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CNN Live At Daybreak

Latest Attacks by Insurgents in Iraq With Elections Just Days Away; 60th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz

Aired January 27, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Are airline passengers the victims of skyway robbery when they change plans? We'll see what it's costing you.
And call it the dumb jock defense. We'll get the play by play on a major corporate fraud trial.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I defended my wife like any man or husband would.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: New Jersey's governor stands his ground after a shock jock makes remarks about the state's first lady.

It is Thursday, January 27.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the celebration of Peace Day is marred by a suicide bomber in Iraq. At least one person is dead, three others wounded, after a car bomb explodes in Ba'qubah. The bomb went off outside of the governor's office.

The horrors of the Holocaust are being remembered on this, the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Vice President Dick Cheney is among world leaders in Poland remembering the millions of people killed by the Nazis.

FBI agents have raided the home of an alleged steroid dealer, Victor Conte, in San Mateo, California. Conte is awaiting the latest for allegedly providing steroids to more than 30 professional sports figures.

Dick Clark has been released from a California hospital. The 75- year-old entertainer had a minor stroke seven weeks ago. Clark will continue to recuperate at his Malibu home.

To the forecast center now and Rob Marciano, in for Chad Myers this morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Topping the news this hour, an employee who had recently been disciplined opens fire with a shotgun. It happened last night at the Jeep production plant in Toledo, Ohio. The gunman killed a supervisor and wounded two other employees before killing himself.

Afterward, other employees had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why didn't they shut off his badge so he couldn't get in that gate? How he got in the gate, nobody knows.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Worried and scared and nervous. I've never been in a situation -- I've been in the Gulf War, but never this close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were people just shooting up right in the plant?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right in the plant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unbelievable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Evidently, he had been suspended or fired and his badge still worked, so he was able to get inside that plant. Police say the gunman did enter the plant with a hit list of three people he wanted to shoot.

Prosecutors will decide what charges to file against the man blamed for yesterday's pileup of two passenger trains and a freight train in Glendale, California. Police believe the man was intent on suicide when he stopped his Jeep on the railroad tracks. But he jumped out before the train hit the Jeep and then smashed into two other trains. At least 11 people were killed, 120 injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE: There's some indication from other families and so forth that there may be additional people missing and so forth. At this particular point, we're in a recovery mission, trying to make sure that if there were any additional bodies at the scene, they are located.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The suspect is now in custody. He's being treated for minor self-inflicted wounds. After one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meets in closed session with the Senate Armed Services Committee. Security in Iraq is uppermost on everyone's mind, with national elections now just three days away.

Rumsfeld commented on the latest violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: These are people that know they have a lot to lose if Iraq is successfully in setting itself on a path of democracy. So one has to expect that the level of violence will either stay where it is or go up or down modestly during this period, as they attempt to prevent from happening that which is going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And today in Iraq, there was more violence.

CNN's Jeff Koinange live in Baghdad to tell us about it -- hello, Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Carol.

And it seems the insurgents are changing tactics and with equally devastating effect. We start in this town of Sinjar. That's up in Kurdistan, a farming community. An insurgent commandeered a tractor and drove it right up to the offices of the Kurdish Democratic Party, detonating himself, killing up to five, wounding 17.

In Ba'qubah, in the Sunni Triangle, a suicide bomber parked his vehicle right outside a police checkpoint, right by the governor's office, detonating himself, killing an Iraqi policeman, wounding up to five.

And here in Baghdad, insurgents fired a rocket propelled grenade right into the house of the deputy interior minister. It missed its target, damaging several vehicles. No one was reported hurt in that incident.

And insurgents broke into the offices of an Iraqi businessman and beheaded him, accusing him, allegedly, of being a spy.

So with three days to go before the country's crucial elections, the country leaps on toward its date with destiny -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange live in Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

It is a somber mood at Camp Pendleton, California a day after 30 Marines were killed in a helicopter crash. Four other Marines were killed in an ambush. Tony Hernandez, a 22-year-old Marine from Texas, was among those killed in the chopper crash. He married his long time girlfriend just a year ago. Hernandez's mother talked with our affiliate station in San Antonio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN STOUT, MOTHER: It's every mother's nightmare for their child to be in a war. And you pray every day that they come home safe, but you know deep in your heart that there's always that chance that they won't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In addition to the Marine deaths, a Navy corpsman and two soldiers were killed in Iraq. And that pushes the U.S. death toll in the war to 1,418.

The State Department says at least three Americans could still be hostages in Iraq. The announcement comes after a video of American Roy Hallums surfaced on Tuesday. In it, Hallums pleads for his life. But the tape offers no clue when the tape was made.

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher says three Americans are being held hostage and says there is a "handful of others unaccounted for."

UNDER FIRE -- STORIES FROM THE NEW IRAQ. It airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific time. Just a little program note for you.

It was 60 years ago today that Soviet troops saw the worst of the Holocaust. There were just 7,000 survivors left when they liberated the Auschwitz death camp.

CNN Berlin bureau chief Chris Burns has more on this solemn anniversary from Poland.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And a brutally cold morning it is here in Poland. It's been showing for the last few days, very windy, sub-freezing temperatures, and you can imagine the concerns for more than 1,000 survivors of the Auschwitz death camp who are on their way over there, as well. There will be blankets for them. There will be hot drinks. And, of course, there is also very tight security at the same time for more than 40 leaders, heads of state and others, including U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

There will be 2,800 police watching this event. This event that begins in the afternoon with the arrival of a train and a whistle signaling about the time when Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp. There were only about 7,000 prisoners left at the time, but there were seven tons of hair from those who were killed.

Among the survivors, here is the story of one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) BURNS (voice-over): Josef Paszynski was a 20-year-old Polish prisoner of war when he was sent to Auschwitz. While fellow soldiers were murdered, he survived working as a barber for the Nazi officers and guards.

JOSEF PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): After every selection and gassing, they would come to the barber shop after the deed, and they seemed abnormal. I could smell the stench from them and I could see in their faces they were conscious of what they did, but not one of them said a word.

BURNS: Among his customers, camp commander Rudolph Hess.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Every morning and evening, he would be by the Arbeit Mach Frei Gate just watching. The orchestra would be playing and he would be there like a mummy without saying a word, just watching the prisoners going out to work and returning tired, carrying the corpses.

BURNS: Paszynski says he watched a mass execution from a nearby building, as S.S. guards told hundreds of Jewish men to undress and sent them into a gas chamber.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I saw an S.S. guard climb the roof. He had a gas mask, and he put some powder into a little hole. And soon I could hear a great scream come out from the building, in spite of the fact that the walls were pretty thick. And the scream lasted for about 15 minutes and then became weaker and weaker. And after about 20 minutes, it was all silent.

BURNS: Paszynski's testimony later helped convict S.S. guards of crimes against humanity, though during the war, Hess' barber passed up plenty of chances to kill the man.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is true I could do it, but the consequences would be that my whole family would be killed and half of the inmates. And I realized that if this silent son of a bitch would go, they would put another in his place.

BURNS: Sent on a death march as Soviet forces approached Auschwitz, Paszynski was later freed by American troops at another camp two days before Germany's surrender.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We had the hope that such a thing would never happen again, but these things are happening again in other parts of the world.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BURNS: And yet aging Auschwitz survivors like Josef Paszynski press on, telling their story, hoping that by speaking of the horrors here, they can stir people to action, to stop genocide, hoping there will be others who will carry that torch long after them.

Chris Burns, CNN, Auschwitz, Poland. COSTELLO: And you can hear more survivors' stories at cnn.com's special section dedicated to the Auschwitz anniversary. Read more about the liberation and see what stands in place of the camp today. All that at cnn.com/Auschwitz.

Across America this morning, a group of passengers stepped in to subdue an unruly man aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach. Police say the man made threats and headed for the cockpit after being told by a flight attendant to quiet down. He faces a federal charge of interfering with the operation of a flight crew.

A dog owner in Colorado is facing charges after his pit bull mauled a pair of poodles. Frank Roth will be in court today on charges of having a dangerous dog and a dog at large. Roth's pit bull allegedly broke loose and killed the neighbor's dog. The pit bull is being held at the local Humane Society.

A high seas mission is underway to help a research ship that was damaged by a 50-foot wave. The ship is carrying 681 college students as part of a semester at sea program. The Coast Guard is coordinating efforts about 650 miles south of Alaska.

He was a milkman, a bouncer and a basketball coach, but his defense is he's no economist. An update on one of the biggest corporate fraud trials in the country just ahead.

Our military analyst is ready to take your questions about the Iraqi elections. We're answering your e-mail questions at 23 minutes past the hour. If you have a question for General Shepperd, it's daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

And two Florida grade schoolers are paying a heavy price for their art work. We'll tell you why police and school officials are so concerned.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was to deliver what he called a special message today to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But Abbas postponed his visit and he gave no reason for the change of plans.

Condoleezza Rice is already planning her first trip as secretary of state. She was confirmed by the Senate yesterday. She'll likely be going to Europe and the Middle East as early as next week. In money news, a Baby Bell is set to buy its former parent. SBC Communications, the second largest regional phone company, is in talks to acquire AT&T. The deal is reportedly worth about $15 billion.

In culture, Kid Rock says he's looking for a company more interested in music than IPOs. The singer says he's parting ways with his music publisher, Warner Tamerlane. Kid Rock points to a lack of support for his last tour as the reason for the split.

In sports, Serena Williams rallied from a set down to beat Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of the Australian Open. It was a replay of the Wimbledon finals, which Sharapova won if you remember. Serena will face number one seed Lindsay Davenport in the final -- Rob.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers is on trial for his alleged role in fraud at the company. Ebbers is using an interesting defense, though.

Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site to tell us about it -- good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it is interesting, Carol. Bernie Ebbers, former WorldCom chief, basically saying in his defense that he didn't know much about the economics of the company while he was head of it. He says he was the leader who left the accounting issues to others. He says his lawyers, rather, played a tape for the jury of a conference call from February of 2002, when Ebbers responded to a question about accounting by saying, "I'm a P.E. graduate, not an economist," P.E. as in physical education.

He also said he could not speak to economics with any credibility. And, of course, attorneys argue that he was a sharp businessman, but he left details with accounting and finance to others, including Scott Sullivan, WorldCom's former CFO, chief financial officer.

Ebbers, of course, is on trial, facing charges that he orchestrated an $11 billion accounting fraud that eventually drove WorldCom into the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.

So the trial continues.

Turning to futures, we are expecting a bit of a lower open. Techs especially looking weak.

One stock to watch, Starbucks, reporting profits last night after the close of trading. Starbucks saw a 31 increase in quarterly profits, raising guidance for this year. But the stock fell nearly 3 percent last night -- Carol, that's the latest from here.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you, live from the NASDAQ market site.

Just ahead this hour, those ridiculous fees the airlines charge you for just changing your ticket, well, they're the ones changing now. But does it mean an end to what some call skyway robbery? We'll talk to "USA Today's" airline reporter, Ben Mutzabaugh.

And find out what role the U.S. military will play in Iraq's election. We'll talk to our military expert about what to expect.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The closer the elections in Iraq get, the more intense the violence. A suicide bomb explodes in the Iraqi city of Ba'qubah. It happened early this morning. One person was killed, three others wounded. Today was to be celebrated as Peace Day. The Iraq elections just three days away now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The elections are going forward. Every expectation is that they will meet a measure of success. But the period of aftermath of the elections is fraught with uncertainty and we should prepare the American people for as many eventualities as could possibly happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And despite the violence and some confusion, the vote will go as scheduled in Iraq. As for security, we now have some idea of the role the U.S. military will play.

Live to our military analyst, General Don Shepperd -- good morning.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: I guess the first question is, is how much of a role will U.S. security forces play? I've heard a lot of different things, like they'll make concentric circles around all of the polling places.

Have you heard anything about that?

SHEPPERD: Yes, I think basically the U.S. is going to play a backup role. The idea behind the U.S. is to conduct offensive raids before the election to interrupt the insurgents wherever they can. And then during the elections themselves, concentric circles to prevent obvious attacks by the insurgents as the Iraqi forces themselves, the Iraqi security forces, protect the polling places.

Carol -- they're a backup role.

COSTELLO: OK. So the United States military is the backup role? The Iraqi security forces will be front and center right at the polling places? SHEPPERD: Indeed. That's the whole idea. The whole idea is to lower the profile of the U.S. forces and gradually transfer security, responsibility of security for the nation, for the cities and what have you, to Iraqi forces as they are trained.

COSTELLO: I've also heard that they will allow no cars to be anywhere near the polling places, for obvious reasons.

How will people actually get to the polling place, then?

SHEPPERD: Well, in the larger cities, of course, they'll walk and take other means of transportation -- taxis, buses and what have you. In the outlying cities, walking is not very much of a problem. But the limitation of traffic is just an obvious security step. We did it during our inauguration. We do it all the time at points of danger in U.S. assemblies and what have you. So it's a very, very smart and necessary preparation.

COSTELLO: How many people are expected to go to the polls? What are they expecting?

SHEPPERD: Yes, that's hard to say, because you hear all kinds of how many registered voters there are. Now, in the United States, somewhere upwards of 40 percent of the registered voters voted in this last election. In Iraq, polls have shown that upwards of 80 percent of the registered population there, whatever that final number ends up being, are really interested in voting. It's really hard to tell and on election day, the number of attacks and where they take place will have a great effect on the total number of votes.

COSTELLO: After the election -- and we heard Senator Warner warning the American people that the violence may not die down even after the election takes place.

Can you get more into that, about what they're expecting and why he says it's so important to prepare the American people for that?

SHEPPERD: Yes. This first election is to elect a transitional national assembly, basically, a president. The are two -- a president, two deputy presidents, a prime minister. And they will write the constitution. Appointing cabinet ministers and writing that constitution will take the better part of next year, 2005.

Now, hopefully another election will take place in December of 2005. That is the real first government under the new constitution. That entire time we expect that insurgents will insert violence wherever they can and try to punish those who are taking part in elections and taking part in the transitional government. It's going to be a rough walk no matter how long we're there -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, because many Americans are hoping that after these elections take place, the U.S. troops can begin withdrawing from the region.

But that probably won't happen, will it? SHEPPERD: Actually, I think it will happen. I think you will see this transitional government ask us to start reducing our forces come next year. It won't be large numbers, probably, because we are still going to be training their forces and getting them ready to take over security, both their police forces and their military and border guards across the country. But you can't do that real, real quickly. And so I expect in 2005 we'll see some reduction in forces. I do think you'll see major reductions in forces taking place in 2006. It all depends on the level of violence and how prepared Iraqi forces become and how quickly.

COSTELLO: General Don Shepperd joining us live from Atlanta this morning.

Thank you.

SHEPPERD: Thank you.

COSTELLO: We have much more ahead this week as Iraq prepares for its historic election. CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn are all on the story tonight, starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in a CNN special report.

But first, this is DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired January 27, 2005 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Are airline passengers the victims of skyway robbery when they change plans? We'll see what it's costing you.
And call it the dumb jock defense. We'll get the play by play on a major corporate fraud trial.

Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I defended my wife like any man or husband would.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: New Jersey's governor stands his ground after a shock jock makes remarks about the state's first lady.

It is Thursday, January 27.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello.

Now in the news, the celebration of Peace Day is marred by a suicide bomber in Iraq. At least one person is dead, three others wounded, after a car bomb explodes in Ba'qubah. The bomb went off outside of the governor's office.

The horrors of the Holocaust are being remembered on this, the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp. Vice President Dick Cheney is among world leaders in Poland remembering the millions of people killed by the Nazis.

FBI agents have raided the home of an alleged steroid dealer, Victor Conte, in San Mateo, California. Conte is awaiting the latest for allegedly providing steroids to more than 30 professional sports figures.

Dick Clark has been released from a California hospital. The 75- year-old entertainer had a minor stroke seven weeks ago. Clark will continue to recuperate at his Malibu home.

To the forecast center now and Rob Marciano, in for Chad Myers this morning.

ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Topping the news this hour, an employee who had recently been disciplined opens fire with a shotgun. It happened last night at the Jeep production plant in Toledo, Ohio. The gunman killed a supervisor and wounded two other employees before killing himself.

Afterward, other employees had this to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why didn't they shut off his badge so he couldn't get in that gate? How he got in the gate, nobody knows.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Worried and scared and nervous. I've never been in a situation -- I've been in the Gulf War, but never this close.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were people just shooting up right in the plant?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right in the plant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's unbelievable.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, unbelievable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Evidently, he had been suspended or fired and his badge still worked, so he was able to get inside that plant. Police say the gunman did enter the plant with a hit list of three people he wanted to shoot.

Prosecutors will decide what charges to file against the man blamed for yesterday's pileup of two passenger trains and a freight train in Glendale, California. Police believe the man was intent on suicide when he stopped his Jeep on the railroad tracks. But he jumped out before the train hit the Jeep and then smashed into two other trains. At least 11 people were killed, 120 injured.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RANDY ADAMS, GLENDALE POLICE: There's some indication from other families and so forth that there may be additional people missing and so forth. At this particular point, we're in a recovery mission, trying to make sure that if there were any additional bodies at the scene, they are located.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The suspect is now in custody. He's being treated for minor self-inflicted wounds. After one of the deadliest days for U.S. forces in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld meets in closed session with the Senate Armed Services Committee. Security in Iraq is uppermost on everyone's mind, with national elections now just three days away.

Rumsfeld commented on the latest violence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: These are people that know they have a lot to lose if Iraq is successfully in setting itself on a path of democracy. So one has to expect that the level of violence will either stay where it is or go up or down modestly during this period, as they attempt to prevent from happening that which is going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And today in Iraq, there was more violence.

CNN's Jeff Koinange live in Baghdad to tell us about it -- hello, Jeff.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello there, Carol.

And it seems the insurgents are changing tactics and with equally devastating effect. We start in this town of Sinjar. That's up in Kurdistan, a farming community. An insurgent commandeered a tractor and drove it right up to the offices of the Kurdish Democratic Party, detonating himself, killing up to five, wounding 17.

In Ba'qubah, in the Sunni Triangle, a suicide bomber parked his vehicle right outside a police checkpoint, right by the governor's office, detonating himself, killing an Iraqi policeman, wounding up to five.

And here in Baghdad, insurgents fired a rocket propelled grenade right into the house of the deputy interior minister. It missed its target, damaging several vehicles. No one was reported hurt in that incident.

And insurgents broke into the offices of an Iraqi businessman and beheaded him, accusing him, allegedly, of being a spy.

So with three days to go before the country's crucial elections, the country leaps on toward its date with destiny -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jeff Koinange live in Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

It is a somber mood at Camp Pendleton, California a day after 30 Marines were killed in a helicopter crash. Four other Marines were killed in an ambush. Tony Hernandez, a 22-year-old Marine from Texas, was among those killed in the chopper crash. He married his long time girlfriend just a year ago. Hernandez's mother talked with our affiliate station in San Antonio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAN STOUT, MOTHER: It's every mother's nightmare for their child to be in a war. And you pray every day that they come home safe, but you know deep in your heart that there's always that chance that they won't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In addition to the Marine deaths, a Navy corpsman and two soldiers were killed in Iraq. And that pushes the U.S. death toll in the war to 1,418.

The State Department says at least three Americans could still be hostages in Iraq. The announcement comes after a video of American Roy Hallums surfaced on Tuesday. In it, Hallums pleads for his life. But the tape offers no clue when the tape was made.

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher says three Americans are being held hostage and says there is a "handful of others unaccounted for."

UNDER FIRE -- STORIES FROM THE NEW IRAQ. It airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific time. Just a little program note for you.

It was 60 years ago today that Soviet troops saw the worst of the Holocaust. There were just 7,000 survivors left when they liberated the Auschwitz death camp.

CNN Berlin bureau chief Chris Burns has more on this solemn anniversary from Poland.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And a brutally cold morning it is here in Poland. It's been showing for the last few days, very windy, sub-freezing temperatures, and you can imagine the concerns for more than 1,000 survivors of the Auschwitz death camp who are on their way over there, as well. There will be blankets for them. There will be hot drinks. And, of course, there is also very tight security at the same time for more than 40 leaders, heads of state and others, including U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

There will be 2,800 police watching this event. This event that begins in the afternoon with the arrival of a train and a whistle signaling about the time when Soviet troops liberated the Auschwitz death camp. There were only about 7,000 prisoners left at the time, but there were seven tons of hair from those who were killed.

Among the survivors, here is the story of one of them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) BURNS (voice-over): Josef Paszynski was a 20-year-old Polish prisoner of war when he was sent to Auschwitz. While fellow soldiers were murdered, he survived working as a barber for the Nazi officers and guards.

JOSEF PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): After every selection and gassing, they would come to the barber shop after the deed, and they seemed abnormal. I could smell the stench from them and I could see in their faces they were conscious of what they did, but not one of them said a word.

BURNS: Among his customers, camp commander Rudolph Hess.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Every morning and evening, he would be by the Arbeit Mach Frei Gate just watching. The orchestra would be playing and he would be there like a mummy without saying a word, just watching the prisoners going out to work and returning tired, carrying the corpses.

BURNS: Paszynski says he watched a mass execution from a nearby building, as S.S. guards told hundreds of Jewish men to undress and sent them into a gas chamber.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I saw an S.S. guard climb the roof. He had a gas mask, and he put some powder into a little hole. And soon I could hear a great scream come out from the building, in spite of the fact that the walls were pretty thick. And the scream lasted for about 15 minutes and then became weaker and weaker. And after about 20 minutes, it was all silent.

BURNS: Paszynski's testimony later helped convict S.S. guards of crimes against humanity, though during the war, Hess' barber passed up plenty of chances to kill the man.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): It is true I could do it, but the consequences would be that my whole family would be killed and half of the inmates. And I realized that if this silent son of a bitch would go, they would put another in his place.

BURNS: Sent on a death march as Soviet forces approached Auschwitz, Paszynski was later freed by American troops at another camp two days before Germany's surrender.

PASZYNSKI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We had the hope that such a thing would never happen again, but these things are happening again in other parts of the world.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BURNS: And yet aging Auschwitz survivors like Josef Paszynski press on, telling their story, hoping that by speaking of the horrors here, they can stir people to action, to stop genocide, hoping there will be others who will carry that torch long after them.

Chris Burns, CNN, Auschwitz, Poland. COSTELLO: And you can hear more survivors' stories at cnn.com's special section dedicated to the Auschwitz anniversary. Read more about the liberation and see what stands in place of the camp today. All that at cnn.com/Auschwitz.

Across America this morning, a group of passengers stepped in to subdue an unruly man aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Philadelphia to West Palm Beach. Police say the man made threats and headed for the cockpit after being told by a flight attendant to quiet down. He faces a federal charge of interfering with the operation of a flight crew.

A dog owner in Colorado is facing charges after his pit bull mauled a pair of poodles. Frank Roth will be in court today on charges of having a dangerous dog and a dog at large. Roth's pit bull allegedly broke loose and killed the neighbor's dog. The pit bull is being held at the local Humane Society.

A high seas mission is underway to help a research ship that was damaged by a 50-foot wave. The ship is carrying 681 college students as part of a semester at sea program. The Coast Guard is coordinating efforts about 650 miles south of Alaska.

He was a milkman, a bouncer and a basketball coach, but his defense is he's no economist. An update on one of the biggest corporate fraud trials in the country just ahead.

Our military analyst is ready to take your questions about the Iraqi elections. We're answering your e-mail questions at 23 minutes past the hour. If you have a question for General Shepperd, it's daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

And two Florida grade schoolers are paying a heavy price for their art work. We'll tell you why police and school officials are so concerned.

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

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COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The new Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was to deliver what he called a special message today to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But Abbas postponed his visit and he gave no reason for the change of plans.

Condoleezza Rice is already planning her first trip as secretary of state. She was confirmed by the Senate yesterday. She'll likely be going to Europe and the Middle East as early as next week. In money news, a Baby Bell is set to buy its former parent. SBC Communications, the second largest regional phone company, is in talks to acquire AT&T. The deal is reportedly worth about $15 billion.

In culture, Kid Rock says he's looking for a company more interested in music than IPOs. The singer says he's parting ways with his music publisher, Warner Tamerlane. Kid Rock points to a lack of support for his last tour as the reason for the split.

In sports, Serena Williams rallied from a set down to beat Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of the Australian Open. It was a replay of the Wimbledon finals, which Sharapova won if you remember. Serena will face number one seed Lindsay Davenport in the final -- Rob.

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COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers is on trial for his alleged role in fraud at the company. Ebbers is using an interesting defense, though.

Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site to tell us about it -- good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, it is interesting, Carol. Bernie Ebbers, former WorldCom chief, basically saying in his defense that he didn't know much about the economics of the company while he was head of it. He says he was the leader who left the accounting issues to others. He says his lawyers, rather, played a tape for the jury of a conference call from February of 2002, when Ebbers responded to a question about accounting by saying, "I'm a P.E. graduate, not an economist," P.E. as in physical education.

He also said he could not speak to economics with any credibility. And, of course, attorneys argue that he was a sharp businessman, but he left details with accounting and finance to others, including Scott Sullivan, WorldCom's former CFO, chief financial officer.

Ebbers, of course, is on trial, facing charges that he orchestrated an $11 billion accounting fraud that eventually drove WorldCom into the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history.

So the trial continues.

Turning to futures, we are expecting a bit of a lower open. Techs especially looking weak.

One stock to watch, Starbucks, reporting profits last night after the close of trading. Starbucks saw a 31 increase in quarterly profits, raising guidance for this year. But the stock fell nearly 3 percent last night -- Carol, that's the latest from here.

COSTELLO: Carrie Lee, thank you, live from the NASDAQ market site.

Just ahead this hour, those ridiculous fees the airlines charge you for just changing your ticket, well, they're the ones changing now. But does it mean an end to what some call skyway robbery? We'll talk to "USA Today's" airline reporter, Ben Mutzabaugh.

And find out what role the U.S. military will play in Iraq's election. We'll talk to our military expert about what to expect.

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COSTELLO: The closer the elections in Iraq get, the more intense the violence. A suicide bomb explodes in the Iraqi city of Ba'qubah. It happened early this morning. One person was killed, three others wounded. Today was to be celebrated as Peace Day. The Iraq elections just three days away now.

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SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: The elections are going forward. Every expectation is that they will meet a measure of success. But the period of aftermath of the elections is fraught with uncertainty and we should prepare the American people for as many eventualities as could possibly happen.

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COSTELLO: And despite the violence and some confusion, the vote will go as scheduled in Iraq. As for security, we now have some idea of the role the U.S. military will play.

Live to our military analyst, General Don Shepperd -- good morning.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), U.S. AIR FORCE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: I guess the first question is, is how much of a role will U.S. security forces play? I've heard a lot of different things, like they'll make concentric circles around all of the polling places.

Have you heard anything about that?

SHEPPERD: Yes, I think basically the U.S. is going to play a backup role. The idea behind the U.S. is to conduct offensive raids before the election to interrupt the insurgents wherever they can. And then during the elections themselves, concentric circles to prevent obvious attacks by the insurgents as the Iraqi forces themselves, the Iraqi security forces, protect the polling places.

Carol -- they're a backup role.

COSTELLO: OK. So the United States military is the backup role? The Iraqi security forces will be front and center right at the polling places? SHEPPERD: Indeed. That's the whole idea. The whole idea is to lower the profile of the U.S. forces and gradually transfer security, responsibility of security for the nation, for the cities and what have you, to Iraqi forces as they are trained.

COSTELLO: I've also heard that they will allow no cars to be anywhere near the polling places, for obvious reasons.

How will people actually get to the polling place, then?

SHEPPERD: Well, in the larger cities, of course, they'll walk and take other means of transportation -- taxis, buses and what have you. In the outlying cities, walking is not very much of a problem. But the limitation of traffic is just an obvious security step. We did it during our inauguration. We do it all the time at points of danger in U.S. assemblies and what have you. So it's a very, very smart and necessary preparation.

COSTELLO: How many people are expected to go to the polls? What are they expecting?

SHEPPERD: Yes, that's hard to say, because you hear all kinds of how many registered voters there are. Now, in the United States, somewhere upwards of 40 percent of the registered voters voted in this last election. In Iraq, polls have shown that upwards of 80 percent of the registered population there, whatever that final number ends up being, are really interested in voting. It's really hard to tell and on election day, the number of attacks and where they take place will have a great effect on the total number of votes.

COSTELLO: After the election -- and we heard Senator Warner warning the American people that the violence may not die down even after the election takes place.

Can you get more into that, about what they're expecting and why he says it's so important to prepare the American people for that?

SHEPPERD: Yes. This first election is to elect a transitional national assembly, basically, a president. The are two -- a president, two deputy presidents, a prime minister. And they will write the constitution. Appointing cabinet ministers and writing that constitution will take the better part of next year, 2005.

Now, hopefully another election will take place in December of 2005. That is the real first government under the new constitution. That entire time we expect that insurgents will insert violence wherever they can and try to punish those who are taking part in elections and taking part in the transitional government. It's going to be a rough walk no matter how long we're there -- Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, because many Americans are hoping that after these elections take place, the U.S. troops can begin withdrawing from the region.

But that probably won't happen, will it? SHEPPERD: Actually, I think it will happen. I think you will see this transitional government ask us to start reducing our forces come next year. It won't be large numbers, probably, because we are still going to be training their forces and getting them ready to take over security, both their police forces and their military and border guards across the country. But you can't do that real, real quickly. And so I expect in 2005 we'll see some reduction in forces. I do think you'll see major reductions in forces taking place in 2006. It all depends on the level of violence and how prepared Iraqi forces become and how quickly.

COSTELLO: General Don Shepperd joining us live from Atlanta this morning.

Thank you.

SHEPPERD: Thank you.

COSTELLO: We have much more ahead this week as Iraq prepares for its historic election. CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper and Paula Zahn are all on the story tonight, starting at 7:00 p.m. Eastern in a CNN special report.

But first, this is DAYBREAK for a Thursday morning.

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