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CNN Live At Daybreak

Breaking News: Rocket Attacks; Pope Benedict XVI Addresses Crowds at German Synagogue

Aired August 19, 2005 - 06:28   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: And we are keeping an eye on breaking news out of the Middle East this morning. Two rockets narrowly missed a U.S. Navy ship in a port off Jordan while another rocket landed in an Israeli resort town.

We're going to get the latest details now from CNN's Paula Hancocks in Jerusalem.

And, Paula, I understand you have some new information. What can you tell us?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kelly. As we're hearing from Jordanian sources that they believe these two rockets -- in fact, three rockets -- two that hit Aqaba. But the two rockets -- the three rockets were fired from a warehouse in Aqaba in the industrial area, which is just at the entrance of this city.

Now, they also say that four individuals of Iraqi and Egyptian nationality have rented that warehouse just recently.

Now, we don't have much more information on that, but we are expecting a Jordanian official statement very soon.

Also, according to Reuters who is quoting one of the Jordanian's military sources, says that one Jordanian soldier was killed in these attacks and one was severely injured.

Now just to recap what we know. Those two that landed near the U.S. Navy ship in Aqaba missed the Navy ship and hit a warehouse, which was destroyed. And then another one hit near a hospital, we're being told. We don't know whether or not the Jordanian soldier was killed near the hospital or near the actual port itself.

And then there was a third one, which was fired from the same warehouse, which hit the southern Israeli town of Eilat. Now, this is another Red Sea resort hit. It's about 15 yards away from the actual perimeter fence of the airport itself.

Now, the airport is very close to the center of town, and Eilat is probably only about five minutes away. There are hundreds of hotels there. It would be a very busy place at the moment in the school holiday. But we are hearing that there are no casualties from that third rocket attack -- Kelly. WALLACE: And, Paula, for any viewers who are just joining us, you've been describing all morning long how close Eilat and Aqaba are. Give us a sense in terms of -- set the geographical scene for us. And as you are talking, Paula, our viewers are going to be looking at a satellite image of the region.

HANCOCKS: Well, if you are standing by the sea in Eilat, if you look to your left you will see Jordan. And you will see the Aqaba port, which is probably about at least five miles away across the water. And then if you look to the right-hand side, you will see Egypt.

So, these three countries really do join together in this particular Red Sea area. It's the north of the Red Sea. They are very close by, probably about seven or eight miles by road but only about five miles across the water.

So, they're incredibly close. They're both just on the border.

And the defense minister -- the Israeli defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, said a little earlier on today, he was saying it's obvious that they were trying to hit Jordanian and Israeli targets, because they are both so close. He said they are obviously working very closely with the Jordanians themselves at the moment to try and find out exactly who is behind these attacks.

But we are hearing four individuals of Iraqi and Egyptian descent rented that warehouse. So that's what we will be listening out for now, exactly who they are and whether they have been apprehended -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And, Paula, of course, viewers will know that Israel is always on a very high security alert. And that the security alert has been high, of course, with the disengagement coming from the Gaza Strip.

But are Israeli officials saying anything privately? Do they have any indication, any intelligence of a possible attack in that area?

HANCOCKS: They're saying they had absolutely no intelligence of this whatsoever. They had no warning.

We have been on a state of high alert here in Israel, especially in Jerusalem, especially in Gaza and in the West Bank, because of the settlement pullouts from Gaza itself. And so, it has been on a high state of alert for some time.

But it is Israel. It's always on a very high state of alert. There's always incredible security here. When you go into bars and you go into restaurants, there's a security guard sitting outside. They look inside your bag. The security is very tight, and it especially would be in somewhere like Eilat, where there would be thousands of Israelis, especially at this moment when it is the school holidays. And so, security would be incredibly tight.

But they had no warning as far as they are publicly saying and as far as our security sources are telling us -- Kelly.

WALLACE: OK, Paula, we will, of course, keep checking in with you throughout the half-hour here on DAYBREAK and look forward to your reports on "AMERICAN MORNING." Paula Hancocks reporting live from Jerusalem.

Staying in the Middle East and talking about the forced evacuations in Gaza, well, they are nearing an end. But there are still some areas left to clear.

CNN's John Vause is in one of those settlements this morning, the settlement of Gadid.

John, good to see you. What's the situation like there? It seems like a dramatic difference today than what everybody saw yesterday.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in fact, Kelly, just moments ago, the Israeli police spokesman came out and told me that Gadid is now officially evacuated, joining that growing list of settlements in the Gaza Strip which have now been totally cleared out. You can see the police now just sitting down. This whole operation is now over.

But earlier today, there were protesters inside the synagogue, about 85 protesters inside that building. They did a deal with the police that they would all leave quietly. Some were carried out. Some were crying. Some were yelling. But in the end, they all left. They were carried out one at a time, and they were put on buses, and then they were taken away to the closest Israeli town, Basherba (ph).

Many of them left there to find their own way home, because the Israeli police is now saying, well, they found their way here illegally. They ran the checkpoints. They went past the soldiers. They managed to infiltrate the Gaza Strip. So now they can find their way home.

Here in Gadid, there have been some other pockets of resistance. About 200 or so protesters all out, some of them on rooftops, some of them throwing oil and other projectiles at the police.

But now, we're being told by the authorities here that all of that resistance is now cleared up. Gadid evacuated. And there are now four more settlements to go. Two will probably be done on Sunday. Two more will be done on Monday. And then, Kelly, that will be it.

The disengagement in Gaza will be completed -- Kelly.

WALLACE: John, it's been incredible to watch from this end. John Vause reporting from Gadid, the Jewish settlement in Gaza. We appreciate it.

We want to turn now to another story, a developing story we've been watching this morning, Pope John -- excuse me -- Pope Benedict XVI addressing crowds at a German synagogue. He is only the second pope to visit a synagogue. The only other, Pope John Paul II.

Let's listen in.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

POPE BENEDICT, XVI (through translator): ... is nourished by the songs. And it is through the apostle Paul, the Jew, that the grace of God is not (INAUDIBLE). The Jewish roots (INAUDIBLE) is something which my beloved predecessor was something he said clearly to the German bishops. He said who meets Christ meets the Jews. And this is why all outbreaks of hatred and prosecution and manifestations of anti-Semitism, which have happened, it doesn't matter from whom or whatever time in history, we must say that God has all of us -- created all of us as his image. And he has given us all -- given all of us a transcendental worth.

It is from God that all humans possess the same dignity, irrespective of what nation, from what culture or from what religion they come. And this is the reason why the declaration Nastre Retardi (ph) gives great value to the members of other religions.

In that declaration it says, the church rejects all discrimination against humans and all acts of violence based on race or color or his status or his religion, that these are acts contradicting the will of Jesus Christ.

The church also goes on to say -- the document goes on to say that the church is committed to (INAUDIBLE) young people in these things, so that the coming generations, which are no longer witnesses of the terrible things that happened during the Second World War, so that they will not forget.

WALLACE: It will give you a sense of the significance of this. As we've been mentioning, Pope Benedict XVI, only the second pope to visit a synagogue, and he is visiting the oldest synagogue in Cologne, Germany. It was destroyed by the Nazis in 1938 and then rebuilt after World War II.

You heard him talking and saying the church rejects all discrimination and talking about anti-Semitism. Many Jews believe -- European Jews believe that they still suffer from anti-Semitism. So important remarks by Pope Benedict XVI, this his first international trip since becoming pope. He is in Germany, his homeland, and this is all part of World Youth Day, culminating in a mass on Sunday expected to be seen by at least a million people there in Cologne, young people from more than 180 nations.

Much more ahead on this very busy news day here on DAYBREAK. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And time now to check the markets. The international markets are mixed this morning. Japan's Nikkei closing down nearly 16 points, Britain's FTSE is trading up 37.5 points, and the German DAX is up nearly 29 points.

Well, see the USA on your Segway. It's a dream that stories are made of. And this story is in the documentary, "America at 10 miles an hour." Or is it 10 miles per hour?

Let's ask the filmmakers themselves. Segway rider Josh Caldwell and Hunter Weeks, the film's director, and they are joining us this morning from Denver.

Nice to see you both. Thanks for being here.

HUNTER WEEKS, DIRECTOR, "10 MPH": Hi, Kelly.

JOSH CALDWELL, RODE SEGWAY ACROSS U.S.: Thank you. It's great to be here.

WALLACE: Josh, why don't we begin with you? So, you both have these very good jobs, Web marketing firms out on the West Coast. You chuck it all to pursue this project, riding on a Segue at 10 miles an hour. Why?

CALDWELL: It was an idea that a college buddy came up with, and he always comes up with these quirky ideas. And we thought, yes, right, Johnny, we're going to go do that. But then we thought about the idea of being able to travel slowly across the country, and how that would be a very unique way to go out there and capture some cool stories. And by having a Segway, we'd be able to just easily go out there and talk to a lot of people.

WALLACE: And, Hunter, tell me a little bit about some of the funniest moments of the trip, because, you know, we talk about many of us are driving 10 miles over the speed limit. I know you got stopped at one point by someone, and they said, you guys are going 10 miles an hour in a 40-mile-an-hour zone.

WEEKS: Yes, definitely. I mean, there were so many funny moments and so many quirky moments and just a lot of good times. I mean, one of the funniest moments happened in a small, dusty farm town, and I can't really tell you about it, because we don't want to ruin it. But it involved sort of a...

WALLACE: Oh, give us a little tease. Give us a little tease.

WEEKS: Well, it's a crazy little asset as it happens. But it doesn't actually involve the Segway. But we captured it on film, and it's wonderful. And, you know, as you've seen, I mean, people would pull us over all the time and talk to us. They were just fascinated by this cause, at this sort of crazy little cause of taking a Segway and traveling really slowly across the country.

WALLACE: And, Josh, I imagine it's a lot more difficult driving through an urban center, like, let's say, Philadelphia, than in parts of, you know, the West, where, you know, you can drive 100 miles and not come to another town.

CALDWELL: Yes, the West is definitely wide open out there, and those are definitely some relaxing moments out there where you don't have to worry too much other than the big semis flying by you at 60 miles an hour. But, yes, in the cities it definitely was dense. It was always tough when you were coming into a city, because you didn't have sidewalks, and there was quite a bit of traffic. So, we had a Jeep following along behind, and they were kind of acting as the buffer between me and the traffic that was whizzing by.

WALLACE: And, Hunter, I know Josh actually was asked this question in another interview, but I just sort of loved the question, which is: What is America like at 10 miles per hour? You must be able to absorb a whole lot more than most of us who are driving, you know, 65 or 80 miles an hour on the highway.

WEEKS: That's exactly right. I mean, this is the way to see it. You can actually see it. I mean, if you drive 70 miles per hour you don't really see anything. And we noticed that on the way back after 100 days of being out on the road. You get to see all of the back roads. You get to see the beauty of this country. You get to see some of the hard places, the hard-hit places and with a tough economy, you know, in certain areas. But all in all, I mean, it's beautiful. And the people you meet are just amazing.

WALLACE: Josh, give us a sense, just very quickly, what the response has been so far to the documentary. I know you're hoping to be sort of the super-size me of the Segway world. What's the response been so far?

CALDWELL: We just launched our trailer this week out online, and it's been getting picked up all over the place out there. So, it's definitely buzzing a lot, and it's an exciting time. Definitely getting to chat with you guys, too.

WALLACE: All right. Well, we wish you all the best. And we'll be watching to see what happens. Josh and Hunter, thanks for being here. Best of luck with your film.

CALDWELL: Thanks, Kelly.

WEEKS: Thanks a lot, Kelly.

WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's about 45 minutes after the hour. And here is what's all new this morning.

Three missiles were fired from Jordan this morning. We've been telling you about it all morning long. Two targeted a U.S. Navy ship docked in the Jordanian Red Sea, port city of Aqaba. The missiles missed the ship but killed a Jordanian in the port. The third rocket was aimed at the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. One Jordanian was killed in the attacks.

In money, Yahoo says it will keep offering its online music service for only $5 a month, hoping to beat the competition. Yahoo subscribers have access to more than one million songs.

In culture, for the first time in almost 50 years "National Geographic" doesn't have a spectacular photo on the cover. Instead, the September issue features a simple white cover dominated by one word: "Africa." The magazine's new editor said no single picture could capture the continent's problems and promise. In sports, Oakland Raiders receiver Randy Moss says he has smoked marijuana since becoming a pro seven years ago. The admission comes in an interview with HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel." That is airing on Tuesday.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Still to come here on DAYBREAK, Down Under slang defended. We'll tell you about that.

And keeping some cash while talking on the phone, watching TV and surfing online. We'll show you how to save on those monthly bills.

But first, a look at who is celebrating birthdays on this Friday, August 19.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back. It's 51 minutes after the hour, and here is what will be making news today.

The United Nations marks a deadly anniversary. Diplomats will commemorate the second anniversary of the bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad. Twenty-two people were killed in that attack.

In Colorado, authorities are preparing for big crowds at a memorial planned for Hunter Thompson this weekend in Aspen. The ashes of the Gonzo journalist will be blasted out of a 150-foot-tall monument at an invitation-only event.

And in Australia, an about-face from parliament. Lawmakers overturned a ban that forbids guards and attendants from using the word "mate" when addressing lawmakers and visitors. The day-old rule sparked outrage from prime ministers past and present.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HOWARD, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: Well, these things are all a matter of context, and that's why it's impractical and absurd to try and ban something. And we all use the word "mate" depending on the context. I've had that experience on talk back radio. People would ring me up, and I might start off saying, 'Yes, sir,' as a matter of courtesy, which I normally do. And then we lapse into it, and we might say "Mate."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: What are you to do in Australia? Say "Mate?" Say "sir?"

Well, today parliament issued new instructions telling guards to use good judgment on when to be formal or not.

Well, turning to a much more serious story. A teenager is attacked and killed by a tiger all during a photo shoot. And now her peers are trying to cope on the first day of school.

Carol Costello is joining us now for a look at what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING."

Carol, this story is so sad.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is sad. And it makes you wonder, you know, why was she posing beside a tiger? Who owned this tiger? A lot of questions remain unanswered this morning.

WALLACE: A lot of questions.

COSTELLO: We'll get a closer look at that sad story out of Kansas. Seventeen-year-old Hailey Hilderbrand (ph) was attacked and killed by a tiger during a photo session at an animal sanctuary. The superintendent of her school, who knew her well, will join us live this morning. It's the first full day of classes. We'll find out what's being done to help her classmates cope with this tragedy.

And, Kelly, I know you know, because of the breaking news out of Gaza, on Thursday we were not able to bring you that follow-up on the proposed changes to airport security. The changes would lift the post-9/11 ban on small knives and razor blades. The head of the nation's largest flight attendants union says that is insane. We're going to talk to her just ahead on "AMERICAN MORNING." She is really upset about these proposed changes.

WALLACE: It is one of those stories, Carol, that when you hear it you think why? Why would you do it? But obviously you've got to delve in and investigate it more fully, right?

COSTELLO: Well, the airlines pilots association doesn't agree with the flight attendants organization.

WALLACE: Right.

COSTELLO: They say they'll be bringing pen knives and such through, just cosmetic, you know, changes in security.

WALLACE: Right.

COSTELLO: So, we'll see what happens.

WALLACE: All right, we'll be watching. Carol, we'll see you in a few minutes. Thanks so much.

Well, you're all wired up, but it's costing you big time. We are talking about home phones, cell phones, cable TV and Internet. They cost the average household $2,400 last year. That is up from 2,070 bucks back in 2001.

So here's a question for. Do you ever look at those bills and think there have to be deals that you're missing out on?

Well, you're in luck. "SmartMoney" magazine editor Jack Otter is here to tell you how to cut those bills and cut some deals. Jack, great to see you.

JACK OTTER, ARTICLES EDITOR, "SMARTMONEY" MAGAZINE: Great to see you.

WALLACE: What's the first piece of advice you would give someone to try and cut down their bills when we're talking about cell phone, Internet, home phone, et cetera?

OTTER: Well, it sounds like so obvious, but they have to read the bill. Look at the fine print. See what they're being charged for it. I mean, three-way calling, does anybody actually use that? And you might be paying five bucks a month for it.

So, the first thing to do is check the bill. Get rid of those things you don't need.

WALLACE: And the bills are so complicated also. But secondly is, so can then you negotiate rates? Could I go ahead and call up my phone company and say I don't want to pay three-way calling, and I can get a better deal elsewhere?

OTTER: Absolutely. And what you want to do is be armed for that conversation by doing some research first. Go on the net and look for the best deals out there. See what Verizon is offering. See what T- Mobile is offering, whatever it is. And so, when you call up, say, hey, not only am I paying $35 when I only want 25 bucks worth of service, but so and so offers it for 20 bucks. I'm tempted to defect. There's a good chance they'll lower the rate for you.

WALLACE: And a big concern here is the lack of competition for some of these services, right? And that is sometimes why we all might be paying a higher price, because we can't always shop around for the best deal.

OTTER: Well, sure. It's very frustrating. I mean, certain companies will offer a great deal in a community where there's lots of competition and a lousy one in another area. And there's nothing you can do about that. But there are still plenty of ways to fight back.

WALLACE: And I want to talk to you about something you raise in your article, which is so interesting about bundling, about getting all of your services from one place. I thought it would be -- first, it's easier. But I thought it would be cheaper to do that. You say no.

OTTER: Sure, that's the pitch, is you save 10 bucks by bringing it all together. But as you pointed out, it's $2,400 a year, $200 a month. And by chipping away at each different part of it, which is a little harder, you can actually get better deals. So, in other words, you find whoever offers the best Internet service, get it from them. Whoever has the best cell phone service, get that from them. You'll probably end up with a lower bill.

But most of importantly, the problem with bundling is you're locking yourself in. I mean, it's a life sentence with whatever company you choose, whereas by doing it separately you can always leap on the best new deal as it comes out.

WALLACE: Sometimes you think, though, will you be able to get the same services if you go elsewhere? Will your Internet work as well if you use your, you know, other cell phone service from elsewhere? So...

OTTER: Well, there's really no connection there. I mean, sure, I think everybody has their favorite provider. In New York City here, Verizon is quite good on the cell phone, and it worked well during the blackout. So, I actually chose Verizon and ignoring the cost of some cheaper rivals.

But if you're bottom line is the most important thing, you can absolutely do better by picking and choosing.

WALLACE: A key issue, first off, do your homework, right?

OTTER: Absolutely.

WALLACE: All right, Jack Otter with "SmartMoney" magazine. Thanks for being here.

OTTER: Great to be here.

WALLACE: Important information, which I'm going to work on this weekend. Thank you so much.

And when we come back, we will give away a coffee mug. This is DAYBREAK for a Friday morning. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Chad, I love this moment every day.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Because it's the end of the show?

WALLACE: Well, today, yes.

MYERS: Well, yes. OK.

WALLACE: Today, yes, definitely.

MYERS: We're giving...

WALLACE: But no.

MYERS: I know. We're giving away a coffee mug. The questions from yesterday and the winner. What U.S. senator has a new book out? And the one that we were actually looking for was Trent Lott. There were others, but the one we were going to take was Trent Lott. And what percentage of sun damage occurs before the age of 18? And that percentage is 80 percent. So make sure those kids have sunscreen.

And Ben Baker from Alpharetta, Georgia. I think might be our first Georgia winner. Ben Baker, congratulations. Mug in the mail to you. Now for today. American Airlines hopes to save $1 million a year by reducing how much fuel per flight? They're going to take some water out of the bathroom as well, but they're going to do that with fuel. And what business school was ranked number one by "Forbes?"

CNN.com/daybreak.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in today for Carol Costello. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

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