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CNN Live At Daybreak
Condoleezza Rice in Iraq; Capitol Hill Leak Probe; Topsy Turvy Tree
Aired November 11, 2005 - 5:00 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 Friday, November 11. And Condoleezza Rice is making a surprise stop on her latest diplomatic trop abroad. The secretary of state is in Iraq right now. Can she influence the Sunni Muslim leadership? We'll take you live to Baghdad for that.
Also, it's the 11th day of the 11th month, and you should know what that means. We'll look at the numbers of veterans still with us.
And knowing who was behind those bombings in Amman, Jordan, may be simple to answer, but bringing them to justice, well, that's another story.
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.
COSTELLO: And good morning. We'll have more on Condoleezza Rice in Iraq in just a moment.
Plus, he's landed. That's right, our own Richard Quest is back to jolly old England. Ahead, we'll see how Richard entertained himself during that record-breaking flight.
And this is the hottest novelty item of the holiday season. That's right, it's an upside down tree. We'll tell you all about it in the next hour -- actually, in this hour.
But first, "Now in the News."
Chanting "Burn in hell, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi," hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated against the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq. Al- Zarqawi is a Jordanian-born terrorist. His group says it was behind the hotel bombings in Amman that killed 56 people.
More demonstrations. These in France, following two weeks of riots. Residents in many poor immigrant neighborhoods are waving white handkerchiefs as a call to end the violence. Police say there was more widespread violence overnight.
And we can't forget today is Veteran's Day in this country. Events are planned around the nation, including an observance at the Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknowns. So if you know a vet, say thanks today.
To the forecast center. Bonnie Schneider in again.
Good morning, Bonnie.
BONNIE SCHNEIDER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Bonnie.
SCHNEIDER: Sure.
COSTELLO: It was a surprise to just about everyone, including reporters. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Iraq.
We want to get more details on her visit and just what she hopes to accomplish there. CNN Baghdad Bureau Chief Kevin Flower joins us live from the Iraqi capital.
Hello, Kevin.
KEVIN FLOWER, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF: Good morning, Carol.
Under heavy security, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the northern city of Mosul Friday morning. There she met with Iraqi and American officials and now is in Baghdad, where she is expected to meet with Prime Minister Jaafari and embassy officials.
Now, the message that she's been stressing during her visit here is one of national unity and an end to sectarian strife. These touching on concerns that ethnic violence between -- ethnic violence between Iraq's various ethnic groups could spill into violence right before the national elections, slated to begin five weeks from now.
Now, her visit comes on the -- in what has been an extremely bloody month for U.S. soldiers. Today we're just receiving word that two soldiers and one Marine have been killed in combat operations in Al Anbar province, bringing the November American military death toll to over 30 -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Kevin Flower reporting live from Baghdad this morning.
We'll get back to you at the bottom of the hour.
John McCain, who has not ruled out another run for president, says the United States should not be talking about withdrawing troops from Iraq. Instead, the Arizona Republican says let's add more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Instead of drawing down, we should be ramping up with more civil military soldiers, translators and counter-insurgency operations teams. Our decisions about troop levels should be tied to the success or failure of our mission in Iraq, not to the number of Iraqi troops trained and equipped.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: McCain says the military needs to focus on creating safe zones in Iraq rather than operations such as Steel Curtain, where troops go in, flush out insurgents, and then leave.
Despite the dangers of serving in Iraq, more young Americans are signing up. Last month, the Army exceeded its first monthly recruiting goal of the 2006 fiscal year. It wanted at least 4,700 new soldiers. It got more than 4,900.
Those recruits and National Guard face a very uncertain future, and, of course, even early death. Two U.S. soldiers and one Marine died in combat yesterday. Their deaths raised the toll of American troops killed in Iraq to 2,063.
President Bush plans to respond today to criticism about intelligence in the run-up to the Iraq war. A senior administration official says the president will dispute the latest accusations that the White House misused intelligence to gain support for the war. He'll be making comments on the war during a Veteran's Day visit to Pennsylvania.
The president's address is planned for noon Eastern. Of course CNN will bring that to you live.
The president has blasted the suicide bombers who killed 56 people in Jordan. He expressed outrage for the attack and sympathy to the people of Jordan during a visit to Jordan's embassy in Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The bombers killed innocent women and children. It struck me, Mr. Ambassador, that once again that we face an enemy that has no heart, an enemy that is defiling a great religion of Islam.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Following those remarks, President Bush signed a condolence book at the Jordanian embassy.
The U.S. has sent FBI crime lab experts to Amman to help in the investigation.
To Capitol Hill, where the Senate has abruptly put the breaks on another leak investigation. This probe was aimed at finding out who leaked classified information in a "Washington Post" story about secret CIA prisons overseas.
Why? Well, let's get more from CNN's Ed Henry.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. PETE HOEKSTRA (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The depth of leaks that we have seen in the intelligence community over the last 12 to 18 months have done irreparable harm to our ability to effectively conduct the war on terror.
ED HENRY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The move caps three days of fits and starts from Republican leaders. On Tuesday afternoon, Speaker Dennis Hastert and Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist circulated a letter calling on the House and Senate intelligence panels to launch a joint investigation, because the leak may have caused major damage to national security. But Frist waited a few hours before signing the letter, in part because of comments by Republican Senator Trent Lott.
Lott said Republicans might be embarrassed because the leak may have come from a closed-door meeting Vice President Cheney had with Republicans. Lott called CNN Wednesday to clarify he meant to say sensitive information about detainee treatment, not secret prisons leaked out of the Cheney meeting.
But later Wednesday morning, the Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence panel said Frist had still not made clear his intentions for the probe.
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I have not been formally asked. I am not in receipt of any signed letter by the leadership.
HENRY: Roberts and Frist later said they're suspending the Senate probe altogether because they do not want to interfere with the Justice Department's possible criminal investigation.
(on camera): Democrats say Senator Frist has egg on his face for pushing so hard for a Senate investigation, only to pull back. But Frist aides say the most important thing to do is make sure the Senate does not step on a criminal investigation.
Ed Henry, CNN, Capitol Hill.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Another sign of dissension in the Republican ranks. Facing a possible defeat, House Republicans called off a vote that would have cut more than $50 billion from the budget. The decision to cancel the vote came after it was clear moderate Republicans resisted cuts to a range of social programs. They included Medicaid, student loans and food stamps. Leading Republicans say they'll try again next week to find ways to cut the -- to cut $50 billion.
Former President Clinton is talking about impeachment, his own impeachment. He said his presidential reputation deserved to suffer in the wake of his affair with Monica Lewinsky. But the former president told a crowd at Hofstra University the impeachment itself was an abuse of power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You can say you think I was not a great president, never mind impeachment. Or you can agree with the statement, but only if you think the impeachment was justified. Otherwise, it was an egregious abuse of the Constitution and law and history of this country, and I should get credit for standing up to it. (APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He made those comments during the first day of a three-day presidential conference at Hofstra.
Coming up on DAYBREAK, a warning about the risks of a very popular birth control patch. It's thin, it's flexible, it's easy to use. But now a hastily-revised label warns about possible life- threatening side effects.
And more than 13,000 miles and two sunrises later, we'll go along on what looks like a not very grueling record-breaking ride.
And all around us it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And the inverted evergreen seems to be turning the holiday season upside down.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Friday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: The international markets all up nicely today. Tokyo's Nikkei 74 points higher. The London FTSE gaining 26. The German DAX adding 55.
In futures trading, let's take a look at the price of oil. It is down 62 cents this morning to $57.18 a barrel.
Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:13 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is making a surprise visit to Iraq as part of her Middle East trip. Rice is appealing to Iraq's Sunni population to take part in legislative elections next month.
It is official. President Bush has formally sent Judge Samuel Alito's nomination to the Senate. The president picked Alito to replace retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor, whose rulings have made her the swing vote on the Supreme Court.
In money news, profits for Dell, the number one PC maker, fell below expectations. Dell says third quarter profits were up 11 percent from last year, but that's about $2 billion below its earlier forecast.
In pop culture, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are the top contenders in the People's Choice Awards. They have three nominations each, including favorite on-screen match-up. The pair costarred in the box office hit "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."
In sports, NASCAR has set a four-car limit for teams in its highest division. Roush Racing's five-car team is the only one actually effected by the move. All five of Roush's cars are among the final 10 in this year's chase for the championship -- Bonnie. (WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Thank you, Bonnie.
Now a follow-up on a story we've been telling you about. Rafael Palmeiro, the baseball player, he will not face perjury charges. Senate investigators say there isn't enough evidence to prove he lied when he testified under oath that he never used steroids. Two months after making that statement, Palmeiro did test positive for a banned substance and was suspended.
He since said he unknowingly injected the steroid in what he thought was a B-12 vitamin shot.
He no longer has all that thin air to blame for his unusual behavior. Richard Quest's feet are finally firmly on the ground again after a record-breaking flight. We'll get an update from Richard next.
And how badly do you think the "Peanuts" gang would have made fun of Charlie Brown if he'd brought this home for Christmas?
That was Jeanne Moos. She leaves no tree unturned to get to the -- the bottom of this.
You're watching DAYBREAK.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Before we get to entertainment headlines, I just had to show you a story in "The Washington Post" this morning, because it's just too bizarre.
It's about a bank robber, a female bank robber. And take a look. She's called the "Cell Phone Bandit," because as she's robbing the bank she is talking on her cell phone the entire time. As the teller is handing the cash to the bank robber, the bank robber is having a conversation with -- who knows. Maybe it's a lookout.
They interviewed actually a psychologist in this article, and they said maybe she's talking to a lookout. Maybe she's talking to someone who's giving -- like her mother, giving her, like, you know, the guts to carry out the bank robbery. I don't know. It's just a strange story that I had to share with you.
But she is called the "Cell Phone Bank Robber." And police say she has robbed four banks so far, and all the time she talked on her cell phone. That's a multi-tasker for you.
In entertainment headlines for you this morning, Sean Connery is being honored for his 50-year film career. The American Film Institute is giving its lifetime achievement award to the original James Bond. Past winners include Orson Welles, Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks.
Rema McEntire is returning as host of the Family Television Awards. She last hosted the award show in 2000. The seventh annual award show is sponsored by the Family Friendly Programming Forum. The forum promotes family-friendly programming in primetime. The show will be broadcast in mid December.
Conan O'Brien is a father again. The late night host's wife gave birth to an 8 pound 4 ounce son on Wednesday. They've named him Beckett. The couple already has a 2-year-old daughter named Neve.
A question. How old do you have to be to run for mayor? Ask Michael Sessions, the newly-elected mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan. He is 18 years old, and his win on Tuesday thrust him into the spotlight and on David Letterman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW": No. 5...
MICHAEL SESSIONS, NEWLY ELECTED MAYOR, HILLSDALE, MICHIGAN: Trying to get to city hall on an episode of "MTV Cribs."
LETTERMAN: Good work.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: No. 4...
SESSIONS: I don't have to wait in line at Applebee's anymore.
LETTERMAN: Yes, good. Good to hear that.
No. 3...
SESSIONS: School boys now have to deal with the feds.
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: How does a thing like that work? I don't know.
No. 2...
SESSIONS: Only victory speech featuring the word "Dude."
(APPLAUSE)
LETTERMAN: And the number one good thing about being an 18-year- old mayor...
SESSIONS: It's flattering when President Bush calls me for advice.
LETTERMAN: There you go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: That was really good. He's going to lead the town, though. Sessions won the Hillsdale mayor's race by just two votes. If you didn't already notice, Christmas is 44 days away. This season there isn't that hot, new toy like the Singing Elmo, and there isn't really a new song, like those dogs that bark "Jingle Bells."
But there is a new decoration innovation. Or should I say inversion?
CNN's Jeanne Moos gets to the bottom of this story. Or does she get to the top of it?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): O, Christmas tree, what happened to your branches?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a sad looking Christmas tree.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's beautiful.
MOOS: It is the upside down Christmas tree, fake, not real. A seven-foot, $600 version is sold out at Hammacher Schlemmer. But you can still get one for 300 bucks at Target's Web site.
Not since the oh, so annoying singing Christmas tree from a few years back, a tree we tried to silence in vain. Not since the singing tree has a Christmas tree gimmick so captured the limelight.
We asked the company that makes the upside down tree, Roman Incorporated, to send us a few. One version you hang upside down. The other sits in a base.
How many guys does it take to assemble an upside down Christmas tree?
(on camera): The natural way to read the directions would be this way. No, we've got to read them this way.
(voice-over): The manufacturer tells us the tree was intend for stores.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The retailer needed a way to display ornaments in the store without taking up, actual floor space. So what we did is designed a tree that takes up...
MOOS: A tree that takes up more air space than floor space.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, and Santa could get more presents under there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love it! It's so non-Christmas.
MOOS: Rumor has it that Liberace used to go both ways with his Christmas trees, displaying both regular and upside down. The question is, where do you put the star?
(on camera): You think we should put it down here? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sure.
MOOS (voice-over): OK. So it's not as spectacular as the Rockefeller Center tree...
CROWD: Three, two, one!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Light the tree!
CROWD: Three, two, one, yay!
MOOS: But it all depends on your perspective.
(on camera): So would you want one like that in your house?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never. Yet, maybe. I don't know. Why not. It makes me laugh.
MOOS (voice-over): Ho, ho, ho.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Oh, she makes me laugh every single time. Jeanne Moos reporting on the upside-down Christmas tree. And the tree is installed in Rockefeller Center, and it is the way it's supposed to be, upright.
Richard Quest is happy to be back home on the ground. And everyone else on the plane is happy not to have to sit by him for another 24 hours.
Did our intrepid traveler's energy run out before a record- breaking flight did? We will find out next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.
COSTELLO: And good morning to you. Welcome to the second half- hour of DAYBREAK.
In the next 30 minutes, furious protests in Amman, Jordan, against al Qaeda after the group claims responsibility for the deadly bombings there.
And do you wear a birth control patch? The FDA warns you of serious risks this morning.
We'll have more on that story ahead. But first, "Now in the News."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in Iraq this morning. She has a meeting with the British -- or with the prime minister there, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. They're talking about next month's national elections. The surprise stop there is part of a Middle Eastern diplomatic trip.
President Bush plans to respond today to accusations his administration manipulated intelligence about Iraq in order to gain support for the war. He'll speak at an Army depot in Pennsylvania at noon Eastern. CNN plans live coverage.
Today is Veteran's Day, a time when Americans pause to thank those who served in the military for our nation. An observance is planned today on safer ground, Arlington National Cemetery. If you know a vet, give that person a pat on the back and be sure to say thank you.
To the forecast center and Bonnie.
Good morning.
SCHNEIDER: Good morning, Carol.
(WEATHER REPORT)
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