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CNN Live At Daybreak

Cheney Role?; Dictator's Revenge

Aired October 18, 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 Tuesday, October 18. And for one Massachusetts town this could be judgment day. Holding the line in Taunton, a town on the edge of disaster. This morning residents learned that they have a chance to avoid a catastrophe.
Also, like a punch-drunk boxer, Tropical Storm Wilma drifts to the Caribbean, apparently determined to become a heavyweight. The question this morning, where is Wilma going?

And bad blood between the vice president's office and the CIA. A special prosecutor looks more and more at Dick Cheney's office in that CIA leak probe.

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 those stories in just a minute.

Also ahead, the highly-anticipated trial of Saddam Hussein starts tomorrow. We'll have one man's story of a day when he lost many relatives, he says at the hands of Saddam.

And a trail of e-mail is shedding light on what happened behind the scenes at FEMA in the days following Katrina.

But first, "Now in the News."

Shooting has broken out again today in the southern Russian city of Nalchik. That's where alleged Islamic extremists attacked police and other government buildings last week. Close to 140 people were killed in that fighting.

It's a race against time and the elements in Pakistan. More than three million people remain homeless from last week's earthquake. And United Nations officials fear dropping temperatures could make matters worse.

Tropical Storm Wilma appears to be gaining strength in the Caribbean. It's been moving erratically and could become -- well, let's ask Chad.

When could it become a hurricane?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, I would say probably in the next hour or two, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: You know, I'm just thinking about this dam in southeast Massachusetts. We're keeping a close eye on that this morning because there is a danger that it may break. People have already been evacuated. In fact, 2,000 people have been evacuated from this area.

If this thing breaks, then the town of Taunton, which is 33 miles south of Boston, could be under water.

MYERS: Ooh.

COSTELLO: Six feet of water almost. We're monitoring the local stations right now, and we're going to dip in a little later when something happens. But this is a real danger this morning, so we're keeping an eye on it.

MYERS: Well, any time that amount of water gets released all at one time, there's nowhere for it to go except up, obviously. And it runs downhill, and the water levels go up.

COSTELLO: Yes. I guess the National Weather Service has issued a flashflood advisory...

MYERS: Oh, certainly.

COSTELLO: ... calling the situation extremely dangerous and life-threatening. A makeshift shelter was opened for residents who live along the river downstream from the dam. As I said, we are monitoring that. We'll keep you posted.

People in New Jersey cleaning up after days of flooding. They're throwing away soaked personal items and scrubbing everything with bleach to fight off the mold.

In the meantime, state officials, they have to ask the feds for disaster relief. They plan to have a damage assessment done by the end of the week.

And in southern California, a river of mud crashes through the Los Angeles area. Mudslides and flooding from severe storms forced the shutdown of a major highway. The storms also dumped hail and knocked out power to thousands. Officials aren't sure yet if the people were caught in the mudslides.

On to another topic this morning. Investigators looking into the leak of a CIA agent's name reportedly are concentrating on Vice President Dick Cheney's office. "The Washington Post" reporting this morning the special prosecutor has evidence that suggests bad blood between Cheney and the CIA may have led to the outing of Valerie Plame in 2003.

According to "The Post," the grand jury is focusing on what Cheney knew about a behind-the-scenes effort to lean on Plame's husband, the former diplomat, Joseph Wilson. Just days before Plame's name was leaked, Wilson accused the Bush administration of manipulating prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons programs.

As for the leak, the grand jury appears to be focusing more on Cheney's top aides, including chief of staff, Louis "Scooter" Libby. "The Post" reports the investigation is nearing its ends and we could learn the results this week, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.

Libby was the source that led to the jailing of "New York Times" reporter Judith Miller, but now some critics are calling for Miller to be fired. They say she has not come clean about what she knew or how.

Miller is already on personal leave from "The New York Times." And, by the way, she's scheduled to get a First Amendment Award from the Society of Professional Journalists today.

Are we learning more about Harriet Miers' views on abortion? It's hard to say. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, Arlen Specter, says the Supreme Court nominee told him some things in private. Namely, that she felt a landmark 1965 privacy case was rightly decided.

That case was later used as a legal basis for Roe v. Wade, the ruling that legalized abortion. But Specter later said he had misunderstood Miers after the White House disputed his earlier comments. The awkward moment is another bump in a rough confirmation fight. Some Republicans are criticizing Miers' qualifications, while some Democrats seem to be backing her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: We're going to give her a break. She is not a constitutional lawyer, she never purported to be a constitutional lawyer. But she clearly needs some time to learn about these cases, become familiar with these cases, and then give the American people her views.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN (D), CALIFORNIA: I think it's refreshing to have different points of view. And I agree with those who say that not anybody has to have had the judicial experience. Others have not and have been good justices. I think the mix is healthy for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Senators may get more insight into Miers soon. This morning she returns a lengthy questionnaire to the Judiciary Committee.

How does Harriet Miers feel about the government taking your property? Documents from the Justice Department show Miers supported eminent domain in the past. As a Dallas councilwoman, she voted several times to use the city's power to seize private property for public purposes. And that includes taking some land from her alma mater, Southern Methodist University. That land was used for a freeway.

Tom DeLay could have kept his job as House majority leader in exchange for a guilty plea. DeLay's attorney says the Texas representative turned down the plea deal before he was formally indicted. His attorney says DeLay would have had to plead guilty to a misdemeanor. Instead, he was indicted on a felony money laundering charge and gave up the House leadership.

One senator wants members of Congress to give up their scheduled cost of living pay raise. Arizona Republican Jon Kyl issued the amendment as a way to curb federal spending. The pay freeze would save the government about $2 million.

And it's likely to be a defining moment in the long history of Iraq. Saddam Hussein and seven of his assistants go on trial tomorrow. Saddam is accused of crimes against humanity, specifically in connection with an alleged massacre of scores of people in a small town north of Baghdad.

Aneesh Raman has more on what many say was a dictator's revenge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On July 8, 1982, Saddam Hussein drove into Dujail. Crowds running alongside his convoy, women rushing to kiss his hand, bellowing in forced joy. It was the sort of visit Saddam often orchestrated, showing he was a man of the people. But when offered a glass of water in one home, he declined, always fearful of attempts to poison him.

Saddam then spoke to a crowd from atop the local party headquarters about the war with Iran. He was about to find out just how courageous. On this road, six young men were preparing to ambush the dictator.

Mohammed Ali drove one of the shooters to the scene.

MOHAMMED ALI, DROVE CAR IN SHOOTING (through translator): Hassan (ph) came to me, I took him on my motorcycle. I remember he was carrying two pistols. We drove through orchards looking for other men, but we only saw two. Hassan (ph) shot with his pistol to give the group a sign to start shooting at Saddam.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When the convoy reached the orchards, three gunmen started shooting at his convoy from the left side. Saddam's guards started shooting back.

RAMAN: Saddam escaped unhurt. And moments later, villagers desperately tried to prove their loyalty.

But Dujail knew its fate. Immediately, a dictator's vengeance descended upon the village. With icy calm, Saddam himself started interrogating terrified locals. No one's loyalty is taken for granted.

And in the ensuing weeks, thousands of innocent villagers, like Ali, who was 14 at the time, were thrown in jail, tortured, and many others executed. Dujail was destroyed.

Villagers show us barren land that once blossomed with orchards, where the rebel gunmen hid that fateful day.

Ali is lucky. He survived four years in prison. But he never knew what happened to his brothers. They were also imprisoned that day. And it was only after Saddam's fall that he learned the worst.

ALI (through translator): I found a document signed by Saddam in 1985 to execute some of the jailed people who were in the prison. One hundred forty-nine people, including seven of my brothers, 34 of my relatives, and 118 people of my town, they are now forgotten. To god they have returned.

RAMAN: Photos of his brothers proudly hang on Ali's living room wall, casualties of state terror. In sheer numbers, Dujail was not nearly the worst of Saddam's atrocities, but that is of no consequence to the villagers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Saddam should be executed immediately for this because he killed and executed too many.

RAMAN: And now justice may finally come to Dujail, 23 years too late, but sooner than anyone here could have imagined.

Aneesh Raman, CNN, Dujail, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: President Bush has hosted a group of Muslims at the White House. This is the fifth straight year he's done this. They joined the president for an evening meal after their daytime fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe that people of every religious and ethnic background have the right and the desire to be free. And I believe that the spread of freedom and justice and tolerance in the broader Middle East will lead to the peace that we all seek.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. We have new poll numbers to show you about how the president is handling his job. This is the latest CNN "USA- Today"-Gallup poll. It was conducted Thursday through Sunday.

Just under four in 10 approve of the way the president is handling things. That's down from 45 percent in late September. Fifty-eight percent now disapprove of the way President Bush is doing his job.

On the issue of Karl Rove, a top aide identified as a source in the leak of a CIA operative's name, almost four in 10 have an unfavorable opinion of the key aide. That's up from 34 percent up in July. Still, nearly 40 percent of you are unsure of your opinions on Rove.

On the matter of the Supreme Court nominee, Harriet Miers, 36 percent say the president should withdraw her nomination. Forty-six percent say he should not.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, a trail of e-mail at the highest levels of government offer some very interesting insight into what happened at FEMA in the days following Hurricane Katrina and why help was so delayed.

Plus, Florida officials turn weary eyes to Tropical Storm Wilma, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

And for one community, Timber Dam is all that's keeping floodwaters out of downtown. And it is threatening to give way at any minute. We're keeping a close eye on that situation.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: International markets, they're mixed this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei down 48 points. The London FTSE up seven. The German DAX is gaining, but only by about five points.

In futures trading, oil is down 47 cents to just below $64 a barrel this morning.

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

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in China, and he wants answers. The U.S. is worried about China's big increase in military spending. This is Rumsfeld's first visit to China since taking office in 2001.

We are learning more this morning about the murder of a prominent attorney's wife. California police say Pamela Vitale was beaten to death over the weekend. Her husband, Daniel Horowitz, is a frequent TV legal analyst. No word on suspects.

In money news, not a surprise for you drivers. The Federal Reserve chair, Alan Greenspan, says high energy prices could drag down the economy. But in a speech in Tokyo, he says it won't be as bad as the energy problems of the '70s.

In pop culture, his name means "peaceful mountain." But he's more like a mole hill. The National Zoo's panda cub finally has that new name, Tai Shan. Under Chinese tradition, the cub gets named 100 days after his birth.

Now you know.

In sports, Albert Pujols' three-run homerun with two outs in the top of the 9th leads St. Louis to a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros. Game six of the National League playoffs tomorrow. Houston leads three games to two -- Chad.

MYERS: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Chad.

That's a look at the latest headlines for you this morning.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, e-mail, they're shedding light on FEMA in the days following Katrina.

And as Wilma threatens, we'll look at the track of past storms in this same area.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 5:21 Eastern. It's time to laugh, don't you think?

MYERS: Well, Anderson did.

COSTELLO: He did. He was pretty funny last night. He was on David Letterman. And you know, a lot of people wonder how we as journalists get started in this business, and that's what Anderson Cooper talked about with David Letterman.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: I wanted a job after college, and I tried to get an entry level job at ABC News, like answering phones. And I couldn't get one. So I came up with a scheme, which was -- my option was basically moving back home with my mom. So I would do anything to avoid that. So I decided to start going to wars with a home video camera.

DAVID LETTERMAN, "THE LATE SHOW": Really?

COOPER: Yes.

LETTERMAN: Now, can a person do that, just a civilian from the United States...

COOPER: Yes.

LETTERMAN: ... just go to war countries and...

COOPER: Yes. I had a friend -- I'm computer illiterate, but I had a friend make a fake press pass for me on a Macintosh. And...

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: ... I just started going to wars. LETTERMAN: And how old were you when you were doing this?

COOPER: Like 22, 23.

LETTERMAN: Really?

COOPER: Yes.

LETTERMAN: And, for example, where would you go?

COOPER: I started in Burma in Southeast Asia, and then hooked up with some students fighting the Burmese government.

LETTERMAN: Right?

COOPER: And, it's a small war, and no one really was going there, so they were happy to see me.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: And then I moved to Somalia and started working there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Interesting. And to think, I went to Akron, Ohio, for my first job.

MYERS: Lincoln, Nebraska.

COSTELLO: Yes.

MYERS: There you go.

COSTELLO: What were we thinking?

MYERS: That was a similar war, just a little different.

COSTELLO: Yes, it was an economic war in Akron, Ohio, in the...

MYERS: At four bucks an hour.

COSTELLO: ... in the '80s. Yes, I think I did. I made $4.25 an hour.

MYERS: I was $4.05, but move on.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: OK. That we will. It's time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener."

Want to know what to do with a giant pumpkin? Well, cut a hole in it and shake about.

Actually, this is so weird. This is the third annual pumpkin regatta in Jackson Township, Ohio, by the way, and that's what they were doing with the pumpkins. I don't know if anybody wins anything. It just looks like fun.

Doesn't that look like fun in the chilly waters?

MYERS: Yes, with the gloves and all that. It looks like a blast.

COSTELLO: It does.

Bet you don't know who this is. It's Peter Mayhew, a 7'3" British actor. Well, he's British no more. We were telling you about this a couple days ago.

Mayhew became a U.S. citizen on Monday, taking the oath in a Dallas suburb. You'd probably remember him if he were wearing his "Star Wars" makeup. He played Han Solo's sidekick, Chewbacca.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Oh, he didn't bring his suit with him. He brought his wife instead.

Check out the latest edition to the new and as yet unopened Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. Two beluga whales arrived Monday at the aquarium from Mexico City. Their new home is an 800,000 gallon habitat kept at a cool 55 degrees. The aquarium officially opens on November 23.

Boy, that went up fast, Chad.

MYERS: And it is going to be an amazing aquarium. I know when you left Atlanta to move to New York it was a dirt spot. And now it is literally a world class aquarium -- Carol.

COSTELLO: That's amazing. And hopefully it will help Atlanta's economy.

MYERS: The downtown looks good now.

COSTELLO: Good.

You know, it's not too soon to start thinking about the holidays and all of those parties with friends and business associates. So...

MYERS: Well, what's your sign?

COSTELLO: That's sort of what we're talking about this morning. It's time to brush up on those conversation skills.

If you're a little self-conscious or awkward, or maybe just out of practice, we have help. It's in the form of a new book. It's called "The Fine Art of Small Talk," and it delves into the different types of conversationalists and some clever ways to start up a conversation.

We're going to be talking to the author in the next hour of DAYBREAK. But first, actually, we'd like to hear from you. MYERS: Very few people have trouble talking to me, because there's always something about weather they want to talk about. What's your favorite conversation starter? Not like, "Oh, nice day today." What's your favorite one? Something that maybe works once in a while.

DAYBREAK@CNN.com. Let us know and we'll tell them to the author and see what they think.

COSTELLO: Yes. Well, the author has some advice. She, of course, provides a list of openers. Some are inspired, like, "What advice would you give to someone just starting in your business?"

And then there are -- then there is this opening line -- she suggests, Chad...

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: ... "What aroma brings forth a special memory?"

MYERS: Chocolate.

COSTELLO: Oh, that's a nice one.

Anyway, tell us what your opening line would be to a complete stranger at a party.

Reading, writing and reopening. Getting back to normal in New Orleans means finally getting back to school. The morning bell finally rings again.

Also...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Men have very basic needs. You just keep them happy and then they'll do what you ask.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Ain't that the truth? Men and dogs actually have a lot of common, right down to being terrified of vacuum cleaners. All the men in the studio are just going to kill me.

Jeanne Moos takes a look at how you can train men and dogs in the same way, and very effectively.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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