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CNN Live At Daybreak

Evacuation of Florida Keys; Hunt for Osama Bin Laden; Year-End Car Deals

Aired September 10, 2004 - 06:30   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.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As you know, Saturday is the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which killed more than 3,000 people. In observance, New York will fall silent at 8:46 a.m. Eastern, the moment American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
There will be another moment of silence at 9:03, the time United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the south tower. And there will be a tribute in light at sundown.

A remembrance service will begin at 9:45 a.m. in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to honor those killed aboard United Flight 93.

In Washington, President and Mrs. Bush will attend a service of prayer and remembrance at 7:30 a.m. at the St. John Episcopal Church. And then at 8:46, they'll observe a moment of silence at the White House.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will lay a wreath at the Arlington National Cemetery at 9:30. And at noon, there will be a service at the Washington National Cathedral.

In the meantime, Osama bin Laden, the man the Bush administration blames for the 9/11 attacks, is still on the loose and on the run. But a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll shows 66 percent of Americans believe the United States will eventually capture or kill bin Laden; 31 percent don't think so.

Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent, covered Afghanistan extensively, and he's here to talk more about the search for bin Laden.

So, why can't they catch him?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Why can't they catch him? Because he hasn't given away his location. He's been able -- and we've seen this in the videotape that was released yesterday -- to get material out, but nobody is able to know where he is. Last known at Tora Bora; since then the trail has gone cold.

Perhaps Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (ph), who was detained, arrested earlier in 2003, said he had seen Osama as late as December, 2002. But that trails seems to have gone cold. Nobody really knows.

COSTELLO: And yet his right-hand man is able to make this videotape and get it to Al Jazeera. ROBERTSON: And for what we know, Ayman al-Zawahiri could be living in the same building as Osama bin Laden. They just don't know where he is.

COSTELLO: On that tape, this right-hand man says that the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters control parts of Afghanistan. Is that true?

ROBERTSON: He says that U.S. troops are hiding in their trenches and in their bases. I was there earlier this year. That is not the case. What is true is that the south and east of Afghanistan is perhaps the most dangerous part of Afghanistan for U.S. troops. Senior security officials say Taliban can go around there in numbers in the hundreds without being interfered or interrupted.

But U.S. troops are out there every day patrolling, going to villages, asking questions. So, the picture he's trying to paint is not the reality on the ground.

COSTELLO: The timing of al-Zawahiri releasing this tape, is it significant?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. They try and make a big fanfare around the anniversary of September the 11th. They did it last year. They did it the year before.

Throughout the year, they release audio tapes and statements on the Internet. Last year and the year before, close to September the 11th, they had video releases.

This even goes one step beyond that, because it's an on-camera statement. They haven't been able to do this before. And perhaps that just shows how comfortable they feel with their current situation. They're so comfortable that they can do this. They can flaunt it in the face of, you know, intelligence agencies.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, the weird thing about this is he mentions Sudan and what's happening in the Darfur region there, and connects al Qaeda to that somehow, some way. That's just odd.

ROBERTSON: That is the whole al Qaeda strategy, is their global ideology. This is the package, if you will, that they've been able to sell to their followers around the world; the idea that wherever we're coming, wherever Muslims are coming into conflict with the West, we need to deal with it and we need to attack them. Muslims are suffering. Arabs are suffering. That is the ideology they're selling, and that's why they like to link in whatever they can around the world.

But the real focus here seems to be on Afghanistan and Iraq.

COSTELLO: OK, let's get back to Osama bin Laden. Are troops actively looking for him?

ROBERTSON: Oh, sure they are. I mean, they're going out to villages in Afghanistan where his old associates. Jalideen Hukani (ph), used to be a very old associate of Osama bin Laden and worked with U.S. troops back in the late '80s, gone back U.S. troops believe to working with Osama bin Laden. They go day by day to the villages in his strongholds, asking about him, asking about connections with Osama bin Laden.

It is an ongoing work, but it doesn't seem to be bearing great results. Part of the problem is that many of the attackers against U.S. troops in Afghanistan flee across the border into Pakistan, and this is a great frustration for the U.S. troops in that area.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Harrowing stories of escape are coming out as survivors find the words to tell what they experienced inside that Russian school. Coming up, hear from one of the youngest survivors, a 10-year-old boy.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Wall Street will open mixed this morning. The Dow down 24 points, the Nasdaq up 19, the S&P 500 up 2 points.

In the market for a new car? This time of year you can buy one of the remaining 2004 models or one of the first cars from the 2005 model year.

Rob Gentile of "Consumer Reports" magazine joins us live to help you decide which is the best bet for you.

Good morning.

ROB GENTILE, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Good morning.

COSTELLO: This is so tough. So, do you buy a 2004 model or a 2005 model?

GENTILE: Well, it really depends. Typically this time of the year customers are faced with that choice. Do I, you know, go for the brand-new 2005 model that may or may not have been redesigned, or do I try to save more money by buying last year's leftover model?

Typically, there are pros and cons to doing both. Buying last year's leftover model typically you get a better deal, because automakers are usually incenting (ph) that vehicle more in an effort to clear existing inventory, so they can make room for the new models.

This year, though, we've seen a bit of a twist, because we're seeing that '05 models are actually being incented (ph) pretty heavily the minute they actually are introduced into the marketplace. So, now you have even more of a choice. COSTELLO: Well, so you're saying that you might not see last year's models routinely discounted as normal.

GENTILE: Well, you'll see that. You'll see them being discounted, but what you'll also see is that the '05 model will be introduced and also will be discounted. So, the question really becomes: Is it better to go for that, you know, '05 brand-new model and take maybe a smaller rebate, but take advantage of the fact that it's a brand-new model, or buy last year's leftover?

The issue with buying last year's leftover is that you're faced with that heavy depreciation. The minute you drive it off the lot, it's already lost one year in its value.

COSTELLO: So, if you go for the newer model, I mean, is that a better bet since there is no depreciation right off the bat?

GENTILE: In some cases it is, because the newer model may be offering you more options and features that are standard as opposed to last year's model, where you may end up having to pay more for those features. But the issue with buying, you know, the brand-new 2005 model is that you're taking a bit of a gamble, especially if it's been redesigned in terms of, will that vehicle be reliable over time?

COSTELLO: Yes. And the redesigned may not be as good as the plain, old car was the year previous.

GENTILE: That's true. Only time will tell.

COSTELLO: And then carmakers, they roll out new models all year long, too. So, you don't have to, like, be quick in and buy the first one right off the assembly line.

GENTILE: Right, exactly. You can take some time and weigh it out. What the automakers are doing right now, though, is they're trying to make it extremely lucrative for you to buy immediately. So, they're immediately providing hefty cash rebates or special financing as a way to get you into the showrooms and buy now.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about zero percent financing, because that deal is out there, too.

GENTILE: Sure.

COSTELLO: Is that a good idea if you're buying a new car?

GENTILE: It may be. Zero percent financing is essentially free or no interest rate financing. It's potentially a great way to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The issue, though, with zero percent financing is that you may or may not qualify. Typically what we've seen at "Consumer Reports" is that those zero percent rates are offered to people with pristine credit. Usually you have to -- your credit score has to be in the top tier for you to be eligible.

COSTELLO: Well, and you might not keep the car all that long. So, does it really save you in the end? And might a lease be a better option?

GENTILE: It could be. If you're planning on keeping that vehicle for only, let's say, two or three years and you know you're going to turn it over pretty quickly and you can keep your mileage at a reasonable level, you may be better off leasing.

COSTELLO: OK. So, best advice. If you're going out to shop for a car, what do you tell the car dealer? Because, you know, if people are like me, I just hate to deal with them.

GENTILE: Yes. Buying a car sometimes tends to be very apprehensive, but it really doesn't have to be. And the key really, whether you go for the '05 model or take over a leftover '04, the key really is to do your research up front. You know, do your homework. Find out what that dealer paid for the car, and then use that as your starting point when you're negotiating.

The fact that there's a rebate, whether it be on the '05 or the '04 model, is usually a sign that the dealer is pretty anxious to sell that car. So, even if you ultimately get that rebate, it's important to remember don't forget to negotiate. There still may be more of a profit you can walk away with.

COSTELLO: And shop around, shop around, shop around.

GENTILE: Absolutely. You always want to visit at least two or three dealers before you ultimately set on a price.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Rob Gentile of "Consumer Reports" magazine joining DAYBREAK this morning, thank you.

GENTILE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Let's head live to New York now to check on what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING." Heidi is in for Soledad. Miles is in for Bill.

Good morning, you two.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Look at who the cat dragged in, Carol!

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

COLLINS: Isn't this fantastic? Miles O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: No one is here. It's all substitute teachers.

COLLINS: I love that.

O'BRIEN: OK, class.

COLLINS: Good morning to you, Carol. I want to let you know a little bit about what we're going to have on "AMERICAN MORNING." Of course, Hurricane Ivan, Jamaica is now in its path. Will Florida get hit as well? We're going to be talking with authorities both in Jamaica and the Sunshine State. The third hurricane now in the past two months. People are really (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: A very serious storm, 2.7 million people in Jamaica alone.

A new al Qaeda tape to tell you about, a message from bin Laden's lieutenant. The question is: Where is bin Laden himself, of course? We'll talk to one of our terrorism analysts, Peter Bergen.

COLLINS: All right. Also, a campaign update for you. Again, looking at President Bush's National Guard records, but now some reports say that those latest documents that were aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" might be fake. We're going to be talking about that with our "Gimme a Minute" panel. We'll look at that and a whole lot more right here on "AMERICAN MORNING."

O'BRIEN: The plot just thickens on that one, doesn't it?

COLLINS: It does indeed.

O'BRIEN: all right.

COLLINS: Carol -- back to you. Have a great rest of the day.

COSTELLO: You, too. Thank you.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Indonesian police say at least one suicide car bomber is responsible for that deadly blast in Jakarta. It killed 9 people and wounded more than 180 near the Australian embassy. A local terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda is being blamed.

A gun control group is using the image of Osama bin Laden to pressure the president and the Republican-controlled Congress to extend a ban on assault weapons. The 10-year-old ban is due to expire on Monday. In newspaper ads running today, the group depicts bin Laden holding a rifle with a banner that reads, "Terrorism 9/11 can hardly wait for 9/13."

In money news, mortgage rates crept up slightly this week, but are still well below 6 percent. The average 30-year mortgage rate is now at 5.83 percent.

In culture, Arnold Schwarzenegger's recently "girlie man" references may be coming back to haunt him. A Democratic lobbyist is planning to market a Schwarzenegger bobble head doll with the California governor wearing a pink dress and high heels. Very attractive.

In sports, the NFL started its season the same way it ended the last one, with a win by the New England Patriots. Yes, they continue their streak. They held on for a 27-24 victory after the Indianapolis Colts missed a last-minute field goal that would have tied the game.

(WEATHER BREAK) COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

With the Russian school siege fresh in their minds, U.S. federal agents are thinking about the unthinkable. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says they're reviewing their responses to possible hostage situations and how to avert a disaster like the one in Russia.

Reporter Bill Neely talked with one survivor of that massacre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL NEELY, ITV REPORTER (voice over): Georgy Farniyev knows he's lucky to be alive, one of the very few who escape the carnage in his school gym, a horror to which his mind often returns.

This is Georgy a week ago, sitting at the feet of a terrorist, bombs directly above him, the trigger of a bomb in front of him, the masked gunman showing what might kill him, as Georgy cowers in terror.

"The gunmen were scary," he told me. 'I kept very quiet and kept my hands up like this, or this."

He told me he saw adults being killed on the first day. Terrorists threatened to kill him. Then the gym exploded.

"Some people were torn to pieces. I was OK, but then a grenade blew up, and I was hit in the leg."

From here, he limped away and hid in a bookcase.

"I still don't understand," he says, "how I'm alive."

His mother doesn't either. Convinced he was dead, she searched the body bags in the morgue.

"Horrible isn't the word for it," she says.

Remarkably, Georgy's 7-year-old cousin lived through the massacre, too. And today, they were flown out of Beslan for more treatment with 20 other young survivors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm 12.

NEELY (on camera): You're 12. And how are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.

NEELY: Fine.

(voice over): Alla (ph) is punctured with shrapnel.

Ten-year-old Sarah (ph) was burned in the gym. She's having terrible nightmares.

Fidara (ph) is 4 and won't go anywhere now without the toy gun on his pillow. Some were able to walk onto the plane, just; most others, looking very vulnerable, were stretchered on.

(on camera): The hospitals around Beslan simply can't cope with the numbers of injured and the treatment they need. So, these children are going on a plane for the first time in their lives, a journey they'd gladly swap for life as it was eight days ago.

(voice over): They've been hostages, then targets; now once again they were just frightened.

The survivors of a mass murder, Georgy happy to be leaving Beslan behind.

But what of the others in the terrorist video who sat with Georgy in the gym? Seema Alikova (ph) stares at the camera. Beside her, 12- year-old Veera Gorava (ph) clasps her hands. Seema (ph) was one of the first to be buried alongside her daughter. Veera (ph) died with her 14-year-old brother.

All the women and girls in this image are dead, too, which makes Georgy Farniyev's survival all the more remarkable.

Bill Neely, ITV News, Beslan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Joey has a set of his own. The Donald has a new group of apprentices. And at the movies this weekend, you can choose between 19th century social climbing and 21st century nudity.

Tom O'Neil of "In-Touch Weekly" is here to analyze it all.

Welcome.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": Thank you, Carol. Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning. Let's start with "Joey," the new sitcom on NBC. It aired for the first time at 8:00 Eastern last night. And what did you think?

O'NEIL: I think it's surprising a lot of us early naysayers. And you know what's actually working about this show is I think the creators wisely looked to the spin-off show that was most successful in recent years, "Frasier" spinning off from "Friends." And that is an example of sibling rivalry between brothers.

And here, what makes this work is Joey and his sister.

COSTELLO: Really?

O'NEIL: Did you see it last night, Carol?

COSTELLO: I just saw the tail end of fit. I'm just having trouble believe that this woman has a 21-year-old son.

O'NEIL: I know. That's really -- excuse me, I'm coughing. I'm all choked up. That's really crazy, yes, especially when you think that not too long ago Joey -- Matt LeBlanc here -- was playing a 20- something on "Friends," and suddenly now he's got a 20-something-year- old nephew? Wait a minute.


Aired September 10, 2004 - 06:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: As you know, Saturday is the third anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which killed more than 3,000 people. In observance, New York will fall silent at 8:46 a.m. Eastern, the moment American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.
There will be another moment of silence at 9:03, the time United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the south tower. And there will be a tribute in light at sundown.

A remembrance service will begin at 9:45 a.m. in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to honor those killed aboard United Flight 93.

In Washington, President and Mrs. Bush will attend a service of prayer and remembrance at 7:30 a.m. at the St. John Episcopal Church. And then at 8:46, they'll observe a moment of silence at the White House.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will lay a wreath at the Arlington National Cemetery at 9:30. And at noon, there will be a service at the Washington National Cathedral.

In the meantime, Osama bin Laden, the man the Bush administration blames for the 9/11 attacks, is still on the loose and on the run. But a new CNN/"USA Today"/Gallup Poll shows 66 percent of Americans believe the United States will eventually capture or kill bin Laden; 31 percent don't think so.

Nic Robertson, our senior international correspondent, covered Afghanistan extensively, and he's here to talk more about the search for bin Laden.

So, why can't they catch him?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Why can't they catch him? Because he hasn't given away his location. He's been able -- and we've seen this in the videotape that was released yesterday -- to get material out, but nobody is able to know where he is. Last known at Tora Bora; since then the trail has gone cold.

Perhaps Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (ph), who was detained, arrested earlier in 2003, said he had seen Osama as late as December, 2002. But that trails seems to have gone cold. Nobody really knows.

COSTELLO: And yet his right-hand man is able to make this videotape and get it to Al Jazeera. ROBERTSON: And for what we know, Ayman al-Zawahiri could be living in the same building as Osama bin Laden. They just don't know where he is.

COSTELLO: On that tape, this right-hand man says that the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters control parts of Afghanistan. Is that true?

ROBERTSON: He says that U.S. troops are hiding in their trenches and in their bases. I was there earlier this year. That is not the case. What is true is that the south and east of Afghanistan is perhaps the most dangerous part of Afghanistan for U.S. troops. Senior security officials say Taliban can go around there in numbers in the hundreds without being interfered or interrupted.

But U.S. troops are out there every day patrolling, going to villages, asking questions. So, the picture he's trying to paint is not the reality on the ground.

COSTELLO: The timing of al-Zawahiri releasing this tape, is it significant?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. They try and make a big fanfare around the anniversary of September the 11th. They did it last year. They did it the year before.

Throughout the year, they release audio tapes and statements on the Internet. Last year and the year before, close to September the 11th, they had video releases.

This even goes one step beyond that, because it's an on-camera statement. They haven't been able to do this before. And perhaps that just shows how comfortable they feel with their current situation. They're so comfortable that they can do this. They can flaunt it in the face of, you know, intelligence agencies.

COSTELLO: Well, you know, the weird thing about this is he mentions Sudan and what's happening in the Darfur region there, and connects al Qaeda to that somehow, some way. That's just odd.

ROBERTSON: That is the whole al Qaeda strategy, is their global ideology. This is the package, if you will, that they've been able to sell to their followers around the world; the idea that wherever we're coming, wherever Muslims are coming into conflict with the West, we need to deal with it and we need to attack them. Muslims are suffering. Arabs are suffering. That is the ideology they're selling, and that's why they like to link in whatever they can around the world.

But the real focus here seems to be on Afghanistan and Iraq.

COSTELLO: OK, let's get back to Osama bin Laden. Are troops actively looking for him?

ROBERTSON: Oh, sure they are. I mean, they're going out to villages in Afghanistan where his old associates. Jalideen Hukani (ph), used to be a very old associate of Osama bin Laden and worked with U.S. troops back in the late '80s, gone back U.S. troops believe to working with Osama bin Laden. They go day by day to the villages in his strongholds, asking about him, asking about connections with Osama bin Laden.

It is an ongoing work, but it doesn't seem to be bearing great results. Part of the problem is that many of the attackers against U.S. troops in Afghanistan flee across the border into Pakistan, and this is a great frustration for the U.S. troops in that area.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, thank you for joining DAYBREAK this morning. We appreciate it.

ROBERTSON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Harrowing stories of escape are coming out as survivors find the words to tell what they experienced inside that Russian school. Coming up, hear from one of the youngest survivors, a 10-year-old boy.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Wall Street will open mixed this morning. The Dow down 24 points, the Nasdaq up 19, the S&P 500 up 2 points.

In the market for a new car? This time of year you can buy one of the remaining 2004 models or one of the first cars from the 2005 model year.

Rob Gentile of "Consumer Reports" magazine joins us live to help you decide which is the best bet for you.

Good morning.

ROB GENTILE, "CONSUMER REPORTS": Good morning.

COSTELLO: This is so tough. So, do you buy a 2004 model or a 2005 model?

GENTILE: Well, it really depends. Typically this time of the year customers are faced with that choice. Do I, you know, go for the brand-new 2005 model that may or may not have been redesigned, or do I try to save more money by buying last year's leftover model?

Typically, there are pros and cons to doing both. Buying last year's leftover model typically you get a better deal, because automakers are usually incenting (ph) that vehicle more in an effort to clear existing inventory, so they can make room for the new models.

This year, though, we've seen a bit of a twist, because we're seeing that '05 models are actually being incented (ph) pretty heavily the minute they actually are introduced into the marketplace. So, now you have even more of a choice. COSTELLO: Well, so you're saying that you might not see last year's models routinely discounted as normal.

GENTILE: Well, you'll see that. You'll see them being discounted, but what you'll also see is that the '05 model will be introduced and also will be discounted. So, the question really becomes: Is it better to go for that, you know, '05 brand-new model and take maybe a smaller rebate, but take advantage of the fact that it's a brand-new model, or buy last year's leftover?

The issue with buying last year's leftover is that you're faced with that heavy depreciation. The minute you drive it off the lot, it's already lost one year in its value.

COSTELLO: So, if you go for the newer model, I mean, is that a better bet since there is no depreciation right off the bat?

GENTILE: In some cases it is, because the newer model may be offering you more options and features that are standard as opposed to last year's model, where you may end up having to pay more for those features. But the issue with buying, you know, the brand-new 2005 model is that you're taking a bit of a gamble, especially if it's been redesigned in terms of, will that vehicle be reliable over time?

COSTELLO: Yes. And the redesigned may not be as good as the plain, old car was the year previous.

GENTILE: That's true. Only time will tell.

COSTELLO: And then carmakers, they roll out new models all year long, too. So, you don't have to, like, be quick in and buy the first one right off the assembly line.

GENTILE: Right, exactly. You can take some time and weigh it out. What the automakers are doing right now, though, is they're trying to make it extremely lucrative for you to buy immediately. So, they're immediately providing hefty cash rebates or special financing as a way to get you into the showrooms and buy now.

COSTELLO: Well, let's talk about zero percent financing, because that deal is out there, too.

GENTILE: Sure.

COSTELLO: Is that a good idea if you're buying a new car?

GENTILE: It may be. Zero percent financing is essentially free or no interest rate financing. It's potentially a great way to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The issue, though, with zero percent financing is that you may or may not qualify. Typically what we've seen at "Consumer Reports" is that those zero percent rates are offered to people with pristine credit. Usually you have to -- your credit score has to be in the top tier for you to be eligible.

COSTELLO: Well, and you might not keep the car all that long. So, does it really save you in the end? And might a lease be a better option?

GENTILE: It could be. If you're planning on keeping that vehicle for only, let's say, two or three years and you know you're going to turn it over pretty quickly and you can keep your mileage at a reasonable level, you may be better off leasing.

COSTELLO: OK. So, best advice. If you're going out to shop for a car, what do you tell the car dealer? Because, you know, if people are like me, I just hate to deal with them.

GENTILE: Yes. Buying a car sometimes tends to be very apprehensive, but it really doesn't have to be. And the key really, whether you go for the '05 model or take over a leftover '04, the key really is to do your research up front. You know, do your homework. Find out what that dealer paid for the car, and then use that as your starting point when you're negotiating.

The fact that there's a rebate, whether it be on the '05 or the '04 model, is usually a sign that the dealer is pretty anxious to sell that car. So, even if you ultimately get that rebate, it's important to remember don't forget to negotiate. There still may be more of a profit you can walk away with.

COSTELLO: And shop around, shop around, shop around.

GENTILE: Absolutely. You always want to visit at least two or three dealers before you ultimately set on a price.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Rob Gentile of "Consumer Reports" magazine joining DAYBREAK this morning, thank you.

GENTILE: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Let's head live to New York now to check on what's coming up on "AMERICAN MORNING." Heidi is in for Soledad. Miles is in for Bill.

Good morning, you two.

HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Look at who the cat dragged in, Carol!

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

COLLINS: Isn't this fantastic? Miles O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: No one is here. It's all substitute teachers.

COLLINS: I love that.

O'BRIEN: OK, class.

COLLINS: Good morning to you, Carol. I want to let you know a little bit about what we're going to have on "AMERICAN MORNING." Of course, Hurricane Ivan, Jamaica is now in its path. Will Florida get hit as well? We're going to be talking with authorities both in Jamaica and the Sunshine State. The third hurricane now in the past two months. People are really (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

O'BRIEN: A very serious storm, 2.7 million people in Jamaica alone.

A new al Qaeda tape to tell you about, a message from bin Laden's lieutenant. The question is: Where is bin Laden himself, of course? We'll talk to one of our terrorism analysts, Peter Bergen.

COLLINS: All right. Also, a campaign update for you. Again, looking at President Bush's National Guard records, but now some reports say that those latest documents that were aired on CBS' "60 Minutes" might be fake. We're going to be talking about that with our "Gimme a Minute" panel. We'll look at that and a whole lot more right here on "AMERICAN MORNING."

O'BRIEN: The plot just thickens on that one, doesn't it?

COLLINS: It does indeed.

O'BRIEN: all right.

COLLINS: Carol -- back to you. Have a great rest of the day.

COSTELLO: You, too. Thank you.

Your news, money, weather and sports. It is 6:44 Eastern. Here's what's all new this morning.

Indonesian police say at least one suicide car bomber is responsible for that deadly blast in Jakarta. It killed 9 people and wounded more than 180 near the Australian embassy. A local terrorist group with ties to al Qaeda is being blamed.

A gun control group is using the image of Osama bin Laden to pressure the president and the Republican-controlled Congress to extend a ban on assault weapons. The 10-year-old ban is due to expire on Monday. In newspaper ads running today, the group depicts bin Laden holding a rifle with a banner that reads, "Terrorism 9/11 can hardly wait for 9/13."

In money news, mortgage rates crept up slightly this week, but are still well below 6 percent. The average 30-year mortgage rate is now at 5.83 percent.

In culture, Arnold Schwarzenegger's recently "girlie man" references may be coming back to haunt him. A Democratic lobbyist is planning to market a Schwarzenegger bobble head doll with the California governor wearing a pink dress and high heels. Very attractive.

In sports, the NFL started its season the same way it ended the last one, with a win by the New England Patriots. Yes, they continue their streak. They held on for a 27-24 victory after the Indianapolis Colts missed a last-minute field goal that would have tied the game.

(WEATHER BREAK) COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

With the Russian school siege fresh in their minds, U.S. federal agents are thinking about the unthinkable. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge says they're reviewing their responses to possible hostage situations and how to avert a disaster like the one in Russia.

Reporter Bill Neely talked with one survivor of that massacre.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL NEELY, ITV REPORTER (voice over): Georgy Farniyev knows he's lucky to be alive, one of the very few who escape the carnage in his school gym, a horror to which his mind often returns.

This is Georgy a week ago, sitting at the feet of a terrorist, bombs directly above him, the trigger of a bomb in front of him, the masked gunman showing what might kill him, as Georgy cowers in terror.

"The gunmen were scary," he told me. 'I kept very quiet and kept my hands up like this, or this."

He told me he saw adults being killed on the first day. Terrorists threatened to kill him. Then the gym exploded.

"Some people were torn to pieces. I was OK, but then a grenade blew up, and I was hit in the leg."

From here, he limped away and hid in a bookcase.

"I still don't understand," he says, "how I'm alive."

His mother doesn't either. Convinced he was dead, she searched the body bags in the morgue.

"Horrible isn't the word for it," she says.

Remarkably, Georgy's 7-year-old cousin lived through the massacre, too. And today, they were flown out of Beslan for more treatment with 20 other young survivors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm 12.

NEELY (on camera): You're 12. And how are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm fine.

NEELY: Fine.

(voice over): Alla (ph) is punctured with shrapnel.

Ten-year-old Sarah (ph) was burned in the gym. She's having terrible nightmares.

Fidara (ph) is 4 and won't go anywhere now without the toy gun on his pillow. Some were able to walk onto the plane, just; most others, looking very vulnerable, were stretchered on.

(on camera): The hospitals around Beslan simply can't cope with the numbers of injured and the treatment they need. So, these children are going on a plane for the first time in their lives, a journey they'd gladly swap for life as it was eight days ago.

(voice over): They've been hostages, then targets; now once again they were just frightened.

The survivors of a mass murder, Georgy happy to be leaving Beslan behind.

But what of the others in the terrorist video who sat with Georgy in the gym? Seema Alikova (ph) stares at the camera. Beside her, 12- year-old Veera Gorava (ph) clasps her hands. Seema (ph) was one of the first to be buried alongside her daughter. Veera (ph) died with her 14-year-old brother.

All the women and girls in this image are dead, too, which makes Georgy Farniyev's survival all the more remarkable.

Bill Neely, ITV News, Beslan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Joey has a set of his own. The Donald has a new group of apprentices. And at the movies this weekend, you can choose between 19th century social climbing and 21st century nudity.

Tom O'Neil of "In-Touch Weekly" is here to analyze it all.

Welcome.

TOM O'NEIL, EDITOR, "IN-TOUCH WEEKLY": Thank you, Carol. Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning. Let's start with "Joey," the new sitcom on NBC. It aired for the first time at 8:00 Eastern last night. And what did you think?

O'NEIL: I think it's surprising a lot of us early naysayers. And you know what's actually working about this show is I think the creators wisely looked to the spin-off show that was most successful in recent years, "Frasier" spinning off from "Friends." And that is an example of sibling rivalry between brothers.

And here, what makes this work is Joey and his sister.

COSTELLO: Really?

O'NEIL: Did you see it last night, Carol?

COSTELLO: I just saw the tail end of fit. I'm just having trouble believe that this woman has a 21-year-old son.

O'NEIL: I know. That's really -- excuse me, I'm coughing. I'm all choked up. That's really crazy, yes, especially when you think that not too long ago Joey -- Matt LeBlanc here -- was playing a 20- something on "Friends," and suddenly now he's got a 20-something-year- old nephew? Wait a minute.