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CNN Live At Daybreak

Jordan Hotel Attacks; Spread of Terrorism

Aired November 10, 2005 - 06:29   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us. Bonnie will be along in a moment with your forecast.

Also coming up this half-hour, on alert in Amman. Security is stepped up in the wake of suicide bombings in the Jordanian capital. We'll take you there live.

And how one town is dealing with the notoriety brought on by a deadly school shooting.

But first, "Now in the News."

Just a few hours ago, Baghdad was again shaken by a deadly suicide bombing. At least 34 people are dead following the explosion inside a neighborhood restaurant. A suicide bomber at work there. At least two dozen more were injured in the blast.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad addressed his nation this morning on terrorism and domestic issues. Al-Assad said Syria doesn't condone insurgent attacks in Iraq, but also says it's unfair for Syria to be blamed for fighters crossing the border into that country.

New York's heavily-armed Hercules and critical response teams are now watching the city's hotels. Police say there is no specific threat. The move is a precaution after those attacks on three western hotels in Amman, Jordan.

To the forecast center.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The Islamic militant, al Qaeda in Iraq, is claiming responsibility for those deadly hotel bombings in Amman, Jordan. The claim is being carried on a Web site this morning.

Authorities believe the attacks were carried out by three suicide bombers. At least 56 people were killed, nearly 100 hurt.

Our Guy Raz is in Amman. He joins us now with the latest on the investigation.

What have they found out, Guy? GUY RAZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, this is now turning definitively into an investigation here in Jordan. Just a short time ago, a senior Jordanian intelligence officer told CNN some new information about the investigation. We now understand that all of the bombings were carried out by suicide bombers wearing suicide bomb belts. There were no vehicles involved in any of those attacks.

Now, at the Days Inn Hotel, we understand that the suicide bomber walked in, walked up to the bar, ordered orange juice, attempted to detonate his belt. It failed, so he walked out. Fifteen minutes later he returned and detonated that belt just inside the Days Inn Hotel.

At the Hyatt Hotel, the bomber walked inside the lobby, walked toward the main lobby bar and detonated his belt there.

And at the Radisson, the bomber made it quite deep into the hotel, of course into a reception hall, where a wedding was taking place, detonating that bomb and leaving scores wounded and injured. And the Radisson bombing was the worst of the three overnight.

Now, we also have heard a claim from a group calling itself Al Qaeda in Iraq. Now, that is a group believed to be led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the notorious fugitive from justice here in Jordan, a man on whose head the United States has placed a $25 million bounty.

Now, Zarqawi has been in touch with Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden's chief deputy in Afghanistan. And back in July, U.S. intelligence apparently intercepted communication between the two men, where Zawahiri called on Musab al-Zarqawi to spread the campaign of violence outside of Iraq. It specifically mentioned Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel and Egypt.

So, what we may have seen in Jordan last night here in Amman was the opening salvo in a new campaign led by al Qaeda and al Qaeda- related members -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Guy Raz reporting live for us this morning.

One of the most wanted terrorists in Southeast Asia is dead. Indonesia's police chief says the man accused of being the mastermind behind the 2002 and 2005 deadly Bali bombings blew himself up during a shootout with police. He's believed to be the bomb expert for the Islamic terror network Jemaah Islamiyah and is said to have written its bomb-making manual.

Well, the terrorists certainly seem to have no shortage of bombs or those willing to blow themselves up.

Seth Jones, senior researcher for the Rand Corporation, joins us live from Washington with his take on the spread of terrorism.

Good morning.

SETH JONES, SR. RESEARCHER, RAND CORPORATION: Good morning. COSTELLO: So, Seth, the fear here is that violence in Iraq is spilling over the border to other countries. Is this what's happening?

I think it is happening to some degree. But we've seen it happen, really, over the last few years.

If we remember, last year in Egypt, for example, there was an attack in Taba at a Hilton that killed a number of Israelis, Egyptians and others in the hotel. There was also an attack earlier this year in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt by groups that cooperated with al Qaeda. And then, of course, we had the Katyusha rocket attempted attack in Aqaba, Jordan, earlier this year as well.

So, this is part, I think, of a much greater trend toward violence in Jordan and some of the surrounding countries.

COSTELLO: OK. So, the head of Iraq -- the head of al Qaeda in Iraq is supposedly behind all of this. It is in some respects kind of astounding, especially since, you know, there are so many American troops in Iraq right now, and an act of war is going on. It's astounding how he can successfully run things if indeed he is.

JONES: Right. One of the things that, I think, we first have to do is to cross off terrorist organizations that are probably not involved. The Palestinian organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad have tended not to target non-Israelis, including non-IDF forces. Plus, there were two major Palestinian security forces killed.

So, I think this generally points to an organization like Al Qaeda in Iraq.

And so, but this is part of a broader trend of payback towards the Jordanian government, which has helped train Iraqi security forces, so in that sense is an enemy of this organization.

It also is one of the fear Arab countries that has a formal peace treaty with Israel.

So, this has been, I think, an attack that has been planned for quite some time.

COSTELLO: Interesting. I'm hearing what you're saying. It was also kind of interesting. You know, we heard Guy Raz reporting that all of the hotels, the explosions inside were set off by suicide bombers. There was a suicide bomber in Baghdad this morning, who went into a restaurant and killed a couple of dozen people. And that's kind of an unusual tactic still within Iraq.

JONES: Well, we've seen over the last year an increase in the number of suicide bombings. And second, we've seen an increase in the lethality.

So, I think we've seen increases in both number and lethality. And this is indicated in increasing use of suicide tactics in general. So, in that sense, it's not surprising. It's a really easy way to conduct attacks against civilians, because, as we saw with one of the attackers, he was actually able to walk into the hotel, turn around, walk out and then come back in and conduct an attack. There is a real ability to change tactics at the last minute to kill a maximum number of people. That's why suicide terrorism is an often- used tool by these groups.

COSTELLO: OK. Because of these attacks in Jordan, police in Kevlar vests came out in force here in New York City to watch over hotels. I mean, how afraid should we be at this kind of violence?

JONES: I don't think the likelihood of an attack in cities like New York and Washington is any different today than it was yesterday or last week or last year. There still is the possibility of an attack. This reminds us that there are groups that are willing to conduct attacks against allies of the United States.

But I don't think there's any more reason to be fearful today than there was yesterday. But it's just important to be vigilant.

COSTELLO: Seth Jones, senior researcher for the Rand Corporation, joining us live this morning. Thank you, sir.

JONES: Thank you.

COSTELLO: There is much more ahead about the bombing investigation in Amman on "AMERICAN MORNING." Soledad joins us now with a preview.

Good morning.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you.

And as we've heard from you just moments ago, we're going to continue to get more details this morning of those bombings in Jordan. We've got live reports from Amman.

And also, we'll be taking a look, Carol, at the implications for Jordan, because, of course, Jordan is a strong ally of the West, and Israel too.

And as you pointed out, a big question for New York City: Are we prepared here for any kind of similar attack? Is it even realistic to start contemplating that?

We'll talk to counter-terror expert and former assistant director of the FBI, Pat Demoro (ph) about all of that.

Also this morning, the Texas court has cleared the way for a new trial for Andrea Yates. Remember her? She was convicted of drowning her five children in a bathtub. The question, of course, is: Will she actually get a new trial? Is there a plea deal in the works? And what would be the details of that deal? We're going to talk this morning to Andrea Yates' attorney.

That and much, much more.

Maureen Dowd has got a new book out. We'll talk to her about that book. It's called, "Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide." I've been reading it for the last couple of days. We're looking forward to talking with Maureen Dowd about her new book, too -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Yes. All of the men in here just went, "Oh!"

S. O'BRIEN: They all rolled their eyes. Here too. Every one of them rolled their eyes simultaneously. So it's going to be (INAUDIBLE) this morning.

COSTELLO: I can't really blame them. Yes. Thank you, Soledad.

S. O'BRIEN: I didn't say, no, they're not. I just asked the question, 'Are Men Necessary?' It's the name of the book.

COSTELLO: I hear you, sister! Thank you, Soledad.

He was just a regular kid. This is how classmates of the alleged Tennessee school shooter have described him. We'll tell you what else his hometown is talking about.

And is there a rift between the two most powerful men on earth? Some say that things aren't what they used to be between the president and the vice president.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Struggling to sort it all out in Jacksboro, Tennessee. There will be no school today at Campbell County High School or for the rest of the week. The district attorney says he'll ask that the teenage suspect in the deadly school shooting be tried as an adult. First-degree murder is among several charges that may be filed.

He had a gun, that 15-year-old suspect. And he told classmates, who told school officials, and yet no one got the gun away from him before the worst happened.

Now, a vice principal is dead. Two other school administrators are very serious condition with gunshot wounds.

CNN's David Mattingly puts a human face on this tragedy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Because he is a minor, we will now show you his face or tell you his name. But the identity of the 15-year-old Campbell County school shooting suspect is the worst-kept secret of this tight-knit east Tennessee community.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did have friends. I mean, he talked to everyone. Like, he wasn't, like, someone that sit and wrote in a notebook and then kill somebody. He just was -- he seemed like a normal kid.

MATTINGLY: His father owns a roadside store, a popular stop for gas and takeout. A little over a mile away, there is his grandfather's house. The retired bread truck driver still lives there.

They all share the same first name. They are generations of a family well-liked, according to neighbors, making their home in a place that holds small-town values in very high regard.

DEWAYNE KITTS, LAFOLLETTE RESIDENT: It's a real quiet area, you know, kind of like a Mayberry-type town, you know. And this is -- everybody is just really shocked right now. And it's just hard to, you know, imagine something like that could happen here.

MATTINGLY: At the closed high school gates, among prayers and praise for a murdered vice principal, talk turns to a well-known 15- year-old described by many as a smiling face in the crowd.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He always seemed happy. Like, he was the kind of person that every time I ever seen him in the hallway or outside after school, he would run past me, and he would laugh or smile or something.

MATTINGLY: But talk to enough people, and the picture that emerges seems as unfocused as the one on your screen. A skateboarder who was outwardly happy but frequently troubled, acquaintances say, when his parents divorced.

(on camera): Neither school officials nor county investigators will confirm or discuss any previous problems. In fact, the image of a dangerous teenager seems unfamiliar to most classmates.

(voice over): Especially to those who talked to him just hours before he allegedly killed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just basically said, hey, what's up? How have you been? And we were just catching up on stuff. And then after that, I went to class, and he did that.

MATTINGLY: David Mattingly, CNN, Campbell County, Tennessee.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 6:46 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Al Qaeda in Iraq is claiming on a Web site that it was behind that deadly hotel bombing in Jordan -- actually, three of them. The authenticity claim cannot be verified, though, by CNN. The apparent suicide attacks killed at least 56 people and injured 93.

In money news, Microsoft and the Associated Press are planning an online video news network. It will feature about 50 different stories a day and hits the World Wide Web next year. In culture, Sharon Stone has written a song for the Katrina victims. Money from the song, "Come Together Now," will go to Habitat for Humanity. Celine Dion and Patty LaBelle and the Gang lent their voices to the recording. The CD single goes on sale November 29.

In sports, Bobby Box of the Atlanta Braves is the National League manager of the year. He's the first back-to-back winner in either league. Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox takes the award in the American League.

To the forecast center and Bonnie Schneider.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: She's out of jail, and now she's out of a job. Judith Miller retires and rebuffs her critics. We'll have details for you in a minute.

And is one of Washington's famous fast friendships slowing down? Tales of tension between George Bush and Dick Cheney.

DAYBREAK continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Judith Miller has left the building, literally, and her reporting job at "The New York Times." Miller spent nearly three months in jail for refusing to reveal a source in the CIA leak investigation. That source turned out to be Lewis Scooter Libby, who has now been indicted in the case.

Once she got an agreement from Libby, she agreed to testify before the grand jury.

Well, this morning, in a letter to the editor, Miller writes: "Though some colleagues disagreed with my decision to testify, for me to have stayed in jail after achieving my conditions would have been self-aggrandizing martyrdom or worse, a deliberate effort to obstruct the prosecutor's inquiry into serious crimes. Partly because of such objections from some colleagues, I have decided after 28 years and with mixed feelings to leave the "Times." But mainly I have chosen to resign because over the last few months I have become the news, something a "New York Times" reporter never wants to be."

Also in her letter, Miller acknowledged she had become what she called a lightening rod for anger over pre-war intelligence failures, because some of her reporting was later discredited.

Vice President Dick Cheney has also been taking some heat for failures regarding the Iraq war and the CIA leak. And some are saying it's caused a rift in the VP's relationship with the president.

Anderson Cooper has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In public, their relationship is as solid as it's ever been, zero cracks in their resolve. In private, however, things may be different.

THOMAS DEFRANK, "NEW YORK DAILY NEWS": The relationship between the president and the vice president has eroded somewhat and actually it's not new. This has been going on for a couple of years. It really has its roots in the run-up to the Iraq war. But this distance is the word, is the phrase that I keep hearing.

COOPER: If that's true -- and nobody in official Washington is going anywhere near this as of right now -- reporters are saying it's mainly because of the vice president and that CIA leak investigation.

The two-year probe centered around former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, a CIA officer, whose identity was disclosed in a newspaper column.

RON BROWNSTEIN, "LOS ANGELES TIMES": It is not implausible at all that there is some frustration on the part of President Bush about the situation he's in over this leak, not only from the vice president's actions and the office of the vice president's office, but also Karl Rove, his top political advisor.

COOPER: The resulting indictment of Mr. Cheney's top aide, Lewis Scooter Libby, may have done little to strengthen the bond between the two. But even before that, according to some journalists, seeds of discord were being sown.

DEFRANK: Some of the political advice the president got from the vice president about how Iraq would spin out has become troublesome, and it has created a bit of a wedge in the relationship. There are other issues as well. Some people think that maybe he should not have gone so hard on Social Security.

COOPER: Republicans say all of this is wishful thinking in the extreme. Mr. Cheney, they argue, is a Washington insider, who has survived dozens of inside-the-Beltway power struggles and has always come out on top.

BROWNSTEIN: There is no doubt that the president has relied enormously on Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney is an important bridge and ambassador to the conservative wing of the party. And even though there may be tension in this relationship, as some are reporting -- and I think there's enough reporting on it that there is probably some fire behind the smoke -- that doesn't mean that Dick Cheney is going to be isolated or exiled.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: That report from CNN's Anderson Cooper. And Anderson Cooper, "360," has a new time slot, as you probably know by now. That's 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

One of the people accused of feeding Vice President Cheney and other administration officials faulty information on Iraq is making the rounds in Washington. Ahmed Chalabi says he'll answer lawmakers' questions about prewar intelligence regarding Iraq's weapons programs that have proven false. He also says he'll address allegations he passed U.S. secrets to Iran.

Chalabi is currently serving as Iraq's deputy prime minister. He's met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and is scheduled to meet with Vice President Cheney.

When we come back, more headlines and a look at your travel forecast. You're watching DAYBREAK for a Thursday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: If you are traveling this morning, Bonnie has news for you.

(WEATHER REPORT)

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, it is time now to give away a DAYBREAK coffee mug. So, let's take a look at the answers to yesterday's coffee quiz.

Why is the price of Oreo cookies going up? And what are the risks associated with using too much moisturizer? Let's take a look at the answers now. Higher shipping costs. And the answer to the second question is clogged pores, acne dermatitis. OK, there's the answer.

The winner now is -- oh, congratulations. Joyce Chavez from Cameron, North Carolina. That's pretty funny, right?

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I'm just laughing at the questions. Clogged pores is one of the answers, yes.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHNEIDER: All right. And now it's time for today's questions, so get ready.

The first question is which actress has written a song to benefit Hurricane Katrina victims? Who was voted the National and American League managers of the year?

So submit your answers online. The address is CNN.com/daybreak. And you'll find out tomorrow if you've won.

No beauty tips in today's questions, I guess.

COSTELLO: I couldn't hear you. I'm sorry.

SCHNEIDER: That's OK. Clogged pores. Who would have thought that would be an answer?

COSTELLO: I know. Thank you, Bonnie. SCHNEIDER: Sure.

COSTELLO: From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

S. O'BRIEN: Thanks, Carol. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

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