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CNN Live At Daybreak

Zarqawi Dead or Alive?; Holiday Travel Tips

Aired November 21, 2005 - 06:30   ET

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

KELLY WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: And our top story this half-hour. The U.S. military is doing tests to determine whether the suspected leader of al Qaeda in Iraq is dead or alive. There have been reports that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was among those killed in a weekend raid in northern Iraq.
For the very latest, we want to go to Baghdad and our senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson.

Nic, great to see you. What are you hearing about these reports? Are they true?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It seems unlikely, but it's certainly not clear one way or the other at the moment. The report first surfaced in an Iraqi newspaper Saturday night/Sunday morning. It centered around a gunfight between Iraqi police and insurgents in a house in the northern city of Mosul.

The gunfight went on for a long time. The insurgents inside the house rather than give up, it appears, detonated explosives around the house. By the time the police got in, the bodies were burned.

The analysis was that this was a key group of insurgents, because they put up such a strong fight, possibly Zarqawi among them. Analysis is going on of the bodies right now.

The same newspaper, however, has also in the past had reports that Zarqawi was seen driving a taxi around another Iraqi city. So, I think you have to look at it with a degree of skepticism. But certainly Zarqawi is known to move around the country, is known by commanders to change his identity, use ways of sort of concealing who he is. And when he goes through different areas, it's believed, to sort of go in and try and reinforce morale.

So, nobody is sure exactly where he is. So, whether such a group of insurgents who put up such a fight come across by security forces, it seems almost therefore that some Iraqi newspapers, some will begin to speculate maybe Zarqawi was among them.

WALLACE: And, Nic, I want to ask you, is his support in other parts of the Arab world starting to decline after the bombings in Jordan, in which we know that his group had claimed responsibility? But I understand in a Friday statement attributed to him, he said the bombings were aimed at U.S., Israeli and Iraqi intelligence agents and Israeli tourists, not at Jordanians and Palestinians. But clearly many Jordanians were killed in those bombings. ROBERTSON: Absolutely. And his statement seems to fly in the face of the statement that was given by the female suicide bomber who had gone to the hotel where the wedding was going on, and said how she had stood at one end of the wedding from her husband. They tried to detonate their bombs at the same time.

So, either they were acting independently of Zarqawi, or his statement doesn't reflect the truth, because they knew they were targeting a wedding, and they could see who was attending the wedding.

Certainly if you look at what Zarqawi has had to say, he has tried to pull back from this action in bombing the hotels in Jordan. And why? Because there was such a public outrage in Jordan.

And certainly if you look at the better-off in society in Jordan, many people there were absolutely revulsed by what Zarqawi did. Before that, they looked at the insurgency in Iraq, looked at what they saw as a U.S.-led occupation in Iraq and said, OK, you know, maybe it's justified. When they saw these actions happening to them, there was a revulsion.

If you talk to other people, perhaps poorer people in Jordan, there is still some support for Zarqawi -- Kelly.

WALLACE: All right, Nic, thanks so much. Our senior international correspondent Nic Robertson giving us the latest from Baghdad.

The Iraq war and the war on terror are certainly putting the issue of torture front and center in the nation's capital. And now, CIA chief Porter Goss is weighing in, and it may all boil down to one's interpretation of what torture is. Goss says his agency has gotten valuable intelligence from some techniques that would be restricted under a Senate proposal banning torture.

But at the same time, he tells "USA Today" that -- quote: "This agency does not do torture. Torture does not work. We use lawful capabilities to collect vital information, and we do it in a variety of unique and innovative ways, all of which are legal and none of which are torture."

Well, two more Bush administration officials are saying it wasn't me. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says he was not the source who talked with "Washington Post" reporter Bob Woodward about former CIA -- or CIA operative Valerie Plame. And on Sunday, an aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she was not Woodward's source.

So, who is Woodward's source? And will he tell? Find out tonight on CNN's "LARRY KING LIVE," an exclusive interview with Bob Woodward of "The Washington Post." You won't want to miss that. That's 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

A 20-year-old is charged in yesterday's Tacoma, Washington, mall shooting. Police say Dominick Maldonado pulled the trigger, injuring at least six people. One of them is now in critical condition. Maldonado is facing assault and kidnapping charges. He surrendered after a three-hour standoff, holding some hostages in that standoff with police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard some pop, pop, pop, pop. We thought it was the machine that was throwing the stuffing in the bears and stuff. And we looked up, and there was a gentleman standing -- or it wasn't a gentleman. There was a man standing out in the hallway in the middle of the mall. And he had an AK-47, and he had it down to his side. And he turned, and he turned back towards the J.C. Penney's area. And I had already heard about four or five shots. And he shot about five or six times more, turned, and then he was probably looking west and shot again four or five times.

And I told my daughter and my grandson to run. And they ran out the door toward the back. And I looked at my wife, and I got my wife and granddaughter out the door. And we were hiding in the back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Certainly an emotional time for those folks in Tacoma.

The suspect's ex-girlfriend says she got an eerie text message from him just minutes before the shooting. The message said, "Today is the day the world will know my anger." And that ex-girlfriend will be appearing on "AMERICAN MORNING" later today.

Still to come here on DAYBREAK, for many of you, shopping is the least stressful activity you'll be doing this Thanksgiving week, especially if your holiday includes flying. We'll tell you how to ease your travel load. Some important tips coming up.

And later, finding the perfect mate can also be stressful. You got that right. But is that a reason for a lawsuit? We'll tell you all about that.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And time now to take a look some of the stories that will be making headlines this week ahead.

On Tuesday, President Bush is scheduled to hold the traditional turkey pardon at the White House, always a favorite affair. And then he'll head off to his Texas ranch for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, the world's largest aquarium opens to the public in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium is home to nearly 100,000 fresh and marine water animals, including a pair of whale sharks.

And on Thursday, a Thanksgiving fixture. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade kicking off at 9:00 a.m. Eastern in New York City. The big draw includes those infamous balloons, the bands and, of course, the stars.

And then rounding out the week on Friday, a time to shop till you drop. That's right. Stores will be open early, trying to entice you with bargain deals as the Christmas shopping season officially gets under way.

Well, I don't know about most of you, but I can't believe it is that time of year already when families pack their bags and travel. The Thanksgiving and Christmas travel season is expected to be incredibly busy. Airline passengers are urged to pack their patience right along with their luggage. That's good advice.

And here to talk about some important travel tips is Hillary Geronemus of "Travel & Leisure" magazine.

Hillary, thanks for coming in.

HILLARY GERONEMUS, "TRAVEL & LEISURE" MAGAZINE: Thanks for having me this morning.

WALLACE: So, pack your patience. What are some major tips you should give people if you're heading to the airport for this Thanksgiving weekend?

GERONEMUS: You know, a lot of the tips are common sense. But sometimes when you're caught up in the excitement of traveling you tend to forget it. You know, it's Thanksgiving. A lot of people are traveling. So, it's really crucial to get to the airport early. Plan ahead.

There is also a great checklist from the Transportation Security Administration on tsa.gov that tells you some things you might have forget, like don't wrap your presents. They might ask you to unwrap it, which will just kind of annoy you when you're at the security.

Also, don't wear hard shoes to take off. That just holds up the line. Have your boarding pass out. You can even print it ahead of time for a lot of airlines. So that will save you time. And if you can, use the kiosks when you get to the airport. It just speeds everything along a little.

WALLACE: And we're showing our viewers some of those tips, including also take laptops and video cameras out of the cases. Undeveloped film going in the carry-on bags. And don't lock your bag.

I want to ask you about something else, which I wasn't aware of. It's something called Rule 240, which gives you rights as a passenger if you are bumped on a flight. What does this mean? And what rights do I have if I'm bumped by an airline?

GERONEMUS: Well, you know, a lot of airlines -- Rule 24 isn't the same for each airline. So, a lot of the airlines have their own versions of Rule 240. And really, the best thing to do is to go on the airlines' Web site and read the fine print. Most of them say that, you know, if you do get bumped, that the airline is required to get you out on the next flight, no matter which airline. So, the best thing to do is just to kind of (INAUDIBLE) if you do get bumped off your flight and it is the airlines' fault, not weather. Weather is a whole separate thing.

WALLACE: And not yourself running late.

GERONEMUS: And not yourself running late. Get on line, you know, to speak to customer service. But also pick up your phone. A lot of the times you can get through to a representative on your phone faster than the line will move. So, it's better to have two things working for you at once.

WALLACE: Now, there may be some people out there who still haven't made their holiday travel plans. I don't know if you're out there. If you are, you're probably crazy. But are there still some deals, some good fares to get if you need to fly to grandma's house on Thursday?

GERONEMUS: You know, good fares are relative. Good fares for this time of year, I mean, there might still be some things. The best thing to do is to check some of these great new search engines that kind of do all of the hard work for you. They search travel agents, consolidators, all of the airlines, and give you everything that you need to know. Mobismo.com (ph) is a great one. Kayak.com (ph).

Also, if you're a little bit more flexible with time, you're going to get a better deal. Try to fly on Thanksgiving Day. A lot of times people tend to try to fly, you know, Tuesday or Wednesday instead of Thursday. So that's really when you can get a good deal.

WALLACE: Sometimes fly on the holiday itself.

GERONEMUS: Exactly.

WALLACE: All right, Hillary Geronemus, "Travel & Leisure" magazine. You're traveling on Wednesday night.

GERONEMUS: I am.

WALLACE: I think you're going to have a good trip to Florida.

GERONEMUS: Off to Florida.

WALLACE: All right. Thanks for coming in and sharing some important tips. We appreciate it.

GERONEMUS: Thank you.

WALLACE: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's almost 45 minutes after the hour. And here is what is all new this morning.

The suspect in the Tacoma, Washington, mall shooting is in jail this morning, while one of his victims is in critical condition. Six people were injured when 20-year-old Dominick Maldonado allegedly just started firing his rifle as he walked through the crowded mall. In money, you may have noticed something different at your local gas station. That's right. Lower prices. A leading survey finds that prices have fallen by more than 18 cents a gallon over the past two weeks.

Singer Christina Aguilera is now a married woman. The 24-year- old got hitched to music executive Jordan Bratman over the weekend.

In sports now, Tony Stewart is now a two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup champion. Stewart captured his second title with a 15th place finish at Sunday's race in Homestead, Florida. Greg Biffle won the race, but still finished second to Stewart in the championship.

To Jacqui Jeras in Atlanta.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Still to come here on this Monday edition of DAYBREAK, looking for love in all the wrong places -- online apparently. Find out why some lovelorn Web subscribers are now suing.

But first, a look at who is celebrating birthdays on this Monday, November 21.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Welcome back. It's about 51 minutes after the hour. And here's what will be making news today.

Democratic Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania will hold a news conference to discuss his comments about the Iraq war. The decorated Vietnam veteran has called for U.S. troops to come home, describing the Bush administration's management of the war as -- quote -- "a flawed policy wrapped in illusion.

Thousands of visitors are flocking to the Botanic Garden in Washington for a whiff of the Titanum plant, nicknamed the "corpse plant." Its strong scent is compared to garbage and spoiled meat. It's hard to believe. And it only emits the odor when it's in bloom, which is just a couple of days every five years or so.

And the public is getting a chance at free tickets to see the giant panda cub up close. Just log on to the National Zoo's Web site. The actual viewing of Tai Shan begins next month.

Well, the dating scene is rough. That's right. Very rough. But is it rough enough to sue? Two Internet dating sites are facing lawsuits over what's being called deceptive practices. Or should it be called date baiting?

Anyone can tell you it's hard to find Mr. and Mrs. Right. That's why millions of people have turned away from the bar scene and on to the Internet -- Internet dating that is.

But now, allegations of impropriety are being leveled against two leaders of the multimillion-dollar online dating industry. One of the lawsuits filed is against match.com. The suit claims the company used fake e-mails and sham dates to keep subscribers paying their dues.

The man who brought the suit says he actually went on several dates with a match.com employee, who allegedly told him about the scam. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last.

A match.com spokeswoman says the company doesn't send fake romantic e-mails to any of its 15 million worldwide members.

Yahoo! faces a similar lawsuit. The search engine's own personal site is being accused of posting fake profiles to make the site seem more popular. Yahoo! had no comment.

Both lawsuits are seeking class-action status, which could significantly raise the stakes. But you can see why companies would want to keep customers interested and hopeful. During the first-half of this year, lonely hearts in the United States spent nearly $250 million on online personals and Internet dating services.

And just last week, two women won judgments against the dating service Great Expectations. Each received refunds after a judge ruled the women were overcharged and dateless.

Well, it's time for another favorite moment here on DAYBREAK, to give away a DAYBREAK coffee mug. Jacqui has all of that -- Jacqui.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Kelly. It's time to get that piece of ceramic that you've been eagerly awaiting for.

WALLACE: That's right.

JERAS: Here are the answers to Friday's quiz. The questions were, the CDC has set up quarantine stations at how many U.S. airports? The answer is 18. And how many children are in foster care in the U.S.? The answer, 532,000.

And the winner is, Karen Kovac from Yorktown, Indiana. Congratulations, Karen. You're staring out a Monday in a good way.

Now it's time for today's questions. What's the airline provision that protects bumped passengers? And what political party did Ariel Sharon help create in 1973?

Submit your answers online. The address, CNN.com/daybreak. And join us this time tomorrow and find out if you win...

WALLACE: Find out...

JERAS: ... a lovely piece of ceramic.

WALLACE: Exactly. A lovely piece. We have it right here. Well, I have some lipstick on it, which is pretty gross (INAUDIBLE).

JERAS: Now that might go for a little bit of money.

WALLACE: Oh, I don't think so. All right, Jacqui, we'll talk to you in a few minutes. When we come back, everyone, more headlines and a Jacqui will have a look at your travel forecast. This is DAYBREAK for Monday morning. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: What looks like a beautiful day here in New York City, right, Jacqui? Sunrise there for all of us.

Well, what's it going to look like if we're traveling in New York or throughout the country today?

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: Everybody, some other stories to tell you about "Now in the News."

President Bush is on his way back to Washington after a week in Asia. And while in Mongolia, his last leg of his trip, he thanked the country's leaders for providing troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Just about four hours from now, Vice President Dick Cheney heads back to the bully pulpit. He's expected to talk about the war on terror and troops in Iraq. That's all happening in Washington. And CNN plans live coverage.

One person is in critical condition this morning following a shooting rampage at a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington. The man suspected in the shooting, Dominick Maldonado, surrendered after a three-hour standoff with police.

From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Kelly Wallace in today for Carol Costello. For all of the fabulous people here at DAYBREAK, thanks for waking up with us. "AMERICAN MORNING" starts right now.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Kelly. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

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