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CNN Live At Daybreak

Baghdad Bombings Kills 43; Protest Grows in Crawford; BTK Sentencing; Microsoft Worm

Aired August 17, 2005 - 06:30   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It has been a bloody day in Baghdad. Two powerful car bombs killed 43 people and injured scores more.
Let's get more details. Aneesh Raman live in Baghdad.

Bring us up to date -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Police here are calling this a coordinated attack, a trio of car bombs detonating in the Iraqi capital beginning at just about 8:00 a.m. local time. Two explosions, two car bombs detonating at the al- Nahda bus terminal, one of the busiest bus stations in Baghdad, where (INAUDIBLE) Iraqi civilians would have been attempting to travel in this country to go about their normal lives.

After those explosions, as casualties from that attack were being rushed to various hospitals, another car bomb detonating minutes later at the al-Kindi hospital, one of the facilities that the casualties were being taken to.

As you say, in total at least 43 people are confirmed dead, upwards of 80 others, Carol, wounded.

This just underscores that for the Iraqi civilians present security, present basic services, their daily life today is what is of the utmost concern. This comes, of course, in a week of political turmoil in the capital as Iraqi leaders try to meet the new deadline for the constitution that is next Monday. And it comes also as a reminder of why that process needs to go forward and why stability is so urgently needed on the Iraqi streets.

Also today, Carol, word from the U.S. military that two more American troops have died over the past few days. One was killed after a roadside bomb detonated in the Iraqi capital, another from an attack. We haven't found out exactly what took place. It brings to 59 the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq since August 1 -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman live in Baghdad this morning.

The family of a Marine killed in Iraq says President Bush needs to send reinforcements. Lance Corporal Edward Schroeder's mother says more troops should be sent to Iraq, or they should all come home. he made the comments one day after burying her son.

Corporal Schroeder was one of 10 Marines from Ohio killed in action less than two weeks ago. His mother also had some words for the protesters in Crawford, Texas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSEMARY PALMER, MARINE SON KILLED IN IRAQ: We applaud the efforts of Cindy Sheehan in Texas. We consider her the Rosa Parks of a new movement opposing the Iraq war. We feel that you either have to fight this war right or get out. Now, her view, of course, is get out without the other. But it doesn't matter if we agree exactly on how we bring this to the American attention. We feel that she's doing a lot to bring this to our attention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And Cindy Sheehan's protest is moving closer to President Bush's Crawford ranch. A neighbor has offered to let the group use his land for their campsite, and that puts the protesters just a mile away from the president. The man who donated the land is a cousin of another Crawford neighbor, and you probably remember him as the man who fired his shotgun in the air the other day.

More people are expected to join Sheehan's protest. Among them is a Minnesota state senator, whose son died in Iraq, and the FBI whistleblower who made news by criticizing the agency's handling of information before the 9/11 attacks.

CNN national correspondent Bob Franken is in Crawford, Texas, for us this morning.

Hello -- Bob.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And the move comes as many other people in this particular area, McClellan County, have complained, not only because they support President Bush, as many of them do, but because of the destruction it has caused. This is an extremely rural area. But the traffic gets very heavy, attracted by Cindy Sheehan's encampment, which has been growing, and all of the attention and the disruption to what was supposed to be a five-week vacation for President Bush.

As we know, the president has repeatedly said that he sympathizes with Cindy Sheehan and the parents of those who have lost -- people who have lost loved ones in Iraq, but that he must, to use the term that's so often used, stay the course and is not going to be pressured into pulling troops out.

But this is a very (INAUDIBLE), one that has to concern the White House, because you're talking about one of those very, very sad parents, Cindy Sheehan.

Now, what's interesting is, is that as a result of all of her attention, there has been some unwanted attention on her. She is in the process now of a divorce. There are some questions about some of her associations. So this is becoming a battle, which is a very public battle, involving somebody who is in that very sad community of people who suffer private anguish at the loss of a loved one -- Carol. COSTELLO: Yes, Bob, I know she says she's in charge. But some people think that the political organizations that have gathered around her are orchestrating this whole thing now.

FRANKEN: Well, there seems to be an inevitability now. No matter how human an issue, when it reaches the public spotlight it becomes, depending on your point of view, enhanced by the public relations experts or, others feel, corrupted by that.

This has now become a political issue. It's a political issue about something that is too personal and too painful really to describe. But now it is being described in terms that are purely political, political and, of course, issues about the United States' involvement in Iraq.

COSTELLO: Bob Franken reporting live from Crawford, Texas, this morning.

Crawford is the newest battleground for opponents and supporters of the war in Iraq. But where do the locals stand?

Miles O'Brien joins us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Hello -- Miles.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Carol.

We're going to talk to the county commissioner there, Ray Meadows. And we're going to ask him what he is thinking about all of this. There are a lot of residents upset, not necessarily politically upset. They're just upset about the scene there. And as he put it, it's good we have porta-potties at least now. And we'll kind of leave it at that.

Now, Carol, I've got to ask you about tanning.

COSTELLO: Tanning?

M. O'BRIEN: Are you a tanner? I mean, do you like -- I mean, do you go to the tanning booth and all that?

COSTELLO: You mean, going to the tanning booth?

M. O'BRIEN: What?

COSTELLO: No, not the tanning booth. But I do tan out in the sun -- the real sun.

M. O'BRIEN: You like to go to the beach, right?

COSTELLO: Yes.

M. O'BRIEN: It's as addictive as alcohol for some people.

COSTELLO: Really? M. O'BRIEN: That's what we're going to find out. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is looking into this. Apparently people who have those addictive personalities also can become addicted to this, the tanning booth and getting a tan.

COSTELLO: Oh.

M. O'BRIEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: Who knew?

M. O'BRIEN: Who knew? I'll have a double. For me, it's not a good idea. I just come out red. So, we're "Paging Dr. Gupta."

COSTELLO: OK.

M. O'BRIEN: All of that and much more ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING."

COSTELLO: OK. We look forward to it.

M. O'BRIEN: All right, we'll see you then.

COSTELLO: Thanks so much, Miles.

In other news this morning, Dennis Rader will be back in court today, probably for the last time. The admitted BTK killer faces sentencing for 10 murders, but he will not face the death penalty for any of those crimes.

Joining me to talk about this case is attorney David Berg.

Welcome, David.

DAVID BERG, ATTORNEY: Good morning.

COSTELLO: There's no doubt, is there, that he's going to get the maximum sentence?

BERG: No, none whatsoever.

COSTELLO: Because I know prosecutors are saying they're trying for the hard 40. They're trying to, what, consecutively or concurrently...

BERG: Stack this thing...

COSTELLO: Concurrent sentences. But that's going to happen, right?

BERG: I think so. And in addition today, the victims will -- the families of the victims will make their impact sentence statements.

Mr. Rader says he's going to make a dramatic statement about his plea for mercy. But he's going away forever. COSTELLO: I want to concentrate on that part of it. He can't get the death penalty because the death penalty wasn't in place when he committed the crimes.

BERG: True.

COSTELLO: That's why he can't get the death penalty. So, we'll get that out of the way. Why do the victims have to stand up in court and say things like that? I mean, why is that necessary?

BERG: That's a great question. This is something new to the law in the last 10-15 years. And the reason that they do this is two- fold. One, because they want to convey to the judge when there's a question about sentencing how badly this has affected their lives, whatever the crime might be. In this specific case, it gives them a chance to humiliate this man publicly, to tell him how they feel. But I think they probably know, as anybody in a circumstance like this, that the violence of their family members' death obscures of the beauty of their family members' life. And talking to this guy is like talking to this cup of coffee.

COSTELLO: He has absolutely no emotion. So, they're going to be talking to a rock.

BERG: Did you see -- I saw the interview with this man. And he obviously lives in another universe. The guy really believes that the policemen, who were getting his confession, were bonding with him. And he was disappointed when they didn't show up for coffee on Sunday morning. It's extraordinary. You and I can't comprehend the kind of mind this man has.

COSTELLO: So, you wonder what kind of closure these families are really going to get. And you also wonder what good it will do for any of us to hear this man speak again.

BERG: The law requires it. Before sentencing in any court in this country, a defendant has a right to make his pitch, make his plea for mercy.

But I do, too. I wonder myself what value it brings. There's no such thing as closure. You hear this all the time from victims' families. I know it from my own experience in my life that there's no such thing as closure. That's nonsense. But maybe if it makes them feel better.

This guy is the best argument I've ever heard for the death penalty. You know, I've always been ambivalent about it, frankly. But this gives them a chance to get it off their chest and maybe somehow helps.

COSTELLO: Yes.

BERG: And if it can possibly help them, why not?

COSTELLO: Just a final thought on this. This is going to be shown on Court TV. It's going to be shown on news organizations across the land. I mean, when, you know, Dennis Rader gets up and, you know, talks his vile talk -- I don't know. I'm all for an open courtroom, but maybe in this case maybe not. Because what good will it do for us all to hear that again? I mean, what might he play into? Some other sick mind out there?

BERG: You know, it's interesting for me to hear a member of the media say this. In cases I've been in, when the media wants in they will file lawsuits, knock down the door and lay in wait at your back door.

COSTELLO: Well, I think it's important to be in there. I do. I believe that should be open.

BERG: (INAUDIBLE) TV.

COSTELLO: It's just, like, should all of his comments be broadcast in their entirety? I mean, what good does that do?

BERG: I'm not sure. I remember a few years ago -- I don't even want to say the man's name -- but a rapist who killed a little girl said -- made a comment about the little girl's father and said, oh, she said don't do me like my daddy did. And I thought, 'What a hideous opportunity this guy has had.' But we live in an open society, and it's not perfect. It's messy. And we have to do things like this, I think. If it saves one life, if it puts one person on alert to this kind of man, it does some good.

COSTELLO: That's good. A good way to look at it. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, there's a worm out there eating its way through computers. Will your company be its next bite?

And we get a lot of mixed messages when it comes to limits, whether it's what we eat or what we do. Lisa Drayer will tell us what is the best thing to do for our bodies.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It was a moderate impact of a worm. But we sure felt it here at CNN. Microsoft says the worm affects mainly office systems and some personal computers as well. So, is there something you need to do today?

CNN tech expert Daniel Sieberg is here to tell us.

Good morning.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

If you come in to work this morning and your computer guys, your tech support guys look a little frazzled, well, it's probably because they've been up all night fighting the worm, patching your system so you can have a productive day today.

It was especially frustrating here at work, I can tell you personally, last night trying to research this story and access e-mail contacts. Well, our own computers were shutting down here in the newsroom.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIEBERG (voice-over): There's a reason it's called "malicious software." It goes by a couple of names -- Zotob or Rbot -- but the names don't matter. What matters is that the latest Internet worm has caused a loss of productivity and maybe worse for several major companies and even home users across the country.

PETER ALLOR, INTERNET SECURITY SYSTEMS: It's spreading across the Internet. It's looking for vulnerable machines, amplifies a vulnerable machine, and it opens a command on your machine and downloads a file to your machine. And from there, you'll try -- your machine will try to infect other machines, as well.

SIEBERG: It spreads without the user even seeing it. There are no e-mail attachments. It looks for computers running Windows 2000 or some versions of Windows XP and ones that have an unpatched Microsoft hole.

When the worm finds a hole, it causes the machines to reboot over and over again, and could open a back door so someone out there could take over your computer.

DEBBY FRY WILSON, MICROSOFT: Certainly, a worm by definition is malicious software. It is somebody intending to cause harm to computer users. This is criminal activity. And we are working with law enforcement to identify who's responsible.

SIEBERG: Security analysts say it's unclear who is to blame or whether certain companies were targeted. With CNN, ABC, and "The New York Times" all reeling from this latest computer worm, some speculate it's at least an attempt to garner media attention.

Best course of action at this point: head to microsoft.com and get the patch.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

And, of course, keep all of your antivirus and firewall programs up to date. That's something you should do at any time, not just when there's a big story or a big worm out there, Carol.

And, you know, I talked with a lot of antivirus and security experts yesterday, and they really pointed to the fact that this worm is primarily hitting businesses and corporations. I know from the reporting we've been doing it sounds like a lot of media organizations. But they're steering us away from saying it was targeting those companies.

At least one antivirus expert I talked to said several major corporations were hit with this and not just media companies.

So, it's certainly affecting a lot of people. But to keep this in perspective, not as serious as some of the worms and viruses we've seen in the past.

COSTELLO: Yes, maybe the real question is: Why are we using Windows 2000? Isn't it time to update?

SIEBERG: You know, to be fair to some of the CNN tech guys, a lot of the computers here do have XP, but a lot of the ones in the newsroom have 2000. So, you know, I know there were a lot of conference calls and discussions yesterday. I don't know the nature of those. But let's just say there might be some further discussions today.

COSTELLO: OK. Thank you so much, Daniel. We appreciate it.

SIEBERG: You bet.

COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK, do you eat too much? Do you drink too much? Do you pop too many pills just to live longer? What's the right amount to keep your body healthy? We'll take a look at that.

But first, it's time to say happy birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: We all want to eat healthier and live longer. As you probably know, there is no limit of information out there telling you how to do it. But how much is too much, and how little is not enough? It gets really confusing.

We've brought in our DAYBREAK expert, Lisa Drayer, to work through the confusion on a few key issues.

LISA DRAYER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: Yes.

COSTELLO: So you always hear, for example, if you drink a glass of wine a night it's good for you. But how much alcohol is too much, and how -- you know what I mean.

DRAYER: It's even confusing to say it. That's true. And the truth is a moderate amount of alcohol does offer health benefits, and too much increases the risk for breast cancer, raises blood pressure and it's also harmful to our kidneys and liver.

Now, the truth is alcohol does provide protection against heart disease. That's what was concluded from those new dietary guidelines. But the confusion relates to what a moderate amount is. And for women...

COSTELLO: So what is a moderate amount?

DRAYER: For women, it would be one serving of alcohol per day. Men, want to limit it to two. But one serving is equivalent to one- and-half ounces of hard liquor, five ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer. So a martini can actually be two or three servings of alcohol.

COSTELLO: Oh, wow! OK, it's something to keep in mind. Vitamins, that's another thing.

DRAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Like especially vitamin D.

DRAYER: Yes. We hear about the benefits of vitamin D. We need it to absorb calcium and protect our bones. It may also protect against colon cancer. But the best source of vitamin D, the sunlight, can cause melanoma, another kind of cancer. So what's one to do?

Well, women and men can meet their D needs through food, specifically fortified cereals and also multivitamins. But it gets a little bit tricky, because some researchers are suggesting that women at high risk for osteoporosis may need more than the current recommendation, because that was said years ago.

COSTELLO: Oh.

DRAYER: So it's a little bit confusing. Some experts say you can expose your arms and your legs, less sensitive areas to the sun without sunscreen for 15 minutes to get the maximum amount of vitamin D. I say, wear the sunscreen and consider taking a supplement if you're worried you're not getting enough.

COSTELLO: But is it possible to take too much vitamin D if you're taking a supplement?

DRAYER: It absolutely is. And that's why it's really important to talk to your doctor if you're taking any of these vitamin supplements.

COSTELLO: OK. We've heard a lot about the miracles that vitamin E can perform.

DRAYER: I know. This is a miracle antioxidant. I remember hearing about this years ago. And now we hear it may do more harm than good.

Well, there was that recent Meta (ph) analysis from Johns Hopkins. It looked at several different studies. It found a slight increased risk of death among individuals taking the amount found in supplements, about 400 international units. So that's really frustrating.

But some say it was statistically flawed. Others say it really studied sick people who were on multiple medications. Still, even though the jury is still out on the negative effects of vitamin E, we really haven't seen a lot of research promoting the benefits of taking E.

COSTELLO: So we might be wasting our time.

DRAYER: That's just it. Except perhaps if you were at high risk for eye disease. That's the molecular degeneration.

COSTELLO: Oh, well, a lot of elderly people suffer that.

DRAYER: Sure. It's the leading cause of blindness. So talk to your doctor if you're considering vitamin E.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about soy, because I'm way into soy, because that's supposed to, like, do fabulous things for your body.

DRAYER: I know. It's the miracle food, right? It can help offer relief against menopause symptoms, breast cancer, lower LDL cholesterol. It sounds too good to be true. It is perhaps if you're consuming the soy bars, the soy shakes and also some of the meat alternatives. The reason is these soy products contain highly- processed soy. And what that is, that's like the whole soybean, which includes both the protein and the isoflavones, the special chemicals found in soy. So you want to stick to whole sources of soy tofu. And look for soybeans.

COSTELLO: Steamed and Edamame.

DRAYER: There you go.

COSTELLO: Yes, steamed soy.

DRAYER: Steamed is my favorite.

COSTELLO: Oh, mine too. It's really good. If you want to find out more, "Women's Health" magazine.

DRAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: You have an article in there.

DRAYER: That's right.

COSTELLO: All right.

DRAYER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Lisa Drayer, thanks for stopping by.

DRAYER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: We've been following the withdrawal of Jewish settlers from Gaza. One group is watching this historic evacuation very closely.

Let's check in with Soledad O'Brien for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Hello -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

And, in fact, you've been reporting sentencing obviously beginning today for the confessed BTK killer, Dennis Rader. This morning, we talk with a forensics psychiatrist. We're going to try to get inside the mind of a serial killer. Of course, he's going to have an opportunity, not only to hear from family members of the victims, but also to address them as well. Many people are wondering what he's going to say this time around.

You'll remember the last time he was in court, he was very cold and clinical, described the killings as projects. Many people think there might be a big difference this time.

Also, the historical pullout of the Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip. Coming up, we'll talk with a young Israeli woman, a young Arab man. They're alumni of a camp in Maine that brings together Jews and Arabs. We'll talk to them about how they are feeling about what's happening today and if they think the pullout is the best move for both sides.

A look at that and much more on "AMERICAN MORNING" ahead. Carol, we'll see you then.

COSTELLO: We'll be right here. Thanks, Soledad.

We want to pause now for just a minute from bringing you the news. You know, many of the words you hear me say on television don't just happen. They come from our many talented writers and copy editors and producers. And, you know, you never get to see them or hear them, but we certainly appreciate them. It's like a big family of people working behind the scenes.

Well, over the weekend we lost a member of our family. Glen Clonts joined CNN back in 1987. He was a writer on DAYBREAK for many years. You've probably heard his words many times, even if you never knew it. Glen was recovering from cancer when he suffered a heart attack. And he will be missed. Glen was 67.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's time to give away a mug.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: People ask all the time, Carol, can you buy a DAYBREAK coffee mug? No.

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: You have to win one. And here is your chance to win one today.

Yesterday's questions. According to the USGS, what was the magnitude of the earthquake up there in Honshu, Japan? 7.2 And what is the indoor signal range of Wi-Fi, wireless fidelity there for your computers? 75 to 100 to 150 feet. Not too much more than that.

David Truitt from State College, Pennsylvania, is the winner. We have a cup -- mug going to Pennsylvania today.

Now are the questions for today. Were you paying attention? Under a new Atlanta law, what happens after the third panhandling offense? And number two, name the worm affecting millions of computers this morning?

Go to CNN.com/daybreak. On the left there's a link. You can give us your answer there.

Thirty-minute airport delays right now in Cincinnati, Carol, because of fog. More on "AMERICAN MORNING."

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Thank you, Chad. From the Time Warner center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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