Security High for Inauguration; Zhao Ziyang Dead at 85
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, keeping watch. Washington prepares for Thursday's presidential inauguration. We'll tell you about some of the security steps being taken. Plus, a tiny chip with an incredible reach. DAYBREAK contributor Alessio Vinci has some revealing information about what's up with the RFID technology. And Leo in the limelight and all the rest. We've got your Golden Globes rundown. It is Monday, January 17. 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, fresh violence in Iraq this morning insurgents kill seven Iraqi soldiers and a civilian at a checkpoint near Ba'qubah. And at another checkpoint near Tikrit, a suicide car bombing killed at least five Iraqi police officers. One time Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang is dead. Zhao was ousted in 1989 after he opposed using the military to crack down on pro- democracy crowds in Tiananmen Square. Zhao was 85. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says Israeli forces will not be restricted in conducting anti-terror operations. That comes after the Palestine Liberation Organization's executive committee called for an end to attacks on Israelis. And the Golden Globe for best dramatic film goes to "The Aviator." Leonardo DiCaprio, who portrayed Howard Hughes in the movie, won best actor. "Sideways" was named best musical or comedy. We'll have a lot more on the awards in 15 minutes. And I'm sure, Chad, you were glued to your set last night.</s>CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Right. All of our, you know, we had all these contributors making their guesses last week. Is that what they guessed?</s>COSTELLO: No.</s>MYERS: No. Oops. Good morning, Carol. Happy Monday!</s>COSTELLO: Yes, happy Martin Luther King Day.</s>MYERS: Well, exactly. A lot of folks have the day off, we hope. So be careful out there, if you're out and about. Watch out for the kids. They may be out and about in places that you're not expecting.</s>COSTELLO: We start today with our "Security Watch." And all eyes will be on the inauguration this week. Security teams are already on high alert and that's just for the rehearsal stage. CNN's Brian Todd has more on the security, the preparations, from Washington.</s>BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On the streets, in the air, on the water -- many who travel in and around the nation's capital this week will be watched.</s>TOM RIDGE, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Our goal is that any attempt in the part of anyone or any group to disrupt the inaugural will be repelled by multiple layers of security.</s>TODD: Layers including some 6,000 officers from dozens of law enforcement agencies. Huge sections of the city will be shut down to traffic, air space severely restricted for private aircraft. But commercial planes will be able to take off and land normally, even during the swearing-in. Limousines will be watched closely, since a recent federal threat assessment said al Qaeda has previously looked at using them as mobile bombs. From bomb-sniffing dogs to heavily armed Coast Guard boats speeding along the Potomac and mobile stations with tracking capability, nothing is left to chance for this first post-9/11 inauguration. But officials say they still need the public's help.</s>CHIEF POLLY HANSON, D.C. METRO TRANSIT POLICE: I don't think I'm saying we're going to do it all ourselves, it's our responsibility and you just go ahead and read a book and fall asleep. You've got to be engaged with us. You've got to be paying attention, because that's the only way we're going to work together to try to prevent or mitigate.</s>TODD: To that end, Secret Service officials tell CNN they went to every hotel and business along the parade route, laid out security parameters with managers and made sure they briefed customers.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is the most extensive ticket redesign in inaugural history.</s>TODD: Sunday's rehearsals for the inaugural parade every bit as meticulous. (on camera): Why did thousands of military personnel wake up at 3:00 a.m. and deploy at 4:00 a.m. to come down here and practice for much of the day? Because precision is key. Officials in charge of the parade tell us that along with the military, thousands of civilians will be taking part, and their movements have to be coordinated down to the minute and the step. (voice-over): Officials say they timed the steps of military and civilian marchers to calculate how long it takes them to travel a certain distance. Protesters are also micromanaged. This year, for the first time, a group of anti-war demonstrators will have their own officially sanctioned bleacher section along the parade route. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.</s>COSTELLO: And be sure to stay with CNN day and night for the most reliable news about your security. There are accusations today that the Bush administration is preparing for possible air strikes on Iran's nuclear program. A White House spokesman says the report by investigative journalist Seymour Hersh is riddled with inaccuracies, though. Hersh, writing in the "New Yorker" magazine, says the administration has been carrying out secret reconnaissance missions. He adds a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could come as early as this summer. Hersh spoke to Wolf Blitzer.</s>SEYMOUR HERSH, "NEW YORKER" MAGAZINE: The planning for Iran is going ahead even though Iraq is a mess and may still be a mess. That's separate and that's very interesting. I think they really think there's a chance to do something in Iran, perhaps by summer, to get the intelligence on the sites. The last thing this government wants to do is to bomb or strafe or missile attack the wrong targets again. We don't want another WMD flap. We want to be sure we have the right information.</s>COSTELLO: Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. The Chinese government is pretty much mum on the death of the former Communist Party leader. Zhao's death comes almost 16 years after he advocated dialogue over force for the pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square. Our Mike Chinoy has more on Zhao's legacy.</s>MIKE CHINOY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Zhao Ziyang helped to pioneer economic reform in China. During the Tiananmen Square democracy protests of 1989, his support for political reform led to his downfall. Born in 1919, Zhao joined Mao Zedong's communists as a teenager. After the 1949 revolution, he rose through the party ranks. While committed to Communist Party rule, Zhao was convinced that political liberalization must go hand in hand with economic reform. But the rapid social and economic changes of the 1980s produced growing tensions in Chinese society, tensions that, in 1989, boiled over in Tiananmen Square. Hundreds of thousands marched to demand an end to corruption and a more open political system. Zhao Ziyang sympathized with the protesting students and urged dialogue. But Teng Hsiao-Ping and other senior officials saw a threat to party control. For weeks, as students occupied Tiananmen Square, a tense, behind-the-scenes political battle played out at the highest levels of the Chinese leadership. By mid-May, the hard-liners had gained the upper hand. With a military crackdown imminent, Zhao Ziyang made a predawn visit to the square. Tears in his eyes, he told the students, "I have come too late." It was his last public appearance. Soon after, the army rolled into Tiananmen Square and crushed the protests. Zhao Ziyang was stripped of his posts and put under house arrest. His aide, Bao Tong, was jailed for seven years. BAO TONG</s>CHINOY: Zhao Ziyang remained under guard, in seclusion for the rest of his life. In 1998, he called on the Communist Party to reassess the Tiananmen Square crackdown. His appeal was ignored. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.</s>COSTELLO: Back in this country, Social Security reform may be the centerpiece of President Bush's domestic agenda for his second term and already a battle is brewing with Democrats. Some Democrats accuse the president of manufacturing a crisis. The president says the system will be bankrupt by the time future generations need it unless major changes are made now. In an ABC interview, the Senate's new Democratic leader says the retirement fund is safe for decades.</s>SEN. HARRY REID (D), NEVADA: We have no crisis. For the next 50 years, people on Social Security, if we do nothing, will draw 100 percent of their benefits. Even after the 50 years, if we decide to do nothing Congressionally, they can still draw 80 percent of their benefits. That's not a crisis. We're willing to work with the president to take care of the out years, that 20 percent that we need to take care of 50 years from now. But we're not going to be part of a scheme to destroy the most successful social program in the history of the world, Social Security.</s>COSTELLO: President Bush wants to let you divert part of your Social Security payroll taxes into private investment accounts. Still to come on DAYBREAK this hour, it's the kind of technology you might use every day. But will it be used on you? Or should I say in you one day? We'll find out. Plus, glitz, glamour and big bucks -- no, it's not Hollywood, it's Washington, and it's gearing up for one big bash. And speaking of Hollywood, it was a night to shine for the biggest stars. We'll show you who was golden. But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Monday morning, January 17.