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CNN Live At Daybreak
Explosion Outside British Consulate in NYC; Britain Votes; Prisoner Abuse Scandal; Iraqi Targets
Aired May 05, 2005 - 5:00 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: And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
We have breaking news to tell you about at this hour. We have just gotten word there has been an explosion outside of the British Consulate in New York City. No injuries reported.
Now, police did say the blast shattered windows. But there appears to be no major damage to this building.
No word yet on a cause, but bomb squad officers are on the scene. As you can see, they're checking out that silver SUV, which also had shattered windows. The explosion comes as Britain holds its national election today.
On the phone we have Sergeant Myers from the NYPD.
Good morning, Sergeant.
SGT. MYERS, NEW YORK CITY POLICE: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Sergeant, what can you tell us about this?
MYERS: Well, so far, I can confirm what you are saying right now, that we do have a confirmed explosion in front of the location, 845 3rd Avenue, and we're investigating. We have some shattered windows. No reports of injuries at this time.
COSTELLO: Was the explosion outside of the building or inside?
MYERS: It was in front of the location.
COSTELLO: In front. What did this SUV have to with it, if anything?
MYERS: We're -- I cannot confirm that an SUV is involved right now at this time. The only thing I can confirm is that we do have an explosion at that location.
COSTELLO: Can you determine what type of explosion it was?
MYERS: Not at this time. We have our bomb squad units out there at that location. And, you know, we're going to come up with some type of ideas as to how and why.
COSTELLO: But there is no device that you can easily see there?
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: It could be some kind of natural gas explosion, too, could it not?
MYERS: Anything is possible. We're looking at all angles right now.
COSTELLO: Describe this building for us. It's 21 stories tall?
MYERS: I'm not at that location, so I cannot tell you.
COSTELLO: I believe it is. It's at 3rd Avenue and 50th. We do know that.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Was anyone inside the building at the time? Does the British Consulate live inside that building?
MYERS: I don't know as to the occupants of the building. But I'm sure that there are people inside. But undetermined as to how many were inside. But we do have no reports at this time.
COSTELLO: Did you have to evacuate the building?
MYERS: I don't know the full scale of the evacuation procedure.
COSTELLO: I know I'm asking you a lot of questions you just don't know the answer to.
MYERS: Yes. This is all preliminary, I must say.
COSTELLO: I understand. And we do appreciate you being with us this morning. Just a few more questions for you.
How did you get word of this explosion?
MYERS: Via a 911 call.
COSTELLO: Just a passerby called in? Do you know who it was?
MYERS: Undetermined as to how that person was alerted to the -- the incident.
COSTELLO: I'm still looking at this car, and the bomb squad seems to be very, very interested in this silver SUV. It seems to be one of the only cars parked on this street. Is this a legal parking area?
You don't know.
MYERS: Again, you're asking questions that -- I'm sure the guys are out there working hard and trying to determine what, if any, possibility that this might be linked to it or not. I -- we don't know at this time.
COSTELLO: OK. As far as damage to the building, can you tell us about that.
MYERS: Not the extent right now.
COSTELLO: As far as we know, there's just shattered windows on the building and also shattered...
MYERS: That is correct.
COSTELLO: ... and shattered windows on this car.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK. Sergeant Myers, hopefully you'll join us shortly again when you get more information. We sure appreciate you getting on the phone as quickly as you did this morning.
Again, if you're just joining us, there has been some kind of explosion at the British Consulate in New York City at 3rd Avenue and 50th. Don't know what kind of explosion it was. We understand it shattered windows.
You're looking at a silver SUV, and you see the New York City police officers going over that car, along with a bomb squad. Don't know if it was involved at all in this explosion, or if it's just parked near the consulate building and the windows shattered.
We just don't know much of anything. We don't even know if it was an explosive device. There's no apparent easy sign of one.
It could be a natural gas explosion. We just don't know much information right now. But we do know there's been some kind of explosion at the British Consulate.
There were people inside the building, but there are no reports of injuries. And as you know, it comes on a day that the people of Britain go to elect a leader. So we will keep you posted on this situation. And, of course, you can count on CNN to keep you updated on this story all morning long.
In other stories "Now in the News" this morning, insurgents have unleashed another series of deadly attacks targeting Iraqi security forces. People say at least 23 people have been killed in suicide bombings and ambushes across Baghdad this morning.
Military prosecutors must now decide if they'll re-file charges against the most recognizable figure in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. A military judge has thrown out Army Private Lynndie England's guilty plea, saying he is not convinced she knew what she was doing was illegal.
Two Republicans on the House Ethics Committee have recused themselves from Tom DeLay's ethics investigation. That's because they both contributed to the House majority leader's defense fund. And President Bush will make remarks on the national day of prayer. His White House address begins four hours from now.
To the forecast center now and Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol, it is Cinco de Mayo.
COSTELLO: Oh, it is.
C. MYERS: And did you know that 12 seconds ago it was 05-05-05 at 05:05:05 a.m.?
COSTELLO: That's pretty call.
C. MYERS: You just missed it. Just missed it a few seconds ago.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
C. MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: As we told you at the top of our show, it is election day across the pond. And British Prime Minister Tony Blair is hoping to win a third term in office. Polls show he probably will win despite widespread anger over his support for the Iraq war.
CNN's Walter Rodgers joins us live from London with more.
Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the polls in Britain will be opened for another 12 hours. So it will probably be 2:00 a.m. tomorrow morning before British Prime Minister Tony Blair learns whether or not he wins an historic third term as prime minister and gets to stay at No. 10 Downing Street for yet another four or five years.
You're right, he has been dogged by a very unpopular war in Iraq. And unstated and perhaps contributing to his popularity as well has been his close friendship with U.S. president, George W. Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RODGERS (voice-over): When U.S. President George W. Bush visited Europe just two months ago, he did not visit his friend, British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've got to find a way of...
RODGERS: Blair is running for reelection. And given Mr. Bush's unpopularity in Britain, some believed it would help Mr. Blair most if Mr. Bush stayed away. CHARLES POWELL: Let's put it another way. It was quite convenient for Mr. Blair that he had seen so much of President Bush before February that he hardly needed to have him here on a particular visit to the U.K.
RODGERS: Not wanting this friendship to become a political liability for the prime minister during the election, the White House is keeping a discreet distance.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We don't get involved in the interim of politics or elections of other countries by endorsing, you know, specific candidates.
RODGERS: Discreet distancing aside, however, one former White House aide spoke the obvious about Misters Bush and Blair.
TUCKER ESKEW, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: I think they have much more moral and policy capital invested in each other. Because if you look at where Prime Minister Blair stands with British voters, they're unhappy about the war in Iraq.
RODGERS (on camera): Among the American public, the British elections fall well below the Michael Jackson trial, at least on the media scope. But that same American public would likely be greatly surprised and disappointed if Tony Blair were to lose.
(voice-over): So, with other Iraq coalition partners, allies slipping away, Tony Blair remains vital and crucial to George W. Bush.
POWELL: The United States would be very lonely in the world if it didn't have Britain as a partner in a lot of these enterprises. All right, a junior partner, but still a partner, someone you can discuss things with.
RODGERS: The Bush-Blair friendship offers that, especially for the American president.
JAMES RUBIN, FMR. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: If he wants to sustain international support for his objectives around the world, he's got a fundamentally successful working partnership with Tony Blair that is good for him.
RODGERS: Lining up with the United States on Iraq has been a liability for European politicians. The Spanish prime minister was defeated in the last election.
RUBIN: If Blair went, that would leave Bush standing, at least symbolically, alone.
RODGERS: But fortunately for Mr. Bush and the United States, Tony Blair seems on his way to a third term.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RODGERS: The real question, of course, is, if Mr. Blair wins, how big is his majority in the House of Commons, and will he finish yet a third term, or will he fall in a vote of confidence before that, or even in a party shuffle? But ultimately, the truth is, if Mr. Blair does win, tomorrow will be the first day of his last term as a lame duck -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from London this morning.
It is back to square one for the so-called poster child in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. A military judge has rejected Lynndie England's guilty plea. CNN's Susan Candiotti has more on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the beginning, Lynndie England told Army investigators what happened at Abu Ghraib was done just for fun. In the end, it was her court- martial that turned into a carnival.
England arrived in court with a secret deal already set, a shorter sentence promised for her guilty pleas. Her mother came too, holding England's new baby boy in her arms.
Then, convicted guard Charles Graner, reported to be the father of her son and the man who made her the poster child of the prison scandal, got her in trouble again. Testifying to try to help England, Graner said she was following his orders when she posed with a prisoner on a leash. He called this a training picture.
The judge erupted. He reminded England she had admitted she knew what she did was wrong. He told her lawyers, "You cannot have it both ways." The judge threw out her guilty plea on that count, threw out her deal with the government, threw out the promise of a limit on her sentence, and declared a mistrial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you made the mistake or the government made the mistake, sir?
CANDIOTTI: Military law experts say it won't be long before England is back in court.
EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: The charges are serious charges. The country is not about to walk away. The United States government is not about to walk away from these charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. Get out of the way!
CANDIOTTI: England left, her legal team bristling at reporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you stop, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get away!
CANDIOTTI: A woman once again very much in the eye of a storm.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Fort Hood, Texas. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: A Pentagon analyst is in federal custody this morning in a case that's casting a cloud over U.S.-Israeli relations. Larry Franklin is accused of passing U.S. military secrets to two members of a pro-Israel lobbying group. It has ties to senior Bush administration officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Justice Department says the information involves potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Lawyers for the two lobbyists say they never solicited any secret information from Franklin. He's been at the center of a lengthy federal probe into whether Israel wrongly obtained U.S. secrets.
In other news "Across America" this morning, Jennifer Wilbanks, the Georgia bride with the now infamous case of cold feet, is planning to issue a public statement today. Her lawyer says Wilbanks may not speak because she's still very upset about what's happened. So I guess she'll leave it up to her lawyers. Prosecutors are still deciding whether or not to file criminal charges.
CNN will carry that statement live this afternoon. It will come your way at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Set your clocks.
Capitol Hill will be crowded with lots of hungry babies today. Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York is hosting nurse-in. It's a push for passage of a bill to protect a mother's right to breastfeed at work.
Yankees' boss George Steinbrenner is hoping his luck at the racetrack will be better than his luck so far on the baseball diamond. Steinbrenner owns Bellamy Road, the racehorse favored to win Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Steinbrenner says he's hopeful. The Yankees, by the way, are barely out of last place in the AL East.
And the race this week -- this week -- this race week parade, rather, may have been in daylight. But for NASCAR fans in South Carolina, it's all about the night. The Dodge Charger 500 in Darlington Raceway is going to be run totally under the lights on Saturday night.
Ooh, Chad, this will be a challenge, won't it?
MYERS: Carol, the lady in black gets lit up this weekend. Some racecar drivers hate this track so much they want to fill it with water and make a bass pond out of it.
This is going to put a Darlington stripe all the way around this track. The shadows are going to be gone with the sun setting. But, I tell you what, this is going to be one exciting race this weekend.
Darlington lost its fall race. This is going to be its only race of the year. They put it under the lights. It is going to be -- racing at night is phenomenal anyway. The lady in black, she'll put on a great show this week. Wow. I can't wait for Darlington at night.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're excited about this.
MYERS: I am. This could be the best race of the year.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, an al Qaeda arrest that some say could be more significant than nabbing even Osama bin Laden himself.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ryan Chilcote, live in Baghdad. I'll have the latest on the most recent violence in Iraq in just a few minutes.
COSTELLO: And troops serving in Iraq get a taste of home. We'll tell you what they're craving. That's at 13 minutes to the hour.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're celebrating Cinco de Mayo here at CNN. And we're also taking a look at the international markets. And they are up this morning.
The London FTSE higher by almost 27 points. The German DAX up by 22. Tokyo's Nikkei is closed today.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:18 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
We are following breaking news out of New York City this morning. An explosion, two small explosions, shattered windows at the British Consulate. It happened about 90 minutes ago.
No injuries reported. No major damage reported. Just the windows were shattered. The bomb squad's on the scene. No word yet on what caused this blast.
Officials plan to redesign the Freedom Tower, the building that's going up on the World Trade Center site. That's because New York City police have raised undisclosed security concerns over the original model.
In money news, Nike says no to blue light specials. Nike plans to pull its products from Sears stores, which were recently bought by discount retailer Kmart. Analysts say Nike's goal is to try to keep the brand name out of Kmart.
In culture, would you pay more than $27 million for this? An unidentified bidder is shelling out that much for a rare sculpture called Bird in Space. That's a world record for a sculpture at a public auction. Wow.
In sports, it's not a homerun. Oh! But it's Sammy Sosa's biggest hit since joining Baltimore. Sosa's two-run double late in the game carried the Orioles to a 5-1 win over Toronto. Ooh, the birds are hot, Chad.
C. MYERS: I didn't think Sammy Sosa could hit the ball on the ground. That was a great shot down the third base line.
COSTELLO: He seems to be very happy in Baltimore, doesn't he?
C. MYERS: Yes, he sure does.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
That's a look at the latest headlines for you.
Yet another escalation of violence in Iraq targeting the country's own security forces. The death toll is rising from a series of deadly attacks this morning on Iraqi police recruits, police officers and civilians.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad with more.
Hello, Ryan.
CHILCOTE: Hello, Carol.
Well, the death toll now stands at at least 23 killed in today's violence. All of them victims of another wave of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces and its recruits.
We start with an attack, a suicide bomber attack on a military recruitment center in Baghdad. Somehow the suicide bomber was able to get in line with these military recruits, blowing himself up, killing at least 13, wounding another 20.
Then another suicide bomber launching an unsuccessful assassination attempt on a senior member of Iraq's security forces, killing one -- one of his guards, wounding another six.
And lastly, two insurgent ambushes today, killing a total of nine Iraqi policemen.
All of this coming just one day after that horrific attack in the Kurdish city of Erbil that killed about 60 police recruits -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you.
Also this to tell you about. Three audits have discovered that tens of millions in cash and equipment cannot be accounted for in Iraq. Investigators report that about $120 million in cash was either mishandled or stolen.
More than $90 million was distributed with accounting for it. The rest simply disappeared. Congress appropriated more than $18 billion for reconstruction in Iraq.
A U.S. Marine videotaped shooting an armed -- an unarmed Iraqi last year will not face a court-martial. The killing occurred inside a Falluja mosque. The unidentified Marine was under investigation for shooting four Iraqis during the siege of Falluja last November. U.S. Navy investigators have determined the shootings did not violate the laws of armed conflict.
You've probably heard her music. Coming up, we're going to share poetry with writer and performer Jill Scott. She's fantastic.
And later, we'll tell you what food American troops are craving and what they'll be getting plenty of soon.
You're watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh. Time now for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers."
Can you imagine riding this rollercoaster for nearly 53 hours? That's what Richard Dixon (ph) did. He outlasted 17 other riders in an endurance contest that started Sunday morning at Six Flags in Denver. Dixon (ph) wins a two-year lease on a car. Hopefully that will take him on a much smoother ride.
The Twister II coaster stopped every three hours to let contestants eat, nap, and, of course, relieve themselves.
Outside of New York City, a quick-thinking gas station attendant averts what could have been a disaster. Watch this carefully. A driver apparently forgot the hose was still in his Mercedes tank when he pulled away from an East Chester gas station.
Don't you hate when that happens?
The pump tips over, gas splatters, and you can see that fire breaks out. The attendant quickly triggered the station's anti-fire foam, which came pouring down and put that fire right out.
There he is. Good for him. A hero this morning.
And check out these happy hippos. These two ladies are settling into their new home at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. They may lumber around on land, but they look like portly ballerinas underwater. A special tank enclosure allows you to see them in and out of the water.
You didn't know hippos were graceful, did you, Chad?
C. MYERS: Didn't know they were ballerinas.
COSTELLO: Wasn't there a cartoon...
C. MYERS: Did you see them in their tutus?
COSTELLO: ... with a little tutu?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Time for some "Late Night Laughs" in case you couldn't stay up late last night.
C. MYERS: And guess who they picked on last night?
COSTELLO: Oh, let's see. They picked on a number of people. Let's let Jay Leno explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Lawmakers in Texas have passed a bill outlawing sexually suggestive cheerleading routines. Have you ever seen a cheerleading routine that wasn't sexually suggestive? I'm sorry.
Oh, how many lawmakers volunteered for this fact-finding mission, huh? All right, little Cindy. Let's see you do that split again. Ooh.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. MYERS: I thought Paula Abdul was going to get whacked.
COSTELLO: Oh, she did.
C. MYERS: Oh, she did?
COSTELLO: Yes. Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. So let's listen to that.
C. MYERS: Oh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: This formal "Idol" contestant, the guy named Corey Clark, he claims he had sexual -- a sexual relationship with Paula Abdul. But Paula said that Clark is an admitted liar and an opportunist. Well, finally, Paula has something negative to say about one of the contestants. That's the first negative thing I've heard her say.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": I'm feeling pretty good about tonight's show. I think it's going to be a wonderful show, because I've been getting special backstage coaching from Paula Abdul.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. MYERS: He was a little pitchy.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, ABC aired its expose on "American Idol" last night.
C. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: And it was not very complimentary to Paula Abdul. So it will be interesting to see what she has to say today and what will happen to her. Because I don't -- of course you've been following the story, all of you, I know that. Because we have been following it here on DAYBREAK.
Paula Abdul allegedly had this sexual relationship with Corey Clark. She is...
C. MYERS: According to him.
COSTELLO: According to him. She supposedly offered him $2 million. She supposedly gave him advice on how to beat out the other contestants. But then there was that little legal matter, you know, that he beat up his sister. And he was thrown off the show.
C. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: So I'm sure there'll be more from Paula Abdul today, because everybody's...
C. MYERS: Reviews of the expose said it wasn't has harsh as they thought it would be, though.
COSTELLO: That's because everything was out before the expose aired on television.
C. MYERS: That's probably right.
COSTELLO: Yes. So we'll see what happens.
C. MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Some lucky servicemen and women can get ready for a very special delivery.
Plus, al Qaeda's alleged number three officer has been captured. We'll tell you what it means for the war on terror.
Those stories and much more still ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired May 5, 2005 - 5:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.
We have breaking news to tell you about at this hour. We have just gotten word there has been an explosion outside of the British Consulate in New York City. No injuries reported.
Now, police did say the blast shattered windows. But there appears to be no major damage to this building.
No word yet on a cause, but bomb squad officers are on the scene. As you can see, they're checking out that silver SUV, which also had shattered windows. The explosion comes as Britain holds its national election today.
On the phone we have Sergeant Myers from the NYPD.
Good morning, Sergeant.
SGT. MYERS, NEW YORK CITY POLICE: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Sergeant, what can you tell us about this?
MYERS: Well, so far, I can confirm what you are saying right now, that we do have a confirmed explosion in front of the location, 845 3rd Avenue, and we're investigating. We have some shattered windows. No reports of injuries at this time.
COSTELLO: Was the explosion outside of the building or inside?
MYERS: It was in front of the location.
COSTELLO: In front. What did this SUV have to with it, if anything?
MYERS: We're -- I cannot confirm that an SUV is involved right now at this time. The only thing I can confirm is that we do have an explosion at that location.
COSTELLO: Can you determine what type of explosion it was?
MYERS: Not at this time. We have our bomb squad units out there at that location. And, you know, we're going to come up with some type of ideas as to how and why.
COSTELLO: But there is no device that you can easily see there?
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: It could be some kind of natural gas explosion, too, could it not?
MYERS: Anything is possible. We're looking at all angles right now.
COSTELLO: Describe this building for us. It's 21 stories tall?
MYERS: I'm not at that location, so I cannot tell you.
COSTELLO: I believe it is. It's at 3rd Avenue and 50th. We do know that.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: Was anyone inside the building at the time? Does the British Consulate live inside that building?
MYERS: I don't know as to the occupants of the building. But I'm sure that there are people inside. But undetermined as to how many were inside. But we do have no reports at this time.
COSTELLO: Did you have to evacuate the building?
MYERS: I don't know the full scale of the evacuation procedure.
COSTELLO: I know I'm asking you a lot of questions you just don't know the answer to.
MYERS: Yes. This is all preliminary, I must say.
COSTELLO: I understand. And we do appreciate you being with us this morning. Just a few more questions for you.
How did you get word of this explosion?
MYERS: Via a 911 call.
COSTELLO: Just a passerby called in? Do you know who it was?
MYERS: Undetermined as to how that person was alerted to the -- the incident.
COSTELLO: I'm still looking at this car, and the bomb squad seems to be very, very interested in this silver SUV. It seems to be one of the only cars parked on this street. Is this a legal parking area?
You don't know.
MYERS: Again, you're asking questions that -- I'm sure the guys are out there working hard and trying to determine what, if any, possibility that this might be linked to it or not. I -- we don't know at this time.
COSTELLO: OK. As far as damage to the building, can you tell us about that.
MYERS: Not the extent right now.
COSTELLO: As far as we know, there's just shattered windows on the building and also shattered...
MYERS: That is correct.
COSTELLO: ... and shattered windows on this car.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: OK. Sergeant Myers, hopefully you'll join us shortly again when you get more information. We sure appreciate you getting on the phone as quickly as you did this morning.
Again, if you're just joining us, there has been some kind of explosion at the British Consulate in New York City at 3rd Avenue and 50th. Don't know what kind of explosion it was. We understand it shattered windows.
You're looking at a silver SUV, and you see the New York City police officers going over that car, along with a bomb squad. Don't know if it was involved at all in this explosion, or if it's just parked near the consulate building and the windows shattered.
We just don't know much of anything. We don't even know if it was an explosive device. There's no apparent easy sign of one.
It could be a natural gas explosion. We just don't know much information right now. But we do know there's been some kind of explosion at the British Consulate.
There were people inside the building, but there are no reports of injuries. And as you know, it comes on a day that the people of Britain go to elect a leader. So we will keep you posted on this situation. And, of course, you can count on CNN to keep you updated on this story all morning long.
In other stories "Now in the News" this morning, insurgents have unleashed another series of deadly attacks targeting Iraqi security forces. People say at least 23 people have been killed in suicide bombings and ambushes across Baghdad this morning.
Military prosecutors must now decide if they'll re-file charges against the most recognizable figure in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal. A military judge has thrown out Army Private Lynndie England's guilty plea, saying he is not convinced she knew what she was doing was illegal.
Two Republicans on the House Ethics Committee have recused themselves from Tom DeLay's ethics investigation. That's because they both contributed to the House majority leader's defense fund. And President Bush will make remarks on the national day of prayer. His White House address begins four hours from now.
To the forecast center now and Chad.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol, it is Cinco de Mayo.
COSTELLO: Oh, it is.
C. MYERS: And did you know that 12 seconds ago it was 05-05-05 at 05:05:05 a.m.?
COSTELLO: That's pretty call.
C. MYERS: You just missed it. Just missed it a few seconds ago.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.
C. MYERS: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: As we told you at the top of our show, it is election day across the pond. And British Prime Minister Tony Blair is hoping to win a third term in office. Polls show he probably will win despite widespread anger over his support for the Iraq war.
CNN's Walter Rodgers joins us live from London with more.
Hello, Walter.
WALTER RODGERS, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Well, the polls in Britain will be opened for another 12 hours. So it will probably be 2:00 a.m. tomorrow morning before British Prime Minister Tony Blair learns whether or not he wins an historic third term as prime minister and gets to stay at No. 10 Downing Street for yet another four or five years.
You're right, he has been dogged by a very unpopular war in Iraq. And unstated and perhaps contributing to his popularity as well has been his close friendship with U.S. president, George W. Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RODGERS (voice-over): When U.S. President George W. Bush visited Europe just two months ago, he did not visit his friend, British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Well, I've got to find a way of...
RODGERS: Blair is running for reelection. And given Mr. Bush's unpopularity in Britain, some believed it would help Mr. Blair most if Mr. Bush stayed away. CHARLES POWELL: Let's put it another way. It was quite convenient for Mr. Blair that he had seen so much of President Bush before February that he hardly needed to have him here on a particular visit to the U.K.
RODGERS: Not wanting this friendship to become a political liability for the prime minister during the election, the White House is keeping a discreet distance.
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: We don't get involved in the interim of politics or elections of other countries by endorsing, you know, specific candidates.
RODGERS: Discreet distancing aside, however, one former White House aide spoke the obvious about Misters Bush and Blair.
TUCKER ESKEW, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE: I think they have much more moral and policy capital invested in each other. Because if you look at where Prime Minister Blair stands with British voters, they're unhappy about the war in Iraq.
RODGERS (on camera): Among the American public, the British elections fall well below the Michael Jackson trial, at least on the media scope. But that same American public would likely be greatly surprised and disappointed if Tony Blair were to lose.
(voice-over): So, with other Iraq coalition partners, allies slipping away, Tony Blair remains vital and crucial to George W. Bush.
POWELL: The United States would be very lonely in the world if it didn't have Britain as a partner in a lot of these enterprises. All right, a junior partner, but still a partner, someone you can discuss things with.
RODGERS: The Bush-Blair friendship offers that, especially for the American president.
JAMES RUBIN, FMR. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: If he wants to sustain international support for his objectives around the world, he's got a fundamentally successful working partnership with Tony Blair that is good for him.
RODGERS: Lining up with the United States on Iraq has been a liability for European politicians. The Spanish prime minister was defeated in the last election.
RUBIN: If Blair went, that would leave Bush standing, at least symbolically, alone.
RODGERS: But fortunately for Mr. Bush and the United States, Tony Blair seems on his way to a third term.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RODGERS: The real question, of course, is, if Mr. Blair wins, how big is his majority in the House of Commons, and will he finish yet a third term, or will he fall in a vote of confidence before that, or even in a party shuffle? But ultimately, the truth is, if Mr. Blair does win, tomorrow will be the first day of his last term as a lame duck -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Walter Rodgers reporting live from London this morning.
It is back to square one for the so-called poster child in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. A military judge has rejected Lynndie England's guilty plea. CNN's Susan Candiotti has more on this story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the beginning, Lynndie England told Army investigators what happened at Abu Ghraib was done just for fun. In the end, it was her court- martial that turned into a carnival.
England arrived in court with a secret deal already set, a shorter sentence promised for her guilty pleas. Her mother came too, holding England's new baby boy in her arms.
Then, convicted guard Charles Graner, reported to be the father of her son and the man who made her the poster child of the prison scandal, got her in trouble again. Testifying to try to help England, Graner said she was following his orders when she posed with a prisoner on a leash. He called this a training picture.
The judge erupted. He reminded England she had admitted she knew what she did was wrong. He told her lawyers, "You cannot have it both ways." The judge threw out her guilty plea on that count, threw out her deal with the government, threw out the promise of a limit on her sentence, and declared a mistrial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think you made the mistake or the government made the mistake, sir?
CANDIOTTI: Military law experts say it won't be long before England is back in court.
EUGENE FIDELL, MILITARY LAW EXPERT: The charges are serious charges. The country is not about to walk away. The United States government is not about to walk away from these charges.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is ridiculous. Get out of the way!
CANDIOTTI: England left, her legal team bristling at reporters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Will you stop, please?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get away!
CANDIOTTI: A woman once again very much in the eye of a storm.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Fort Hood, Texas. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: A Pentagon analyst is in federal custody this morning in a case that's casting a cloud over U.S.-Israeli relations. Larry Franklin is accused of passing U.S. military secrets to two members of a pro-Israel lobbying group. It has ties to senior Bush administration officials, including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Justice Department says the information involves potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq. Lawyers for the two lobbyists say they never solicited any secret information from Franklin. He's been at the center of a lengthy federal probe into whether Israel wrongly obtained U.S. secrets.
In other news "Across America" this morning, Jennifer Wilbanks, the Georgia bride with the now infamous case of cold feet, is planning to issue a public statement today. Her lawyer says Wilbanks may not speak because she's still very upset about what's happened. So I guess she'll leave it up to her lawyers. Prosecutors are still deciding whether or not to file criminal charges.
CNN will carry that statement live this afternoon. It will come your way at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Set your clocks.
Capitol Hill will be crowded with lots of hungry babies today. Democratic Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney of New York is hosting nurse-in. It's a push for passage of a bill to protect a mother's right to breastfeed at work.
Yankees' boss George Steinbrenner is hoping his luck at the racetrack will be better than his luck so far on the baseball diamond. Steinbrenner owns Bellamy Road, the racehorse favored to win Saturday's Kentucky Derby. Steinbrenner says he's hopeful. The Yankees, by the way, are barely out of last place in the AL East.
And the race this week -- this week -- this race week parade, rather, may have been in daylight. But for NASCAR fans in South Carolina, it's all about the night. The Dodge Charger 500 in Darlington Raceway is going to be run totally under the lights on Saturday night.
Ooh, Chad, this will be a challenge, won't it?
MYERS: Carol, the lady in black gets lit up this weekend. Some racecar drivers hate this track so much they want to fill it with water and make a bass pond out of it.
This is going to put a Darlington stripe all the way around this track. The shadows are going to be gone with the sun setting. But, I tell you what, this is going to be one exciting race this weekend.
Darlington lost its fall race. This is going to be its only race of the year. They put it under the lights. It is going to be -- racing at night is phenomenal anyway. The lady in black, she'll put on a great show this week. Wow. I can't wait for Darlington at night.
COSTELLO: Oh, you're excited about this.
MYERS: I am. This could be the best race of the year.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, an al Qaeda arrest that some say could be more significant than nabbing even Osama bin Laden himself.
RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Ryan Chilcote, live in Baghdad. I'll have the latest on the most recent violence in Iraq in just a few minutes.
COSTELLO: And troops serving in Iraq get a taste of home. We'll tell you what they're craving. That's at 13 minutes to the hour.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: We're celebrating Cinco de Mayo here at CNN. And we're also taking a look at the international markets. And they are up this morning.
The London FTSE higher by almost 27 points. The German DAX up by 22. Tokyo's Nikkei is closed today.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:18 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
We are following breaking news out of New York City this morning. An explosion, two small explosions, shattered windows at the British Consulate. It happened about 90 minutes ago.
No injuries reported. No major damage reported. Just the windows were shattered. The bomb squad's on the scene. No word yet on what caused this blast.
Officials plan to redesign the Freedom Tower, the building that's going up on the World Trade Center site. That's because New York City police have raised undisclosed security concerns over the original model.
In money news, Nike says no to blue light specials. Nike plans to pull its products from Sears stores, which were recently bought by discount retailer Kmart. Analysts say Nike's goal is to try to keep the brand name out of Kmart.
In culture, would you pay more than $27 million for this? An unidentified bidder is shelling out that much for a rare sculpture called Bird in Space. That's a world record for a sculpture at a public auction. Wow.
In sports, it's not a homerun. Oh! But it's Sammy Sosa's biggest hit since joining Baltimore. Sosa's two-run double late in the game carried the Orioles to a 5-1 win over Toronto. Ooh, the birds are hot, Chad.
C. MYERS: I didn't think Sammy Sosa could hit the ball on the ground. That was a great shot down the third base line.
COSTELLO: He seems to be very happy in Baltimore, doesn't he?
C. MYERS: Yes, he sure does.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.
That's a look at the latest headlines for you.
Yet another escalation of violence in Iraq targeting the country's own security forces. The death toll is rising from a series of deadly attacks this morning on Iraqi police recruits, police officers and civilians.
CNN's Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad with more.
Hello, Ryan.
CHILCOTE: Hello, Carol.
Well, the death toll now stands at at least 23 killed in today's violence. All of them victims of another wave of attacks targeting Iraq's security forces and its recruits.
We start with an attack, a suicide bomber attack on a military recruitment center in Baghdad. Somehow the suicide bomber was able to get in line with these military recruits, blowing himself up, killing at least 13, wounding another 20.
Then another suicide bomber launching an unsuccessful assassination attempt on a senior member of Iraq's security forces, killing one -- one of his guards, wounding another six.
And lastly, two insurgent ambushes today, killing a total of nine Iraqi policemen.
All of this coming just one day after that horrific attack in the Kurdish city of Erbil that killed about 60 police recruits -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Ryan Chilcote reporting live from Baghdad this morning. Thank you.
Also this to tell you about. Three audits have discovered that tens of millions in cash and equipment cannot be accounted for in Iraq. Investigators report that about $120 million in cash was either mishandled or stolen.
More than $90 million was distributed with accounting for it. The rest simply disappeared. Congress appropriated more than $18 billion for reconstruction in Iraq.
A U.S. Marine videotaped shooting an armed -- an unarmed Iraqi last year will not face a court-martial. The killing occurred inside a Falluja mosque. The unidentified Marine was under investigation for shooting four Iraqis during the siege of Falluja last November. U.S. Navy investigators have determined the shootings did not violate the laws of armed conflict.
You've probably heard her music. Coming up, we're going to share poetry with writer and performer Jill Scott. She's fantastic.
And later, we'll tell you what food American troops are craving and what they'll be getting plenty of soon.
You're watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Oh. Time now for our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers."
Can you imagine riding this rollercoaster for nearly 53 hours? That's what Richard Dixon (ph) did. He outlasted 17 other riders in an endurance contest that started Sunday morning at Six Flags in Denver. Dixon (ph) wins a two-year lease on a car. Hopefully that will take him on a much smoother ride.
The Twister II coaster stopped every three hours to let contestants eat, nap, and, of course, relieve themselves.
Outside of New York City, a quick-thinking gas station attendant averts what could have been a disaster. Watch this carefully. A driver apparently forgot the hose was still in his Mercedes tank when he pulled away from an East Chester gas station.
Don't you hate when that happens?
The pump tips over, gas splatters, and you can see that fire breaks out. The attendant quickly triggered the station's anti-fire foam, which came pouring down and put that fire right out.
There he is. Good for him. A hero this morning.
And check out these happy hippos. These two ladies are settling into their new home at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. They may lumber around on land, but they look like portly ballerinas underwater. A special tank enclosure allows you to see them in and out of the water.
You didn't know hippos were graceful, did you, Chad?
C. MYERS: Didn't know they were ballerinas.
COSTELLO: Wasn't there a cartoon...
C. MYERS: Did you see them in their tutus?
COSTELLO: ... with a little tutu?
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: Time for some "Late Night Laughs" in case you couldn't stay up late last night.
C. MYERS: And guess who they picked on last night?
COSTELLO: Oh, let's see. They picked on a number of people. Let's let Jay Leno explain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO": Lawmakers in Texas have passed a bill outlawing sexually suggestive cheerleading routines. Have you ever seen a cheerleading routine that wasn't sexually suggestive? I'm sorry.
Oh, how many lawmakers volunteered for this fact-finding mission, huh? All right, little Cindy. Let's see you do that split again. Ooh.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. MYERS: I thought Paula Abdul was going to get whacked.
COSTELLO: Oh, she did.
C. MYERS: Oh, she did?
COSTELLO: Yes. Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. So let's listen to that.
C. MYERS: Oh.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LENO: This formal "Idol" contestant, the guy named Corey Clark, he claims he had sexual -- a sexual relationship with Paula Abdul. But Paula said that Clark is an admitted liar and an opportunist. Well, finally, Paula has something negative to say about one of the contestants. That's the first negative thing I've heard her say.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": I'm feeling pretty good about tonight's show. I think it's going to be a wonderful show, because I've been getting special backstage coaching from Paula Abdul.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
C. MYERS: He was a little pitchy.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, ABC aired its expose on "American Idol" last night.
C. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: And it was not very complimentary to Paula Abdul. So it will be interesting to see what she has to say today and what will happen to her. Because I don't -- of course you've been following the story, all of you, I know that. Because we have been following it here on DAYBREAK.
Paula Abdul allegedly had this sexual relationship with Corey Clark. She is...
C. MYERS: According to him.
COSTELLO: According to him. She supposedly offered him $2 million. She supposedly gave him advice on how to beat out the other contestants. But then there was that little legal matter, you know, that he beat up his sister. And he was thrown off the show.
C. MYERS: Right.
COSTELLO: So I'm sure there'll be more from Paula Abdul today, because everybody's...
C. MYERS: Reviews of the expose said it wasn't has harsh as they thought it would be, though.
COSTELLO: That's because everything was out before the expose aired on television.
C. MYERS: That's probably right.
COSTELLO: Yes. So we'll see what happens.
C. MYERS: OK.
COSTELLO: Here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Some lucky servicemen and women can get ready for a very special delivery.
Plus, al Qaeda's alleged number three officer has been captured. We'll tell you what it means for the war on terror.
Those stories and much more still ahead on DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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