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CNN Live At Daybreak

Did War Planners Ignore Warnings That Going Would be Tough in Iraq?; Trail of Terror

Aired August 18, 2005 - 06:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KELLY WALLACE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's Thursday, August 18.
Did war planners ignore warnings that the going would be tough in Iraq? A newly released memo from the State Department suggests a disconnect between war planners and policymakers.

Another Marine laid to rest. His parents share the voice of the fallen in a moving tribute.

And the trail of terror, fantasy and clues -- victims of the BTK serial killer hear more gruesome details in Kansas.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, this is DAYBREAK.

I'm Kelly Wallace in today for Carol Costello.

Good morning, everyone.

Thanks so much for waking up with us.

Chad Myers will have your forecast in just a moment.

Also ahead, vacationing at the height of hurricane season -- what you need to know to protect your travel plans.

And great animals roaming the Great Plains of America. Hear about the idea to move lions and elephants out of Africa and bring them hear?

Well, first, these stories now in the news.

Pope Benedict XVI is making his first appearance as pope outside of Italy today. You're looking at live pictures right now of the pope's plane, which just arrived in Cologne, Germany. The pope being greeted by hundreds of thousands of young Catholics at the World Youth Day celebration in Cologne. We will have much more of this on DAYBREAK.

Israeli troops are spending a second day forcing the evacuation of Jewish settlers from Gaza. More than half of the 21 settlements have been cleared out. We'll have a live report coming up later this hour.

Ohio's governor will be arraigned today on ethics charges. Governor Bob Taft is accused of not reporting favors he was given, including golf outings. We've got a live report coming up at the bottom of the hour.

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

(WEATHER REPORT)

WALLACE: And we are beginning this hour with Iraq. We're starting with a warning about trouble in post-war Iraq before the war began. A State Department memo sent about a month before the war began, back in 2003, stated that there were serious gaps in post-war planning. The memo, obtained by George Washington University, raised questions about security after the initial offensive. The memo also stated: "A failure to address short-term public security and humanitarian assistance concerns could result in serious human rights abuses, which would undermine an otherwise successful military campaign and our reputation internationally."

There are 138,000 U.S. troops still providing security and stability in Iraq. But that number may increase very soon.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 700 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have unexpected orders for Iraq. The highly trained combat infantry unit will now provide prison security. The U.S. is opening a new facility northeast of Baghdad, in part because the once notorious Abu Ghraib Prison is near capacity.

CNN has learned military commanders this week are reviewing recommendations to temporarily increase the number of troops in Iraq for upcoming elections. No final decisions have been made, but the proposals call for adding 20,000 troops to the current 138,000 on duty. That could be done by keeping some troops in place longer than planned, sending some troops already earmarked to Iraq earlier than expected or ordering fresh troops into battle.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was in Baghdad to discuss the fragile security situation.

GEN. RICHARD MYERS, CHAIRMAN, JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: And I assured the president, President Talabani, I assured him that the United States will stay with you, with the Iraqi people, until this mission is finished.

STARR (on camera): Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says that delay in drafting the Iraqi constitution is, in his words, "not helpful." The Pentagon believes keeping political progress on track in Iraq is vital to ending the insurgency and getting Iraq back on its feet.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WALLACE: We thank Barbara for that report.

Hundreds of vigils for troops killed in Iraq were held across the nation. This one across the street from the White House. People showed up to show their support for the troops and for Cindy Sheehan. You'll recall Cindy Sheehan is the woman who's been standing vigil outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. But, people are split about whether her cause has been good for the country and the troops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hurt for all the mothers who have lost sons and daughters over there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she's showing disrespect to her son. Her son cannot speak and it is wrong that she speak for him, because he is -- he was -- he's an adult. He chose to go into the service.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our group is very much behind her efforts and as veterans many of our members know what she's suffering with the loss of her son.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Cindy Sheehan is dragging every military person's name into the gutter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay with it and ask the president to keep -- keep asking him. He'll talk to you eventually.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's in a tough position, making tough choices that I don't think anyone who's not in his position can really understand how hard it is for him to make.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm patriotic, too. I just think this war was unnecessary and I think Bush ought to be tried for war crimes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALLACE: Obviously a range of opinions about the situation.

Flags will be lowered to half staff in Atlanta today in honor of troops killed in Iraq from Georgia. There will also be a memorial service at the state capital. Sixteen members of the Georgia National Guard's 48th Brigade have died since being deployed in June. One of those was Specialist Michael Stokley (ph), who was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad just two days ago.

Ohio is still recovering from the attack two weeks ago that claimed the lives of 16 Marines. Among them was 19-year-old Lance Corporal Christopher Dyer. He was laid to rest yesterday.

CNN affiliate WKRC was at the funeral, where Corporal Dyer's parents had some last words for their son and their son's last words for them.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KATHY DYER, MOTHER: In Chris' voice, here is a Marine's farewell.

Thank you for coming today to pay tribute to my life.

JOHN DYER, FATHER: Chris may not have been quite as perfect as I remember, but he was close. Chris didn't want to be less than the best at anything.

K. DYER: I went to war for our country with grit and determination. I wanted to be part of a great brotherhood of modern day warriors.

J. DYER: In a quiet moment, he told me, "Dad, I know you're going to worry. Don't worry. I know I'm coming home."

Chris has come home, not how I envisioned, not without becoming the best saw gunner and the best infantry company in the Marine Corps.

K. DYER: Dad, you were the most important person in my life. I know how much you love me and how proud you are of me. Thank you for coaching my ball teams and teaching me how to fly.

J. DYER: A father wishes to be a role model to his children. Chris is now my role model.

K. DYER: Now, my general calls me to receive my eternal liberty in heaven. Today, I am not a fallen hero. I am a risen one. I love you all. Chris.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: And just in to CNN, live pictures now.

Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day celebrations.

This is a significant event. It is the pope's first foreign trip since he was named pope. He is also making a visit to his homeland, his homeland of Germany.

There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of young Catholics from all around the world who are here. Crowds estimated to be as high as one million on Sunday, when the pope delivers his mass. There will be a lot of attention to the words coming from Pope Benedict for an indication of the direction that he plans to take during his pontificate. And, of course, a lot of comparisons to Pope John Paul II. He founded this annual event, World Youth Day, 20 years ago, back in 1985, and he obviously appealed to young Catholics all around the world.

Let's listen a moment to this arrival ceremony.

And, again, you're watching the arrival ceremony in Cologne, Germany for Pope Benedict XVI.

Our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, is traveling with the pope.

We hope to have him on the phone moments from now. And we will be talking with him and covering the pope's events in Cologne.

Back with that when we have Alessio on the phone.

Turning now to the BTK sentencing hearings, underway in Wichita, Kansas.

The grim details of Dennis Rader's killing spree took center stage during day one of his sentencing on Wednesday. The confessed BTK killer sat relatively emotionless while officers recounted the crimes piece by piece.

CNN's Chris Lawrence, who is in Wichita, Kansas for day two of Rader's sentencing -- good morning, Chris.

Great to see you.

Tell us what we can expect today.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, today you're going to hear from the families. It should be an emotional day, as was yesterday, although you couldn't tell it by looking at Dennis Rader. He just kind of looked straight ahead and didn't -- never uttered a word or didn't show much expression at all.

We now have a much better idea of how warped his view of himself was. During the testimony yesterday, we heard that when he pulled a gun out of his jacket and shot the teenaged son of one of his victims, he thought of himself as John Wayne. Later, when he would disguise himself as a detective to trick a woman into letting him in her home, he said he was wearing a James Bond style jacket.

We also heard even more graphic details of how he murdered his victims, beginning with the Otero family in 1974.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He did state that it was the first time that he had attempted to strangle people, as opposed to dogs and cats, and that he was surprised as to how much pressure it took and how hard it was to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: He killed the mother, the father, a little boy and a little girl. He made Mrs. Otero watch as he killed her little son Joey. And he saved little Josie Otero, just 11 years old, for what he called his encore -- watching her gasp for breath hanging from a noose in her family's basement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE OTERO, BTK VICTIM'S SON/BROTHER: Knowing the last moments, knowing her last thoughts, her last words, that was very hard to take. They were in a lot of pain. They were terrified. And now it's over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Rader went on to kill 10 people. And detectives described them all. In his later crimes, he used his position as a Scout leader to help him kill. And then he would go home to his own wife and kids.

Later today, some of the families of some of his victims will finally face him in open court for the first time. Many of them will finally be able to get out what they've waited decades to say -- Kelly.

WALLACE: Chris, that is going to be an emotional situation inside that courtroom today.

You know, so many people are struck, Chris, about how emotionless Dennis Rader has been and how he has not shown one ounce of remorse.

Is there any chance if he does, as expected, speak at some point today or tomorrow, that he could offer some remorse at that moment?

LAWRENCE: You know, everybody has a different opinion on that. There have been some people who have said maybe he will make some sort of apology. Not that I think that would make any difference whatsoever to any of the families. But it would at least help you understand how a human being could do something like this. And you I look at it and say how could anyone do something like that and not feel anything? And I think that's what the families have been seeing every time they see him in court, that he just ticks off these crimes like he's checking something off a list, with no regard to feeling something as a human being.

WALLACE: An unbelievable story, Chris.

We'll be watching your reports throughout the day.

Chris Lawrence reporting live from Wichita, Kansas.

We appreciate it.

And we want to turn back to a developing story we are following, and that is the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne, Germany.

We have been telling you it is his first foreign trip since he was named pope and he is returning to his homeland.

On the phone, we have our Rome bureau chief, Alessio Vinci, who is traveling with the pope -- and, Alessio, great to talk to you.

Big challenges for this pope. His first really international outing as pope.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is correct, Kelly.

He left Germany as a bishop more than 20 years ago and now Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, returns to this land as pope. The fact that he makes this first international trip to Germany came just by chance, not by choice. The venue, of course, for the World Youth Day celebrations and gatherings of young Catholics from all around the world was chosen long before he was elected. And, indeed, his predecessor, the late John Paul II, was expected to attend it.

Nevertheless, this is a four day trip, a big test for the new pope, not only because he will be inevitably compared with John Paul II, who made international trips a centerpiece of his papacy, but also because Germany is a very different country and a very different place than the one he left more than two decades ago. The number of Catholics and practicing Catholics is shrinking and this is a trip in which the pope -- during which pope really hopes to renew the spirit, especially of the young people.

On the way here to Germany, the pope briefly came in the back of the plane to meet with journalists. This is something we were not accustomed with, especially in the final years, of John Paul II, who could not move around the plane on his own. It should be told that he was very moved to come back to Germany and that also looking forward to meeting the young Catholics, that it's an extraordinary event, Catholics from all around the world are able to come here to Germany to pray and to be together and hopefully to rediscover god -- Kelly.

WALLACE: And Alessio, it's interesting, he'll also, during his visit, Cologne's oldest synagogue, which was destroyed by the Nazis and then rebuilt. And he'll also be meeting with Muslims.

This seems to be an outreach to other religions, as well.

VINCI: Well, yes. The centerpiece of this trip, of course, will be the young people. But he will be praying inside the synagogue here in and Cologne. As you know, the relationship between the Jews and the Catholics has been troubled. The Vatican, as you know, remaining silent during the Holocaust and therefore not only John Paul II managed to issue one -- put together a policy of rapprochement between the two sides, and this is something that Pope Benedict XVI wants to continue. And this will be a very important moment for him. It will be the second time ever a pope enters a Jewish place of prayer, the first time, of course, a German pope enters a synagogue.

And, of course, the fact that it's happening in Germany, where so many Jews have been killed for the Holocaust, adds to its significance.

He will also meet with some Muslim leaders and leaders of other Christian denominations. This is a pope who has, from the very beginning of his papacy, said that he wants to reach out toward the other religions, as well as other Christian denominations. And therefore we see evidence of that during this very first trip.

WALLACE: And, Alessio, going back to the moments where Pope Benedict came back to the plane to talk to you and other journalists, he talked about, of course, his excitement about coming here and his goals. Did he express any anxiety or nervousness? Again, his first major international outing and, of course, the comparisons will continue to be there between Pope Benedict and the late Pope John Paul II.

VINCI: Yes. It is definitely a very anxious pope. Let me just share with you a small detail, not just of what happened on the plane here while we were coming here to Cologne, but yesterday at the Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence, the pope gave his regular Wednesday audience with the pilgrims who came there to basically see and pray with him. And basically the pope, first of all, forgot to bless them. And so at the end of his entertainment, he was entertaining with the people, he went back toward the crowd and said, "Sorry, my head is already in Cologne and I forgot to do the most important thing that a pope is supposed to do, and that is to bless the pilgrims."

And so he did that.

So it is definitely a pope who is extremely anxious. He is obviously aware of what John Paul II managed to do with the young crowds and the symbolism of the trip. And so this is a pope who will, if you want, not try to emulate John Paul II, but certainly has a very hard act to follow and then -- and we are going to be probably seeing in the next couple of days a pope who will try to reach out and speak to the young people especially who have gathered here by the hundreds of thousands from all around the world.

WALLACE: Alessio, we look forward to watching your reports over the next several days.

Alessio Vinci, our Rome bureau chief, joining us on the phone from Cologne, Germany, where you are watching, again, live pictures. Pope Benedict XVI arriving for World Youth Day celebrations.

More throughout this hour on DAYBREAK.

Still to come, though, on this Thursday edition, don't let something like a hurricane ruin a perfectly good vacation. Everything you need to know about airlines and hotels during the height of the storm season.

Then, introducing old animals into the New World? We'll talk about that.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WALLACE: Time now for a little "Business Buzz."

Close but not yet. American and Chinese negotiators are talking about clothing and textile issues, one being limiting imports from China. Another meeting is set for later today. The first jury to hear a case involving the drug Vioxx begins deliberations today in Texas. Merck and its company pulled the popular painkiller off shelves last year after warnings about its effects on the heart. A study showed that Vioxx users suffered five times as many heart attacks as those who used Naproxen.

Coke and Pepsi are teaming up -- that's right -- to keep soda out of schools.

Carrie Lee joins us with more on the companies.

Coke and Pepsi aren't always getting together, but this seems to be a good cause.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they don't really have a choice too much in this one, Kelly.

Coke, Pepsi, other soda makers voluntarily agreeing to guidelines and restrictions on the sale of soda in schools. Now, full calorie carbonated drinks will no longer be sold in middle schools during school hours. They will be available after hours. Only water and 100 percent fruit juice will be sold in elementary schools. The rules, though, apply to new contracts only, so it could take a little while for all of the schools to catch up.

Now, the companies are doing this to head off the possibility of even tougher guidelines being implemented by the schools. Many school districts have already banned soft drinks in an effort to battle childhood obesity. The companies shouldn't be hurt by this financially. Last year, U.S. schools accounted for $700 million in total sales, and that could be made up with sales of juice and water. So childhood obesity an issue. Middle school kids, they have enough energy already. They don't need the sugar, too.

WALLACE: They really do.

And we were talking before a little bit, knowing this segment was coming up...

LEE: Yes.

WALLACE: ... just about how so many kids drinking so much soda.

LEE: Yes, so this is a good thing.

WALLACE: ... and that's not a good thing.

LEE: And they can have it after hours if they really want it.

WALLACE: They sure can.

OK, markets? Futures? How are they looking today?

LEE: Yes. Futures looking a little bit lower today. We did see, though, the markets rebound a bit yesterday. Oil down nearly $3 a barrel. You know that's good news. Hewlett-Packard also helping some gains.

Today, Tommy Hilfiger in focus. The "Wall Street Journal" reporting the company may be putting itself up for sale. We'll see.

WALLACE: We'll be watching.

LEE: Yes.

WALLACE: Carrie Lee with the "Business Buzz" today.

Great to see you.

LEE: My pleasure.

WALLACE: Thanks so much.

Well, making travel plans during the teeth of the hurricane season, whether it's a flight, a cruise or a package tour, just might give you the jitters. The hurricane season runs until the end of November. Usually only two or three named storms develop by this time of the year. So far this summer, we've had nine, nine, nine named storms.

Well, the prognosis for the remainder of the season is three to five major hurricanes, seven to nine total hurricanes and 11 to 14 tropical storms.

Well, Ben Mutzabaugh writes "Today In the Sky" for "USA Today" and he joins us from Washington to help all the travelers out there -- Ben.

I guess, what's the first piece of advice? If you're planning a vacation during hurricane season to areas affected, what's the first thing you should do?

BEN MUTZABAUGH, "USA TODAY": Well, I mean, obviously if you're going to the Caribbean or anywhere near the Caribbean between June and the end of November, you've got to be prepared to know that there could be a hurricane. The chances are small, but that's not going to help you if you happen to go when one comes.

So you've got to be aware of what the policies are for your airline tickets, for your hotel or if you've booked a package. At least make sure you know what your options are and if you're uncomfortable about what that's going to mean in the event of a storm, you should probably consider travel insurance.

WALLACE: First, let's talk about airlines, though. I mean how kind of amenable are the airlines to these late cancellations, if you call up and say I need to cancel because I understand a hurricane is headed to my destination?

MUTZABAUGH: Right. Typically what the airlines will do when a storm nears a destination or destinations, is they'll issue flexible travel policies. And what that means is they'll allow you to move your trip up or back, or possibly to an alternate destination if, say, Miami, New Orleans or certain Caribbean islands are affected by a storm. And while that might help you with the airline ticket, it could also be troublesome then, because if you're meeting a cruise in Miami to leave on a seven day cruise and you're two days late getting to Miami, that cruise could, you know, you're not going to be on the cruise. But, of course, the cruise could be delayed, as well.

So there are all kinds of moving parts to these issues when storms come. And it can be hard to juggle them. But at least for the airlines, they typically offer you some flexibility as the hurricanes approach.

WALLACE: And, of course, hotels, often the major chains do have sort of a 24-hour cancellation policy, so you could cancel and not lose a lot of money. But I guess the bigger concern, really, package tours, right?

MUTZABAUGH: Package tours can be the trickiest, and that's mostly because they're offered by a wide range of providers. That could be anything from a mom and pop travel agency in a small town to a big conglomerate or a big travel site like Travelocity or Orbitz. And that's not to say any one is necessarily better than the other. They're just different.

So you've got to make sure that when you book through one of these travel providers, that you understand exactly what your limitations are up front should a hurricane affect your travel plans. And one of the big things to check for is if you've paid money up front for a cruise or for a hotel or anything like that in the Caribbean, understand whether or not you're going to be able to get a refund of money you paid up front should a hurricane come through.

And, again, it's all -- what it really comes down to is read the fine print and ask them specifically, if a hurricane affects my trip, what are my options? And then you can make plans accordingly from that.

WALLACE: And quickly, Ben, you touched on this a little bit, travel insurance. But people should look very closely, right, if they do get travel insurance?

MUTZABAUGH: Exactly. And I'll say it twice -- read the fine print. You can't overstate that with travel insurance. Some of it provides great protection. Others, there are so many exceptions. Some even exempt hurricanes as a cause for a refund.

So it can be a good idea, but make sure that you understand what you're getting and that's probably something that might even be good to book through a travel agent, who has lots of experience in handling issues like that.

WALLACE: All right, Ben, good advice for anyone heading south over the next few months while we are still in hurricane season.

Ben Mutzabaugh, "Today In the Sky" column for "USA Today."

Thanks for being with us.

MUTZABAUGH: Thank you.

WALLACE: Still to come here on DAYBREAK, it's a silent killer and your daughters, sisters and mothers may be putting themselves at risk every day. We'll tell you about it.

Plus, home, home on the range where the lions and the elephants play? We'll tell you why big game could be roaming the Great Plains.

This is DAYBREAK.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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