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CNN Live At Daybreak

Showdown Averted; Kidnap Business; Zootopia!

Aired May 24, 2005 - 05:30   ET

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


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


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and 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."

A vote could come as early as today on some of President Bush's judicial nominees. A bipartisan group of senators reached a compromise last night that averted that filibuster showdown.

Later this morning, the Army will try again to court martial Private Lynndie England. Three weeks ago England pled guilty to her role in the Abu Ghraib Prison abuse scandal, but the judge declared a mistrial and threw out her plea.

Two different bills, both centering on stem cell research, goes before lawmakers today. President Bush promises to veto the one that would reverse his ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Real estate appraisers are trying to tell Congress today that they are often under pressure from bankers, brokers, or even buyers, to inflate the estimated value of properties. Some 8,000 appraisers have petitioned for government intervention.

That is nasty.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Just got a new tax bill in the mail yesterday.

COSTELLO: Did you faint?

MYERS: Kind of.

COSTELLO: I faint every time I see mine.

MYERS: My valuation went from 268 to 316. And I'm going how can I sell this house for 316, there's no chance. Anyway, whatever.

COSTELLO: We're going to talk about that more in the 6:00 hour, actually, of DAYBREAK.

MYERS: But you got to pay taxes on it anyway.

COSTELLO: Well they're trying to raise other taxes to keep the property taxes down. But you're going to pay higher taxes for other things, so what's the difference? MYERS: The state needs a certain amount of money to work. No matter whether you're paying property tax or state tax, it needs to get its money from somewhere, whatever.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: I'm just thankful you didn't sing it.

MYERS: No way, I don't sing in church.

COSTELLO: You do in your head, I'm sure, a song.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Thank God for this moment. That's one senator's reaction after his colleagues reached a last-minute deal on Capitol Hill. The compromise averts a showdown over some of President Bush's court nominees and over the filibuster tactics that stalled their nominations.

Let's head straight to Washington now and CNN's Kareen Wynter.

Good morning -- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

Indeed this compromise really came down to the wire, clearing the way for votes on all but two of President Bush's judicial nominees. Now Democrats pledged not to filibuster any of the president's judicial nominees, except under what they call extraordinary circumstances. Republicans, in turn, agreed not to exercise a so- called nuclear option, which would, in effect, change Senate rules to bar judicial filibusters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): A bipartisan group of 14 senators, 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, clinched a deal just hours before Tuesday's judicial filibuster standoff.

SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: The country has avoided the nuclear option and a meltdown and now has the opportunity within the Senate to begin to work on the important issues.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: We can have a process where people get better treated in the Senate and we can stay in business. WYNTER: The compromise comes following days of intense negotiations over President Bush's controversial judicial nominees, three of which the Senate will now vote on, but two others are still subject to filibuster.

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MINORITY LEADER: I don't support several of these judges that have been agreed to. They're outside the mainstream of America jurisprudence and basic common sense. But we have had to move forward.

WYNTER: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who spearheaded efforts to block Democrats from using filibusters, said the agreement falls short of the principle nominees should get a fair vote on the Senate floor.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Nominees can't be amended. They can't be split apart. They can't be horse-traded. They can't be log-rolled. Our Constitution does not allow for any of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Now the White House viewed this agreement in favorable terms, calling it a positive development, but says it will continue to push for votes on all the judicial nominees -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter reporting live from Washington this morning.

They have been questioned, criticized, haggled over and debated, but just who are these controversial judicial nominees?

Justice Priscilla Owen is nominated to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Texas Supreme Court justice drew fire for her rulings on consumer rights and on minors who want abortions.

California Justice Janice Rogers Brown is nominated to the federal appeals court in Washington. Critics say some of her rulings opposed affirmative action and limited abortion rights and corporate liability.

And Alabama Judge William Pryor is nominated to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His views on abortion and homosexuality have sparked controversy.

Now, under the Senate deal, votes on these three nominees will go forward, but two other nominees, William Myers and Henry Saad, could still face filibusters.

So, those are the controversial judges.

We now take you "Beyond the Soundbite" for more from the key players who averted the showdown. As we've told you, it was a bipartisan group of centrist senators working overtime to seal the deal. The lawmakers presented a united front as they came forward with their last-minute agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We are here, 14 Republicans and Democrats, 7 on each side, to announce that we have reached an agreement to try to avert a crisis in the United States Senate and pull the institution back from a precipice that would have had, in the view of all 14 of us, lasting impact, damaging impact on the institution.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Hey, how great it is to be a member of this band of brothers and sisters. We came together and did the unexpected. In a Senate that has become increasingly partisan and polarized, the bipartisan center held. And I hope maybe this empowered bipartisan center will decide that it's been good to work together and we'll keep on working together to get some good things done for the American people.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We have kept the republic. I am very proud of these colleagues of mine on the Republican side and the Democratic side. We have lifted ourselves above politics and we have signed this document in the interest of the United States Senate, in the interest of freedom of speech, freedom of debate and freedom to dissent in the United States Senate. And I say thank God, thank God for this moment and for these colleagues of mine.

SEN. KEN SALAZAR (D), COLORADO: I am hoping that the statement that these senators are making here today is a statement that says that in order for us to solve the problems of our country in this generation and into the future is going to require people that are wanting to unite us, not people who want to divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There you have it. The Senate could start voting as early as today on those three judicial nominees.

Al Qaeda tried to arm itself with anthrax before the September 11 attacks. Letters released by the Pentagon detail efforts by al Qaeda operatives to acquire the toxin, but they were unable to get their hands on a strain of anthrax that could be used as a weapon.

More tension between the United States and Syria. Syria has now cut all military and intelligence cooperation with the United States. That's what the Syrian ambassador tells "The New York Times." The move follows Washington's complaint that Syria is not doing enough to stem the Iraqi insurgencies.

You can stay tuned to CNN day and night for the latest news about your security.

The Army has taken the extraordinary step of apologizing to the family of former pro football player Pat Tillman. He gave up a multi- million-dollar NFL deal to become an Army Ranger. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Now, initially, the Army said Tillman died engaging a well-armed enemy. His family calls it a lie and a cover-up. Tillman's father told "The Washington Post" -- quote -- "They realized that their recruiting efforts were going to hell in a handbasket if the truth about his death got out. They blew up their posterboy."

The Army tells CNN, "The Army made mistakes in reporting the circumstances of his death to the family. For these, we apologize. We cannot undo those early mistakes. In the 393 days since his death, the Army actively and directly informed the Tillman family, keeping them apprised of the results of three separate investigations to answer questions with candor and completeness."

We're going to talk more about this with our military analyst to see what the Army did right, what it did wrong and exactly what happened in the Pat Tillman case.

Also still to come on DAYBREAK, (INAUDIBLE) no idea his car would catch the eye of Iraqi kidnappers, but it did. After the break, one man's fight for survival and his abductors' fight for cash.

And remember our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should Bill Maher be taken off the air for his latest comments he said on his show -- and I quote -- "the military has already picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit and now we need warm bodies?" Does that amount to treason, as one congressman charges? We want to hear from you, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: An age-old crime is finding new life in Iraq these days. We're talking about kidnappings. And quite often it has less to do with the politics of the abducted and more to do with their money.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad with more on how serious the kidnap situation is getting there.

And, Ryan, I just can't believe it.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well we spend so much -- yes, you know we spend so much time right here in this position talking about all of the violence in Iraq. It's almost like we're reading a police blotter I feel sometimes.

On this occasion, we had the opportunity to go out and check out the issue of kidnapping. It's, in some ways, even more serious of a problem for ordinary Iraqis than the violence, because it really limits what they can do, the intimidation that it creates, the fear that kidnapping here creates. It prevents people from going to work, coming back from work, visiting their friends and a lot of Iraqis have simply left the country because of this scourge of kidnapping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Arshad was driving with his son when he got his brutal introduction to the kidnapping industry.

ARSHAD MOHAMMED, FORMER HOSTAGE: Eight men jumps from the two cars with their pistol. Hit me on my head and I became bloody.

CHILCOTE: His mistake, the abductors thought only wealthy men collaborating with Americans drive Peugeot 307s.

MOHAMMED: They said no, they are 200's of this car in Iraq. And they are just for people who is working with the Americans.

CHILCOTE: In the safety of a relative's home, it's too dangerous for him to be seen meeting me, an American in his home, Arshad told me how the bargaining began.

MOHAMMED: They began to hate me. They said that we want $250,000 U.S. dollar.

CHILCOTE: An estimated 250 non-Iraqis have been kidnapped in the last two years, some killed, some set free and some who may still be alive. In this same period, an estimated 5,000 Iraqis have been kidnapped.

Police Col. Faisal Ali, from the Baghdad kidnapping unit, agreed to talk to us, but only like this. The vast majority of Iraqis and foreigners, he says, are kidnappings for ransom.

COL. FAISAL ALI, IRAQI POLICE (through translator): The ringleaders formed offices, like real estate agencies. When one of their gangs kidnaps a child or say a doctor, the victim's families go to him. He tells them he can find the perpetrators in two or three days for money.

CHILCOTE: The police show us photos of suspected abductors. Their unit claims to have arrested 35 kidnapping gang members last year. They say they freed 38 hostages, and they think that's less than 1 percent of them.

Arshad's fate was negotiated, like the majority of cases, without the police. They beat him for information on his finances.

MOHAMMED: Where do you live? How many house you have? How many stores? Please tell us. We are in a hurry.

CHILCOTE: Threatened to kill him.

MOHAMMED: They put the pistol on my head. I told them just I want to say I witness that there is not God, but Allah and that Mohammed is his messenger. And then if you want to kill me, I'm ready.

CHILCOTE: Fourteen thousand dollars, $6,000 under the average price the police quoted me, bought his freedom.

Arshad, like many here, says kidnapping is as big a problem as the violence. Many Iraqis have fled. Many, like him, have stayed on to fight. MOHAMMED: All of Iraq is families down here, as you know. They are frightened from them. They cannot go to their job. They cannot do anything down here.

CHILCOTE: The kidnappers never took Arshad's son, but Arshad still gets anxious when he drives.

MOHAMMED: I'm following all of the persons behind me, all of the cars around me. I see their faces.

CHILCOTE: He downgraded to a less attractive car, but gets nervous when he sees his old Peugeot 307 on the road.

MOHAMMED: This is like mine. When I see cars like mine, I remember all of the darkness of that night.

CHILCOTE: But he is no longer afraid of driving in the light of day, especially now that he carries a weapon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Carol, and I think one of the most disturbing and surprising things for me about Arshad's story is that he was targeted simply because of the car he was driving. I think you and I are so used to hearing about people being kidnapped for political reasons, hearing captors demand that the U.S. pull its troops out of Iraq or, you know, whichever country pull its troops out of Iraq. But the vast majority of these kidnappings, I learned, are simply for money. They're just about ransom. It's just a business -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So you were saying that investigators arrested, what, 36 abductors, but that doesn't sound like very many, actually. And what can they really do?

CHILCOTE: The police can't do a whole lot. It was pretty interesting. They told me that one of their biggest problems is that they can't even trace back phone calls here. A lot of the phone calls that are made by these captors with cell phones can't be traced back. The phone company doesn't keep any records. They don't feel like they have adequate equipment to deal with this. They feel like basically their department is a tiny department because so many of the police are so busy dealing with the violence.

The vast majority of these cases, the vast majority of the ransom situations are worked out, quite frankly, by the family itself. Sometimes there is a middleman. Sometimes there is a mediator who goes between the captors and the family that's trying to free the hostage. Sometimes it's a direct negotiation, as it was in this case.

In this case, they asked Arshad his home phone number. He gave it to them. They called up. They went out and counted up how much gold they had in the house, took it out to be appraised and then they worked out, over the course of about two days of haggling, the price of his freedom -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. Ryan Chilcote, reporting live from Baghdad this morning, thank you.

We're going to take a short break, and the e-mails are flowing in about Bill Maher. We cannot wait to read them. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time to read some e-mail. Before we do, let me set it up quickly. Bill Maher, you know the comedian pundit, he said on his show, his HBO show, that the military has already picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit and now we need warm bodies. And Alabama Congressman Bachus is calling that treason. We want to know what you think.

MYERS: Well I don't work for Gallup, Carol, but if I did, it'd be like 97 to 3 in favor of Bill Maher here.

From Scott (ph) in California, I think it's treasonous for Congressman Bachus to threaten someone for exercising his First Amendment rights and speaking out against this illegal war.

From Bill (ph), it says I just got cable so I could see Bill Maher after his program was removed from ABC. No, and I no longer watch that channel because of their actions. Bill Maher is an American hero who tells it like it is whether you agree with what he says or not.

From Samantha (ph) in New York, if you don't like Bill Maher, don't watch him. That's why we have hundreds of channels, you can just turn him off. It's not treason to speak your mind. It'd be treason if what he said was used against the United States, like secret file sharing or whatever. Folks, just change the channel.

And Jerry (ph) has got a suggestion here is to Bill Maher taken off the air, that's absolutely ridiculous. Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh say much more offensive things on a daily basis. The right is seen so afraid of dissent that they're willing to trump the rights of all of us whether it's the Congress or broadcast media. This is the real treason, I suggest.

COSTELLO: Excellent comments this morning. We always appreciate hearing from you. And we're going to talk more about this in the next hour of DAYBREAK as well.

We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: So many of today's biggest musicians were at New York's hit music station Z100 Zootopia that even the stars were starstruck.

CNN's A.J. Hammer gives us a front row seat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a powerful night of pop music, featuring the biggest hit makers on the planet, like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez and even the Backstreet Boys are back.

"ShowBiz Tonight" was right there as Simple Plan fired up the show with their hit song "Addicted." The band also shared a little secret with "ShowBiz Tonight." Now, fans, pay attention, they always arrive for gigs undercover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two buses. We have a decoy bus, a bus with our faces on it. People think we're in it. We're not in that one. We're in the other one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But now you just ruined it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you blew it, man.

HAMMER: The Black Eyed Peas kicked off their set with "Hey Mama."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean this is such a great show, they have so many great artists in one show. It's amazing. We're sitting there. The boys are distracted right now because J-Lo is on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: J-Lo.

HAMMER: The band is gearing up for the release of their new album "Monkey Business" and will be opening up for the Rolling Stones when they go out on tour in August.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're opening for the Rolling Stones. Yes, my dad went to go have a beer with his pals when he found that one out.

HAMMER: Rob Thomas is still riding high with his new album "Something to Be," which debuted at the number one spot on the album chart. But he told "ShowBiz Tonight" he was just as excited to be a part of the audience, as he was to perform.

ROB THOMAS, SINGER: I think you find like the fan in a lot of people at these shows, because there's a lot of us just like walking around by dressing rooms and going, you know, like, is Gwen Stefani in her dressing room, you know. And you're just trying to kind of, you know trying to find that bond with other musicians that you love. So, yes, I think it brings out the fan in all of the people that I see here, you know.

HAMMER: Singer-songwriter Gavin McGraw (ph) was back in New York City where he got his start, but told us it's a little different now that he's made it.

GAVIN MCGRAW, SINGER: It's very rewarding. I had no anticipation of any level of success. I mean at the time I was playing in New York, I was like basically just playing for dinner. So now that I'm able to actually buy my own dinner, it feels good.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: I bet it does. Remember those days? Maybe you're still mired in those days, and I'm sorry about that.

You can get more entertainment news every night on "ShowBiz Tonight." That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline News.

And the next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BYRD: Thank God for this moment and for these colleagues of mine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Thank God for that moment. Straight-ahead on DAYBREAK, senators invoke the Lord's name when they prove their last- minute deal making was not all in vein.

Also, the Army takes a rare step after a military family's outrage hits it hard.

And are property taxes turning your dream home into a nightmare? What can you do about it?

It's Tuesday, May 24. You are watching DAYBREAK.

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 May 24, 2005 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and 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."

A vote could come as early as today on some of President Bush's judicial nominees. A bipartisan group of senators reached a compromise last night that averted that filibuster showdown.

Later this morning, the Army will try again to court martial Private Lynndie England. Three weeks ago England pled guilty to her role in the Abu Ghraib Prison abuse scandal, but the judge declared a mistrial and threw out her plea.

Two different bills, both centering on stem cell research, goes before lawmakers today. President Bush promises to veto the one that would reverse his ban on federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

Real estate appraisers are trying to tell Congress today that they are often under pressure from bankers, brokers, or even buyers, to inflate the estimated value of properties. Some 8,000 appraisers have petitioned for government intervention.

That is nasty.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Just got a new tax bill in the mail yesterday.

COSTELLO: Did you faint?

MYERS: Kind of.

COSTELLO: I faint every time I see mine.

MYERS: My valuation went from 268 to 316. And I'm going how can I sell this house for 316, there's no chance. Anyway, whatever.

COSTELLO: We're going to talk about that more in the 6:00 hour, actually, of DAYBREAK.

MYERS: But you got to pay taxes on it anyway.

COSTELLO: Well they're trying to raise other taxes to keep the property taxes down. But you're going to pay higher taxes for other things, so what's the difference? MYERS: The state needs a certain amount of money to work. No matter whether you're paying property tax or state tax, it needs to get its money from somewhere, whatever.

Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: I'm just thankful you didn't sing it.

MYERS: No way, I don't sing in church.

COSTELLO: You do in your head, I'm sure, a song.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Thank God for this moment. That's one senator's reaction after his colleagues reached a last-minute deal on Capitol Hill. The compromise averts a showdown over some of President Bush's court nominees and over the filibuster tactics that stalled their nominations.

Let's head straight to Washington now and CNN's Kareen Wynter.

Good morning -- Kareen.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

Indeed this compromise really came down to the wire, clearing the way for votes on all but two of President Bush's judicial nominees. Now Democrats pledged not to filibuster any of the president's judicial nominees, except under what they call extraordinary circumstances. Republicans, in turn, agreed not to exercise a so- called nuclear option, which would, in effect, change Senate rules to bar judicial filibusters.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER (voice-over): A bipartisan group of 14 senators, 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, clinched a deal just hours before Tuesday's judicial filibuster standoff.

SEN. BEN NELSON (D), NEBRASKA: The country has avoided the nuclear option and a meltdown and now has the opportunity within the Senate to begin to work on the important issues.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: We can have a process where people get better treated in the Senate and we can stay in business. WYNTER: The compromise comes following days of intense negotiations over President Bush's controversial judicial nominees, three of which the Senate will now vote on, but two others are still subject to filibuster.

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MINORITY LEADER: I don't support several of these judges that have been agreed to. They're outside the mainstream of America jurisprudence and basic common sense. But we have had to move forward.

WYNTER: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who spearheaded efforts to block Democrats from using filibusters, said the agreement falls short of the principle nominees should get a fair vote on the Senate floor.

SEN. BILL FRIST (R), MAJORITY LEADER: Nominees can't be amended. They can't be split apart. They can't be horse-traded. They can't be log-rolled. Our Constitution does not allow for any of that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WYNTER: Now the White House viewed this agreement in favorable terms, calling it a positive development, but says it will continue to push for votes on all the judicial nominees -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Kareen Wynter reporting live from Washington this morning.

They have been questioned, criticized, haggled over and debated, but just who are these controversial judicial nominees?

Justice Priscilla Owen is nominated to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Texas Supreme Court justice drew fire for her rulings on consumer rights and on minors who want abortions.

California Justice Janice Rogers Brown is nominated to the federal appeals court in Washington. Critics say some of her rulings opposed affirmative action and limited abortion rights and corporate liability.

And Alabama Judge William Pryor is nominated to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His views on abortion and homosexuality have sparked controversy.

Now, under the Senate deal, votes on these three nominees will go forward, but two other nominees, William Myers and Henry Saad, could still face filibusters.

So, those are the controversial judges.

We now take you "Beyond the Soundbite" for more from the key players who averted the showdown. As we've told you, it was a bipartisan group of centrist senators working overtime to seal the deal. The lawmakers presented a united front as they came forward with their last-minute agreement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: We are here, 14 Republicans and Democrats, 7 on each side, to announce that we have reached an agreement to try to avert a crisis in the United States Senate and pull the institution back from a precipice that would have had, in the view of all 14 of us, lasting impact, damaging impact on the institution.

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D), CONNECTICUT: Hey, how great it is to be a member of this band of brothers and sisters. We came together and did the unexpected. In a Senate that has become increasingly partisan and polarized, the bipartisan center held. And I hope maybe this empowered bipartisan center will decide that it's been good to work together and we'll keep on working together to get some good things done for the American people.

SEN. ROBERT BYRD (D), WEST VIRGINIA: We have kept the republic. I am very proud of these colleagues of mine on the Republican side and the Democratic side. We have lifted ourselves above politics and we have signed this document in the interest of the United States Senate, in the interest of freedom of speech, freedom of debate and freedom to dissent in the United States Senate. And I say thank God, thank God for this moment and for these colleagues of mine.

SEN. KEN SALAZAR (D), COLORADO: I am hoping that the statement that these senators are making here today is a statement that says that in order for us to solve the problems of our country in this generation and into the future is going to require people that are wanting to unite us, not people who want to divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: There you have it. The Senate could start voting as early as today on those three judicial nominees.

Al Qaeda tried to arm itself with anthrax before the September 11 attacks. Letters released by the Pentagon detail efforts by al Qaeda operatives to acquire the toxin, but they were unable to get their hands on a strain of anthrax that could be used as a weapon.

More tension between the United States and Syria. Syria has now cut all military and intelligence cooperation with the United States. That's what the Syrian ambassador tells "The New York Times." The move follows Washington's complaint that Syria is not doing enough to stem the Iraqi insurgencies.

You can stay tuned to CNN day and night for the latest news about your security.

The Army has taken the extraordinary step of apologizing to the family of former pro football player Pat Tillman. He gave up a multi- million-dollar NFL deal to become an Army Ranger. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Now, initially, the Army said Tillman died engaging a well-armed enemy. His family calls it a lie and a cover-up. Tillman's father told "The Washington Post" -- quote -- "They realized that their recruiting efforts were going to hell in a handbasket if the truth about his death got out. They blew up their posterboy."

The Army tells CNN, "The Army made mistakes in reporting the circumstances of his death to the family. For these, we apologize. We cannot undo those early mistakes. In the 393 days since his death, the Army actively and directly informed the Tillman family, keeping them apprised of the results of three separate investigations to answer questions with candor and completeness."

We're going to talk more about this with our military analyst to see what the Army did right, what it did wrong and exactly what happened in the Pat Tillman case.

Also still to come on DAYBREAK, (INAUDIBLE) no idea his car would catch the eye of Iraqi kidnappers, but it did. After the break, one man's fight for survival and his abductors' fight for cash.

And remember our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should Bill Maher be taken off the air for his latest comments he said on his show -- and I quote -- "the military has already picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit and now we need warm bodies?" Does that amount to treason, as one congressman charges? We want to hear from you, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: An age-old crime is finding new life in Iraq these days. We're talking about kidnappings. And quite often it has less to do with the politics of the abducted and more to do with their money.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote live in Baghdad with more on how serious the kidnap situation is getting there.

And, Ryan, I just can't believe it.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well we spend so much -- yes, you know we spend so much time right here in this position talking about all of the violence in Iraq. It's almost like we're reading a police blotter I feel sometimes.

On this occasion, we had the opportunity to go out and check out the issue of kidnapping. It's, in some ways, even more serious of a problem for ordinary Iraqis than the violence, because it really limits what they can do, the intimidation that it creates, the fear that kidnapping here creates. It prevents people from going to work, coming back from work, visiting their friends and a lot of Iraqis have simply left the country because of this scourge of kidnapping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Arshad was driving with his son when he got his brutal introduction to the kidnapping industry.

ARSHAD MOHAMMED, FORMER HOSTAGE: Eight men jumps from the two cars with their pistol. Hit me on my head and I became bloody.

CHILCOTE: His mistake, the abductors thought only wealthy men collaborating with Americans drive Peugeot 307s.

MOHAMMED: They said no, they are 200's of this car in Iraq. And they are just for people who is working with the Americans.

CHILCOTE: In the safety of a relative's home, it's too dangerous for him to be seen meeting me, an American in his home, Arshad told me how the bargaining began.

MOHAMMED: They began to hate me. They said that we want $250,000 U.S. dollar.

CHILCOTE: An estimated 250 non-Iraqis have been kidnapped in the last two years, some killed, some set free and some who may still be alive. In this same period, an estimated 5,000 Iraqis have been kidnapped.

Police Col. Faisal Ali, from the Baghdad kidnapping unit, agreed to talk to us, but only like this. The vast majority of Iraqis and foreigners, he says, are kidnappings for ransom.

COL. FAISAL ALI, IRAQI POLICE (through translator): The ringleaders formed offices, like real estate agencies. When one of their gangs kidnaps a child or say a doctor, the victim's families go to him. He tells them he can find the perpetrators in two or three days for money.

CHILCOTE: The police show us photos of suspected abductors. Their unit claims to have arrested 35 kidnapping gang members last year. They say they freed 38 hostages, and they think that's less than 1 percent of them.

Arshad's fate was negotiated, like the majority of cases, without the police. They beat him for information on his finances.

MOHAMMED: Where do you live? How many house you have? How many stores? Please tell us. We are in a hurry.

CHILCOTE: Threatened to kill him.

MOHAMMED: They put the pistol on my head. I told them just I want to say I witness that there is not God, but Allah and that Mohammed is his messenger. And then if you want to kill me, I'm ready.

CHILCOTE: Fourteen thousand dollars, $6,000 under the average price the police quoted me, bought his freedom.

Arshad, like many here, says kidnapping is as big a problem as the violence. Many Iraqis have fled. Many, like him, have stayed on to fight. MOHAMMED: All of Iraq is families down here, as you know. They are frightened from them. They cannot go to their job. They cannot do anything down here.

CHILCOTE: The kidnappers never took Arshad's son, but Arshad still gets anxious when he drives.

MOHAMMED: I'm following all of the persons behind me, all of the cars around me. I see their faces.

CHILCOTE: He downgraded to a less attractive car, but gets nervous when he sees his old Peugeot 307 on the road.

MOHAMMED: This is like mine. When I see cars like mine, I remember all of the darkness of that night.

CHILCOTE: But he is no longer afraid of driving in the light of day, especially now that he carries a weapon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Carol, and I think one of the most disturbing and surprising things for me about Arshad's story is that he was targeted simply because of the car he was driving. I think you and I are so used to hearing about people being kidnapped for political reasons, hearing captors demand that the U.S. pull its troops out of Iraq or, you know, whichever country pull its troops out of Iraq. But the vast majority of these kidnappings, I learned, are simply for money. They're just about ransom. It's just a business -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So you were saying that investigators arrested, what, 36 abductors, but that doesn't sound like very many, actually. And what can they really do?

CHILCOTE: The police can't do a whole lot. It was pretty interesting. They told me that one of their biggest problems is that they can't even trace back phone calls here. A lot of the phone calls that are made by these captors with cell phones can't be traced back. The phone company doesn't keep any records. They don't feel like they have adequate equipment to deal with this. They feel like basically their department is a tiny department because so many of the police are so busy dealing with the violence.

The vast majority of these cases, the vast majority of the ransom situations are worked out, quite frankly, by the family itself. Sometimes there is a middleman. Sometimes there is a mediator who goes between the captors and the family that's trying to free the hostage. Sometimes it's a direct negotiation, as it was in this case.

In this case, they asked Arshad his home phone number. He gave it to them. They called up. They went out and counted up how much gold they had in the house, took it out to be appraised and then they worked out, over the course of about two days of haggling, the price of his freedom -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable. Ryan Chilcote, reporting live from Baghdad this morning, thank you.

We're going to take a short break, and the e-mails are flowing in about Bill Maher. We cannot wait to read them. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time to read some e-mail. Before we do, let me set it up quickly. Bill Maher, you know the comedian pundit, he said on his show, his HBO show, that the military has already picked all the low-lying Lynndie England fruit and now we need warm bodies. And Alabama Congressman Bachus is calling that treason. We want to know what you think.

MYERS: Well I don't work for Gallup, Carol, but if I did, it'd be like 97 to 3 in favor of Bill Maher here.

From Scott (ph) in California, I think it's treasonous for Congressman Bachus to threaten someone for exercising his First Amendment rights and speaking out against this illegal war.

From Bill (ph), it says I just got cable so I could see Bill Maher after his program was removed from ABC. No, and I no longer watch that channel because of their actions. Bill Maher is an American hero who tells it like it is whether you agree with what he says or not.

From Samantha (ph) in New York, if you don't like Bill Maher, don't watch him. That's why we have hundreds of channels, you can just turn him off. It's not treason to speak your mind. It'd be treason if what he said was used against the United States, like secret file sharing or whatever. Folks, just change the channel.

And Jerry (ph) has got a suggestion here is to Bill Maher taken off the air, that's absolutely ridiculous. Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh say much more offensive things on a daily basis. The right is seen so afraid of dissent that they're willing to trump the rights of all of us whether it's the Congress or broadcast media. This is the real treason, I suggest.

COSTELLO: Excellent comments this morning. We always appreciate hearing from you. And we're going to talk more about this in the next hour of DAYBREAK as well.

We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: So many of today's biggest musicians were at New York's hit music station Z100 Zootopia that even the stars were starstruck.

CNN's A.J. Hammer gives us a front row seat.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

A.J. HAMMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a powerful night of pop music, featuring the biggest hit makers on the planet, like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez and even the Backstreet Boys are back.

"ShowBiz Tonight" was right there as Simple Plan fired up the show with their hit song "Addicted." The band also shared a little secret with "ShowBiz Tonight." Now, fans, pay attention, they always arrive for gigs undercover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have two buses. We have a decoy bus, a bus with our faces on it. People think we're in it. We're not in that one. We're in the other one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But now you just ruined it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now you blew it, man.

HAMMER: The Black Eyed Peas kicked off their set with "Hey Mama."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean this is such a great show, they have so many great artists in one show. It's amazing. We're sitting there. The boys are distracted right now because J-Lo is on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: J-Lo.

HAMMER: The band is gearing up for the release of their new album "Monkey Business" and will be opening up for the Rolling Stones when they go out on tour in August.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're opening for the Rolling Stones. Yes, my dad went to go have a beer with his pals when he found that one out.

HAMMER: Rob Thomas is still riding high with his new album "Something to Be," which debuted at the number one spot on the album chart. But he told "ShowBiz Tonight" he was just as excited to be a part of the audience, as he was to perform.

ROB THOMAS, SINGER: I think you find like the fan in a lot of people at these shows, because there's a lot of us just like walking around by dressing rooms and going, you know, like, is Gwen Stefani in her dressing room, you know. And you're just trying to kind of, you know trying to find that bond with other musicians that you love. So, yes, I think it brings out the fan in all of the people that I see here, you know.

HAMMER: Singer-songwriter Gavin McGraw (ph) was back in New York City where he got his start, but told us it's a little different now that he's made it.

GAVIN MCGRAW, SINGER: It's very rewarding. I had no anticipation of any level of success. I mean at the time I was playing in New York, I was like basically just playing for dinner. So now that I'm able to actually buy my own dinner, it feels good.

(END VIDEOTAPE) COSTELLO: I bet it does. Remember those days? Maybe you're still mired in those days, and I'm sorry about that.

You can get more entertainment news every night on "ShowBiz Tonight." That's at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on Headline News.

And the next hour of DAYBREAK starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BYRD: Thank God for this moment and for these colleagues of mine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Thank God for that moment. Straight-ahead on DAYBREAK, senators invoke the Lord's name when they prove their last- minute deal making was not all in vein.

Also, the Army takes a rare step after a military family's outrage hits it hard.

And are property taxes turning your dream home into a nightmare? What can you do about it?

It's Tuesday, May 24. You are watching DAYBREAK.

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