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CNN Live At Daybreak

Water Woes; Scout Found; Missing in Aruba

Aired June 22, 2005 - 05:29   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, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK.
Coming up in the next 30 minutes, imagine the summer heat with no water. That's like in Baghdad for many of the city's residents. We'll have a live report coming up.

And an amazing story, the young Boy Scout found alive in the Utah woods. We'll hear from the people who searched for him four days.

But first, "Now in the News."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Belgium to talk to world leaders about rebuilding Iraq. Rice and other leaders are calling on the Iraqi government to be more inclusive, particularly for the Sunni Muslim community. The Iraqi leaders are looking for world support in reconstruction.

An American spy plane has crashed in southwest Asia. The U.S. military is not disclosing the location of the U-2 plane or the fate of the pilot. The U-2 is a single seat jet able to fly at high altitudes on surveillance missions.

The summer solstice provided much of the nation with a beautiful view of an incredible moon. That's beautiful. This was the view in Atlanta last night. It was the longest night of the year.

And remember, you can view more CNN reports online, just visit CNN.com, click on to Watch to check out the most popular stories in a range of categories, like politics, sports. I've read this so many times I was stretching, Chad. But it is cool. It's a cool feature. You go to our Web site, you click on Watch, and you can watch video from past stories. We have a whole catalog of stuff in there. It's pretty cool.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: But it was the shortest night of the year.

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: Not the longest night. It's the longest day of the year.

COSTELLO: I just want to go home now.

MYERS: Unless, Carol, they're watching in Brazil.

COSTELLO: Really? MYERS: Then it is.

COSTELLO: Well you know we are an international news organization.

MYERS: That is correct. Just depends on your time zone and your location. It's the night of the midnight sun. You know they have that golf tournament up in Alaska in Fairbanks. They golf all night because the sun never sets.

COSTELLO: I got it.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, I wasn't correcting you, I was just...

COSTELLO: No, you should correct me when I'm wrong. You absolutely should. That is the responsible thing to do.

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: And I'm serious about that.

Thank you, Chad, I appreciate it.

MYERS: You're welcome. Bye.

COSTELLO: In "The Fight for Iraq" this morning, a major focus today is on rebuilding. More than 80 nations and organizations are gathered at the European Union for a conference on helping Iraqis rebuild. The session is being held at the request of Iraq's new transitional government.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is joining the Iraqi officials in asking the world for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: The brave people of Iraq are asking us to stand with them, and they deserve our full support. So today in Brussels, we begin a new conversation between the international community and the democratic government of a free Iraq. This partnership will support the Iraqi government along three important fronts: political reform, economic reconstruction and strengthening security with the rule of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Something Baghdad residents could use right now is a reliable source of clean water. An attack Sunday on the city's main water plant forced it to shut down.

More on that from Jennifer Eccleston in Baghdad this morning.

Hello -- Jennifer.

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well that general instability in Iraq manifests itself in a variety of ways. And as you mentioned, an insurgent attack on a water treatment plant this weekend left millions in the capital city without fresh water and as the temperatures soar, Carol, well above 100 degrees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Just when Nada Mansor thought things couldn't get much worse, they did. She hasn't had a drop of water in her faucet for three days. She relies on a neighbor whose water tanks are still full, hauling bottles several hundred yards to her home under the blazing summer sun.

NADA MANSOR, BAGHDAD RESIDENT (through translator): It's embarrassing for me, for a woman who is carrying water in the streets with people watching. This is not acceptable, but what can I do? I have no choice.

ECCLESTON: Sunday's rocket attack on Baghdad's biggest water treatment plant shut down the flow of over a billion liters of water. The mayor says two million people in the city are scrambling to find water somewhere, any means possible to quench their collective thirst.

Businesses reliant on water, like Mohammed Ali Nasr's (ph) laundry mat, are shut down. And people are angry that two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein and five months after an election, Baghdad authorities can't provide basic services.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The Baghdad mayor should be dismissed, and appoint another one who can do his job properly. We need someone who can work for the people's interest.

ECCLESTON: Mayor Alaa al-Tamimi says he is working for the people's interest.

ALAA AL-TAMIMI, BAGHDAD MAYOR: We are working 24 hours for three days. I think tomorrow the people will have more water.

ECCLESTON: So much today in Baghdad is waiting, waiting for the water and electricity to return, waiting in fuel lines, waiting for an end to bombs and mortars. For some, the hardship is too much to bear.

Nada Mansor, the 46-year-old mother of four, says she can't cook, wash, or even bathe. Water is like peace, she says, you never know how valuable it is until someone takes it away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

Despite Baghdad officials' assurances, Carol, that the water supply is on the increase, it is not still 100 percent -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Jennifer Eccleston in Baghdad this morning.

Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware says President Bush is misleading Americans about the situation in Iraq. Biden, who is considering a run for president in 2008, says there is -- and I'm quoting here -- "a credibility gap between the administration and you." He says the U.S. exit policy for Iraq is not working.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE BIDEN (D), DELAWARE: There are very few of those Iraqis who are trained to the only standard that counts, that is the ability to take over for an American troop. That's the ultimate exit strategy we've announced long time ago, be able to replace, essentially, one for one, an Iraqi for an American force.

The disconnect between the administration's rhetoric and the reality on the ground has opened not just a credibility gap but a credibility chasm. Standing right in the middle of that chasm are 139,000 American troops, some of them, some of them on their third tour.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Biden says the president should set goals and keep Americans updated on the success of those goals.

U.S. Marine officials say the assault to oust insurgents in Karabila has wrapped up. The Marines say they destroyed two car bomb factories, including one with 16 car bombs in the making. They also freed four Iraqi hostages, two of them former members of the border police. The Marines killed at least 50 insurgents and foreign fighters in the city of 60,000 residents.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, an 11-year-old boy lost for four days in the rough terrain of northeast Utah found alive and well. You will hear from the volunteers who would not give up.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: That is a beautiful sunrise in New York this morning.

Now a follow-up on a story we brought you extensively, the massive warehouse fire in Detroit. The big blaze is out this morning, but a Detroit fire chief says crews could be onsite for days dealing with the smoldering aftermath. Streets have been closed around the historic area that includes warehouses and factories once used at the dawn of the automotive industry. Cause of the fire? Well that's still under investigation.

Eleven-year-old Brennan Hawkins back home in his own bed this morning. He was released from the hospital just a couple of hours ago. His return comes more than four days after he first went missing in the mountains of Utah. And that rescue proved to be an emotional event for everyone involved in the search.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brennan has been found. He's in very good condition. What a power boost. We are absolutely thrilled with the outcome of this.

JODY HAWKINS, BRENNAN'S MOTHER: Every single person who searched for one or two feet helped narrow this search enough that we were able to find him today.

FORREST NUNLEY, SEARCH VOLUNTEER: We went up there to Lilly Lake Park (ph). Two hours later, there he was standing in the road, little tiny trail. Riders going up. Just looked up around the corner and there he was.

I asked him his name, because I really couldn't remember his name exactly, you know, Brandon, Brennan, whatever. And I asked him his name, and he says I'm Brennan. I thought well this is him. And he was really kind of delirious. He was kind of scared.

There were some people on horses just right in front of me, five minutes ahead of me, and he was scared to come out. I got him to sit down and put a blanket on him and shirt and stuff, took his clothes off, Had a wet shirt and his shoes and tried to get him warm and gave him a PB&J and water and ran up the hill and traced (ph) if I could get 911.

SHERIFF DAVID EDMUNDS, SUMMIT COUNTY, UTAH: Everything came together on this. We're very pleased with the volunteers that came out here and helped us, and the search and rescue operators throughout the state. After he got a couple of drinks in him, as water and some food, he immediately wanted to play a video game on one of the searcher's cell phone, so obviously not in too bad a shape at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think I could...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't express it. There's no words.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't think he's reaching out (ph). I have four daughters of my own and I wouldn't be here anywhere else.

HAWKINS: We thank you. We have never known men of such integrity and faith and honor in our life. People say that the heavens are closed and God no longer answers prayers. We are here to unequivocally tell you that the heavens are not closed, prayers are answered and children come home. We love you. We thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: The boy was treated for dehydration and a few bumps and bruises before he was sent home from the hospital this morning. And as I said, he's a little sunburned, but he's doing just fine.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan are now at an international conference on rebuilding Iraq. More than 80 nations and groups are attending the session at European Union headquarters in Brussels.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is pushing a plan for mandatory minimum prison sentences, but he wants maximum sentences to remain strictly advisory.

In money news, Winn-Dixie is closing its stores in four southern states. That's 22,000 job losses at more than 300 supermarkets. It's all part of the grocery store chain's bankruptcy reorganization plan.

In culture, some respect for the late comic Rodney Dangerfield. He'll reportedly be the subject of a movie by producers of the Oscar winning movie about singer Ray Charles. That's according to the Hollywood trade paper "Daily Variety."

In sports, the NBA and its players reached a tentative agreement on a new contract that includes more drug tests. The deal also raises the minimum age for players to 19. Players would be subjected to four random drug tests instead of just one -- Chad.

MYERS: And good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thanks, Chad.

Don't go away because it's time to read some e-mail right now.

MYERS: I didn't know that.

COSTELLO: Well you gather your thoughts there.

The question this morning, we're wondering, should Jennifer Wilbanks earn royalties from telling her story? Because supposedly she's going to make half a million dollars from a movie and book deal.

MYERS: Right.

COSTELLO: Some people, especially around Atlanta, don't like that much, because she only had to pay, what, $13,000 back to the police department for the search?

MYERS: Right, which was overtime. And when the mayor came up and said let's add it all together, not including overtime, how much time the police actually spent on this case, and not even including the volunteers, the number came to something like $44,000 or whatever. But...

COSTELLO: Well she committed a crime, too, like why should she profit off of committing a crime?

But go ahead.

MYERS: Well, here you go, Carol.

Mrs. Wilbanks didn't hold the news media at gunpoint 24/7. The real reason for her fame is TV. I say finder's keepers. The news media can waste their resources as they please. I expect we'll see three days of continuous coverage of the now found Cub Scout in Utah.

OK.

Only Americans are stupid enough to keep paying for idiot stories that most of us are discussed by, from Mike (ph) in South Carolina. So what does that tell you about our society? Are we really becoming the inquirer types? Her 15 minutes of fame were up weeks ago. I hope the people that laid out $500,000 lose their shirts. Any company that buys commercial time on her TV for her movie I will boycott them and my family just for her sheer stupidity in helping making this a profitable story for her.

And then from Lou (ph) in Vermont, who cares? Ignore her and she will go away. As usual, the media is fueling this non-story -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well you know I'm curious, because Katie Couric had this big exclusive with Jennifer Wilbanks last night, and I watched some of it. But frankly, I couldn't go beyond about five minutes because I just don't care.

MYERS: A lot of people that are answering some of these questions were watching last night as well, and they weren't impressed by that interview at all.

COSTELLO: Well I just wonder what the ratings will be. I'm very, very interested in that. And of course we'll keep you posted as well, because I know you can't wait either.

MYERS: They probably made their half a million dollars back, or whatever it was, I'm pretty sure.

COSTELLO: Maybe so.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning, the Smashing Pumpkins might be getting back together. The lead singer, Billy Corgan, says he wants to reunite the band.

And, gosh, that was the wrong video.

But anyway, the band group, the Smashing Pumpkins, broke up in 2000 after leading the early 1990's rock revolution and winning two Grammys. So there's some news for all of you Smashing Pumpkins fans.

Where we going now? Eighty-seven. We're going to page 87, and we're going to talk about a serious story now. The Natalee Holloway story. Three suspects in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway may have been moved to Aruba's main jail. They've been held in local police custody. But officials there say that doesn't necessarily mean there's been a change in the case.

Here's CNN's Karl Penhaul.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): There was an unplanned meeting between Beth Twitty, that's Natalee Holloway's mother, and the parents of Joran Van Der Sloot, one of four suspects currently being held in connection with Natalee's disappearance.

The meeting came about when Beth Twitty was handing out prayer cards for Natalee. This is what she said about how the meeting came about.

BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE'S MOTHER: I just was visiting neighborhoods and establishments, and I just felt like that I would like to deliver a prayer card for them. I had just received a new shipment in from Birmingham from Natalee's hometown, Mountain Brook, Alabama, and I wanted to distribute those. And I thought that I would share one of her prayer cards with them. The situation presented itself and I acted upon it and entered into the home. And I don't want to disclose any of the conversation.

PENHAUL: The Holloway family has also retained an Aruban attorney who will help them gather information from the prosecution service in this case. That attorney has told us that behavioral experts have been brought in and they will sit in on the interrogation of the four suspects to be able to see whether the boys may be lying. That's partly because lie detector tests aren't permissible on the island.

Also in the last few hours, law enforcement sources close to this investigation have told us that the fourth suspect, Steve Croes, was arrested on Friday. Because initially when questioned as a witness, he gave information corroborating the three other suspects' version of events that they had dropped Natalee off at the Holiday Inn. But as the boy's version of events fell apart under interrogation, then police realized that Steve Croes may have been lying. That's why he switched from being a witness now to a suspect in this case.

Karl Penhaul, CNN, Palm Beach, Aruba.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Natalee Holloway is still being remembered by her friends back home in Alabama. Two of them hosted a cookout to benefit Natalee's relatives who have been in Aruba for the past three weeks.

Another classmate in Mountain Brook is wearing a bracelet in support of her friend. It says hope for Natalee. She was with 124 other students on a graduation trip when she went missing.

All new in the next hour of DAYBREAK, we'll take you live to Summit County, Utah where a young Boy Scout is found alive and well. You'll hear from his emotional parents.

Also, her dash to Albuquerque made national headlines, so did her book and movie deal. We'll talk with one man who thinks the runaway bride should not profit from the ordeal, and he is ready to sue.

We're back with more DAYBREAK in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: In "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning, the Smashing Pumpkins might be getting back -- didn't I just tell you this story, but I'm going to tell you again. Lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan, says he wants to reunite the band. The group broke up in 2000 after leading the early 1990's rock revolution and winning two Grammys.

The case of who killed rapper Notorius B.I.G. is finally heading to court, but not on murder charges. The family of Biggie Smalls, whose real name is Christopher Wallace, has filed a wrongful death suit against the Los Angeles Police Department. No one has ever been charged in the rapper's death. He died in a drive-by shooting in 1997.

It's girl number three for Martina McBride and her husband. The 38-year-old country singer gave birth Monday to Ava Rose Kathleen McBride. She joins her two sisters ages 10 and 7. According to the singer's Web site, both mom and baby are doing just fine.

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.

It is Wednesday, June 22, and a family is reunited with a Cub Scout lost and now found.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NUNLEY: I asked him his name, because I really couldn't remember his name exactly, you know, Brandon, Brennan, whatever. And I asked him his name, and he says I'm Brennan. And I thought well this is him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And indeed it was. Days of searching, and now a happy homecoming.

Also ahead, are there enough troops in Iraq to get the job done? We'll hear from commanders on the ground.

And the BTK suspect speaks. A TV station in Kansas gets an exclusive interview. What did Dennis Rader say?

And good morning to you, more on those stories in just a moment.

Also ahead, should the runaway bride profit from her escapade? A community says, no, she ought to pay.

And security concerns this morning about a popular pharmacy customer card.

But first, "Now in the News."

Going on right now in Brussels, Belgium, an international conference on Iraq. U.S. and European Union officials are pressing the interim government to make sure the minority Sunnis have a role in the country's future.

An American spy plane has crashed in southwest Asia. The U.S. military is not disclosing the location of the U-2 plane or the fate of the pilot.

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