ph). The American Heart Association has reportedly found that people taking the Pfizer drug have a high incidence of heart attacks and strokes.
Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's a new one.
COSTELLO: Yes, it is always something, isn't it?
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
COSTELLO: Let's right to the latest on Yasser Arafat now. Discussions are underway on the details of his impending funeral, while a top Islamic cleric arrives in Paris to sit with the critically ill Palestinian leader.
CNN's Ben Wedeman is in Cairo with the latest on the funeral preparations. And Jim Bittermann standing by at the hospital in Paris.
Jim, let's start with you. We are awaiting the arrival of that cleric. What is the status on that?
JIM BITTERMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we haven't heard anything yet, Carol. He was supposed to have been here about an hour ago. One of the things we have heard, though, was from the Palestinian representative here in France who says he is not coming, that Tasier Al Tamimi (ph), is not coming here to authorize the removal of any life support equipment.
He's coming here as a friend of Arafat and to provide religious support, as she put it, in what may be the final hours of Arafat's life.
She says, however, that Arafat's condition has not changed overnight. That he remains in critical condition and in a deep coma. His brain is still functioning, although, his lungs and his kidneys, she said, are not doing so well.
So, that is basically the status here. We're waiting the sheik's arrival here. She said that there has also been some planning done for after Arafat's death. That the body, Yasser Arafat's body, would be taken from the hospital here. There will be a brief ceremony and he will be taken to a military airport outside Paris and then flown by a French military jet back to the Middle East -- Carol.
COSTELLO: And to Cairo, Egypt, to be exact. Jim Bittermann, live in Paris.
Let's go to Cairo now and CNN's Cairo Bureau Chief Ben Wedeman.
Ben, fill us in on what details have been worked out so far for the funeral service for Yasser Arafat?
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF: Carol, our understanding is that Egyptian officials contacted their Palestinian counterparts late last night and essentially made and offer to host what would amount to a state funeral for Yasser Arafat here in Cairo. And we are already getting indications that that funeral is planned for Friday, which tells you something about the information that is out there about the state of the Palestinian leader and the expectation.
The wide expectation here is that his death will be announced within the coming hours. We are told that Egyptian officials plan to put on a military funeral for the Palestinian leader in a suburb of Cairo and that they will provide the Palestinians with a military helicopter, which after this funeral will take the body of Yasser Arafat to the West Bank town of Ramallah.
But all of this, obviously, depends on when and if the Palestinians are going to announce if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is in fact dead -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ben Wedeman, live in Cairo, Egypt, this morning.
Ed Abington is an adviser to the Palestinian Authority and former U.S. consulate general in Israel. He joins us live from Ramallah, with some insight now.
Good morning, Sir.
ED ABINGTON, PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY ADVISER: Good morning, Carol.
COSTELLO: It seems that things are coming together. Israel will probably allow Arafat to be buried in Ramallah. Do you think his body will stay there, though? Or will there be an effort to move his body to Jerusalem, something Israel doesn't want?
ABINGTON: I think that the position that the Palestinian are likely to take is that they will inter him here in Ramallah. And that when a Palestinian state is founded, with Jerusalem as its capital, East Jerusalem as its capital, they are likely to say that they would plan to disinter his body and move it to Jerusalem.
But, of course, that presupposes a lot of things. But I think that the arrangement that they worked out now avoids the possibility of a confrontation over where Arafat's should be buried. And I think the Palestinians very much want to avoid a confrontation at this delicate time.
COSTELLO: You know, the Palestinians are blaming Israelis for Arafat's ill health, because, you know, the Ramallah compound was in disrepair and Israel forced Arafat to stay there for three years.
You know, and then you hear about all this money that Arafat had, in banks outside of the Palestinian territory. Why didn't he use that money to at least make the Ramallah compound livable?
ABINGTON: Well, you know, the Israelis went in a couple of years ago and basically turned the compound into rubble. They have at least rebuilt part of it. But I think the Palestinians feel that if they rebuilt it, if something -- if there should be a serious security incident, the Israelis might very well come back in and knock it down again.
If you look at Palestinian Authority facilities, a lot of them were damaged a couple of years ago, they have rebuilt a lot of them. But the Makata (ph) has straight symbolic value. And I think they felt that if they did try to refurbish it and put it back into order that the Israelis would either interfere or they would destroy it again.
COSTELLO: I understand.
Let's talk about the money, just a little more. Suha Arafat supposedly knows where the money is. Maybe she controls it? We don't know. She did allow Palestinian leaders in to see her husband. They say things are repaired with Suha Arafat. Do you think that is true?
ABINGTON: Well, the statement that Suha Arafat made yesterday created an awful lot of anger among the Palestinian population. Nabil Schott (ph), the foreign minister, said that she was under great stress and that was the result -- the statement was the result of that stress and that it was just a misunderstanding.
But certainly Palestinian was quite upset by what she said. The question is, will she come back for the funeral here. Some people say that she is likely to do so. I think that the French government wanted to see a resolution of this problem. And they used their influence to make sure that the Palestinian delegation visited the hospital, got a briefing from the doctors, and were able to view Arafat.
COSTELLO: Ed Abington, and adviser to the Palestinian Authority and former U.S. consulate general in Israel, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning.
ABINGTON: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Here's what is coming up for you on this Wednesday morning, at 45 minutes past the hour. And update from the Pentagon on the fight for Falluja.
And American women are always fighting the battle of the bulge. At 54 minutes past the hour, a warning, pregnancy is not the time to diet. You could be starving your baby.
And your comments are just ahead. Airport X-rays, extra protection or privacy invasion? Send your thoughts to Daybreak@cnn.com, , Daybreak@cnn.com.
But first here's a look at what else is making news this morning
(GRAPHIC WITH HEADLINES)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports, it is 5:43 Eastern. Here's what is all new this morning.
The kidnapping threat (ph) hit home for Iraq's interim prime minister. An aide says three members of Ayad Allawi's extended family were taken at gunpoint from their Baghdad home on Tuesday. The kidnappers have made no demands yet.
Don't drink the water. That travel advice extends to when you are in flight. The EPA has found harmful bacteria in the water of one out of every eight planes tested. The government plans more frequent airline water inspections.
In money news, interest rates are rising again. The Federal Reserve is expected to hike the rates today for the fourth time this year. And analysts say it probably won't stop there due to the recent strong economic data.
In culture, happy birthday to Big Bird and the bunch. "Sesame Street" debuted on PBS 35 years ago today. In the past 35 years there have been more than 4,000 episodes. "Sesame Street" is seen in 120 countries.
In sports, Roger Clemens claims a record seventh Cy Young Award. Clemens finished the season with an 18-4 record. The 42-year-old right-hander is the oldest pitcher to ever win the award.
And I don't think he's stopping, Chad.
MYERS: No, and that was in the National League, too. See, he won all the other ones back in the American League. COSTELLO: He's just incredible.
MYERS: So, congratulations to him. There is always hope for us 40-something year olds, after all.
(WEATHER FORECAST)
COSTELLO: We want to take you live to Paris for just a bit. We do have a bit of news just in to CNN.
This is the big -- I guess it is a route that is cordoned off, as you can see. And you can see the many reporters awaiting the arrival of an Islamic cleric. That Islamic cleric will go to the bedside of Yasser Arafat, who remains in that Paris hospital in a deep coma.
We don't exactly what will transpire when the cleric arrives inside that hospital room, whether they will take Arafat off of life support systems? Or whether he will simply sit by Arafat's bedside.
When he arrives, and we believe he has arrived and he is somewhere in that motorcade you are seeing right now.
Oh, there he is, right there.
Is this in English? Can we go to this? This is not in English. So we have no translator right now. But of course, we're working on that, and when we get it translated we'll tell you what this Islamic cleric is saying.
Let's go on now and talk about Falluja. U.S. forces now control about 70 percent of the city. That is according to a top Marine officer. The troops are beginning to push into the last parts of the city, still in the hands of insurgents. At least 10 American troops and two Iraqi soldiers have been killed. And at least 22 have been wounded in and around the city since the start of the assault earlier this week.
U.S. commanders say the resistance has been lighter than expected in Falluja, but the insurgents are still putting up a fight. Kathleen Koch, live at the Pentagon this morning.
Good morning, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
As you said, U.S. military officials are encouraged by the progress that has been made thus far in Falluja. As you pointed out, the resistance that coalition forces have faced thus far is certainly less than they initially expected.
The commander of the multinational corps in Iraq, saying not only have fewer booby traps been found, but also the enemy -- while fighting hard, is not fighting to the death and is continuing to fall back.
And Lt. General Thomas Metz says that coalition forces, up to this point, have achieved all of their objectives on or ahead of schedule. As you did point out, at last report, 10 U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers have been killed. Metz does warn that the battle is far from over.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULTINATIONAL FORCE CMDR.: We're looking at several more days of tough urban fighting. I'm very pleased at the position that we have the force in right now and the situation that the enemy is facing.
He doesn't have an escape route because we do have the cordon around the city very tight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH (voice over): Metz and other top Pentagon officials, though, do certainly believe that militant leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is long gone from Falluja. They say that it is their belief at least that he and his top lieutenants slipped out well before this city was cordoned off on Sunday.
Infrared cameras, though, that are on spy planes that are hovering high above Falluja still indicate hot spots that the U.S. military believes proves that there are still a significant number militants in Falluja.
But there is concern that the good progress that is being made in this city is because so many of the insurgents, like Zarqawi, left before the fight ever began.
So, that what was Falluja's insurgency last will pop up next week in another city and have to be dealt with there -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Kathleen Koch, reporting live from the Pentagon this morning. Thank you.
Thin and pregnant, two words that usually don't go together, right? Well, not exactly. We'll take a look at why women who are pregnant are dieting. We'll take a look at that in three minutes.
And something new on DAYBREAK. This time every morning, we're going to see how much history you know. Every day at this time, we'll test your knowledge of trivia, as it applies to history.
Today's questions, are you ready? I know you are awake. Come on, get awake.
It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the Washington area. And it was dedicated on this day in 1954. What was it? We'll have the answer coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: OK, our history trivia question for the morning: It is one of the most recognizable monuments in the Washington area and it was dedicated on this day in 1954. What is it?
I wish I had a drum roll, but I don't.
What is it? It is the Marine Corp Memorial, most people know it as the Iwo Jima Memorial. The monument took nine and a half years to complete and cost $850,000 to build. So, there you have it.
Women in our society face enormous pressure to stay thin. But during pregnancy doctors actually encourage women to gain weight. As part of our week-long series, "Starved for Perfection", Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, looks at the growing pressure to stay thin even when you are eating for two.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For many pregnant women, it is the ultimate goal, to stay as skinny as Sarah Jessica, Reese, or Katherine (ph), to look like Julia.
Here she is seven months pregnant with twins, to have that bump in the belly and not an ounce of fat showing anywhere else.
But the drive to stay skinny and sexy could be putting some pregnant women and their babies in danger. A Johns Hopkins study have found that one in five pregnant women actually think it is OK to skip meals, even though studies show that women who don't gain enough weight are more likely to have premature babies.
Today's hottest maternity fashions certainly make women want to watch the pounds.
(on camera): Talk about feeling pressure to look tiny when you are pregnant, now at maternity stores they sell thongs.
LIZ LANG, MATERNITY CLOTHING DESIGNER: We have dressed so many pregnant celebrities.
COHEN (voice over): Liz Lang is maternity clothing designer to stars like Julia Roberts and Kelly Ripa. She knows about the desire to stay little when you are getting bigger.
LANG: We have, in fact, had to add a smaller size. That size being a zero, a zero isn't a true zero. We have our own size system here. But a very, very small size for those skinny mini women, who are just, you know, skinny, skinny, skinny, with a little belly.
COHEN: Some doctors say the trend is not necessarily worrisome. It is possible for underweight women to give to birth to healthy babies. It happens everyday.
But other health experts worry too many women are putting their appearance ahead of their babies.
JULIE TUPLER, AUTHOR, "MATERNITY FITNESS": Going without food, or not getting those calories really effects the baby. COHEN: Doctors say it is best to gain between 25 and 30 pounds during pregnancy and to never, ever diet while pregnant. And here is some advice from the designer to the stars.
LANG: The idea of trying to have a skinny pregnancy is kind of crazy. You just want to celebrate this time and look good and feel good and have fun with it.
COHEN: Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Our "Starved for Perfection" series continues tomorrow when Adaora Udoji will examine the body image problems men face. Women aren't alone when it comes to feeling insecure in their own skin. For more on this or any other health story, head to our web site, the address, CNN.com/health.
It is like something out of a James Bond movie, but patrons are not amused. We'll tell you why privacy is an issue in the spotlight at London's Heathrow Airport. Yep, make it X-rays.
That gets us to our e-mail question of the morning: Airport X- rays, extra protection or privacy invasion?
Oh, you are on this morning. We've been getting a lot of good e- mails in. The address, Daybreak@cnn.com. That is, Daybreak@cnn.com.
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COSTELLO: Straight to some e-mails, because they are so good this morning.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Airport security in Britain is getting a second look thanks to a new X-ray system that is able to look through your clothes. Right through your clothes to see if there are any dangerous objects being carried onto planes. Passengers are picked at random, you are asked to volunteer for these scans. But a British civil rights group calls it an invasion of privacy.
The new X-ray machines are on a four-month test run at Heathrow Airport.
So, we've been asking you this question. Extra protection or an invasion of privacy? And oh, you responded.
Would you like to begin?
MYERS: Barris (ph) says, "I'd be worried if they start using sunglass versions of these machines."
And also, from Gary, in Glade Springs, Virginia, would like to show, "This should not be so difficult. I'd rather have someone, a stranger, even if that's OK, see through my clothes than be on a plane with a terrorist who blows up my plane."
COSTELLO: Good point.
"Hey, Chad and Carol, why does it have to be anatomically correct? Is a weapon less dangerous if you know where it is stored on a person? Why can't it just be a silhouette like on the public bathroom door. Then a simple red dot would appear to indicate where the weapon or offensive object is located.
"I'm 43 and in great shape, by the way, I personally would not mind."
This is from Nils in Pittsburgh.
MYERS: It is really a silhouette, though.
COSTELLO: Yes.
MYERS: There really isn't anything.
COSTELLO: But it is a little more than a silhouette.
MYERS: Well, we do have some pictures here. They are hard to show. So, it is just -- you know what? If you could actually see something on a person that the X-ray or the little metal machine doesn't see. Doesn't that seem more important?
COSTELLO: Well, that is why we are soliciting e-mails this morning.
MYERS: Maybe there needs to be a men's line and a woman's line and then, you know, so that nobody is thinking something else.
COSTELLO: That's your e-mails this morning.
MYERS: Keep them coming.
COSTELLO: You might not realize it, but more people tend to watch the country music awards than tune in to see the Grammys or the Emmys. And there was plenty to see last night in Nashville.
For a while there, it almost looked like the Kenny Chesney show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Ah, it's stuck!
MYERS: But he's real quiet.
(KENNY CHESNEY SINGING)
COSTELLO: That sounds nice. Chesney was named CMA's Entertainer of the Year. And also took home the top album award for "When The Sun Goes Down".
And for a third time in a row, Martina McBride was named Female Vocalist of the Year. Oh, I love her.
Keith Urban is this year's Best Male Vocalist.
MYERS: Brooks and Dunn!
COSTELLO: They were busy.
MYERS: They are my heroes.
COSTELLO: They were busy.
MYERS: "My Maria", that's the best song ever.
COSTELLO: They were busy, too, as hosts performers and winners of the Vocal Duo award.
MYERS: It is nice to see that they are ...
(SHANIA TWAIN SINGING)
COSTELLO: Shania Twain performed her new single, "Party of Two" and made several other appearances on the show. Twain also presented Single of the Year, which went to Tim McGraw for his hit "Live Like You Were Dying".
A cheery song from Tim McGraw.
MYERS: Good one, too. It is good to see that they're wearing their felt hats.
Because it is time to put away the straw hats, because it is winter.
COSTELLO: Oh, I didn't realize that. But thanks for filling us in.
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