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CNN Live At Daybreak

Deadly Car Bombings in Iraq; Relief Flights Out of Islamabad Canceled; Waterlogged in New Hampshire

Aired October 11, 2005 - 06:29   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We are following a developing story out of Iraq this morning. A car bomb blast in western Baghdad has left at least 20 dead.
We're joined by Aneesh Raman. He's live with the latest for us.

Bring us up-to-date -- Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, two separate suicide car bombs striking Iraq in just the past few hours. The first at around 11:00 a.m. local in the northwestern town of Tal Afar, just near the city of Mosul. A suicide car bomb there detonating at a marketplace them, killing at least 20 people, as well as wounding a good number of others, 45 -- sorry, the death toll there, 30 people, 45 others wounded.

Just a short time later in the western part of Baghdad, another suicide car bomb detonated. This time the target was a convoy of Iraqi army vehicles. The death toll there -- we're getting conflicting reports. The Iraqi police put it at least four. Iraqi army officials say at least 20 people were killed. A good number of others wounded.

These initial casualty numbers often are conflicting, especially as you go up into the remote areas like Tal Afar.

But the timing, Carol, of course, is critical. We are just days away from Saturday's constitutional referendum. Iraqi officials and U.S. officials said to expect a rise in violence before that vote. And it does beg the question, especially in these Sunni areas, where Tal Afar is, as to whether these attacks will impact the Sunni turnout. The Sunnis are expected to come and vote down this constitution, but nonetheless expected to go to the polls.

And so that's why we've seen U.S. military operations in these Sunni areas of Anbar as well as Nineveh, the province that Tal Afar is in.

So, the question is whether enough security is there on the ground and what impact these attacks will have -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Big question. Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad.

So, as many as 50 people dead this morning, killed in suicide bombings in Iraq. Our CNN military analyst, Major General Don Shepperd, just returned from Iraq, and he joins us live from Washington with some perspective.

Good morning, general.

MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So, like I said, perhaps as many as 50 dead this morning. And seemingly no end in sight.

SHEPPERD: Yes, a tough place. I just got back last night. I'm still a little bit groggy. And I was in western Baghdad, where the bombings took place there.

You can expect a rise clearly over this weekend at the polling places as insurgents attempt to keep people from voting or punish those who do. And you can probably expect increased violence between this referendum and the election if the election is held. In other words if the constitution passes and is not voted down.

It's a very, very tough neighborhood.

COSTELLO: We're hearing word that these suicide bombers are in rehearsals for the upcoming vote. In fact, the suicide bombing at the marketplace this morning, the vehicle was painted like a taxi. So, they're finding creative ways to carry out their violence.

SHEPPERD: Yes. I suspect that that's true. You're going to see that and other innovative methods.

I think there's something that we need to consider about this, though. The only strategy that the insurgents have is the strategy of death and violence. That is not a winning strategy. It's a painful strategy, and it certainly will work for a while.

But the Iraqi people, at least the ones that I've talked to, are really, really getting tired of this. And I think you are -- I'm encouraged and optimistic for the first time in a long, long time that the Iraqis are going to pull off -- they're going to pull off the election. They are going to get their forces trained, and that is going very well. And they're going to be much better at some of the things that are key to it than we are.

And I think they're going to be able to pull this off. I think you'll start seeing the insurrection or the insurgency take some hits next year and start to peter out. But it won't be until next year -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, yes, it won't be until next year. But if the insurgency succeeds in preventing many Sunnis from going to vote, it will be not a victory for Iraq or the United States. Will it?

SHEPPERD: No, it won't. Now, a couple of things about the election. Again, the people I've talked to say they believe the Sunnis are going to turn out despite the violence. They've got plans for protecting the polling places, but they think they'll turn out. They do not know whether they're going to vote for or against the referendum.

They think that even if the referendum is voted down that it will be a positive, because the Sunnis have joined the process for the first time. And they get can them a modified constitution.

So, they see it as perhaps a victory either way, although it certainly will be something less than what we hoped for.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's talk about the American troops and when possibly some might pull out of there. When do you think?

SHEPPERD: Well, I'll tell you, we asked that question everywhere we went. And you get people looking at their shoes, and they don't want to give you a date.

But I think this is what's going to happen: We've got impressions that the Iraqi forces are not good. The training is not going well. From everyone that we talked to, nothing could be further from the truth. These guys are good. They're coming up to speed very, very quickly. And if they do come up to speed as planned, I think you'll see some major troop withdrawal starting the first part of next year, and then gradually continuing. But we're still going to be there for a few years -- Carol.

COSTELLO: For a few years. I mean, you're saying something different than what we're hearing, because we're hearing only a few of the Iraqi forces are up to speed and can fight on their own.

SHEPPERD: Yes. You've got to know what people are talking about when they say that. These Iraqi forces are not as good and not going to be as good as U.S. forces and able to do all of the things that we can do for a long, long time. By the way, neither can any other military. They're going to need our support for a long time.

But they can do the key things. They can do intelligence. They can do raids. And they can do presence.

And they are being -- areas are being turned over to them. For instance, about 20 percent of the city of Baghdad has now been turned over to the Iraqi forces. I was very, very impressed with what I saw, and I think things will get better as they get better and as they start taking over some of our duties, and we gradually begin to withdraw.

COSTELLO: Major General Don Shepperd joining us this morning. Thank you.

SHEPPERD: Pleasure.

COSTELLO: President Bush, well, he spent the night in New Orleans as part of the president's latest tour through the hurricane- damaged region. This morning, the president and the first lady plan to take part in a Habitat for Humanity project. That will happen in Covington, Louisiana.

About two hours later, the president will be in Pass Christian, Mississippi. There, he'll visit Delisle Elementary School, the only remaining school there. Students finally returned to school yesterday.

Robert Davis is scheduled to appear in court today on public intoxication and battery charges. Who's he? Well, Davis, you remember, was on the receiving end of this beating by New Orleans police officers Saturday night. Three of those officers were arraigned on battery charges.

Davis' attorney tried to explain what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH BRUNO, DAVIS' ATTORNEY: He approached a policeman on a horse and asked him about the curfew. While he was having the conversation with the policeman on the horse, a second officer approached, and apparently said some ugly things to my client. And my client said, "I think that's unprofessional." He finished his conversation and walked across the street.

As he was walking across the street, he was struck from behind. And that's when the altercation began. Other officers seeing the fight joined in. And you've seen the tape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The FBI has launched a civil rights investigation into the beating. Davis is black. The officers were white. Davis says he hates to admit it, but he thinks the incident was racially motivated.

We'll hear more from Mr. Davis and his attorney on "AMERICAN MORNING." The pair will sit down with CNN's Soledad O'Brien to discuss the incident and the aftermath. "AMERICAN MORNING" begins at 7:00 a.m. Eastern.

Now back to the developing story we're following for you in the aftermath of that deadly south Asian earthquake. Severe weather in Pakistan is now hampering rescuers, forcing them to cancel all relief flights out of Islamabad.

Let's check in with Becky Anderson. She's there this morning.

Hello -- Becky.

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, frustration is the key word at this hour. We've just been through a huge storm here in Islamabad. It lasted for about a half-hour. We had to break down our equipment and get down.

Those behind us who are working on the multi-story apartment building that simply collapsed on Saturday didn't stop, though. The search and rescue effort goes on behind me. It's now into the fourth day, of course.

There is, though, hope. We were told about an hour ago that they heard a woman's voice. They believe that she's fairly close to the surface of the debris, and they hope to bring her out alive.

And, of course, we saw a mother and child late Monday night brought out alive. There is some hope in this despair, but not an awful lot, because up north from here, about 95 kilometers up north in Balacat (ph) and into Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, the weather is absolutely awful. It's the end of the monsoon season, of course.

There are five million people displaced. Just consider that. Forty-one thousand people have been killed in Pakistan and 1,200 in India. And now, the relief operation is grounded.

We saw the American helicopters fly over us just about a half- hour ago. They must be incredibly frustrated. What they've been telling us is just they're so excited to be here, to be able to do something. They've been on the ground for about 48 hours here. They got up into the air. They got to some of the remotest parts of the country. And now they're back down in Pakistan's capital.

A very difficult situation here at the present -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Becky Anderson reporting live from Islamabad this morning.

There is fierce flooding in New Hampshire. Up next, a report from an area trying to dry off and mop up after days of rain.

And a Florida gun law under fire. We'll show you what's being done about it.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The international markets are higher across the board. Tokyo's Nikkei up by 328 points, the London FTSE adding 22, the German DAX higher by 39.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:43 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

A developing story from the Asian quake zone. Authorities have been forced to suspend relief flights out of Islamabad, Pakistan, because of bad weather. A strong cold front has triggered severe storms.

In money news, IBM says it won't use genetic tests against its employees. The company promises that DNA testing will not enter into health care equations or hiring decisions. There has been a fear that companies would use genetic technology to discriminate against people with a predisposition to disease.

In culture, Irish author John Banville's new novel, "The Sea," wins the prestigious Booker Prize. The Booker Prize is Britain's top literary prize for fiction. Past winners include Salman Rushdie.

In sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers hit a field goal with just six seconds left to win 24-22 over the Chargers. Oh, but the win may have come at a price. The Steelers' quarterback, Ben Roethlisberer, had to be helped off the field late in the game. It seems he hurt his knee, Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: They don't know how bad it is. Maybe we'll find out today after a scope or something. We'll have to see. Good morning, Carol. Happy birthday.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Let's talk about that rain, Chad. More rain. It is the last thing people in the Northeast need right now. Heavy rain and flooding forced about a thousand New Hampshire residents from their homes. And that was only the beginning.

Jim Morelli (ph) from our Boston affiliate WCVB has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): They are pumping the water from Jane Hutton's house, a small remnant of a killer flood.

JANE HUTTON, RESIDENT: It went on and on. And the noise was awful. The crashing of the trees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hutton lives by the Cold River in Alstead. Early Saturday morning she escaped the raging waters by climbing to higher ground.

HUTTON: There were people in the road who were actually telling us at that time that a large conduit under a road uphill from us had broken. And that they expected a large amount of water to come our way.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Minutes later, it did.

HUTTON: Cars, trucks, homes just going over the bridge near our home like sheep would jump a fence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also swept away, several people, some of whom are still missing. The man with his back to the camera is looking for his brother and a sister-in-law.

We're all, like, on big family that, you know, when anything happens it's tied on everybody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jane Hutton says working together, the town will recover.

HUTTON: I do believe that we'll come back from this. The landscape will be very, very different. And some people will be very, very much missed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That was from Jim Morelli (ph) from our Boston affiliate WCVB.

Flood watches will remain up in some parts of the Northeast through tomorrow.

Up next on DAYBREAK, shoot first, ask questions now. A Florida gun law draw fire when we come back.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And welcome back. It's 6:50 Eastern. Here is what will be making news today.

A suspected terrorist gets his day in a federal court just outside of Washington. Ahmed Abu Ali is accused in a plot to assassinate President Bush. His lawyers are trying to get the case dismissed.

Also, the special prosecutor in the CIA leak probe will question "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller today. Miller spent nearly three months in jail for refusing to reveal her sources to a grand jury investigating the case. Today's questioning won't be done in front of the grand jury, though.

And finally, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in the central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan this morning. She also plans to visit Afghanistan during her weeklong trip, and says she might also tour earthquake damage in Pakistan.

In Florida, a new gun law is coming under fire. Safety advocates say they're just trying to point out potential problems with the measure. But tourism officials say, butt out.

Here's more from CNN's John Zarrella in Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Florida's is tough to beat.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the Florida tourism officials want you to see.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Seafood, night life.

ZARRELLA: But this flyer conjures up a different image. KEN ELLIS, VISITOR: I'm wondering whether we're, you know, moving back to the Old West, and I don't mean west Florida. I mean the Old West.

ZARRELLA: The Brady Campaign, a gun control group, has taken aim at the state's new "no-retreat" law, called common sense by Governor Jeb Bush.

(on camera): It says, any person can stand their ground, meet force with force, if he or she believes it's necessary to prevent death or bodily harm. There is no longer any obligation to try to retreat first, whether in your house, your car or on the street.

(voice-over): Supporters say law-abiding citizens can now protect themselves without fear of prosecution. The Brady Campaign says the law may lead to the reckless use of guns. The group is handing out its flyer at Florida airports.

ZACK RAGBOURN, BRADY CAMPAIGN: The people who are most at risk of being in one of these tragic misunderstandings are the people who don't know that deadly force can now be used more often in Florida. Those are the people who don't live in Florida.

ZARRELLA: State tourism officials fire back. It's scare tactics.

VANESSA WELTER, FLORIDA TOURISM BOARD: They're picking on Florida. That's because we're a top tourism destination. We're a global tourism destination.

ZARRELLA: The flyer warns tourists to take precautions, saying -- quote -- "do not argue unnecessarily with local people." At Miami airport, Dana Brooks agrees with tourism officials.

DANA BROOKS, VISITOR: Why else would you distribute this at an airport, knowing people are flying in for vacation or other reasons, if you're not handing this out to scare people?

ZARRELLA: The Brady Campaign says it's not trying to scare visitors, just inform them. State tourism officials charge the campaign is trying to leverage tourism dollars to make a political point.

John Zarrella, CNN, Miami.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Interesting. But let's give away a mug now.

MYERS: There you go. The questions from yesterday and the questions from today. What percentage of U.S. workers called in sick when they weren't sick last year? The number, a surprising 43 percent.

COSTELLO: I thought it would be 100 percent myself.

MYERS: I have never done that.

COSTELLO: Oh, come on!

MYERS: There's nobody to cover for me. Who is going to come in? A new law governing what type of bankruptcy goes into effect next week? That is personal bankruptcy chapter 7.

And the winner, the winner from Danville, New Jersey, Jay Lefever. Congratulations, Jay. You are the winner of today's CNN's DAYBREAK coffee mug.

And then for tomorrow, the winner will be announced about the same time. Here are your questions. How heavy was the pumpkin that won the West Coast championship weigh-off?

COSTELLO: Well, that's a weighty question.

MYERS: And according to a new study at Brunel University, what are men better at than women? There's only one thing in the world. But what is it now?

Go to CNN.com.

COSTELLO: You're making me laugh this morning.

MYERS: Happy birthday, by the way.

COSTELLO: Thank you very much. And thanks to all of you for your birthday wishes. It doesn't make me feel quite as old.

When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. This is DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: If you are traveling today, Chad has news.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: "Now in the News."

A deadly taste of winter in Colorado. A powerful storm has dumped up to 20 inches of snow in parts of the state. It knocked out power to thousands. It's also blamed for three deaths.

An infectious disease expert says stockpiling vaccines and antiviral drugs will do little to counter a possible bird flu pandemic. Michael Oserhome (ph) says the government should prepare to cope with the disease, because it could spread too quickly in humans for medicine to be of much help.

More violence in Iraq this morning. Within the last hour, a car bomb blast in western Baghdad left at least 20 dead. An Iraqi army convoy was the target.

And north of Baghdad, there are more reports of deaths. A bombing at a market in Tal Afar has killed as many as 30 people.

Georgia police are looking for the person or people who landed a stolen charter plane at a regional airport near Atlanta. The plane was stolen from an airfield in St. Augustine, Florida, after the pilots left it on the tarmac on Saturday. The plane was not discovered missing until yesterday.

And billionaire Greg Olsen is back on solid ground this morning. Olsen spent the past 10 days in space as a tourist on the latest mission to the International Space Station. His ticket ride -- his ticket to ride, rather, cost him $20 million.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Carol. I'm Miles O'Brien.

Two deadly car bomb attacks in Iraq this morning. More than 30 are dead. Are insurgents raising the stakes just days before Iraqis take to the polls? We're live in Baghdad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Soledad O'Brien.

Time is running out in the search for earthquake survivors in Asia. Torrential rains and freezing temperatures are now making matters even worse. The death toll, 42,000, and it's climbing. We're live there this morning.

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