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CNN Live At Daybreak

Falluja Operation; Bracing for Ramadan; Child of Jihad; Treating Breast Cancer; Father Figure

Aired October 15, 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.


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."

Overnight explosions and gunfire rock the Iraqi city of Falluja. U.S. Marines and Iraqi troops battled insurgents on the ground after airstrikes on suspected terrorist sites in the city. No word yet on casualties.

Michigan has joined three other states in issuing an emergency order to make sure only high-risk people get flu shots. Health care providers could get jail time for giving the shots to people not on the priority list.

At noon Eastern, the group called Concerts for Change plans to deliver a petition to the headquarters of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Concerts is trying to stop Sinclair from broadcasting an anti-John Kerry documentary on its 62 TV stations.

The American League Championship Series resumes tonight in Boston, weather permitting. Kevin Brown for the Yankees, Bronson Arroyo for the Red Sox. The Yanks are up two games to none in the series -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: Poor Boston. Of course they may not get the game in anyway.

MYERS: It really looks wet up there. I mean even if we tried to dry things out a little bit, we may get a couple innings in and the more showers are going to come in.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Good advice. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: International stories we're covering live this morning. We'll take you to Baghdad for Brent Sadler's report on an air and ground battle in a hotbed of insurgency. And we'll take you to Jerusalem for a John Vause report on tight security as the Muslim holy month gets under way. First to Baghdad, though, and Brent Sadler. Details on the U.S. Marine and Iraqi attack on insurgents in Falluja.

Hello -- Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, good morning, Carol.

U.S. warplanes and artillery have been blasting away through many hours during the nighttime now against suspected insurgent activity in that rebel stronghold of Falluja, west of Baghdad.

Now two U.S. battalions are involved in this security operation, one from the Marines, one from the U.S. Army, combining with U.S. Special Forces on the ground, supported by strike jets and helicopter gunships.

Now what does this mean? It means that U.S. soldiers are doing most of the fighting in Falluja. So far, they have been attacking suspected weapons storage sites, also checkpoints, illegal checkpoints run by insurgents and foreign fighters in that city. It's understood now that the U.S. troops and their Iraqi counterparts are now manning new checkpoints in and around the city of Falluja.

Now that's the first time U.S. troops have entered this rebel stronghold since a Marines-led offensive back in April that was called off between -- now between then and now, of course, insurgent activity coming out of Falluja has indeed escalated.

Now, and what does this mean for the future? It does not mean that this is the beginning of a much expected, wide scale ground and air offensive. This is rather, in the words of commanders, preparing the ground should that happen.

Ahead of this latest offensive, though, Iraq's national security adviser warned the insurgents that unless they gave up, they would be smashed by the use of power -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler live in Baghdad this morning.

Now let's go to John Vause, who is in Jerusalem, as the holy month of Ramadan brings out the police and the prayerful.

Hello -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well prayers are due to begin any moment now to mark the start of Ramadan here in Jerusalem. And tens of thousands are expected to attend the Noble Sanctuary, as it's known to Muslims, a temple now as it's known to the Jews. Many are starting to arrive, as we can see, starting to fill the plaza area.

Now there is some thought that up to 200,000 could attend prayer services at the Noble Sanctuary after Israel announced that there would be no restrictions on the numbers allowed to attend. Now Israel has been concerned about the structural integrity of the site. A closer look at the outer walls, we can see the scaffolding, which has been put up. Now below the plaza level and behind those walls, you have got what the Muslims call the Mowani Prayer Site (ph). It's also known as Solomon's Stables.

Now Israel believes years of excavation of that area by the Islamic authorities has substantially weakened the structural integrity, prompting fears of a massive collapse, especially if there were hundreds of thousands of people on the plaza above. But after an inspection by Israeli engineers, they believe that enough has now been done to shore up the structural integrity of the site. They believe that it is now in fact safe.

And so last night, Ariel Sharon announced that there would be no limit on the numbers allowed to attend to mark the start of Ramadan. But, Carol, there are still travel restrictions for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and also around the old city, literally hundreds and hundreds of soldiers and police and dozens of checkpoints -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John Vause in Jerusalem, Brent Sadler in Baghdad, thanks to you both.

Checking other news from around the globe now, 20 people who say they are North Koreans are looking for asylum in South Korea. The group climbed underneath a barbed wire fence and over a wall to get into the South Korean Consulate in Beijing. A number of North Koreans have made similar escape attempts to the South through embassies in China.

In Haiti, U.N. peacekeeping troops and soldiers who helped oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide are asking for help to end days of violence. At least 48 people have been killed in recent protests. Aristide supporters are demanding his return from exile. The U.S. State Department is urging all non-essential personnel at its embassy to leave Haiti.

Mexico's volcano of fire is spewing hot lava and rock. The mountain has been erupting since late last month. Scientists say the volcano is one of the most active in central Mexico and potentially the most destructive. Despite that, they don't consider the current eruptions dangerous.

And the timing was a little boy, Abdul Rahman Khadr was almost destined to be an al Qaeda fighter. But after years of violence, the young man now says he's ready to move on with a different kind of life in Canada.

Deborah Feyerick has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the terror camps of Afghanistan, 21-year-old Canadian Abdul Rahman Khadr learned how to fight. ABDUL RAHMAN KHADR, FORMER JIHADI: I learned like mortars, explosives, pistols, snipers, tactics, mountain tactics.

FEYERICK: And though he speaks fluent English, he says he spent little time with friends in his hometown Toronto, but training side by side with young Muslim jihadis like himself.

KHADR: They were training, as everybody else was, to help Islam whenever, you know, if anything happens, to help the Taliban, to maybe do something back home.

FEYERICK: Khadr's story is incredible. His own family has called him a liar and he has admitted changing parts of the story.

But he has also testified in a Canadian court under oath to tell the truth. It is those details that give credibility to the story Khadr tells CNN, a story that begins when Khadr was 11, the first time his father took him to an al Qaeda training camp. He was just 13 when he met Osama bin Laden.

KHADR: I shaked hands with him and we sat down. He talked to my father. And we were just sitting there looking at them both talk. That's my first memory.

FEYERICK: His father, Ahmed Said Khadr, worked with bin Laden in the mid-'80s. He became known among jihadis as Ahmed Al-Canadi (ph), the Canadian.

KHADR: It's a small circle. The Canadians, it was very small. And a lot of -- I mean I think 90 to 95 percent of any of the Canadians that came there either came to our house or otherwise we met them at guest houses or at camps. So we knew about anybody that came from Canada.

FEYERICK: Khadr says he met some half-dozen Canadian jihadi trainees, among them Almer Almati (ph), a man he knew as a plane expert and one of seven people on an FBI terror watch list.

But the life of a jihadi wasn't for him. Though he went through training eight times, he says he refused his father's plea to become a suicide bomber.

KHADR: Any family there that's really, you know, committed to this cause, it would be a pride for them to have a son that would become a suicide bomber.

FEYERICK: Three years ago, Khadr was captured by Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan. He ended up in U.S. custody, testifying in court recently that he became a CIA informant, first at Guantanamo and then in Bosnia.

The CIA will not comment. Khadr tells CNN he couldn't handle the pressure or harsh conditions and so he went public, forcing his return to Canada last year.

KHADR: Yes, I trained. Yes, I went to training. I met Osama. You know I did all of this. But I admit it all. And now I just want to move on. So please give me a chance.

FEYERICK: Canadian officials concede they aren't thrilled Khadr is back home, but they are willing to give him the chance. Just to make sure he doesn't change his mind and return overseas, he has been turned down for a passport.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Toronto.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: "Team America" is coming to a movie theater near you. In four minutes, you'll hear why some controversial comments are causing quite a stir in the political world all over puppets.

That brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," are potential voters informed about the issues? In other words, those get out the vote campaigns, you know when they get anybody to vote whether they are informed or not, should those people really vote? We'll read some of your e-mails a little later. Very insightful they are this morning.

And thousands of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. In eight minutes, why early diagnosis and treatments are key. We'll show you the newest breakthroughs ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: What do puppets having sex and politics have in common? Nothing really, but they are both part of a new movie from the creators of "South Park." Strange, isn't it? "Team American World Police" opens today, but the controversy over the moviemakers is creating as much a buzz as the movie itself. Matt Stone, one of the creators of this movie, has criticized get out to vote campaigns. He says that encouraging uninformed people to vote is dangerous to democracy.

And that really kind of intrigued us, so we're asking you that question this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. And we've already gotten some e-mails in. And boy, you guys have thought about this.

This is from Rick (ph). He says are voters informed on the issues, and if not, should they vote? I would like to say people who are not informed should not vote. But then again, most people seem to make their choice based on party line or from sound bites. Is anyone really informed? Isn't their right to vote unless someone added an intelligence clause to the Constitution? I think he's saying it's everyone's right to vote no matter what. And you should always be informed. But if we have a Constitutional right to vote, maybe we should vote anyway. I don't know.

This is from Margaret (ph) from Jennings, Missouri. And this is really kind of difficult to understand because it's so smartly written and it's early in the morning. She says the right to vote has been a well thought battle within these United States and it continues to be such today. The fact that an individual is knowledgeable or not knowledgeable about the issues is not the determinate as to whether he/she should be eligible to vote. The determinate is citizenry of country, state and an individual's age. Why not leave it at that? We have more than enough problems dealing with voting in this country.

Thank you, Margaret.

This is from Brenda (ph) from Richmond, Virginia. Frankly, if we relied on the media coverage to keep informed before we cast a vote, we probably don't deserve to vote. Personally, I watch several networks, read many newspapers and surf the facts on the Internet at the candidate's Web site. Then I go to the sites for government, state, federal and local and look at the candidate's record.

And that's the way she is informed when she casts a vote, but most people don't go to the trouble. They just don't. And most people don't bother to vote either. So thank you for your comments this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

We'll have more on the movie itself coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Our film guy, Tom O'Neil of "In Touch Weekly" will review the movie "Team America World Police."

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Kobe Bryant's accuser has revised her civil lawsuit against the NBA star, this time using her real name. A judge ruled last week that she had to identify herself. CNN's policy is not to name alleged victims of sexual assault.

A Louisiana jury recommends the death penalty for convicted killer Derrick Todd Lee. Lee was found guilty of the killing of a 22- year-old woman in May of 2002. DNA evidence linked Lee to seven murders since 1998.

In money news, look to pump more money down your gas tank. Oil prices roar to a new record, ending the day near $55 a barrel.

In culture, a musical first is coming to the Las Vegas Strip in 2006. A production of Beatles songs by the acrobatic troop Surf to Soley (ph) will replace Siegfried & Roy's magic act at the Mirage Hotel Casino.

College Football, the Miami Hurricanes squeaked by Louisville by just three points. The Canes fought back from 17 points down to beat the Cardinals 41-38. No. 3 ranked Miami improves to 5 and 0.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad.

Good morning.

MYERS: I was going to try to stay up for that game and there was absolutely no chance. My body wouldn't let me.

Good morning, Ohio.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll keep that in mind.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: In health news this morning, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The American Cancer Society says early diagnosis and new treatments are key to survival.

CNN's Christy Feig has some of the newest breakthroughs for both treating and preventing the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chrisley McCarson's life was turned upside down in May when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

CHRISLEY MCCARSON, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: I had my surgery June 11, and the rest of the summer would have been taken up with having to have the radiation.

FEIG: Then a friend told her about mammosite radiation therapy, which was approved by the FDA about two years ago, but it's just becoming common in hospitals. It targets only the area where the tumor was removed and does not radiate healthy breast tissue.

DR. JEFFERSON MOULDS, GEORGETOWN UNIV. HOSPITAL: When we treat less than all of the breast, it allows us to treat much quicker. So instead of a course of six weeks of daily radiation treatment, we can deliver the whole course of radiation in one week.

FEIG: McCarsson says the only side effect she had was fatigue.

MCCARSON: If you meet all the qualifications, you should do it.

FEIG: But there are down sides.

MOULDS: It's that all the breast is not treated. If there were tumor elsewhere in the breast, we could miss a tumor elsewhere in the breast.

FEIG: Research is also under way to catch the early-warning signs of cancer. Doctors are using a procedure called "ductal lavage," that takes cells from the breasts of high-risk patients to check for abnormalities.

DR. MARIE PENNANEN, LOMBARDI CANCER CENTER: It enables us to do a better job of assessing a woman's risk for breast cancer so that we can potentially intervene to reduce her risk of ever developing breast cancer.

FEIG: That may help doctors catch the disease years before tumors ever develop.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Not since an episode of "Maury Povich" has so much talk of questionable parentage hit New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's my daddy? He was the one who got me these tickets, so thanks, dad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll explain just who's daddy and why it has baseball fans so fired up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Health segment will be sponsors starting next week, I think, so -- you know what, we're going to move on and talk about a better way to follow the birthdays with a little baseball.

Game two of the National League Championship Series looked a lot like game one. The St. Louis Cardinals drove the long ball to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros. The teams combined for six home runs in the game. The Cards now lead the series 2-0 heading into Saturday's game three.

Game three of the Red Sox-Yankees series is tonight in Boston, weather permitting, but Yankee fans aren't done celebrating their game two victory over Pedro Martinez. And it's Pedro that has spawned a renewed interest in Father's Day.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an insult that gathered speed like a fast ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

MOOS: Kids are even writing it on their cheeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy? I'm your daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy, Pedro?

MOOS: That would be Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox pitcher, who had to endure hearing the insult chanted by thousands of Yankee fans.

There are who's your daddy signs, who's your daddy inspired headlines, all because Martinez, in a weak moment after being defeated by New York earlier in the season, said he tips his hat to the Yankees.

PEDRO MARTINEZ, RED SOX PITCHER: I call the Yankees my daddies.

MOOS: Some fans might have accepted the compliment graciously, but we're talking Yankee fans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're slapping you around tonight, man. Pedro, who's your daddy?

MOOS: For a short time, Major League Baseball even sold this shirt until complaints from Boston fans caused them to stop. But unofficial versions became the playoff's hottest T-shirts.

(on camera): And if you couldn't find a T-shirt, New York newspapers played sugar daddy and supplied who's your daddy foldouts, one size fits most.

(voice-over): Linguists say the origin of the phrase is murky, that it conjures up meanings ranging from fatherless, to pimp, to sugar daddy, to someone who likes getting spanked. But self-described daddies don't listen to linguists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That means we own him. He belongs to us.

MOOS: Though some Yankee fans disapprove. For instance, Jack Nicholson.

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I don't like that statement.

MOOS: And when you turn the tables...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's my daddy? He was the one who got me these tickets, so thanks, dad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Pedro is my baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daddy is Jeanne Moos.

MOOS: He's our cameraman.

There were daddies dressed up as Darth Vader.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am your daddy.

MOOS: And daddies dressed in diapers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We always give him a spanking. We're his daddy.

MOOS: If these are daddies, single motherhood never looked so good.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Time to get serious again. Immigration tends to be a big issue in areas near the borders of our country, but this election has become an issue for the whole nation. All new at 6:00, we'll take a look at where the candidates stand and how immigration is changing the face of some American communities.

Also in the next hour, we'll meet two filmmakers who say their new movie will put the "F" back in freedom, but there are plenty of strings attached. We'll explain as CNN's DAYBREAK continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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Aired October 15, 2004 - 05:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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."

Overnight explosions and gunfire rock the Iraqi city of Falluja. U.S. Marines and Iraqi troops battled insurgents on the ground after airstrikes on suspected terrorist sites in the city. No word yet on casualties.

Michigan has joined three other states in issuing an emergency order to make sure only high-risk people get flu shots. Health care providers could get jail time for giving the shots to people not on the priority list.

At noon Eastern, the group called Concerts for Change plans to deliver a petition to the headquarters of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Concerts is trying to stop Sinclair from broadcasting an anti-John Kerry documentary on its 62 TV stations.

The American League Championship Series resumes tonight in Boston, weather permitting. Kevin Brown for the Yankees, Bronson Arroyo for the Red Sox. The Yanks are up two games to none in the series -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.

COSTELLO: Poor Boston. Of course they may not get the game in anyway.

MYERS: It really looks wet up there. I mean even if we tried to dry things out a little bit, we may get a couple innings in and the more showers are going to come in.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Good advice. Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You bet.

COSTELLO: International stories we're covering live this morning. We'll take you to Baghdad for Brent Sadler's report on an air and ground battle in a hotbed of insurgency. And we'll take you to Jerusalem for a John Vause report on tight security as the Muslim holy month gets under way. First to Baghdad, though, and Brent Sadler. Details on the U.S. Marine and Iraqi attack on insurgents in Falluja.

Hello -- Brent.

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, good morning, Carol.

U.S. warplanes and artillery have been blasting away through many hours during the nighttime now against suspected insurgent activity in that rebel stronghold of Falluja, west of Baghdad.

Now two U.S. battalions are involved in this security operation, one from the Marines, one from the U.S. Army, combining with U.S. Special Forces on the ground, supported by strike jets and helicopter gunships.

Now what does this mean? It means that U.S. soldiers are doing most of the fighting in Falluja. So far, they have been attacking suspected weapons storage sites, also checkpoints, illegal checkpoints run by insurgents and foreign fighters in that city. It's understood now that the U.S. troops and their Iraqi counterparts are now manning new checkpoints in and around the city of Falluja.

Now that's the first time U.S. troops have entered this rebel stronghold since a Marines-led offensive back in April that was called off between -- now between then and now, of course, insurgent activity coming out of Falluja has indeed escalated.

Now, and what does this mean for the future? It does not mean that this is the beginning of a much expected, wide scale ground and air offensive. This is rather, in the words of commanders, preparing the ground should that happen.

Ahead of this latest offensive, though, Iraq's national security adviser warned the insurgents that unless they gave up, they would be smashed by the use of power -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler live in Baghdad this morning.

Now let's go to John Vause, who is in Jerusalem, as the holy month of Ramadan brings out the police and the prayerful.

Hello -- John.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Carol.

Well prayers are due to begin any moment now to mark the start of Ramadan here in Jerusalem. And tens of thousands are expected to attend the Noble Sanctuary, as it's known to Muslims, a temple now as it's known to the Jews. Many are starting to arrive, as we can see, starting to fill the plaza area.

Now there is some thought that up to 200,000 could attend prayer services at the Noble Sanctuary after Israel announced that there would be no restrictions on the numbers allowed to attend. Now Israel has been concerned about the structural integrity of the site. A closer look at the outer walls, we can see the scaffolding, which has been put up. Now below the plaza level and behind those walls, you have got what the Muslims call the Mowani Prayer Site (ph). It's also known as Solomon's Stables.

Now Israel believes years of excavation of that area by the Islamic authorities has substantially weakened the structural integrity, prompting fears of a massive collapse, especially if there were hundreds of thousands of people on the plaza above. But after an inspection by Israeli engineers, they believe that enough has now been done to shore up the structural integrity of the site. They believe that it is now in fact safe.

And so last night, Ariel Sharon announced that there would be no limit on the numbers allowed to attend to mark the start of Ramadan. But, Carol, there are still travel restrictions for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and also around the old city, literally hundreds and hundreds of soldiers and police and dozens of checkpoints -- Carol.

COSTELLO: John Vause in Jerusalem, Brent Sadler in Baghdad, thanks to you both.

Checking other news from around the globe now, 20 people who say they are North Koreans are looking for asylum in South Korea. The group climbed underneath a barbed wire fence and over a wall to get into the South Korean Consulate in Beijing. A number of North Koreans have made similar escape attempts to the South through embassies in China.

In Haiti, U.N. peacekeeping troops and soldiers who helped oust President Jean-Bertrand Aristide are asking for help to end days of violence. At least 48 people have been killed in recent protests. Aristide supporters are demanding his return from exile. The U.S. State Department is urging all non-essential personnel at its embassy to leave Haiti.

Mexico's volcano of fire is spewing hot lava and rock. The mountain has been erupting since late last month. Scientists say the volcano is one of the most active in central Mexico and potentially the most destructive. Despite that, they don't consider the current eruptions dangerous.

And the timing was a little boy, Abdul Rahman Khadr was almost destined to be an al Qaeda fighter. But after years of violence, the young man now says he's ready to move on with a different kind of life in Canada.

Deborah Feyerick has his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the terror camps of Afghanistan, 21-year-old Canadian Abdul Rahman Khadr learned how to fight. ABDUL RAHMAN KHADR, FORMER JIHADI: I learned like mortars, explosives, pistols, snipers, tactics, mountain tactics.

FEYERICK: And though he speaks fluent English, he says he spent little time with friends in his hometown Toronto, but training side by side with young Muslim jihadis like himself.

KHADR: They were training, as everybody else was, to help Islam whenever, you know, if anything happens, to help the Taliban, to maybe do something back home.

FEYERICK: Khadr's story is incredible. His own family has called him a liar and he has admitted changing parts of the story.

But he has also testified in a Canadian court under oath to tell the truth. It is those details that give credibility to the story Khadr tells CNN, a story that begins when Khadr was 11, the first time his father took him to an al Qaeda training camp. He was just 13 when he met Osama bin Laden.

KHADR: I shaked hands with him and we sat down. He talked to my father. And we were just sitting there looking at them both talk. That's my first memory.

FEYERICK: His father, Ahmed Said Khadr, worked with bin Laden in the mid-'80s. He became known among jihadis as Ahmed Al-Canadi (ph), the Canadian.

KHADR: It's a small circle. The Canadians, it was very small. And a lot of -- I mean I think 90 to 95 percent of any of the Canadians that came there either came to our house or otherwise we met them at guest houses or at camps. So we knew about anybody that came from Canada.

FEYERICK: Khadr says he met some half-dozen Canadian jihadi trainees, among them Almer Almati (ph), a man he knew as a plane expert and one of seven people on an FBI terror watch list.

But the life of a jihadi wasn't for him. Though he went through training eight times, he says he refused his father's plea to become a suicide bomber.

KHADR: Any family there that's really, you know, committed to this cause, it would be a pride for them to have a son that would become a suicide bomber.

FEYERICK: Three years ago, Khadr was captured by Northern Alliance forces in Afghanistan. He ended up in U.S. custody, testifying in court recently that he became a CIA informant, first at Guantanamo and then in Bosnia.

The CIA will not comment. Khadr tells CNN he couldn't handle the pressure or harsh conditions and so he went public, forcing his return to Canada last year.

KHADR: Yes, I trained. Yes, I went to training. I met Osama. You know I did all of this. But I admit it all. And now I just want to move on. So please give me a chance.

FEYERICK: Canadian officials concede they aren't thrilled Khadr is back home, but they are willing to give him the chance. Just to make sure he doesn't change his mind and return overseas, he has been turned down for a passport.

Deborah Feyerick, CNN, Toronto.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: "Team America" is coming to a movie theater near you. In four minutes, you'll hear why some controversial comments are causing quite a stir in the political world all over puppets.

That brings us to our e-mail "Question of the Morning," are potential voters informed about the issues? In other words, those get out the vote campaigns, you know when they get anybody to vote whether they are informed or not, should those people really vote? We'll read some of your e-mails a little later. Very insightful they are this morning.

And thousands of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. In eight minutes, why early diagnosis and treatments are key. We'll show you the newest breakthroughs ahead.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: What do puppets having sex and politics have in common? Nothing really, but they are both part of a new movie from the creators of "South Park." Strange, isn't it? "Team American World Police" opens today, but the controversy over the moviemakers is creating as much a buzz as the movie itself. Matt Stone, one of the creators of this movie, has criticized get out to vote campaigns. He says that encouraging uninformed people to vote is dangerous to democracy.

And that really kind of intrigued us, so we're asking you that question this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com. And we've already gotten some e-mails in. And boy, you guys have thought about this.

This is from Rick (ph). He says are voters informed on the issues, and if not, should they vote? I would like to say people who are not informed should not vote. But then again, most people seem to make their choice based on party line or from sound bites. Is anyone really informed? Isn't their right to vote unless someone added an intelligence clause to the Constitution? I think he's saying it's everyone's right to vote no matter what. And you should always be informed. But if we have a Constitutional right to vote, maybe we should vote anyway. I don't know.

This is from Margaret (ph) from Jennings, Missouri. And this is really kind of difficult to understand because it's so smartly written and it's early in the morning. She says the right to vote has been a well thought battle within these United States and it continues to be such today. The fact that an individual is knowledgeable or not knowledgeable about the issues is not the determinate as to whether he/she should be eligible to vote. The determinate is citizenry of country, state and an individual's age. Why not leave it at that? We have more than enough problems dealing with voting in this country.

Thank you, Margaret.

This is from Brenda (ph) from Richmond, Virginia. Frankly, if we relied on the media coverage to keep informed before we cast a vote, we probably don't deserve to vote. Personally, I watch several networks, read many newspapers and surf the facts on the Internet at the candidate's Web site. Then I go to the sites for government, state, federal and local and look at the candidate's record.

And that's the way she is informed when she casts a vote, but most people don't go to the trouble. They just don't. And most people don't bother to vote either. So thank you for your comments this morning. DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

We'll have more on the movie itself coming up in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Our film guy, Tom O'Neil of "In Touch Weekly" will review the movie "Team America World Police."

Your news, money, weather and sports. It's 5:47 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Kobe Bryant's accuser has revised her civil lawsuit against the NBA star, this time using her real name. A judge ruled last week that she had to identify herself. CNN's policy is not to name alleged victims of sexual assault.

A Louisiana jury recommends the death penalty for convicted killer Derrick Todd Lee. Lee was found guilty of the killing of a 22- year-old woman in May of 2002. DNA evidence linked Lee to seven murders since 1998.

In money news, look to pump more money down your gas tank. Oil prices roar to a new record, ending the day near $55 a barrel.

In culture, a musical first is coming to the Las Vegas Strip in 2006. A production of Beatles songs by the acrobatic troop Surf to Soley (ph) will replace Siegfried & Roy's magic act at the Mirage Hotel Casino.

College Football, the Miami Hurricanes squeaked by Louisville by just three points. The Canes fought back from 17 points down to beat the Cardinals 41-38. No. 3 ranked Miami improves to 5 and 0.

To the Forecast Center now and Chad.

Good morning.

MYERS: I was going to try to stay up for that game and there was absolutely no chance. My body wouldn't let me.

Good morning, Ohio.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: All right, thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: We'll keep that in mind.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: In health news this morning, more than 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The American Cancer Society says early diagnosis and new treatments are key to survival.

CNN's Christy Feig has some of the newest breakthroughs for both treating and preventing the disease.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTY FEIG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chrisley McCarson's life was turned upside down in May when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

CHRISLEY MCCARSON, BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR: I had my surgery June 11, and the rest of the summer would have been taken up with having to have the radiation.

FEIG: Then a friend told her about mammosite radiation therapy, which was approved by the FDA about two years ago, but it's just becoming common in hospitals. It targets only the area where the tumor was removed and does not radiate healthy breast tissue.

DR. JEFFERSON MOULDS, GEORGETOWN UNIV. HOSPITAL: When we treat less than all of the breast, it allows us to treat much quicker. So instead of a course of six weeks of daily radiation treatment, we can deliver the whole course of radiation in one week.

FEIG: McCarsson says the only side effect she had was fatigue.

MCCARSON: If you meet all the qualifications, you should do it.

FEIG: But there are down sides.

MOULDS: It's that all the breast is not treated. If there were tumor elsewhere in the breast, we could miss a tumor elsewhere in the breast.

FEIG: Research is also under way to catch the early-warning signs of cancer. Doctors are using a procedure called "ductal lavage," that takes cells from the breasts of high-risk patients to check for abnormalities.

DR. MARIE PENNANEN, LOMBARDI CANCER CENTER: It enables us to do a better job of assessing a woman's risk for breast cancer so that we can potentially intervene to reduce her risk of ever developing breast cancer.

FEIG: That may help doctors catch the disease years before tumors ever develop.

Christy Feig, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

Not since an episode of "Maury Povich" has so much talk of questionable parentage hit New York City.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's my daddy? He was the one who got me these tickets, so thanks, dad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We'll explain just who's daddy and why it has baseball fans so fired up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Health segment will be sponsors starting next week, I think, so -- you know what, we're going to move on and talk about a better way to follow the birthdays with a little baseball.

Game two of the National League Championship Series looked a lot like game one. The St. Louis Cardinals drove the long ball to a 6-4 win over the Houston Astros. The teams combined for six home runs in the game. The Cards now lead the series 2-0 heading into Saturday's game three.

Game three of the Red Sox-Yankees series is tonight in Boston, weather permitting, but Yankee fans aren't done celebrating their game two victory over Pedro Martinez. And it's Pedro that has spawned a renewed interest in Father's Day.

CNN's Jeanne Moos explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's an insult that gathered speed like a fast ball.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

MOOS: Kids are even writing it on their cheeks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy? I'm your daddy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy, Pedro?

MOOS: That would be Pedro Martinez, the Red Sox pitcher, who had to endure hearing the insult chanted by thousands of Yankee fans.

There are who's your daddy signs, who's your daddy inspired headlines, all because Martinez, in a weak moment after being defeated by New York earlier in the season, said he tips his hat to the Yankees.

PEDRO MARTINEZ, RED SOX PITCHER: I call the Yankees my daddies.

MOOS: Some fans might have accepted the compliment graciously, but we're talking Yankee fans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're slapping you around tonight, man. Pedro, who's your daddy?

MOOS: For a short time, Major League Baseball even sold this shirt until complaints from Boston fans caused them to stop. But unofficial versions became the playoff's hottest T-shirts.

(on camera): And if you couldn't find a T-shirt, New York newspapers played sugar daddy and supplied who's your daddy foldouts, one size fits most.

(voice-over): Linguists say the origin of the phrase is murky, that it conjures up meanings ranging from fatherless, to pimp, to sugar daddy, to someone who likes getting spanked. But self-described daddies don't listen to linguists.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That means we own him. He belongs to us.

MOOS: Though some Yankee fans disapprove. For instance, Jack Nicholson.

JACK NICHOLSON, ACTOR: I don't like that statement.

MOOS: And when you turn the tables...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's my daddy? He was the one who got me these tickets, so thanks, dad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who's your daddy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Pedro is my baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My daddy is Jeanne Moos.

MOOS: He's our cameraman.

There were daddies dressed up as Darth Vader.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am your daddy.

MOOS: And daddies dressed in diapers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We always give him a spanking. We're his daddy.

MOOS: If these are daddies, single motherhood never looked so good.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Time to get serious again. Immigration tends to be a big issue in areas near the borders of our country, but this election has become an issue for the whole nation. All new at 6:00, we'll take a look at where the candidates stand and how immigration is changing the face of some American communities.

Also in the next hour, we'll meet two filmmakers who say their new movie will put the "F" back in freedom, but there are plenty of strings attached. We'll explain as CNN's DAYBREAK continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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