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CNN Live At Daybreak

Flight Plan; Terror Funding

Aired May 26, 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: Let's get right to our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers" now, shall we?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A couple of good ones here.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's true.

The Indianapolis 500 this is not. But the City...

MYERS: No. And down the stretch they come.

COSTELLO: City Zoo still plays hosts to their version. As you can see, the greatest spectacle of racing of course is the annual tortoise race. In case you're wondering, the pole sitter for the Indi 500 topped 227 miles per hour -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The tortoise, 17/100 of a mile per hour.

MYERS: About as quick as your fingernails grow.

COSTELLO: Tricky.

Israeli farmers have taken a smelly step to help save their corn crops. To put it nicely, they're using lion manure to ward off other animals. Yes. Wild pigs have cost them millions of dollars, but the lion droppings are keeping those stealing squealers away.

MYERS: Well, people out in the Midwest, they use fox urine to keep away the deer from eating their corn. So, I guess, you know, what comes around goes around. Got to do what you got to do.

COSTELLO: That's the idea.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Now we have a follow-up on one of yesterday's "Eye Openers."

The world record catfish, you know that big old catfish.

MYERS: That big blue cat.

COSTELLO: It died.

MYERS: Of course it died, it was out of the water. COSTELLO: I know. You cannot take a big old fish that weighs 124 pounds out of the water without consequences.

MYERS: Well not for that long, because there's so much weight in the middle of that. There's so much intestine in there that is supported by the water when it's in the water. You take it out and everything kind of flops down.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It was being moved to an aquarium in Kansas, but it died on the way. So it's time to say goodbye. I don't know if the catfish had a name, but we'll name him Oscar just because.

MYERS: One heck of a big fish. He never did get to see any palm trees, though, I'm pretty sure, in the Mississippi River.

COSTELLO: Probably not.

MYERS: That was an editorial headline.

COSTELLO: We wanted the catfish to have a better life, although I'm not sure they can survive in saltwater either.

MYERS: There're saltwater cats, but not that one.

COSTELLO: Not that one.

All right, here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.

Reagan National is reopening under super tight security. We'll tell you what to expect when landing there.

And a reminder, our e-mail "Question of the Day," what is your take on the housing market, sizzle or fizzle? You think we're in a bubble? Do you think you made the right investment when you paid $50,000 over the asking price? Tell us what you think, DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, 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."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is in the U.S. for historic talks today with President Bush. It is the first between U.S. and Palestinian leaders since Mid East peace talks broke down five years ago. President Bush is expected to offer tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinians. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta has closed up shop temporarily, citing terror threats. The move comes four days after thousands of Indonesian Muslims protested the alleged desecration of the Koran by U.S. interrogators.

An explosion of violence in Iraq leaves 8 dead and 11 injured this morning. The attacks, which played out in just over an hour, included a suicide car bombing and a roadside bomb.

Former President Bill Clinton is in New Delhi, India today. He's launching the physician training initiative, which will teach 150,000 doctors about HIV/AIDS treatment and care. He'll also talk about the private sector's role in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.

MYERS: Looking like the president's taken some weight off there. You notice that? He's looking pretty trim, looking pretty good.

COSTELLO: He's looking downright skinny.

MYERS: Looking pretty good.

Hey, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It was awfully windy overnight, though -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes, sure.

COSTELLO: So maybe that will affect air travel.

MYERS: And they don't like that when they cross the runway, the planes have to back themselves up and spread themselves apart.

COSTELLO: Yes. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Now for our CNN "Security Watch."

Are the nation's ports in danger? A pair of reports find that programs aimed at securing our ports are not working very well. The numbers are almost staggering. Less than 18 percent of cargo coming in from foreign ports are being checked and only a fraction of background checks have been done on shipping companies who are given fast track access to ports.

The Senate Intelligence Committee will hold a closed door hearing today on the Patriot Act. At issue is the FBI's request to expand its powers. Republican lawmakers are supporting a plan that allows the FBI greater access to business and personal records without a judge's permission.

Air traffic is set to increase around the nation's capital, that's because the nearly four-year ban on corporate and charter flights has been lifted at Reagan National Airport. But increased security will surround those flights.

CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Tell me what this looked like before 9/11?

BOB HAWTHORNE, MARTINAIR JET CHARTER: Well, there were about 200 to 250 planes out here on the ramp. It would go all the way down on the far end. This hangar was full, sometimes within two feet of wing span from one wing to another. This was the business aviation hangar for some of the biggest corporate clients in Washington. We were hopping.

MESERVE (voice-over): That was before 9/11, before general aviation at Reagan National Airport was shut down to protect the capital city. Before corporate and charter aircraft were forced to go to other Washington area airports. At Reagan National, 300 people lost their jobs. And Bob Hawthorne, who manages a charter jet company here, is amazed he wasn't among them.

HAWTHORNE: Never did I ever expect it to be four years. And I personally am surprised I'm still doing this business.

MESERVE: But in about 90 days, corporate and charter aircraft will again fly in and out of Reagan under extraordinary security.

DAVID STONE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: The plan exceeds the level of security required for commercial aviation.

MESERVE: At first, 48 daily flights will have to come through so-called gateway airports, equipped to screen crews, passengers and aircraft. Passenger and crew lists will have to be submitted 24 hours in advance for security checks. Flight crews will have to undergo fingerprint-based criminal history checks. And on board, a law enforcement officer trained to use force on aircraft.

The announcement comes just weeks after the Capitol and White House were evacuated because a small private plane violated air restrictions and came within three miles. One security experts says that incident raises questions about response time if something goes wrong.

MICHAEL WERMUTH, RAND CORPORATION: That plane was coming from well outside of the Washington area and was picked up on radar with some time to spare to be able to launch aircraft to move it away from significant assets in the capital region. In this case, planes will be taking off and landing at Reagan already within that circle, and there's not much room for a mistake.

MESERVE: But members of Congress, who pushed hard for this reopening, say the security measures are, if anything, too harsh. REP. HAL ROGERS (R), CHMN., HOMELAND SECURITY CMTE.: It is very restrictive, as you've seen.

MESERVE: Clearly Congress, and the well heeled who can afford the cost of additional security, will be the principal beneficiaries of this reopening, along with people like Bob Hawthorne.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

The House approved a $491 billion defense bill for next year, but it was stripped of an amendment that would have limited the role of women in combat zones. The Pentagon opposed the restriction, which was pushed by the GOP leadership. The Senate votes on its own defense bill next month.

In the meantime, Iraq says it still wants U.S.-led troops to stay, at least for now. Iraq's top diplomat has asked the United Nations Security Council to keep multination forces in place until one of two things happen: the political process is completed or Iraq's own forces could handle the country's security needs. More than 160,000 coalition troops are now deployed in Iraq.

Plenty of those troops serving overseas are women. And a new poll shows Americans overwhelmingly support having female troops serve in or near combat, but they oppose having women as ground troops. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed in a new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup Poll say they oppose women being assigned to jobs where they would do most of the fighting.

Call it war games Internet division. The CIA is holding a three- day exercise known as Silent Horizon to see how government and industry would respond to devastating cyber attacks. The scenario is a full-out electronic assault on the U.S. on the scale of the September 11th attacks.

And still to come on DAYBREAK, when you think of al Qaeda, you don't automatically think of Liberia, but that's where some say terror funds come from. We'll explore that angle of the story.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's a terror investigation on a larger scale in the African country of Liberia. The country's former president is accused of a possible link to al Qaeda, and that may be what forces him out of exile to face justice.

Jeff Koinange has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the last time most of the world saw Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president's flight into exile as rebels besieged the country's capital Monrovia. Nearly two years later, Taylor remains as controversial in asylum in his adopted country, Nigeria, as he was as president of Africa's oldest republic.

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal in neighboring Sierra Leone are now accusing Taylor of aiding and abetting members of al Qaeda in an effort to destabilize the entire West African region.

DAVID CRANE, CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Al Qaeda has been in West Africa. It continues to be in West Africa. And Charles Taylor has been harboring members of al Qaeda.

KOINANGE: Crane says he has evidence Taylor flew in late February to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso in West Africa, where he met one of his former advisers. Crane adds, money from an al Qaeda courier was believed to have been exchanged during that meeting.

The alleged courier was a man by the name of Mohamed Mustafa Fadhil, a Middle East businessman who the U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for his capture. He's been indicted for his alleged involvement in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa and for conspiring to kill U.S. nationals.

ALAN WHITE, CHIEF INVESTIGATOR: It's clear that until Charles Taylor is brought to justice that he will be an immediate, clear-and- present danger to the threat and peace and security and not only Liberia, but the entire West African region.

KOINANGE: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has refused to hand Taylor over to the tribunal, saying he gave Taylor his word. But Obasanjo has come under increasing pressure from both Washington and the European Union.

In a recent visit by the Nigerian president to the U.S., Obasanjo said that he talked to President George W. Bush about getting debt relief in exchange for Taylor's extradition. One possibly under discussion at the United Nations is a Security Council resolution that would praise Nigeria for taking Taylor out of Liberia, but that his regional meddling, his activities with terrorists and his alleged war crimes have left the leaders with no choice but to hand him over.

In the end, the alleged connection between Taylor and terrorists could be the crime that forces him out of exile.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

New Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in Washington for talks with President Bush this morning. At the White House, the president will pledge tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Senate Republicans want a vote today on John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador, but at least one of their numbers, Ohio Senator George Voinovich, is asking colleagues to vote against Bolton.

In money news, Tyson Foods says it will do its own investigation of inhumane chicken slaughter. The animal rights group, PETA, distributed undercover video accusing Tyson of mutilating birds.

In culture, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So CBS will premiere another reality show, "Rock Star: INXS," in July. Fifteen hopefuls will compete to become the group's new lead singer.

I don't know who could replace the original lead singer. He was awesome.

In sports, Tampa, Florida has been picked to host the 2009 Super Bowl. Tampa beat out Atlanta, Houston and Miami. Next season's Super Bowl will be February 5 in Detroit -- Chad.

MYERS: And good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad.

You know, Chad, what it's like when you're starving, you order a pizza, you cannot wait for it to get to your home.

MYERS: Right, that's why there's Boybaline (ph), make your own.

COSTELLO: Well wait until you hear this version of the pizza story.

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina say 86-year-old Dorothy Densmore called 911 dispatchers 20 times. Twenty times in a half-hour period, Chad. She was calling to complain a pizza place would not deliver to her. Police paid a visit to her home instead and arrested her. She got out after two days, and she now faces three misdemeanor charges. So I guess the lesson in that, don't call 911 when your pizza doesn't come.

MYERS: 911 for emergencies only, please, life-threatening.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, we asked the question and you answered. Up next, what you had to say about the sizzling and fizzling housing market.

But first, we leave you with a picture of the Mount Diablo buckwheat, long thought to be extinct, but recently found in a California park. Hasn't been seen in more than 60 years.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is time to read some of your e-mails, and we thank you for sending them in to us this morning. We're asking the question about the housing market, is the bubble about to burst or is it still sizzling? Is it a good investment to pay $50,000 over the asking price, which is what some people were actually doing in some parts of the country?

MYERS: You bet, Carol. The people next to my parents in Florida, they bought the house, they made an offer like $190,000. The bank said no, we're only going to give you $140,000, you've got to come up with the rest, and they did.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: And the bank said now here's what the appraisal says. Here's what the house is worth. And they said we don't care, we want that house. It's like, well, maybe my house is for sale.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable! But you know some experts are saying that the bubble is about to burst.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And housing prices will go down and people will lose their investment because they paid too much for their home. So that's what we're asking viewers to respond to this morning.

What do you have?

MYERS: Well the threat is if interest rates go to 8 percent and then all of a sudden those payments go crazy because you were at 3, now you're at 8.

Anyway, here's what you got.

From Ben (ph) in San Francisco, I come from an area that has a relatively high housing prices for a long time. A house my relatives purchased went from $300,000 to $950,000 in eight years.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: Many people say that the housing bubble will pop, but I want to see with my own eyes, because right now I don't know anyone who can buy a decent priced home right here right now or anytime soon. For a $950,000 home without too much debt, you'd have to be bringing in about $300,000 to $350,000 to buy that house as your salary.

Good morning, Carol and Chad, we have been told that this housing bubble is now for two years so far and has still not burst. Not even leveled off or corrected itself, but it has increased more than ever. I say keep buying. That's from Frank (ph) in New Jersey. And bubble, no bubble, all I know is that we bought our house after the Northridge earthquake when the prices hit the floor, $180,000, and now nine years later it's $750,000. My advice, if there's an earthquake, buy, buy, buy.

COSTELLO: You know the problem with that, you make hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling your home, but the next home you buy is going to be really expensive.

MYERS: That is correct.

COSTELLO: So maybe you'll waste all of what you make to buy the new house.

MYERS: Well, true. But you know what, Jim Cramer (ph) will say it, ring the register sometimes if you have to because you get this big write off. If you stay in your house for more than two years, you could write off about $600,000 to $650,000 of that profit. Ring the register, take that cash out and then try to buy something else and just move on up in the profit money. But then you've got a million- dollar mortgage rather than your $250,000 mortgage that you had.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We're going to get much more on the housing market in the next hour of DAYBREAK. So we'll ask the question, did you pay too much for your house? We'll ask a housing expert about that so-called bubble.

Also, a story we've been following for you.

That's a beautiful home in Chicago that went for a million bucks.

But we're also going to talk about Viagra and sex offenders, the latest development in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: They're the lifeline of the nation's economy, but are America's ports sitting ducks for terrorists?

Buyers, sellers and those who wait, when will the bubble burst on the housing market anyway?

Plus, the little blue pill in the hands of convicted sex offenders. Do you want your money picking up the tab? We have an update for you.

It is Thursday, May 26. You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. Thank you for joining us this morning.

"Now in the News."

A historic meeting in just a few hours, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and President Bush will meet in Washington. The president will pledge tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

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 26, 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: Let's get right to our DAYBREAK "Eye Openers" now, shall we?
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: A couple of good ones here.

COSTELLO: Yes, that's true.

The Indianapolis 500 this is not. But the City...

MYERS: No. And down the stretch they come.

COSTELLO: City Zoo still plays hosts to their version. As you can see, the greatest spectacle of racing of course is the annual tortoise race. In case you're wondering, the pole sitter for the Indi 500 topped 227 miles per hour -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: The tortoise, 17/100 of a mile per hour.

MYERS: About as quick as your fingernails grow.

COSTELLO: Tricky.

Israeli farmers have taken a smelly step to help save their corn crops. To put it nicely, they're using lion manure to ward off other animals. Yes. Wild pigs have cost them millions of dollars, but the lion droppings are keeping those stealing squealers away.

MYERS: Well, people out in the Midwest, they use fox urine to keep away the deer from eating their corn. So, I guess, you know, what comes around goes around. Got to do what you got to do.

COSTELLO: That's the idea.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Now we have a follow-up on one of yesterday's "Eye Openers."

The world record catfish, you know that big old catfish.

MYERS: That big blue cat.

COSTELLO: It died.

MYERS: Of course it died, it was out of the water. COSTELLO: I know. You cannot take a big old fish that weighs 124 pounds out of the water without consequences.

MYERS: Well not for that long, because there's so much weight in the middle of that. There's so much intestine in there that is supported by the water when it's in the water. You take it out and everything kind of flops down.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: It was being moved to an aquarium in Kansas, but it died on the way. So it's time to say goodbye. I don't know if the catfish had a name, but we'll name him Oscar just because.

MYERS: One heck of a big fish. He never did get to see any palm trees, though, I'm pretty sure, in the Mississippi River.

COSTELLO: Probably not.

MYERS: That was an editorial headline.

COSTELLO: We wanted the catfish to have a better life, although I'm not sure they can survive in saltwater either.

MYERS: There're saltwater cats, but not that one.

COSTELLO: Not that one.

All right, here's what's all new in the next half-hour of DAYBREAK.

Reagan National is reopening under super tight security. We'll tell you what to expect when landing there.

And a reminder, our e-mail "Question of the Day," what is your take on the housing market, sizzle or fizzle? You think we're in a bubble? Do you think you made the right investment when you paid $50,000 over the asking price? Tell us what you think, DAYBREAK@CNN.com. That's DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Good morning, 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."

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is in the U.S. for historic talks today with President Bush. It is the first between U.S. and Palestinian leaders since Mid East peace talks broke down five years ago. President Bush is expected to offer tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinians. The U.S. Embassy in Jakarta has closed up shop temporarily, citing terror threats. The move comes four days after thousands of Indonesian Muslims protested the alleged desecration of the Koran by U.S. interrogators.

An explosion of violence in Iraq leaves 8 dead and 11 injured this morning. The attacks, which played out in just over an hour, included a suicide car bombing and a roadside bomb.

Former President Bill Clinton is in New Delhi, India today. He's launching the physician training initiative, which will teach 150,000 doctors about HIV/AIDS treatment and care. He'll also talk about the private sector's role in the battle against HIV/AIDS.

To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.

MYERS: Looking like the president's taken some weight off there. You notice that? He's looking pretty trim, looking pretty good.

COSTELLO: He's looking downright skinny.

MYERS: Looking pretty good.

Hey, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It was awfully windy overnight, though -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes, sure.

COSTELLO: So maybe that will affect air travel.

MYERS: And they don't like that when they cross the runway, the planes have to back themselves up and spread themselves apart.

COSTELLO: Yes. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Now for our CNN "Security Watch."

Are the nation's ports in danger? A pair of reports find that programs aimed at securing our ports are not working very well. The numbers are almost staggering. Less than 18 percent of cargo coming in from foreign ports are being checked and only a fraction of background checks have been done on shipping companies who are given fast track access to ports.

The Senate Intelligence Committee will hold a closed door hearing today on the Patriot Act. At issue is the FBI's request to expand its powers. Republican lawmakers are supporting a plan that allows the FBI greater access to business and personal records without a judge's permission.

Air traffic is set to increase around the nation's capital, that's because the nearly four-year ban on corporate and charter flights has been lifted at Reagan National Airport. But increased security will surround those flights.

CNN Homeland Security correspondent Jeanne Meserve has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Tell me what this looked like before 9/11?

BOB HAWTHORNE, MARTINAIR JET CHARTER: Well, there were about 200 to 250 planes out here on the ramp. It would go all the way down on the far end. This hangar was full, sometimes within two feet of wing span from one wing to another. This was the business aviation hangar for some of the biggest corporate clients in Washington. We were hopping.

MESERVE (voice-over): That was before 9/11, before general aviation at Reagan National Airport was shut down to protect the capital city. Before corporate and charter aircraft were forced to go to other Washington area airports. At Reagan National, 300 people lost their jobs. And Bob Hawthorne, who manages a charter jet company here, is amazed he wasn't among them.

HAWTHORNE: Never did I ever expect it to be four years. And I personally am surprised I'm still doing this business.

MESERVE: But in about 90 days, corporate and charter aircraft will again fly in and out of Reagan under extraordinary security.

DAVID STONE, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: The plan exceeds the level of security required for commercial aviation.

MESERVE: At first, 48 daily flights will have to come through so-called gateway airports, equipped to screen crews, passengers and aircraft. Passenger and crew lists will have to be submitted 24 hours in advance for security checks. Flight crews will have to undergo fingerprint-based criminal history checks. And on board, a law enforcement officer trained to use force on aircraft.

The announcement comes just weeks after the Capitol and White House were evacuated because a small private plane violated air restrictions and came within three miles. One security experts says that incident raises questions about response time if something goes wrong.

MICHAEL WERMUTH, RAND CORPORATION: That plane was coming from well outside of the Washington area and was picked up on radar with some time to spare to be able to launch aircraft to move it away from significant assets in the capital region. In this case, planes will be taking off and landing at Reagan already within that circle, and there's not much room for a mistake.

MESERVE: But members of Congress, who pushed hard for this reopening, say the security measures are, if anything, too harsh. REP. HAL ROGERS (R), CHMN., HOMELAND SECURITY CMTE.: It is very restrictive, as you've seen.

MESERVE: Clearly Congress, and the well heeled who can afford the cost of additional security, will be the principal beneficiaries of this reopening, along with people like Bob Hawthorne.

Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

The House approved a $491 billion defense bill for next year, but it was stripped of an amendment that would have limited the role of women in combat zones. The Pentagon opposed the restriction, which was pushed by the GOP leadership. The Senate votes on its own defense bill next month.

In the meantime, Iraq says it still wants U.S.-led troops to stay, at least for now. Iraq's top diplomat has asked the United Nations Security Council to keep multination forces in place until one of two things happen: the political process is completed or Iraq's own forces could handle the country's security needs. More than 160,000 coalition troops are now deployed in Iraq.

Plenty of those troops serving overseas are women. And a new poll shows Americans overwhelmingly support having female troops serve in or near combat, but they oppose having women as ground troops. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed in a new CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup Poll say they oppose women being assigned to jobs where they would do most of the fighting.

Call it war games Internet division. The CIA is holding a three- day exercise known as Silent Horizon to see how government and industry would respond to devastating cyber attacks. The scenario is a full-out electronic assault on the U.S. on the scale of the September 11th attacks.

And still to come on DAYBREAK, when you think of al Qaeda, you don't automatically think of Liberia, but that's where some say terror funds come from. We'll explore that angle of the story.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's a terror investigation on a larger scale in the African country of Liberia. The country's former president is accused of a possible link to al Qaeda, and that may be what forces him out of exile to face justice.

Jeff Koinange has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the last time most of the world saw Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president's flight into exile as rebels besieged the country's capital Monrovia. Nearly two years later, Taylor remains as controversial in asylum in his adopted country, Nigeria, as he was as president of Africa's oldest republic.

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal in neighboring Sierra Leone are now accusing Taylor of aiding and abetting members of al Qaeda in an effort to destabilize the entire West African region.

DAVID CRANE, CHIEF PROSECUTOR: Al Qaeda has been in West Africa. It continues to be in West Africa. And Charles Taylor has been harboring members of al Qaeda.

KOINANGE: Crane says he has evidence Taylor flew in late February to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso in West Africa, where he met one of his former advisers. Crane adds, money from an al Qaeda courier was believed to have been exchanged during that meeting.

The alleged courier was a man by the name of Mohamed Mustafa Fadhil, a Middle East businessman who the U.S. is offering a $5 million reward for his capture. He's been indicted for his alleged involvement in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa and for conspiring to kill U.S. nationals.

ALAN WHITE, CHIEF INVESTIGATOR: It's clear that until Charles Taylor is brought to justice that he will be an immediate, clear-and- present danger to the threat and peace and security and not only Liberia, but the entire West African region.

KOINANGE: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has refused to hand Taylor over to the tribunal, saying he gave Taylor his word. But Obasanjo has come under increasing pressure from both Washington and the European Union.

In a recent visit by the Nigerian president to the U.S., Obasanjo said that he talked to President George W. Bush about getting debt relief in exchange for Taylor's extradition. One possibly under discussion at the United Nations is a Security Council resolution that would praise Nigeria for taking Taylor out of Liberia, but that his regional meddling, his activities with terrorists and his alleged war crimes have left the leaders with no choice but to hand him over.

In the end, the alleged connection between Taylor and terrorists could be the crime that forces him out of exile.

Jeff Koinange, CNN, Lagos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

New Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is in Washington for talks with President Bush this morning. At the White House, the president will pledge tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Senate Republicans want a vote today on John Bolton as U.N. Ambassador, but at least one of their numbers, Ohio Senator George Voinovich, is asking colleagues to vote against Bolton.

In money news, Tyson Foods says it will do its own investigation of inhumane chicken slaughter. The animal rights group, PETA, distributed undercover video accusing Tyson of mutilating birds.

In culture, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So CBS will premiere another reality show, "Rock Star: INXS," in July. Fifteen hopefuls will compete to become the group's new lead singer.

I don't know who could replace the original lead singer. He was awesome.

In sports, Tampa, Florida has been picked to host the 2009 Super Bowl. Tampa beat out Atlanta, Houston and Miami. Next season's Super Bowl will be February 5 in Detroit -- Chad.

MYERS: And good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Chad.

You know, Chad, what it's like when you're starving, you order a pizza, you cannot wait for it to get to your home.

MYERS: Right, that's why there's Boybaline (ph), make your own.

COSTELLO: Well wait until you hear this version of the pizza story.

Police in Charlotte, North Carolina say 86-year-old Dorothy Densmore called 911 dispatchers 20 times. Twenty times in a half-hour period, Chad. She was calling to complain a pizza place would not deliver to her. Police paid a visit to her home instead and arrested her. She got out after two days, and she now faces three misdemeanor charges. So I guess the lesson in that, don't call 911 when your pizza doesn't come.

MYERS: 911 for emergencies only, please, life-threatening.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, we asked the question and you answered. Up next, what you had to say about the sizzling and fizzling housing market.

But first, we leave you with a picture of the Mount Diablo buckwheat, long thought to be extinct, but recently found in a California park. Hasn't been seen in more than 60 years.

We'll be right back.

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COSTELLO: It is time to read some of your e-mails, and we thank you for sending them in to us this morning. We're asking the question about the housing market, is the bubble about to burst or is it still sizzling? Is it a good investment to pay $50,000 over the asking price, which is what some people were actually doing in some parts of the country?

MYERS: You bet, Carol. The people next to my parents in Florida, they bought the house, they made an offer like $190,000. The bank said no, we're only going to give you $140,000, you've got to come up with the rest, and they did.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: And the bank said now here's what the appraisal says. Here's what the house is worth. And they said we don't care, we want that house. It's like, well, maybe my house is for sale.

COSTELLO: Unbelievable! But you know some experts are saying that the bubble is about to burst.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And housing prices will go down and people will lose their investment because they paid too much for their home. So that's what we're asking viewers to respond to this morning.

What do you have?

MYERS: Well the threat is if interest rates go to 8 percent and then all of a sudden those payments go crazy because you were at 3, now you're at 8.

Anyway, here's what you got.

From Ben (ph) in San Francisco, I come from an area that has a relatively high housing prices for a long time. A house my relatives purchased went from $300,000 to $950,000 in eight years.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: Many people say that the housing bubble will pop, but I want to see with my own eyes, because right now I don't know anyone who can buy a decent priced home right here right now or anytime soon. For a $950,000 home without too much debt, you'd have to be bringing in about $300,000 to $350,000 to buy that house as your salary.

Good morning, Carol and Chad, we have been told that this housing bubble is now for two years so far and has still not burst. Not even leveled off or corrected itself, but it has increased more than ever. I say keep buying. That's from Frank (ph) in New Jersey. And bubble, no bubble, all I know is that we bought our house after the Northridge earthquake when the prices hit the floor, $180,000, and now nine years later it's $750,000. My advice, if there's an earthquake, buy, buy, buy.

COSTELLO: You know the problem with that, you make hundreds of thousands of dollars by selling your home, but the next home you buy is going to be really expensive.

MYERS: That is correct.

COSTELLO: So maybe you'll waste all of what you make to buy the new house.

MYERS: Well, true. But you know what, Jim Cramer (ph) will say it, ring the register sometimes if you have to because you get this big write off. If you stay in your house for more than two years, you could write off about $600,000 to $650,000 of that profit. Ring the register, take that cash out and then try to buy something else and just move on up in the profit money. But then you've got a million- dollar mortgage rather than your $250,000 mortgage that you had.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We're going to get much more on the housing market in the next hour of DAYBREAK. So we'll ask the question, did you pay too much for your house? We'll ask a housing expert about that so-called bubble.

Also, a story we've been following for you.

That's a beautiful home in Chicago that went for a million bucks.

But we're also going to talk about Viagra and sex offenders, the latest development in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: They're the lifeline of the nation's economy, but are America's ports sitting ducks for terrorists?

Buyers, sellers and those who wait, when will the bubble burst on the housing market anyway?

Plus, the little blue pill in the hands of convicted sex offenders. Do you want your money picking up the tab? We have an update for you.

It is Thursday, May 26. You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers. Thank you for joining us this morning.

"Now in the News."

A historic meeting in just a few hours, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and President Bush will meet in Washington. The president will pledge tens of millions of dollars in direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

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