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CNN Live At Daybreak

Loved Ones in Ohio Struggle to Grasp Their Loss After Second Attack

Aired August 04, 2005 - 06:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Thursday, August 4.
Loved ones in Ohio struggle to grasp their loss after a second attack in Iraq hits too close to home again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He thought that they were the most respected and he belonged there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: His mom talking. Nineteen Marines from one Ohio battalion killed this week in the deserts of western Iraq. We'll take a look at the lives lost.

Also, new this morning, travel warnings for U.S. citizens visiting Britain.

And Honda minivan owners listen up -- there's news of a recall affecting thousands of you.

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: Good morning to you.

We'll have more from Iraq in just a minute.

Also ahead, are you a parent who's having a hard time letting go even when your kids head to college? There is a name for your condition. Your diagnosis is ahead on DAYBREAK.

And if you're looking for help at work, where do you go? Is your H.R. department really a resource for you? We're going to revisit this topic. We've heard from one side, now it's turnabout time.

But first, now in the news, President Bush back on the ranch. Later this morning, he welcomes Colombia's president for a little home spun diplomacy. The two will talk about illegally drug trafficking and a bothersome Latin American insurgency.

A possible roadblock for New York City police dealing with potential terrorists. The New York Civil Liberties Union plans to file a lawsuit today challenging those random searches of bags and packages on the city's subways. An attorney for the organization says the searches are unconstitutional and ineffective.

Bermuda expected to take a glancing blow today from Harvey.

Let's head to the forecast center to talk more about this -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Sixty miles per hour right now is the storm, Carol, tropical storm Harvey, the H storm. The next storm, Irene, as it comes out here. There's the storm. There's the island, very, very close. The latest wind gusts to about 55 miles per hour there on the island. That's not really enough to do a lot of damage here, so I think Bermuda probably did pretty well with this storm. Obviously, there still could be some wind damage at 55 miles per hour. That's pretty close to a severe thunderstorm here in the States.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: We start this morning in Iraq. New violence against American soldiers there. Three members of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division were killed during an explosion in Baghdad. That attack came just hours after 14 Marines were killed in the volatile Anbar Province.

CNN's Aneesh Raman joins us from Baghdad.

He has more details for us -- hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Those three members of Task Force Baghdad, part, as you say, of the 3rd I.D. based here in the capital, we're told were killed last night around 8:00 p.m. local time. We really know nothing more than it was the result of a bombing of some sort.

It does, though, come a day after, as you say, 14 U.S. Marines were killed northwest of the capital, near the town of Haditha. It is a deadly week so far for U.S. forces. Those 14 Marines killed after what must have been a massive improvised explosive device detonated alongside their assault vehicle. The video of the scene in the aftermath shows how big that crater was, how big that explosion must have been.

It brings, Carol, the total number of U.S. military personnel killed in just the past three days to 24. And it brings the total number in the past 11 days to 46. These numbers underscoring how dangerous parts of Iraq remain and superficial, as you mentioned, that Anbar Province in northwestern Iraq. It remains, as some have called it, the heart of the insurgency, a hotbed of terrorist activity.

There are a number of operations there trying to prevent the flow of foreign fighters in across that Syrian border, as well as to try and suffocate and isolate the insurgency there. But as the Pentagon said yesterday, the enemy remains lethal, adaptive, and as we've seen this week, incredibly resilient -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I want to talk about this bomb that this armored personnel carrier ran over apparently. This flipped a 25-ton vehicle.

I mean how many explosives had to be packed inside that thing to do that and to create that crater? There was virtually nothing left of this vehicle.

RAMAN: It is -- it hits home the point that a lot of the terms we use out here, like improvised explosive device, become numbing after a while. But that term is incredibly vague. It covers anything that could be put upon a road that would get hit by a vehicle. It goes from a small -- as a small bomb that'll be hidden underneath some trash that could just sort of disturb the vehicle to what we saw yesterday, what must have been just a massive bomb, either a mine of some sort or incredibly sophisticated packed explosives that hit at precisely the right moment.

And it is this increasing sophistication that is worrying forces on the ground as well as the Iraqi government, because the sophisticated attacks are coming in the area where most of these operations are going forward -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad this morning.

President Bush says the sacrifice by those Marines will be honored with the completion of the mission in Iraq. The president also repeated his stand that there is no timetable for the troops to come home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It makes no sense for the commander-in-chief to put out a timetable. We're at war. We're facing an enemy that is ruthless. And if we put out a timetable, the enemy would adjust their tactics. The timetable is this -- and you can tell your Guard troops and Reserve troops and mothers and dads of those serving. The timetable depends on our ability to train the Iraqis, to get the Iraqis ready to fight. And then our troops are coming home with the honor they have earned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And in this morning's "Wall Street Journal," one defense expert says a timetable may actually escalate the violence by insurgents. Retired Marine Colonel Thomas Haynes says the fighters may try to convince the Iraqis that the Americans were chased out by the insurgency. A Pentagon official, though, says that is unlikely. But the fact remains, more than 20 American service members still lost their lives this week in Iraq.

CNN's Keith Oppenheim sat down with a father.

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JIM BOSCOVITCH, DEAD MARINE'S FATHER: I was at work Monday evening and was notified by my wife that two Marines were at our house. KEITH OPPENHEIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On Monday evening, Jim Boscovitch would find out his 25-year-old son, Jeffrey, was missing in action. On Tuesday, he would learn his son was killed, one of six Marines who died from sniper fire near the city of Haditha, one of 20 Marines who died in Iraq this week.

BOSCOVITCH: And this is Jeff on a gunboat. He was on the Euphrates River.

OPPENHEIM: Jim Boscovitch showed us pictures. And he talked about who Jeff was and who he was to be. In the past, the son had convinced the father that the war in Iraq was worth fighting.

BOSCOVITCH: Months ago, my son -- and he's done this more than -- on one occasion, has corrected me and straightened me out about why he's over there.

OPPENHEIM: And in the future, Jim told us, his son was to be a police officer. He planned to get married this fall to his girlfriend Shelly. And Jim said his son was due back home in September.

BOSCOVITCH: But there isn't a minute that I don't stop thinking about him -- when he was growing up, before he left for Iraq, his -- what we were going to do when he got back, looking forward to a wedding, you know, being a part of his life.

OPPENHEIM (on camera): All that's in the past?

BOSCOVITCH: Yes.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): As much as he is sad, Jim Boscovitch says he's angry, too, especially at reports his son may have suffered a violent death. And he is mindful there are other families in Ohio going through the same emotions.

(on camera): Is it harder that more have died? Does it change your emotions?

BOSCOVITCH: Of course. Of course. I wouldn't wish what I'm going through on anybody.

OPPENHEIM (voice-over): It may be several days before Jeff Boscovitch's body is returned to his family. Jim Boscovitch says it will only be then he will feel the weight of his oldest son's death.

BOSCOVITCH: You have to try to work through it. And that's what we're trying to do as a family right now.

OPPENHEIM: Keith Oppenheim, CNN, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Certainly there are no words to express the grief these military families are feeling this morning. But we want to meet two more of the Marines who paid the ultimate price.

CNN's David Clinch reports the fallen Marines were proud to serve.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID CLINCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He was a Marine to the core. Sergeant David Collard knew he wanted to be a Marine since he was 9 years old and he was determined to serve in combat. On Christmas Day, after waiting 10 years for active duty, he told his family he'd volunteered to go to Iraq. His stepfather says Collard wanted to be in battle to do what he was trained for.

The 32-year-old Connecticut native was his mother's only son. As a single mom, she says she felt compelled to do things with him that a father might do. So she took him to target practice and took a hunting course with him.

On Sunday, Collard sent his mother an e-mail from Iraq, letting her know he was safe. It ended with, "I love you." That would be the last time she heard from her son. He died while on sniper duty one day later. Lance Corporal Brett Wightman was also born to be a Marine. He'd dreamed of being one since he was just 3 years old. His family says he would play with G.I. Joes and vowed to grow up to be a Marine, and he did. Wightman enlisted in 2002, after graduating from high school just outside of Dayton, Ohio. His aunt says Wightman believed in what he was doing.

After a mission in Iraq, he wrote to his family that he'd rescued some children from a house. "The looks on their faces made it all worthwhile," he wrote.

Corporal Wightman planned to re-enlist in the Marines in October. His family says he wanted to rise to the top of the service. He died in Iraq, age 22, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Since the beginning of the war in Iraq, 1,824 U.S. troops have been killed. More than 500 of those have been Marines. There are currently around 138,000 U.S. troops now serving in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Americans are being warned this morning there could be more attacks in London. It was four weeks ago today that England's capital was rocked by a series of explosions. As you know, 52 people died that day.

Today, there are an unprecedented number of police officers on patrol.

For the latest, let's head to London and Chris Burns -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

We haven't seen this kind of police presence since World War 2. That's what they're telling us here. And the U.S. Embassy is telling Americans here to exercise "extreme vigilance," in their words, especially when taking public transit. And that goes without saying.

Everybody, tourists and Londoners alike, looking over their shoulder, looking warily at any bags that might be suspect. And, over my shoulder, you can see the police are in full force here right here. They've been checking bags of people coming in and out of the subway. So a lot of concern.

And we talked to the deputy transit police chief earlier today. He says they're doing everything they can.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDY TROTTER, BRITISH TRANSPORTATION POLICE: Well, of course, it could happen again. London is at a high level of alert. It's four weeks on from that first attack. But we've got every resource we can possibly find out here on the underground and the over ground system today. All the police forces of London are all working together to keep London safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNS: But keeping London safe is also wearing down the police force, where some police are saying look, we're working six day weeks, 12 hours a day. How much longer can we do this -- Carol.

COSTELLO: A couple of more questions as it relates to the United States, Chris. The NYPD, the police department here, held this news conference and they let go some information about how these bombs were made. And it turns out they weren't sophisticated explosives. In fact, you could buy the ingredients, what, at any drugstore, supermarket?

BURNS: A drugstore or, yes, or army supply store. Just hydrogen peroxide, which is used for all kinds of stuff, and also heating tablets. And using cell phones as the triggers, as the timers. Much simpler than what was previously thought or previously published.

The British authorities, however, are not very happy about all these details coming out. They're keeping their cards very close to their chests as they try to get to the bottom of this investigation. But, on the other hand, of course, U.S. authorities are concerned enough to pass it on so that people are on the lookout for that kind of thing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Good idea.

The other thing is that, you know, were these bombers really so sophisticated if they made the bombs in these ways? What more could you tell us about the suspects in this case?

BURNS: Well, Carol, that is a very big question. The authorities here are trying to get their hands on a couple of people who are outside of the country. There is one who is in Zambia who authorities there say are going to be deported, Harron Rashid Aswat. He, according to the British media, had some phone contact with a number of the bombers of July 7th. Those were the deadly attacks that killed more than 50 people.

There's also, out of Italy, there is a hearing set for extradition on August 17th of Hamdi Issac. He is believed to be one of those in the botched bombings of July 21st -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Chris Burns live in London this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 6:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

NASA says a fourth space walk might be needed. Yesterday's repair to the underside of the shuttle went off without a hitch. Now, mission managers are deciding if a torn thermal blanket should be fixed before the Discovery returns to Earth on Monday.

Martha Stewart will have to stay home for a little while longer, and she'll be wearing that lovely ankle bracelet. That's because her house arrest sentence was lengthened by three weeks. It had been scheduled to end next Wednesday. No official reason for that extension given.

In money news, Rupert Murdoch is back at the helm of the "New York Post." The media mogul returned to his former job as the paper's publisher after one of his sons abruptly left the "Post." Murdoch was publisher once before, from 1976 to 1986.

In culture, worldwide sports star David Beckham is getting a big settlement from a British tabloid. The paper alleged Beckham made harassing phone calls to a former nanny who cared for his children. Beckham, of course, is married to the former Posh Spice. The tabloid also said we're sorry for that story.

In sports, some top lawmakers say they're going to investigate whether baseball star Rafael Palmeiro lied under oath to Congress about steroid use. He said in March that he never, ever, ever used them, but, of course, two days ago, Palmeiro was suspended for steroid use. Rafael Palmeiro says he will fully cooperate -- Chad.

MYERS: Who are they going to ask, Canseco?

COSTELLO: Hey, he's looking like the only one who told the truth now.

MYERS: Good morning.

Carol there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Ever heard of a "helicopter" parent? It's a parent that hovers a lot. It might be necessary when you've got a preschooler, but what if little Johnny is going off to college?

And H.R. is there to help you, right? We'll get the real scoop on the mission behind your company's human resources department.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Honda is recalling about 85,000 Odyssey minivans because of potentially faulty sensors. The company says the problem could make a warning light on the instrument panel stay illuminated. Honda says it will replace sensors on vans from the 2005 model year.

The mayor of Salem, Massachusetts calls it a corporate merger. He resolved a despite between two grade school boys running a lemonade stand and a rival vendor, who had their unlicensed operation shut down. This was a grown up sausage vendor. He didn't like the boys' competition. Well, the mayor hammered out a subcontractor agreement and it keeps everybody happy.

The back to school season is upon us and Carrie Lee is here to tell us how some states are trying to encourage people to get their shopping done early.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Too beautiful words, Carol -- tax-free.

COSTELLO: Oh, OK.

LEE: You have to love this. They've done this at some times in the past. New York certainly has. What's happening now, several states are offering tax-free shopping to give back to school shoppers a break. Starting tomorrow going through Sunday, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas are all offering a tax holiday, according to "USA Today."

But every state's plan is different. Some waiving just taxes on school supplies, $15 or less, like New Mexico. But Massachusetts is eliminating taxes on most retail purchases below $2,500. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Iowa, New York have upcoming tax-free days. Tennessee and Maryland plan to add tax-free days next year. But if you live in Florida or Georgia, you've already missed the boat this year.

So, at a time when a lot of states are struggling with tight budgets, why are they willing to do this? Well, experts say the states can break even on tax collection because the programs stimulate the local economies. When people go back to -- shopping for back to school supplies, they usually don't stop there, buying other taxed items, as well. Who knows? You can home with a whole new wardrobe. It kind of justifies it.

COSTELLO: I know I would.

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: I definitely would.

LEE: It's easy to stick to a budget. Some people put a list together and say I'm just going to buy what I really need. But obviously other people don't do that.

COSTELLO: I know. I wish I was one of the former people.

A quick look at the futures?

LEE: Yes, things looking a little bit weak today. Stocks a little changed yesterday, despite the fact that oil prices came down more than a dollar. So we could see a little bit of selling at 9:30 today.

COSTELLO: You know, speaking of going back to school, a lot of young people are headed to universities across the land.

LEE: Yes.

COSTELLO: And their parents are hovering.

LEE: It's a beautiful time.

COSTELLO: It is a beautiful time, but it's...

LEE: Hovering? I'd think they would want them out the door. Go.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

LEE: Go to college.

COSTELLO: But that is just not true.

I mean have you heard about this, parents who are sending their kids off to college but just can't seem to stay out of their lives? Some people call them "helicopter" parents and you know who you are, because you're always hovering.

Our guest, Jill Hoppenjans, knows all about this phenomenon.

She's an assistant director of student life at the University of Vermont.

Good morning, Jill.

JILL HOPPENJANS, UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT: Good morning.

COSTELLO: We all found this so hard to believe, that so many parents hover. And when we say hover, we mean suffocate.

Is that fair?

* HOPPENJANS: Well, at times. I think parents are more involved in their students' careers and they want to know what they're going to be experiencing in college and they want to know how they're going to register for classes and where they're going to do their laundry. So they are more interested and want to be more involved in the experience. * COSTELLO: And, Jill, when you talk about interest, we're talking about parents going to orientation with their kid.

HOPPENJANS: Yes.

COSTELLO: I mean at one point there were more parents in orientation than kids.

HOPPENJANS: Yes. We do our orientation in June and we had 100 more parents than students at one of our sessions. And it's hard to explain who those people were exactly, but parents are -- parents and family members are certainly coming and are getting more involved.

COSTELLO: But isn't that harmful to the kid?

HOPPENJANS: Well, I don't think so. I think it could be, but I think that parents are really well intentioned and they just really care and they're out for their best -- their students' best interests.

COSTELLO: I don't know, Jill, because the University of Georgia, there was a quote in the "Wall Street Journal," actually. And, actually, one of the administrators says the cell phone has become the world's longest umbilical cord because during registration for classes, like say a kid would go up and the classes were full and they wouldn't know what to do about it. So the person working that particular table, the kid would just hand them the cell phone and say here, talk to my mom. She'll work it out.

HOPPENJANS: That was a brilliant quote and it's actually -- you're right. Like that kind of stuff or parents who can't quite let go when they need to, that -- I don't know that it's harmful, but it doesn't allow students to grow. It doesn't allow them to learn. It doesn't allow them to learn how to make mistakes and then correct it.

Even things like registering for classes, even if a student registers for the wrong class, those things can be changed. And students, I think, need to learn how to make mistakes, how to make decisions on their own and then know how to correct them as necessary.

COSTELLO: Well, I know there's such a thing as P.R. in your world, Jill, but come on. I mean it has to be more beneficial to the kid and harmful to the kid if you work out all of their problems.

HOPPENJANS: I don't know. I think at times it hinders students from developing and becoming adults. And it is -- it does show up when parents -- when students say ohm, I don't know how to do this. They get to a problem and they don't know how to get around it. And that's a lot of the rest of the work that I do is helping students cope with everyday problems.

And I think you're right, they're used to depending on their parents and used to their parents solving all of their problems for them. COSTELLO: Jill Hoppenjans from the University of Vermont, joining us this morning.

Thank you so much.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

Chad will have your forecast in just a minute.

Also coming up this half hour, more on the tragic week in Iraq. We'll talk to a retired Marine general about how the Corps deals with the loss of so many men while staying on dangerous duty.

And trouble in the workplace -- is human resources really the place to turn for help? We'll get the other side of the story.

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