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CNN Live At Daybreak

Worst Fears Realized; Drug Lord Busted; Syrian Withdrawal

Aired April 26, 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, the worst fears are realized for a mother and father. Their two missing toddlers found dead in Georgia.
Plus, President Bush asks the Saudi oil kings, can you help? We'll tell you how the road royals replied.

And quick, go get your dogs. We'll show you and your pup some way-out doggie specials.

It is Tuesday, April 26. 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," in east Georgia the bodies of two toddlers have been found in an algae-covered sanitation pond. Police say there are no signs of foul play. The 2 and 3-year-old sister and brother were reported missing on Saturday.

Syria has completed its withdrawal of troops from neighboring -- Syria has withdrawn its troops from Lebanon, I should say. Syria has had political and military influence over Lebanon for 30 years. The killing of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, triggered the international call for Syria's withdrawal.

President Bush takes his plan for changing Social Security on the road again. He's heading to the University of Texas in Galveston for an afternoon roundtable event.

And in Colorado's back country, a 55-year-old cross-country skier is rescued after eight days with little food or water. He broke is leg at the beginning of what was to have been a one-day trip near his Steamboat Springs home.

To the forecast center and Chad.

Good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. Lucky for that guy there, hey?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: Our top story this morning, a parents' nightmare in rural Georgia. A brother and sister 3 and 2 years old missing Saturday night are found dead in a pond. Our Tony Harris has the story from Warrenton, 100 miles east of Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It appears that our worst fears have been realized.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mud-filled and algae-covered sanitation pond is where the bodies of Nicole and Jonah Payne were found yesterday afternoon, just a few hundred yards from their home.

DENNIS PAYNE, FATHER: Both of them were my pride and joy. And they were my babies.

HARRIS: During a second search of a wooded area with several ponds near the family home an officer noticed what he described as a bump in the sanitation pond. That bump turned out to be the body of 2-year-old Nicole. A short time later, the searchers found the body of her 3-year-old brother.

JOHN BANKHEAD, GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Because of that green covering of the bacteria, or algae that covers that type of pond, it was very difficult to see these kids. As a matter of fact, when they first looked at it, they didn't know they were bodies.

HARRIS: The investigators have not yet determined the cause of death. And while foul play has not been ruled out, one of the working theories is that the children simply wandered away from home for the second time that day.

CHIEF JIM MCCLAIN, WARRENTON, GEORGIA, POLICE: Yes, the kids had went out before. But before they got too far from the house they were -- they were recovered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When did that happen?

MCCLAIN: It happened Saturday, believe it or not.

PAYNE: They just walked right out. They just opened the door and walked right out. That 3-year-old is -- Nicole is a very smart little girl for a 2-year-old. And she -- she just had that habit, and she just got out.

HARRIS: The mother, Lottie Kain, had told police the children disappeared while she was in the bathroom. Both parents were given a polygraph test, routine in this type of investigation, according to the police chief.

Tony Harris, CNN, Warrenton, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" now, a Florida police officer has been arrested for allegedly starting brushfires while on duty. Investigators say they saw Deputy Henry Shook III (ph) start the fire while on patrol. He had been on surveillance since February after a number of suspicious fires were reported in the area.

A proposed Florida gun law that expands the rights of gun owners could become a blueprint for other states. The so-called Stand Your Ground Bill allows a person to shoot would-be attackers outside of their home if they feel threatened. Governor Jeb Bush may sign the bill into law as early as today. "The Washington Post" reporting the NRA plans to back similar legislation around the country.

San Diego's mayor has resigned in the midst of a federal investigation. Mayor Dick Murphy has been blamed for more than a $1 billion deficit in the city's pension fund. That's according (ph) to the Justice Department investigation. A special election is likely to be called to choose his successor.

One of the world's most wanted narcotics dealers is in custody in New York. Investigators allege that he's not only responsible for a large chunk of the world's heroin supply, he's also a major contributor to al Qaeda.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities say he's one of the world's biggest heroin traffickers. Haji Bashir Noorzai arrested Saturday after flying into New York's JFK Airport.

JOHN GILBRIDE, DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY: His organization is responsible for sending kilos of heroin not only to the United States, but to many other countries as well. Hundreds of kilos of heroin.

FEYERICK: An amount carrying an estimated $50 million price tag on the street. The feds won't say why the drug kingpin came to the United States or who he may have been traveling with.

What they do say is that for nearly 15 years, Noorzai and his associates worked with the Taliban, giving them weapons and soldiers. And in exchange, the Taliban turned a blind eye to the Afghan drug lord's opium crops, heroin labs, and transport routes.

DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: On one occasion in 1997, it is alleged that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan seized a truckload of morphine base that belonged to the Noorzai organization. It didn't take very long, however, for Mullah Mohammed Omar to have the drugs returned to Noorzai with Omar's personal apologies.

FEYERICK: Taliban leader Mullah Omar was an ally of Osama bin Laden. Omar and the Taliban were kicked out of Afghanistan by the U.S.-led invasion in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks.

GILBRIDE: That regime can no longer rely on his money, resources, or influence.

FEYERICK: Prosecutors wouldn't talk about possible al Qaeda ties. But in the past, U.S. officials have accused Noorzai of smuggling heroin to al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan.

Noorzai appeared before a federal judge in Manhattan. He entered no plea to drug conspiracy charges against him.

(on camera): Noorzai faces up to 10 years to life in prison if convicted. It's too soon to tell what kind of an impact his arrest will have on Afghanistan's overall heroin trade, a trade that makes abruptly half the country's economy.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other news from around the world, the death toll is rising from Monday's train derailment in Japan. Seventy-three are now dead, more than 400 injured. A commuter train went off the tracks outside of Osaka, crashing into an apartment building.

Now there's been another commuter train accident in Japan this morning. That train hit a truck outside of Tokyo, derailing the lead car and slightly injuring the truck driver.

An update now on a friendly fire incident in which U.S. troops in Iraq fired on a car carrying a just-freed Italian hostage. A senior Pentagon official tells CNN that a U.S. military probe has found the troops were not at fault.

An Italian agent was killed. And the former hostage and journalist was wounded. The report says there is no evidence the Italians tried to coordinate safe passage through the U.S. checkpoint where the shooting occurred. There is word the Italian government is furious about the report's conclusions.

And off the coast of Vancouver, Canada, a stranded whale is back in its depths. The young gray whale was gasping for breath on Monday after beaching itself, but it was finally able to make use of the high tide and swim away to freedom. It was seen swimming with two other whales on its journey back to sea.

In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley a small but significant ceremony is about to wrap up. A small contingent of Syrian troops mark the end of nearly 30 years of military influence over Lebanon.

Brent Sadler is there. He joins us live now.

Hello, Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good morning, Carol.

The farewell to Syria salute that's been taking place for the past couple of hours or so is, as you can see, just wrapping up. Dignitaries from both the Lebanese and Syrian army now leaving the VIP stand behind me.

Earlier, we saw several hundred troops from both the Lebanese and Syrian armies on the parade ground here in the Bekaa Valley inside a Lebanese military airbase, about 250 Syrian troops, Carol. Effectively the last Syrian troops here in Lebanon.

The Syrian military entered its small and weakened neighbor back in 1976, 29 years ago, when the embattled Lebanese government invited the Syrians in to try and stabilize this country that was at the start of a ruinous civil war that lasted until the year 1990. However, since the end of that war, some 15 years ago, the role of Syria, say the political opposition here, effectively changed. And Syria, through its military, but particularly its Syrian military intelligence network, untouchable and much feared by many in Lebanese society, effectively says the opposition ruled Syria, going so far as to choose those that were standing for parliament and to be an integral part of the process of selecting governments.

Now, the Syrians will strongly deny those allegations, those accusations. And, in fact, the chief of the staff of the Syrian army, General Ali Habib, said that it was the mouthpieces of certain media that were distorting the honorable role, he said, that Syria has played in Lebanon.

This is a clip we heard from the Syrian general just a short time ago talking about Syria's role here in this country, past, but more particularly, what Syria hopes will be achieved in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. ALI HABIB, SYRIAN CHIEF OF STAFF (through translator): The role of the Syrian army is honorable with Lebanon. We'll continue with all of its aspects. Every free Lebanese will always remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the Syrian armed forces, and for the purpose of preserving the unity, freedom and sovereignty of Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: Just a few weeks ago, Carol, the number of Syrian troops in Lebanon was about 14,000, down from about 40,000 some five or six years ago. It was the United States that really, along with France, led international calls to force the Syrians, to pressure the Syrians, the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, to end what the Lebanese opposition say was a virtual -- a real, in fact, occupation of Lebanon. And now that has changed because the Syrians have now officially gone.

That process still has to be verified by a U.N. team that's just arrived in Damascus. But essentially, it's now hoped that the Lebanese political landscape will allow itself to have free and fair parliamentary elections at the end of May.

All this has happened, Carol, in just three months. A staggeringly short period of time for this kind of change to happen in this volatile part of the world. And what triggered this off, it was, just to remind our viewers, the February 14, the Valentine's Day bombing of former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, that triggered huge political, popular protests of Syrian presence here. And that now officially ending this ceremony, historic ceremony, now just wrapping up -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, the eyes of Texas are on the president as his Social Security road trip rolls on.

And a night on the town could mean a legal hangover for Martha Stewart.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning, April 26.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now to our market watch. It's been a rough day so far for the international markets.

Japan's Nikkei closes down nearly 38 points. Britain's FTSE trading down 5 points. And the German DAX is down just over 13.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:16 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Farewell ceremonies took place in Lebanon within the last hour to celebrate the full withdrawal of Syrian forces. Syrian troops completed their pullout this morning after 29 years in Lebanon.

Democrats and Republicans are discussing a compromise that could end the fight over filibusters. Republicans had threatened to change Senate rules after Democrats held up several of President Bush's judicial nominees. The deal could lead to some confirmation votes in exchange for no changes in filibuster rules.

In money news, more than $700 million is being set aside for investors hurt by the collapse of Adelphia Communications. The settlement is one of the largest of its kind. Company founder John Rigas was convicted of conspiracy and fraud last year.

In culture, comedian George Lopez is recovering in a Los Angeles hospital after undergoing kidney transplant surgery. The replacement kidney was donated by his wife. His kidney problems were caused by a genetic condition.

In sports, the Houston Rockets have jumped out to a commanding two games to nothing lead in their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Yao Ming led the way with 33 points in last night's two- point win.

We need to hear the Yao Ming song again, Chad.

MYERS: What's that, Yao Ming?

COSTELLO: The -- you know, Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming -- anyway, go on.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: I'm done.

MYERS: That sounded like Chef Boyardee, I think, though. So, Carol, you need to work on that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad. But stick around, because we're going to talk dogs.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: You do know.

MYERS: I hear some of these -- I'm on the side of the dog on this one.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Well, let's let our audience decide.

Do you have trouble finding time to walk your dog once a day? Well, you will not get much sympathy from officials in one Italian city. The city council in Turin now requires dog owners to walk their pets at least three times a day. If they don't they could be fined the equivalent of $650.

What, are they going to send out the dog police?

MYERS: It's like 10,000 lira.

COSTELLO: The new law also bars people from dying their dog's fur, or snipping their pooch's tail.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: As one local newspaper puts it, it's now illegal to turn your dog into a "ridiculous fluffy toy."

MYERS: And?

COSTELLO: Well, we wanted to ask our email question based on that story, because, you know, Paris Hilton carries around that little tiny dog. Britney, what's her face -- what's her name?

MYERS: Spears?

COSTELLO: Spears, right.

MYERS: I got one right.

COSTELLO: She has a little tiny dog -- yes. Ozzy Osbourne's daughter, what's her name? Come on, Chad.

MYERS: I couldn't tell you.

COSTELLO: Anyway, she just died her dog pink. She used human hair color. Pink to die her dog. Pete is very angry at her.

Has it gone too far, people?

MYERS: Well, I don't think so.

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: But the question is, does this law take too big of a bite out of the dog's owner's rights? What about the dog's rights? I mean, it's Italy. We're not talking about Vermont.

It's Italy. They can do what they want.

COSTELLO: Dogs should be stylin'!

MYERS: Well, I agree with that. But they have rights.

COSTELLO: Let us know what you think.

MYERS: Dogs are people, too.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We want to have some fun this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Still ahead, let's talk about something serious and actually newsy. President Bush tries to convince one of his oil-supplying friends to feed the need for more petroleum.

Also, the president heads to Galveston, Texas, today for a roundtable discussion on Social Security. We'll explain why the location is of particular interest.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Tuesday, April 26.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time for some "Late Night Laughs."

MYERS: Yes. You were probably already sleeping. I know I was.

COSTELLO: I was. But the Jon Stewart show went on despite both of us sleeping.

MYERS: Of course it does.

COSTELLO: And Jon Stewart was talking about how the Earth just did not cooperate with President Bush on Earth Day. Mother Nature was actually not very kind. Here's Jon Stewart.

MYERS: That's a surprise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Friday, April 22, was Earth Day. And that, of course, oddly enough, April 22, is the day in 2012 on which the Earth will end. You heard it here first.

(LAUGHTER)

President Bush marked the event by riding his airborne SUV to Tennessee to visit the Great Smoky Mountains, ironically our nation's most polluted national park.

(LAUGHTER)

But he wound up stuck on the tarmac due to a sudden burst of hail and thunderstorms because the Earth hates him so much.

(APPLAUSE)

But the president soldiered on with a speech, making a slight adjustment in tense.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the park, had I been there, I would have reminded people today's Earth Day.

STEWART: But since I'm not there, let me -- let me skip right ahead to talking about our good friend, the high sulfur coal plant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MYERS: He's so funny.

COSTELLO: He's just so funny.

MYERS: He is good.

COSTELLO: All right. Let's get right to our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers." Shall we?

Look, look, Chad, up in the tree.

MYERS: Where?

COSTELLO: It's a bird.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: It's a plane.

MYERS: It's a bear.

COSTELLO: It's a bear. Actually, the 2-year-old black bear climbed to the top of this tree in New Jersey while fleeing police.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Oh, for god's sake. Wildlife officials had to shoot the 240-pound bear with a tranquilizer gun, and then they lowered it into a wading truck. There you see him. Oh.

MYERS: And took him off and put him in a better place in some forest somewhere.

COSTELLO: Yes, a safe park.

MYERS: Good.

COSTELLO: Oh, the poor bear.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: But he's OK. At least we hope so.

Just look at that face.

MYERS: Where?

COSTELLO: There.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Tiberius was crowned most beautiful bulldog at the 26th annual pageant at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Drake, of course, has a bulldog as a mascot. The so- called beauty pageant kicked off the Drake Relays Festival.

MYERS: Is that guy sitting on that other dog?

COSTELLO: I don't think you can help it if you're that kind of dog.

And more bulldog news. Yale University is looking for a new one. Their search officially ends today...

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: ... when judges choose among the 10 finalists. The main requirement? They hate the color red.

MYERS: Well, you can get a bull, instead of just a bulldog.

COSTELLO: No. That's because their rival, Harvard, wears crimson. Of course dogs are colorblind.

MYERS: So it doesn't matter.

COSTELLO: Right. Anyway, the winning dog will be named Handsome Dan XVI. Apparently, the name Benedict XVI was already taken.

MYERS: Better than Lieutenant Dan, because that's from "Forrest Gump."

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

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

There is a lot of talk about revamping Social Security. Coming up, we'll show you how one...

MYERS: Lieutenant Dan.

COSTELLO: ... community has managed their own money without the federal government's assistance.

Plus, could the domestic diva return to prison? Investigators are looking into possible parole problems by Martha Stewart.

(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," autopsies are planned for two Georgia toddlers who were found dead in a sanitation pond after being missing for two days. Investigators found the bodies of the 3-year-old boy and his 2- year-old sister just a few hundred yards from their home. There are no immediate indications of foul play.

Syria completes its troop withdrawal from Lebanon today. It ends 29 years of military and political domination. Formal farewell ceremonies, some would say good ridden ceremonies, have just ended in the Bekaa Valley.

Funeral services will be held this morning for former Israeli president Ezer Weizman. He's being remembered as one of the architects of Israel's first peace treaty with an Arab country. He died Sunday at the age of 80.

Seven hundred thousand dollars, that's what a Miami jury says former baseball star Jose Canseco and his twin brother will have to shell out for a bar fight. That settles the compensatory damage phase of a lawsuit filed by two California men. A hearing is today to determine punitive damages.

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 April 26, 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, the worst fears are realized for a mother and father. Their two missing toddlers found dead in Georgia.
Plus, President Bush asks the Saudi oil kings, can you help? We'll tell you how the road royals replied.

And quick, go get your dogs. We'll show you and your pup some way-out doggie specials.

It is Tuesday, April 26. 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," in east Georgia the bodies of two toddlers have been found in an algae-covered sanitation pond. Police say there are no signs of foul play. The 2 and 3-year-old sister and brother were reported missing on Saturday.

Syria has completed its withdrawal of troops from neighboring -- Syria has withdrawn its troops from Lebanon, I should say. Syria has had political and military influence over Lebanon for 30 years. The killing of the former Lebanese prime minister, Rafik Hariri, triggered the international call for Syria's withdrawal.

President Bush takes his plan for changing Social Security on the road again. He's heading to the University of Texas in Galveston for an afternoon roundtable event.

And in Colorado's back country, a 55-year-old cross-country skier is rescued after eight days with little food or water. He broke is leg at the beginning of what was to have been a one-day trip near his Steamboat Springs home.

To the forecast center and Chad.

Good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol. Lucky for that guy there, hey?

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome. COSTELLO: Our top story this morning, a parents' nightmare in rural Georgia. A brother and sister 3 and 2 years old missing Saturday night are found dead in a pond. Our Tony Harris has the story from Warrenton, 100 miles east of Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It appears that our worst fears have been realized.

TONY HARRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A mud-filled and algae-covered sanitation pond is where the bodies of Nicole and Jonah Payne were found yesterday afternoon, just a few hundred yards from their home.

DENNIS PAYNE, FATHER: Both of them were my pride and joy. And they were my babies.

HARRIS: During a second search of a wooded area with several ponds near the family home an officer noticed what he described as a bump in the sanitation pond. That bump turned out to be the body of 2-year-old Nicole. A short time later, the searchers found the body of her 3-year-old brother.

JOHN BANKHEAD, GEORGIA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Because of that green covering of the bacteria, or algae that covers that type of pond, it was very difficult to see these kids. As a matter of fact, when they first looked at it, they didn't know they were bodies.

HARRIS: The investigators have not yet determined the cause of death. And while foul play has not been ruled out, one of the working theories is that the children simply wandered away from home for the second time that day.

CHIEF JIM MCCLAIN, WARRENTON, GEORGIA, POLICE: Yes, the kids had went out before. But before they got too far from the house they were -- they were recovered.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When did that happen?

MCCLAIN: It happened Saturday, believe it or not.

PAYNE: They just walked right out. They just opened the door and walked right out. That 3-year-old is -- Nicole is a very smart little girl for a 2-year-old. And she -- she just had that habit, and she just got out.

HARRIS: The mother, Lottie Kain, had told police the children disappeared while she was in the bathroom. Both parents were given a polygraph test, routine in this type of investigation, according to the police chief.

Tony Harris, CNN, Warrenton, Georgia.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: In other news "Across America" now, a Florida police officer has been arrested for allegedly starting brushfires while on duty. Investigators say they saw Deputy Henry Shook III (ph) start the fire while on patrol. He had been on surveillance since February after a number of suspicious fires were reported in the area.

A proposed Florida gun law that expands the rights of gun owners could become a blueprint for other states. The so-called Stand Your Ground Bill allows a person to shoot would-be attackers outside of their home if they feel threatened. Governor Jeb Bush may sign the bill into law as early as today. "The Washington Post" reporting the NRA plans to back similar legislation around the country.

San Diego's mayor has resigned in the midst of a federal investigation. Mayor Dick Murphy has been blamed for more than a $1 billion deficit in the city's pension fund. That's according (ph) to the Justice Department investigation. A special election is likely to be called to choose his successor.

One of the world's most wanted narcotics dealers is in custody in New York. Investigators allege that he's not only responsible for a large chunk of the world's heroin supply, he's also a major contributor to al Qaeda.

CNN's Deborah Feyerick has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Authorities say he's one of the world's biggest heroin traffickers. Haji Bashir Noorzai arrested Saturday after flying into New York's JFK Airport.

JOHN GILBRIDE, DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY: His organization is responsible for sending kilos of heroin not only to the United States, but to many other countries as well. Hundreds of kilos of heroin.

FEYERICK: An amount carrying an estimated $50 million price tag on the street. The feds won't say why the drug kingpin came to the United States or who he may have been traveling with.

What they do say is that for nearly 15 years, Noorzai and his associates worked with the Taliban, giving them weapons and soldiers. And in exchange, the Taliban turned a blind eye to the Afghan drug lord's opium crops, heroin labs, and transport routes.

DAVID KELLEY, U.S. ATTORNEY: On one occasion in 1997, it is alleged that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan seized a truckload of morphine base that belonged to the Noorzai organization. It didn't take very long, however, for Mullah Mohammed Omar to have the drugs returned to Noorzai with Omar's personal apologies.

FEYERICK: Taliban leader Mullah Omar was an ally of Osama bin Laden. Omar and the Taliban were kicked out of Afghanistan by the U.S.-led invasion in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks.

GILBRIDE: That regime can no longer rely on his money, resources, or influence.

FEYERICK: Prosecutors wouldn't talk about possible al Qaeda ties. But in the past, U.S. officials have accused Noorzai of smuggling heroin to al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan.

Noorzai appeared before a federal judge in Manhattan. He entered no plea to drug conspiracy charges against him.

(on camera): Noorzai faces up to 10 years to life in prison if convicted. It's too soon to tell what kind of an impact his arrest will have on Afghanistan's overall heroin trade, a trade that makes abruptly half the country's economy.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: In other news from around the world, the death toll is rising from Monday's train derailment in Japan. Seventy-three are now dead, more than 400 injured. A commuter train went off the tracks outside of Osaka, crashing into an apartment building.

Now there's been another commuter train accident in Japan this morning. That train hit a truck outside of Tokyo, derailing the lead car and slightly injuring the truck driver.

An update now on a friendly fire incident in which U.S. troops in Iraq fired on a car carrying a just-freed Italian hostage. A senior Pentagon official tells CNN that a U.S. military probe has found the troops were not at fault.

An Italian agent was killed. And the former hostage and journalist was wounded. The report says there is no evidence the Italians tried to coordinate safe passage through the U.S. checkpoint where the shooting occurred. There is word the Italian government is furious about the report's conclusions.

And off the coast of Vancouver, Canada, a stranded whale is back in its depths. The young gray whale was gasping for breath on Monday after beaching itself, but it was finally able to make use of the high tide and swim away to freedom. It was seen swimming with two other whales on its journey back to sea.

In Lebanon's Bekaa Valley a small but significant ceremony is about to wrap up. A small contingent of Syrian troops mark the end of nearly 30 years of military influence over Lebanon.

Brent Sadler is there. He joins us live now.

Hello, Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good morning, Carol.

The farewell to Syria salute that's been taking place for the past couple of hours or so is, as you can see, just wrapping up. Dignitaries from both the Lebanese and Syrian army now leaving the VIP stand behind me.

Earlier, we saw several hundred troops from both the Lebanese and Syrian armies on the parade ground here in the Bekaa Valley inside a Lebanese military airbase, about 250 Syrian troops, Carol. Effectively the last Syrian troops here in Lebanon.

The Syrian military entered its small and weakened neighbor back in 1976, 29 years ago, when the embattled Lebanese government invited the Syrians in to try and stabilize this country that was at the start of a ruinous civil war that lasted until the year 1990. However, since the end of that war, some 15 years ago, the role of Syria, say the political opposition here, effectively changed. And Syria, through its military, but particularly its Syrian military intelligence network, untouchable and much feared by many in Lebanese society, effectively says the opposition ruled Syria, going so far as to choose those that were standing for parliament and to be an integral part of the process of selecting governments.

Now, the Syrians will strongly deny those allegations, those accusations. And, in fact, the chief of the staff of the Syrian army, General Ali Habib, said that it was the mouthpieces of certain media that were distorting the honorable role, he said, that Syria has played in Lebanon.

This is a clip we heard from the Syrian general just a short time ago talking about Syria's role here in this country, past, but more particularly, what Syria hopes will be achieved in the future.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEN. ALI HABIB, SYRIAN CHIEF OF STAFF (through translator): The role of the Syrian army is honorable with Lebanon. We'll continue with all of its aspects. Every free Lebanese will always remember with gratitude the sacrifices of the Syrian armed forces, and for the purpose of preserving the unity, freedom and sovereignty of Lebanon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SADLER: Just a few weeks ago, Carol, the number of Syrian troops in Lebanon was about 14,000, down from about 40,000 some five or six years ago. It was the United States that really, along with France, led international calls to force the Syrians, to pressure the Syrians, the president of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, to end what the Lebanese opposition say was a virtual -- a real, in fact, occupation of Lebanon. And now that has changed because the Syrians have now officially gone.

That process still has to be verified by a U.N. team that's just arrived in Damascus. But essentially, it's now hoped that the Lebanese political landscape will allow itself to have free and fair parliamentary elections at the end of May.

All this has happened, Carol, in just three months. A staggeringly short period of time for this kind of change to happen in this volatile part of the world. And what triggered this off, it was, just to remind our viewers, the February 14, the Valentine's Day bombing of former prime minister, Rafik Hariri, that triggered huge political, popular protests of Syrian presence here. And that now officially ending this ceremony, historic ceremony, now just wrapping up -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler reporting live for us this morning. Thank you.

Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, the eyes of Texas are on the president as his Social Security road trip rolls on.

And a night on the town could mean a legal hangover for Martha Stewart.

But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Tuesday morning, April 26.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Now to our market watch. It's been a rough day so far for the international markets.

Japan's Nikkei closes down nearly 38 points. Britain's FTSE trading down 5 points. And the German DAX is down just over 13.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:16 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Farewell ceremonies took place in Lebanon within the last hour to celebrate the full withdrawal of Syrian forces. Syrian troops completed their pullout this morning after 29 years in Lebanon.

Democrats and Republicans are discussing a compromise that could end the fight over filibusters. Republicans had threatened to change Senate rules after Democrats held up several of President Bush's judicial nominees. The deal could lead to some confirmation votes in exchange for no changes in filibuster rules.

In money news, more than $700 million is being set aside for investors hurt by the collapse of Adelphia Communications. The settlement is one of the largest of its kind. Company founder John Rigas was convicted of conspiracy and fraud last year.

In culture, comedian George Lopez is recovering in a Los Angeles hospital after undergoing kidney transplant surgery. The replacement kidney was donated by his wife. His kidney problems were caused by a genetic condition.

In sports, the Houston Rockets have jumped out to a commanding two games to nothing lead in their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Yao Ming led the way with 33 points in last night's two- point win.

We need to hear the Yao Ming song again, Chad.

MYERS: What's that, Yao Ming?

COSTELLO: The -- you know, Yao Ming, Yao Ming, Yao Ming -- anyway, go on.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: I'm done.

MYERS: That sounded like Chef Boyardee, I think, though. So, Carol, you need to work on that.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad. But stick around, because we're going to talk dogs.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: You do know.

MYERS: I hear some of these -- I'm on the side of the dog on this one.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Yes. Well, let's let our audience decide.

Do you have trouble finding time to walk your dog once a day? Well, you will not get much sympathy from officials in one Italian city. The city council in Turin now requires dog owners to walk their pets at least three times a day. If they don't they could be fined the equivalent of $650.

What, are they going to send out the dog police?

MYERS: It's like 10,000 lira.

COSTELLO: The new law also bars people from dying their dog's fur, or snipping their pooch's tail.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: As one local newspaper puts it, it's now illegal to turn your dog into a "ridiculous fluffy toy."

MYERS: And?

COSTELLO: Well, we wanted to ask our email question based on that story, because, you know, Paris Hilton carries around that little tiny dog. Britney, what's her face -- what's her name?

MYERS: Spears?

COSTELLO: Spears, right.

MYERS: I got one right.

COSTELLO: She has a little tiny dog -- yes. Ozzy Osbourne's daughter, what's her name? Come on, Chad.

MYERS: I couldn't tell you.

COSTELLO: Anyway, she just died her dog pink. She used human hair color. Pink to die her dog. Pete is very angry at her.

Has it gone too far, people?

MYERS: Well, I don't think so.

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: But the question is, does this law take too big of a bite out of the dog's owner's rights? What about the dog's rights? I mean, it's Italy. We're not talking about Vermont.

It's Italy. They can do what they want.

COSTELLO: Dogs should be stylin'!

MYERS: Well, I agree with that. But they have rights.

COSTELLO: Let us know what you think.

MYERS: Dogs are people, too.

COSTELLO: Exactly. We want to have some fun this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Still ahead, let's talk about something serious and actually newsy. President Bush tries to convince one of his oil-supplying friends to feed the need for more petroleum.

Also, the president heads to Galveston, Texas, today for a roundtable discussion on Social Security. We'll explain why the location is of particular interest.

You are watching DAYBREAK for Tuesday, April 26.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time for some "Late Night Laughs."

MYERS: Yes. You were probably already sleeping. I know I was.

COSTELLO: I was. But the Jon Stewart show went on despite both of us sleeping.

MYERS: Of course it does.

COSTELLO: And Jon Stewart was talking about how the Earth just did not cooperate with President Bush on Earth Day. Mother Nature was actually not very kind. Here's Jon Stewart.

MYERS: That's a surprise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, "THE DAILY SHOW": Friday, April 22, was Earth Day. And that, of course, oddly enough, April 22, is the day in 2012 on which the Earth will end. You heard it here first.

(LAUGHTER)

President Bush marked the event by riding his airborne SUV to Tennessee to visit the Great Smoky Mountains, ironically our nation's most polluted national park.

(LAUGHTER)

But he wound up stuck on the tarmac due to a sudden burst of hail and thunderstorms because the Earth hates him so much.

(APPLAUSE)

But the president soldiered on with a speech, making a slight adjustment in tense.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In the park, had I been there, I would have reminded people today's Earth Day.

STEWART: But since I'm not there, let me -- let me skip right ahead to talking about our good friend, the high sulfur coal plant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MYERS: He's so funny.

COSTELLO: He's just so funny.

MYERS: He is good.

COSTELLO: All right. Let's get right to our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers." Shall we?

Look, look, Chad, up in the tree.

MYERS: Where?

COSTELLO: It's a bird.

MYERS: No.

COSTELLO: It's a plane.

MYERS: It's a bear.

COSTELLO: It's a bear. Actually, the 2-year-old black bear climbed to the top of this tree in New Jersey while fleeing police.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Oh, for god's sake. Wildlife officials had to shoot the 240-pound bear with a tranquilizer gun, and then they lowered it into a wading truck. There you see him. Oh.

MYERS: And took him off and put him in a better place in some forest somewhere.

COSTELLO: Yes, a safe park.

MYERS: Good.

COSTELLO: Oh, the poor bear.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: But he's OK. At least we hope so.

Just look at that face.

MYERS: Where?

COSTELLO: There.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Tiberius was crowned most beautiful bulldog at the 26th annual pageant at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: Drake, of course, has a bulldog as a mascot. The so- called beauty pageant kicked off the Drake Relays Festival.

MYERS: Is that guy sitting on that other dog?

COSTELLO: I don't think you can help it if you're that kind of dog.

And more bulldog news. Yale University is looking for a new one. Their search officially ends today...

MYERS: Oh.

COSTELLO: ... when judges choose among the 10 finalists. The main requirement? They hate the color red.

MYERS: Well, you can get a bull, instead of just a bulldog.

COSTELLO: No. That's because their rival, Harvard, wears crimson. Of course dogs are colorblind.

MYERS: So it doesn't matter.

COSTELLO: Right. Anyway, the winning dog will be named Handsome Dan XVI. Apparently, the name Benedict XVI was already taken.

MYERS: Better than Lieutenant Dan, because that's from "Forrest Gump."

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

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

There is a lot of talk about revamping Social Security. Coming up, we'll show you how one...

MYERS: Lieutenant Dan.

COSTELLO: ... community has managed their own money without the federal government's assistance.

Plus, could the domestic diva return to prison? Investigators are looking into possible parole problems by Martha Stewart.

(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," autopsies are planned for two Georgia toddlers who were found dead in a sanitation pond after being missing for two days. Investigators found the bodies of the 3-year-old boy and his 2- year-old sister just a few hundred yards from their home. There are no immediate indications of foul play.

Syria completes its troop withdrawal from Lebanon today. It ends 29 years of military and political domination. Formal farewell ceremonies, some would say good ridden ceremonies, have just ended in the Bekaa Valley.

Funeral services will be held this morning for former Israeli president Ezer Weizman. He's being remembered as one of the architects of Israel's first peace treaty with an Arab country. He died Sunday at the age of 80.

Seven hundred thousand dollars, that's what a Miami jury says former baseball star Jose Canseco and his twin brother will have to shell out for a bar fight. That settles the compensatory damage phase of a lawsuit filed by two California men. A hearing is today to determine punitive damages.

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