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CNN Live At Daybreak

In Iraq, Results From National Elections in; Gunman Opens Fire in Crowded Mall in Upstate New York

Aired February 14, 2005 - 05:00   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: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, in Iraq, results from the national elections are in and it is not business as usual. We'll have a live report for you from Baghdad in five minutes.
Plus, a slugger on the diamond and now a book with punch. Jose Canseco and his tell all about performance enhancing drugs.

And NASCAR's Richard Petty decisions the coming season with Chad Myers.

It is Monday, February 14.

Happy Valentine's Day.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

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 discusses North Korea's nuclear program today. She meets with South Korea's foreign minister. North Korea revealed publicly last week that it has nuclear weapons and would not return to six nation talks over the program.

In a little more than four hours, Alberto Gonzales will be sworn in as the nation's newest attorney general. The ceremony is at 9:25 Eastern at the Justice Department.

Closing arguments in the so-called Zoloft murder trial are set to open in just about four hours. Fifteen-year-old Christopher Pittman is charged as an adult in his grandparents' death. His attorneys contend his mind was affected by Zoloft, an anti-depressant.

And in another high profile trial, prosecutors and attorneys for Michael Jackson begin questioning prospective jurors today in Jackson's child molestation trial. Nearly 250 people are in the jury pool.

To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Happy Valentine's Day, Carol.

COSTELLO: Happy Valentine's Day right back at you, Chad. MYERS: I'm afraid I can't bring you a present when it comes to weather today up there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We start with the military -- with the hand over of military command in Tikrit, Iraq. It's all happening right now. The U.S. Army's 1st Infantry is turning things over to 42nd Infantry.

Jane Arraf is in Tikrit.

She joins us live now -- hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

These are tens of thousands of soldiers who are switching over. And what we have that's going to happen in just a few minutes behind us is actually the formal ceremony in which the 1st Infantry Division based in Fort Riley, Kansas -- and I hope you can hear me over this brass band, Carol -- is handing over to the 42nd Infantry Division the 1st National Guard division since the Korean War to be activated as a division.

These are soldiers from New York, New Jersey, Florida. All on this day, the day after elections (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: Oh, Jane, I'm just listening to the music.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

OK, a question for you.

Will there be fewer troops in Tikrit after this hand over?

ARRAF: Carol, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) while we show you a little -- I don't know if you can see a bit of the band (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Could you repeat that question?

COSTELLO: Sure. We'll wait until they get over to the band so we can see it and we can also see all the other press there covering this event, as well.

A question for you, Jane.

Will there be fewer troops in Tikrit after this hand over?

ARRAF: Carol, I hate to ask you to repeat that again.

COSTELLO: You know what? The band is too loud. We're going to let the celebrations go on. And when the music dies down, we'll get back to you in Tikrit.

Jane Arraf trying to report live for us this morning. But this is a happy event, so we'll let them celebrate. We'll get back to Jane in just a bit.

President Bush is congratulating both the winners and losers in Iraq's election. The president issued a statement saying, "The United States and our coalition partners can all take pride in our role in making that great day possible. I congratulate the Iraqi people for defying terrorist threats and setting their country on the path of democracy and freedom."

Those election results show the Shiites and the Kurds, long repressed by Saddam Hussein's regime, will control Iraq's government.

Live now to CNN's Nic Robertson in Baghdad for more insight -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

One of the interesting things we've heard from people today is they're just very pleased that the elections went off without interference. They say look at under Saddam Hussein's rule everything was rigged, the ballots were stuffed. Here, they say, at least we've got officials who are actually working for our interests, for the Iraqi interests, in a very, very clean and honest way. So they've very pleased about that.

But at the same time, just as the results were being announced yesterday, there were still some complaints, particularly from some minority ethnic groups.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even before the results were announced, there were complaints. Iraq's sizable Turkmen ethnic minority claiming disenfranchisement.

But inside the results hall...

FAYID AYER, IECI SPOKESMAN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We congratulate everybody, those that won and those that didn't.

ROBERTSON: ... a mood of celebration. The elections actually pulled off.

ADIL AL-LAMI, GEN DIR, ELECTORAL ADMIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The total number of votes for the national assembly -- 8,456,266.

ROBERTSON: About 60 percent turnout, a little lower than election day optimism had many believe. The Sunni province of Al Anbar getting just 2 percent of possible voters going to the polls.

AL-LAMI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The Front For The Turkmens of Iraq -- 73,791 votes.

ROBERTSON: As figures slowly emerged, few surprises. The religious United Iraqi Alliance, backed by Shia Islam's top Iraqi cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, garnering almost half the seats in the interim national assembly. Their politicians quick to espouse inclusivity.

MOUWAFFAQ RUBAIE, UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE: This is going to be a government of national reconciliation, a government of national unity, a national coalition. All communities, all free communities are going to take literally a very strong position in this government.

ROBERTSON: Likely partners with the UIA, the Kurdish alliance, landing about one quarter of the 275 seats. If the cooperation continues, the grouping quite possibly dominating the new political landscape and taking a lead role in shaping the new constitution.

BARHAM SALAH, KURDISH ALLIANCE: There should be no legislation that will violate the core values of Islam. I think that represents the area of consensus between Iraqi, different Iraqi political movements and communities. Any attempt to establish a fundamentalist religious state in Iraq will backfire.

ROBERTSON: Current Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's grouping gained about 38 seats. The other parties trailing much farther behind, leading some to question the process that gives little voice to independents and small parties.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROBERTSON: And right now, the politicians involved in that back door dealing, political horse trading that they need to go through to get to determine the key positions, the president, the prime minister, the key ministry positions, that's all beginning to get underway in earnest now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

In news across America this morning, the man accused of being behind a supposed Valentine's Day suicide pact could also face charges of attempted manslaughter. Police say Gerald Krien had been using chat rooms to try and get people to commit suicide for five years. No deaths have been linked to him. He already faces charges of solicitation to commit murder.

Four people were killed when an Amtrak train hit a pickup truck in Roseland, Louisiana. Three of the people in the truck were children under the age of 12. There are no stop signs or traffic signals at that crossing.

Police in College Park, Maryland were forced to use pepper spray to break up a rowdy celebration following a college basketball game. At least 15 arrests were made after the University of Maryland beat Duke on Saturday night. Some fans set small fires in the streets, while others threw things off of rooftops.

A gunman opens fire in a crowded mall and does not stop until he runs out of ammunition. That was the scene in Upstate New York this weekend. The suspect is now in custody on assault charges. More now from CNN's Alina CNN has obtained.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A quiet Sunday afternoon at a mall in Upstate New York suddenly turned chaotic when shots rang out at a Best Buy.

ALI AFSHAR, WITNESS: I looked up and I saw about 80 to 90 people come running like frantically in all different directions. And they were just screaming and yelling. And they went running. And I grabbed one of them and I asked him like what was going on? And he said that there's a guy with a gun and he's shooting people.

CHO: Police say the gunman, carrying an assault style rifle, opened fire. Among the wounded, a 20-year-old National Guardsman working as a recruiter. Another man was injured by flying debris.

WAYNE OLSON, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: We consider it fortunate that more people were not struck. A Sunday afternoon in a crowded mall is -- it really has all the potential in the world for disaster.

CHO: While most people were running for their lives, one man decided to shadow the gunman until, he says, the suspect ran out of ammunition and dropped his weapon. KEITH LAZARCHIK, WITNESS: And I picked up the gun and the shooter, he just took a couple steps and he put his hands up and he just, I guess, surrendered. And the two guys, they took him down.

CHO: Police say the suspect is a 24-year-old man. So far, police will not talk about a motive.

For mall workers and shoppers alike, what started out as a fairly routine Sunday will be remembered as anything but.

AFSHAR: You come to work hoping not to be dodging bullets when you come in the morning. And this is Valentine's Day, you know, you're hoping to have a good sales day, and now I'm running for my life.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, Kingston, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Around America's baseball diamonds, players call it juiced. Now retired superstar Jose Canseco names names in his book about the stuff that can make and break a sports career. We'll have more on his story in 12 minutes.

Also ahead, with Daytona just a week away, racing legend Richard Petty weighs in on the new NASCAR season. Chad Myers talks with King Richard in 32 minutes.

And, oh, not on Valentine's Day. Stress can trigger what appears to be a broken heart, literally. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that in 39 minutes. But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Valentine's Day, Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The world is waiting to see how the new Iraqi government will shape up. Final but uncertified election results show the Shiites and Kurds won the most seats in the national assembly, but neither party has enough votes to push through its agenda.

Howard Dean promises to rebuild the Democratic Party, especially in the red states. The Democrats elected Dean as their new national party chairman on Saturday. The former presidential candidate replaces Terry McAuliffe.

In money news, there is new merger activity in the telephone industry. Verizon has reportedly clinched a deal to buy long distance carrier MCI for nearly $7 billion. Both boards are expected to approve the deal today.

In culture, Will Smith brought out the audiences over the weekend for his new movie, "Hitch." The romantic comedy was tops at the box office, with nearly $46 million in ticket sales. That total more than quadruples the take from last week's number one movie.

In sports, the mailman has delivered his last package. Karl Malone announced his retirement in Utah, where he spent 18 years as a member of The Jazz. He retires as the second leading scorer in NBA history, with nearly 37,000 points.

MYERS: Wow!

COSTELLO: That's incredible.

MYERS: He's going to spend more time on his road game commercials now, Carol. I'm kidding. That's an area of contention between him and some of the other players, huh?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Need I ask, Chad? Did you watch the Grammys?

MYERS: You know, I watched some of Star Jones introduce all those people as they walked up onto the red carpet yesterday.

COSTELLO: You have got to be kidding.

MYERS: You know why I watched it? COSTELLO: Why?

MYERS: Because it was in high definition. And if you have a high definition TV, you'll watch anything that's in high-def compared to anything else.

COSTELLO: So what was your favorite outfit?

MYERS: I couldn't tell you.

COSTELLO: Oh...

MYERS: Sorry.

COSTELLO: I've heard that Cheryl Crow was wearing a very interesting yellow dress.

Did you notice that?

MYERS: You know, I watched it for about 15 minutes and there weren't too many stars that came through that I knew. So I kind of tuned out.

COSTELLO: But I bet you watched every minute of that NASCAR race this weekend, didn't you?

MYERS: I did, and also the ARCA race, too. We'll have news on that, and Billy Venturini, too, yes.

COSTELLO: Yes, we will.

Let's get back to the Grammys now, shall we?

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: Ray Charles was on everybody's mind at last night's Grammys. His final album of duets captured eight awards.

MYERS: It didn't?

COSTELLO: For all the winners and losers, we're joined from Los Angeles by Tom O'Neil of "In Style Magazine."

Good morning, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY MAGAZINE": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Have you slept yet?

O'NEIL: Of course not.

COSTELLO: Well, we're glad that you tore yourself away from the post-Grammy parties to talk about us.

Let's run down the big winners before we start. Ray Charles won eight; Alicia Keys, four; Nora Jones won three Grammys; Usher, three; U2, three; and Kanye West, three. And that was the big surprise of the night, because everybody thought Kanye West was going to clean up.

O'NEIL: Well, or go home empty-handed. It was a real question mark with Kanye because, I mean, he's a wild card. He went into the American Music Awards thinking he was going to do well and threw a hissy fit back stage when he didn't win best new artist. So last night on the Grammy stage, one of the great moments in the acceptance speeches was when he said I'll bet you're all wondering what I was going to do if I didn't win. Well, now you'll never know.

COSTELLO: And he had tears in his eyes during his performance, too. I guess it was a really powerful performance.

O'NEIL: It was a powerful performance. And that was the great thing about last night. We had a lot of those. We had a dramatic Alicia Keys singing. We had Queen Latifah knocking the roof off the joint when she was singing. Green Day did a fantastic job. Melissa Etheridge was so brave. There she was, she's battling breast cancer. She went out on that stage and not only performed, singing her guts out, she did it without putting a wig on. You know, she did it with a bald head. It was very dramatic.

COSTELLO: It was awesome. There she is, Melissa Etheridge. A very moving performance. She got a standing ovation.

Let's talk about Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and their performance. It was odd.

O'NEIL: Why do you say that?

COSTELLO: Well, because it, I don't know, she came out in her bathrobe. They were singing all in Spanish, which was nice, but not many in the audience probably understood it.

O'NEIL: I was following the message boards on the Internet while this was going on and I was observing a lot of people who know the Spanish language complaining that J-Lo's Spanish was bad.

COSTELLO: Oh.

O'NEIL: It was fascinating. I don't know that personally, because I don't know the language. But she pulled it off OK. Remember what the big suspicion here was, Carol, was we have never heard J-Lo sing live before. She's the ultimate lip sync artist. This woman is packaged. She is always lip syncing. So last night, we knew going into the Grammys that they do not permit lip syncing. So we were expecting the possibility of an Ashley Simpson disaster moment.

But J-Lo got through it.

COSTELLO: She did. I mean some reviews in the papers this morning aren't so kind, though, because her husband has a very powerful voice and in contrast her voice isn't all that strong.

O'NEIL: No, it's not. But, on the other hand, considering what the possibility was for disaster, all she had to do last night -- because she's not a great artist. Come on, she's a great star, but not a great talent. She got through it and that was all she had to do.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, I guess good for her.

O'NEIL: I know. Really.

COSTELLO: Tom O'Neil from "In Touch Weekly," joining us live this morning.

Thank you so much.

A tell all book about steroids in major league baseball hits stores today. When we come back, we'll look at which former teammates Jose Canseco claims he used with. Is he telling the truth or just trying to sell a lot of books?

You are watching DAYBREAK for Monday, February 14.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's talk a little bit about Jose Canseco. He was on "60 Minutes" last night -- Chad.

MYERS: He was.

COSTELLO: And he had a lot of stories to tell.

MYERS: Yes, and you know what? One that I'm just printing off the printer here, if you go to 60minutes.com, you can get a direct link to it. He actually admits using steroids. Here, I don't want to get anything wrong here, "from the first pitch to my 21st year," he admits using some type of anabolic or performance enhancing steroids.

COSTELLO: The saddest part was he was asked if he was a great baseball player because he took steroids and he basically said yes. And it was just so sad.

MYERS: His book doesn't come out until this morning, but it's already a best-seller because of preorders on Amazon.com.

COSTELLO: Yes, and because he started talking before this.

When he wasn't talking, book sales were really down. Right after he started naming names, people went online and started to preorder the book.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Anyway, CNN's Steve Overmeyer has more for you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After retiring from baseball in 2002, Jose Canseco said one day he would write a tell all book. That day has come.

During an interview about his new book with "60 Minutes," Canseco claimed he used steroids with former Oakland teammate Mark McGwire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "60 MINUTES," COURTESY CBS NEWS)

JOSE CANSECO, 1998 AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: I think I injected them, I mean this was a long time ago, once or twice for sure. I didn't keep track. But an athlete may prepare his needle and may ask another athlete to inject him quickly. And that's the way it works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OVERMYER: McGwire has denied using steroids and issued a statement saying, "I have always told the truth and I am saddened that I have to continue to respond to this line of questioning. With regards to this book, I am reserving comment until I've had the chance to review its contents myself."

Jason Giambi was also named by Canseco as a steroid user. The Yankees' first baseman reportedly admitted to using steroids during his testimony before a grand jury which is investigating a California company for the illegal distribution of steroids.

JASON GIAMBI, 2000 AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: I think he might be a little loose, you know? I mean I don't know. I haven't, like I said, I have not read his book. So I don't know to what extent it's even in there. You know, I've only seen bits and pieces, like everything else. But I think in time that a lot of those things, you know, are going to come out to be untrue.

OVERMYER: Also Canseco's allegations are being disregarded by those who question his credibility, not everyone is convinced he's lying.

KEN ROSENTHAL, "THE SPORTING NEWS": You can look at his credibility two ways. One, he's not credible. He's a guy who is an outcast in the sport. He's out to make a buck. He's clearly looking to bring people down for his own benefit. At the same time, this is a person who was a firsthand witness to all the steroid use in the late '80s, early '90s and into 2000. He was right in the middle of everything and you would think that he would have some idea of who did what.

OVERMYER: Baseball's brightest star, Barry Bonds, was not named in Canseco's book, but continues to be surrounded by suspicions that he used performance enhancing drugs. The six time MVP could break Hank Aaron's all time home run record this season, so the questions will continue.

ROSENTHAL: I don't think there is a light at the end of the tunnel for baseball any time soon. You have Bonds this year, when he approaches Ruth and approaches Aaron, people are going to wonder is this real or is it something else?

OVERMYER: Steve Overmeyer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Some cautious praise from the White House as the Iraqis try to cement their historic election.

We'll also tell you what some top U.S. law makers have to say about the vote count.

Plus, a treat for all you racing fans. Chad talks to the man they call King Richard, racing legend Richard Petty.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 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 the day after 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 Koreans 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 withdraw 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.

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 February 14, 2005 - 05:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, in Iraq, results from the national elections are in and it is not business as usual. We'll have a live report for you from Baghdad in five minutes.
Plus, a slugger on the diamond and now a book with punch. Jose Canseco and his tell all about performance enhancing drugs.

And NASCAR's Richard Petty decisions the coming season with Chad Myers.

It is Monday, February 14.

Happy Valentine's Day.

This is DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

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 discusses North Korea's nuclear program today. She meets with South Korea's foreign minister. North Korea revealed publicly last week that it has nuclear weapons and would not return to six nation talks over the program.

In a little more than four hours, Alberto Gonzales will be sworn in as the nation's newest attorney general. The ceremony is at 9:25 Eastern at the Justice Department.

Closing arguments in the so-called Zoloft murder trial are set to open in just about four hours. Fifteen-year-old Christopher Pittman is charged as an adult in his grandparents' death. His attorneys contend his mind was affected by Zoloft, an anti-depressant.

And in another high profile trial, prosecutors and attorneys for Michael Jackson begin questioning prospective jurors today in Jackson's child molestation trial. Nearly 250 people are in the jury pool.

To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Happy Valentine's Day, Carol.

COSTELLO: Happy Valentine's Day right back at you, Chad. MYERS: I'm afraid I can't bring you a present when it comes to weather today up there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We start with the military -- with the hand over of military command in Tikrit, Iraq. It's all happening right now. The U.S. Army's 1st Infantry is turning things over to 42nd Infantry.

Jane Arraf is in Tikrit.

She joins us live now -- hello, Jane.

JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

These are tens of thousands of soldiers who are switching over. And what we have that's going to happen in just a few minutes behind us is actually the formal ceremony in which the 1st Infantry Division based in Fort Riley, Kansas -- and I hope you can hear me over this brass band, Carol -- is handing over to the 42nd Infantry Division the 1st National Guard division since the Korean War to be activated as a division.

These are soldiers from New York, New Jersey, Florida. All on this day, the day after elections (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

COSTELLO: Oh, Jane, I'm just listening to the music.

Can you hear me?

Yes.

OK, a question for you.

Will there be fewer troops in Tikrit after this hand over?

ARRAF: Carol, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) while we show you a little -- I don't know if you can see a bit of the band (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

Could you repeat that question?

COSTELLO: Sure. We'll wait until they get over to the band so we can see it and we can also see all the other press there covering this event, as well.

A question for you, Jane.

Will there be fewer troops in Tikrit after this hand over?

ARRAF: Carol, I hate to ask you to repeat that again.

COSTELLO: You know what? The band is too loud. We're going to let the celebrations go on. And when the music dies down, we'll get back to you in Tikrit.

Jane Arraf trying to report live for us this morning. But this is a happy event, so we'll let them celebrate. We'll get back to Jane in just a bit.

President Bush is congratulating both the winners and losers in Iraq's election. The president issued a statement saying, "The United States and our coalition partners can all take pride in our role in making that great day possible. I congratulate the Iraqi people for defying terrorist threats and setting their country on the path of democracy and freedom."

Those election results show the Shiites and the Kurds, long repressed by Saddam Hussein's regime, will control Iraq's government.

Live now to CNN's Nic Robertson in Baghdad for more insight -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

One of the interesting things we've heard from people today is they're just very pleased that the elections went off without interference. They say look at under Saddam Hussein's rule everything was rigged, the ballots were stuffed. Here, they say, at least we've got officials who are actually working for our interests, for the Iraqi interests, in a very, very clean and honest way. So they've very pleased about that.

But at the same time, just as the results were being announced yesterday, there were still some complaints, particularly from some minority ethnic groups.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even before the results were announced, there were complaints. Iraq's sizable Turkmen ethnic minority claiming disenfranchisement.

But inside the results hall...

FAYID AYER, IECI SPOKESMAN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): We congratulate everybody, those that won and those that didn't.

ROBERTSON: ... a mood of celebration. The elections actually pulled off.

ADIL AL-LAMI, GEN DIR, ELECTORAL ADMIN (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The total number of votes for the national assembly -- 8,456,266.

ROBERTSON: About 60 percent turnout, a little lower than election day optimism had many believe. The Sunni province of Al Anbar getting just 2 percent of possible voters going to the polls.

AL-LAMI (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): The Front For The Turkmens of Iraq -- 73,791 votes.

ROBERTSON: As figures slowly emerged, few surprises. The religious United Iraqi Alliance, backed by Shia Islam's top Iraqi cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, garnering almost half the seats in the interim national assembly. Their politicians quick to espouse inclusivity.

MOUWAFFAQ RUBAIE, UNITED IRAQI ALLIANCE: This is going to be a government of national reconciliation, a government of national unity, a national coalition. All communities, all free communities are going to take literally a very strong position in this government.

ROBERTSON: Likely partners with the UIA, the Kurdish alliance, landing about one quarter of the 275 seats. If the cooperation continues, the grouping quite possibly dominating the new political landscape and taking a lead role in shaping the new constitution.

BARHAM SALAH, KURDISH ALLIANCE: There should be no legislation that will violate the core values of Islam. I think that represents the area of consensus between Iraqi, different Iraqi political movements and communities. Any attempt to establish a fundamentalist religious state in Iraq will backfire.

ROBERTSON: Current Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's grouping gained about 38 seats. The other parties trailing much farther behind, leading some to question the process that gives little voice to independents and small parties.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

ROBERTSON: And right now, the politicians involved in that back door dealing, political horse trading that they need to go through to get to determine the key positions, the president, the prime minister, the key ministry positions, that's all beginning to get underway in earnest now -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

In news across America this morning, the man accused of being behind a supposed Valentine's Day suicide pact could also face charges of attempted manslaughter. Police say Gerald Krien had been using chat rooms to try and get people to commit suicide for five years. No deaths have been linked to him. He already faces charges of solicitation to commit murder.

Four people were killed when an Amtrak train hit a pickup truck in Roseland, Louisiana. Three of the people in the truck were children under the age of 12. There are no stop signs or traffic signals at that crossing.

Police in College Park, Maryland were forced to use pepper spray to break up a rowdy celebration following a college basketball game. At least 15 arrests were made after the University of Maryland beat Duke on Saturday night. Some fans set small fires in the streets, while others threw things off of rooftops.

A gunman opens fire in a crowded mall and does not stop until he runs out of ammunition. That was the scene in Upstate New York this weekend. The suspect is now in custody on assault charges. More now from CNN's Alina CNN has obtained.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A quiet Sunday afternoon at a mall in Upstate New York suddenly turned chaotic when shots rang out at a Best Buy.

ALI AFSHAR, WITNESS: I looked up and I saw about 80 to 90 people come running like frantically in all different directions. And they were just screaming and yelling. And they went running. And I grabbed one of them and I asked him like what was going on? And he said that there's a guy with a gun and he's shooting people.

CHO: Police say the gunman, carrying an assault style rifle, opened fire. Among the wounded, a 20-year-old National Guardsman working as a recruiter. Another man was injured by flying debris.

WAYNE OLSON, NEW YORK STATE POLICE: We consider it fortunate that more people were not struck. A Sunday afternoon in a crowded mall is -- it really has all the potential in the world for disaster.

CHO: While most people were running for their lives, one man decided to shadow the gunman until, he says, the suspect ran out of ammunition and dropped his weapon. KEITH LAZARCHIK, WITNESS: And I picked up the gun and the shooter, he just took a couple steps and he put his hands up and he just, I guess, surrendered. And the two guys, they took him down.

CHO: Police say the suspect is a 24-year-old man. So far, police will not talk about a motive.

For mall workers and shoppers alike, what started out as a fairly routine Sunday will be remembered as anything but.

AFSHAR: You come to work hoping not to be dodging bullets when you come in the morning. And this is Valentine's Day, you know, you're hoping to have a good sales day, and now I'm running for my life.

CHO: Alina Cho, CNN, Kingston, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Around America's baseball diamonds, players call it juiced. Now retired superstar Jose Canseco names names in his book about the stuff that can make and break a sports career. We'll have more on his story in 12 minutes.

Also ahead, with Daytona just a week away, racing legend Richard Petty weighs in on the new NASCAR season. Chad Myers talks with King Richard in 32 minutes.

And, oh, not on Valentine's Day. Stress can trigger what appears to be a broken heart, literally. Dr. Sanjay Gupta has that in 39 minutes. But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Valentine's Day, Monday morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

The world is waiting to see how the new Iraqi government will shape up. Final but uncertified election results show the Shiites and Kurds won the most seats in the national assembly, but neither party has enough votes to push through its agenda.

Howard Dean promises to rebuild the Democratic Party, especially in the red states. The Democrats elected Dean as their new national party chairman on Saturday. The former presidential candidate replaces Terry McAuliffe.

In money news, there is new merger activity in the telephone industry. Verizon has reportedly clinched a deal to buy long distance carrier MCI for nearly $7 billion. Both boards are expected to approve the deal today.

In culture, Will Smith brought out the audiences over the weekend for his new movie, "Hitch." The romantic comedy was tops at the box office, with nearly $46 million in ticket sales. That total more than quadruples the take from last week's number one movie.

In sports, the mailman has delivered his last package. Karl Malone announced his retirement in Utah, where he spent 18 years as a member of The Jazz. He retires as the second leading scorer in NBA history, with nearly 37,000 points.

MYERS: Wow!

COSTELLO: That's incredible.

MYERS: He's going to spend more time on his road game commercials now, Carol. I'm kidding. That's an area of contention between him and some of the other players, huh?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Need I ask, Chad? Did you watch the Grammys?

MYERS: You know, I watched some of Star Jones introduce all those people as they walked up onto the red carpet yesterday.

COSTELLO: You have got to be kidding.

MYERS: You know why I watched it? COSTELLO: Why?

MYERS: Because it was in high definition. And if you have a high definition TV, you'll watch anything that's in high-def compared to anything else.

COSTELLO: So what was your favorite outfit?

MYERS: I couldn't tell you.

COSTELLO: Oh...

MYERS: Sorry.

COSTELLO: I've heard that Cheryl Crow was wearing a very interesting yellow dress.

Did you notice that?

MYERS: You know, I watched it for about 15 minutes and there weren't too many stars that came through that I knew. So I kind of tuned out.

COSTELLO: But I bet you watched every minute of that NASCAR race this weekend, didn't you?

MYERS: I did, and also the ARCA race, too. We'll have news on that, and Billy Venturini, too, yes.

COSTELLO: Yes, we will.

Let's get back to the Grammys now, shall we?

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: Ray Charles was on everybody's mind at last night's Grammys. His final album of duets captured eight awards.

MYERS: It didn't?

COSTELLO: For all the winners and losers, we're joined from Los Angeles by Tom O'Neil of "In Style Magazine."

Good morning, Tom.

TOM O'NEIL, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY MAGAZINE": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Have you slept yet?

O'NEIL: Of course not.

COSTELLO: Well, we're glad that you tore yourself away from the post-Grammy parties to talk about us.

Let's run down the big winners before we start. Ray Charles won eight; Alicia Keys, four; Nora Jones won three Grammys; Usher, three; U2, three; and Kanye West, three. And that was the big surprise of the night, because everybody thought Kanye West was going to clean up.

O'NEIL: Well, or go home empty-handed. It was a real question mark with Kanye because, I mean, he's a wild card. He went into the American Music Awards thinking he was going to do well and threw a hissy fit back stage when he didn't win best new artist. So last night on the Grammy stage, one of the great moments in the acceptance speeches was when he said I'll bet you're all wondering what I was going to do if I didn't win. Well, now you'll never know.

COSTELLO: And he had tears in his eyes during his performance, too. I guess it was a really powerful performance.

O'NEIL: It was a powerful performance. And that was the great thing about last night. We had a lot of those. We had a dramatic Alicia Keys singing. We had Queen Latifah knocking the roof off the joint when she was singing. Green Day did a fantastic job. Melissa Etheridge was so brave. There she was, she's battling breast cancer. She went out on that stage and not only performed, singing her guts out, she did it without putting a wig on. You know, she did it with a bald head. It was very dramatic.

COSTELLO: It was awesome. There she is, Melissa Etheridge. A very moving performance. She got a standing ovation.

Let's talk about Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and their performance. It was odd.

O'NEIL: Why do you say that?

COSTELLO: Well, because it, I don't know, she came out in her bathrobe. They were singing all in Spanish, which was nice, but not many in the audience probably understood it.

O'NEIL: I was following the message boards on the Internet while this was going on and I was observing a lot of people who know the Spanish language complaining that J-Lo's Spanish was bad.

COSTELLO: Oh.

O'NEIL: It was fascinating. I don't know that personally, because I don't know the language. But she pulled it off OK. Remember what the big suspicion here was, Carol, was we have never heard J-Lo sing live before. She's the ultimate lip sync artist. This woman is packaged. She is always lip syncing. So last night, we knew going into the Grammys that they do not permit lip syncing. So we were expecting the possibility of an Ashley Simpson disaster moment.

But J-Lo got through it.

COSTELLO: She did. I mean some reviews in the papers this morning aren't so kind, though, because her husband has a very powerful voice and in contrast her voice isn't all that strong.

O'NEIL: No, it's not. But, on the other hand, considering what the possibility was for disaster, all she had to do last night -- because she's not a great artist. Come on, she's a great star, but not a great talent. She got through it and that was all she had to do.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, I guess good for her.

O'NEIL: I know. Really.

COSTELLO: Tom O'Neil from "In Touch Weekly," joining us live this morning.

Thank you so much.

A tell all book about steroids in major league baseball hits stores today. When we come back, we'll look at which former teammates Jose Canseco claims he used with. Is he telling the truth or just trying to sell a lot of books?

You are watching DAYBREAK for Monday, February 14.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Let's talk a little bit about Jose Canseco. He was on "60 Minutes" last night -- Chad.

MYERS: He was.

COSTELLO: And he had a lot of stories to tell.

MYERS: Yes, and you know what? One that I'm just printing off the printer here, if you go to 60minutes.com, you can get a direct link to it. He actually admits using steroids. Here, I don't want to get anything wrong here, "from the first pitch to my 21st year," he admits using some type of anabolic or performance enhancing steroids.

COSTELLO: The saddest part was he was asked if he was a great baseball player because he took steroids and he basically said yes. And it was just so sad.

MYERS: His book doesn't come out until this morning, but it's already a best-seller because of preorders on Amazon.com.

COSTELLO: Yes, and because he started talking before this.

When he wasn't talking, book sales were really down. Right after he started naming names, people went online and started to preorder the book.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Anyway, CNN's Steve Overmeyer has more for you now.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE) STEVE OVERMEYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After retiring from baseball in 2002, Jose Canseco said one day he would write a tell all book. That day has come.

During an interview about his new book with "60 Minutes," Canseco claimed he used steroids with former Oakland teammate Mark McGwire.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "60 MINUTES," COURTESY CBS NEWS)

JOSE CANSECO, 1998 AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: I think I injected them, I mean this was a long time ago, once or twice for sure. I didn't keep track. But an athlete may prepare his needle and may ask another athlete to inject him quickly. And that's the way it works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

OVERMYER: McGwire has denied using steroids and issued a statement saying, "I have always told the truth and I am saddened that I have to continue to respond to this line of questioning. With regards to this book, I am reserving comment until I've had the chance to review its contents myself."

Jason Giambi was also named by Canseco as a steroid user. The Yankees' first baseman reportedly admitted to using steroids during his testimony before a grand jury which is investigating a California company for the illegal distribution of steroids.

JASON GIAMBI, 2000 AMERICAN LEAGUE MVP: I think he might be a little loose, you know? I mean I don't know. I haven't, like I said, I have not read his book. So I don't know to what extent it's even in there. You know, I've only seen bits and pieces, like everything else. But I think in time that a lot of those things, you know, are going to come out to be untrue.

OVERMYER: Also Canseco's allegations are being disregarded by those who question his credibility, not everyone is convinced he's lying.

KEN ROSENTHAL, "THE SPORTING NEWS": You can look at his credibility two ways. One, he's not credible. He's a guy who is an outcast in the sport. He's out to make a buck. He's clearly looking to bring people down for his own benefit. At the same time, this is a person who was a firsthand witness to all the steroid use in the late '80s, early '90s and into 2000. He was right in the middle of everything and you would think that he would have some idea of who did what.

OVERMYER: Baseball's brightest star, Barry Bonds, was not named in Canseco's book, but continues to be surrounded by suspicions that he used performance enhancing drugs. The six time MVP could break Hank Aaron's all time home run record this season, so the questions will continue.

ROSENTHAL: I don't think there is a light at the end of the tunnel for baseball any time soon. You have Bonds this year, when he approaches Ruth and approaches Aaron, people are going to wonder is this real or is it something else?

OVERMYER: Steve Overmeyer, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

Some cautious praise from the White House as the Iraqis try to cement their historic election.

We'll also tell you what some top U.S. law makers have to say about the vote count.

Plus, a treat for all you racing fans. Chad talks to the man they call King Richard, racing legend Richard Petty.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 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 the day after 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 Koreans 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 withdraw 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.

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