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CNN Live At Daybreak
U.S. Marines Suspend Attack on Fallujah; Rice's 9/11 Testimony
Aired April 09, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. Marines suspend their attack on Fallujah, scene of a week's fierce fighting, and hope to begin negotiations today.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for April 9.
I'm Carol Costello.
We'll have a live report for you out of Iraq on this morning's developments in just a minute.
First, the latest headlines.
In Iraq, coalition forces have retaken the southern city of Kut. The city had been overrun by the militia of a radical Shiite cleric.
The White House says it will declassify an intelligence briefing about Osama bin Laden's goals given to the president a month before the 9/11 attacks. The document was the subject of heated questioning during Condoleezza Rice's testimony.
Ariel Sharon wants his party to vote soon on his plan to withdraw from Gaza and some West Bank settlements. The Israeli prime minister wants a referendum after he comes back from Washington next week.
Christians around the world observe Good Friday today. Pope John Paul II began four days of services last night by celebrating Holy Thursday mass.
To the forecast center and Chad now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Let's head live to Iraq right now. You're going to be shortly looking at pictures of Baghdad on this first anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein. Can you believe it's been a year already?
You notice that the square in Baghdad is, indeed, empty. That's because there's heightened security here. And an announcement was made over loudspeakers for people to stay away from the square because things are just too tense inside of Iraq. It -- inside of Baghdad right now.
We want to bring you up to date on the latest situation in all of Iraq right now.
The U.S. military has announced a unilateral suspension of its offensive in Fallujah and of course we'll take you live to Jim Clancy in Baghdad in just a moment for him to explain that more. Insurgents there are now holding three Japanese and two Arabs linked to Israel. The militants threaten to burn the Japanese alive if Japan does not withdraw its troops. We'll have more on that in a live report out of Tokyo in just a minute.
The war's top commander, General John Abizaid, is reportedly looking at ways to boost combat power by 10,000 troops. That is according to his interview in the "Washington Post" this morning. General Abizaid says it may mean bringing part of the 3rd Infantry Division back to Iraq sooner than scheduled.
And a spokesman for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says an intifada has broken out across the country. He's calling on the Americans to "remove your tanks."
As we just told you, U.S. Marines have suspended their offensive operations in Fallujah for at least 24 hours. So what does that mean?
Let's head live to Baghdad now and Jim Clancy -- Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you there in Atlanta, Carol.
And in bringing you up to date, we should say that this was a day, an anniversary day. And you pointed it out. Many Iraqi insurgents awakening to hear news of the battlefront all across their country, something that is discouraging, to say the least.
But, if you will, there was good news coming out of Fallujah. At midday, CNN witnesses told us that all of the firing had stopped. I understand there had been the sounds of some gunshots in the ensuing hours that have passed since then.
Still, it appears that this unilateral suspension of offensive operations declared by the United States military today is holding right now.
Let's hear what Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator, had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: Coalition forces have initiated a unilateral suspension of offensive operations in Fallujah. We want to hold a meeting with the members of the Governing Council, the Fallujah leadership and leadership of the anti-coalition forces to allow the delivery of additional supplies by the relevant departments of the Iraqi government and to allow residents of Fallujah to tend to their wounded and dead.
During this suspension period, coalition forces retain the inherent right of self-defense and will remain fully prepared to resume offensive operations unless significant progress in these discussions occurs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Now, we understand that at least preliminary discussions are already under way at a U.S. military base around Fallujah. What we're looking at is a situation where the U.S. is going to be presenting its objectives and some demands at those talks. Unclear what those exact demands are at this time. Could it lead to a wider cease-fire? That is a possibility. Could it all break down and we're back on the battlefield in less than 24 hours? That, too, a very real possibility.
Meantime, the U.S. going on the offensive, the military offensive, in southern Iraq, retaking the city of Kut. They are also going to be working on the city of Nasiriyah, where the forces of Muqtada al-Sadr, his private militia, had challenged the coalition, catching them off guard just a few days ago, taking over some coalition offices, trying to take over police stations, as well, across the south.
We understand that there is also some opposition growing among the local leaders there to Muqtada al-Sadr.
So a lot of developments here in Iraq today, an anniversary day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jim Clancy reporting live from Baghdad for us this morning.
Japan this morning is standing by its refusal to withdraw its troops from Iraq. The decision comes in response to demands from kidnappers who are holding three Japanese in Iraq. The Iraqi terrorists say they will kill the hostages if Japanese forces are not out of the country within three days.
Now, the decision to stay has angered many Japanese citizens.
So let's head live to Tokyo and Atika Shubert -- good morning, Atika.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Family members of the hostages have gathered to Tokyo, hoping for any news. Unfortunately, there is no new information yet on the condition of those hostages. Now, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier in the day told reporters that the government has not been able to contact the hostage takers. The government says they don't know where the hostages are being held or who the insurgents are behind the kidnapping.
In effect, the government is not able to negotiate a way out. There is no one to bargain with, no way to release the hostages. So this is leaving very little choice for the government.
But as you say, the prime minister is taking a very firm stance, saying that Japan will not withdraw troops, that to pull out now we'd simply be giving in to terrorist demands -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Atika, do we know who these hostages are? I mean what jobs they have within Iraq?
SHUBERT: We do know. There are three civilians. One of them is a freelance journalist. The other is a woman, a relief worker working with children in need of aid. And the third is an 18-year-old student who was there as a peace activist doing research on depleted uranium.
It's not clear exactly when the kidnapping occurred. It seems to have happened in the last several days. There's no other news coming in yet on the condition of those hostages. But as I said, the family members are here trying to help in any way they can and anxious for any new information -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Atika Shubert reporting live from Tokyo this morning.
Let's talk about the 9/11 Commission right now. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice says if the Bush administration had thought there was a terrorist attack coming in Washington or New York, it would have "moved heaven and earth to try and stop it." That comment came during Rice's two and a half hours of testimony before the September 11 Commission. She told investigators no one thing could have stopped the events of that tragic day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There was no silver bullet that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks. In hindsight, if anything might have helped stop 9/11, it would have been better information about threats inside the United States, something made very difficult by structural and legal impediments that prevented the collection and sharing of information by our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And just a note for you. A lot was made of this August 6 memo that was given to President Bush, August 6, 2001. And it was titled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States." And the administration has decided to make that public. So you and I will be able to read it in its entirety and decide for ourselves very soon.
Many lawmakers are praising Rice for what they consider her candid testimony about the Bush administration's role in the attacks. But for a lot of the people who lost loved ones on September 11, that frankness just wasn't enough.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The only sound as Condoleezza Rice entered the packed hearing room, cameras capturing her every move. Families who lost loved ones listened intently, some not hiding their frustration. And then...
RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Did you tell the president?
RICE: But it's important - it's important that I also address...
WALLACE: ...a handful of eruptions of applause from families who say they wanted more answers, like Henry and Elaine Hughes, whose son Chris worked in the World Trade Center.
ELAINE HUGHES, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: To say she's - they're the new kids on the block, they were only there for 233 days, that was the poorest excuse that I've ever heard.
WALLACE: Like the Hugheses, Mary Fetchet lost her son in New York and wanted to hear Rice take responsibility.
MARY FETCHET, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: She wasn't willing to admit that she had failed. I think it was shocking. Of course, every government agency failed.
WALLACE: But Rice had her supporters, like Hamilton Peterson, whose father and stepmother were on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
HAMILTON PETERSON, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: It was evident that she truly was doing her best, at least to me, to tell the truth.
WALLACE: After Rice finished, families surrounded her, a few, like Peterson, thanking her for coming; others sending a very different message.
HUGHES: To tell her that her government wasn't doing enough, didn't do enough, and she didn't have a response.
WALLACE: For some, many questions still unanswered - Kelly Wallace, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And former President Bill Clinton followed Rice to the witness chair. Clinton testified for three hours behind closed doors. He was not under oath. A statement issued by the Commission says the former president was "forthcoming and responsive to its questions" and praises him for what it calls his "excellent cooperation."
Steven Push, who lost his wife in the Pentagon attack on September 11, will be a guest on "American Morning." And commission member Timothy Roemer will also be a guest on the show. Of course, "American Morning" comes your way at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time.
And for more on the September 11 Commission, visit cnn.com/politics. There you will find a profile of Condoleezza Rice and a gallery of key testimony from the hearings. You can also check out a photo that may have nudged Rice to testify publicly.
MYERS: Carol, do you know what time it is? It's time to give away the mug.
COSTELLO: Fabulous.
MYERS: We have the answers to the questions for Thursday. Yesterday we asked, "Which state is unveiling its new quarter?" we showed you a picture of the shuttle. Showed you a picture of some palm trees. That would be Florida. And, "Name three of the five lawn mower tune-up tips." The three that we got were sharpen the blade, change the spark plug, change the air filter, change the oil if you can.
And the winner is, from Jonesboro, ark, Michael Stroud. Good morning and congratulations.
COSTELLO: Congratulations. Yes, congratulations, Michael Stroud. And, of course, we will have our next question so you, too, can win a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
MYERS: 6:50 this morning, just about 45 minutes.
Stay with us.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You bet.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, more reaction to the testimony from President Bush's trusted advisor, Condoleezza Rice. This time, hear what people like you thought of her answers.
And new headlines pouring out of Iraq this morning. We will hear more on the troop actions there or lack thereof.
This is DAYBREAK for April 9.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 6:15 Eastern time.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The U.S. has halted its offensive operations in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. The Americans hope to negotiate with sheikhs from that area. The White House plans to declassify an intelligence document given to the president more than a month before the 9/11 attacks. It is entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States." That memo will be declassified.
In money news, U.S. financial markets are closed today in observance of Good Friday.
And in sports, Bruce Edwards, who served as Tom Watson's caddy for 30 years, has died. He was 49. Edwards' struggle with Lou Gehrig's Diseases was an inspiration to Watson. MYERS: He certainly was.
Justin Rose, 23 years old, is the Master's leader, five under yesterday. Some other names. Sergio Garcia was even. He didn't even get through 13 holes, some of the late starters. They were so late getting going yesterday. John Daly) six over. Arnold Palmer 12 over. I don't think they're making it. But Tiger Woods four over. It must have been a tough day for him.
COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding.
Thank you, Chad.
In culture, "The Life of Brian," the controversial Monty Python spoof about the bible, has been resurrected, so to speak. Twenty-five years after it was first released, it will soon compete against "The Passion of the Christ."
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Sounds beautiful.
Those are the latest headlines for you.
We want to talk more about what's happening in Fallujah, because there has been an end to the offensive operations there in order for them to negotiate a cease-fire.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, live on the phone lines right now -- and, Barbara, I know you just got into the office, but we wanted to ask you about this.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the reports are now quite mixed at the moment, because the coalition, of course, Paul Bremer, had said earlier today that there was a cease-fire. But now we are getting reports that Associated Press and other reporters on the scene in Fallujah say that developments may be moving and that the Marines may have been given orders to resume. There is also reports from reporters at the scene of the Associated Press that Marines may be allowing women and children and elderly people, to leave the city if they want to. So certainly the situation very fluid at the moment.
COSTELLO: Well, I understand, too, that members of the Iraqi Governing Council were supposedly going to be involved in these talks that apparently aren't going to happen now.
STARR: Hard to say at the moment. That was every indication that we had. But just very, very difficult to say at the moment what's going on.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll head back to Jim Clancy in Baghdad for more on that to find out what he knows.
I also wanted to ask you about more troops in Iraq. There's word in the "Washington Post" this morning that 10,000 more troops are needed. STARR: Well, General Abizaid has basically decided, it appears, that nobody's leaving Iraq until the situation comes back to being a bit calmer. You know, they have 135,000 troops there right now. They were scheduled to go down to 115,000 by June under the current rotation plan.
Nobody -- those 20,000 or so are not immediately going to leave, it appears, at this time. General Abizaid wants to get a much better feel for what the state of play is going to be, how long the silence is going to continue, how long U.S. forces are going to have to deal with all of these outbreaks across several locations in Iraq.
So, first, his first option is to leave his more experienced troops in place. That may mean, it appears, an extension of tours for the Army's 1st Armored Division. They were scheduled to come home. It looks now like a good number of them are going to be staying. His next option will be to request the redeployment of the 3rd Infantry Division, which left last summer, have them come back. That hasn't happened yet, but that may be the next thing down the line.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what you get later today.
Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, we'll have more on the situation in Iraq, one year after the now famous statue of Saddam Hussein fell in Baghdad.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? We'll tell you after the break.
MYERS: A trolley bike.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART")
JON STEWART: The big story, today, of course, took place in Washington, D.C., where National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice overcame her fear of sworn testimony to speak before the committee investigating 9/11. Rice entered the committee room confident, head held high, although her choice of entrance music was a little questionable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Mea culpa.
MYERS: Twenty percent of Americans get their news from Jon Davis.
COSTELLO: It's insane. That's where most of the young men are going for their news and information. So, shall we play another clip from the "Jon Stewart Daily Show?"
MYERS: The "Daily Show" is so funny. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART")
STEWART: Doctor, are you sure the threat of terrorism was getting the pre-9/11 attention that it deserved?
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I do not believe that there was a lack of high level attention. The president was paying attention to this. How much higher level can you get?
STEWART: Well...I suppose it could have gone to Cheney.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, of course it's very serious and we have to take things down a notch and talk about the seriousness of the 9/11 Commission and Condoleezza Rice's testimony. We've been soliciting your e-mails all morning and boy, did we get a response.
MYERS: A lot, really. A couple -- over 200 now.
COSTELLO: Yes. Let me read a few. This one: "Dear Carol --" This is from Rob. He says: "The tragedy of 9/11 came about because people who were being paid to think did not think. They did not think that a group of men could get through security with box cutter blades and handles and hijack planes loaded with "bombs." But that is exactly what happened."
We want to go quickly to the next one. This is from James from Kentucky. He says: "First of all, how many threats does the U.S. receive in one day? The problem is one acted on one threat, which caused the loss of American lives. Only one good thing did come out of it and that is now we pay attention to those threats." So, he says something good came out of the tragedy, if you can call it that.
This is from Kemp (ph) from Charlottesville, Virginia: "If Dr. Rice had spent as much time answering questions as she spent not answering them, we may have learned more yesterday."
And one more. Let me read another one. This is from Jo from New York. She says: "That's why they call it intelligence. Was Ms. Rice waiting for al Qaeda to call her to make an appointment? It was all there. They failed to connect the dots. The administration calls Dick Clarke Chicken Little. But guess what? The sky really fell."
Thank you for your e-mails this morning.
Keep them coming. We'll show more of them to you, maybe in this -- in DAYBREAK today or perhaps on Monday.
MYERS: Fair enough. We'll keep those. And what was it?
COSTELLO: The Photo of the Day, you mean.
MYERS: Couldn't even tell. I had no idea. But if you think about it, it's a paddle. Zooming out. Where's the paddle? The paddle looks like one of those ancient travel bites. But there's the paddle, as he's surfing, kind of, as he goes off the ice and down into it. The correct spelling, oleshack (ph). The kayakers were wheeling and getting themselves off the Yukon River in White Horse, Yukon, Canada.
COSTELLO: Oh, OK. Kayaking in Canada. And I guess it just thawed there and the ice broke and that's why they're out there doing that. Good for them.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Real people and the reaction to Condoleezza Rice's testimony. Forget the politicians and the power players. What do average Americans think about her performance at the hearings?
And images of war -- how are the dramatic pictures from the battleground playing in Britain, another country with troops in Iraq.
And then kids in anxiety -- expert advice for parents before your children need emergency medical help.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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Aired April 9, 2004 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. Marines suspend their attack on Fallujah, scene of a week's fierce fighting, and hope to begin negotiations today.
And good morning to you.
From the CNN global headquarters in Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for April 9.
I'm Carol Costello.
We'll have a live report for you out of Iraq on this morning's developments in just a minute.
First, the latest headlines.
In Iraq, coalition forces have retaken the southern city of Kut. The city had been overrun by the militia of a radical Shiite cleric.
The White House says it will declassify an intelligence briefing about Osama bin Laden's goals given to the president a month before the 9/11 attacks. The document was the subject of heated questioning during Condoleezza Rice's testimony.
Ariel Sharon wants his party to vote soon on his plan to withdraw from Gaza and some West Bank settlements. The Israeli prime minister wants a referendum after he comes back from Washington next week.
Christians around the world observe Good Friday today. Pope John Paul II began four days of services last night by celebrating Holy Thursday mass.
To the forecast center and Chad now.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Let's head live to Iraq right now. You're going to be shortly looking at pictures of Baghdad on this first anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein. Can you believe it's been a year already?
You notice that the square in Baghdad is, indeed, empty. That's because there's heightened security here. And an announcement was made over loudspeakers for people to stay away from the square because things are just too tense inside of Iraq. It -- inside of Baghdad right now.
We want to bring you up to date on the latest situation in all of Iraq right now.
The U.S. military has announced a unilateral suspension of its offensive in Fallujah and of course we'll take you live to Jim Clancy in Baghdad in just a moment for him to explain that more. Insurgents there are now holding three Japanese and two Arabs linked to Israel. The militants threaten to burn the Japanese alive if Japan does not withdraw its troops. We'll have more on that in a live report out of Tokyo in just a minute.
The war's top commander, General John Abizaid, is reportedly looking at ways to boost combat power by 10,000 troops. That is according to his interview in the "Washington Post" this morning. General Abizaid says it may mean bringing part of the 3rd Infantry Division back to Iraq sooner than scheduled.
And a spokesman for Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr says an intifada has broken out across the country. He's calling on the Americans to "remove your tanks."
As we just told you, U.S. Marines have suspended their offensive operations in Fallujah for at least 24 hours. So what does that mean?
Let's head live to Baghdad now and Jim Clancy -- Jim.
JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning again to you there in Atlanta, Carol.
And in bringing you up to date, we should say that this was a day, an anniversary day. And you pointed it out. Many Iraqi insurgents awakening to hear news of the battlefront all across their country, something that is discouraging, to say the least.
But, if you will, there was good news coming out of Fallujah. At midday, CNN witnesses told us that all of the firing had stopped. I understand there had been the sounds of some gunshots in the ensuing hours that have passed since then.
Still, it appears that this unilateral suspension of offensive operations declared by the United States military today is holding right now.
Let's hear what Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator, had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L. PAUL BREMER, U.S./IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR: Coalition forces have initiated a unilateral suspension of offensive operations in Fallujah. We want to hold a meeting with the members of the Governing Council, the Fallujah leadership and leadership of the anti-coalition forces to allow the delivery of additional supplies by the relevant departments of the Iraqi government and to allow residents of Fallujah to tend to their wounded and dead.
During this suspension period, coalition forces retain the inherent right of self-defense and will remain fully prepared to resume offensive operations unless significant progress in these discussions occurs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CLANCY: Now, we understand that at least preliminary discussions are already under way at a U.S. military base around Fallujah. What we're looking at is a situation where the U.S. is going to be presenting its objectives and some demands at those talks. Unclear what those exact demands are at this time. Could it lead to a wider cease-fire? That is a possibility. Could it all break down and we're back on the battlefield in less than 24 hours? That, too, a very real possibility.
Meantime, the U.S. going on the offensive, the military offensive, in southern Iraq, retaking the city of Kut. They are also going to be working on the city of Nasiriyah, where the forces of Muqtada al-Sadr, his private militia, had challenged the coalition, catching them off guard just a few days ago, taking over some coalition offices, trying to take over police stations, as well, across the south.
We understand that there is also some opposition growing among the local leaders there to Muqtada al-Sadr.
So a lot of developments here in Iraq today, an anniversary day -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Jim Clancy reporting live from Baghdad for us this morning.
Japan this morning is standing by its refusal to withdraw its troops from Iraq. The decision comes in response to demands from kidnappers who are holding three Japanese in Iraq. The Iraqi terrorists say they will kill the hostages if Japanese forces are not out of the country within three days.
Now, the decision to stay has angered many Japanese citizens.
So let's head live to Tokyo and Atika Shubert -- good morning, Atika.
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
Family members of the hostages have gathered to Tokyo, hoping for any news. Unfortunately, there is no new information yet on the condition of those hostages. Now, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi earlier in the day told reporters that the government has not been able to contact the hostage takers. The government says they don't know where the hostages are being held or who the insurgents are behind the kidnapping.
In effect, the government is not able to negotiate a way out. There is no one to bargain with, no way to release the hostages. So this is leaving very little choice for the government.
But as you say, the prime minister is taking a very firm stance, saying that Japan will not withdraw troops, that to pull out now we'd simply be giving in to terrorist demands -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Atika, do we know who these hostages are? I mean what jobs they have within Iraq?
SHUBERT: We do know. There are three civilians. One of them is a freelance journalist. The other is a woman, a relief worker working with children in need of aid. And the third is an 18-year-old student who was there as a peace activist doing research on depleted uranium.
It's not clear exactly when the kidnapping occurred. It seems to have happened in the last several days. There's no other news coming in yet on the condition of those hostages. But as I said, the family members are here trying to help in any way they can and anxious for any new information -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Atika Shubert reporting live from Tokyo this morning.
Let's talk about the 9/11 Commission right now. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice says if the Bush administration had thought there was a terrorist attack coming in Washington or New York, it would have "moved heaven and earth to try and stop it." That comment came during Rice's two and a half hours of testimony before the September 11 Commission. She told investigators no one thing could have stopped the events of that tragic day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: There was no silver bullet that could have prevented the 9/11 attacks. In hindsight, if anything might have helped stop 9/11, it would have been better information about threats inside the United States, something made very difficult by structural and legal impediments that prevented the collection and sharing of information by our law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: And just a note for you. A lot was made of this August 6 memo that was given to President Bush, August 6, 2001. And it was titled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States." And the administration has decided to make that public. So you and I will be able to read it in its entirety and decide for ourselves very soon.
Many lawmakers are praising Rice for what they consider her candid testimony about the Bush administration's role in the attacks. But for a lot of the people who lost loved ones on September 11, that frankness just wasn't enough.
CNN's Kelly Wallace has more for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The only sound as Condoleezza Rice entered the packed hearing room, cameras capturing her every move. Families who lost loved ones listened intently, some not hiding their frustration. And then...
RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: Did you tell the president?
RICE: But it's important - it's important that I also address...
WALLACE: ...a handful of eruptions of applause from families who say they wanted more answers, like Henry and Elaine Hughes, whose son Chris worked in the World Trade Center.
ELAINE HUGHES, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: To say she's - they're the new kids on the block, they were only there for 233 days, that was the poorest excuse that I've ever heard.
WALLACE: Like the Hugheses, Mary Fetchet lost her son in New York and wanted to hear Rice take responsibility.
MARY FETCHET, MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM: She wasn't willing to admit that she had failed. I think it was shocking. Of course, every government agency failed.
WALLACE: But Rice had her supporters, like Hamilton Peterson, whose father and stepmother were on Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
HAMILTON PETERSON, SON OF 9/11 VICTIM: It was evident that she truly was doing her best, at least to me, to tell the truth.
WALLACE: After Rice finished, families surrounded her, a few, like Peterson, thanking her for coming; others sending a very different message.
HUGHES: To tell her that her government wasn't doing enough, didn't do enough, and she didn't have a response.
WALLACE: For some, many questions still unanswered - Kelly Wallace, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And former President Bill Clinton followed Rice to the witness chair. Clinton testified for three hours behind closed doors. He was not under oath. A statement issued by the Commission says the former president was "forthcoming and responsive to its questions" and praises him for what it calls his "excellent cooperation."
Steven Push, who lost his wife in the Pentagon attack on September 11, will be a guest on "American Morning." And commission member Timothy Roemer will also be a guest on the show. Of course, "American Morning" comes your way at 7:00 a.m. Eastern time.
And for more on the September 11 Commission, visit cnn.com/politics. There you will find a profile of Condoleezza Rice and a gallery of key testimony from the hearings. You can also check out a photo that may have nudged Rice to testify publicly.
MYERS: Carol, do you know what time it is? It's time to give away the mug.
COSTELLO: Fabulous.
MYERS: We have the answers to the questions for Thursday. Yesterday we asked, "Which state is unveiling its new quarter?" we showed you a picture of the shuttle. Showed you a picture of some palm trees. That would be Florida. And, "Name three of the five lawn mower tune-up tips." The three that we got were sharpen the blade, change the spark plug, change the air filter, change the oil if you can.
And the winner is, from Jonesboro, ark, Michael Stroud. Good morning and congratulations.
COSTELLO: Congratulations. Yes, congratulations, Michael Stroud. And, of course, we will have our next question so you, too, can win a DAYBREAK coffee mug.
MYERS: 6:50 this morning, just about 45 minutes.
Stay with us.
COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Chad.
MYERS: You bet.
COSTELLO: Coming up on DAYBREAK, more reaction to the testimony from President Bush's trusted advisor, Condoleezza Rice. This time, hear what people like you thought of her answers.
And new headlines pouring out of Iraq this morning. We will hear more on the troop actions there or lack thereof.
This is DAYBREAK for April 9.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It is 6:15 Eastern time.
Here's what's all new this morning.
The U.S. has halted its offensive operations in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. The Americans hope to negotiate with sheikhs from that area. The White House plans to declassify an intelligence document given to the president more than a month before the 9/11 attacks. It is entitled "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States." That memo will be declassified.
In money news, U.S. financial markets are closed today in observance of Good Friday.
And in sports, Bruce Edwards, who served as Tom Watson's caddy for 30 years, has died. He was 49. Edwards' struggle with Lou Gehrig's Diseases was an inspiration to Watson. MYERS: He certainly was.
Justin Rose, 23 years old, is the Master's leader, five under yesterday. Some other names. Sergio Garcia was even. He didn't even get through 13 holes, some of the late starters. They were so late getting going yesterday. John Daly) six over. Arnold Palmer 12 over. I don't think they're making it. But Tiger Woods four over. It must have been a tough day for him.
COSTELLO: Boy, you're not kidding.
Thank you, Chad.
In culture, "The Life of Brian," the controversial Monty Python spoof about the bible, has been resurrected, so to speak. Twenty-five years after it was first released, it will soon compete against "The Passion of the Christ."
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Sounds beautiful.
Those are the latest headlines for you.
We want to talk more about what's happening in Fallujah, because there has been an end to the offensive operations there in order for them to negotiate a cease-fire.
Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, live on the phone lines right now -- and, Barbara, I know you just got into the office, but we wanted to ask you about this.
BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the reports are now quite mixed at the moment, because the coalition, of course, Paul Bremer, had said earlier today that there was a cease-fire. But now we are getting reports that Associated Press and other reporters on the scene in Fallujah say that developments may be moving and that the Marines may have been given orders to resume. There is also reports from reporters at the scene of the Associated Press that Marines may be allowing women and children and elderly people, to leave the city if they want to. So certainly the situation very fluid at the moment.
COSTELLO: Well, I understand, too, that members of the Iraqi Governing Council were supposedly going to be involved in these talks that apparently aren't going to happen now.
STARR: Hard to say at the moment. That was every indication that we had. But just very, very difficult to say at the moment what's going on.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll head back to Jim Clancy in Baghdad for more on that to find out what he knows.
I also wanted to ask you about more troops in Iraq. There's word in the "Washington Post" this morning that 10,000 more troops are needed. STARR: Well, General Abizaid has basically decided, it appears, that nobody's leaving Iraq until the situation comes back to being a bit calmer. You know, they have 135,000 troops there right now. They were scheduled to go down to 115,000 by June under the current rotation plan.
Nobody -- those 20,000 or so are not immediately going to leave, it appears, at this time. General Abizaid wants to get a much better feel for what the state of play is going to be, how long the silence is going to continue, how long U.S. forces are going to have to deal with all of these outbreaks across several locations in Iraq.
So, first, his first option is to leave his more experienced troops in place. That may mean, it appears, an extension of tours for the Army's 1st Armored Division. They were scheduled to come home. It looks now like a good number of them are going to be staying. His next option will be to request the redeployment of the 3rd Infantry Division, which left last summer, have them come back. That hasn't happened yet, but that may be the next thing down the line.
COSTELLO: Well, we'll see what you get later today.
Barbara Starr reporting from the Pentagon this morning.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, we'll have more on the situation in Iraq, one year after the now famous statue of Saddam Hussein fell in Baghdad.
And our DAYBREAK Photo of the Day. What is it? We'll tell you after the break.
MYERS: A trolley bike.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART")
JON STEWART: The big story, today, of course, took place in Washington, D.C., where National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice overcame her fear of sworn testimony to speak before the committee investigating 9/11. Rice entered the committee room confident, head held high, although her choice of entrance music was a little questionable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Mea culpa.
MYERS: Twenty percent of Americans get their news from Jon Davis.
COSTELLO: It's insane. That's where most of the young men are going for their news and information. So, shall we play another clip from the "Jon Stewart Daily Show?"
MYERS: The "Daily Show" is so funny. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART")
STEWART: Doctor, are you sure the threat of terrorism was getting the pre-9/11 attention that it deserved?
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: I do not believe that there was a lack of high level attention. The president was paying attention to this. How much higher level can you get?
STEWART: Well...I suppose it could have gone to Cheney.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Oh, of course it's very serious and we have to take things down a notch and talk about the seriousness of the 9/11 Commission and Condoleezza Rice's testimony. We've been soliciting your e-mails all morning and boy, did we get a response.
MYERS: A lot, really. A couple -- over 200 now.
COSTELLO: Yes. Let me read a few. This one: "Dear Carol --" This is from Rob. He says: "The tragedy of 9/11 came about because people who were being paid to think did not think. They did not think that a group of men could get through security with box cutter blades and handles and hijack planes loaded with "bombs." But that is exactly what happened."
We want to go quickly to the next one. This is from James from Kentucky. He says: "First of all, how many threats does the U.S. receive in one day? The problem is one acted on one threat, which caused the loss of American lives. Only one good thing did come out of it and that is now we pay attention to those threats." So, he says something good came out of the tragedy, if you can call it that.
This is from Kemp (ph) from Charlottesville, Virginia: "If Dr. Rice had spent as much time answering questions as she spent not answering them, we may have learned more yesterday."
And one more. Let me read another one. This is from Jo from New York. She says: "That's why they call it intelligence. Was Ms. Rice waiting for al Qaeda to call her to make an appointment? It was all there. They failed to connect the dots. The administration calls Dick Clarke Chicken Little. But guess what? The sky really fell."
Thank you for your e-mails this morning.
Keep them coming. We'll show more of them to you, maybe in this -- in DAYBREAK today or perhaps on Monday.
MYERS: Fair enough. We'll keep those. And what was it?
COSTELLO: The Photo of the Day, you mean.
MYERS: Couldn't even tell. I had no idea. But if you think about it, it's a paddle. Zooming out. Where's the paddle? The paddle looks like one of those ancient travel bites. But there's the paddle, as he's surfing, kind of, as he goes off the ice and down into it. The correct spelling, oleshack (ph). The kayakers were wheeling and getting themselves off the Yukon River in White Horse, Yukon, Canada.
COSTELLO: Oh, OK. Kayaking in Canada. And I guess it just thawed there and the ice broke and that's why they're out there doing that. Good for them.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
Real people and the reaction to Condoleezza Rice's testimony. Forget the politicians and the power players. What do average Americans think about her performance at the hearings?
And images of war -- how are the dramatic pictures from the battleground playing in Britain, another country with troops in Iraq.
And then kids in anxiety -- expert advice for parents before your children need emergency medical help.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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