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CNN Live At Daybreak

Fight for Iraq; Possible Troop Reduction

Aired November 23, 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 Thanksgiving Eve, November 23. Will you make it home for the holidays? Heading home for the holidays, you're certainly not alone. We've got your Thanksgiving travel forecast just ahead.
Plus, as the politicians talk about troop levels in Iraq, the fighting continues. What do soldiers think about the squabbles?

And gay men in the priesthood. The Vatican's on message, but there's more to this story. We'll tell you about it.

And good morning to you. We'll have more on holiday travel woes and the weather in just a minute.

Also ahead, forget about travel and weather worries anyway. If you're looking for guidance on relationships, spirituality or motivation, there's a book, a CD or a DVD out there to help you. And chances are you are buying them. Welcome to the self-help nation.

And hey, turkey, oh, you've just been pardoned by the president. So what are you going to do now? You're going to Disneyland. We've got the pictures to show you this morning.

But first, "Now in the News."

A violent day in Iraq. Gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms kill a Sunni sheik in his home outside of Baghdad. They also killed his three sons and his son-in-law. Sunni officials have strongly condemned the killings.

Amid concern about a possible avian flu pandemic and in the midst of a busy airline season, the CDC is beefing up quarantine rules. The agency has proposed new rules requiring airlines to report all illnesses and deaths on a flight (ph) to the CDC.

And if you didn't know it already, it is the day before Thanksgiving. And that means you're either watching us this morning as you're getting ready to hit the highway, or you're already stuck in the airport.

AAA estimates more than 37 million of you will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday.

So what about the weather? Let's head to the forecast center now and Jacqui Jeras.

Good morning. JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right. Thank you, Jacqui.

We begin this morning with the fight for Iraq, and at home the fight over the war in Iraq. While there's talk in Washington of gradual U.S. troop reductions in Iraq next year, the fight against a determined insurgency goes on.

Aneesh Raman is embedded with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment south of Baghdad, troops on the ground in the thick of a fight.

Hello, Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, good morning.

Let's mention we're in the northern Babel province, south of the capital, and it remains an incredibly physical fight here. IEDs are found on a near daily basis. This regiment lost 14 of its troops in just 45 (INAUDIBLE) first car bomb (INAUDIBLE). There's since then one other.

So we went on a patrol with them. We've been here a few weeks ago, and we have some video of that. But we (INAUDIBLE) what they think about the fight, what they think about the fight of words back home. And the consistent message we got, Carol, from these troops is that the political debate that they hear about that's taking place back in the U.S. is so far removed from the front lines.

They have a job to do here. And they have to do it until they're told it's done.

There is some frustration that those who are voicing opinions on all sides back home have the luxury (INAUDIBLE) press conference here. It is nothing short of war. It is not a debate. It is a fight. And they're staying in it.

And when you talk to them about why they're fighting, you don't hear as much the terms "war on terror," the term "building democracy in Iraq." What you do here is the desire to get them and their brothers and sisters in arms back home alive.

It remains, as I said, an incredibly physical fight here. And they know that the only way to exit is for the Iraqi security forces really to step up. And in that sense, they are doing what they can.

Now, the troops that we were with go on (INAUDIBLE) patrols with Iraqi security forces. The Iraqi security forces we've seen have a long way to go in terms of their efficiency.

Their (INAUDIBLE), their area of op (ph) within this part of the country has improved significantly since when we saw it some weeks ago. But they are lacking sort of motivation, the desire to really improve. And that's what the U.S. soldiers are trying to inspire in them.

And when we go out on these patrols, they're training them on a one-on-one sense as much as they can. They're doing as much as they can to get these guys ready. But they know that the Iraqi security forces are the key element to the troops coming home, and they continue to do this.

But you get the sense -- and these are some of the greatest guys you'll meet. They're down to earth, they're completely honest about how they feel and why they're out here, and the sense is that they want to come home. And they know that the Iraqis are the only way they can do that -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Aneesh Raman reporting live for us this morning.

The latest U.S. offensive in Iraq targeted insurgents in the town of Husaybah. Much of the fighting was street to street. But for many of the troops, the difference between insurgents and innocence was one door away.

Our Arwa Damon was embedded with the troops. She watched the action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right to the left of the two long ones.

Reloading!

Reloading!

ARWA DAMON, CNN PRODUCER (voice-over): Gunnery Jeff Cullen and his platoon, in the thick of battle, with a front line that is never really clear. From combat to confronting civilians, it's the reality of war in Iraq, and of this particular mission, to clear Husaybah of insurgents who operate among the civilians, who had no way to flee the fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cover your ears. It's going to be a little loud.

Eyes up! Eyes up!

GUNNERY SGT. JEFF CULLEN, U.S. MARINE CORPS: It's kind of difficult. You shoot a rocket at one building because you have an insurgent inside, and then you go the next block up and you've got a family with six kids running around.

DAMON: The Marines call this a three block war.

LT. COL. DALE ALFORD, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Three block war is the ability for that young corporal to go from block three back to block one in a very short time.

DAMON: Block three, full urban combat.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the corner, right there underneath you.

DAMON: Block two, exposed and searching for bombs. Block one, facing off innocents.

ALFORD: You go back and forth between those blocks, it takes a unique mindset, and we train to that, the Marine Corps, especially.

DAMON: Cullen and his men, now moving toward their target house. The target building is right behind this pile of rubble. U.S. Marines have spotted an individual carrying an AK-47, running along the bottom floor of the building, and the windows are sandbagged.

But they really have no idea what's inside these buildings. There could be insurgents, there could be IEDs, or there could be a family who couldn't escape the fighting.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell them to come out to the grass.

DAMON: The training is vital. The difference between life and death, for Cullen and his men, and for the civilians.

CULLEN: It gets kind of nerve-wracking, but you've just got to do it, deal with it and move on.

DAMON: There is little time to contemplate...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right there, hole in the wall, right there!

DAMON: ... when fighting a three block war.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Husaybah, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And as those battle operations play out, the death toll on the rise. The U.S. military now reports 2,097 American forces killed in Iraq so far.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says, yes, there will be a reduction of U.S. troops in Iraq. But she's not saying how many will be coming home or when.

She spoke with our Chief National Correspondent John King.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SECRETARY OF STATE: I'm quite certain, John, that what is happening here is that Iraqi forces are getting more capable. They are able of carrying out more functions.

It doesn't mean that coalition forces are no longer needed, because there are still certain functions that they're not capable of doing. But the number of coalition forces is clearly going to come down, because Iraqis are making it possible now for -- to do those functions themselves. JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Clearly going to come down when? Senator Bayh says bring maybe 50,000 home next year. I understand there's a plan circulating within the administration that could bring, assuming conditions on the ground improve, as many as 60,000 home next year.

How many and when?

RICE: I think what the president will want to assess is when can we safely bring down our level of forces so that Iraqis are really capable of achieving the results and the effects that you want, rather than having some artificial timetable.

I suspect that the -- that American forces are not going to be needed in the numbers that they're there for all that much longer, because Iraqis are continuing to make progress in function, not just in numbers, but in their capabilities to do certain functions.

KING: A couple more questions about the debate here at home. You were with the president in Asia when Congressman Murtha laid out his plan. The initial White House statement compared his position to the liberal filmmaker Michael Moore. Then there was a very quick turnaround. Both the president and vice president coming out and saying, we think he's wrong, but the congressman is a fine man, a patriot, an ex-Marine.

You were there. Who made that mistake?

RICE: Well, I know Congressman Murtha and the president knows Congressman Murtha, and he's someone who's always cared for American men and women in uniform, wore the uniform himself with distinction. And this really should have been and is, really, an issue about a respectful disagreement about the timing for American withdrawal, and whether there ought to be a specific timetable.

KING: So that initial statement was a mistake?

RICE: Well, John, the president speaks for the U.S. government. And when the president said that he respects the congressman, respects his views -- in fact, respects that we have a debate going on in this country -- it's perfectly legitimate to have a question about whether or not the removal of Saddam Hussein at this point in time was the right decision. Whether removing him after 17 resolutions was the right decision. Whether removing him so that he can no longer carry out his past policies of torture and rape and mass graves. But people can have different views about this.

KING: The Iraqi factions, who don't always get along, have been meeting with the Arab League and others as they prepare for next month's elections. A statement they did agree on says that they recognize the legitimate right of Iraqi citizens to resist the occupation forces.

How do you explain that to the parent or the spouse of an American service man or woman on the ground in Iraq getting shot at every day, that the people they're fighting for, the people they're trying to protect, to bring these elections and this democracy about, say that the people who are shooting at them have a legitimate right to do so?

RICE: Well, that's not how I read the statement, John. I do think there were many, many voices at this conference. And by the way, the Iraqi government was there, but so were many, many people who were not.

And the purpose is to try to give all Iraqis a sense of stake in their future.

But the line about resistance was very quickly followed by, but of course, we condemn terrorism, and of course, violence should not be sanctioned.

I think what they were trying to do was to give a sense of political inclusion, while recognizing that violence and terrorism should not be a part of resistance.

KING: Why is it, if you look at polling, the president says he's not guided by polling, but 60 percent of the American people say it's not worth it, that it was not worth going to war in Iraq?

RICE: John, we don't look at polling. I think you have to look at...

KING: But you govern in a democracy, and 60 percent of Americans say...

RICE: Well, you govern -- you govern in a democracy...

KING: ... it's not worth it.

RICE: ... and a lot of it is how you ask a question, and what the context is. I'm a social scientist. And I'm myself quite skeptical of polls. I've said that a thousand times. I really mean it. I am a social scientist. I think they -- it's very hard to read polls.

But are the American people concerned about what they're seeing? Absolutely. Are they worried about the loss of life that we are experiencing there, and does that tear deep at them? Absolutely. And it does at us too, those of us in the administration, and most certainly the president who has to make the lonely decision to send forces into battle.

I think you're seeing some of that reflected in some of -- to the degree that you want to look at polls -- you're seeing that sense of unease.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Though there has been plenty of political bickering over a pullout strategy for Iraq, one Democratic senator says that's not the way to approach the subject.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS: This notion that we should start reducing our troops is not and should not be a partisan issue. I believe the U.S. forces are still part of a solution in Iraq. The strategic goal should be to allow for a limited draw-down of U.S. troops, coupled with shifts to a more effective counterinsurgency strategy that puts the Iraqi security forces in the lead and intensifies our efforts to train Iraqi forces.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Illinois Senator Barack Obama speaking to the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. Obama added the administration needs to provide a time frame for troop reduction and he criticized the administration for attacking the patriotism of those speaking out against the war.

Coming up on DAYBREAK, gays in the priesthood. A new Vatican statement closes the door to homosexuals but then leaves that door slightly open.

Plus, richer, thinner and with whiter teeth, too. From celebrities to motivational speakers, to Web sites and books on tape, who do you think is getting rich?

And what do a couple of holiday turkeys with a new lease on life do now?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: International markets higher this morning. Tokyo's Nikkei up 27 points, the London FTSE four points higher, the German DAX is up 15.

In futures trading, let's take a look at the price of oil. It's 14 cents higher this morning at $58.98 a barrel.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:14 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Violence in Baghdad. The sheik of a Sunni tribe was shot to death, along with his three sons and son-in-law. Neighbors say the shooters were dressed like Iraqi troops and arrived in Iraqi army vehicles.

The Justice Department says it won't retry accounting firm Arthur Andersen in connection with the Enron collapse. The company was convicted in June of 2002 of obstructing justice for destroying Enron- related documents. But the Supreme Court overturned that conviction last May, saying the judge gave faulty jury instructions.

In money news, the head of the Ford Motor Company wants Congress to help change the auto industry. Bill Ford is asking lawmakers to offer assistance like tax incentives to help American companies upgrade auto plants. The changes would allow automakers to more easily build alternative fuel vehicles.

In pop culture, Ted Koppel says goodbye after more than 25 years as host of ABC's "Nightline." He's been working at ABC in one capacity or another for more than four decades.

In his final remarks, Koppel said to give his replacement a chance or the network will replace "Nightline" with a comedy show.

In sports, the Cleveland Cavaliers keep on winning. Their latest victim, the Boston Celtics. The score, 115-93. LeBron James has 36 points for the second game in a row. It was Cleveland's eighth straight win.

Ooh, go Cavs -- Jacqui.

JERAS: Oh, yes. Good game.

COSTELLO: Cleveland wins a winning sports team.

JERAS: You know, they're going to kind of win out as getting some of the most snow, if that helps them out.

COSTELLO: Ooh, yeah.

JERAS: Yes. Cleveland's going to be right in there. In fact, I've got a five-day for Cleveland, I think, coming up here in a couple of graphics.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: It's going to be a nasty Thanksgiving for a lot of folks.

JERAS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui.

Many of you out there will brave long airport lines. Maybe you already are. You'll brave horrible highway traffic just to get home for the holidays. But try to remember why.

It's so you can eat enough to feed a small army and fall asleep on the couch while watching football. Then again, it's also about family and, you know, those pesky friends that come over.

(LAUGHTER)

JERAS: Are you hosting, Carol? You're off tomorrow. Aren't you?

COSTELLO: No, are you kidding?

JERAS: Oh, you're not? Oh, I thought you were.

COSTELLO: No. It's DAYBREAK'S last two days on the air.

JERAS: I know.

COSTELLO: Because "AMERICAN MORNING" is going to start earlier. And they're making me work Thanksgiving.

JERAS: I know. But you know what? You can be thankful, because they really are a great bunch.

COSTELLO: I know.

JERAS: I know. Brian, our executive producer, is going to New York.

COSTELLO: I know.

JERAS: He's going to be with you, but I'm going to miss him.

COSTELLO: I know. But he's all mine now.

JERAS: Well, we want to know what you're thankful for at home. And that is going to be our e-mail "Question of the Day," kind of a touchy-feely one here. You know, have fun with it if you want to.

Want to know what you're thankful for this year. E-mail us, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

COSTELLO: Yes, because we're feeling emotional these days.

JERAS: Well, good.

COSTELLO: So send us some stuff that will make us cry.

You probably know that every year the president gets a turkey for Thanksgiving. And for the past 50 years, those turkeys have been spared the axe, so to speak. Call it a presidential pardon. It just wouldn't be presidential until, you know -- you know.

Get this, this turkey and an alternate get a trip to Disneyland this year. Talk about special treatment. The turkeys were met at the Los Angeles airport after being flown there from the White House ceremony. They'll be grand marshals for tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Yes, some TV station actually sent a reporter and photographer to LAX to get a picture of the turkeys coming in. Imagine getting that assignment, go down and wait for those turkeys to come in. Get a picture.

Still to come on DAYBREAK, there's going to be a lot of traffic on the roads and in the air today. Ahead this hour, we'll check in at the Philadelphia International Airport. Are the flights on time or are they delayed already? We'll let you know.

You're watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JERAS: AAA says more than 30 million Americans are going to be traveling more than 50 miles to be with their friends and loved ones this holiday. We want to know what you're thankful for at this Thanksgiving.

E-mail us your answer: DAYBREAK@CNN.com. We'll read the answers live on the air in just about 30 minutes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui.

Some entertainment headlines for you now.

Mariah Carey was among the winners at last night's American Music -- look at that dress. She was named best female R&B artist.

Many of the evening's winners, including Eminem and the rock group Green Day, were not on hand to accept their awards. But hey, they got a trophy anyway.

Chris Tucker is set to return for "Rush Hour 3." The second sequel has been on hold while producers try to get Tucker on board. He'll get at least $20 million for his first film role since "Rush Hour 2" in 2001. Costar Jackie Chan will also be back when shooting starts next year.

America's favorite fast girl is no longer single. Racecar driver Danica Patrick married her long-time boyfriend. He's 40, she's 23. Just like Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore.

The Indy Racing League's rookie of the year met her physical therapist husband while undergoing treatment for a yoga injury. Just kind of funny because -- anyway.

Now for a baby picture. Here you go. There, the happy family.

Britney Spears shows off son Sean Preston to "People" magazine. Another magazine, "In Touch Weekly," reports that Britney may be expecting again soon. Oh, come on. Apparently, she told friends that a psychic predicted another pregnancy within six months.

Still to come, there's a good chance that you'll be leaving work early today and heading somewhere to celebrate Thanksgiving. Just ahead, a look at your weather outlook on the roads and in the air on this busy travel day.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK with Carol Costello.

COSTELLO: And good morning to you. Thank you for waking up with us. Welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. Coming up in the next 30 minutes, the Catholic Church wants to make it perfectly clear it does not want gays to become priests. But there's a little more to it than that.

And later, depressed? Well, there's a book for that. Overweight? There's a book for that, too. But is it really self-help if someone else is making a fortune off of it?

Self-help nation ahead.

But first, "Now in the News."

Expect delays today if you're trying to get out of town for the holiday. More than four million of you will take to the skies over this Thanksgiving Day weekend. We'll have a travel forecast for you coming up in a few minutes.

Senator Joseph Lieberman is making a Thanksgiving stop in Iraq today. The Connecticut Democrat plans to meet with U.S. troops in the region. He'll also talk to civilian and military leaders. Senator Lieberman is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The world's largest aquarium officially opens to the general public today. The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta boasts 100,000 fish. That's five times the number at Chicago's famed Shedd Aquarium. We'll take a close look at the aquarium's main attractions coming up in the next hour.

And the main attraction is really -- I want to give you a hint. It's the sharks. They have these type -- this strange type of shark that grows as big as a bus.

JERAS: Right. Is it tiger shark? Is that what they have?

COSTELLO: I can't remember. Whale shark.

JERAS: Whale shark.

COSTELLO: That's what they're called.

JERAS: There you go.

COSTELLO: As big as a bus.

JERAS: Yes, that's pretty large.

COSTELLO: It certainly is.

JERAS: I love aquariums, though. And I've been to Shedd's, too, by the way. It's really a great place. So I can't imagine something bigger and better than that. So I imagine it's pretty incredible.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Jacqui.

A CNN "Security Watch" now.

A federal jury has convicted a Virginia man on terrorism charges.

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