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CNN Live At Daybreak

Forgotten War?; False Hope; Righteous Rockers

Aired October 05, 2005 - 05:29   ET

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


ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK.

Coming up in the next 30 minutes, the grieving mothers of Beslan may be turning to an unusual place to ease their pain, but some say it's a very dangerous place.

And remember Afghanistan? With all of the attention focused on Iraq, some soldiers are afraid you don't. We'll look at the forgotten war coming up.

But first, "Now in the News."

The federal government alleges Mexican national Augustan Hara Rodriguez (ph) smuggled $85 million of cocaine into the United States. He was arrested Sunday night after trying to illegally enter Arizona from Mexico. He is charged with drug trafficking and is being held in New York City.

The Supreme Court and new Chief Justice John Roberts hear arguments this morning over Oregon's assisted suicide law. Oregon contends the regulation of medical practices is a state matter.

A news conference being held this hour in Athens, Greece, for a "Titanic" exhibit. More than 300 personal objects recovered from the "Titanic" are going on display. Several of the doomed ship's passengers were Greek.

To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Seems a little Macomb.

COSTELLO: Doesn't it?

MYERS: Yes, a little weird.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And then the weather turns colder, too, doesn't it?

MYERS: And then it turns to fall.

COSTELLO: Then reality sets in once again.

MYERS: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: U.S. troops are pressing on with their biggest offensive this year in western Iraq. Operation River Gate is also the second U.S. campaign in a week in the volatile Anbar Province. American forces are trying to retake three towns from al Qaeda insurgents. At least five troops have been killed in the fighting.

Iraq's National Assembly is meeting this morning under some pressure from the U.S. and the United Nations. Lawmakers are discussing last-minute voting rule changes made by the Shiite-led government. The changes make it virtually impossible for the Sunni minority to defeat Iraq's proposed constitution in an October 15 public vote. U.S. and U.N. officials fear the changes could undermine the credibility of the vote.

You're hearing so much about Iraq these days, but what about that other war, the one in Afghanistan? U.S. troops are still seeing a lot of action there, but they're wondering if people back home have forgotten them?

CNN's Ryan Chilcote reports from southeastern Afghanistan.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN CHILCOTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The 2nd Battalion of the U.S. Army's 503rd Airborne Infantry went to Afghanistan six months ago expecting a peaceful deployment. They got anything but.

SETH WILLIAMS, U.S. ARMY: You know we're watching the news too, and all the media is focused on Iraq and all of the fighting going on there. So coming to Afghanistan, we were thinking, you know, this is going to be an easy tour, there's not going to be much going on. And then we come here and we start losing guys.

CHILCOTE: Soldiers, like Seth Williams, patrol Afghanistan's Zabul Province, a Taliban sanctuary where the U.S. rarely ventured until this unit arrived. They are trained to move fast. Just 40 minutes after getting intelligence on a wanted Taliban leader, platoon searches these compounds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here. Come here now.

CHILCOTE: Others search from the air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, can we cut them off?

CHILCOTE: In their six months here, these soldiers estimate capturing or killing 400 Taliban. But this time do not find the man they are looking for.

WILLIAMS: When it's a dry hole, we're pretty excited to get back and relax, because we've been pretty exhausted.

CHILCOTE: Exhausting and deadly. The battalion lost 7 soldiers in six months, 34 more wounded. But their comrades say few back home even know they're here.

WILLIAMS: When I went home on leave, everyone was just like, yes, how long have you been in Iraq? And I was like, no, I'm going to Afghanistan. You know that's -- I haven't been to Iraq yet. But...

CHILCOTE (on camera): And what is their reaction to that?

WILLIAMS: Their reaction is, well, at least you'll be safe in Afghanistan. Yes.

CHILCOTE: And it's not quite that way?

WILLIAMS: Yes, it's completely the opposite.

CHILCOTE (voice-over): Corporal Kyle Frederixson spent a year in Iraq.

CPL. KYLE FREDERIXSON, U.S. ARMY: Everyone is like, it could be worse, you could go to Iraq. But my experiences so far would indicate that I would rather be deployed back to Iraq than over here, personally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go.

CHILCOTE: This is the deadliest year yet for the U.S. in Afghanistan. More than 50 killed in action since January, in a place and in a war many here say their fellow Americans have all but forgotten.

Ryan Chilcote, CNN, Deh Chopan Valley, Afghanistan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Afghanistan did hold a landmark, a parliamentary election last month. And some early results could come out today or tomorrow.

In the meantime, authorities are looking into reports of voter fraud. They have seized some ballot boxes and are deciding whether to scrap those votes. Powerful warlords, a former Taliban commander and women's activists are among the front runners for seats in the National Assembly.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, a look at the mothers of Beslan one year later.

But first, some other news making headlines this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: There is a tragic new element to this school hostage nightmare that played out in southern Russia about a year ago, more than 300 people died in the three-day siege at that school in Beslan and the military assault that ended it. Many of those killed were children.

Matthew Chance live in Moscow with more on this.

Hello -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Carol, hello to you, as well.

It's not just a tragic development, but it's a very bizarre one, as well, as if the families of those victims haven't already suffered enough. And now it seems they've been targeted by a notorious Russian clairvoyant and self-styled mystic who appears to have convinced the leadership of the Beslan Mothers' Committee, which is the group that is foremost in looking after the interests of those victims' families, that he can actually work magic and resurrect their children. As bizarre as I told you it certainly is.

Obviously, across Russia, he's regarded as a fraud, a charlatan. But nevertheless, among those Beslan mothers, who have, of course, over the past year emerged as fierce critics of the Kremlin and official handling of the Beslan school siege, amongst that group of desperate people, he is gaining recruits.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Imagine grief so intense you'll do anything, believe anything, to ease the pain. It's what the mothers of Beslan have suffered and perhaps why some of them are now grasping at the impossible for relief.

He's a self-styled mystic, widely regarded as a charlatan, exploiting the bereaved for money. But Grigory Grabovoi, a Russian spiritualist, insists he can work a miracle, raising the children of Beslan from the dead.

GRIGORY GRABOVOI, CULT LEADER (through translator): I think it is absolutely correct to start resurrecting people. It's just ideologically right to be doing this in a century when mankind could so easily be wiped out.

CHANCE: It's bizarre, even in a country awash with cults. Grabovoi combines the spirit world with science, he says, to detect faults with nuclear power stations and aircraft, as well as to resurrect.

Most ignore him. But among the mothers of Beslan, he's found devoted listeners, women like Susanna Dudiyeva and other leaders of the Beslan Mothers' Committee, throwing their support behind him.

SUSANNA DUDIYEVA, BESLAN MOTHERS' COMMITTEE (through translator): I've seen my son in my dreams, just as all other mothers in Beslan have seen their children. And all of these kids say, mother, I will come back. I've spoken to the mothers and not one of them could remember anything like this happening to so many people simultaneously. So let's just wait and see.

CHANCE: A year of desperation since the siege appears to have taken its toll. The Mothers' Committee has been demanding an independent inquiry into what happened, accusing Russian officials of corruption and troops of mishandling the rescue. Support for the Resurrection Cult is something new, and observers say it's undermining what's emerged as a critical opposition force.

(on camera): Not all the mothers of Beslan have been taken in. Some are trying to distance themselves from the cult, acknowledging it will damage their credibility. But there are still questions as to why the Kremlin is allowing Grabovoi to continue his operations. Russian prosecutors say they're looking into his activities, but as yet they say he's not suspected of any crime.

(voice-over): Only, perhaps, of sidelining a campaign for justice and giving some of the mothers of Beslan false hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

But it's hard to say what impact of course this bizarre scandal is likely to have on the Beslan Mothers' Committee's call for an independent inquiry to what happened at Beslan. Certainly I can tell you that across Russia media attention, as you can expect, has been pretty negative. So it's certainly not going to help them. Much of the concern, though, Carol, focused on of course the victims' families themselves and how much more pain this is going to continue to heap on them.

COSTELLO: So what is this guy gaining from this? I mean, you call it a cult. Do these mothers have to pay him money to resurrect their children?

CHANCE: Well he's someone who's pretty notorious across Russia. He's someone who charges money for his services. A small amount of money, admittedly; but nevertheless, he has a certain amount of appeal to those desperate sections of society.

It's been a very controversial issue about whether he's charging the Beslan mothers for this supposed service. He denies that he is, but certainly the belief amongst the Russian media and amongst many people in Russia is that he is attempting to financially benefit from these people's pain at some point in the future, if not right now.

COSTELLO: So sad.

Matthew Chance reporting live from Moscow this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers will be looking to make some friends on Capitol Hill today. A CNN-"USA Today"-Gallop Poll says only 44 percent of you think she's a good choice. That's compared to 51 percent who felt that way about John Roberts. Three thousand city workers being laid off in New Orleans. The mayor, Ray Nagin, says the city is broke and the layoffs will save between $5 million and $8 million. Police, firefighters and sanitation workers will not be affected.

In money news, Delta Air Lines says it's cutting flights to save fuel. The airline will decide which flights to cancel based on how full the flights are. The most likely target are early morning and late-night domestic flights. American Airlines made a similar announcement last week.

In culture, pop culture I should say, Sharon Stone has come to the defense of embattled model Kate Moss. Stone openly criticized fashion companies who have severed ties with Moss. The trouble for Moss started after a London tabloid reported that she used cocaine.

In sports, the first round in the battle of the Sox went to the guys in White. The Chicago White Sox beat the Boston Red Sox 14-2 in the first game of their playoff series. It is the first time the White Sox have won a home playoff game since the 1959 World Series.

I went into a bar last night and saw the score on the TV.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: And I thought I was seeing things, 14 to 2.

MYERS: Yes. The game started. I went out to get the mail and it was already 5-0 when I got back.

COSTELLO: Jeez!

MYERS: So it was kind of ugly there.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And we don't like it.

MYERS: Well, it's fall.

COSTELLO: I know. I know.

Thank you, Chad.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, an unlikely pair may win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, but you shouldn't be surprised. Rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof are fighting AIDS and poverty in Africa. We'll take a look at their efforts just ahead.

And don't forget our "Question of the Day," Avian Flu: should the military be used to enforce quarantines? E-mail us, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time to check the "Health Headlines" for you this morning. Hard to believe, but pediatric experts say many 2 year olds are overweight. Perhaps 10 percent of 2 year olds says one leading pediatrician. And for the first time since 1982, the American Heart Association is changing its recommendations for infants, children and adolescents. It now says kids 2 and older should eat mostly fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat and non-fat dairy products, beans, fish and lean meat.

Some mixed results in a report on cancer, cancer is killing fewer people. Rates among men are stable, but more women in America are being diagnosed with cancer. The cancer death rate dropped a little more than 1 percent a year from 1993 through 2002.

More cancer news, people who develop skin cancer run a high risk of having it return. Researchers say the risk of developing melanoma is even greater if someone in your family has had the disease.

And today is the day for your kids to skip the school bus and walk to school instead. Unless, of course, it's six miles uphill both ways in five feet of snow, you know, like you did. Actually, today is International Walk to School Day. In the U.S. alone, more than 1,700 schools are taking part in this program. Organizers say it's a way to promote healthy lifestyles for your kids. California leads the way with more than 340 schools taking part. Hawaii and Mississippi only have one school each.

And here's some of what the kids have to say about walking to school.

A first grader in Seattle says, "my best part of walking was looking at fall trees and flowers, and listening to the birds singing."

Can we all say it together?

In Great Britain, here's this ode to youth. Holly says, "I like skipping and I can skip when I walk to school."

MYERS: OK.

COSTELLO: I know, I'm becoming a little nauseated myself.

But it's time to get to our e-mail segment, so let's not delay.

MYERS: It is. Our "Question of the Day" is, I mean, you probably heard the president talking about this yesterday, the Avian Flu, maybe he wants to use the military to use a quarantine if something breaks out in a certain city. But the "Question of the Day," should the military be used to enforce quarantines or, for that matter, any police action on U.S. soil, which is, of course, illegal by the Posse Act of 1878?

And from Frank (ph) says, hey, I remember taking the oath to get into the Navy back in 1976 and part of it was to swear to protect country from both foreign and domestic enemies. I would think a potential deadly flu virus classified as a domestic enemy, could be at least, and therefore a legitimate military target, even if it happened in the neck of my woods.

Well, to be honest, there weren't many other positive ones.

Terri (ph) in Arkansas, no, no, no, we should not use the military for quarantine enforcement. Hasn't anyone seen the movie "Outbreak?" That's placing too much power in the hands of the executive branch.

Mike (ph) in Falls Church, Virginia, that's all we need, someone like Bush with the authority to put federal troops in my backyard.

Walter (ph) in Stuart, Florida, might be a moot point since our military is spread so thin in Afghanistan, Iraq and responding to national disasters like Katrina. Where would we find the troops anyway?

And from Helen (ph), are you people nuts? Have you forgotten Kent State? What are they going to do, shoot someone who tries to leave? Get real -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Interesting.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: So I guess it was pretty one-sided, wasn't it?

MYERS: We also have some just in news here from the Weather Office from the National Hurricane Center. It's not in yet, but we have it right off the presses here. Radar data and surface observations indicate that a closed circulation is forming and has formed off the east coast of Florida. A tropical cyclone is forming. Advisories for Tropical Depression Number 21 will be initiated shortly with a special advisor. An aircraft -- a reconnaissance aircraft will be in the storm later today.

That is the storm right there. That's the cloud cover. And now they find circulation in it. And as soon as they do, if they find the closed low, they will get us that data -- Carol.

COSTELLO: So in addition to Stan, there's this?

MYERS: Yes. And this could be Tammy (ph). If it becomes a storm, it would be Tammy. There is such a huge disorganized area of low pressure, all the way from Stan, all the way to Puerto Rico. I mean this is just a huge area of low pressure and there are just little eddys, as we call them, just kind of spinning in that big low. So it's going to be a difficult forecast even to figure out where it's going anyway.

COSTELLO: Well, we count on you, and you'll talk about it in the next hour of DAYBREAK,...

MYERS: Certainly will.

COSTELLO: ... which starts in two minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Before we get to the next hour of DAYBREAK, we've got to do some "Entertainment Headlines" for you this morning.

The Italian actor, writer and director, Roberto Benigni, takes on the Iraq war in his new film "The Tiger and the Snow." The movie, a love story, with Benigni's trademark physical humor, is an anti-war statement. Benigni's Oscar winning film, "Life is Beautiful," was about the horrors of the Holocaust.

California police say Lindsay Lohan and a female passenger suffered minor injuries when the actress' black Mercedes collided with a van in West Hollywood. Witnesses say Lohan was trying to avoid paparazzi when the accident happened. She was involved in another accident last May as she tried to get away from a photographer.

They're calling it "Late Night With Conan O'Brien: The U2 Edition." The band is basically taking over the late night comedian's talk show tomorrow night. Bono will perform at least three songs and then sit down for an interview with Conan. U2 is in New York for sold out appearances at Madison Square Garden.

And they are righteous rockers, but do they have what it takes to win the Nobel Peace Prize? U2's Bono and Sir Bob Geldof are odds-on favorites to win the prestigious award on Friday for their work to end poverty and fight AIDS in Africa.

CNN's Sibila Vargas has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bono has a ton of Grammy awards. Bob Geldof was knighted in 1986. And now, one or both men may soon receive what may be the most prestigious prize in the world, the Nobel Peace Prize.

NICKI GOSTIN, "NEWSWEEK": It's an incredible honor. It's still a big deal, the Nobel Prize.

VARGAS: International odds makers are giving the two musicians 7-to-1 odds to take home the prize this week. That's just below the 4-to-1 favorite, the former president of Finland. But they're still well above President Bush, who's considered a 1,001-to-1 shot.

As lead singer of U2, arguably the biggest rock band in the world right now, Bono is a major voice in music. And for years he's used that voice to lobby countless world leaders on issues ranging from AIDS research to poverty.

Bono told "ShowBiz Tonight" that he's seen a lot of progress.

BONO, ENTERTAINER: African aid has doubled today. Ten thousand people, they're saying, who would have lost their lives to AIDS by 2010 will be on anti-bacterial vial growth (ph). Whether that's eight million, you know that was an extraordinary number.

VARGAS: Bono also told "ShowBiz Tonight," he's trying to influence a generation.

BONO: Pop stars can't change the world. I mean, you're absolutely right. Or rock stars or hip-hop stars or film stars. But our audience will change the world.

BOB GELDOF, ENTERTAINER: Please, please, give us as much money as we know you have.

VARGAS: Bob Geldof first gained worldwide fame for organizing the Live Aid concert for famine relief 20 years ago. This summer he organized the worldwide Live 8 concerts to pressure politicians to forgive the debts of four African nations. Bono was a big part of that, too.

GOSTIN: If the Nobel Prize committee decides that what they're working on, third world debt, is an important issue, they're certainly the spokespeople of it and they're the most famous spokespeople for it. So it's a great way to shine a light on third world debt and to acknowledge all the hard work that they've done. And they have done a lot of hard work.

VARGAS: Both Bono and Geldof have been nominated for Nobel Peace Prizes before. Whether Nobel will recognize them this time around is anyone's guess. That's because recipients are chosen by a super secret five-member panel in Norway from a list of more than a hundred nominees from all over the world. The names on that list are a tightly guarded secret. But Nobel Prize experts are pretty sure Bono and Geldof's names are on it, either for this year's prize or maybe even next year's.

GOSTIN: Whether you like their music or not, they really have done a terrific job in highlighting third world debt and brought a topic that sort of isn't really very sexy or hasn't gotten as much press as it should. They've gotten it a lot of press and a lot of discussion about it purely because they're rock stars.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That Nobel Prize comes with a $1.3 million reward. And we'll find out the winner on Friday. Of course both of those men really don't need the money, do they?

The next hour of DAYBREAK starts in one minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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