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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Shocking Videotape; Profiling Condoleezza Rice
Aired November 17, 2004 - 05:00 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: A shocking videotape. The woman who led the effort to fight poverty in Iraq apparently murdered by her captors.
Plus, do you stare at a computer screen all day, fight to keep things in focus? We'll tell you why bleary eyes might not be your only problem.
And the Virgin Mary, a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich and eBay, can it get any weirder than this?
It is Wednesday, November 17.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
There is a lot going on this morning.
Let's check the headlines for you right now.
A portion of the highway from Baghdad to its airport is sealed off at this hour. A suicide car bomber drove his vehicle into a civilian convoy, setting at least one car on fire. No word yet on casualties.
At the Texas-Oklahoma state line overnight, a 25-vehicle pileup forced the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 near Gainesville to be closed. Three people were taken to area hospitals and we've just gotten word this morning that traffic is moving again.
The first hearing in the Kobe Bryant civil suit scheduled for today. Attorneys for both sides may discuss settlement talks or the possibility of moving the trial to California. Neither Bryant nor his accuser are expected to be in court for that hearing.
It is time again for the annual Leonid meteor shower. It's caused by debris from the Temple Tuttle Comet hitting the Earth's atmosphere. So for the next few nights, you should be able to see a lot of shooting stars.
To our own shooting star now -- Chad. CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Which way am I shooting it, down? Actually, a couple of the guys here actually saw some of the shooting stars driving to work this morning.
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: They were that bright. So, yes, so maybe if you want to get out there before the sun rises, you can actually see it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Family members of a kidnapped international aid worker in Iraq say their hearts are broken. A video has surfaced that apparently shows the murder of Margaret Hassan, who was head of CARE International in Iraq.
Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad with details for us -- Karl, is it definitely confirmed that she's been killed?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've not seen that video, Carol. Al Jazeera, who received a copy of the video, we understand, has not broadcast it. But they say that they received that video possibly about six days ago now. But it has, we understand, been analyzed by the British Foreign Office. Now, the British Foreign Office says they believe that that videotape is genuine, but they say that they're not 100 percent certain.
What apparently the videotape shows is a blindfolded woman dressed in an orange jumpsuit and then somebody from behind puts a bullet into the back of her head. We don't know as yet what group that may have been. As you'll remember, it's been a month since Margaret Hassan has been kidnapped. There has been no claim of responsibility by any specific group, although we have seen a couple of videos out before of her pleading for her life and calling for the withdrawal of British troops.
But certainly Margaret Hassan's husband believes that the tape is genuine and believes that his wife Margaret, who lived in Iraq for more than 30 years, is now dead.
This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAHSEEN HASSAN, HUSBAND OF MARGARET HASSAN: I have been told that there is a video of Margaret which appears to show her murdered. The video may be genuine, but I do not know. I beg those people who took Margaret to tell me what they have done with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: This is one of the most absurd kidnappings of international personnel here in Iraq. Margaret Hassan was fervently anti-war. She was anti-sanctions and even the al-Zarqawi terrorist network, whom these kidnappers have threatened to hand over Margaret Hassan to them, rejected the kidnapping and called for her to be released.
It's still unclear, as I say, who may have kidnapped her, who may have killed her -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
We want to get right to Jane Arraf.
More gunfire and explosions overnight in Falluja. Even as the U.S.-led military offensive is winding down, pockets of insurgents do remain.
As I said, we have Jane Arraf on the line.
She's embedded with a unit of the Army's 1st Infantry Division -- good morning, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We're with soldiers going street by street, building by building in an industrial section in the southeast of Falluja. And they are knocking down doors (AUDIO GAP). We are talking hundreds of doors so far since they started out earlier this morning.
Now, they need to do that because they say they need to find weapons (AUDIO GAP)...
COSTELLO: Oh, we've lost our connection with Jane. As you heard her say, they're still fighting pockets of insurgents in Falluja. A lot of the fighting, though, is taking place in Mosul, a city nearby. We'll have much more on that later.
We'll take you to the war room, as well, in the next half hour of DAYBREAK when our senior international editor David Clinch will join us from London. We'll talk about the global reaction to the apparent killing of that CARE International Director Margaret Hassan in Iraq and the safety concerns for other civilians.
Also on tap, the British public response to that killing.
Will there be another high profile departure from the Bush cabinet? Senior administration sources tell CNN there will be. They say Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge plans to leave his post. But there has been no official confirmation as of yet. In July, there were reports Ridge was thinking about stepping down after the November election, partly because of job stress.
We do know for sure that Education Secretary Rod Paige is resigning and President Bush could formally nominate a replacement as early as today, and that's who you're looking at. A senior administration source tells CNN that Bush will tape Margaret Spellings to be the next education secretary. She's been serving as the president's domestic policy adviser. President Bush also urging the Senate to quickly confirm Condoleezza Rice. She's the president's choice to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state.
Here's what she had to say right after her nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: If I am confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working with the great people of the Foreign Service and the Civil Service. And one of my highest priorities as secretary will be to ensure that they have all the tools necessary to carry American diplomacy forward in the 21st century.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Rice would be the first African-American woman and only the second woman to lead the State Department. Over the past four years, she's become one of President Bush's closest advisers.
CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash takes a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A recurring snapshot of the last four years -- President Bush with Condoleezza Rice at his side. A Soviet specialist and academic turned foreign policy tutor to a Texas governor, now the guiding force of a president's controversial "with us or against us" approach to a post-9/11 world.
Not just a policy wonk, but also a concert pianist and ardent sports fan, known to exercise and watch games with the president during frequent visits to Camp David and the Bush ranch. The president knows he can't give her the job she really wants.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She would really like to be the commissioner of the National Football League.
BASH (on camera): The national security adviser's chief role is to promote and coordinate the president's foreign policy. And Rice's tenure has not been without controversy.
(voice-over): Making the case for the Iraq war, she was among the most eager to warn of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction that never materialized.
RICE: But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.
BASH: It was her staff that let the president make this State of the Union claim.
BUSH: The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
BASH: Rice later conceded it was a mistake based on shaky intelligence. Another criticism? She's a poor manager who did not take seriously al Qaeda's threat before September 11.
RICHARD BEN-VENISTES, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?
RICE: I believe the title was "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States."
BASH: But here's what the president calls her.
BUSH: Her job is also to deal inter-agency and to help unstick things that may get stuck. That's the best way to put it. She's an unsticker.
BASH: And while many say her diplomatic skills are untested, Rice's personal story is clearly a driving force for her goals.
RICE: When America's founding fathers said we the people, they didn't mean me.
BASH: Unequivocal that her foreign policy is not just about fighting wars, but promoting democracy for those denied the same rights blacks once were in America.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: All right, now it is your turn to weigh in. Our e- mail Question of the Morning -- Condoleezza Rice, is she the best choice for secretary of state to replace Colin Powell? We want to know your thoughts this morning. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
There are new claims this morning that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons. An Iranian opposition group is releasing satellite photos. They allegedly show a secret nuclear weapons research facility in Tehran. Take a look at these pictures. A satellite picture of the site taken in August 2003 shows various buildings. You can see them there. But in a picture taken about seven months later, the buildings are gone.
The group says the whole nuclear facility was moved to a new site to evade U.N. inspectors. These images have not been independently confirmed. We want you to know that.
But a Washington business consultant with ties to that opposition group says Iran is lying to the U.N. nuclear agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI SAFAYI, BUSINESS CONSULTANT: It demonstrates, I think, before anything else, that despite its claims, its claims of cooperation with the IAEA, the Iranian regime is continuing its clandestine nuclear weapons program in defiance of its international obligations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, we do want you to know the opposition group is holding a news conference this hour in Paris. It's going on right now. We'll have a live report for you at the half hour and we should know much more after that news conference happens.
Here's what else we've got coming up this hour.
The U.S. says it's liberating Falluja, but does the Arab world feel the same? We'll find out at 18 minutes past.
And later, NBA star Kobe Bryant isn't out of court yet. We'll have details at 43 minutes after.
But first, eBay's opposition to a grilled cheese sandwich is melting. We'll tell you what makes this sandwich so very special at 24 minutes past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning, November 17.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:14 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Iran may be hiding a secret nuclear plant. An Iranian opposition group says work is being done at a secret military site in Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it is investigating that claim.
One Iraqi child was killed when insurgents opened fire on the main police station in Ba'qubah. Two other civilians were injured in that attack. Police traded fire with the insurgents for an hour.
In money news, the price of oil keeps going down. Overnight trading dropped the price by $0.76 a barrel, to $46.11.
And an Energy Department report to be released today is expected to report that U.S. oil supplies are up.
In culture, Mickey Mouse will be front and center at this year's Rose Parade. Mickey is the choice for grand marshal for the 116th incarnation of the famous parade. Mickey also was a co-grand marshal back in 1966, along with Walt Disney, his father, or creator, I should say.
In sports, Evander Holyfield's career may finally be over. The New York State Athletic Commission says they suspended the 42-year-old fighter to save him from himself. Holyfield was soundly beaten in a fight on Saturday night. Other state boxing commissions usually honor any suspensions. But Holyfield says he will contest it.
I hope he doesn't, though -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
Yes, he didn't do anything wrong. He just, he really didn't fight well and the referee and even the ring doctor said this should be his last fight, he wasn't protecting himself in there. So there you go.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's just sad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
In Iraq, there is a widening investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed Iraqi insurgent. The U.S. Marines are investigating the deaths of four other Iraqis. They're seen on this same video that shows one Marine shooting that wounded insurgent. The incident was captured by a pool reporter accompanying the troops. The soldier who pulled the trigger is heard saying the insurgent was pretending to be dead.
And as expected, there is an angry reaction in the Arab world to the shooting. Some call it murder.
Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We only had two in there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you shoot them?
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Complete and uncut across the Arab networks, a step by step description of what happened inside the Falluja mosque the first day and the second. The reporters describe the shooting in the head and the proof is right here, this one says.
The Iraqi interim government has banned Al Jazeera, the most watched Arab language news network, from reporting from inside Iraq, but the network continues to report on Iraq. And that it does relentlessly, from headlines to full reports to commentary, and even during the phone interview with the U.S. Marine spokesperson.
This human rights expert condemns what he calls the cold-blooded killing and describes what's happening in Falluja as a "genocide."
On Arab media, it's not all one-sided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 1st Marine Division is investigating... NASR: The U.S. position is aired. But shortly after, the reporter claims that much is missing from the Western media reporting on Falluja. Al-Arabiya tells viewers its Falluja reporter was arrested by U.S. forces last week, but that won't deter the network from reporting the story. Harassing or arresting its correspondents won't mute this network, says this Al-Arabiya anchor.
U.S. forces have yet to comment on the missing reporter.
Al Jazeera's reporter sums up the Arab view on what's going on in Falluja. "This is a clear sign of U.S. revenge," he says. Arab news networks with a clear position on an incident that, in their view, is being investigated only because it was caught on tape.
Octavia Nasr, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: We're going to talk more about the Arab view of all of this in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Octavia Nasr will join us live.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, Margaret Hassan, a woman who devoted her life to helping others, believed murdered at point blank range. We're going to get reaction for you from across the globe.
And our e-mail question today, do you think Condoleezza Rice is the best choice for secretary of state? Daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Check out this tree topper. It is the star. It's going to be unveiled shortly. It is the start that will sit on top of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Here it is. At nine feet in diameter and weighing in at 550 pounds, it is the biggest star ever for the tree. The star is also adorned with 25,000 crystals. After all, it is New York City.
The official tree lighting for Rockefeller Center will be on November 30.
The Guinness people threw a party and quite a few interesting people showed up. The world's fastest talker and the guy who made the biggest rubber band ball was there. The party celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first "Guinness Book of World Records." They also unveiled the top 10 records of all time. The number one, in case you're wondering, the world's tallest man, 8'11.1."
Speaking of records, an Ohio man is going for the record for the most pennies collected. Eugene Sukie turned in more than a million of them for a grand total of $10,480.13. He said he's been collecting the pennies in his basement for 34 years, much to the delight of his wife.
A grilled cheese sandwich is back on eBay, Chad, one day after the online auction house pulled the item for being a joke. But, Chad, this is no joke.
MYERS: You can see it.
COSTELLO: You cannot.
MYERS: You can.
COSTELLO: This is what he's talking about, everyone. The sandwich's owner says you can clearly see the face of the Virgin Mary in this sandwich. We get a look from Marybel Rodriguez of CNN affiliate WFOR in Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DIANA DUYSER: This is it.
MARYBEL RODRIGUEZ, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: Wow!
DUYSER: This is what she looks like.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): To Diana Duyser, it looks like the Virgin Mary on her grilled cheese, which may seem bizarre to some, but not to her.
DUYSER: I know a lot of people think, look, this lady must be crazy, you know? She's making this up. But it's there. I mean you've seen it.
RODRIGUEZ: Diana says 10 years ago, after she cooked it, it was staring back at her.
DUYSER: When I went to take that first bite, she was looking back at me.
RODRIGUEZ: And she's preserved it ever since.
DUYSER: But that's why it has a, you know, a mark like I bit into it. And that's the way it was.
RODRIGUEZ (on camera): OK, but when you say she, the grilled cheese didn't have eyes. It was something else.
DUYSER: No, she has eyes.
RODRIGUEZ: What exactly did you see? What were...
DUYSER: I saw a face that looked like, to me, the Virgin Mary. So that's what I consider her to be, the Virgin Mary.
RODRIGUEZ: Is this pretty odd, though, on a grilled cheese sandwich?
DUYSER: Oh, yes, very odd.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MYERS: Did you see it?
COSTELLO: You know, oddly enough, I did.
MYERS: See?
COSTELLO: I just can't believe that right now she wants to auction off the cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary.
MYERS: Considering it's 10 years old now.
COSTELLO: Well...
MYERS: But the bids were going crazy on eBay.
COSTELLO: It went up to, what, $22,000 or something? It's crazy. And I don't know, if it was really special and had the Virgin Mary on it, I don't think she should sell it on e-mail. Isn't that sacrilegious?
MYERS: Well, yes, actually you're right.
COSTELLO: Eyyiyi (ph). That report, by the way, was from Marybel Rodriguez of our Miami affiliate WFOR.
The bidding for the Virgin Mary sandwich actually is up to $11,000.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: I think the bid of $22,000 was bogus.
MYERS: That was canceled. EBay put it back online and now it's back up there for $11,000. There you go.
COSTELLO: In the meantime, Chad...
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Fifteen other cheese sandwiches are available on eBay, including one that looks like Elvis.
MYERS: I haven't see that one, but hey.
COSTELLO: Me neither.
MYERS: Did you see the ABC -- I know you watch football all the time. ABC Monday Night Football? Did you see the open?
COSTELLO: No I didn't. I was sleeping.
MYERS: Well, we have it for you. The network is actually issuing an apology now after it received all kinds of complaints about the opening for "Monday Night Football." People think it was a little too risque.
COSTELLO: Oh, let's see it. Let's see it. It's Terrell Owens and Nicolette Sheridan, I think. Let's see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLETTE SHERIDAN: So where are you off to looking so pretty?
TERRELL OWENS: Baby, it's "Monday Night Football." The game starts in 10 minutes.
SHERIDAN: You and your little games. I've got a game we could play.
OWENS: Hey, this is major.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I'm shocked, Chad!
MYERS: What happened to are you ready for some football?
COSTELLO: I don't know. I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. This is Nicolette Sheridan and -- but ABC has apologized.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And the FCC might now get involved.
MYERS: Yes, it's not over. They could actually get a fine for it, although I didn't really see anything that they're going to get a fine for on this thing.
COSTELLO: Oh, what happened to good old-fashioned hard driving football, you know, on the field kind? Yes.
MYERS: Hank Williams, Jr., right?
COSTELLO: All right, I guess we're going to a...
MYERS: Wasn't it Hank Williams...
COSTELLO: Pardon me?
MYERS: It was Hank Williams, Jr., are you ready for some football?
COSTELLO: Now, that got me ready for a game.
MYERS: Exactly.
COSTELLO: That other stuff, I don't know, that doesn't get me ready for a game.
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: We'll just put it that way.
All right, we're going to throw it to a break right now.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
A new chapter unfolds today in Kobe Bryant's rape case.
From New York and Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for a Wednesday morning.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 17, 2004 - 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: A shocking videotape. The woman who led the effort to fight poverty in Iraq apparently murdered by her captors.
Plus, do you stare at a computer screen all day, fight to keep things in focus? We'll tell you why bleary eyes might not be your only problem.
And the Virgin Mary, a 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich and eBay, can it get any weirder than this?
It is Wednesday, November 17.
This is DAYBREAK.
And good morning to you.
Thank you for waking up with us.
I'm Carol Costello.
There is a lot going on this morning.
Let's check the headlines for you right now.
A portion of the highway from Baghdad to its airport is sealed off at this hour. A suicide car bomber drove his vehicle into a civilian convoy, setting at least one car on fire. No word yet on casualties.
At the Texas-Oklahoma state line overnight, a 25-vehicle pileup forced the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 near Gainesville to be closed. Three people were taken to area hospitals and we've just gotten word this morning that traffic is moving again.
The first hearing in the Kobe Bryant civil suit scheduled for today. Attorneys for both sides may discuss settlement talks or the possibility of moving the trial to California. Neither Bryant nor his accuser are expected to be in court for that hearing.
It is time again for the annual Leonid meteor shower. It's caused by debris from the Temple Tuttle Comet hitting the Earth's atmosphere. So for the next few nights, you should be able to see a lot of shooting stars.
To our own shooting star now -- Chad. CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Which way am I shooting it, down? Actually, a couple of the guys here actually saw some of the shooting stars driving to work this morning.
COSTELLO: Really?
MYERS: They were that bright. So, yes, so maybe if you want to get out there before the sun rises, you can actually see it.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Family members of a kidnapped international aid worker in Iraq say their hearts are broken. A video has surfaced that apparently shows the murder of Margaret Hassan, who was head of CARE International in Iraq.
Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad with details for us -- Karl, is it definitely confirmed that she's been killed?
KARL PENHAUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We've not seen that video, Carol. Al Jazeera, who received a copy of the video, we understand, has not broadcast it. But they say that they received that video possibly about six days ago now. But it has, we understand, been analyzed by the British Foreign Office. Now, the British Foreign Office says they believe that that videotape is genuine, but they say that they're not 100 percent certain.
What apparently the videotape shows is a blindfolded woman dressed in an orange jumpsuit and then somebody from behind puts a bullet into the back of her head. We don't know as yet what group that may have been. As you'll remember, it's been a month since Margaret Hassan has been kidnapped. There has been no claim of responsibility by any specific group, although we have seen a couple of videos out before of her pleading for her life and calling for the withdrawal of British troops.
But certainly Margaret Hassan's husband believes that the tape is genuine and believes that his wife Margaret, who lived in Iraq for more than 30 years, is now dead.
This is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAHSEEN HASSAN, HUSBAND OF MARGARET HASSAN: I have been told that there is a video of Margaret which appears to show her murdered. The video may be genuine, but I do not know. I beg those people who took Margaret to tell me what they have done with her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PENHAUL: This is one of the most absurd kidnappings of international personnel here in Iraq. Margaret Hassan was fervently anti-war. She was anti-sanctions and even the al-Zarqawi terrorist network, whom these kidnappers have threatened to hand over Margaret Hassan to them, rejected the kidnapping and called for her to be released.
It's still unclear, as I say, who may have kidnapped her, who may have killed her -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Karl Penhaul live in Baghdad this morning.
Thank you.
We want to get right to Jane Arraf.
More gunfire and explosions overnight in Falluja. Even as the U.S.-led military offensive is winding down, pockets of insurgents do remain.
As I said, we have Jane Arraf on the line.
She's embedded with a unit of the Army's 1st Infantry Division -- good morning, Jane.
JANE ARRAF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We're with soldiers going street by street, building by building in an industrial section in the southeast of Falluja. And they are knocking down doors (AUDIO GAP). We are talking hundreds of doors so far since they started out earlier this morning.
Now, they need to do that because they say they need to find weapons (AUDIO GAP)...
COSTELLO: Oh, we've lost our connection with Jane. As you heard her say, they're still fighting pockets of insurgents in Falluja. A lot of the fighting, though, is taking place in Mosul, a city nearby. We'll have much more on that later.
We'll take you to the war room, as well, in the next half hour of DAYBREAK when our senior international editor David Clinch will join us from London. We'll talk about the global reaction to the apparent killing of that CARE International Director Margaret Hassan in Iraq and the safety concerns for other civilians.
Also on tap, the British public response to that killing.
Will there be another high profile departure from the Bush cabinet? Senior administration sources tell CNN there will be. They say Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge plans to leave his post. But there has been no official confirmation as of yet. In July, there were reports Ridge was thinking about stepping down after the November election, partly because of job stress.
We do know for sure that Education Secretary Rod Paige is resigning and President Bush could formally nominate a replacement as early as today, and that's who you're looking at. A senior administration source tells CNN that Bush will tape Margaret Spellings to be the next education secretary. She's been serving as the president's domestic policy adviser. President Bush also urging the Senate to quickly confirm Condoleezza Rice. She's the president's choice to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state.
Here's what she had to say right after her nomination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONDOLEEZZA RICE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: If I am confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to working with the great people of the Foreign Service and the Civil Service. And one of my highest priorities as secretary will be to ensure that they have all the tools necessary to carry American diplomacy forward in the 21st century.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Rice would be the first African-American woman and only the second woman to lead the State Department. Over the past four years, she's become one of President Bush's closest advisers.
CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash takes a look back.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A recurring snapshot of the last four years -- President Bush with Condoleezza Rice at his side. A Soviet specialist and academic turned foreign policy tutor to a Texas governor, now the guiding force of a president's controversial "with us or against us" approach to a post-9/11 world.
Not just a policy wonk, but also a concert pianist and ardent sports fan, known to exercise and watch games with the president during frequent visits to Camp David and the Bush ranch. The president knows he can't give her the job she really wants.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She would really like to be the commissioner of the National Football League.
BASH (on camera): The national security adviser's chief role is to promote and coordinate the president's foreign policy. And Rice's tenure has not been without controversy.
(voice-over): Making the case for the Iraq war, she was among the most eager to warn of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction that never materialized.
RICE: But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.
BASH: It was her staff that let the president make this State of the Union claim.
BUSH: The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
BASH: Rice later conceded it was a mistake based on shaky intelligence. Another criticism? She's a poor manager who did not take seriously al Qaeda's threat before September 11.
RICHARD BEN-VENISTES, 9/11 COMMISSIONER: And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?
RICE: I believe the title was "Bin Laden Determined To Attack Inside the United States."
BASH: But here's what the president calls her.
BUSH: Her job is also to deal inter-agency and to help unstick things that may get stuck. That's the best way to put it. She's an unsticker.
BASH: And while many say her diplomatic skills are untested, Rice's personal story is clearly a driving force for her goals.
RICE: When America's founding fathers said we the people, they didn't mean me.
BASH: Unequivocal that her foreign policy is not just about fighting wars, but promoting democracy for those denied the same rights blacks once were in America.
Dana Bash, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: All right, now it is your turn to weigh in. Our e- mail Question of the Morning -- Condoleezza Rice, is she the best choice for secretary of state to replace Colin Powell? We want to know your thoughts this morning. Daybreak@cnn.com. That's daybreak@cnn.com.
There are new claims this morning that Iran is trying to make nuclear weapons. An Iranian opposition group is releasing satellite photos. They allegedly show a secret nuclear weapons research facility in Tehran. Take a look at these pictures. A satellite picture of the site taken in August 2003 shows various buildings. You can see them there. But in a picture taken about seven months later, the buildings are gone.
The group says the whole nuclear facility was moved to a new site to evade U.N. inspectors. These images have not been independently confirmed. We want you to know that.
But a Washington business consultant with ties to that opposition group says Iran is lying to the U.N. nuclear agency.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALI SAFAYI, BUSINESS CONSULTANT: It demonstrates, I think, before anything else, that despite its claims, its claims of cooperation with the IAEA, the Iranian regime is continuing its clandestine nuclear weapons program in defiance of its international obligations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Now, we do want you to know the opposition group is holding a news conference this hour in Paris. It's going on right now. We'll have a live report for you at the half hour and we should know much more after that news conference happens.
Here's what else we've got coming up this hour.
The U.S. says it's liberating Falluja, but does the Arab world feel the same? We'll find out at 18 minutes past.
And later, NBA star Kobe Bryant isn't out of court yet. We'll have details at 43 minutes after.
But first, eBay's opposition to a grilled cheese sandwich is melting. We'll tell you what makes this sandwich so very special at 24 minutes past.
But first, here's a look at what else is making news this Wednesday morning, November 17.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(STOCK MARKET REPORT)
COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.
It's 5:14 Eastern.
Here's what's all new this morning.
Iran may be hiding a secret nuclear plant. An Iranian opposition group says work is being done at a secret military site in Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it is investigating that claim.
One Iraqi child was killed when insurgents opened fire on the main police station in Ba'qubah. Two other civilians were injured in that attack. Police traded fire with the insurgents for an hour.
In money news, the price of oil keeps going down. Overnight trading dropped the price by $0.76 a barrel, to $46.11.
And an Energy Department report to be released today is expected to report that U.S. oil supplies are up.
In culture, Mickey Mouse will be front and center at this year's Rose Parade. Mickey is the choice for grand marshal for the 116th incarnation of the famous parade. Mickey also was a co-grand marshal back in 1966, along with Walt Disney, his father, or creator, I should say.
In sports, Evander Holyfield's career may finally be over. The New York State Athletic Commission says they suspended the 42-year-old fighter to save him from himself. Holyfield was soundly beaten in a fight on Saturday night. Other state boxing commissions usually honor any suspensions. But Holyfield says he will contest it.
I hope he doesn't, though -- Chad.
MYERS: Good morning, Carol.
Yes, he didn't do anything wrong. He just, he really didn't fight well and the referee and even the ring doctor said this should be his last fight, he wasn't protecting himself in there. So there you go.
COSTELLO: Oh, it's just sad.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.
In Iraq, there is a widening investigation into the shooting death of an unarmed Iraqi insurgent. The U.S. Marines are investigating the deaths of four other Iraqis. They're seen on this same video that shows one Marine shooting that wounded insurgent. The incident was captured by a pool reporter accompanying the troops. The soldier who pulled the trigger is heard saying the insurgent was pretending to be dead.
And as expected, there is an angry reaction in the Arab world to the shooting. Some call it murder.
Our senior editor for Arab affairs, Octavia Nasr, has more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We only had two in there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you shoot them?
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Complete and uncut across the Arab networks, a step by step description of what happened inside the Falluja mosque the first day and the second. The reporters describe the shooting in the head and the proof is right here, this one says.
The Iraqi interim government has banned Al Jazeera, the most watched Arab language news network, from reporting from inside Iraq, but the network continues to report on Iraq. And that it does relentlessly, from headlines to full reports to commentary, and even during the phone interview with the U.S. Marine spokesperson.
This human rights expert condemns what he calls the cold-blooded killing and describes what's happening in Falluja as a "genocide."
On Arab media, it's not all one-sided.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 1st Marine Division is investigating... NASR: The U.S. position is aired. But shortly after, the reporter claims that much is missing from the Western media reporting on Falluja. Al-Arabiya tells viewers its Falluja reporter was arrested by U.S. forces last week, but that won't deter the network from reporting the story. Harassing or arresting its correspondents won't mute this network, says this Al-Arabiya anchor.
U.S. forces have yet to comment on the missing reporter.
Al Jazeera's reporter sums up the Arab view on what's going on in Falluja. "This is a clear sign of U.S. revenge," he says. Arab news networks with a clear position on an incident that, in their view, is being investigated only because it was caught on tape.
Octavia Nasr, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COSTELLO: We're going to talk more about the Arab view of all of this in the next hour of DAYBREAK. Octavia Nasr will join us live.
Still to come on DAYBREAK this morning, Margaret Hassan, a woman who devoted her life to helping others, believed murdered at point blank range. We're going to get reaction for you from across the globe.
And our e-mail question today, do you think Condoleezza Rice is the best choice for secretary of state? Daybreak@cnn.com.
And you are watching DAYBREAK for a Wednesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is time for our DAYBREAK "Eye Opener" now.
Check out this tree topper. It is the star. It's going to be unveiled shortly. It is the start that will sit on top of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Here it is. At nine feet in diameter and weighing in at 550 pounds, it is the biggest star ever for the tree. The star is also adorned with 25,000 crystals. After all, it is New York City.
The official tree lighting for Rockefeller Center will be on November 30.
The Guinness people threw a party and quite a few interesting people showed up. The world's fastest talker and the guy who made the biggest rubber band ball was there. The party celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first "Guinness Book of World Records." They also unveiled the top 10 records of all time. The number one, in case you're wondering, the world's tallest man, 8'11.1."
Speaking of records, an Ohio man is going for the record for the most pennies collected. Eugene Sukie turned in more than a million of them for a grand total of $10,480.13. He said he's been collecting the pennies in his basement for 34 years, much to the delight of his wife.
A grilled cheese sandwich is back on eBay, Chad, one day after the online auction house pulled the item for being a joke. But, Chad, this is no joke.
MYERS: You can see it.
COSTELLO: You cannot.
MYERS: You can.
COSTELLO: This is what he's talking about, everyone. The sandwich's owner says you can clearly see the face of the Virgin Mary in this sandwich. We get a look from Marybel Rodriguez of CNN affiliate WFOR in Miami.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
DIANA DUYSER: This is it.
MARYBEL RODRIGUEZ, WFOR CORRESPONDENT: Wow!
DUYSER: This is what she looks like.
RODRIGUEZ (voice-over): To Diana Duyser, it looks like the Virgin Mary on her grilled cheese, which may seem bizarre to some, but not to her.
DUYSER: I know a lot of people think, look, this lady must be crazy, you know? She's making this up. But it's there. I mean you've seen it.
RODRIGUEZ: Diana says 10 years ago, after she cooked it, it was staring back at her.
DUYSER: When I went to take that first bite, she was looking back at me.
RODRIGUEZ: And she's preserved it ever since.
DUYSER: But that's why it has a, you know, a mark like I bit into it. And that's the way it was.
RODRIGUEZ (on camera): OK, but when you say she, the grilled cheese didn't have eyes. It was something else.
DUYSER: No, she has eyes.
RODRIGUEZ: What exactly did you see? What were...
DUYSER: I saw a face that looked like, to me, the Virgin Mary. So that's what I consider her to be, the Virgin Mary.
RODRIGUEZ: Is this pretty odd, though, on a grilled cheese sandwich?
DUYSER: Oh, yes, very odd.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
MYERS: Did you see it?
COSTELLO: You know, oddly enough, I did.
MYERS: See?
COSTELLO: I just can't believe that right now she wants to auction off the cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary.
MYERS: Considering it's 10 years old now.
COSTELLO: Well...
MYERS: But the bids were going crazy on eBay.
COSTELLO: It went up to, what, $22,000 or something? It's crazy. And I don't know, if it was really special and had the Virgin Mary on it, I don't think she should sell it on e-mail. Isn't that sacrilegious?
MYERS: Well, yes, actually you're right.
COSTELLO: Eyyiyi (ph). That report, by the way, was from Marybel Rodriguez of our Miami affiliate WFOR.
The bidding for the Virgin Mary sandwich actually is up to $11,000.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: I think the bid of $22,000 was bogus.
MYERS: That was canceled. EBay put it back online and now it's back up there for $11,000. There you go.
COSTELLO: In the meantime, Chad...
MYERS: Yes?
COSTELLO: Fifteen other cheese sandwiches are available on eBay, including one that looks like Elvis.
MYERS: I haven't see that one, but hey.
COSTELLO: Me neither.
MYERS: Did you see the ABC -- I know you watch football all the time. ABC Monday Night Football? Did you see the open?
COSTELLO: No I didn't. I was sleeping.
MYERS: Well, we have it for you. The network is actually issuing an apology now after it received all kinds of complaints about the opening for "Monday Night Football." People think it was a little too risque.
COSTELLO: Oh, let's see it. Let's see it. It's Terrell Owens and Nicolette Sheridan, I think. Let's see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLETTE SHERIDAN: So where are you off to looking so pretty?
TERRELL OWENS: Baby, it's "Monday Night Football." The game starts in 10 minutes.
SHERIDAN: You and your little games. I've got a game we could play.
OWENS: Hey, this is major.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: I'm shocked, Chad!
MYERS: What happened to are you ready for some football?
COSTELLO: I don't know. I'm speechless. I don't know what to say. This is Nicolette Sheridan and -- but ABC has apologized.
MYERS: Yes.
COSTELLO: And the FCC might now get involved.
MYERS: Yes, it's not over. They could actually get a fine for it, although I didn't really see anything that they're going to get a fine for on this thing.
COSTELLO: Oh, what happened to good old-fashioned hard driving football, you know, on the field kind? Yes.
MYERS: Hank Williams, Jr., right?
COSTELLO: All right, I guess we're going to a...
MYERS: Wasn't it Hank Williams...
COSTELLO: Pardon me?
MYERS: It was Hank Williams, Jr., are you ready for some football?
COSTELLO: Now, that got me ready for a game.
MYERS: Exactly.
COSTELLO: That other stuff, I don't know, that doesn't get me ready for a game.
MYERS: No.
COSTELLO: We'll just put it that way.
All right, we're going to throw it to a break right now.
Here's what's all new in the next half hour of DAYBREAK.
A new chapter unfolds today in Kobe Bryant's rape case.
From New York and Atlanta, this is DAYBREAK for a Wednesday morning.
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