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CNN Live At Daybreak
Iraq's Elections; Tikrit Command; 'War Room'; King Richard Speaks; Broken Heart Syndrome
Aired February 14, 2005 - 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: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets today in Washington with South Korea's foreign minister. The topic: North Korea's nuclear weapons. The South Koreans and Chinese both want more six-power negotiations, but the North Koreas are holding out for one-on-one talks with the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered a crackdown on right-wing Jewish extremists. Sharon is responding to death threats against government ministers who support his plan to withdrawal from Gaza.
"The Wall Street Journal" reporting another telecom merger will be announced this morning, Verizon Communications is expected to pay nearly $7 billion in cash and stock for MCI, the nation's second largest long distance carrier.
A jury in Charleston gets the so-called Zoloft murder trial today. Christopher Pittman was 12 when he gunned down his grandparents. Defense attorneys say the boy was under the influence of the antidepressant drug Zoloft.
To the Forecast Center now.
Good morning -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. You know what I just realized?
COSTELLO: What?
MYERS: That this is your first Valentine's Day as a married woman.
COSTELLO: And my husband is out of town.
MYERS: Well, he better get something in the mail.
COSTELLO: It better be there when I get home.
MYERS: Right. Tim (ph), you're listening this morning, right? (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: You know I just realized it's your first Valentine's Day as a father.
MYERS: That's correct, yes.
COSTELLO: Are you getting little Grant something?
MYERS: No, no, no, I'm getting my wife something for giving me Grant something.
COSTELLO: That gave me goosebumps.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Returns from Iraq's January 30 elections are being welcomed in Britain and the United States, but how are they playing in the Arab world?
CNN's Brent Sadler live in Beirut this morning with a live report.
Good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, mixed reaction here in the Middle East region the day after those historic election results were made known in neighbor of Lebanon, Iraq. Now on the ground, we've had varying reactions. Most notably focusing on the fault line that now exists in Iraq between the Shi'a, which will now be the empowered majority in Iraq, and other minority groups. How is that going to play out? And indeed reaction to the fact that the election took place under violent conditions.
Here's what one analyst has had to say about the regional reaction so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIBLI MALLAT, LEBANESE LAWYER: I think any honest person can only be impressed by how much the Iraqis have sacrificed to vote. This is a lesson which has already seeped through the Arab world. Now the follow-up is now the crucial part, whether those people who have been voted in can elevate themselves to the sacrifices that the voters have given, that is the question for the Arab world now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: And that crucial follow-up period really revolves around what sort of government comes out of this election, how will the power be shared between the dominant Shi'a political force that's come out of the elections victorious in Iraq and the other groups?
Now, Carol, I'm speaking from Lebanon, which has 18 of its own religious groups, some residents here to what's happened with the voting in Iraq. And I've been out on the streets talking to some of the people here from different religious confessions about their thoughts about developments in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The role of the Shi'a should be to create balances between the religious groups in a way that will secure everyone's rights. If that doesn't happen, nothing will be different from Saddam Hussein, it will just be a new face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they're smart enough, they will create relationships and strategic partnerships with regional countries without getting into again the arms race and without getting into terrorism and without getting into any of the negative things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They only took into account government loyalists, the opposition was ignored, so we consider it to be the dictatorship of democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: The view at street level here in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Incidentally, Carol, Lebanon faces its own parliamentary elections in just a couple of months from now. That will be closely watched by the U.S. administration. Why, because the U.S. wants to see neighboring Syria taking its hands off controlling Lebanese internal political affairs. Another very important post Iraq election here in the Middle East.
COSTELLO: Brent Sadler, live in Beirut this morning, thank you.
There is a handover going on of military command in Tikrit, Iraq.
Jane Arraf is there. She joins us live, once again, and hopefully the music has died down.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Well it's a changing of the guard in more ways than one behind me, the formal transfer of authority from the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas and bases in Germany, to the 42nd Infantry Division.
Now this is the first National Guard division activated as a division since the Korean War. A lot of soldiers here from New York, from New Jersey, from Florida, more than 10 states, as well as elements of the 3rd Infantry Division. Twenty thousands soldiers in all, Carol, who have come here with the knowledge that this is going to be a place that U.S. soldiers are expected to serve duty in for some time to come.
But on that stage as well there are Iraqi leaders, Iraqi politicians and Iraqi security officials. And what General Batiste behind me, the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, is talking about is handing the torch over to them. On this post election day, a lot is going to happen, a lot of the future to be determined, particularly here in the heart of the Sunni Triangle -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So they're handing troop power over from one group of soldiers to another. Does that mean there will be fewer troops in Tikrit after this happens?
ARRAF: It doesn't. There will be roughly the same number, but sort of a different kind of soldiers. We're talking about 4,000 soldiers from the National Guard, which means that they've come from all walks of life. Doctors here, there are people who have worked in auto dealerships. We have all sorts of people who have joined the National Guard, a lot of them, actually, after September 11 and have come here.
Apart from that, there are active duty soldiers as well. But there is no thought here that this is a substantially less dangerous place. In fact, some of these soldiers are back for their second deployment in Iraq, Carol, and they find a country where the insurgency has grown, where there are an awful lot of challenges that they didn't anticipate, didn't see the first time around -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, live from Tikrit this morning, thank you.
Let's get back to the election now, what does the Iraqi election mean for the U.S.-led coalition?
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us live from Atlanta.
Good morning, David, I know many Americans out there are thinking, OK, the election results are in, they're counted, so that could mean that many U.S. troops will be coming home. Does it?
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: It does not, Carol. I think as Jane was making clear there and our other reporters in Iraq and the U.S. military itself making it clear that the job is far from over.
The Iraqis themselves, even the Shiite groups that have won this election and Ayatollah Sistani having talked a lot about in their campaigns about the U.S. military needing to leave. They are now making it clear that the security situation is so bad on the ground that in fact they are suspending that demand for the U.S. to leave. They need them there to maintain security.
One of the most difficult parts of this war for the U.S. military is about to begin. We saw U.S. military handing over basically an internal handover in one part of Iraq there. The next step of course is bit by bit, most likely starting in the least dangerous parts of Iraq, the Iraqis themselves will begin to takeover full control in certain areas, not the most dangerous areas, but some parts of Iraq.
Then these questions start coming to the fore. How many Iraqis are trained? How many are fully trained? And one of the key parts that we have to remember is Iraqi security forces is one term. But who are these Iraqi security forces? Are they Shi'a? Are they Sunni? Are they Kurds? Can you take a group of highly-trained Shi'a Iraqi security forces and put them in the Sunni Triangle and walk away? No, you can not. And so the U.S. military very conscious not just of training the Iraqis but who they are training and where they put them.
COSTELLO: OK, well let me ask you this question, once the Iraqis get the new president and the new prime minister in place, which is down the road, do they have the power to tell the U.S. military to leave?
CLINCH: Well, in some ways, from some readings, they already do have the power to tell or to ask the U.S. military to leave. There is a standing, understanding with the interim government that that demand does not exist. But certainly once a full-time government comes into place, now really you're talking about the end of this process, the final stage of this process, which is the very end of this year 2005, at that point, the Iraqi government would be free to ask the U.S. military to leave.
But again this question of whether they really would ask them to leave rests on the fact of how improved the security situation is. Even some of the more extreme Shi'a parties acknowledge the fact that if they were to stand on principle and ask the U.S. military to leave, they could be exposing themselves to a very angry, very disenfranchised Sunni minority, who didn't vote, and are standing on the sidelines waiting for their next move.
And, obviously, I'm not just talking about the population itself, but some of the extremists militia, not just on the Sunni side, Shi'a and Kurds. There are a lot of weapons in Iraq, and each side knowing that right now the U.S. military is what's maintaining stability.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, live in Atlanta this morning, thank you.
CLINCH: All right.
COSTELLO: We will have racetrack royalty when we come back. King Richard Petty and Chad chat about the sport and the fans and a whole lot more. We'll race right to it about five minutes from now.
Plus, it's a lover's holiday, but in Saudi Arabia, Valentine's Day is banned, but some true romantics risk it all for love. Details coming up in our Web Clicks 10 minutes from now.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The Daytona 500 is fast approaching.
MYERS: It is, Carol. And the Bud Shootout was this weekend. Rarely do you get a chance to talk to royalty, but on Friday I did to talk to King Richard Petty.
Here's the interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MYERS: Joining me now, his royal highness, King Richard I. Richard Petty talking about NASCAR and a brand new program that NASCAR is making up for some fans.
Now, King Richard, I kind of want to hope, though, that you have a provisional still maybe in your back pocket. Can you make it to the Bud Shootout anymore?
RICHARD PETTY, NASCAR LEGEND: No, we don't mess with the Bud Shootout. You know we'll go watch it, try to learn a little bit by watching, but you know we're going to Daytona for the 500. That's what it's all about.
MYERS: Of course. Now I've always wanted to ask you about the hat that you have on. You know we're all getting up in our age and we're all losing a little bit of hair, is there anything left under there? Look a there.
PETTY: Look at there, got some of it.
MYERS: Very good -- sir.
PETTY: I'm not trying to hide anything, OK.
MYERS: I see you at the racetrack. I go to the Richmond race all the time. I see you in the pits walking around. Obviously the fans, they all get down, some of the cold pit passes, hot pit passes, the fans are what make -- they make NASCAR possible, and they have made NASCAR possible for a very long time. And now NASCAR is giving something back with a member's club. Tell me about it.
PETTY: Yes, NASCAR announced yesterday they're having the NASCAR Member's Club. And you know it's kind of a deal, you join up and you're going to get a lot of different things. It's sort of like AARP. You know you join up, it costs you a couple of bucks, but we're going to give you back four bucks or whatever it is. And you know it's more of a -- it's a lot of different deals. It's a thank you for all the 70 to 75 million fans that we have out there that NASCAR has never really associate with. MYERS: The pressure on driver's time before, sometimes during, and after a race, either with press or with the public, gets very, very tight. And I know a lot of drivers, they need to get their head in the game and get racing. Is this going to take some time away from the drivers? Is this going to be more of a pull on the drivers to get in some of the access that you're talking about?
PETTY: Well, you know you've got to look at it, if you're going to be a racecar driver, you've got to be a racecar driver full time, OK. If you're on the racetrack for you know three or four hours a day or whatever, you know what I mean, but the rest of the time you're still -- that's your profession. So you have to do whatever you've got to do.
And, yes, a lot of times it is really, really time consuming. But in order to please the fans, because the fans are the ones that buy the products that we're trying to sell that goes on the side of the car that makes the racecar run, you know it's a catch 22 deal. So you know you've got to be involved. And just, I guess, it's sort of like pouring water on a duck's back and just sort of have to let it happen.
MYERS: I want to know with the Victory Junction Gang Camp, who took the restricter plate off the bulldozer? You never told us.
PETTY: That was a good commercial, wasn't it?
MYERS: It sure was.
PETTY: That worked out good. You had to be a NASCAR fan to understand what we was talking about, but the majority of the people that's been involved in the camp has been fans, and you know NASCAR itself, all the drivers, it's been a great, great success as far as that's concerned. And the kids that come just love it. They think that there's nothing like it, because it's the only chance they'll probably ever get to go to do normal things that the normal kids can do.
MYERS: King Richard, thank you very much, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Have a safe season out there. Hope Petty Enterprises wins some races this year.
PETTY: Thank you guys.
MYERS: All right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MYERS: Carol, you asked me I think on Thursday or Friday what makes NASCAR so popular? You know we have other circuits, we have CART, we have IRL Champ cars, why aren't they popular? It's because NASCAR has made heroes out of these guys. And they have done it themselves.
My first time I ever saw Richard Petty, 1985, Richmond, Virginia racetrack, he didn't win the race. But after the race, he came out to sign some autographs. By the time the line was done, he had signed over 1,500 autographs. He signed every single one of them. He sat on the wall and he signed every autograph until every fan that wanted one finally got his autograph. The haulers were gone, everybody else was gone, Richard Petty was still there signing autographs. And that's all part of why NASCAR has been special, because the drivers are special.
One other note here, the ARCA Race took place on Saturday night as well. Billy Venturini was injured in that race. He has ligament damage to the second vertebrae and a neck fracture. He had surgery yesterday to repair the ligaments. He's going to have that halo put around his head, but he is expected to make 100 percent recovery from that accident.
And it was very frustrating as a NASCAR or ARCA fan to not be able to get those updates during the evening races, but they were very concerned. And so finally, he's still in the hospital, obviously, at this point, but expected to make a full recovery.
COSTELLO: That's great he's going to be OK.
You know I couldn't help but notice the contrast between King Richard and some of the younger, newer drivers who seem so different than he does. And I don't mean it's in a good or worse way, it's just that he seems like somebody from the past, let's say.
MYERS: Well, Carol, he does have an AARP card.
COSTELLO: And he is from the past. I know, I know.
MYERS: You know.
COSTELLO: But the new image of NASCAR is very different from what his image is.
MYERS: And that's not a bad thing. I think NASCAR moved ahead with what it thought would be best for its fans and clearly the fan base. The demographics of the fan base now are much younger and much more wealthy.
COSTELLO: Exactly. All right, thank you -- Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is Valentine's Day, and if expectations are not met, there could be a lot of broken hearts today. A new study though finds there is a way to mend some broken hearts, especially when it's brought on by stress.
CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharon Lawson had kidney cancer, then 12 years later, doctors found another tumor. She feared her cancer was back. This new stress hit just six months before a very important day, her daughter's wedding.
SHARON LAWSON, "BROKEN HEART" PATIENT: There was nothing more important than my being able to get to the wedding and be in good shape.
GUPTA: Then in the middle of her biopsy, she suddenly had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but it wasn't. Instead, she had what doctors at Johns Hopkins refer to as broken heart syndrome, or officially, stress cardiomyopathy. In a new study, these doctors reported broken heart syndrome in 20 patients over nearly four years.
DR. HUNTER CHAMPION, JOHNS HOPKINS MED. INSTITUTION: These patients had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but really had no coronary disease to speak of.
GUPTA: Instead, doctors believe the body was suddenly flooded with so much of the stress hormone adrenaline that blood flow to the heart stopped. But unlike a heart attack, after a few days, the heart recovers completely, with no long-term damage. However, in severe cases, like Lawson's, it can be fatal if not treated immediately, because the heart doesn't pump enough blood to the organs. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, even fainting.
And doctors report that grief from the loss of a loved one, the stress of a job interview or even a surprise party can be triggers.
The American Heart Association says this broken heart syndrome demonstrates once again the strong link between body and mind.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address is CNN.com/health.
Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
It's a discovery that has coin collectors flipping. We'll tell you what is so special about these quarters, and why, if you have one, they're worth a lot more than 25 cents.
And how do you keep that first date from turning into a disaster? A love expert gives us some dos and don'ts on this Valentine's Day.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: That sounds so nice, doesn't it?
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: I feel like dancing.
MYERS: Better than the one on my clock radio this morning.
COSTELLO: I'll bet.
Time to check out our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what you're clicking on to on CNN.com.
And one of the more interesting stories is about how some Saudis are defying their country's ban on Valentine's Day.
MYERS: Yes, it is illegal to celebrate Valentine's Day. But one young lady bought 100 roses, some candies and chocolates and took them to her husband yesterday...
COSTELLO: Yes, she did it on...
MYERS: ... thinking it was Valentine's Day.
COSTELLO: I know. She wasn't quite sure because Valentine's Day is banned in Saudi Arabia. Not only is it banned, but you could get in big trouble for celebrating it, because you know it's a Christian event they say. And even most Muslim feasts are banned in the Kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, because they're considered an unorthodox creation Islam does not sanction. In fact, the religious police go from like flower shop to flower shop making sure there are no red roses for sale inside those flower shops, anything with hearts, no chocolate, no nothing.
MYERS: Sounds like a nice place.
COSTELLO: It's not great for women, is it?
MYERS: Not really.
COSTELLO: This other CNN.com story that we were interested, that you were interested in in clicking on to...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... is about Pluto.
MYERS: Supposedly...
COSTELLO: Who knew?
MYERS: Who knew? It may not even be a planet anymore, Carol, it may just be some kind of a comet thing spinning out there. Heresy some children are saying. Wait a minute, Pluto has got to be out there. This was planet X for so long, then it got a name, and now they're saying they're not really sure.
COSTELLO: I know some third graders are really angry about this...
MYERS: They are.
COSTELLO: ... that Pluto could just be, what, the leftover of an asteroid or something and not even a planet.
MYERS: Well we have to get a spacecraft a lot closer to it to actually figure it out, according to them, so.
COSTELLO: And we may some day, because we're doing some amazing things in space, aren't we?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired February 14, 2005 - 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: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
"Now in the News."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets today in Washington with South Korea's foreign minister. The topic: North Korea's nuclear weapons. The South Koreans and Chinese both want more six-power negotiations, but the North Koreas are holding out for one-on-one talks with the United States.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered a crackdown on right-wing Jewish extremists. Sharon is responding to death threats against government ministers who support his plan to withdrawal from Gaza.
"The Wall Street Journal" reporting another telecom merger will be announced this morning, Verizon Communications is expected to pay nearly $7 billion in cash and stock for MCI, the nation's second largest long distance carrier.
A jury in Charleston gets the so-called Zoloft murder trial today. Christopher Pittman was 12 when he gunned down his grandparents. Defense attorneys say the boy was under the influence of the antidepressant drug Zoloft.
To the Forecast Center now.
Good morning -- Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. You know what I just realized?
COSTELLO: What?
MYERS: That this is your first Valentine's Day as a married woman.
COSTELLO: And my husband is out of town.
MYERS: Well, he better get something in the mail.
COSTELLO: It better be there when I get home.
MYERS: Right. Tim (ph), you're listening this morning, right? (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: You know I just realized it's your first Valentine's Day as a father.
MYERS: That's correct, yes.
COSTELLO: Are you getting little Grant something?
MYERS: No, no, no, I'm getting my wife something for giving me Grant something.
COSTELLO: That gave me goosebumps.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Returns from Iraq's January 30 elections are being welcomed in Britain and the United States, but how are they playing in the Arab world?
CNN's Brent Sadler live in Beirut this morning with a live report.
Good morning.
BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, mixed reaction here in the Middle East region the day after those historic election results were made known in neighbor of Lebanon, Iraq. Now on the ground, we've had varying reactions. Most notably focusing on the fault line that now exists in Iraq between the Shi'a, which will now be the empowered majority in Iraq, and other minority groups. How is that going to play out? And indeed reaction to the fact that the election took place under violent conditions.
Here's what one analyst has had to say about the regional reaction so far.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIBLI MALLAT, LEBANESE LAWYER: I think any honest person can only be impressed by how much the Iraqis have sacrificed to vote. This is a lesson which has already seeped through the Arab world. Now the follow-up is now the crucial part, whether those people who have been voted in can elevate themselves to the sacrifices that the voters have given, that is the question for the Arab world now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: And that crucial follow-up period really revolves around what sort of government comes out of this election, how will the power be shared between the dominant Shi'a political force that's come out of the elections victorious in Iraq and the other groups?
Now, Carol, I'm speaking from Lebanon, which has 18 of its own religious groups, some residents here to what's happened with the voting in Iraq. And I've been out on the streets talking to some of the people here from different religious confessions about their thoughts about developments in Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The role of the Shi'a should be to create balances between the religious groups in a way that will secure everyone's rights. If that doesn't happen, nothing will be different from Saddam Hussein, it will just be a new face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they're smart enough, they will create relationships and strategic partnerships with regional countries without getting into again the arms race and without getting into terrorism and without getting into any of the negative things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They only took into account government loyalists, the opposition was ignored, so we consider it to be the dictatorship of democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SADLER: The view at street level here in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Incidentally, Carol, Lebanon faces its own parliamentary elections in just a couple of months from now. That will be closely watched by the U.S. administration. Why, because the U.S. wants to see neighboring Syria taking its hands off controlling Lebanese internal political affairs. Another very important post Iraq election here in the Middle East.
COSTELLO: Brent Sadler, live in Beirut this morning, thank you.
There is a handover going on of military command in Tikrit, Iraq.
Jane Arraf is there. She joins us live, once again, and hopefully the music has died down.
Good morning -- Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Well it's a changing of the guard in more ways than one behind me, the formal transfer of authority from the 1st Infantry Division from Fort Riley, Kansas and bases in Germany, to the 42nd Infantry Division.
Now this is the first National Guard division activated as a division since the Korean War. A lot of soldiers here from New York, from New Jersey, from Florida, more than 10 states, as well as elements of the 3rd Infantry Division. Twenty thousands soldiers in all, Carol, who have come here with the knowledge that this is going to be a place that U.S. soldiers are expected to serve duty in for some time to come.
But on that stage as well there are Iraqi leaders, Iraqi politicians and Iraqi security officials. And what General Batiste behind me, the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division, is talking about is handing the torch over to them. On this post election day, a lot is going to happen, a lot of the future to be determined, particularly here in the heart of the Sunni Triangle -- Carol.
COSTELLO: So they're handing troop power over from one group of soldiers to another. Does that mean there will be fewer troops in Tikrit after this happens?
ARRAF: It doesn't. There will be roughly the same number, but sort of a different kind of soldiers. We're talking about 4,000 soldiers from the National Guard, which means that they've come from all walks of life. Doctors here, there are people who have worked in auto dealerships. We have all sorts of people who have joined the National Guard, a lot of them, actually, after September 11 and have come here.
Apart from that, there are active duty soldiers as well. But there is no thought here that this is a substantially less dangerous place. In fact, some of these soldiers are back for their second deployment in Iraq, Carol, and they find a country where the insurgency has grown, where there are an awful lot of challenges that they didn't anticipate, didn't see the first time around -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jane Arraf, live from Tikrit this morning, thank you.
Let's get back to the election now, what does the Iraqi election mean for the U.S.-led coalition?
Our senior international editor David Clinch joins us live from Atlanta.
Good morning, David, I know many Americans out there are thinking, OK, the election results are in, they're counted, so that could mean that many U.S. troops will be coming home. Does it?
DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: It does not, Carol. I think as Jane was making clear there and our other reporters in Iraq and the U.S. military itself making it clear that the job is far from over.
The Iraqis themselves, even the Shiite groups that have won this election and Ayatollah Sistani having talked a lot about in their campaigns about the U.S. military needing to leave. They are now making it clear that the security situation is so bad on the ground that in fact they are suspending that demand for the U.S. to leave. They need them there to maintain security.
One of the most difficult parts of this war for the U.S. military is about to begin. We saw U.S. military handing over basically an internal handover in one part of Iraq there. The next step of course is bit by bit, most likely starting in the least dangerous parts of Iraq, the Iraqis themselves will begin to takeover full control in certain areas, not the most dangerous areas, but some parts of Iraq.
Then these questions start coming to the fore. How many Iraqis are trained? How many are fully trained? And one of the key parts that we have to remember is Iraqi security forces is one term. But who are these Iraqi security forces? Are they Shi'a? Are they Sunni? Are they Kurds? Can you take a group of highly-trained Shi'a Iraqi security forces and put them in the Sunni Triangle and walk away? No, you can not. And so the U.S. military very conscious not just of training the Iraqis but who they are training and where they put them.
COSTELLO: OK, well let me ask you this question, once the Iraqis get the new president and the new prime minister in place, which is down the road, do they have the power to tell the U.S. military to leave?
CLINCH: Well, in some ways, from some readings, they already do have the power to tell or to ask the U.S. military to leave. There is a standing, understanding with the interim government that that demand does not exist. But certainly once a full-time government comes into place, now really you're talking about the end of this process, the final stage of this process, which is the very end of this year 2005, at that point, the Iraqi government would be free to ask the U.S. military to leave.
But again this question of whether they really would ask them to leave rests on the fact of how improved the security situation is. Even some of the more extreme Shi'a parties acknowledge the fact that if they were to stand on principle and ask the U.S. military to leave, they could be exposing themselves to a very angry, very disenfranchised Sunni minority, who didn't vote, and are standing on the sidelines waiting for their next move.
And, obviously, I'm not just talking about the population itself, but some of the extremists militia, not just on the Sunni side, Shi'a and Kurds. There are a lot of weapons in Iraq, and each side knowing that right now the U.S. military is what's maintaining stability.
COSTELLO: David Clinch, live in Atlanta this morning, thank you.
CLINCH: All right.
COSTELLO: We will have racetrack royalty when we come back. King Richard Petty and Chad chat about the sport and the fans and a whole lot more. We'll race right to it about five minutes from now.
Plus, it's a lover's holiday, but in Saudi Arabia, Valentine's Day is banned, but some true romantics risk it all for love. Details coming up in our Web Clicks 10 minutes from now.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning.
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COSTELLO: The Daytona 500 is fast approaching.
MYERS: It is, Carol. And the Bud Shootout was this weekend. Rarely do you get a chance to talk to royalty, but on Friday I did to talk to King Richard Petty.
Here's the interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MYERS: Joining me now, his royal highness, King Richard I. Richard Petty talking about NASCAR and a brand new program that NASCAR is making up for some fans.
Now, King Richard, I kind of want to hope, though, that you have a provisional still maybe in your back pocket. Can you make it to the Bud Shootout anymore?
RICHARD PETTY, NASCAR LEGEND: No, we don't mess with the Bud Shootout. You know we'll go watch it, try to learn a little bit by watching, but you know we're going to Daytona for the 500. That's what it's all about.
MYERS: Of course. Now I've always wanted to ask you about the hat that you have on. You know we're all getting up in our age and we're all losing a little bit of hair, is there anything left under there? Look a there.
PETTY: Look at there, got some of it.
MYERS: Very good -- sir.
PETTY: I'm not trying to hide anything, OK.
MYERS: I see you at the racetrack. I go to the Richmond race all the time. I see you in the pits walking around. Obviously the fans, they all get down, some of the cold pit passes, hot pit passes, the fans are what make -- they make NASCAR possible, and they have made NASCAR possible for a very long time. And now NASCAR is giving something back with a member's club. Tell me about it.
PETTY: Yes, NASCAR announced yesterday they're having the NASCAR Member's Club. And you know it's kind of a deal, you join up and you're going to get a lot of different things. It's sort of like AARP. You know you join up, it costs you a couple of bucks, but we're going to give you back four bucks or whatever it is. And you know it's more of a -- it's a lot of different deals. It's a thank you for all the 70 to 75 million fans that we have out there that NASCAR has never really associate with. MYERS: The pressure on driver's time before, sometimes during, and after a race, either with press or with the public, gets very, very tight. And I know a lot of drivers, they need to get their head in the game and get racing. Is this going to take some time away from the drivers? Is this going to be more of a pull on the drivers to get in some of the access that you're talking about?
PETTY: Well, you know you've got to look at it, if you're going to be a racecar driver, you've got to be a racecar driver full time, OK. If you're on the racetrack for you know three or four hours a day or whatever, you know what I mean, but the rest of the time you're still -- that's your profession. So you have to do whatever you've got to do.
And, yes, a lot of times it is really, really time consuming. But in order to please the fans, because the fans are the ones that buy the products that we're trying to sell that goes on the side of the car that makes the racecar run, you know it's a catch 22 deal. So you know you've got to be involved. And just, I guess, it's sort of like pouring water on a duck's back and just sort of have to let it happen.
MYERS: I want to know with the Victory Junction Gang Camp, who took the restricter plate off the bulldozer? You never told us.
PETTY: That was a good commercial, wasn't it?
MYERS: It sure was.
PETTY: That worked out good. You had to be a NASCAR fan to understand what we was talking about, but the majority of the people that's been involved in the camp has been fans, and you know NASCAR itself, all the drivers, it's been a great, great success as far as that's concerned. And the kids that come just love it. They think that there's nothing like it, because it's the only chance they'll probably ever get to go to do normal things that the normal kids can do.
MYERS: King Richard, thank you very much, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Have a safe season out there. Hope Petty Enterprises wins some races this year.
PETTY: Thank you guys.
MYERS: All right.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MYERS: Carol, you asked me I think on Thursday or Friday what makes NASCAR so popular? You know we have other circuits, we have CART, we have IRL Champ cars, why aren't they popular? It's because NASCAR has made heroes out of these guys. And they have done it themselves.
My first time I ever saw Richard Petty, 1985, Richmond, Virginia racetrack, he didn't win the race. But after the race, he came out to sign some autographs. By the time the line was done, he had signed over 1,500 autographs. He signed every single one of them. He sat on the wall and he signed every autograph until every fan that wanted one finally got his autograph. The haulers were gone, everybody else was gone, Richard Petty was still there signing autographs. And that's all part of why NASCAR has been special, because the drivers are special.
One other note here, the ARCA Race took place on Saturday night as well. Billy Venturini was injured in that race. He has ligament damage to the second vertebrae and a neck fracture. He had surgery yesterday to repair the ligaments. He's going to have that halo put around his head, but he is expected to make 100 percent recovery from that accident.
And it was very frustrating as a NASCAR or ARCA fan to not be able to get those updates during the evening races, but they were very concerned. And so finally, he's still in the hospital, obviously, at this point, but expected to make a full recovery.
COSTELLO: That's great he's going to be OK.
You know I couldn't help but notice the contrast between King Richard and some of the younger, newer drivers who seem so different than he does. And I don't mean it's in a good or worse way, it's just that he seems like somebody from the past, let's say.
MYERS: Well, Carol, he does have an AARP card.
COSTELLO: And he is from the past. I know, I know.
MYERS: You know.
COSTELLO: But the new image of NASCAR is very different from what his image is.
MYERS: And that's not a bad thing. I think NASCAR moved ahead with what it thought would be best for its fans and clearly the fan base. The demographics of the fan base now are much younger and much more wealthy.
COSTELLO: Exactly. All right, thank you -- Chad.
MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is Valentine's Day, and if expectations are not met, there could be a lot of broken hearts today. A new study though finds there is a way to mend some broken hearts, especially when it's brought on by stress.
CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sharon Lawson had kidney cancer, then 12 years later, doctors found another tumor. She feared her cancer was back. This new stress hit just six months before a very important day, her daughter's wedding.
SHARON LAWSON, "BROKEN HEART" PATIENT: There was nothing more important than my being able to get to the wedding and be in good shape.
GUPTA: Then in the middle of her biopsy, she suddenly had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but it wasn't. Instead, she had what doctors at Johns Hopkins refer to as broken heart syndrome, or officially, stress cardiomyopathy. In a new study, these doctors reported broken heart syndrome in 20 patients over nearly four years.
DR. HUNTER CHAMPION, JOHNS HOPKINS MED. INSTITUTION: These patients had what appeared to be a massive heart attack, but really had no coronary disease to speak of.
GUPTA: Instead, doctors believe the body was suddenly flooded with so much of the stress hormone adrenaline that blood flow to the heart stopped. But unlike a heart attack, after a few days, the heart recovers completely, with no long-term damage. However, in severe cases, like Lawson's, it can be fatal if not treated immediately, because the heart doesn't pump enough blood to the organs. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, even fainting.
And doctors report that grief from the loss of a loved one, the stress of a job interview or even a surprise party can be triggers.
The American Heart Association says this broken heart syndrome demonstrates once again the strong link between body and mind.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address is CNN.com/health.
Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
It's a discovery that has coin collectors flipping. We'll tell you what is so special about these quarters, and why, if you have one, they're worth a lot more than 25 cents.
And how do you keep that first date from turning into a disaster? A love expert gives us some dos and don'ts on this Valentine's Day.
You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: That sounds so nice, doesn't it?
MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: I feel like dancing.
MYERS: Better than the one on my clock radio this morning.
COSTELLO: I'll bet.
Time to check out our "Web Clicks" this morning. We're always interested to see what you're clicking on to on CNN.com.
And one of the more interesting stories is about how some Saudis are defying their country's ban on Valentine's Day.
MYERS: Yes, it is illegal to celebrate Valentine's Day. But one young lady bought 100 roses, some candies and chocolates and took them to her husband yesterday...
COSTELLO: Yes, she did it on...
MYERS: ... thinking it was Valentine's Day.
COSTELLO: I know. She wasn't quite sure because Valentine's Day is banned in Saudi Arabia. Not only is it banned, but you could get in big trouble for celebrating it, because you know it's a Christian event they say. And even most Muslim feasts are banned in the Kingdom, the birthplace of Islam, because they're considered an unorthodox creation Islam does not sanction. In fact, the religious police go from like flower shop to flower shop making sure there are no red roses for sale inside those flower shops, anything with hearts, no chocolate, no nothing.
MYERS: Sounds like a nice place.
COSTELLO: It's not great for women, is it?
MYERS: Not really.
COSTELLO: This other CNN.com story that we were interested, that you were interested in in clicking on to...
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: ... is about Pluto.
MYERS: Supposedly...
COSTELLO: Who knew?
MYERS: Who knew? It may not even be a planet anymore, Carol, it may just be some kind of a comet thing spinning out there. Heresy some children are saying. Wait a minute, Pluto has got to be out there. This was planet X for so long, then it got a name, and now they're saying they're not really sure.
COSTELLO: I know some third graders are really angry about this...
MYERS: They are.
COSTELLO: ... that Pluto could just be, what, the leftover of an asteroid or something and not even a planet.
MYERS: Well we have to get a spacecraft a lot closer to it to actually figure it out, according to them, so.
COSTELLO: And we may some day, because we're doing some amazing things in space, aren't we?
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: The next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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