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CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Donald Rumsfeld's Trip to Iraq; Potential Nuclear Threat to U.S. from North Korea

Aired February 11, 2005 - 05:00   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, North Korea's bold public announcement about its nuclear weapons program. Could the western U.S. be at risk for a missile strike?
Plus...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARSON KRESSLEY, QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY: Will you go to Fashion Week with me?

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You bet, Carson. Strap on your designer shades and get ready for a stroll down the runway with fashion guru's brassy Carson Kressley.

And start your engines. The NASCAR season is just around the bend. NASCAR champ Kurt Busch talks with our racing expert, Chad Myers.

It is Friday, February 11.

This is 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, it was a surprise visit -- an unannounced trip because of security concerns. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Baghdad right now.

Let's go live to that ancient capital for more details from Nic Robertson -- good morning, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Well, Donald Rumsfeld landed just before dawn in the northern city of Mosul. That was his first port of call. He met with troops. He met also with Iraqi officials. Part of his visit is to recognize the success of the elections, we're told, but also to review the training of Iraqi forces. And that is the primary focus of U.S. troops here now, to build up Iraqi forces to make -- to allow them to take over control of security for the cities.

We heard today in Baghdad that there was an attack on a bakery. About 12 gunmen pulled up in two vehicles outside of two bakeries, sprayed both bakeries with gunfire, killing nine workers in those bakeries. Police have said they do not know the motive for this attack. They know, they say, that these were Shiite Muslim bakeries in a Shiite Muslim neighborhood and they believe perhaps the Sunni Muslim insurgents are trying to spread sectarian violence. And perhaps an indication of how difficult it's going to be for Iraqi security forces to control the country.

There was an extended attack yesterday afternoon on a police station on the southern outskirts of Baghdad. In that attack, insurgents stood their ground, fought with rocket propelled grenades, mortars and machine guns for about two hours. In that exchange, six police were killed, 20 wounded. Twenty insurgents also killed.

And an interesting note from the police here. They say that they wanted to attend the funeral of those 20 insurgents, but they say there were several hundred gunmen surrounding that area and they are not able to get in -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson reporting live from Baghdad this morning.

Thank you.

Also in the news this morning, South Korean officials are urging calm in the wake of North Korea's public admission that it does, indeed, have nuclear weapons. South Korea's foreign minister, in Washington for a meeting with Condoleezza Rice, says, and I'm quoting here: "We need to calmly analyze the situation."

Republican leaders in Congress are backing a bill that would make it harder for consumers to escape credit card debt through bankruptcy. Consumer advocates oppose the legislation.

A Valentine's Day suicide pact allegedly set up in an Internet chat room by this man, Gerald Krien, of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Police now scrambling to I.D. 32 people who allegedly agreed to commit suicide, among them a mother who also planned to kill her two young children.

Forty people now confirmed dead, more than 400 missing, after a dam burst in southwestern Pakistan. Federal troops are at the scene of the flood and have rescued 1,200 people so far.

To the forecast center now and Chad -- good morning.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Carol.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Diplomacy is the buzz word in Washington now that North Korea has publicly announced it has nukes. Pyongyang also says it won't restart disarmament talks any time soon. The announcement raises the question is this merely a tactic or is it a very real threat?

Here's CNN national security correspondent David Ensor.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Ever since North Korea fired a missile over Japan in 1998, the CIA has been watching it especially closely. U.S. intelligence currently estimates Pyongyang could have two to eight nuclear weapons and that its Tapo Dong II missile could have a range of 10,000 kilometers. That would reach parts of the United States.

JON WOLFSTAHL, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT: But the worst case is that they could put a nuclear weapon by a missile onto parts of Hawaii, Alaska or even parts of the West Coast of the United States.

ENSOR: But few experts believe that worst case is yet reality. They doubt North Korea's untested Tapo Dong II could hit such a distant target and whether its nuclear bombs would fit on the missile.

WOLFSTAHL: We have serious questions about whether they can shrink down a nuclear weapon to a size small enough that would enable it to hit the United States.

ENSOR: Still, Pyongyang's statement it has "nukes" and no interest, for now, in talks, is definitely jangling nerves.

DAVID ALBRIGHT, INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE & INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: In a sense, we're on a knife's edge that North Korea has created for itself and we have to proceed very cautiously to try to increase the chance that we don't worsen it inadvertently.

ENSOR: Analysts in and out of government see North Korea's latest pronouncement as an effort to stave off what Kim Jong Il knows will be an intense pressure from the United States and from China to negotiate away its weapons program.

WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER COUNSELOR TO STATE DEPARTMENT: I think it is a negotiating ploy, but it is a very dangerous negotiating ploy because North Korea is very good at getting themselves into a box which they cannot get out of.

ENSOR (on camera): Administration officials say they will keep turning up the pressure on Pyongyang to return to the six party talks and they will work hard to keep America and its Asian allies unified. Some analysts worry, though, that North Korea could turn up the temperature even higher by, for the first time, testing a nuke or a long range missile.

David Ensor, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: We'll get more insight on North Korea's nuclear announcement at the half hour. We'll talk with Gary Samore, a non- proliferation expert who's worked with the Clinton administration. In other news across America this morning, police in Fort Lauderdale, Florida say a newborn baby that was tossed from a moving car is in remarkably good condition. A witness says she saw a couple arguing in a car before tossing a bundle out of the car window. That bundle was that baby boy. Police are still trying to locate the child's parents.

In Georgia, a driving instructor is in the hospital after being run over by a student. A witness says the student may have hit the gas pedal accidentally. The 64-year-old instructor was pinned under the car for 15 minutes before rescue crews were able to lift the car.

Here's a remarkable story out of Hutchinson, Kansas. A 38-year- old woman shocked her family by speaking for the first time in more than 20 years. Sara Scantlin had been in a vegetative state since being hit by a drunk driver. Her parents are calling her a medical miracle.

An 18-month-old North Carolina girl is growing fingers. She was originally born without fingers on her right hand, but surgeons implanted cartilage. And now those new fingers have grown an inch and a half. The young girl will have to have at least one more surgery to help continue this growth.

And famed outdoor artist Christo is at it again. This time his target is Central Park in New York City. The man who once wrapped the Reichstag and ringed an island in pink fabric is erecting 7,500 gates in the park. Each gate will be covered by a saffron colored fabric.

First it was columnists and pundits taking payments from the Bush administration. And now a White House reporter has resigned amid questions about his credentials. So who in Washington is a real journalist?

Tom Foreman is and he has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the radio, on the Internet, on dozens of TV channels, thousands of people call themselves journalists. And that is raising a sticky question. When it comes to access to the White House, which ones should be treated like real reporters?

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN: Good afternoon, everybody.

FORMAN: Press Secretary Scott McClellan said when you have changing media, it's not an easy issue to decide or try to pick and choose who is a journalist. It gets into the issue of advocacy journalism -- where do you draw the line?

MCCLELLAN: Good morning.

FOREMAN: A question to the president by a conservative Internet reporter sparked the debate. Jeff Gannon of Talonnews.com took aim at Democratic senators last month.

JEFF GANNON, TALONNEWS.COM: How are you going to work with people who seem to have divorced themselves from reality?

FOREMAN: Liberal Web sites called Gannon a shill for conservative interests. Congressional Democrats asked why he was allowed into the press briefing.

Gannon is defending himself.

GANNON: Well, Talonnews is a legitimate conservative, online news service and my questions are things that my readers, 700,000 daily subscribers, want the answer to.

FOREMAN: Still, under a torrent of what he calls unfair Internet assaults on his personal life and threats against his family, Gannon has resigned from Talonnews. And even White House reporters who like him say that's for the best.

BOB DEANS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The public has a hard time right now discerning who to trust with the news.

FOREMAN: Bob Deans is the former president of the White House Correspondents Association.

DEANS: They ought to be able to know that we are who we say we are, we don't have a political axe to grind and we're going to deliver the news straight up, and that if we don't, our editors are going to yank us out of there.

FOREMAN (on camera): Getting a permanent press pass at the White House is difficult. Generally, only big news organizations can do it. But daily press passes are handed out to almost anyone in the media who passes a basic security test. That is how Jeff Gannon got inside for two years.

(voice-over): And although he is now gone, White House journalists say others with clearly political points of view remain, while the White House says it's not the administration's job to decide who is or is not a legitimate journalist.

Tom Foreman, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: And, Chad, we wanted to peg our E-Mail Question of the Morning on this topic. And maybe we're more interested than the viewers are -- I don't know -- because we're journalists. But apparently after this story broke, this Jeff Gannon got so many threats against he and his family, from what he calls liberal bloggers.

MYERS: Really?

COSTELLO: Yes. That he had to quit. That's why he says he quit. So we wondered what you thought about that. Who should have credentials to cover the White House, if anyone?

MYERS: Where is the baseline, right? Who do you have to work for? How small of an organization, how big of an organization, that kind of thing?

COSTELLO: Exactly. And, you know, should there be full disclosure?

We want to know what you think this morning. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.

The cost of not buying C130 cargo planes from Lockheed Martin might be too high for the Air Force. The built in fees for terminating the contract early could cost the government and, of course, you, the taxpayer, hundreds of billions of dollars. The Air Force now reconsidering a decision to stop buying those planes.

And long ago he picked the girl. Now finally Prince Charles sets the date. We'll hear all the buzz of that big engagement announcement. A royal watcher for you live from London in just six minutes.

We'll be right back.

And Alina Cho gets a VIP back stage tour at Fashion Week. "Queer Eye's" Carson Kressley is heading our way in 12 minutes. It's a very funny story. You'll want to see it.

And 10 days from now, the 2005 NASCAR season roars away from the starting line. The current Nextel champ hopes to be at the head of the pack. Our own Chad Myers talks with Kurt Busch in 39 minutes.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(STOCK MARKET REPORT)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It's 5:16 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld makes an unannounced post- election visit to Iraq. Rumsfeld visited troops in the northern city of Mosul, telling them it's the Iraqis, not the Americans, who must eventually defeat the insurgency.

Former President Clinton sees better days ahead for the Democrats. Clinton tells party leaders gathered in Washington that Democrats need a clear vision, a plan for the future and better tactics to win back the White House.

In money news, General Motors is recalling some 200,000 vehicles, including the Hummer H2. A total of 17 makes from the 2004-2005 model years are affected by the recall. The majority being recalled for brake system problems.

In culture, actor Corey Feldman says that when he was in his early teens, Michael Jackson showed him naked pictures of men and women. Feldman has been subpoenaed by prosecutors in the Jackson child molestation case.

In sports, Phil Mickelson started off with a bang at the Pebble Beach National ProAm Tournament. "Lefty" carted a record 10 under par on the tour's toughest course. Mickelson was playing in the ProAm with baseball announcer Steve Lions (ph) and investment guru Charles Schwab.

I see you didn't make it this year -- Chad.

MYERS: No, you know, I didn't qualify, Carol. No, my...

COSTELLO: Darn.

MYERS: My 62 over par wasn't quite good enough.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Chad, did you see the rock?

MYERS: The rock? The diamond?

COSTELLO: The Camilla Parker Bowles rock.

MYERS: Yes. It was a -- what do they call that? An heirloom diamond, right?

COSTELLO: It was, indeed, and it was quite beautiful.

MYERS: But whose was it before that?

COSTELLO: I don't know. We'll have to check into that because we have a royal watcher coming up in just a second. I know you're excited by that.

MYERS: Well, of course.

COSTELLO: As you all know, there has been a lot of news out there in the last couple of days, but the story that everyone is really talking about is the announcement that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles are getting married.

(AUDIO GAP)

COSTELLO: ... Dickie Arbiter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICKIE ARBITER: I think they were probably getting a little bit tired of innuendoes and comments in the newspaper and on television about Camilla Parker Bowles being a mistress. I mean no woman likes to open a newspaper and see herself described as a mistress, but that's what she was. And the Prince of Wales is renowned for being a bit of a ditherer and not really making his mind up until really pushed into doing it. And I think his parents said OK, come on, son, make up your mind and do something about this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That was Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to the Queen.

We have a royal watcher with us this morning, Richard Fitzwilliams.

Good morning, Richard.

RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS, ROYAL WATCHER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Well, let's take this story forward.

What are people in Britain saying about this?

FITZWILLIAMS: Well, the first polls show a very mixed reaction. I mean I think that the vast majority of people would not have wished Camilla Parker Bowles to take the title of queen. In fact, in this morning's YouGov poll in the "Daily Telegraph," only 7 percent would have wished that she be queen. So it seemed only sensible for them to have, as it were, invented the title prince's consort when the Prince of Wales ascends to the throne.

This is a throwback to the days of Queen Victoria, where Prince Albert, her husband, was prince consort. And it seems rather a good idea. The reason they were able to do it is that, even if you look back over a thousand years of history, when a king has ascended the throne, his wife has been queen. And we don't have a written constitution, so they didn't have to.

COSTELLO: I understand.

I'm just looking at the newspaper headlines we're showing people now.

The "Daily Express" has, perhaps, I don't know, it's kind of a cruel headline -- "What Would Diana Say?" And, you know, if you think about this...

FITZWILLIAMS: Yes, well, that isn't...

COSTELLO: Go ahead.

FITZWILLIAMS: I don't think that constantly harping on what the Princess of Wales would have thought is a productive way of looking at this now because over the last two years particularly, the Prince of Wales has found himself dogged by constant new books and allegations regarding his former wife, the Princess of Wales. As we know, she died tragically in 1997 in what I believe to be an accident. But the inquest into her death is going on.

But it's been very difficult for the Prince to do anything about all without his past being constantly discussed. The Prince is, for example, one of the most remarkable figures in Britain when it comes to charity work. The Prince's trust, for example, is amazing in that regard.

But the constant speculation has been about the Prince and Camilla, what future has the Prince got. It has been a very difficult time for him.

COSTELLO: Well, I think the problem is, is Diana was such a beloved figure and she was very good at presenting herself in the very best of lights. He's not so adept at that.

FITZWILLIAMS: You're absolutely right. Diana was iconic. She was the most glamorous woman of her era and she was able to reach out, a caring person who was also, in many ways, very fragile. She was both remarkable and manipulative.

But there comes a time when you have to move on. The Prince of Wales, after all, is heir to the British throne. And -- though the Queen may well live as long as her mother, and long may she reign is my feeling, I do think it's very important that the relationship between the Prince of Wales and his non-negotiable partner, as he terms her, Camilla Parker Bowles, who also features in his accounts, be formalized. This had to happen. It's a fact that they've chosen a time which has surprised people. Nonetheless, they wanted to do this in the 1990s and finally they're doing it.

COSTELLO: Richard Fitzwilliams joining us this morning, a royal watcher.

Thank you so much.

We're taking to the runway for New York Fashion Week when we come back. And who better to be our guide than "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's" Carson Kressley? This story is a hoot.

And later, we'll get revved up for NASCAR's newest champion, Kurt Busch. He talks to Chad about the upcoming season. Oh, yes.

You're watching DAYBREAK for Friday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's a sad day here in New York City -- Chad.

MYERS: Why, Carol?

COSTELLO: What?

MYERS: Why is that?

COSTELLO: Why is that, you ask? Why, it's the last day of New York's Fashion Week. Haven't you been glued to the tube?

MYERS: You know -- no.

COSTELLO: You're not interested in next year's fashion, next spring's fashion, so you can buy your wife something nice? After all, she just had that baby.

MYERS: I wouldn't know what size to buy her, because she keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller, Carol.

COSTELLO: That's true.

Anyway, CNN's Alina Cho takes perhaps one of TV's best known fashion stylists to that big event, Fashion Week, none other than Carson Kressley.

Do you know who he is?

MYERS: Sorry, no.

COSTELLO: Come on, Chad.

"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" guy.

MYERS: Yes, I've heard of the show. I haven't seen it, but, yes.

COSTELLO: You're just hopeless, aren't you?

MYERS: It's after my bedtime, Carol.

COSTELLO: Anyway, Carson and Alina give us a unique and, well, sometimes catty take on the Fashion Week madness on and off the catwalks.

Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

CARSON KRESSLEY, QUEER EYE FOR THE STRAIGHT GUY: Come on out, gorgeous.

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you very much.

KRESSLEY: Fashion Week, here we come.

CHO: That's right.

(voice-over): A day at the fashion shows with Carson Kressley...

KRESSLEY: It's a secret entrance.

CHO: ... is a bit like being a rock star. There's the paparazzi, the back stage access and the hobnobbing with the designers. We had more fun talking about the food the models never eat.

KRESSLEY: This is from 2001, Fall 2001 Fashion Week.

CHO: And what you never see on the runway.

KRESSLEY: Been there, worn that. Actually, I didn't. I didn't wear this.

CHO (on camera) You have not.

KRESSLEY: This is look #22.

CHO (voice-over): Soon, we were looking for our seats.

KRESSLEY: I might be under "Paris Hilton." I'm not sure.

CHO (on camera): What do you think?

KRESSLEY: I like that. I like it.

CHO (voice-over): That is, until the lights dimmed.

KRESSLEY: Alina, no, get off me! Get your tongue out of my ear! Stop it!

CHO: On to the next show and Carson's critique of this elaborate coat.

KRESSLEY: There are those earrings I've been looking for.

CHO: Close to show time, we move to our seats.

KRESSLEY: Thank you so much.

CHO: This time, it was less about the collection and more about the models.

(on camera): How long do you think it takes to learn how to walk like that?

KRESSLEY: It takes about three years or 10 margaritas.

CHO (voice-over): Kidding aside, Carson liked the clothes.

KRESSLEY: That's beautiful.

CHO: And we both liked the music.

Later, after we got to know each other a bit better...

KRESSLEY: Will you go to Fashion Week with me?

CHO (on camera): Yes, I will.

(voice-over): We bonded.

KRESSLEY: Wonder twin powers activate in the form of outstanding CNN news piece.

CHO: How about Carson's assessment of a certain CNN anchor?

KRESSLEY: Anderson. He's got fashion in his genes.

CHO: One guy Carson says he doesn't need to help.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Why don't we have photos like Anderson's?

MYERS: Because ours are stodgy, sitting in a chair.

COSTELLO: We'll pose like this. They always make you cross your arms for some reason. I don't understand it.

MYERS: I have ties older than that guy.

COSTELLO: Older than who, Anderson?

MYERS: No, Carson Kressley.

COSTELLO: Oh, I was going to say, Anderson is old. Are you kidding? He just looks young.

Did you like Carson Kressley's shirt?

MYERS: Yes, I did.

COSTELLO: Did you?

MYERS: Sure.

COSTELLO: I'll get you one for Christmas.

MYERS: Sure you will.

COSTELLO: OK.

Time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" right now, if you need one more. Here it is.

Meet the Townsends. They won a contest to have Dunkin' Donuts host their wedding. The nuptials come complete with donuts, coffee and the company's signature orange and pink color scheme. The event was planned by the same guy that did the Michael Douglas-Catherine Zeta Jones affair, if you can believe that.

Do you know what this is? It's a baby okapi. And it's also the newest resident of the Cincinnati Zoo. Here are some fun facts about the okapi. It was the last large mammal to be discovered and is the only one that can clean its ears with its tongue.

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