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CNN Live At Daybreak

British Redeployment?; Zarqawi & Al Qaeda; That Ming Thing; Persuasive Voices

Aired October 18, 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: And 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."

George Bush will tell New Jersey voters today that he can fight terrorists more effectively than John Kerry can. President will speak at Marlton, a city in southern New Jersey. CNN will carry the Bush campaign speech live at 1:15 Eastern this afternoon.

Early voting begins today in Florida and Senator Kerry is zig- zagging the state. Kerry is focusing on health care. Among his expected comments, what he would do to avert a shortage of flu vaccine.

As many as 24 people have been taken to hospitals after a tour bus overturned on I-57 near the town of Marion in southern Illinois. The bus from Chicago was taking 42 passengers to Holly Springs, Mississippi.

The National Civil Rights Museum presents its freedom awards today to Bono, U2 singer, of course, as you know, and activist in the fight against poverty and AIDS in Africa. And to Congressman John Lewis, the veteran civil rights leader from Georgia.

To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The dry part is very important, too.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: In Iraq, another twist involving the military investigation of soldiers who refused omission because of safety concerns. "The Washington Post" is reporting this morning the top commander in Iraq complained to the Pentagon just last winter that the military lacked critical gear in vital parts. "The Post" says Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez considered his supply situation so poor that it threatened the troops' ability to fight. Senior Army officials say most of Sanchez's concerns have been addressed. Sanchez has since moved back to his base in Germany.

Now back to those soldiers. Eighteen U.S. soldiers are being investigated because they refused orders to make a fuel delivery along a dangerous route in Iraq. The military says a preliminary investigation indicates the soldiers were concerned about the maintenance of the vehicles and their safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. JAMES CHAMBERS, U.S. ARMY: This is a single event. It's confined to a small group of individuals who would have had an impact on good order and discipline in the unit. If the investigation bears out any wrongdoing, the appropriate action will be taken to insure discipline is maintained. To facilitate the investigation, the soldiers involved were moved to a separate location where they could be privately questioned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: No decision yet on whether any of the soldiers will undergo disciplinary action.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says terrorist attacks in Iraq are aimed at derailing President Bush's bid for reelection. Putin did not disclose his preference in the election, but he said -- quoting now -- "international terrorism has its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term."

In London, British officials are considering a U.S. request to redeploy its troops in Iraq. It could put the troops closer to harm's way and cause a backlash for Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Live to London now and CNN's Robin Oakley.

Good morning -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.

And, as you say, a pretty hot issue for the British government and for Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon. He'll be facing lawmakers in a few hour's time where he is expected to confirm the U.S. request for some 600, 650 British troops to move into areas south of Baghdad to free up U.S. Marines for the expected attack on Fallujah.

Controversial of course with the British public because there is a feeling that this would expose British troops to greater risk in the area around Basra where they are centered. It's been comparatively peaceful, though not of course without plenty of troubles along the line.

There are fears that if these troops are moved north to help out the U.S., then British operations around Basra could come under greater strain. There are lots of questions being asked about just how much the British troops will be directly under the U.S. chain of command. And certainly they will be dependent, if they are moved, on the U.S. supply routes. But the real controversy is about whether this is a political gesture from Tony Blair to help President George Bush at a key point of the election -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, Robin, is there any real evidence that it's just a political ploy?

OAKLEY: There's no hard evidence, of course. But it is a sensitive issue, as you know, in the U.S. election with the Democrats claiming that the U.S. is taking 90 percent of the risks to have British troops move in to a trickier area, like this would be a demonstration of burden sharing. That's certainly the way it's been interpreted by Tony Blair's critics within his own Labour Party.

But ministers particularly loyal to Mr. Blair have been dashing on the airwaves here to say there is no question of a political gesture as is being alleged by Nicholas Soames, the spokesman for the Conservative Opposition here.

So there's plenty of argument going on, plenty of suspicion, plenty of worries about what it would mean for British troops. And the question is really whether George Bush has as much to gain by this decision, if it is taken, as Tony Blair has to lose, because he's already in deep trouble with the British electorate over Iraq -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting live from London in front of No. 10 Downy Street, which of course is where Prime Minister Tony Blair lives. Thank you, Robin.

Another member of the coalition, Australia, says it won't send any more troops to Iraq. That's despite a United Nations request for more manpower ahead of the country's January elections. Australia now has about 850 non-combat troops in Iraq. The Australian government says it will stay the course but not add to those numbers.

Want to bring in our international editor now, Eli Flournoy. Thanks for joining us on the set this morning. I know you're busy, but we want to talk about al-Zarqawi and his pledge of allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

ELI FLOURNOY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, that's another pledge, a statement attributed to Zarqawi, coming off of a Web site which has carried statements from Zarqawi, or alleged to be from Zarqawi. And it brings up the issue of Web sites and how credible this information is.

Now this Web site has had claims of responsibility from Zarqawi and from his group for various different things. Some of those have turned out to be true, or are believed to be true, because of other intelligence that have come out.

But things come on and off of this Web site. Just the other day, the Green Zone attack, the attack inside the Green Zone, there was a claim on this Web site that it was Zarqawi and his people that did it. And then that was taken down off of it.

COSTELLO: And just to remind viewers, al-Zarqawi was the guy supposedly responsible for the beheadings, the kidnappings in Iraq. He is the guy that's supposed to be in Fallujah. That's why the U.S. is increasing its bombing runs on Fallujah to kind of like force the powers that be there to turn him over.

FLOURNOY: Right, exactly. He has been put out there as the big boogey-man, the terrorist boogey-man in Iraq, the most wanted terrorist in Iraq. There's a $25 million bounty on his head.

But his connection to al Qaeda has been established in the past. He has made statements connecting himself to al Qaeda in the past. So if this statement is from Zarqawi, the question would be why now? Why put out a statement now that has some alliances? Does this mean there's more of an operational coordination with Osama bin Laden or with al Qaeda as a whole?

And concerns of analysts are that Zarqawi and his group may be taking claims for things that they are not necessarily involved with and therefore his importance may be exaggerated or his ability to control or coordinate attacks in Iraq may be overblown. That's a concern that's out there. And this again may be another attempt by Zarqawi or his people to raise his stature even further.

COSTELLO: Because perception is sometimes more important than reality, as far as Zarqawi is concerned?

FLOURNOY: Exactly, exactly. And when it comes to terrorist acts, whether you say something your persona or whether you're actually involved in the attacks, they don't necessarily have to be fully coordinated, because it strikes terror either way. But his importance has grown and grown.

U.S. officials constantly repeating his name, they've put a tremendous amount of influence importance on the ground. In Fallujah, as you mentioned, there have been airstrikes trying to target Zarqawi himself, specifically, and his group. So you know it's a big issue for the United States.

COSTELLO: And we'll keep following it. Eli Flournoy, thank you very much.

A homecoming fit for a giant. Yao Ming finally gets to play on his home court as the NBA plays in China.

Plus, just what is it about Angelina Jolie? We'll tell you about her latest honor.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: When it comes to pro basketball, turnabout is fair play in the NBA. We get 7-foot-6 giant Yao Ming to play here and China gets two NBA preseason games.

Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz is a fan, too. He joins us live by videophone.

And, Jaime, did you have a front row seat?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These Chinese fans forked out a lot of money to get good seats for an NBA game.

LU RUNOOING, NBA FAN (through translator): Because I admire their skills, especially the slam dunks.

FLORCRUZ: The sell out crowd came out to watch the first ever NBA game to be played in Beijing.

(on-camera): Chinese basketball fans have been watching NBA games for years and now they're ready for the real stuff.

(voice-over): But this one a match up between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings.

The star of the game was the hugely likable Chinese center Yao Ming, now an NBA star and a national hero. Basketball is already one of the most popular sports in China, but Yao Ming's success has given it even more boost, inspiring amateurs and professionals alike to hone their skills. Yao says the pre-season game is for him something special.

YAO MING, HOUSTON ROCKETS (through translator): It's my first time to play NBA games back home. It's a great chance for the Chinese fans to enjoy the NBA experience.

FLORCRUZ: And that includes experiencing American culture and consumerism. These fans closely follow details of their NBA idols, even their jerseys and shoes.

RUNOOING (through translator): When I go out, I wear NBA clothes and many people think it's cool. I wear jerseys featuring Kobe, T-Mac (ph) and Jordan.

FLORCRUZ: Fans like him make NBA market strategists a little giddy. Encouraged by the prospects of tapping China's 1.3 billion people.

DAVID STERN, NBA COMMISSIONER: I think there are probably 1.3 billion reasons why China is important, given the fact that basketball is the number one team sport amongst the kids in China. It would seem to be a natural that as China grows, so will the NBA's business here grow.

FLORCRUZ: With the prospect of more Yao Ming's emerging in the future, the NBA is looking for more slam dunks in China. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that was Jaime FlorCruz. And we meant to get him live, but you know, it's Monday, and we're having technical difficulties getting him out of Beijing. You know Yao Ming has also joined with Magic Johnson to talk out against AIDS. The AIDS crisis in China is just horrible. We're going to have more on that later in the week on DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:45 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

U.S. forces have freed the chief negotiator for Fallujah, a city held by insurgents. The negotiator says the city still wants peace, despite a breakdown in talks with Iraq's interim government and recent fighting there.

The National Transportation Safety Board releases a series of reports today about last year's Staten Island ferry accident. Ten passengers were killed, more than 30 others hurt in that accident.

In money news, Microsoft and Cisco Systems are joining forces to help corporate customers fight cyber attacks. Each is rolling out a system designed to protect against viruses, worms and other threats. They plan to make their systems compatible by 2007.

In culture, actor Kirk Douglas now has a street named after him. It's in Palm Springs, California, where he has lived for more than 40 years.

In sports, Daunte Culpepper was hot last night. He threw five TD passes and had 425 yards, leading the Minnesota Vikings over the New Orleans Saints 38-31.

What a game -- Chad?

MYERS: I guess.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: People were probably flipping back and forth from that to the ALCS.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines. Thank you, Chad.

And, Chad, stay with me, because "Esquire" magazine has voted its sexiest woman alive.

MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: This is our top Web click, by the way, on CNN.com. Yes, it's this woman, Angelina Jolie.

MYERS: Mmm.

COSTELLO: What do you mean mmm?

MYERS: I may be all...

COSTELLO: You don't think she's the sexiest woman alive?

MYERS: I'm wondering whether she still has the Billy Bob tattoo on her arm?

COSTELLO: No, she covered that with something. But there is a quote from her. "The tattoos, the blood, cutting myself, it's all very much who I am," says Jolie. "If you knew me privately, you might think I was even wilder than my reputation, but I'm also much softer. I am a soft woman, softer than people think." Hello?

MYERS: I've got nothing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: No, but I was looking here and only 7 percent of all the votes cast...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... voted Angelina Jolie, you know, the sexiest woman alive, 7 percent.

MYERS: Right, so that's not really a quorum, really, you know?

COSTELLO: No, like how many women were in this contest? Halle Berry came in second with 6 percent.

MYERS: Well, and you came in third with five.

COSTELLO: Yes, right.

MYERS: So.

COSTELLO: I was in the negative five.

Thank you for joining in -- Chad.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Making sure they strike the right cords with voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETSY AMES, VOICE TALENT: Your vote does make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's no easy thing, a look at campaign ads and the voices behind them next.

Plus our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should newspapers endorse presidential candidates? We've been getting a lot of good ones this morning. E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com and we'll read some of those e-mails next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Presidential elections soon upon us and of course newspapers from across the country have now endorsed which candidate they think should win the presidential election. "The Chicago Tribune," "The Rocky Mountain News," "The Omaha World Herald," "The Carlsbad Current Argus" and "The Canton Repository" out of Ohio in Stark County have all endorsed President Bush.

Kerry endorsements, "The New York Times," "The Boston Globe," "The Minneapolis Star Tribune" and "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution."

So our e-mail question of the morning, do these endorsements really matter to you? Should newspapers endorse candidates? And we've been getting a lot of e-mail response this morning, and it's all no. No one cares who the newspaper endorses. Let me read you some of them.

This is from David (ph) and Rebecca (ph). Newspaper endorsements are largely meaningless. If a voter is gullible enough to vote for a candidate because some newspaper endorsed him, that voter has checked his or her brain at the door.

This is from Eric (ph). He's a morning-noon meteorologist, Chad, from Rockford, Illinois, giving us his opinion this morning. I work at a TV station in Rockford, Illinois. If we endorse candidates in the election, it would point bias in the way we cover candidates. Newspapers should stick to reporting the facts and leave the endorsements to the opinion page.

This is from Jim (ph) from Arlington, Virginia. He says any newspaper who backs a specific candidate has failed to provide fair and balanced reporting and therefore cannot be trusted as a viable source for the truth.

Keep those e-mails coming, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Presidential race is so close no detail left to chance. The campaigns even go the extra mile to make sure the voices we hear in the political ads strike the right cord with voters.

CNN's Bruce Burkhardt shows us the faces behind the voices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Real life, real work, real leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... helped bring $2 million...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A quiet, real American courage. BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bruce Burkhardt. And I not only approve this story, but I'm voicing it, too. Just like Allen Blevis (ph) is giving voice to this ad for a Democratic congressman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagine this, the year is 1968.

BURKHARDT: And Betsy Ames is doing the same for a Republican congressman.

AMES: ... that your vote does make a difference.

BURKHARDT: They are the invisible people, as invisible as they are critical to persuading you to vote for the right guy.

JOE SLADE WHITE, DEMOCRATIC MEDIA CONSULTANT: And if there's any false notes in it, in the tone of voice, then you don't know why you don't like a commercial, but it's because of that, because it doesn't sound true. It doesn't ring true. We say "ring true" because it's a sound.

BURKHARDT: Joe Slade White, like most media consultants, is on the go in this election season. From the back seat of a Washington, D.C. cab, he directs a voice-over session in a New York studio.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he knows firsthand the difference that education can mean for our children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the time on that, Mark?

BURKHARDT: Allen Blevis (ph) has worked with Joe for years. And other Democrats, including Clinton and Gore. Like most political voice-over talent, he only works one side of the street, in his case, Democratic.

AMES: Your voice does make a difference.

BURKHARDT: Betsy Ames, who does exclusively Republican ads, says it just worked out that way. They asked first.

AMES: This is my business. I'm an actress. I'm the messenger. How I feel about it has absolutely nothing to do with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we'll bring that audio down.

BURKHARDT: Tom Edmonds (ph), a Republican consultant who was behind the highly-effective NRA ads in the 2000 election, works with Betsy often.

AMES: All right. Let's do a safety of -- safety of the safety.

BURKHARDT: And if there's one thing Republican and Democratic consultants agree on, it's the importance of the voice. The use of women's voices in ads has been increasing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Patty Murray has a different view.

BURKHARDT : So, too, have male voices that sound friendlier, conversational.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And dreams need places where they can play out.

WHITE: If the quality of the voice says, I'm not going to listen to you, I'm just going to tell you things, then people are going to get turned off.

BURKHARDT: And though we like to think we're turned on by matters of substance, well maybe we're moved more by the candidate who's found his or her voice.

WHITE: Yes. Why don't we play that back? I think that was really, really good.

BURKHARDT: Bruce Burkhardt , CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK, a big weekend for presidential polls. Frank Newport from Gallup will join us live to sift through all the numbers for you.

And a big weekend for baseball, Chris Cotter will be along to help us mark our DAYBREAK scorecards.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com


Aired October 18, 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: And 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."

George Bush will tell New Jersey voters today that he can fight terrorists more effectively than John Kerry can. President will speak at Marlton, a city in southern New Jersey. CNN will carry the Bush campaign speech live at 1:15 Eastern this afternoon.

Early voting begins today in Florida and Senator Kerry is zig- zagging the state. Kerry is focusing on health care. Among his expected comments, what he would do to avert a shortage of flu vaccine.

As many as 24 people have been taken to hospitals after a tour bus overturned on I-57 near the town of Marion in southern Illinois. The bus from Chicago was taking 42 passengers to Holly Springs, Mississippi.

The National Civil Rights Museum presents its freedom awards today to Bono, U2 singer, of course, as you know, and activist in the fight against poverty and AIDS in Africa. And to Congressman John Lewis, the veteran civil rights leader from Georgia.

To the Forecast Center now and, Chad, good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: The dry part is very important, too.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: That's right.

COSTELLO: Thank you -- Chad.

MYERS: You're welcome.

COSTELLO: In Iraq, another twist involving the military investigation of soldiers who refused omission because of safety concerns. "The Washington Post" is reporting this morning the top commander in Iraq complained to the Pentagon just last winter that the military lacked critical gear in vital parts. "The Post" says Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez considered his supply situation so poor that it threatened the troops' ability to fight. Senior Army officials say most of Sanchez's concerns have been addressed. Sanchez has since moved back to his base in Germany.

Now back to those soldiers. Eighteen U.S. soldiers are being investigated because they refused orders to make a fuel delivery along a dangerous route in Iraq. The military says a preliminary investigation indicates the soldiers were concerned about the maintenance of the vehicles and their safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. JAMES CHAMBERS, U.S. ARMY: This is a single event. It's confined to a small group of individuals who would have had an impact on good order and discipline in the unit. If the investigation bears out any wrongdoing, the appropriate action will be taken to insure discipline is maintained. To facilitate the investigation, the soldiers involved were moved to a separate location where they could be privately questioned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: No decision yet on whether any of the soldiers will undergo disciplinary action.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says terrorist attacks in Iraq are aimed at derailing President Bush's bid for reelection. Putin did not disclose his preference in the election, but he said -- quoting now -- "international terrorism has its goal to prevent the election of President Bush to a second term."

In London, British officials are considering a U.S. request to redeploy its troops in Iraq. It could put the troops closer to harm's way and cause a backlash for Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Live to London now and CNN's Robin Oakley.

Good morning -- Robin.

ROBIN OAKLEY, CNN EUROPEAN POLITICAL EDITOR: Good morning, Carol.

And, as you say, a pretty hot issue for the British government and for Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon. He'll be facing lawmakers in a few hour's time where he is expected to confirm the U.S. request for some 600, 650 British troops to move into areas south of Baghdad to free up U.S. Marines for the expected attack on Fallujah.

Controversial of course with the British public because there is a feeling that this would expose British troops to greater risk in the area around Basra where they are centered. It's been comparatively peaceful, though not of course without plenty of troubles along the line.

There are fears that if these troops are moved north to help out the U.S., then British operations around Basra could come under greater strain. There are lots of questions being asked about just how much the British troops will be directly under the U.S. chain of command. And certainly they will be dependent, if they are moved, on the U.S. supply routes. But the real controversy is about whether this is a political gesture from Tony Blair to help President George Bush at a key point of the election -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, Robin, is there any real evidence that it's just a political ploy?

OAKLEY: There's no hard evidence, of course. But it is a sensitive issue, as you know, in the U.S. election with the Democrats claiming that the U.S. is taking 90 percent of the risks to have British troops move in to a trickier area, like this would be a demonstration of burden sharing. That's certainly the way it's been interpreted by Tony Blair's critics within his own Labour Party.

But ministers particularly loyal to Mr. Blair have been dashing on the airwaves here to say there is no question of a political gesture as is being alleged by Nicholas Soames, the spokesman for the Conservative Opposition here.

So there's plenty of argument going on, plenty of suspicion, plenty of worries about what it would mean for British troops. And the question is really whether George Bush has as much to gain by this decision, if it is taken, as Tony Blair has to lose, because he's already in deep trouble with the British electorate over Iraq -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Robin Oakley reporting live from London in front of No. 10 Downy Street, which of course is where Prime Minister Tony Blair lives. Thank you, Robin.

Another member of the coalition, Australia, says it won't send any more troops to Iraq. That's despite a United Nations request for more manpower ahead of the country's January elections. Australia now has about 850 non-combat troops in Iraq. The Australian government says it will stay the course but not add to those numbers.

Want to bring in our international editor now, Eli Flournoy. Thanks for joining us on the set this morning. I know you're busy, but we want to talk about al-Zarqawi and his pledge of allegiance to Osama bin Laden.

ELI FLOURNOY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: That's right, that's another pledge, a statement attributed to Zarqawi, coming off of a Web site which has carried statements from Zarqawi, or alleged to be from Zarqawi. And it brings up the issue of Web sites and how credible this information is.

Now this Web site has had claims of responsibility from Zarqawi and from his group for various different things. Some of those have turned out to be true, or are believed to be true, because of other intelligence that have come out.

But things come on and off of this Web site. Just the other day, the Green Zone attack, the attack inside the Green Zone, there was a claim on this Web site that it was Zarqawi and his people that did it. And then that was taken down off of it.

COSTELLO: And just to remind viewers, al-Zarqawi was the guy supposedly responsible for the beheadings, the kidnappings in Iraq. He is the guy that's supposed to be in Fallujah. That's why the U.S. is increasing its bombing runs on Fallujah to kind of like force the powers that be there to turn him over.

FLOURNOY: Right, exactly. He has been put out there as the big boogey-man, the terrorist boogey-man in Iraq, the most wanted terrorist in Iraq. There's a $25 million bounty on his head.

But his connection to al Qaeda has been established in the past. He has made statements connecting himself to al Qaeda in the past. So if this statement is from Zarqawi, the question would be why now? Why put out a statement now that has some alliances? Does this mean there's more of an operational coordination with Osama bin Laden or with al Qaeda as a whole?

And concerns of analysts are that Zarqawi and his group may be taking claims for things that they are not necessarily involved with and therefore his importance may be exaggerated or his ability to control or coordinate attacks in Iraq may be overblown. That's a concern that's out there. And this again may be another attempt by Zarqawi or his people to raise his stature even further.

COSTELLO: Because perception is sometimes more important than reality, as far as Zarqawi is concerned?

FLOURNOY: Exactly, exactly. And when it comes to terrorist acts, whether you say something your persona or whether you're actually involved in the attacks, they don't necessarily have to be fully coordinated, because it strikes terror either way. But his importance has grown and grown.

U.S. officials constantly repeating his name, they've put a tremendous amount of influence importance on the ground. In Fallujah, as you mentioned, there have been airstrikes trying to target Zarqawi himself, specifically, and his group. So you know it's a big issue for the United States.

COSTELLO: And we'll keep following it. Eli Flournoy, thank you very much.

A homecoming fit for a giant. Yao Ming finally gets to play on his home court as the NBA plays in China.

Plus, just what is it about Angelina Jolie? We'll tell you about her latest honor.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: When it comes to pro basketball, turnabout is fair play in the NBA. We get 7-foot-6 giant Yao Ming to play here and China gets two NBA preseason games.

Our Beijing bureau chief Jaime FlorCruz is a fan, too. He joins us live by videophone.

And, Jaime, did you have a front row seat?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAIME FLORCRUZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These Chinese fans forked out a lot of money to get good seats for an NBA game.

LU RUNOOING, NBA FAN (through translator): Because I admire their skills, especially the slam dunks.

FLORCRUZ: The sell out crowd came out to watch the first ever NBA game to be played in Beijing.

(on-camera): Chinese basketball fans have been watching NBA games for years and now they're ready for the real stuff.

(voice-over): But this one a match up between the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings.

The star of the game was the hugely likable Chinese center Yao Ming, now an NBA star and a national hero. Basketball is already one of the most popular sports in China, but Yao Ming's success has given it even more boost, inspiring amateurs and professionals alike to hone their skills. Yao says the pre-season game is for him something special.

YAO MING, HOUSTON ROCKETS (through translator): It's my first time to play NBA games back home. It's a great chance for the Chinese fans to enjoy the NBA experience.

FLORCRUZ: And that includes experiencing American culture and consumerism. These fans closely follow details of their NBA idols, even their jerseys and shoes.

RUNOOING (through translator): When I go out, I wear NBA clothes and many people think it's cool. I wear jerseys featuring Kobe, T-Mac (ph) and Jordan.

FLORCRUZ: Fans like him make NBA market strategists a little giddy. Encouraged by the prospects of tapping China's 1.3 billion people.

DAVID STERN, NBA COMMISSIONER: I think there are probably 1.3 billion reasons why China is important, given the fact that basketball is the number one team sport amongst the kids in China. It would seem to be a natural that as China grows, so will the NBA's business here grow.

FLORCRUZ: With the prospect of more Yao Ming's emerging in the future, the NBA is looking for more slam dunks in China. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And that was Jaime FlorCruz. And we meant to get him live, but you know, it's Monday, and we're having technical difficulties getting him out of Beijing. You know Yao Ming has also joined with Magic Johnson to talk out against AIDS. The AIDS crisis in China is just horrible. We're going to have more on that later in the week on DAYBREAK.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 5:45 Eastern. Here is what's all new this morning.

U.S. forces have freed the chief negotiator for Fallujah, a city held by insurgents. The negotiator says the city still wants peace, despite a breakdown in talks with Iraq's interim government and recent fighting there.

The National Transportation Safety Board releases a series of reports today about last year's Staten Island ferry accident. Ten passengers were killed, more than 30 others hurt in that accident.

In money news, Microsoft and Cisco Systems are joining forces to help corporate customers fight cyber attacks. Each is rolling out a system designed to protect against viruses, worms and other threats. They plan to make their systems compatible by 2007.

In culture, actor Kirk Douglas now has a street named after him. It's in Palm Springs, California, where he has lived for more than 40 years.

In sports, Daunte Culpepper was hot last night. He threw five TD passes and had 425 yards, leading the Minnesota Vikings over the New Orleans Saints 38-31.

What a game -- Chad?

MYERS: I guess.

COSTELLO: Wow!

MYERS: People were probably flipping back and forth from that to the ALCS.

Good morning.

(WEATHER REPORT)

MYERS: Carol, back to you.

COSTELLO: That's a look at the latest headlines. Thank you, Chad.

And, Chad, stay with me, because "Esquire" magazine has voted its sexiest woman alive.

MYERS: Yes. COSTELLO: This is our top Web click, by the way, on CNN.com. Yes, it's this woman, Angelina Jolie.

MYERS: Mmm.

COSTELLO: What do you mean mmm?

MYERS: I may be all...

COSTELLO: You don't think she's the sexiest woman alive?

MYERS: I'm wondering whether she still has the Billy Bob tattoo on her arm?

COSTELLO: No, she covered that with something. But there is a quote from her. "The tattoos, the blood, cutting myself, it's all very much who I am," says Jolie. "If you knew me privately, you might think I was even wilder than my reputation, but I'm also much softer. I am a soft woman, softer than people think." Hello?

MYERS: I've got nothing -- Carol.

COSTELLO: No, but I was looking here and only 7 percent of all the votes cast...

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: ... voted Angelina Jolie, you know, the sexiest woman alive, 7 percent.

MYERS: Right, so that's not really a quorum, really, you know?

COSTELLO: No, like how many women were in this contest? Halle Berry came in second with 6 percent.

MYERS: Well, and you came in third with five.

COSTELLO: Yes, right.

MYERS: So.

COSTELLO: I was in the negative five.

Thank you for joining in -- Chad.

MYERS: All right.

COSTELLO: Making sure they strike the right cords with voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETSY AMES, VOICE TALENT: Your vote does make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's no easy thing, a look at campaign ads and the voices behind them next.

Plus our e-mail "Question of the Morning," should newspapers endorse presidential candidates? We've been getting a lot of good ones this morning. E-mail us at DAYBREAK@CNN.com and we'll read some of those e-mails next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Presidential elections soon upon us and of course newspapers from across the country have now endorsed which candidate they think should win the presidential election. "The Chicago Tribune," "The Rocky Mountain News," "The Omaha World Herald," "The Carlsbad Current Argus" and "The Canton Repository" out of Ohio in Stark County have all endorsed President Bush.

Kerry endorsements, "The New York Times," "The Boston Globe," "The Minneapolis Star Tribune" and "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution."

So our e-mail question of the morning, do these endorsements really matter to you? Should newspapers endorse candidates? And we've been getting a lot of e-mail response this morning, and it's all no. No one cares who the newspaper endorses. Let me read you some of them.

This is from David (ph) and Rebecca (ph). Newspaper endorsements are largely meaningless. If a voter is gullible enough to vote for a candidate because some newspaper endorsed him, that voter has checked his or her brain at the door.

This is from Eric (ph). He's a morning-noon meteorologist, Chad, from Rockford, Illinois, giving us his opinion this morning. I work at a TV station in Rockford, Illinois. If we endorse candidates in the election, it would point bias in the way we cover candidates. Newspapers should stick to reporting the facts and leave the endorsements to the opinion page.

This is from Jim (ph) from Arlington, Virginia. He says any newspaper who backs a specific candidate has failed to provide fair and balanced reporting and therefore cannot be trusted as a viable source for the truth.

Keep those e-mails coming, DAYBREAK@CNN.com.

Presidential race is so close no detail left to chance. The campaigns even go the extra mile to make sure the voices we hear in the political ads strike the right cord with voters.

CNN's Bruce Burkhardt shows us the faces behind the voices.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Real life, real work, real leadership.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... helped bring $2 million...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A quiet, real American courage. BRUCE BURKHARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Bruce Burkhardt. And I not only approve this story, but I'm voicing it, too. Just like Allen Blevis (ph) is giving voice to this ad for a Democratic congressman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Imagine this, the year is 1968.

BURKHARDT: And Betsy Ames is doing the same for a Republican congressman.

AMES: ... that your vote does make a difference.

BURKHARDT: They are the invisible people, as invisible as they are critical to persuading you to vote for the right guy.

JOE SLADE WHITE, DEMOCRATIC MEDIA CONSULTANT: And if there's any false notes in it, in the tone of voice, then you don't know why you don't like a commercial, but it's because of that, because it doesn't sound true. It doesn't ring true. We say "ring true" because it's a sound.

BURKHARDT: Joe Slade White, like most media consultants, is on the go in this election season. From the back seat of a Washington, D.C. cab, he directs a voice-over session in a New York studio.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he knows firsthand the difference that education can mean for our children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was the time on that, Mark?

BURKHARDT: Allen Blevis (ph) has worked with Joe for years. And other Democrats, including Clinton and Gore. Like most political voice-over talent, he only works one side of the street, in his case, Democratic.

AMES: Your voice does make a difference.

BURKHARDT: Betsy Ames, who does exclusively Republican ads, says it just worked out that way. They asked first.

AMES: This is my business. I'm an actress. I'm the messenger. How I feel about it has absolutely nothing to do with it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So we'll bring that audio down.

BURKHARDT: Tom Edmonds (ph), a Republican consultant who was behind the highly-effective NRA ads in the 2000 election, works with Betsy often.

AMES: All right. Let's do a safety of -- safety of the safety.

BURKHARDT: And if there's one thing Republican and Democratic consultants agree on, it's the importance of the voice. The use of women's voices in ads has been increasing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Patty Murray has a different view.

BURKHARDT : So, too, have male voices that sound friendlier, conversational.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And dreams need places where they can play out.

WHITE: If the quality of the voice says, I'm not going to listen to you, I'm just going to tell you things, then people are going to get turned off.

BURKHARDT: And though we like to think we're turned on by matters of substance, well maybe we're moved more by the candidate who's found his or her voice.

WHITE: Yes. Why don't we play that back? I think that was really, really good.

BURKHARDT: Bruce Burkhardt , CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Still ahead in the next hour of DAYBREAK, a big weekend for presidential polls. Frank Newport from Gallup will join us live to sift through all the numbers for you.

And a big weekend for baseball, Chris Cotter will be along to help us mark our DAYBREAK scorecards.

You are watching DAYBREAK for a Monday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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