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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadline in Iraq; 'We Will Stay'; Deployment Lessons

Aired August 25, 2005 - 05:00   ET

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

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: It is Thursday, August 25. Blowing harder and coming in fast. Florida's most populated coast is watching for Hurricane Katrina. Officials say, take it very seriously.
Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We let the police go in first, then we follow in behind them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: ... a Pruett in harm's way. But he's not the only Pruett from the states in Iraq. We'll introduce you to the other three.

And one state looks at its pump prices and says enough is enough. Battling high gas prices Hawaiian style.

Good Thursday morning to you. From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK. I'm Kelly Wallace, in today for Carol Costello. Thanks so much for waking up with us.

We'll have much more on Tropical Storm Katrina in just a moment.

Also ahead, when mom and dad are deployed. Teaching military kids about parents in a war zone.

And later, Lance Armstrong denies doping charges again.

But first, these stories "Now in the News."

In Iraq's southern city of Najaf, gunfire between followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and demonstrators opposed to him. At least five people have been killed, and nearly a dozen injured.

There was a minor earthquake last night, but not where you might expect. A 3.8 magnitude quake was centered about 25 miles north of Asheville, North Carolina. It also rattled homes in Tennessee and Georgia. No serious damage is reported.

Flooding in central Europe is blamed for as many as 53 deaths and millions of dollars in damage. The worst hit country, Romania. Twenty thousands homes have been affected. Damage there is estimated at $400 million.

To Chad now at the forecast center.

Chad, that flooding incredible. Southern Florida, though, could be seeing some flooding in the next 24 hours.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. This storm could really slow down, almost stop right over the state. That's basically worst case scenario for any tropical storm.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And Chad, we'll be watching that throughout this morning on DAYBREAK. Chad, we'll talk to you in a few minutes. Thanks so much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

WALLACE: Turning to Iraq now, a deadline and a deadly day. Opponents of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battle his supporters in Najaf. This, while the Iraqi government wrestles over Shia versus Sunni matters as it deals with the draft constitution.

Our Aneesh Raman is following developments on all of this from Baghdad.

Good morning, Aneesh. What can we expect when it comes to that constitution on this day?

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kelly, good morning.

We're expecting perhaps compromise, but more likely not. A deadline for that is set for the end of today.

The draft constitution, of course, went forward on Monday. Iraqi leaders, though, allowed for three more days to try and get the Sunnis on board with this draft constitution that, by all expectations, will include reference to federalism, to regional autonomous governments in the new Iraq.

The Sunnis have long objected to that. They want this entire conversation sidelined until a new government comes into power.

We understand negotiations -- sorry -- are taking place as we speak now with the prime minister, with the president, and with Sunni negotiators to see if there is any wording that can bring all three sides, the Kurds, the Shia and the Sunnis, on board with this constitution. If not, this process ends, today, Kelly.

The drafting process tomorrow will likely begin a fierce debate in the Iraqi public arena over federalism and this constitution. The Sunnis, of course, do have the votes to reject this constitution and the referendum to come by mid October. So that is the question we are waiting to see today, are the Sunnis on board with this draft constitution.

Also, though, as you mentioned, violence erupting in the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad. A Shia holy city there. Followers of Muqtada al-Sadr erupted in gunfire among demonstrators.

Buildings were destroyed. Five people killed. Upwards of a dozen others wounded. Muqtada al-Sadr today voicing calm and calling on people to reach out to one another.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MUQTADA AL-SADR, SHIITE CLERIC (through translator): I demand that brother Abdul Aziz al-Hakim make an official announcement condemning the aggression by his representatives and some extremists.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAMAN: Now, Abdul Aziz that he's referring to is Abdul Aziz Hakim, the head SCIRI. Muqtada al-Sadr, of course, is the head of the Mehdi Militia. It gives you a sense, Kelly, that sectarian issues and friction in Iraq are not just a Shia-Sunni issue, but internally, among the Shia, you have the Badr Brigade, headed by Hakim, and you have the Mehdi Militia, headed by Sadr. And both of them often do have friction as well, and that is what we saw yesterday -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Aneesh, we'll be checking in with you throughout the morning here on DAYBREAK.

Aneesh Raman reporting from Baghdad.

Well, here in the United States, more soldiers from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, will be sent to Iraq in mid September. The 1,500 paratroopers will provide additional security during the fall elections. That will bring the number of U.S. troops serving in Iraq to about 140,000. Similar troop hikes were made last summer during the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq, and again in January during national elections.

Well, President Bush isn't mincing words when it comes to Iraq. He says, "We will stay." That, despite a growing antiwar movement.

CNN's Dana Bash is traveling with the president.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Knowing full well the antiwar movement is gaining attention with the leadership of one military mother, the president introduced the country to another.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And here in Idaho, a mom named Tammy Pruett...

BASH: Tammy's husband and one son are just back from Iraq. Four other sons are still serving.

The White House invited the Pruetts and choreographed this moment with the family CNN first profiled more than a year ago. The president's goal? Show support among military families, appeal to patriotism. BUSH: America lives in freedom because of families like the Pruetts.

(APPLAUSE)

BASH: Setting aside past concerns about privacy or looking too political, the White House led reporters to Tammy Pruett. She said this of Cindy Sheehan.

TAMMY PRUETT, MOTHER OF U.S. SOLDIERS IN IRAQ: The way that she's chosen to mourn, it wouldn't be the way that we would do it. But we respect her right.

BASH: In an arena packed with nearly 10,000 servicemen and families, the president once again took on critics, demanding to pull out of Iraq now and said retreat would embolden the terrorists.

BUSH: So long as I'm the president, we will stay, we will fight, and we will win the war on terror.

BASH: The president's challenge goes well beyond the antiwar protesters following him around the country. The latest CNN-"USA Today"-Gallup poll shows an all-time high, 57 percent of Americans, feel less safe because of the war in Iraq.

BUSH: We can honker down, retreating behind a false sense of security. Or we can bring the war to the terrorists, striking them before they could kill more of our people.

BASH: Following the speech, Mr. Bush met privately with families of 19 troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among them was Donna Row (ph), whose husband was killed in Iraq nearly a year ago.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think my husband would want to say, "Thank you very much, sir, for the opportunity to serve your country."

BASH: A Bush supporter, this was her second meeting with him, something denied Cindy Sheehan. Row (ph) says the Idaho governor invited her because her husband was born here.

(on camera): The large and supportive crowd here was reminiscent of the Bush reelection campaign, perhaps appropriate as he finds himself in an urgent fight to stop sliding support for the war and his performance as president.

Dana Bash, CNN, Nampa, Idaho.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: And later on DAYBREAK we'll meet the four Pruett brothers serving in Iraq who were mentioned in Dana's report. That's coming up at the half-hour.

And a few hours from now, we'll hear from Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq last year. Sheehan was greeted by supporters as she returned to Texas Wednesday to resume her peace vigil near President Bush's ranch. She had to rush back to California last week after her mother suffered a stroke. Sheehan has scheduled a news conference for 12:30 Eastern, and CNN will bring it to you live.

The children of some American troops got a sanitized look at what their parents might be doing in the war. Reporter Deborah Hoffman of CNN affiliate KXTV in Sacramento, California, has details on these deployment lessons.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINA ROBINSON, CHEYENNE'S MOTHER: Where's daddy?

CHEYENNE ROBINSON, FATHER SERVING IN IRAQ: He's on a long trip.

DEBORAH HOFFMAN, REPORTER, KXTV (voice over): Three-year-old Cheyenne doesn't understand that her daddy's long trip involves a war zone. But today, she and dozens of other children are getting a first-hand look at some of the tools and procedures their parents deal with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I get a hooah?

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Hooah!

CHRISTINA ROBINSON: Hopefully, she will not think that when daddy goes to work that, you know, it's a bad thing.

HOFFMAN: Cheyenne even had an opportunity to record a special message for her daddy.

CHEYENNE ROBINSON: Hi, daddy.

CHRISTINA ROBINSON: Say, "I love you, daddy."

CHEYENNE ROBINSON: I love you, daddy.

CHRISTINA ROBINSON: Do you miss him?

HOFFMAN: Nathan Simpson's dad will soon head to Iraq.

NATHAN SIMPSON, FATHER WILL SOON BE DEPLOYED TO IRAQ: He's going to be deployed on January.

HOFFMAN: Today, Nathan is trying on some of dad's gear, getting up close and personal with a Humvee.

(on camera): Another fun stop along the way, the infrared goggles.

SIMPSON: It will be good to feel like what my dad does and stuff.

HOFFMAN: This will be Nathan's dad fourth deployment.

WANDA SIMPSON, NATHAN'S MOM: Each time gets harder on the kids, because they're older now and they understand what it means. And they can watch the news now and be worried.

HOFFMAN: The hope, that this will ease some of those fears.

(on camera): This mission may be focused on kids like Nathan and Cheyenne, but their parents could benefit even more.

CHRISTINA ROBINSON: It helps me to explain it to her, and maybe it will, you know, help her understand a little bit better what, you know, her dad's going through.

CHEYENNE ROBINSON: Bye, daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blow him a kiss.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WALLACE: Cute there. That was reporter Deborah Hoffman of CNN affiliate KXTV in Sacramento. Those deployment lessons took place at Traverse Air Force Base in Solano County, California.

Well, now a follow-up to a story we covered extensively on Wednesday's DAYBREAK, Pat Robertson. The religious broadcaster has been doing a lot of backpedaling after saying the U.S. should assassinate the president of Venezuela.

First, he denied saying it. Here's that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAT ROBERTSON, "THE 700 CLUB": I didn't say "assassination." I said our -- our Special Forces should "take him out." And take him out could be a number of things, including kidnapping. There are a number of ways to take out a dictator from power besides killing him. I was misinterpreted by the AP, but that happens all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: OK. Now listen to his initial statement of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and you decide if Robertson was misinterpreted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: Well, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war. And I don't think any oil shipments will stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Well, late yesterday, Robertson came out with an apology on his Web site. It says, "Is it right to call for an assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him."

Let's see if that is the end of that story there.

More news "Across America" now this morning.

Maryland police say it is a criminal matter. They believe two deflated tires on a Northwest plane were tampered with and may be related to the mechanics strike that began last weekend. The deflated tires were found during a pre-flight inspection at Baltimore- Washington International Airport.

Hawaii the first state to set a cap on the wholesale price of gasoline. That cap takes effect September 1. While the move is aimed at keeping prices at the pump from soaring, it will allow the state's two refiners to actually charge more. Ironically, motorists could pay more than they do now.

The cap is an effort to force the refiners to eventually bring wholesale prices in line with those on the mainland. State regulators say wholesalers may not charge more than $2.74 a gallon. And that's including taxes.

Spokane Mayor Jim West has lost in his latest effort to stop a recall campaign. The Washington Supreme Court ruled that a petition drive can proceed. In May, a Spokane newspaper published reports alleging the mayor used his leadership positions in the community to develop sexual relations with boys and young men.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, United Nations leaders head to Sudan for a first-hand look at the crisis there. We'll be going there live.

Some good news and some bad news from the Pentagon on base closings. Today, more communities around the country wait for word from that commission.

And we also go live to Broward County, Florida, where folks are getting ready for a visit from Katrina. And they're not putting out the welcome mat.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: The international markets are all looking down this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei lower by 97 points. The London FTSE down 18. And the German DAX is off 47 points.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's about 16 minutes after the hour, and here's what is all new this morning.

Shias fighting Shias in the Iraqi city of Najaf. Five people were killed, 10 others wounded. The clashes were between followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and demonstrators opposed to his reopening offices near the Imam Ali Mosque.

More military bases could learn their fate today from the Federal Base Closing Commission. The panel has gone against Pentagon recommendations and voted to keep big bases open in Maine, Connecticut, California, Louisiana and Texas. But it is signing off on hundreds of other closings.

In money, oil prices hit another new high, soaring above $67 a barrel. The surge comes amid concerns that another storm could hit production sites in the Gulf of Mexico.

In culture, bronze statues of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed will soon be displayed at Harrods department store in London. The store is owned by Fayed's father. The tribute to the couple who died together in a 1997 Paris car crash is titled "Innocent Victims."

In sports, Lance Armstrong says doping accusations against him are "preposterous." The seven-time Tour de France champ was responding to comments from the head of the cycling event. He suggests that Armstrong fooled the race by doping.

Another check of the forecast.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Time now for a CNN "Security Watch."

A suspected suicide bomber came to call on the United States two years ago but was turned away at the airport. Raed Mansoor Albanna, a Jordanian, is suspected in the explosion at a healthcare clinic in Hilla, Iraq, last February. That blast killed at least 127 people.

Well, U.S. officials say Jordan denies Albanna had any role at Hilla, claiming he died in another suicide bombing elsewhere in Iraq. Albanna lived in the United States off and on beginning in 2001. He even visited the World Trade Center.

In June 2003, Albanna tried to reenter the United States at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, but was stopped by Customs agents. Officials say he was trying to use an outdated visa and he was sent out of the country the next day.

And of course we want you to stay tuned to CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security.

Still to come on this Thursday edition of DAYBREAK, the refugee crisis in Sudan. Our Ryan Chilcote is live in Darfur.

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm in the Riyadh refugee camp. And in just a few minutes, I'll have the report on the plight of an estimated two million refugees here in Sudan and surrounding regions from the Darfur crisis.

We'll be back in just a few minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And welcome back to DAYBREAK. In Sudan, hundreds of thousands of people are dead, millions have been displaced. It is a situation that has gotten worse and worse over the past two years. Now the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is touring Darfur and the surrounding region.

CNN's Ryan Chilcote joins us live via videophone from Darfur.

Ryan, good to see you. Give us a sense of what you've been seeing on the ground there.

CHILCOTE: Sure thing, Kelly.

Well, I'm in the Riyadh refugee camp. Actually, it's called a camp for internally displaced individuals, because all of the people in this camp are actually from nearby villages here in Sudan. You're only technically a refugee in the eyes of the U.N. if you've fled the borders of your country.

The Riyadh refugee camp has about 15,000 residents. All of them have been here now for about a year and a half. That's when the atrocities began here in Darfur. That is when the government, many people say, armed Arab militia to try to put down a rebel movement here.

Now, the belief is that at least 180,000 people were killed, and perhaps as many as 300,000. And as many as two million people were displaced. So obviously what you're seeing here in this camp is just a tiny fraction of the number of refugees in Darfur and the surround region.

Now, the high commissioner for refugees from the United Nations believes that the world has a rare opportunity right now to help to return these people to their homes. Both the government of Sudan and the rebel groups that have been operating in this region appear to be prepared to reach some kind of peace agreement. That, the high commissioner says, is if the appropriate pressure is put on all sides to work to do that, perhaps as early as the end of the year.

He stresses this is a rare opportunity. Of course it could be a fleeting opportunity.

He also says the international community needs to do a lot more, pay a lot more attention to this area. Of course the world's eyes were focused on the plight of these people about a year and a half ago, but since then, according to the high commissioner, in a lot of ways they've really been forgotten.

There's going to need to be attention on this area, and a lot more funding to repatriate these people to their homes. All of the United Nations' programs, for example, are underfunded. Countries simply not willing to put up the very little money many people would say necessary to repatriate this group of people.

Remember, Kelly, that we're talking about repatriating two million people. That is the largest group of displaced -- one of the largest groups of displaced people in the world -- Kelly. WALLACE: And Ryan, we understand that you are finding women there are particularly vulnerable. What can you tell us about that?

CHILCOTE: That's exactly right. And while the wide-scale atrocities, the systematic terrors that the Janjaweed Arab militia unleashed here about two years ago has ceased. There is still a lot of violence, particularly outside of these camps.

Just to show you, you see this hill over here. The residents of the camp (INAUDIBLE) to collect firewood for their stoves. The men, because of the danger to them, really don't go out. Many of them just fear they would be killed if they do.

So it is the women who go out. And generally, it takes them between an hour and four hours to get that firewood. During that time, they are very vulnerable to attacks by these Arab militia. And there have been numerous reports in the camps of these women being raped.

We spoke with a woman just yesterday who said she had been raped. She said that it is something to nearly all of the women who venture outside the camp -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Ryan, thanks for that. We'll look forward to watching your continued reporting from Darfur, Sudan.

Ryan Chilcote reporting there.

Well, switching gears quite a bit, turning to the weather. Katrina and the waves plague south Florida this weekend. And nobody's going to be walking on sunshine. They're battening down and getting ready for a big storm.

We'll take you there live next. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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