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Security Guard Charged With Setting $10 Million Arson Fire; President Signs Intelligence Reform Bill This Morning

Aired December 17, 2004 - 06:00   ET

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

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, a security guard is charged with setting a $10 million arson fire. He says he's innocent. This morning, he'll get to tell that to a judge.
Plus, the president signs the intelligence reform bill this morning. It tightens borders, increases aviation security and it will affect your driver's license.

And eight days until Christmas. If you're waiting until the last minute to shop online, we'll tell you what your options are. Here's a hint -- they won't be cheap.

It is Friday, December 17.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

From the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, a U.S. Marine with the 1st Expeditionary Force has been killed in Iraq's expansive Al Anbar Province. Since Sunday, 10 Marines have been killed in the province, known for insurgent activity.

Missouri police are on the alert from a missing fetus. Police say the unborn child was taken from the body of a 23-year-old murder victim who was eight months pregnant. Police say the woman's husband has been ruled out as a suspect.

A security guard is charged with setting fires that damaged 26 new homes, causing $10 million in damage. He shouts to reporters he's innocent. This morning he goes before a judge. We'll get a live report from Maryland for you in just a few minutes.

And that trip to grandmas for the holidays may cost you more in gas money. The price of crude oil is up in trading today by $0.21 from the day before.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Carol, part of the problem also may be a little bit of a travel problem with weather, not only that expensive travel with the gasoline. So, yes, it could be some snow.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Later this morning, President Bush will sign into law the largest overhaul of U.S. intelligence gathering in 50 years. You know what we're talking about, that bill that calls for a new national director of national intelligence and an increase in the number of border guards.

While the president's busy with that, experts continue to analyze the latest audiotape from Osama bin Laden. CIA officials say they're highly confident the voice on the muffled tape is that of the terror mastermind. The voice praises the December 6 attack on the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

In Washington this morning, U.S. citizen Ahmed Abu Ali may learn whether he can challenge his detention in Saudi Arabia in a U.S. court. Ali has spent more than a year in a Saudi jail for suspected links to terrorism.

Our justice correspondent, Kelli Arena, has more on the story.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Omar Abu Ali insists his 23-year-old son is being held in Saudi Arabia at the request of the U.S. government.

OMAR ABU ALI, FATHER: They ordered the Saudis to arrest him, to put him in jail.

ARENA: A federal judge said based on evidence he's seen so far, Abu Ali could be right. And if he is, it's possible his son's detention could be challenged in U.S. court.

MORTON SKLAR, AHMED ABU ALI'S LAWYER: Making clear that especially where the rights of American citizens were concerned, that the courts did have a role to play here.

ARENA: The name of Abu Ali's son first surfaced in a Virginia terrorism investigation. Government prosecutors in that case told a judge that the 23-year-old said he was a member of al Qaeda. But he has not been charged, either in Saudi Arabia or the United States. The judge has now asked for more documentation to decide whether the case should proceed.

SKLAR: Contrary to the government's arguments, there were not totally free and with a free hand to do anything that they wanted to to deal with threats.

ARENA: Sklar argues Ahmed Abu Ali, a U.S. citizen who was taken into custody in Saudi Arabia more than a year and a half ago, should be given the same right to challenge detention as U.S. prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. But the government insists this case is different because the Saudis acted on their own.

DAVID RIVKIN, FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAWYER: And he's being held in a sovereign country of Saudi Arabia by Saudi Arabian government officials. He was arrested in Saudi Arabia. So he was not even extradited in this country. And it's clearly a situation that does not call for an American judicial intervention.

ARENA: His father says after receiving routine phone calls, he hasn't heard from his son in nearly a month and he's worried he's being tortured.

ABU ALI: Sometimes we ask him some questions, he said don't ask me this, it will hurt me.

ARENA: The latest ruling is clearly a setback for the government, but officials had no comment, other than to say it's reviewing the decision.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: Was there a secret CIA prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? The "Washington Post" is reporting that a special secret facility was being used to house valuable al Qaeda suspects. It's unknown if the detention facility is still in operation. The suspected secret prison is inside the Defense Department's Camp Echo detention complex. But the newspaper reports that the special prisoners were kept under CIA directives. Neither the CIA nor the Defense Department would comment about this secret facility.

The Army National Guard really wants you really badly. It is now trying to recruit new members and keep the ones it has by boosting elm bonuses. How does $15,000 sound? Oh, and the commander of the National Guard's Pentagon bureau says the Guard also needs $20 billion to replace equipment destroyed in Iraq or Afghanistan, or left there for other troops.

Back to the recruitment issue now. National Guard troops who reenlist for six years will get a $15,000 bonus, triple what they get now. New recruits will get $10,000 if they sign up for six years, $4,000 more than they get now.

An arrest in Maryland and he's not an eco-terrorist, but a security guard. Ten homes under construction in a pricey Charles County development were burned to the ground. The Feds were called in to check for environmental terrorists and they found none.

Let's head live to Greenbelt, Maryland now and WUSA reporter Jan Fox -- good morning, Jan.

JAN FOX, WUSA CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Carol.

There was a lot of controversy before this project was ever even built. That's because environmentalists said it threatened a nearby bog. So of course investigators would look at eco-terrorism.

But now the suspect is a security guard who worked at the site. He's charged with arson.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

AARON SPEED, ARSON SUSPECT: (OBSCENE WORD OMITTED) OK? They humiliated me. They humiliated by family, OK? Everything that I'm doing I'm doing willingly to prove to them I am innocent. I'm taking a polygraph today. That'll show them I'm innocent after this is done and over with.

FOX (voice-over): Aaron Speed was not happy to see cameras in front of his parents' Waldorf home yesterday morning. He loudly proclaimed his innocence shortly after investigators searched the home in connection with the Hunters Brook arson. Then around 11:00 last night, the 21-year-old security guard was taken from the Charles County Sheriff's Department. He will appear in federal court today, charged with torching several homes in the new Charles County development.

Some residents will breathe a little easier.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I can sleep. I was sleeping with one eye open.

FOX: Investigators first suspected eco-terrorism because the pricey development threatens a nearby bog. Now they're questioning if Speed's actions are a hate crime. Most of the new residents are African-American.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

FOX: As you heard Speed say, he did take that polygraph test yesterday. And that's where the Charles County Sheriff's Department arrested him and took him into custody.

All along, investigators said it would take more than one person to do a crime of this magnitude. No word yet on whether or not there's another suspect.

Speed does have a history of mental difficulties and he also lost a twin baby earlier this year. And as we said, he will be in court later today here in Greenbelt.

Back to you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Back to the possible motive in this case. Police think it's a hate crime.

Do they have any other evidence besides that African-Americans were buying those homes?

FOX: They're not saying it is a hate crime. They're putting that on the list of possibilities. And, yes, they did collect evidence from the home. Of course, they're not telling us all of the details. But the fires were set by two different kinds of accelerant and also with some kind of crude device, they call it, that didn't go off in several homes, which is why they were spared.

COSTELLO: Jan Fox reporting live from Greenbelt, Maryland this morning.

Thanks for joining DAYBREAK.

In other stories across America now, a gunman is holed up inside the famed Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. Hours earlier, he opened fire with a handgun, but no one was hurt. The building has now been evacuated. SWAT teams and police negotiators now on the scene. The man who police say is in his 50s is a church employee and a choir member.

Scott Peterson is being described as "cheerful" in prison. The San Mateo County sheriff says Peterson is not suicidal and has not changed his demeanor since a jury recommended the death penalty. Formal sentencing is scheduled for February. The sheriff also says Peterson continues to receive a steady flow of fan mail.

In Connecticut, the head of NBC Sports, Dick Ebersol, attended a memorial for his son while still in his hospital bed. 14-year-old Teddy Ebersol was killed in a plane crash three days after Thanksgiving. Dick Ebersol suffered a broken pelvis and six fractured vertebrae in the crash. Four hundred friends and relatives attended the service.

Later on DAYBREAK, the new terror bill about to become law. How will it affect your every day life and even your wallet?

Plus, Wal-Mart makes a goodwill gesture and sidesteps some rival retailers.

And a plan to bring baseball back to the nation's capital may strike out. So what happened?

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

'Tis the season for giving and if you're giving to the Salvation Army, Wal-Mart will help your money go twice as far.

Carrie Lee live at the Nasdaq market site to explain this -- good morning.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest department store and discounter, is going to match up to $1 million in donations to the Salvation Army through those famous red kettles. And this includes donations at its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. They started with donations made yesterday. It continues through Christmas Eve.

A little bit different from Target's take. Target recently banned the Salvation Army bell ringers, saying it wasn't fair to allow certain charities and not others to accept donations. So Wal-Mart accepting them as we speak.

Taking a look at market action, futures looking slightly higher right now. Could see some buying at the 9:30 opening bell.

Nike is going to be a stock to watch today. Reported profits late yesterday. This is the first profit report since the company's new -- since the resignation of CEO and Co-Founder Phil Knight. And it looks like a pretty good report. A surprisingly large 46 percent jump in sales, partly because of strength in China -- Carol, that's the latest.

COSTELLO: Oh, interesting.

Thank you.

Carrie Lee live from the NASDAQ market site this morning.

Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:14 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

A security guard in Maryland responds to reporters' questions. Aaron Speed says he did not set fire to several upscale homes, causing $10 million in damage. Speed, who is charged with arson, appears in court this morning.

Seven North Koreans climbed a fence at the Japanese embassy in Beijing today. Japanese officials are questioning the seven and say they're seeking asylum in South Korea.

In money news, Hershey is taking a bigger bite out of your pocket. The candy maker says it's going to hike prices immediately to combat rising production costs. The price of the signature Hershey bar going up nearly 6 percent.

In culture, Lisa Marie Presley is selling her father, so to speak, in a deal wroth $100 million. A New York investor is getting 85 percent of the company that controls Elvis' likeness, his music and Graceland.

In sports, the big unit could be wearing pinstripes this spring. No done deal yet, but Arizona pitching ace Randy Johnson may be Yankee bound in a three team deal that includes the Dodgers' Sean Green and the Yankees Javier Vazquez.

To the forecast center and Chad.

MYERS: Carol, he's 41-years-old now. Can you believe it?

COSTELLO: It's sick.

MYERS: There's still hope for all of us. The last two seasons with Arizona he was 22 and 22. Maybe he needs a new home. (WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: You know...

MYERS: Go ahead. You said you know?

COSTELLO: I'm sorry, Chad.

MYERS: Oh, OK. OK. OK.

COSTELLO: I was commenting on something else to our executive producer.

MYERS: Fair enough.

COSTELLO: See, I have conversations with everyone while you're talking.

MYERS: Yes, I hear voices in my head, too Carol, don't worry about it.

COSTELLO: I know. Exactly. Well, you know, Chad, we have to talk about this. You know, NASA releases some really cool images from time to time.

MYERS: Yes?

COSTELLO: And we have one to share with our viewers this morning.

MYERS: OK, go ahead.

COSTELLO: Tell -- you don't know what this is? This is a U.V. image of Saturn's moon Titan.

MYERS: Oh, right.

COSTELLO: The colorful rings you see are actually layers of haze. Light from the atmosphere makes them look like a rainbow.

MYERS: It is color enhanced, so it actually didn't really look like a sunset. But yet the most significant thing, Carol, are the striations there, the lines. If you would kind of think of this black spot on the left, that's where the moon is. And all this other stuff here, actually, the potential for an atmosphere there, like one layer, like our troposphere, maybe the stratosphere or whatever.

It's a stretch, but obviously a great image there from NASA yesterday.

COSTELLO: Oh, it's beautiful.

MYERS: Yes.

COSTELLO: Fascinating, too. And, you know, we would be remiss if we talked about NASA without mentioning that outgoing chief Sean O'Keefe will be Miles O'Brien's guest on AMERICAN MORNING.

MYERS: Oh, cool.

COSTELLO: And that will come your way, oh, in just about an hour, because he's going to talk to him about 7:30 Eastern time.

It is the nation's pastime, but will big leaguers ever step up to the plate in the nation's capital? I'll ask a man who's legendary in D.C.

And saving a buck on your holiday shopping online? That's what you think. We'll check out the bottom line on those bargains.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: All right, procrastinators, Christmas fast approaches and if you're still waiting to send those packages, get ready to pay up big time.

DAYBREAK contributor J.J. Ramberg is here with some hints to save some money.

Is that even possible at this late date?

J.J. RAMBERG, DAYBREAK CONTRIBUTOR: It still is, as long as you get on the ball today through Sunday for a lot of Web sites. The problem is a lot of people go shop on Web sites because they don't feel like going to the store, right? They're a little bit too lazy to actually get in their car or walk and go to the store. But if you wait past today, if you're so lazy that you can't even get online, you're going to end up paying a lot more money.

So just to give you some deadlines for you. If you look at some of the biggest Web sites, Target.com, tomorrow. And that's the same for Amazon.com, which is obviously...

COSTELLO: So when you say tomorrow, that means...

RAMBERG: This is for standard shipping.

COSTELLO: Oh, got you.

RAMBERG: This is so you don't have to pay. And a lot of sites right now are offering free shipping for people who buy by today or tomorrow. So it's for today or tomorrow. Wal-Mart, Bluefly, those you have to buy by today.

If you don't get there on time and if you want to wait until the last minute, you can still do it on most sites, but you're going to end up paying somewhere from double to four times as much. Yes, I see your face...

COSTELLO: Almost as much as the gift. RAMBERG: Exactly. Right. I mean if you take a look at it, on Bluefly.com, if you wait until, what's their date, December 23, which you can, which is great if you don't have time, you're going to end up paying $25 to ship your present.

COSTELLO: What's the standard, then?

RAMBERG: The standard is about $12.95.

COSTELLO: Ooh.

RAMBERG: I know, right?

COSTELLO: Ouch.

Ooh, let me look down the other examples. Amazon.com is the same way, right?

RAMBERG: Amazon.com. That's until the 23rd. And at Amazon.com, you're going to end up spending four times. Now it's different depending on what you buy, but just for the standard to ship, it's $3 for Amazon.com. It goes up to $12.49.

COSTELLO: Ooh, give us another one.

RAMBERG: At J. Crew, $12.95 standard. It goes up to $24.95.

COSTELLO: Wow!

RAMBERG: So it pays to start buying now.

The other reason is you don't -- you can't be certain about Web sites. Even still, we've had problems. And you don't want to end up waiting until the last minute and getting a problem. Just last week, Amazon.com had some problems. Kmart was so slow that it was basically unusable. Now, this probably shouldn't happen and they have technical people working on this and preventing it, because they're losing a lot of sales when that happens. But you don't want to be the person stuck on December 23 with no store to go to, trying to type in something and not being able to.

COSTELLO: I know, and your family probably wouldn't buy that excuse either.

RAMBERG: Here's an IOU.

COSTELLO: Oh, yes.

RAMBERG: I could do this.

COSTELLO: Yes. Right. It's funny you mentioned that, because in the "Wall Street Journal" today, they actually test out these Internet places to see if your gifts will arrive on time.

RAMBERG: Well, a lot has changed. Do you remember in 1998 and 1999, there were so many problems. I actually worked for an Internet retailer at the time and I just remember we sent out a lot of "we're so sorry" notes. And things have gotten a lot better. Technology is better. Picking and packing and the shipping is better. But if you use a reliable site, it'll most probably get there on time.

COSTELLO: The answer? Gift cards.

RAMBERG: Exactly.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you.

J.J. Ramberg joining DAYBREAK this morning.

What does your driver's license look like and could the terror bill President Bush is signing today change the way it looks? That's ahead in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.

And later, a piece of the Presley legacy owned by someone outside of the king's family. Details on a business deal in Graceland.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

Live from the Time Warner Center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

Now in the news, President Bush signs the intelligence reform legislation this morning. It promises major changes, creating what could be a powerful new director of national intelligence. CNN plans live coverage of that signing at 9:55 Eastern.

Israeli troops today raid a refugee camp in southern Gaza. Israeli media say at least five Palestinians have been killed. The Israelis say they're targeting sites where rockets are launched at Jewish settlements.

Police SWAT units and negotiators on the scene of a shooting at the famed Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. A gunman still holed up inside. Hours earlier, the man opened fire with a handgun, but no one was hurt. The building has been evacuated.

Federal health officials meet today to consider relaxing the restrictions imposed when the shortage of flu vaccine first came to light. The CDC says the flu shot shortage is not getting worse. In fact, it's just the opposite. The CDC says there is still some vaccine left for people who really need it.

To the forecast center and Chad -- good morning.

MYERS: Yes, my doctor's office just has a sign up there, flu shots $20, cash only.

COSTELLO: No.

MYERS: Yes. Yes, they're available...

COSTELLO: Twenty...

MYERS: They're available any time.

COSTELLO: Isn't that something?

MYERS: So I guess that -- people were so scared trying to get them, they figured they couldn't get them and now there's still like, you know, tickets available, just like a sold out concert. Oh, it's going to be sold out, nobody goes there anymore and then there are tickets left at the end. I don't know.

Hey, good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Just about four hours from now, President Bush signs into law sweeping changes in the nation's intelligence gathering. The overhaul is aimed at improving the spy network that failed to prevent the September terrorist attacks.

CNN Radio's Dick Uliano joins us now live from Washington with more on the changes ahead -- good morning, Dick.

DICK ULIANO, CNN RADIO CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning to you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, tell us about the bill. Tell us about some changes that will affect our everyday lives.

ULIANO: Well, this is clearly the biggest overhaul to the nation's intelligence community in more than 50 years. As you know, it embodies the main recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, that is, creating a national intelligence director and a national counter- terrorism center.

And, Carol, the White House is emphasizing the importance of this bill by its choice of locations for this morning's bill signing. The president is going to motorcade two blocks from the White House to Andrew Mellon Auditorium to sign the bill. This auditorium is the government's largest auditorium for such ceremonies. And presumably the chief sponsors in Congress of the bill and their supporters, and also 9/11 families, will be in the auditorium for the occasion.

COSTELLO: Wow, that is something else.

Thank you, Dick Uliano reporting live from Washington this morning.

And, by the way, we'll have live coverage of President Bush signing that new intelligence reform bill into law. That is scheduled for 9:55 Eastern, and that would be 6:55 Pacific time.

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