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CNN Live At Daybreak

Russia's Response; Russian Offensive; 1,000+ War Dead; Here Comes the Sun; Bitter Reality

Aired September 08, 2004 - 05:30   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.


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

"Now in the News."

President Bush meets today with congressional leaders who oversee the intelligence community. He wants to discuss legislation creating a new intelligence director and other recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

John Kerry will be on the attack this morning, he will be criticizing President Bush over his handling of the Iraq war and he'll be speaking at the Cincinnati Museum where President Bush outlined his case for that Iraq.

Scott Peterson's murder trial resumes today with expert testimony about DNA evidence. Prosecutors will try to place Laci Peterson on the boat, which they allege her husband used to dispose of her body.

Two Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots are set to snatch the Genesis spacecraft out of the Utah sky today. The capsule is returning from a three-year mission to probe the origins of the solar system.

And Ivan is now a terrible category 4 hurricane. It has devastated Grenada with its ferocious winds. Now the storm is crossing the Caribbean Sea.

Well let's head to the Forecast Center to get more on Ivan.

Good morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I think devastated Grenada is probably...

COSTELLO: Too strong.

MYERS: ... right on. No, right on the money -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: I really do. One hundred and forty miles per hour and it took the right side of the eyewall. It took the worst side of the eyewall. So it was moving at 16, plus it was spinning at 140. And if you are on the right side of that eyewall, that means you have to add those two together. Now you're 156. If you are on the left side of the eyewall, you subtract those two numbers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: No, it's not.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Russia says it's going after terrorists worldwide in the wake of that school hostage situation. Russia is also looking to neutralize two rebel leaders it says is responsible for the Beslan school tragedy. It's now offering a reward in excess of $10 million for any information. The announcement comes after Russian TV showed a disturbing video shot inside the school.

CNN's Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A videotape shot by the terrorists themselves shown on Russia's NTV. School children and their mothers huddled in gymnasium as masked men and a female terrorist brandishing a gun stand guard. Explosives strung on a basketball hoop. A terrorist with his foot on what appears to be a detonator, horrifying testament to what will soon become a massacre.

In Moscow Tuesday, a massive rally against terrorism organized by a pro-government trade union. The signs say it all. "Putin, we're with you. Hands off our kids" and "Bring the killers to justice."

"I never imagined people could do such a thing" this school principal says "exterminate children. It's terrifying. Something horrible is happening in our country."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They spit in our face and I'm here to say I won't permit you to demean me or my country.

DOUGHERTY: In the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin is angry too telling visiting foreign policy experts the west has a double standard on terrorism, demanding Russia negotiate with Chechen separatists who Mr. Putin considers terrorists.

"Why don't you meet with Osama bin Laden" he says, "invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks. Ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace. You find it possible to set some limits on your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk with people who are child killers?"

One participant in that meeting tells CNN the Russian president was blunt.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JOURNALISTS: So, what he's basically saying to the United States is, look, don't play any more games. Don't call these people freedom fighters. Don't call them rebels. Call them terrorists just like you call bin Laden a terrorist.

DOUGHERTY: Mr. Putin also charges some U.S. officials are undermining Russia's war on terrorism by having contact with Chechen separatists.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The United States has met with people from Chechnya who have differing points of view, including points of view that differ from the Russian government but we don't -- we don't meet with terrorists. We don't meet with people who are involved in violence or fomenting violence.

DOUGHERTY: Meanwhile in Beslan, Russia an unending series of funerals, children buried with their favorite toys.

(on camera): President Putin says his government will carry out an internal investigation into the hostage massacre but the results will not be made public. He claims a parliamentary probe could turn into a political show.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we want to talk more about this crisis in Russia and how it might affect the United States.

Our senior international editor David Clinch is joining us now.

Let's start first with the new information coming out this morning that Russia is prepared to do, well, to do preemptive strikes.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right, preemptive strikes. We've heard that before here in the U.S., a doctrine of the Bush administration. Now, clearly, at least from this statement, a doctrine of the Putin administration in Russia.

What needs to be clear, and I think Jill did a very good job in that piece, is that the Russian government is in no mood for nuance at the moment. They are not interested in the questions that still are out there of who these people were, were they really representative of some known Chechen separatist group? Were they attached to, were they getting their orders from the leaders who, of course today they are putting out a $10 million reward for these leaders? They are not waiting for the details.

They have a policy right now, they want to find those leaders, they are offering a reward for them. And as far as we can see now, they are planning some kind of military response.

Now there is a big question there of course, a military response within Chechnya itself. Chechnya, of course from Putin's point of view part of Russia, is an internal matter. That's something we may very well see. That has its own complications, of course. Cracking down on the Chechen people or cracking down on those movements may do nothing to prevent crazy people doing what they have done in this horrific situation here.

COSTELLO: And certainly there has been military action on Russia's part in Chechnya before, many times.

CLINCH: Correct, but...

COSTELLO: And tens of thousands of people have died in Chechnya.

CLINCH: Exactly, and these things are still happening. That's of course something that governments all over the world learn that military action does not equate to ending terrorism. But then of course the other more interesting, more disturbing question in some ways is are they prepared to go beyond their own borders? And if so, where? Where do they think these Chechen rebels or these militant groups, whatever they are, are getting their influence?

COSTELLO: And see you bring up that point, because President Putin has said maybe foreign fighters are involved, too, in what's inside of Russia.

CLINCH: Exactly.

COSTELLO: And of course everyone has latched on to this Islamic extremist idea that they are helping these Chechen rebels.

CLINCH: Right, and we've done some reporting on that.

Of course the terrible, horrific reality that we live in now that any group, anywhere, from some known group or some new group of young people, can pluck plans for terrorist attacks off the Web or from videos or wherever they want and then apply them.

How you deal with that, though, from a military point of view, is a problem that the United States could probably tell a lot to President Putin about right now. How difficult that is. Wanting to do it. Knowing what you want to do is one thing, actually being able to do it.

Three years after September 11 Osama bin Laden is still wandering around somewhere free. The United States, I think, would have some very meaningful advice for President Putin about plans for attacking terrorist camps wherever they are. It's one thing to know who you want to hit, where to find them and how to do it is another question.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, thank you.

In the Iraqi flashpoint city of Fallujah, witnesses say U.S. warplanes launched airstrikes today. Hospital officials say at least two people were killed, this, after as many as 100 militants were killed Tuesday in clashes with Marines and Iraqi security forces. Military sources say those attacks began when insurgents fired on U.S. and Iraqi forces. Fallujah has become the base of resistance for insurgents who oppose the U.S.-backed government in Iraq. Seven Marines were killed Monday in a suicide bombing outside of that city.

The total number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq has now passed the 1,000 mark and it comes amid a spike in fighting.

Aaron Brown has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great majority of U.S. military war dead, 86 percent, have been killed since May the 1st of 2003 when the president announced that the United States and its allies had prevailed in Iraq.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My fellow Americans major combat operations in Iraq have ended.

BROWN: Another 146 American servicemen and women have died since June 29th when the U.S. officially turned over sovereignty to Iraq.

PAUL BREMER, CPA ADMINISTRATOR: The Iraqi Interim Government will assume and exercise full sovereign authority on behalf of the Iraqi people.

BROWN: Despite the handover, the mission is not over, not nearly. A hundred and thirty-seven thousand American troops are still in the country and have continued to fight and die, killed in firefights, in RPG and mortar attacks and by IEDs, the deadly improvised explosive devices that have killed at least 200 troops in Iraq and maimed hundreds more.

It took 10 months from the start of the war in March of 2003 until early January of this year to mark the first 500 U.S. military deaths. It has taken less time, eight months, to record the second 500.

This past spring and summer have been especially deadly as U.S. troops, mostly Marines, battled insurgents in Fallujah and Ramadi. April was the worst, 134 U.S. troops died, 64 in just the first ten days of the month.

In May, 81 were killed. In June, the number dropped to 43 but went up again in July, 53 died, 66 in August and just a week into September, one week, 23 have already died.

The number 1,000 military dead seems so high to Americans who remember the first Gulf War which claimed 382 American troops, 147 of them in combat. But the number is small in the context of America's entire war history, 58,000 lost in Vietnam, 36,000 lost in Korea, 400,000 lost in World War II.

Different wars fought in different conditions over different lengths of time, wars that ended, the dead totaled, a factor that does not yet apply to the war in Iraq.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Some hot new science may help shed light on exactly how the sun works. At 46 minutes past the hour, we'll tell you about a scorching NASA mission that is now making its way back to planet Earth.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

Responding to last week's massacre of more than 300 hostages at a school in Beslan, Russia now says it is prepared to make preemptive strikes on what it calls terrorist bases anywhere in the world.

Israel is conducting a raid in Gaza. Huge Israeli bulldozers are plowing through olive groves. The military says the operation is meant to prevent Palestinians from firing rockets into Israel.

In money news, what pro football team charges the most for tickets? Well, an annual survey finds the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots have the highest average price, $75.33 per seat. Wow! The Buffalo Bills are the biggest bargain, just over 37 bucks a seat.

In culture, Outkast Andre 3000 is the man of the year that is. He was named the international man of the year at the British GQ Awards last night in London.

In sports, Robin is batman. Robin Ventura of the L.A. Dodgers hit his 18th career grand slam in an 8 to 2 win over Arizona. That ties him for third on the all-time list. Lou Gehrig, by the way, holds the record with 23.

To the Forecast Center now and -- Chad.

MYERS: And a fine good morning to you, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Today is Sun Day (ph) for NASA scientists. It's the day the Genesis program returns to Earth with a piece of the sun. But before scientists can study the space particles, they first have to catch them.

CNN space correspondent Miles O'Brien tells us how.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here comes the sun and the chopper pilots for the stars are ready to snag it. It is a $264 million special delivery package containing ingredients of our sun, ingredients of our solar system.

The spacecraft left Earth in 2001 and loitered for 27 months in a gravitational sweet spot between Earth and the sun. Ultra pure wafers, made of silicon, diamonds, sapphires and gold, caught something even more precious to scientists, atom-size bits of the solar wind which is deflected by Earth's magnetic field and thus can only be captured in space.

The frisbee shaped five-foot diameter capsule is carrying the first sample to return from space since the last Apollo mission in 1972. But instead of a splashdown, the ultra fragile wafers will hopefully head for an Air Force testing range in the Utah Salt Flats. The plan is for the capsule to first be slowed by a parachute. And then about 4,000 or 5,000 feet above the ground, a pair of helicopters will swoop in and try to hook the shoot before Genesis hits the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did not have great confidence that we could parachute this to the ground and not have a lot of breakage of our materials.

O'BRIEN: So instead of using a lot of bubble wrap, NASA sought out the best helicopter pilots in the world. They happen to be the steady sticks who shoot those spectacular aerials you see on the silver screen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming in and acquiring this parachute, getting formation with it, getting low, slow and coming right across it with precision. And we kind of have to do that in our film careers to do that with the camera.

O'BRIEN: They have practiced the maneuver a dozen times and they have never missed. Still, on September 8, they'll be no chance for another take.

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN to watch Genesis return to Earth. We'll have live coverage of the recovery beginning at 12:15 p.m. Eastern today.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, former President Clinton is expected to stay at a New York hospital a couple more days after open-heart surgery. Doctors say Mr. Clinton is doing just fine after a quadruple bypass operation.

A message for you ladies, forget numbers on the scale. When it comes to heart disease, you are better off being fit then being thin. A University of Florida study finds women who are inactive have a higher risk for heart trouble than overweight or even obese women who exercise.

If seasonal allergies have you sneezing, check with your doctor. A new study finds adding the antihistamine nasal spray Astelin can help. The study says people did well using the spray alone and with Allegra.

Short kids are cool, too. A new look at the schoolyard finds height does not influence popularity. Some parents believe growth hormone therapy can help shorter kids socially, but the study of New York City kids found height has little effect on which children were popular or had the most friends.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

When was the last time you remember sitting down to a meal while you weren't doing something else, lunch at your desk, dinner while you are catching up on the news? In the next hour of CNN DAYBREAK, we'll look at how this eating trend can affect your health.

Also ahead, Hollywood producers say they are shocked that another network would steal their ideas. We'll take a look inside the latest fight in the not so real world of reality TV.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Some Hollywood bigwigs are taking punches at each other over the latest round of new reality shows.

As Sibila Vargas reports, accusations over stealing ideas are the new bitter reality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Think the most contentious moments in reality TV are being captured on camera? Think again. Some of the most explosive battles are unfolding in the network boardrooms.

Executives on Fox's boxing reality show "The Next Great Champ" and the similarly themed NBC show "The Contender" are jumping in the ring and the gloves are off.

SYLVESTER STALLONE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CONTENDER": One is original and one is stolen.

MARK BURNETT, PRODUCER, "CONTENDER": One is the "Contender," one is the "Pretender."

VARGAS: "Contender" producer Sylvester Stallone and Mark Burnett say Fox's "Next Great Champ" is a blatant rip off.

JOE LIVECCHI, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: The idea of doing a boxing show had been proposed by many companies. So the concept of doing a boxing show is not new.

VARGAS: "Contender" producer lost a recent legal battle for a preliminary injunction against "The Next Great Champ." They claimed that in a rush to get "Next Great Champ" on the air before NBC's "Contender," Fox illegally taped some of the fights without a boxing license.

MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, VARIETY: As the networks start to depend more and more on these shows to goose their ratings, it's just becoming crazy out there in terms of everyone going after the same ideas.

VARGAS: This season Fox rolled out "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" ahead of ABC's "Wife Swap," even though ABC argues it was first to come up with the family switching concept. And ABC's upcoming show "The Benefactor" and Fox's "The Billionaire" bear a striking resemblance to NBC's juggernaut "The Apprentice."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS (on camera): According to Nielsen, last year 7 of the top 20 shows were reality programs. And with about two dozen reality shows on tap this season, the financial stakes are so high that networks have begun securing ideas in what's called defensive development.

SCHNEIDER: Sometimes they may hear a pitch and may decide we can't do that show necessarily right now. But I don't want my competitor to do that show, so I'm going to buy it, take it off the market and maybe down the line I'll develop it.

VARGAS (voice-over): Meaning the fight for reality TV is only in the opening rounds.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Here are some of the stories we're working on for you in the next hour of CNN DAYBREAK.

The president of the American Red Cross tells how we can help people hit by Hurricane Frances, and Hurricane Charley before that, not to mention what may be ahead from Ivan.

Also ahead, does eating on the run give you indigestion? Well, we'll try to smooth out your stressed out stomachs.

This is DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired September 8, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning to you, welcome to the second half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the CNN Global Headquarters in Atlanta, I'm Carol Costello.

"Now in the News."

President Bush meets today with congressional leaders who oversee the intelligence community. He wants to discuss legislation creating a new intelligence director and other recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

John Kerry will be on the attack this morning, he will be criticizing President Bush over his handling of the Iraq war and he'll be speaking at the Cincinnati Museum where President Bush outlined his case for that Iraq.

Scott Peterson's murder trial resumes today with expert testimony about DNA evidence. Prosecutors will try to place Laci Peterson on the boat, which they allege her husband used to dispose of her body.

Two Hollywood helicopter stunt pilots are set to snatch the Genesis spacecraft out of the Utah sky today. The capsule is returning from a three-year mission to probe the origins of the solar system.

And Ivan is now a terrible category 4 hurricane. It has devastated Grenada with its ferocious winds. Now the storm is crossing the Caribbean Sea.

Well let's head to the Forecast Center to get more on Ivan.

Good morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I think devastated Grenada is probably...

COSTELLO: Too strong.

MYERS: ... right on. No, right on the money -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Really?

MYERS: I really do. One hundred and forty miles per hour and it took the right side of the eyewall. It took the worst side of the eyewall. So it was moving at 16, plus it was spinning at 140. And if you are on the right side of that eyewall, that means you have to add those two together. Now you're 156. If you are on the left side of the eyewall, you subtract those two numbers.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: No, it's not.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: Russia says it's going after terrorists worldwide in the wake of that school hostage situation. Russia is also looking to neutralize two rebel leaders it says is responsible for the Beslan school tragedy. It's now offering a reward in excess of $10 million for any information. The announcement comes after Russian TV showed a disturbing video shot inside the school.

CNN's Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): A videotape shot by the terrorists themselves shown on Russia's NTV. School children and their mothers huddled in gymnasium as masked men and a female terrorist brandishing a gun stand guard. Explosives strung on a basketball hoop. A terrorist with his foot on what appears to be a detonator, horrifying testament to what will soon become a massacre.

In Moscow Tuesday, a massive rally against terrorism organized by a pro-government trade union. The signs say it all. "Putin, we're with you. Hands off our kids" and "Bring the killers to justice."

"I never imagined people could do such a thing" this school principal says "exterminate children. It's terrifying. Something horrible is happening in our country."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): They spit in our face and I'm here to say I won't permit you to demean me or my country.

DOUGHERTY: In the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin is angry too telling visiting foreign policy experts the west has a double standard on terrorism, demanding Russia negotiate with Chechen separatists who Mr. Putin considers terrorists.

"Why don't you meet with Osama bin Laden" he says, "invite him to Brussels or to the White House and engage in talks. Ask him what he wants and give it to him so he leaves you in peace. You find it possible to set some limits on your dealings with these bastards, so why should we talk with people who are child killers?"

One participant in that meeting tells CNN the Russian president was blunt.

EILEEN O'CONNOR, INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JOURNALISTS: So, what he's basically saying to the United States is, look, don't play any more games. Don't call these people freedom fighters. Don't call them rebels. Call them terrorists just like you call bin Laden a terrorist.

DOUGHERTY: Mr. Putin also charges some U.S. officials are undermining Russia's war on terrorism by having contact with Chechen separatists.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: The United States has met with people from Chechnya who have differing points of view, including points of view that differ from the Russian government but we don't -- we don't meet with terrorists. We don't meet with people who are involved in violence or fomenting violence.

DOUGHERTY: Meanwhile in Beslan, Russia an unending series of funerals, children buried with their favorite toys.

(on camera): President Putin says his government will carry out an internal investigation into the hostage massacre but the results will not be made public. He claims a parliamentary probe could turn into a political show.

Jill Dougherty, CNN, Moscow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And we want to talk more about this crisis in Russia and how it might affect the United States.

Our senior international editor David Clinch is joining us now.

Let's start first with the new information coming out this morning that Russia is prepared to do, well, to do preemptive strikes.

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Right, preemptive strikes. We've heard that before here in the U.S., a doctrine of the Bush administration. Now, clearly, at least from this statement, a doctrine of the Putin administration in Russia.

What needs to be clear, and I think Jill did a very good job in that piece, is that the Russian government is in no mood for nuance at the moment. They are not interested in the questions that still are out there of who these people were, were they really representative of some known Chechen separatist group? Were they attached to, were they getting their orders from the leaders who, of course today they are putting out a $10 million reward for these leaders? They are not waiting for the details.

They have a policy right now, they want to find those leaders, they are offering a reward for them. And as far as we can see now, they are planning some kind of military response.

Now there is a big question there of course, a military response within Chechnya itself. Chechnya, of course from Putin's point of view part of Russia, is an internal matter. That's something we may very well see. That has its own complications, of course. Cracking down on the Chechen people or cracking down on those movements may do nothing to prevent crazy people doing what they have done in this horrific situation here.

COSTELLO: And certainly there has been military action on Russia's part in Chechnya before, many times.

CLINCH: Correct, but...

COSTELLO: And tens of thousands of people have died in Chechnya.

CLINCH: Exactly, and these things are still happening. That's of course something that governments all over the world learn that military action does not equate to ending terrorism. But then of course the other more interesting, more disturbing question in some ways is are they prepared to go beyond their own borders? And if so, where? Where do they think these Chechen rebels or these militant groups, whatever they are, are getting their influence?

COSTELLO: And see you bring up that point, because President Putin has said maybe foreign fighters are involved, too, in what's inside of Russia.

CLINCH: Exactly.

COSTELLO: And of course everyone has latched on to this Islamic extremist idea that they are helping these Chechen rebels.

CLINCH: Right, and we've done some reporting on that.

Of course the terrible, horrific reality that we live in now that any group, anywhere, from some known group or some new group of young people, can pluck plans for terrorist attacks off the Web or from videos or wherever they want and then apply them.

How you deal with that, though, from a military point of view, is a problem that the United States could probably tell a lot to President Putin about right now. How difficult that is. Wanting to do it. Knowing what you want to do is one thing, actually being able to do it.

Three years after September 11 Osama bin Laden is still wandering around somewhere free. The United States, I think, would have some very meaningful advice for President Putin about plans for attacking terrorist camps wherever they are. It's one thing to know who you want to hit, where to find them and how to do it is another question.

COSTELLO: David Clinch, thank you.

In the Iraqi flashpoint city of Fallujah, witnesses say U.S. warplanes launched airstrikes today. Hospital officials say at least two people were killed, this, after as many as 100 militants were killed Tuesday in clashes with Marines and Iraqi security forces. Military sources say those attacks began when insurgents fired on U.S. and Iraqi forces. Fallujah has become the base of resistance for insurgents who oppose the U.S.-backed government in Iraq. Seven Marines were killed Monday in a suicide bombing outside of that city.

The total number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq has now passed the 1,000 mark and it comes amid a spike in fighting.

Aaron Brown has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The great majority of U.S. military war dead, 86 percent, have been killed since May the 1st of 2003 when the president announced that the United States and its allies had prevailed in Iraq.

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My fellow Americans major combat operations in Iraq have ended.

BROWN: Another 146 American servicemen and women have died since June 29th when the U.S. officially turned over sovereignty to Iraq.

PAUL BREMER, CPA ADMINISTRATOR: The Iraqi Interim Government will assume and exercise full sovereign authority on behalf of the Iraqi people.

BROWN: Despite the handover, the mission is not over, not nearly. A hundred and thirty-seven thousand American troops are still in the country and have continued to fight and die, killed in firefights, in RPG and mortar attacks and by IEDs, the deadly improvised explosive devices that have killed at least 200 troops in Iraq and maimed hundreds more.

It took 10 months from the start of the war in March of 2003 until early January of this year to mark the first 500 U.S. military deaths. It has taken less time, eight months, to record the second 500.

This past spring and summer have been especially deadly as U.S. troops, mostly Marines, battled insurgents in Fallujah and Ramadi. April was the worst, 134 U.S. troops died, 64 in just the first ten days of the month.

In May, 81 were killed. In June, the number dropped to 43 but went up again in July, 53 died, 66 in August and just a week into September, one week, 23 have already died.

The number 1,000 military dead seems so high to Americans who remember the first Gulf War which claimed 382 American troops, 147 of them in combat. But the number is small in the context of America's entire war history, 58,000 lost in Vietnam, 36,000 lost in Korea, 400,000 lost in World War II.

Different wars fought in different conditions over different lengths of time, wars that ended, the dead totaled, a factor that does not yet apply to the war in Iraq.

Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Some hot new science may help shed light on exactly how the sun works. At 46 minutes past the hour, we'll tell you about a scorching NASA mission that is now making its way back to planet Earth.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:46 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

Responding to last week's massacre of more than 300 hostages at a school in Beslan, Russia now says it is prepared to make preemptive strikes on what it calls terrorist bases anywhere in the world.

Israel is conducting a raid in Gaza. Huge Israeli bulldozers are plowing through olive groves. The military says the operation is meant to prevent Palestinians from firing rockets into Israel.

In money news, what pro football team charges the most for tickets? Well, an annual survey finds the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots have the highest average price, $75.33 per seat. Wow! The Buffalo Bills are the biggest bargain, just over 37 bucks a seat.

In culture, Outkast Andre 3000 is the man of the year that is. He was named the international man of the year at the British GQ Awards last night in London.

In sports, Robin is batman. Robin Ventura of the L.A. Dodgers hit his 18th career grand slam in an 8 to 2 win over Arizona. That ties him for third on the all-time list. Lou Gehrig, by the way, holds the record with 23.

To the Forecast Center now and -- Chad.

MYERS: And a fine good morning to you, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Back to you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Chad.

Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Today is Sun Day (ph) for NASA scientists. It's the day the Genesis program returns to Earth with a piece of the sun. But before scientists can study the space particles, they first have to catch them.

CNN space correspondent Miles O'Brien tells us how.

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MILES O'BRIEN, CNN SPACE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Here comes the sun and the chopper pilots for the stars are ready to snag it. It is a $264 million special delivery package containing ingredients of our sun, ingredients of our solar system.

The spacecraft left Earth in 2001 and loitered for 27 months in a gravitational sweet spot between Earth and the sun. Ultra pure wafers, made of silicon, diamonds, sapphires and gold, caught something even more precious to scientists, atom-size bits of the solar wind which is deflected by Earth's magnetic field and thus can only be captured in space.

The frisbee shaped five-foot diameter capsule is carrying the first sample to return from space since the last Apollo mission in 1972. But instead of a splashdown, the ultra fragile wafers will hopefully head for an Air Force testing range in the Utah Salt Flats. The plan is for the capsule to first be slowed by a parachute. And then about 4,000 or 5,000 feet above the ground, a pair of helicopters will swoop in and try to hook the shoot before Genesis hits the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did not have great confidence that we could parachute this to the ground and not have a lot of breakage of our materials.

O'BRIEN: So instead of using a lot of bubble wrap, NASA sought out the best helicopter pilots in the world. They happen to be the steady sticks who shoot those spectacular aerials you see on the silver screen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming in and acquiring this parachute, getting formation with it, getting low, slow and coming right across it with precision. And we kind of have to do that in our film careers to do that with the camera.

O'BRIEN: They have practiced the maneuver a dozen times and they have never missed. Still, on September 8, they'll be no chance for another take.

Miles O'Brien, CNN, Atlanta.

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COSTELLO: And be sure to stay tuned to CNN to watch Genesis return to Earth. We'll have live coverage of the recovery beginning at 12:15 p.m. Eastern today.

In "Health Headlines" for you this morning, former President Clinton is expected to stay at a New York hospital a couple more days after open-heart surgery. Doctors say Mr. Clinton is doing just fine after a quadruple bypass operation.

A message for you ladies, forget numbers on the scale. When it comes to heart disease, you are better off being fit then being thin. A University of Florida study finds women who are inactive have a higher risk for heart trouble than overweight or even obese women who exercise.

If seasonal allergies have you sneezing, check with your doctor. A new study finds adding the antihistamine nasal spray Astelin can help. The study says people did well using the spray alone and with Allegra.

Short kids are cool, too. A new look at the schoolyard finds height does not influence popularity. Some parents believe growth hormone therapy can help shorter kids socially, but the study of New York City kids found height has little effect on which children were popular or had the most friends.

For more on this or any other health story, head to our Web site. The address, CNN.com/health.

When was the last time you remember sitting down to a meal while you weren't doing something else, lunch at your desk, dinner while you are catching up on the news? In the next hour of CNN DAYBREAK, we'll look at how this eating trend can affect your health.

Also ahead, Hollywood producers say they are shocked that another network would steal their ideas. We'll take a look inside the latest fight in the not so real world of reality TV.

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COSTELLO: Some Hollywood bigwigs are taking punches at each other over the latest round of new reality shows.

As Sibila Vargas reports, accusations over stealing ideas are the new bitter reality.

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SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Think the most contentious moments in reality TV are being captured on camera? Think again. Some of the most explosive battles are unfolding in the network boardrooms.

Executives on Fox's boxing reality show "The Next Great Champ" and the similarly themed NBC show "The Contender" are jumping in the ring and the gloves are off.

SYLVESTER STALLONE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "CONTENDER": One is original and one is stolen.

MARK BURNETT, PRODUCER, "CONTENDER": One is the "Contender," one is the "Pretender."

VARGAS: "Contender" producer Sylvester Stallone and Mark Burnett say Fox's "Next Great Champ" is a blatant rip off.

JOE LIVECCHI, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: The idea of doing a boxing show had been proposed by many companies. So the concept of doing a boxing show is not new.

VARGAS: "Contender" producer lost a recent legal battle for a preliminary injunction against "The Next Great Champ." They claimed that in a rush to get "Next Great Champ" on the air before NBC's "Contender," Fox illegally taped some of the fights without a boxing license.

MICHAEL SCHNEIDER, VARIETY: As the networks start to depend more and more on these shows to goose their ratings, it's just becoming crazy out there in terms of everyone going after the same ideas.

VARGAS: This season Fox rolled out "Trading Spouses: Meet Your New Mommy" ahead of ABC's "Wife Swap," even though ABC argues it was first to come up with the family switching concept. And ABC's upcoming show "The Benefactor" and Fox's "The Billionaire" bear a striking resemblance to NBC's juggernaut "The Apprentice."

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DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": You're fired.

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VARGAS (on camera): According to Nielsen, last year 7 of the top 20 shows were reality programs. And with about two dozen reality shows on tap this season, the financial stakes are so high that networks have begun securing ideas in what's called defensive development.

SCHNEIDER: Sometimes they may hear a pitch and may decide we can't do that show necessarily right now. But I don't want my competitor to do that show, so I'm going to buy it, take it off the market and maybe down the line I'll develop it.

VARGAS (voice-over): Meaning the fight for reality TV is only in the opening rounds.

Sibila Vargas, CNN, Hollywood.

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COSTELLO: Here are some of the stories we're working on for you in the next hour of CNN DAYBREAK.

The president of the American Red Cross tells how we can help people hit by Hurricane Frances, and Hurricane Charley before that, not to mention what may be ahead from Ivan.

Also ahead, does eating on the run give you indigestion? Well, we'll try to smooth out your stressed out stomachs.

This is DAYBREAK.

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