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CNN Live At Daybreak
Condoleezza Rice's Demands an Apology; Israel Prepares to Withdraw From Settlements in Occupied Territories
Aired July 21, 2005 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thursday, July 21.
A scuffle breaks out in the Sudan and members of Condoleezza Rice's staff are in the center of it. The U.S. secretary of state is demanding an apology now from the Sudanese government.
And the president's choice for the Supreme Court faces his second day of scrutiny. Now the focus turns to his family.
And deadly degrees -- a heat wave has some cities preparing for the worst and learning from past mistakes.
From the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK.
I'm Fredericka Whitfield in for Carol Costello this morning.
Good morning, everyone.
Chad Myers will have your forecast in a moment.
Also ahead, keeping your children safe -- how you can find more information about possible sex offenders living in your neighborhood.
And did this video game go too far to include sexy scenes?
But first, now in the news, Condoleezza Rice is demanding an immediate apology from Sudan after a run-in with authorities in Khartoum. Rice says her staff and reporters were manhandled by Sudanese security. We'll have more on this developing story in a few minutes.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf promises a crackdown on Islamic extremists. Musharraf is pledging to double his domestic security forces while asking Pakistanis to do their part in the war against terrorists.
Congress will get an idea today how the Pentagon sees things in Iraq. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gives lawmakers a report on the military, political and economic situation there.
And -- Chad, it is hot out there.
CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It is hot. It is hot in a lot of spots. It is wet in other spots. Monterrey, Mexico seeing now the last bastion, I think, of rainfall for u. But over eight inches has fallen in Monterrey, Mexico. Four million people there. A lot of water running off. The creeks and streams are all flooded here and there has been an enormous amount of rainfall right through here, just south of the Rio Grande.
Many millions of people live in that area and that weather is now moving on by, drying out as it's hit the mountains. And, obviously, that's a desert there, really.
Here's the next storm the Hurricane Center is worried about. They're going to fly an aircraft in there later on today, from the Bahamas right to the Turks & Caicos. It is so close, it doesn't have a big run at the United States like the last storm did.
Here is the rainfall, though, still left. It is still raining here across eastern Mexico, bumping up all the way through the mountains. Monterrey right there. And as it gets all the way back up here to Eagle Pass and even as far west, possibly, as El Paso, with some of the rainfall from that. Bet you didn't think you were going to get any of it way out west there, but these things have enormous, big arms. They stretch a long way out there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well, we get started this hour with that scuffle in Sudan and the demand for an apology. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she's mad about how her staffers and some journalists were manhandled by security forces during a meeting with Sudan's president.
Rice visited the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and then headed to the Darfur region. From there, she'll move on to the Middle East and a stop in Tel Aviv.
Our Andrea Koppel has more on just exactly what happened a few hours ago in Khartoum.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just a short time ago, while the secretary was in a meeting with the president of Sudan, Lieutenant General Omar al-Bashir, journalists were escorted in in various groups to see this -- the meeting. And we were manhandled by Sudanese authorities, not just Western journalists, but also some of Secretary Rice's staff.
This incident has escalated to such a point that Secretary Rice is now demanding an immediate apology from the Sudanese government. She came back on the plane just a few minutes ago to talk with the journalists who are traveling with her, saying that they had no right to manhandle her staff or the press and it makes her very angry to be sitting there, as she was, with President al-Bashir, while this was going on.
The tone and tenor of the atmosphere that we observed from the outside was extremely tense. We were continuously pushed and pulled to try to keep us out of this meeting. And, in fact, there was one exchange in which one of Secretary Rice's aides said, "We have a free press in the United States" and the response from Sudanese officials was, "Well, we don't here."
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: And that was Andrea Koppel reporting.
Rice's visit to Sudan is aimed at shoring up the country's new government after more than two decades of civil war.
Some high tensions in the Middle East, as well, as the secretary of state heads there later today. Israeli settlers have given up their three day protest over the upcoming withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the Midwest -- or, the West Bank, rather. The Israeli farming village where tens of thousands of demonstrators had gathered is basically back to normal today.
But as CNN's Guy Raz reports, both the Israeli and Palestinian governments are facing crises and divisions in their own communities.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Palestinian versus Palestinian, a battle for supremacy in Gaza. Israeli versus Israeli, fighting over the government's decision to withdraw from Gaza. For both the Israeli and the Palestinians governments, the enemy, for the moment, is within.
SHIMON PERES, ISRAELI DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: This is a most unusual experience in the history of Israel.
RAZ: The Israeli government has passed a half dozen motions backing the country's withdrawal from Gaza later this year. Yet thousands of opponents of the plan still determined to thwart the decision, backed by a majority.
The elected Palestinian government is trying to stamp its authority on Gaza, preparing for the day when it's no longer under Israeli control. But powerful militant groups in Gaza, like Hamas, don't want to lose their influence on the streets the day the Israelis leave, have now taken to attacking Palestinian security forces.
AHMED QOREI, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): Those are our forces. They are from us, our sons. Therefore, to fight them is to fight with one's self, and that is forbidden.
RAZ: Both sides wrestling among themselves, wary, as ever, of each other. Israeli forces are deployed along the country's border with Gaza, prepared to go in unless Palestinian rocket attacks on Israelis end.
This is the backdrop to Condoleezza Rice's three day visit, a visit meant to reinforce U.S. support for Israel's Gaza pullout.
(on camera): It's been a hot summer here and the closer the date of Israel's withdrawal from Gaza approaches, the hotter the rhetoric and resistance on both sides becomes.
Guy Raz, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: New poll numbers now for you this morning on the Supreme Court nominee, John Roberts. More than half of the respondents in a CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup poll have a positive opinion about President Bush's choice to fill the vacancy created by Justice O'Connor's resignation. Only 15 percent have a negative opinion, while 21 percent say they're neutral.
Democrats say they'll question Roberts about his views on abortion. According to our poll, most Americans think that is appropriate. Only 22 percent say asking him his general views about abortion would not be appropriate.
This is the second full day after Roberts' nomination to the court.
Let's see how this presidential choice is faring on Capitol Hill.
Our Bill Prasad is in Washington -- good morning to you, Bill.
BILL PRASAD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Fredericka.
John Roberts will spend another day on Capitol Hill smiling, shaking hands and meeting the people who may help shape his future. It all looks like a very carefully choreographed beauty pageant. But this time, the Supreme Court is the prize.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
PRASAD (voice-over): Coffee with the president, a one-on-one chat with a leading Democrat, a group photo-op with senators. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts makes the rounds. Republicans are beaming.
SEN. BILL FRIST (R-TN), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: He is the best of the best legal mind in America.
PRASAD: More importantly, two key senators flatly declared the confirmation vote would not turn into a confirmation filibuster.
SEN. JOHN WARNER (R-VA), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: This man has the right stuff and will do the right thing for America.
PRASAD: But wait a minute, say some Democrats. They plan to probe deeply into Roberts' background. Where does he stand on abortion, gay rights, medical marijuana, religious displays on government property? The paper trail is thin. Democrats say they won't be a rubber stamp.
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D), VERMONT: Supreme Court justices tend to be there a lot longer than all of us. I want to make sure we do our job the right way.
PRASAD: Some proc groups gear up for a fight.
One legislator stirred the pot. SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D-CF), FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: At the end of the day, a woman could go to jail for exercising the right to choose.
PRASAD: But for right now, from the Capitol to the Rose Garden, John Roberts is basking in the sun before he feels the heat of a Senate hearing.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
PRASAD: The Senate Judiciary Committee will now begin its background investigation. Confirmation hearings could begin as early as September. The president says he wants his man on the high court by October.
Fredericka -- back to you.
WHITFIELD: And, Bill, what about Justice O'Connor? She's been asked about her opinion. What does she say?
PRASAD: She says that she certainly looks at John Roberts in high esteem. But she also has said that she is somewhat disappointed because now there is obviously just one woman on the Supreme Court -- Fredericka.
WHITFIELD: All right, Bill Prasad, thanks so much, from Washington.
Well, there are new details in the identity leak case of a CIA agent, Valerie Plame. An article in this morning's "Washington Post" says a State Department memo regarding Plame was clearly marked as "secret." The paper reports current and former government officials saying that anyone in the Bush administration that read the memo should have known of the information's sensitivity and should have known it's against the law to disclose that information. A federal investigation is underway as to who leaked Plame's name to reporters.
Other "Stories Across America" this Thursday, Oregon could become the first state in the nation to require a prescription for over the counter cold medicine. Lawmakers are concerned about the increase of methamphetamines. The highly addictive drug is made with pseudoephedrine, which is found in most OTC medicines.
Officials in Phoenix are trying to keep a cool head in the middle of a heat wave. Eighteen people have died since Saturday. Temperatures reached 109 degrees on Wednesday. The mayor is asking Congress to provide utility assistance, as it does for the Northeast during the winter.
NASA says get ready for the countdown. The space agency decided late yesterday to proceed with the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery next Tuesday. That's despite not having identified a glitch in a fuel tank sensor that forced the scrubbing of last week's planned return to space flight.
The program manager explains the agency's thinking. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL PARSONS, SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: We believe the best way to go through this is to do a countdown. If the sensors work exactly like we think they will, then we'll launch on that date. If anything goes not per the plane that we've laid out in front of us, then we'll have a scrub and we'll have to talk about it and either we can fix that and do a quick turnaround, or we may have other issues on our plate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The countdown begins Saturday. Launch is scheduled for 10:39 Eastern Tuesday morning.
Still to come this hour, at 17 past the hour, who could forget these images? See what this mud slide surviving town looks like now.
And at 22 past, Napoleon is dynamite. Now one company cashes in.
And at 6:50 Eastern, being the boss, that boss. An insider's look at the very personal world of Bruce Springsteen.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Thursday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: A new Justice Department Web site hopes to keep better track of the 500,000 registered sex offenders across the country. This is the National Sex Offender Public Registry. It links the sex offender database of 21 states and Washington, D.C. The Justice Department hopes better access to more information can help protect you from violent sexual predators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGINA SCHOFIELD, OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS: Citizens will be able to search the latest information for the identity and location of known sex offenders across state borders. The registry is a vital tool in our efforts to prevent violent crime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The Justice Department hopes to link up remaining states and territories by the end of the year.
By the way, the Web address is www.nsops.gov.
Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's now 16 minutes after the hour.
Here's what's all new this morning.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is visiting a refugee camp in Sudan's Darfur region right now. The visit comes after she demanded an apology from the Sudanese government for manhandled members of her staff and journalists.
In money, there's reason to celebrate at the Nasdaq trading site. It's opening today above 2,100, the highest it's been since June of 2001.
In culture, James Doohan, Scottie on "Star Trek," has died at his home in Redmond, Washington. A publicist says his ashes will be sent into space on a rocket later in the year. Doohan was 85.
In sports, the Detroit Pistons have a new coach. Flip Saunders, former coach at Minnesota, has signed a four year deal worth about $20 million.
And in weather -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning.
Another hot one today.
(WEATHER REPORT)
WHITFIELD: Well, you know, it is a hot summer and last year we were talking about heat as well as a lot of rain. You're looking at a picture of the "L.A. Times" this morning, because folks there are thinking, you know, it's quite a gamble to go back to the area of La Conchita, California. A little more than six months since that big landslide. Remember that? Killing 10 people.
MYERS: Sure.
WHITFIELD: Well, people now are moving back to La Conchita, survivors, homeowners and newcomers are back. A hundred and sixty of the once 171 inhabitable houses in that town are now occupied.
Here are the pictures. You can't forget this -- 400,000 tons of mud came crashing down on that town. Ventura County officials have no plans to fix that portion of La Conchita. But people there say they are willing to risk it because they love that oceanfront lifestyle right there.
Well, coming up on DAYBREAK, it is hot and about to get even hotter in some places. Find out what you can do to beat the heat.
DAYBREAK will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: Well, time now for a little "Business Buzz."
And would you believe the wonderful world of Disney in the Orient? Well, the debut of Hong Kong Disney is just two months away. The newest Disney amusement park will have lots of old favorites, but a new flavor of foods, definitely Asian. Business is very good for the world's largest online market. EBay posted a 53 percent rise in quarterly profits yesterday. Shares of eBay's stock quickly hiked up 15 percent on the revenue statement. EBay is only second to Google as the Internet's most valuable company.
And it might be a little too early to tell, but teens may think this Christmas is dynamite. Action figures from the independent film "Napoleon Dynamite" will go on sale in November. Three six inch Napoleons will be available, as well as his sidekick Pedro and his chat room obsessed older brother, Kip.
Well, sometimes when Alan Greenspan speaks, it's hard to understand exactly what it means -- what he means. And that's really because it's sometimes just going right over our heads.
So it's good to -- a good thing that we have Carrie Lee to help explain it all for us, to kind of break it down.
CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've got it all figured out here, Fredericka.
Thank you.
Well, the Fed chairman spoke to Congress -- is speaking to Congress this week. Yesterday he spoke to the House Financial Services Committee. Today he addresses a Senate committee. And essentially yesterday Greenspan had mostly positive things to say about our economy. He cited the improving job market and a retail sales pickup. He also continues to expect sustained economic growth. So that's a good thing. And as a result expects that the Fed will continue to raise interest rates to curb inflation. Of course, inflation rising prices.
Now, Greenspan did sound a couple of notes of caution. He says he is worried about speculation in the housing market and he also says if energy prices continue to rise, that could throw a monkey wrench into his strong economic outlook.
But bottom line, investors did seem to seize upon the good things he had to say because stocks, after starting off with a slow start, stocks did close higher across-the-board. In fact, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 now stand at four years highs.
Now, his speech, his testimony to the Senate today will be the same, but that question and answer session, Fredericka, that's where things can differ.
So we'll see what he has to say today.
WHITFIELD: All right, Carrie.
And futures?
LEE: Futures pointing to a mixed open, actually. Tech stocks, though, could get a boost from eBay. The online auction giant quieted growth concerns with a pretty strong earnings report after the bell. The stock actually gained 14 percent late last night. We'll see what the tech giant does today.
WHITFIELD: Carrie Lee, thanks so much.
Still to come on DAYBREAK, just because Emily is downgraded, its threats aren't over. We'll check-in with our crew in the wake of the storm.
And details no yet another U.S. connection to the terror attacks in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: From the CNN World Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Fredericka Whitfield in for Carol Costello.
Good morning, everyone.
Chad Myers will have your forecast in a moment.
Also coming up this half hour, Chicago prepares for a heat wave. What they're doing to avoid a repeat of 10 years ago.
And retailers react to the new ratings for raunchiness on a popular video game.
But first, now in the news, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is angry and demanding an immediate apology from Sudanese officials. Rice says her staff and accompanying media were manhandled upon her arrival in Khartoum earlier this morning. The scuffle is the latest terse development between the U.S. and the Sudanese government.
Residents of Iraq's troubled city of Tal Afar are leaving out of fear of possible military action. The U.S. is in the process of building a wall around the town to limit incoming weapons and insurgents. Military officials say those insurgents continue terrorizing Iraqi people.
In Tbilisi, Georgia, an Armenian suspect has reportedly confessed to hurling a live grenade near President Bush back in May. The grenade landed less than 100 feet from the podium, but did not explode.
And -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning.
WHITFIELD: Good morning, again.
MYERS: It is wet across parts of Texas still this morning. It is also wet in Mexico. Monterrey, Mexico, inches and inches of rain, all the way from Monterrey right on back down to the Rio Grande. Areas in here picking up between eight and 12 inches of rain. That water now is floating away, washing away, taking some of the hillsides with it. Mud slides, landslides and also even into those water, where they used to be just dry washes, arroyos, just areas where it really is never wet more than maybe one or two times a year, well, they're really full this morning.
We're also watching this, maybe the potential for the next storm. If it is, it would be Franklin. You say wait, I've never heard that name before. Well, Floyd was retired because of all the damage that obviously it did and those bad memories it made for people in the Carolinas.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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