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CNN Live At Daybreak

Iraq Gears Up for Constitution Vote; Relief Efforts Stream to South Asia

Aired October 12, 2005 - 06:00   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.
Earthquake survivors in Asia are literally out in the cold. Plunging temperatures, rain and the threat of mudslides, that's what quake refugees are facing. And the forecast does not look good.

Also, China boldly goes where very few nations have gone before. We will have the latest on a history making mission.

And help wanted -- Jesse Jackson says get on the bus and get a job. We'll talk to him.

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 the earthquake aftermath in just a minute.

Also ahead, hundreds of people back in the United States are also facing a long road to recovery. We'll get a closer look at the waterlogged Northeast.

And dieters, you've been waiting to hear this for a long time. Snacking can actually be good for you. Of course, you have to be smart about it. We'll tell you how.

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

Tom DeLay is looking for answers of his own in his money laundering case. DeLay's attorney subpoenaed communications between Prosecutor Ronnie Earle's office and the grand juries that heard evidence against the Texas Republican.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Pakistan just about 15 minutes ago. She expanded her trip to Central Asia this week to include the earthquake ravaged country. Rice's last stop was in Afghanistan, where she met with President Hamid Karzai.

Robert Davis will be in court today in New Orleans. Davis is the man seen beaten by police on that now infamous tape. He faces battery and public intoxication charges. The three officers accused in the beating have already been arraigned.

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

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

It's raining where you are.

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: Did you figure that out when you got out of the cab?

COSTELLO: It's been raining endlessly for days.

MYERS: Yes, exactly. And there is more coming where this came from.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: 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. That's good news. 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.

Let's talk more about this important deal and the security that's being put into place for Saturday's voting.

Let's head live to Baghdad and Aneesh Raman, who's joined by an American colonel with more details -- good morning to you both.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Colonel Edward Cardon is joining me.

He's commander of the 4th Brigade. And their area of operation is a good portion of Baghdad.

And, Colonel, thanks for joining me.

I wanted to start -- obviously Saturday we've got a big vote here in Iraq.

Talk a little bit about the security that we'll see here in the capital.

COL. EDWARD CARDON, U.S. ARMY: Since the 29th of September, we've started Operation National Unity, which was designed by the Iraqi security forces and coalition forces. That's a series of offensive operations that have been ongoing. We've detained hundreds of suspects, killed some.

We also have a series of defensive measures with traffic control points to improve the security around fixed sites. And we also have started some operations to improve the level of security forces, as well, for this operation.

RAMAN: We've always been told by officials we could see a spike in violence toward that day.

How concerned are you about attacks on Saturday, on the vote itself?

CARDON: Oh, we're definitely concerned about it, but we're doing -- we're taking a lot of steps to prevent that from happening. The actual number of attacks in my area of operations is actually just slightly above normal. I attribute that to the vast increase in the number of patrols, both in Iraqi security forces and coalition forces.

RAMAN: Well, you mentioned the Iraqi security forces.

In your area of operation, how are they faring? Are they progressing well? Are they able to take on certain areas of responsibility on their own?

CARDON: There are certain areas where they are operating on their own and there's others where we have Ministry of Interior Brigades which normally don't control ground, but they conduct operations in support of the police forces. And all together, we've worked -- just had a rehearsal this morning where we worked with all of these security forces to make sure we have a coordinated plan for Saturday.

RAMAN: And if we look beyond Saturday and we look at the Iraqi security forces, really them, as the president says, stepping up is the only way that the U.S. forces can stand down, how is that progressing, in your mind, in terms of the numbers and the recruitment and their abilities?

CARDON: Well, the Ministry of Defense said the army is coming along very nicely. Two of the battalions that we trained early on here are already holding their own ground. I'm training four more as we speak. By the time we leave, I think they will be able to hold their own ground.

The Ministry of Interior forces don't generally hold ground, but their quality is improving. They have not received the same level of training as the Ministry of Defense forces have.

RAMAN: There's a lot of talk back home about the war, of course. And there's always said on the ground that there's essentially a disconnect between the perceptions back in the U.S. and the reality here in Baghdad, if not throughout the country.

What is your perception of how things are going and how things are heading from here?

CARDON: Well, we're optimists. You can -- here in Iraq, you can look at things and look at either it's optimistic or it's pessimistic. If you just look at a big violent event, you would say oh, the security here is terrible. But you could also look that there's hundreds of patrols that go out every day and make no contact at all. You could look at basic services and say oh, it's not as good as it could be, or you could look and say wow, the demand for satellite TVs, cell phones, cars, fuel has really increased, which shows a little bit of growth in the economy. And more than that, people have some hope in the future.

RAMAN: How dangerous, though, are these suicide bombers? Because at some level, they're nearly impossible to prevent once they're out on the streets.

How crippling is that?

CARDON: Well, they're dangerous, clearly. And it's one of the things that both the Iraqi security forces and coalition forces are working on hard. And I've had a few in my area over the last couple of days.

Generally, though, I will tell you that the suicide bombers are ineffective. The problem is, is when you get one effective one. In other words, he drives into a market or a bus station or something and kills, you know, scores of people, then it's a big event that day.

I've had two in the last couple of days where only the suicide bomber himself was killed. And we've had some Iraqi security forces and coalition forces wounded.

RAMAN: The final question is, for U.S. troops here, security and politics are obviously mixed.

How important is Saturday's vote in the December elections we're going to see, very quickly?

CARDON: I think it's very, very important and it just sets up the December elections.

RAMAN: Great.

Colonel, thank you so much for your time.

So, Carol, Saturday a big day not just for the Iraqis, but, of course, for the security situation overall. We'll wait and see how many Iraqis turn out to vote on this constitutional referendum -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman with Colonel Cardon.

Thanks to you both for joining us this morning.

Their homes are destroyed, they have little food or water and their emotions are raw. Survivors of the South Asian quake are just trying to hold on now, as aid workers bring relief supplies to the region.

Let's check in now with our senior international correspondent, Satinder Bindra.

He's at a school where the loss of life is especially somber. He's in Pakistan's northwest frontier province.

We talked to you on the phone last hour. Now we can see the pictures behind you -- Satinder, tell us what's going on.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, what's going on here is a race to find at least some children alive. Many volunteers have come here. They've come here from all parts of Pakistan. And they are digging furiously through this rubble. They started digging about two to three hours ago, and so far no luck. They say they will continue with their task.

I've been talking to people here and they've been telling me that this school once had 750 girls which studied here. Out of those, 150 perished when this entire school virtually collapsed in a heap.

Today, this morning, since I've been here, I've been noticing some students standing around the school, very traumatized, very scared, but slowly they came back in. They came back in to search for their belongings, their school bags. And they did spend some time talking with me. One girl in particular telling me she couldn't understand why god would do something like this to children.

This entire community here, Carol, remains traumatized and this school, perhaps, symbolizes the pain, the suffering and the grief of the people across Pakistan -- back to you.

COSTELLO: Satinder Bindra reporting for us live this morning.

The U.S. is hoping that aid could keep -- could help keep bird flu at bay. Cambodia is just one country that's getting American assistance to fight the virus. The hope is that efforts in Asia could keep bird flu from becoming a deadly pandemic.

For more on that plan, we're joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.

He's currently in Laos on a tour of Asian countries affected by the avian flu.

Good morning, sir.

MICHAEL LEAVITT, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Tell me what you've been doing today.

LEAVITT: Oh, I was in Cambodia for most of the day, having an opportunity to meet with the health minister and the senior leadership of their government. We are, of course, concerned with the limited health system, both on animals and humans that exists in that country, and the economic incentives that sometimes farmers have who rely so heavily on their flocks. And the worry is that if they become infected, they may not have incentives to disclose that.

So we're working with them to develop laboratory capability and to determine how they can best prevent this in that country. COSTELLO: And it is difficult because if these farmers lose their, you know, lose their livestock, they lose their livelihood.

Is the U.S. helping out by sending money?

LEAVITT: We are. We're helping by not only sending money, but by sending talent. We, of course, have the benefit of some of the best people in the world at the Centers for Disease Control and we'll be placing people on the ground in not just Thailand and Cambodia, but also Laos and Vietnam and other nations as necessary.

COSTELLO: As far as the people in Asia who have become infected by bird flu, have you found anything else about them, how they got it, their condition, how -- why it didn't spread to others?

LEAVITT: Gratefully, the virus is not yet efficient in a way that allows it to transmit between people easily. So as well as we can tell, all of those who have been infected thus far have become infected because of direct contact with infected birds. There is a cycle in the life of a virus where they continue to mutate and when they -- when you get a mixture of birds and animals and people in the same place, oftentimes the virus, scientists tell me, will mutate into a form that can be passed from person to person.

There's a lot of research currently being done on that -- on the virus that was at the heart of the pandemic of 1918. And we're comparing that virus with this to determine how likely that occurrence is.

COSTELLO: You know, you talk about a vaccine, and we know there's a shortage of the vaccine needed to protect against this particular virus.

When do you think a vaccine might be needed in these countries where they're already seeing cases of bird flu in humans?

LEAVITT: We have, in the United States, the beginning of a vaccine that has demonstrated the capacity to produce an immune response sufficient to provide immunity. However, our capacity to produce vaccines for the United States, let alone any other nation in the world, is limited.

One of the things in our preparation that we will work aggressively to correct is a vibrant and capable vaccine industry. We have -- when I say capable, I mean to imply we already have the best industry in the world, but we don't have the capacity for production in vaccines like this one.

COSTELLO: So, of course, that's why you're there.

Do you feel sort of like you're in a race against time?

LEAVITT: We are, potentially. The probability of the -- of human to human transmission is uncertain. But the warning signs are troubling. There's no certainty that this will occur. It's important that we realize that our preparation is not simply for this H5N1 avian virus. There will be another pandemic at some point in our future. We have had three in the last century. They were of varying degrees. We had one in 1957 and one in 1968 that, tragically, took the lives of many. But it was nothing by comparison to the 1918.

The worry that scientists have is that there are characteristics of the virus that's now beginning to spread throughout the world in domestic and wild birds that bear direct and similar, and frightening similarities to the one that was in 1918.

But our effort isn't simply to prepare for that virus. It's to prepare for any virus that could spread in a pandemic way. Sooner or later, we'll have a pandemic. And we are not adequately prepared for that moment. And hopefully we'll have time not just to prepare ourselves, but to help people around the world.

COSTELLO: You know, there are some who say that really the hardest work should be done on producing more vaccine and that that's really the way to beat this, rather than anything else.

Would you agree with that?

LEAVITT: We need to have a comprehensive plan and approach to avoiding this kind of catastrophe. It does require surveillance. The sooner we're able to determine that a virus is spreading in a human to human sustainable way, the more likely it is that we can contain it.

You can think of the world as a vast forest that's dry and susceptible to fire. If there's a spark, that is to say, there's a virus that is transmittable human to human, if we get there soon enough, we're able to stomp it out, just like you are with a spark in a forest fire. But if it's allowed to fester for a period of time, then it begins to grow and soon it's uncontainable.

So surveillance is a very important part not just internationally, but also within the United States. If it breaks out across -- somewhere in the world, it's only a matter of time that it will reach the shores of the United States, and we need to then be prepared to have surveillance systems. We also need anti-viral medication after people have been infected. We need vaccines, most of all, to prevent people from becoming infected. But we need communications plans.

And one thing that we are working vigorously to improve is our preparation at the state and local level, because a pandemic is unique in that it's possible that it could be happening in hundreds of different locations at the same time.

COSTELLO: And, of course, your work will continue when you get back here to the United States.

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt talking to us live from Laos this morning.

Thank you, sir.

LEAVITT: Thank you. COSTELLO: Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, returning home. Residents and some out of towners are flowing back into New Orleans with the help of Jesse Jackson. But will they get jobs once they're there? We'll ask Jesse Jackson that question.

And how one New Hampshire couple picking up the pieces after floods dealt them a devastating blow.

Also, can eating between meals do more harm than good? What's the smartest way to snack? We'll find out coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Cash strapped consumers are opting to eat in instead of dine out. The National Restaurant Association says sales are down, partly because of high gas prices and the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Digital media company RealNetworks has settled its anti-trust dispute against Microsoft. The deal will help the two companies compete against Apple Computer. This is the last major U.S. anti- trust case against computer giant Microsoft.

You know, it is never too early to start Christmas shopping. And for retailers, it's never too early to offer Christmas sales.

J.J. Ramberg is here to tell us that toy stores are already cutting prices to boost holiday sales.

J.J. RAMBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isn't that amazing?

COSTELLO: I can't believe it.

RAMBERG: I mean it's the middle of October right now, right? Clearly, these kids are having an effect on their parents.

COSTELLO: And they're offering sales already.

RAMBERG: Already. I mean what is happening is that toy stores are looking at those high gas prices and home heating costs, and they're worried already that parents aren't going to have enough money to spend on gifts this year.

So it could be yet another tough, tough season for that $20 billion toy industry. Look at it this way. If cost conscious shoppers just buy one or two fewer toys each season, it'll likely be the third straight year of declining toy sales. So these toy stores are just trying to offset that possibility by offering discounts and promotions in October.

Now, Wal-Mart, the nation's biggest toy retailer, says that it was hurt last year by offering too few discounts too late in the season. We heard a lot about that last year. Now, this year Wal-Mart has already started cutting prices by up to 30 percent on some of its toys. I like seeing what they're cutting on, so you can see what's going to be popular this year.

This is the Shout Elmo, which dances and sings "Shout."

COSTELLO: Well, that's why -- hence the name.

RAMBERG: Exactly. I love this shirt, too.

And Target tells the A.P. that it plans to be competitive on price with Wal-Mart this year. But prices only part of the problem for toy stores, as kids are growing out of toys at a younger age and moving on to gadgets. I mean the iPod is so popular.

COSTELLO: I know. I've seen 10 year olds with iPods.

RAMBERG: Yes. They don't want that Elmo. They want the iPod.

COSTELLO: They want to shout on their own. That's really crazy.

A quick look at the futures?

RAMBERG: So far it turns to looking toward a lower open right now. Yesterday, stocks were mixed. It could be another rough day, especially for the Nasdaq. One stock to watch today is Apple. It posted strong earnings yesterday, strong rescue vehicles, strong income; not strong enough. Investors were disappointed and shares were down about 10 percent in after hours trading.

COSTELLO: Disappointed in that anti-trust agreement?

RAMBERG: Yes. In a lot of -- and in iPod sales, too. They were really strong, but not strong enough for investors.

COSTELLO: That's because everyone has one now.

RAMBERG: Yes, exactly.

COSTELLO: I don't know anybody who doesn't have an iPod.

RAMBERG: A dog. You can give it to your dog this year.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

J.J. Ramberg, thanks.

Just ahead on DAYBREAK, how you can turn a snack attack into something healthy. Lisa Drayer from "Women's Health" magazine has all the answer for you, when we come back.

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COSTELLO: OK, we know we need to watch ourselves, but snacking is fun. It is fun, Lisa.

LISA DRAYER, "WOMEN'S HEALTH" MAGAZINE: Right.

COSTELLO: It's so fun that lots of people are doing it. In fact, a recent survey found 63 percent of people in Chicago say they snack; 51 percent of New Yorkers do. Those are the top snacking cities, by the way. That's why we singled those out.

But is snacking healthy? Can it be?

Lisa Drayer is a contributor to "Women's Health" magazine and she has some advice for us.

We're ready.

DRAYER: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning.

DRAYER: Snacking actually can be a healthy behavior, if we choose snacks wisely. I want to share some information with you.

According to a new survey from Roper Reports, when it comes to meals like breakfast and lunch, we're most concerned about health. But when it comes to snacks, taste tops the list.

COSTELLO: Exactly.

DRAYER: So if we can make sure our taste buds don't get us into trouble, then snacking can be a healthy behavior.

And several health benefits of snacking. So, for example, for one, snacking offers opportunities to get nutrients in that we may miss in meals. So if we don't like to eat vegetables with dinner, fruits as snacks offer similar fiber and vitamins.

COSTELLO: You're making snacking sound really, really onerous now.

DRAYER: And it doesn't only have to be fruits. I have some here with me today. Also, though, snacking can help with weight control. Many people think if you eat snacks, you gain weight. But, in fact, it can help curb our hunger, which helps prevent us from overeating at meals, as well.

Also, heart benefits with snacking. I love this study, Carol. This was a clinical trial published in the "New England Journal of Medicine." It found that those who ate 17 snacks per day had lower cholesterol levels after two weeks compared to those who gorged on three meals.

COSTELLO: Wow!

DRAYER: And that's even though both diets had the same number of calories.

COSTELLO: That's great.

So other snacking pros? Diabetes control.

DRAYER: Yes, exactly. In fact, many times when I counsel diabetic patients, it's really important to spread carbohydrates out throughout the day, because that helps to keep the blood sugar level stable. And you can accomplish that by eating small, frequent meals or snacks. And they're pretty much the same in terms of calories. So if you're talking about a 1,500 calorie diet for weight loss, for example, a small meal might be 250 calories and a snack is typically that amount or less.

COSTELLO: OK, before we...

DRAYER: So when people snack, it's a good thing.

COSTELLO: Before we get to the snacking cons, these are the healthier snacks to eat. And cereal...

DRAYER: I love these.

COSTELLO: Puffins.

DRAYER: Barbara's Puffins, right. These are great. They're high in fiber. Six grams of fiber. And fiber helps slow the rise in blood sugar. So this is a snack that'll give us sustained energy.

A similar case with soy chips, because they contain protein. And I love these.

COSTELLO: Oh, those look good.

DRAYER: Isn't this good? This is one of my favorites. This is cashews and dried cherries. So if you just had dried cherries by themselves, your blood sugar would spike. But combining them with the nuts allows the rise -- allows it to go at a slower rate. So that gives us sustained energy.

COSTELLO: Interesting. And the nuts are much more fun to eat than the dried cherries.

OK, let's go to the snacking cons.

DRAYER: Right. Well, for one, portion control can be difficult. So I always recommend that people put snacks in bags, like these pre- portioned snacks. If they don't come pre-portioned, you can put them in your own bags. Otherwise, we get into trouble.

Also, some snacks can cause cravings. So if we have highly refined snacks like sugary cereals or cookies, these enter our bloodstream very quickly. So our blood sugar can spike and then drop. And that can end up making us feel very hungry. And then we eat more than if we chose a snack with more fiber or protein in it.

COSTELLO: OK, so the secret is, is be careful what you eat, but snacking is OK. Just don't eat too much.

DRAYER: Exactly. That's basically it.

COSTELLO: Lisa Drayer, many thanks. FEMA's attention is not just on the southern parts of this country. Up next, we'll tell you why some flooding in New England is drawing the agency's attention.

Plus, it's a race against time for rescue workers in Pakistan's deadly earthquake zone. Find out why the weather could hamper their efforts when DAYBREAK continues.

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