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CNN Live At Daybreak

Quake Aftermath; Iraq: The Next Chapter; Smurf-Ageddon

Aired October 12, 2005 - 05:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It is Wednesday, October 12. Condoleezza Rice is about to enter the quake zone. The secretary of state has expanded her trip. We'll bring you the latest on what's been a long journey.
Also, a letter from al Qaeda. The terror group's number two man reaches out to the Iraqi insurgency.

And bombs, death and orphaned babies. It is not your typical day in Smurf Village.

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello and Chad Myers.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you. We'll have more on Secretary Rice's trip later this hour.

Also ahead, start your engines. Sanjay Gupta takes us on a ride with some of the most popular NASCAR drivers. And believe me, if you're wondering if drivers are athletes, well, wait until you hear what Sanjay says.

But first, "Now in the News."

CNN confirming that "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller will make a second appearance before a grand jury today. The jury's looking into the leak of a CIA operative's identity. Miller spent nearly three months in jail for refusing to reveal her sources.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is about to land in Islamabad, Pakistan, in just a few minutes. She expanded her trip to Central Asia to include the earthquake-ravaged country. Rice's last stop was in Afghanistan.

A successful launch has put two Chinese astronauts in space for what's scheduled to be China's longest space flight ever. The pair are expected to return to Earth on Monday. China's first manned space flight in 2003 lasted only 14 orbits.

To the forecast center now and Chad.

Good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. We'll get back to you, Chad. Thank you.

MYERS: You're welcome.

Let's update you now on relief efforts in the wake of the deadly Asian earthquake. More aid is arriving in the quake zone. An Indian relief plane has now landed in Islamabad. Rain, wind and cold, though, have been hurting relief efforts. But the weather has improved a bit this morning, allowing aid helicopters to fly, at least. At least 20,000 people are confirmed dead in Pakistan, but officials fear the death toll could top 41,000.

Let's get more now from the heart of the quake zone. For that, we'll go to Pakistan's northwest frontier province. CNN Senior International Correspondent Satinder Bindra is there.

And Satinder, you say this is the most somber area of Pakistan. Why?

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Carol. What's happened here is very, very sad. When you look around, you continue to see people suffering. And right now, Carol, let me describe to you where I am.

I am in what remains of a school in a small place called Gari Habibullah. Seven hundred and fifty girls once studied here. They were all in their school Saturday morning when the earthquake happened, and the entire school just collapsed in a heap.

As far as we know, Carol, 150 girls died here. And so far, on day five, no heavy machinery has gone in to try and see if there are any students still trapped in there.

Right now, work has started with a digger. But this is the first piece of machinery to get here. And as news of the school sort of continues to spread, people from all across the country are just driving in here.

I've met a group of students who came from the city of Peshawar. And they've just come in with axes and picks. And they're digging through the rubble, trying to see if they can find anyone alive.

They say there's still hope. And it's a very sad scene here. Some students who studied here have just come back. They're sifting through their books and belongings. And one young girl just told me -- she said, "Why is that god had to punish his children?"

COSTELLO: Oh. And I want to tell our viewers, the pictures you are seeing are not from the area that Satinder is speaking about.

In these pictures, we can see tents set up, Satinder, and we can see the heavy machinery in helping people to escape the rubble. We also saw relief planes landing and helicopters landing. But where you are, not many of those things are getting through.

Explain to us why. BINDRA: Yes, I'm in a very, very mountainous area. The roads here are still clogged. And it takes quite an effort to mount a large operation. But things are slowly getting in, and you see people standing by the side of the road waiting for food.

Helicopters are flying into the region, but they can fly only into areas where there's big helipads. And from there, relief has to be distributed through cars or through trucks.

So it's a slow effort. And for many people now the need is quite dire. Many people complaining they haven't eaten in three, four days. They're weak, they're -- as you can imagine in places like this, where such tragedies have occurred, people are also emotionally very distraught.

So these worries continue, and many of the people, as we've been mentioning, that I've been talking to in the past, Carol, continue to live outdoors. There are no tents. And it gets quite cold at night. So that will be the worry as well for many people, if the weather does turn bad or the weather does turn cold tonight.

COSTELLO: We'll keep our fingers crossed. Satinder Bindra reporting live from northwest Pakistan this morning.

Just days before a historic public vote on Iraq's constitution, CNN is getting word of a major political deal in last-minute talks with the Shia-Kurd coalition. A major Sunni party has agreed to support the document. But other Sunni parties say they'll still urge their supporters to vote against it. The Iraqi people vote on the draft constitution this coming Saturday.

Political progress in Iraq still offset by insurgent violence, though. And the road to democracy is proving to be a dangerous one.

CNN International Correspondent Aneesh Raman joins us now live from Baghdad with more.

Hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Officials here have always said to expect a spike in violence as we head toward Saturday's vote, and nowhere is that threat more real than the U.S. troops who patrol some of the most dangerous roads in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It's called the world's most dangerous road. A private security company coming under insurgent gunfire earlier this year as they drove from the capital to the airport. A persistent threat on a road many fear and no one can avoid.

But for Sergeant Major Taylor, Route Irish, as it's called, is a daily destination, patrolling for potential bombs. In recent months, Taylor's soldiers significantly brought down the number of attacks, ridding the road of its infamy by befriending the community.

SGT. MAJOR ROBERT TAYLOR, U.S. ARMY: If we don't own these neighborhoods, we don't own that road out here. And we've got to own the neighborhoods.

RAMAN: But nearby, on Route Pluto, it's about showing force. This is the road, according to the U.S. military, that sees the most roadside bombs in Baghdad.

The U.N. headquarters bombed here in 2003. A car bomb killed dozens of children this summer. Humvees alone can't stop the attacks here.

(on camera): These tanks provide more than protection. They also send a very important message. The Abrams tanks are huge. They take about 500 gallons of fuel away, over 68 tons. They are a sign of force against the insurgency.

(voice over): The biggest threat, IEDs. Minutes into a patrol, heavy moments of uncertainty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just wired a tail (ph) that looks like it's going into the drain.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very hard to determine. I'm telling you. Something about this ain't right.

RAMAN: In the end, it was only a carcass. But the patrol stays vigilant. Complacency kept at bay.

SGT. FRANK MEZO, U.S. ARMY: Because the minute you let your guard down, then one day you'll go out and, you know, there's everything happening.

RAMAN: And anything can happen. The threats vary. On Route Irish, Taylor says there's now a new danger for Iraqis: private security details.

TAYLOR: They're the biggest threat on the road. If they're in a hurry, they just start firing up in the air. If there's innocent bystanders around that get hit, they're not worried about it.

RAMAN: A view shared privately by others in the U.S. military, as well as some contracting companies operating in Iraq.

Every day U.S. troops are out patrolling these roads. The threat is always real, but so is the hope that securing things here will go a long way to securing the country.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAMAN: Carol, singular stories of some of the U.S. troops who every day are risking their lives to try and make Iraq better -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman, reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is rallying the troops. He held a town hall meeting with them at Fort -- and MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Rumsfeld assured them the U.S. will prevail on its many war fronts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD RUMSFELD, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: Some may ask, well, what's the goal of this global war on terror? What's the goal of the effort in Iraq or Afghanistan? Well, tell them it's victory, unconditional, unapologetic, and unyielding.

And you can tell them one more thing, that we know and we appreciate the car of war. And it is costly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Rumsfeld is hosting meetings in south Florida with security leaders from seven Central American nations.

Let's shift focus now and talk about hurricane recovery efforts in New Orleans and check it out. The city is once again officially dry. The Army Corps of Engineers says it's finished pumping the water out.

Most of the floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina had already been pumped out, but then you know Hurricane Rita caused tidal surges that pushed more water into the city. But again, New Orleans is essentially dry this morning.

Louisiana's governor says New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin should slow down on his casino expansion plan. Nagin has proposed opening up seven new casinos near the French Quarter. Governor Kathleen Blanco says she appreciates his efforts to restart the economy, but she says she doesn't think gambling should be a quick fix for the city's money problems.

And there is more fallout this morning from that police confrontation in New Orleans captured on tape. A January trial date has been set for the three New Orleans police officers accused in that incident. They have pleaded not guilty.

In the meantime, the beating victim, 64-year-old retired teacher Robert Davis, told Aaron Brown about the bruising on his skin after the beating.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT DAVIS, BEATING VICTIM: It's totally black. I mean, it is not even remotely connected to my complexion.

AARON BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

DAVIS: It is black. And there was no way I could have fell and got this. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Davis appears in court today on charges of public intoxication and resisting arrest. He says he was not drinking on the night of the incident.

Also, the police officers, they're going to be holding a news conference at noon Eastern. We'll be following that as well.

People are heading back to New Orleans, and they're looking for jobs. We'll talk about that, too, in the next hour of DAYBREAK, with our guest, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, UNICEF is bombing the Smurfs. It's a campaign aimed at shocking you into taking action. Will it work?

Also, Martha Stewart is out. She's out of prison, and now she's laying down the law. We'll give you the rundown on "Martha's Rules."

And imagine if your daily commute including mind-numbing speed and major G forces. It's just a typical day at NASCAR. And our Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes us on a ride.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: International markets trading lower this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei is lower by 92 points. The London FTSE losing 26. The German DAX 55 points lower.

In futures trading, oh, let's talk about the price of oil, because it is up 27 cents. It now stands at $63.32 a barrel this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:16 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should be arriving in Pakistan any minute now. She's expected to discuss earthquake relief efforts and pledge U.S. support there. Earlier, Rice was in Afghanistan, where she met with the president there, Hamid Karzai.

The Texas prosecutor leading the conspiracy and money laundering case against Congressman Tom DeLay says he expects to prevail. DeLay's attorney has subpoenaed communications between District Attorney Ronnie Earle's office and the grand jury that's investigating DeLay.

In money news, Apple Computer says its fourth quarter net income surged more than 300 percent to $430 million. The record earnings were reportedly fueled by Apple's iPod players and back-to-school computer sales.

In culture, say hello to the new "TV Guide." After 52 years, it's hitting the shelves in full color and full -- look, there it is. And guess what? It's dropped its weekly price from $2.49 to just 99 cents. That price will hold for the rest of the year. In sports, Ron Artest finally got back on the court for the Indiana Pacers. He scored eight points in the team's exhibition season opener against the New Jersey Nets. Artest hadn't played for the Pacers since that brawl in the stands in Detroit nearly 11 months ago -- Chad.

MYERS: And good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It's time to talk about Smurf-ageddon now, though, Chad.

MYERS: Smurf.

COSTELLO: Smurf-ageddon.

MYERS: Those little blue guys?

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: Some of your children might find this next story a little disturbing, so you may want to send them back to the kitchen for more cereal. Because you remember those lovable Smurfs? Well, they've now entered into a new realm: symbolic target.

CNN's Anderson Cooper explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think all Smurfs look the same.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Who doesn't love the Smurfs? Besides parents forced to watch them, that is. They're bouncy, blue, three-apple-high bundles of smug happiness, baffling the plots of the evil sorcerer Gargamel and his mangy cat Azrael.

Generations have grown up entranced by the coquettish Smurfette and the gruff but lovable Papa Smurf...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep on Smurfing!

COOPER: ... who at the age of 542 looks pretty darn good.

But in a new commercial now running on TV in Belgium, all is not so smurfy in the mushroom-filled town of Smurfville. One moment, the Smurfs are dancing around a campfire. The next, it's Smurf-ageddon. Their cute mushroom homes are blown up, and so are a number of Smurfs. The commercial ends with a child Smurf left crying amidst the wreckage.

Who would do this to Smurfs? Turns out the bloodbath is the brainchild of UNICEF Belgium. Belgium is the birthplace of Smurfs, after all. And they are blowing them apart to raise awareness and money to rehabilitate children, kidnapped and forced to fight as soldiers in the African country of Burundi.

Will seeing their little blue friends blown up send thousands of Belgian kids into shock? Perhaps, but UNICEF says the ad is meant for adults, and will be aired only at night.

For their part, the Smurfs aren't talking, but we are sure with their can-do Smurf spirit, they will be up and Smurfing in no time soon.

Anderson Cooper, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: There's so many things to say about this. You know, we've become so desensitized to what's happening in our world...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... that perhaps you need that kind of thing to sensitize us once again.

MYERS: It opened up my eyes this morning. I logged on, I Googled it to find out what was going on, see what the real story was down there in Africa.

COSTELLO: Did you get the message behind what UNICEF is trying to sell, though?

MYERS: Well...

COSTELLO: Or was it obscured by the Smurfs blowing up?

MYERS: Well, first of all, I probably couldn't understand what they were talking about because it wasn't in English, right?

COSTELLO: Well, Anderson Cooper tried to explain that.

MYERS: I get that part. But we never really got to see the visual. Was it just those pictures, or was it actually animated? I don't know. I couldn't tell whether that was the whole...

COSTELLO: It was Smurfs being, like, strafed.

MYERS: Right, right, I know. But all we showed were the still pictures of the aftermath of the campfire, right?

COSTELLO: Well, I think that's pretty much all they're showing. But they want to highlight, you know, the use of children soldiers in civil wars. And they want to stop that from happening. So they're trying to get people on board to realize that problem by, you know, blowing up lovable characters.

MYERS: I know.

COSTELLO: But that brings us to our DAYBREAK e-mail "Question of the Day," anyway.

MYERS: It sure does. And if you can figure out more about this, there you go, we want to know what you think. Cartoons and catastrophe -- I know we've had the Acme blowing up company for years and years when it comes to Wile E. Coyote...

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: ... and all those. But is this overboard or right on target? There we go. Oh, look out. Andale, andale!

No, that's a different guy. He always blew himself up. Remember that? He always ended up in a big cloud of dust on the bottle.

COSTELLO: But you're right. You know, you bring up a good point, though. There's always been violence in cartoons. And if you play video games now, the violence is so much more pronounced than in that Smurf commercial, right?

MYERS: Well, let's hope we haven't got so desensitized to this that we can't figure out the truth from reality here.

So there you go, cartoons and catastrophe, overboard or right on target? Let us know what you think, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

COSTELLO: And still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, she's back and she's taking full advantage of her newfound freedom. Martha Stewart sat down with Larry King to talk about life behind bars and much more.

You're watching DAYBREAK for Wednesday, October 12.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MYERS: And good morning, everybody. Cartoons and catastrophe, do we have too much violence on these animated cartoons? Are we overboard or right on target? DAYBREAK@CNN.com -- Carol.

COSTELLO: She's got a new book and a new life. Martha Stewart is back in a big way. We take you beyond the sound bite this morning with her own words and her first live in-depth prime-time interview since her release from prison.

Stewart talked to our own Larry King about doing time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTHA STEWART, "MARTHA'S RULES": It wasn't as horrible as anticipated. You know, it is -- it is a total lack of freedom, a lack of -- of being able to go where you want to go, do what you want to do. You are incarcerated. It is a very serious thing.

I took it seriously. I served my time with dignity, I hope. I met many, many people there that I actually have great compassion for. And -- and I don't regret my decision in any way. I don't think I'm changed. I did find out, or at least I realized a lot of things about myself while I was there. That I'm a strong woman, that I'm a very healthy woman, thank heavens, that I can put up with a lot, that I can be patient, that I can make friends in all places, that I can teach, that people still want to get information from me and inspiration, that -- that I am able to survive very, very bad things and still come home, thrive, and see a bright future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And Chad, I know you were hanging on to Martha Stewart's every word.

MYERS: Well, I need her updated color palettes. That's what I really need for my House.

COSTELLO: I'll work on that. But she has a new book out, too, in addition to all the other stuff she has out. And the book is called "The Martha Rules," and hit the store shelves yesterday. So you can now buy it on Amazon.com.

MYERS: We have a few of them on the screen.

COSTELLO: Would you like to read them?

MYERS: Well, I certainly will.

"Passion is the first and most essential ingredient for planning and beginning a business, or for starting and satisfactorily completing any worthwhile project. Without passion, work is just work, a chore." And another four-letter word.

And, "It is not uncommon to try a number of different things before your passion becomes clear. Experimentation is the only way to figure it out. By trying out different businesses and jobs that interest you, you will learn things that will help you later" -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Go on. For example, she says, "When I quit modeling, I never imagined I would again spend so much time in front of still and television cameras. And yet I did, and still do regularly."

MYERS: Yes. I don't think she really thought that.

COSTELLO: You don't?

MYERS: No. I think when she -- when she stopped modeling, I think right there she wanted a TV career, and that's where she was going. She knew that.

COSTELLO: I think she wanted to make some real money.

MYERS: Well, that could be true. But, I mean, she started out really doing kind of not -- I don't want to say low budget, but certainly not big-paying jobs in TV. You remember the "Martha Stewart Living" thing when it was first coming out on small-market TVs and little small cable stations. So she's worked her way up.

COSTELLO: She really did start with -- she did. She did. You know, the sad thing is her television shows aren't doing so well. So it will be interesting to see if this book sells. We'll see.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Some say they're really just driving cars around and around to the left. But others say they're some of the best athletes on the planet. Dr. Sanjay Gupta takes on the pressing debate over NASCAR drivers. That's in our next half-hour.

And we still want your e-mail. The Smurfs get blown to bits. If we don't stop gargling (ph) those weapons of mass destruction, Barney could be next, seriously.

Does this promotion go too far? It's out by UNICEF. It wants to draw your attention to the problems in Africa with the children. Cartoons and catastrophe, overboard or right on target?

E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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