Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Hijackers Take Bus Passengers Hostage in Greece; Latest Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Allegations

Aired December 15, 2004 - 06:00   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: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, what was supposed to be a regular commute turns into a nightmare. Tense hours creep by as hijackers take bus passengers hostage.
And what went on between U.S. Marines and Iraqi prisoners? We have some startling new allegations.

Also, a high level war of words over Iraq. We'll bring you the latest verbal volleys.

It is Wednesday, December 15.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

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

Let's get right to the headlines now.

Going on right now, a hostage situation in a suburb of Athens, Greece. It began early this morning when gunmen seized a bus with more than two dozen passengers. They're demanding to be taken to the airport. But authorities are not budging. Some hostages have been released within the last hour.

Preparing to face justice, this morning an announcement that one of Saddam Hussein's top associates, Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as "Chemical Ali," will go on trial before the end of December. He'll be the first member of the former regime to stand trial. We'll have a live report from Baghdad in just a moment.

And are you ready for a little high flying, high speed Internet? The FCC is voting today on whether companies will be allowed to offer wireless high speed connections on airplanes. They also plan to talk about ending the ban on cell phone use.

And oil prices climb above $42 a barrel today, on the rise for a third day in a row. Analysts say part of the reason is cold weather settling in on the East Coast. U.S. light crude is up $0.37, to $42.19 a barrel.

And you'll need to turn up your heat this morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, temperatures below freezing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A surprising announcement out of Iraq's acting prime minister. The trials will begin next week, as in the trials of Saddam Hussein's henchmen. Iraq's defense ministry says first up will be the notorious "Chemical Ali." We say this is surprising because most experts say Iraq is not ready to hold trials, not by a long shot.

Let's head live to Baghdad and Chris Lawrence -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, Ali Hassan al-Majid will be the first of Saddam's top deputies to be -- to go on trial in this new Iraq. The Iraqi defense minister says that all the evidence and witnesses are in place. The trial could begin as early as next week, but at the latest the middle of January.

He says that "Chemical Ali" and the other deputies will be tried one by one and that they will be given someone to represent them, a lawyer from Iraq or someplace else.

Now, the man known as "Chemical Ali" is Saddam's cousin. He is also accused of some of the worst crimes committed during Saddam Hussein's rule, including gassing thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq in the late 1980s. He was also the governor of Kuwait during that company's occupation and he put down an uprising in southern Iraq after the first Gulf War.

Now, Carol, as you mentioned, there are some potential problems here with these elections. Many of the defense attorneys who are based outside of the country say they have been given no access to their clients and say it would be illegal for the interim Iraqi government to try these men without having had access to their attorney.

Also, Iraq's own human rights minister says the country simply does not have enough qualified judges to handle its load, and there are deficiencies in its legal system.

Now, he also says that holding these public trials could slow down the insurgency in that it might make it harder for the insurgents to recruit. And the prime minister of Iraq says making these trials public could encourage support for a democracy ahead of the January elections.

But the million dollar question will be a lot of these men are Sunni Muslims and these trials could spark more hostility amongst Sunni Muslims across the country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence live in Baghdad.

And you heard Chris say it, will these trials really take place?

We want to explore that question this morning.

So joining us now live from Cleveland, Ohio is Case Western Reserve professor and former State Department lawyer, Michael Scharf. He's also part of a U.S. Justice Department team training Iraqi judges.

Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SCHARF, PROFESSOR, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: Hi, Carol.

It's good to be on.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being on DAYBREAK this morning.

You were in London just last month training some 39 Iraqi judges.

Is it possible they are ready to try Saddam's men?

SCHARF: You know what? The real story that's going to emerge today is that those reports coming out of Baghdad are electioneering on the eve of the January 30 election and do not reflect reality. I learned of this yesterday, as the rest of the world did, and I was surprised because I happen to know that the rules of procedure that are being developed for the tribunal have not yet been approved, that the evidence that is being gathered in the case files has not yet been completed, that the defense counsel have not yet been appointed and that the plan all along was to wait until after the elections to avoid giving the defendants any argument that the tribunal is illegitimate under the Geneva Convention.

So I...

COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to ask you that.

Is it legal to hold such trials with an interim government still in place?

SCHARF: There is definitely a strong argument that that would not be legal. And the teams that have been working on this have all along gone under the assumption that they would avoid that problem by waiting until after the election.

But let me finish the most important thing I was going to say, and that is yesterday I got confirmation from the Department of Justice office in Baghdad that is working with the Iraqi special tribunal that there, in fact, is not going to be any trial in December or even in January. And so they are trying to get the word out that this is just electioneering and it doesn't reflect reality. And you've heard it first right here.

COSTELLO: But isn't it dangerous for Allawi to come out and say such things if they're not going to happen?

SCHARF: You know, I think every time he speaks to a crowd and he says we're going to try "Chemical Ali," we're going to bring Saddam to trial right away, he gets a very, very positive response. But he's been doing this over and over. This isn't the first time. And these are false alarms. They just aren't ready yet and the plan all along has not been to try to rush these elections. They want to get the -- I mean to rush these trials. They want to get it right. They cannot risk doing a bad job here because the stakes are just too high.

COSTELLO: Michael Scharf, Case Western Reserve, live from Cleveland this morning.

Thank you.

There are more allegations this morning of Iraqi prisoner abuse, this time implicating U.S. Marines. The new details emerged from an investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Pentagon says it's taking the charges seriously and is doing its own investigation.

Here's more from CNN's Aaron Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The documents add more weight to the question -- was the abuse of prisoners an extension of U.S. policy or was it an aberration, a few bad apples acting out?

AMRIT SINGH, ACLU ATTORNEY: This material reveals that the abuses of -- the abuses that took place were widespread and systemic and operated within a culture of secrecy.

BROWN: The latest material obtained by the ACLU was Navy documentation about interrogations conducted by U.S. Marines in Iraq. Among examples the ACLU cites as torture, a detainee's hands were covered in alcohol and set on fire, severely burning them; shocking a detainee with an electric transformer, causing the detainee to dance; ordering four Iraqi juveniles to kneel while a pistol was discharged to conduct a mock execution.

The question of mock executions came up at the Pentagon briefing.

LAWRENCE DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: You're doing exactly what I said I predicted you would do, which is here's something I've got and now what can you tell me? I don't happen to have, at this instant in time, the disposition of that individual case. When we get it, we will provide it.

BROWN: Publicly, at least, the Pentagon insists it is encouraging openness on these issues.

DI RITA: People will still ask for things that we may not have, for whatever reason, released. But the general policy is one of transparency. And this is an important issue in which there be transparency, consistent, as I said, with operations, with security and all of the other things.

BROWN: But the ACLU argues otherwise and says it is continuing to press for more information. SINGH: We continue to believe that the most important documents that show who is ultimately responsible for the abuse are still being withheld by the government.

BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: All right, let's get the latest on this bus hijacking in Athens, Greece. Some hostages have now been released. At least two hijackers with explosives and guns on board that bus.

Let's head live now to near Athens. It's in a suburb called Marathon.

Anthee Carassavas is on the phone line -- Anthee, bring us up to date.

ANTHEE CARASSAVAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, in the last hour, some five passengers have been released from this blue and orange commuter bus. The first release came at the sixth hour of this hostage crisis. It was a 55-year-old man who suffered from heart problems. An additional four passengers, two men, two women, were subsequently released within 10 minutes after the first one.

Authorities say, view this as a very positive development. It means, they say, negotiations between them, between police and the hijackers, are going well.

The identity, however, of these hijackers still remains a question. They are split between, some officials are split between identifying them as Albanian or Russian. They themselves claim to be Russian, demanding also that authorities provide them with a driver to be taken to the airport and then flown to Russia -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And this has been going on for, what, six hours now? How are the authorities communicating with the hijackers on board the bus?

CARASSAVAS: Well, those details we don't exactly know. But what we have understood is that there has been one passenger who has liaising and messages being passed by cell phone through this particular passenger. There is also, at times, we understand that there is a direct contact, a direct line by use of cell phone between these hijackers and the authorities.

But, again, authorities have been telling us that this relationship of confidence has been building. Initially it was very, very testy, very heated. The hijackers fired at least on four occasions, trying to get police to move away from the area, as they brought in some vehicles to stop this coach from moving in any direction.

COSTELLO: Oh, a very frightening situation as we watch recorded video of another hostage being released from that bus.

We'll get back to you when you have more.

Anthee Carassavas reporting for CNN from Greece this morning.

A trip to the gas station explodes in a customer's face. The whole thing, there you see it, caught on tape.

Also ahead, you borrow it, you could own it. If you don't return it on time, that is. New rental rules to tell you about.

And later, party faux pas -- the little things that go a long way to make your holiday party fun and safe for your invitees.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

If your new year's resolution is to return your movie rentals on time to avoid those late fees, well, then you've got an easy next year.

Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site to explain further -- good morning, Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, it sounds like a good thing, and it is, but there is a catch. Blockbuster dropping its late fees starting on New Year's Day, 2005. The movie renter is giving customers a one week grace period starting on the first of the year. So if you return the movie within a week, end of story. You don't have to worry about it. You keep the movie or game longer than that and Blockbuster is automatically going to charge you for purchasing the item.

Now, if you bring it back within a 30 day period, you will get a credit for the purchase minus a $1.25 restocking fee. So the motivation here for customers, return it within a week. Blockbuster obviously trying to stay competitive with online rental companies like Netlix. Also, Wal-Mart, Circuit City selling DVDs on the cheap these days, so trying to do what they can to stay competitive. But you definitely have to watch the timing, Carol, on this one, starting in 2005.

Quickly, taking a look at stocks to watch, Best Buy, keeping an eye on that one. Third quarter profits out today and Wall Street expecting $0.44 a share on the bottom line.

And that's the latest from here.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Carrie Lee, live from the Nasdaq market site.

Across America this morning, police in Houston are investigating this fiery situation. Look at this. This woman burned by fire at a gas station pump says she doesn't have any idea how it started. She escaped with burns to her hands and legs. But police say the woman and her roommate had been fighting and drinking before the fire. Firefighters say a lighter was found at the scene. And, you know, they are at a gas station.

In Alabama, a judge refused to delay a trial after an attorney got upset over the judge's robe. The robe has the Ten Commandments embroidered in gold on the front. A defense attorney objected, but the judge says he believes the law and the Ten Commandments cannot be separated.

Thousands of music fans crowded into the convention center in Arlington, Texas to remember "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He's the guitarist who was shot and killed on stage last week in Columbus, Ohio. The crowd gave the loudest cheers to Abbott's brother and band mate, Vinnie Paul.

You know that color coded security alert system that we all love to hate? Well, outgoing homeland security chief Tom Ridge says it may not be effective, not be effective. You'll hear it in his own words.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:19 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

A hostage stand-off in Athens, Greece is stretching into its seventh hour now. Two armed men took about 25 hostages aboard a passenger bus. At least five hostages have walked off the bus without incident. You're looking at a live picture right now and you can see authorities are blocking the bus and also surrounding it.

Continental Airlines says it's not to blame for the crash of a Concorde jet near Paris in 2000. A French investigation says a piece of metal that fell from a Continental plane contributed to the crash that killed 113 people.

In money news, the Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate another 1/4 percent. That's the fifth increase this year. The overnight lending rate is now 2.25 percent.

In culture, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming back to the big screen. He will make a cameo appearance in the movie "The Kid and I," which stars his very good friend, Tom Arnold. The movie should be released some time next year.

In sports, baseball in Washington may not be a done deal just yet. The city council changed the proposed stadium deal to say that half of the cost must now be privately financed. That change could prompt major league baseball to find a new city to host the team. And I hope they try and have no takers -- Chad.

MYERS: I don't know, Carol. They have a couple of sites, one by RFK and another one down near the naval shipyard. And, boy, they want $200 million of private funding and another $200 million, obviously, from public. But we will see.

COSTELLO: It's crazy.

MYERS: They're going to play at RFK for a while. They're not going away yet, so that's still the plan.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Are you a Martha Stewart type or more like Roseanne Barr? A new survey looks at desperate and not so desperate housewives across the United States. Oh, stay tuned for that one.

You're watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 'Tis the season to be jolly. But if foods are not handled with care, parties could spread germs instead of holiday cheer.

Who else would talk about this but registered dietitian, Lisa Drayer?

She is here with some warnings.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.

That's right. And with lots of food and people gathering together, holiday parties can be a prime location for the spread of food borne illness.

COSTELLO: I thought this was only a concern when you had barbecues.

DRAYER: No, parties, holiday parties, as well, especially with all the people and the food. And, in fact, there are some new statistics that we'll take a look at right now, from the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

First, 38 percent of Americans admit to double dipping. And just to clarify, that means dipping a chip or a vegetable into a bowl or dip of salsa, biting off half and then dipping again.

COSTELLO: Oh.

DRAYER: One in four confess that they do not consistently wash fruits such as limes or oranges before using them as garnishes in holiday drinks. And 40 percent of hosts say they wait for meat to look done or until the juices run clear. And a small percent say they will even poke meat or taste it to tell if it's done.

COSTELLO: Well, if you're having family over, who cares?

DRAYER: Well, but the issue is that it can lead to food borne illness, especially among very young children and older individuals with weakened immune system. So it's important to take the proper precautions.

COSTELLO: OK, so give us some food safety tips on what we should be doing for our holiday party.

DRAYER: Right. Well, first, you do want to wash all fruits and fruit garnishes, even ones with peels, like oranges and limes. The reason is the peel can be contaminated and then once it's cut, either with a knife or with your finger, the bacteria can spread to the flesh of the fruit. And then, if you ingest the flesh, you ingest the bacteria. Or,, in the case of a garnish, it can contaminate the glass. So you do want to thoroughly wash with water.

Also, in addition to that, you want to use a meat thermometer. This is the best way to ensure that meat is adequately cooked. So a ham, for example, should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, strikes also to 160 degrees. If you like them well done, you can cook to 170 degrees. And a whole chicken or turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another tip, you don't want to leave food out buffet style for more than two hours. The reason is after this amount of time, bacteria enter what's called the danger zone. That is, they rapidly multiply. And so this can lead to food borne illness. So don't...

COSTELLO: Even inside the house, huh?

DRAYER: Yes. The reason is it enters this certain temperature zone where it tends to multiply more rapidly. So you want to be careful with that. The same applies if you're bringing food to a party, if you know that it's going to be more than two hours from the time you leave the house until the time food is served, you want to keep a cold dish in a cooler or a hot dish in an insulated bag.

COSTELLO: Or ask to use the refrigerator, I guess.

DRAYER: Right.

COSTELLO: That would be easier.

Thank you, Lisa, for the advice.

We appreciate it.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Yellow, orange, red -- how effective is the color code for terror threats anyway? Hear what Tom Ridge has to say about the system now.

(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 December 15, 2004 - 06:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Straight ahead on DAYBREAK, what was supposed to be a regular commute turns into a nightmare. Tense hours creep by as hijackers take bus passengers hostage.
And what went on between U.S. Marines and Iraqi prisoners? We have some startling new allegations.

Also, a high level war of words over Iraq. We'll bring you the latest verbal volleys.

It is Wednesday, December 15.

You are watching DAYBREAK.

And good morning to you.

Thank you for waking up with us.

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

Let's get right to the headlines now.

Going on right now, a hostage situation in a suburb of Athens, Greece. It began early this morning when gunmen seized a bus with more than two dozen passengers. They're demanding to be taken to the airport. But authorities are not budging. Some hostages have been released within the last hour.

Preparing to face justice, this morning an announcement that one of Saddam Hussein's top associates, Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as "Chemical Ali," will go on trial before the end of December. He'll be the first member of the former regime to stand trial. We'll have a live report from Baghdad in just a moment.

And are you ready for a little high flying, high speed Internet? The FCC is voting today on whether companies will be allowed to offer wireless high speed connections on airplanes. They also plan to talk about ending the ban on cell phone use.

And oil prices climb above $42 a barrel today, on the rise for a third day in a row. Analysts say part of the reason is cold weather settling in on the East Coast. U.S. light crude is up $0.37, to $42.19 a barrel.

And you'll need to turn up your heat this morning -- Chad.

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, temperatures below freezing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: A surprising announcement out of Iraq's acting prime minister. The trials will begin next week, as in the trials of Saddam Hussein's henchmen. Iraq's defense ministry says first up will be the notorious "Chemical Ali." We say this is surprising because most experts say Iraq is not ready to hold trials, not by a long shot.

Let's head live to Baghdad and Chris Lawrence -- good morning, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

Yes, Ali Hassan al-Majid will be the first of Saddam's top deputies to be -- to go on trial in this new Iraq. The Iraqi defense minister says that all the evidence and witnesses are in place. The trial could begin as early as next week, but at the latest the middle of January.

He says that "Chemical Ali" and the other deputies will be tried one by one and that they will be given someone to represent them, a lawyer from Iraq or someplace else.

Now, the man known as "Chemical Ali" is Saddam's cousin. He is also accused of some of the worst crimes committed during Saddam Hussein's rule, including gassing thousands of Kurds in northern Iraq in the late 1980s. He was also the governor of Kuwait during that company's occupation and he put down an uprising in southern Iraq after the first Gulf War.

Now, Carol, as you mentioned, there are some potential problems here with these elections. Many of the defense attorneys who are based outside of the country say they have been given no access to their clients and say it would be illegal for the interim Iraqi government to try these men without having had access to their attorney.

Also, Iraq's own human rights minister says the country simply does not have enough qualified judges to handle its load, and there are deficiencies in its legal system.

Now, he also says that holding these public trials could slow down the insurgency in that it might make it harder for the insurgents to recruit. And the prime minister of Iraq says making these trials public could encourage support for a democracy ahead of the January elections.

But the million dollar question will be a lot of these men are Sunni Muslims and these trials could spark more hostility amongst Sunni Muslims across the country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Chris Lawrence live in Baghdad.

And you heard Chris say it, will these trials really take place?

We want to explore that question this morning.

So joining us now live from Cleveland, Ohio is Case Western Reserve professor and former State Department lawyer, Michael Scharf. He's also part of a U.S. Justice Department team training Iraqi judges.

Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SCHARF, PROFESSOR, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: Hi, Carol.

It's good to be on.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being on DAYBREAK this morning.

You were in London just last month training some 39 Iraqi judges.

Is it possible they are ready to try Saddam's men?

SCHARF: You know what? The real story that's going to emerge today is that those reports coming out of Baghdad are electioneering on the eve of the January 30 election and do not reflect reality. I learned of this yesterday, as the rest of the world did, and I was surprised because I happen to know that the rules of procedure that are being developed for the tribunal have not yet been approved, that the evidence that is being gathered in the case files has not yet been completed, that the defense counsel have not yet been appointed and that the plan all along was to wait until after the elections to avoid giving the defendants any argument that the tribunal is illegitimate under the Geneva Convention.

So I...

COSTELLO: Well, I was just going to ask you that.

Is it legal to hold such trials with an interim government still in place?

SCHARF: There is definitely a strong argument that that would not be legal. And the teams that have been working on this have all along gone under the assumption that they would avoid that problem by waiting until after the election.

But let me finish the most important thing I was going to say, and that is yesterday I got confirmation from the Department of Justice office in Baghdad that is working with the Iraqi special tribunal that there, in fact, is not going to be any trial in December or even in January. And so they are trying to get the word out that this is just electioneering and it doesn't reflect reality. And you've heard it first right here.

COSTELLO: But isn't it dangerous for Allawi to come out and say such things if they're not going to happen?

SCHARF: You know, I think every time he speaks to a crowd and he says we're going to try "Chemical Ali," we're going to bring Saddam to trial right away, he gets a very, very positive response. But he's been doing this over and over. This isn't the first time. And these are false alarms. They just aren't ready yet and the plan all along has not been to try to rush these elections. They want to get the -- I mean to rush these trials. They want to get it right. They cannot risk doing a bad job here because the stakes are just too high.

COSTELLO: Michael Scharf, Case Western Reserve, live from Cleveland this morning.

Thank you.

There are more allegations this morning of Iraqi prisoner abuse, this time implicating U.S. Marines. The new details emerged from an investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Pentagon says it's taking the charges seriously and is doing its own investigation.

Here's more from CNN's Aaron Brown.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

AARON BROWN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The documents add more weight to the question -- was the abuse of prisoners an extension of U.S. policy or was it an aberration, a few bad apples acting out?

AMRIT SINGH, ACLU ATTORNEY: This material reveals that the abuses of -- the abuses that took place were widespread and systemic and operated within a culture of secrecy.

BROWN: The latest material obtained by the ACLU was Navy documentation about interrogations conducted by U.S. Marines in Iraq. Among examples the ACLU cites as torture, a detainee's hands were covered in alcohol and set on fire, severely burning them; shocking a detainee with an electric transformer, causing the detainee to dance; ordering four Iraqi juveniles to kneel while a pistol was discharged to conduct a mock execution.

The question of mock executions came up at the Pentagon briefing.

LAWRENCE DI RITA, PENTAGON SPOKESMAN: You're doing exactly what I said I predicted you would do, which is here's something I've got and now what can you tell me? I don't happen to have, at this instant in time, the disposition of that individual case. When we get it, we will provide it.

BROWN: Publicly, at least, the Pentagon insists it is encouraging openness on these issues.

DI RITA: People will still ask for things that we may not have, for whatever reason, released. But the general policy is one of transparency. And this is an important issue in which there be transparency, consistent, as I said, with operations, with security and all of the other things.

BROWN: But the ACLU argues otherwise and says it is continuing to press for more information. SINGH: We continue to believe that the most important documents that show who is ultimately responsible for the abuse are still being withheld by the government.

BROWN: Aaron Brown, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

COSTELLO: All right, let's get the latest on this bus hijacking in Athens, Greece. Some hostages have now been released. At least two hijackers with explosives and guns on board that bus.

Let's head live now to near Athens. It's in a suburb called Marathon.

Anthee Carassavas is on the phone line -- Anthee, bring us up to date.

ANTHEE CARASSAVAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, in the last hour, some five passengers have been released from this blue and orange commuter bus. The first release came at the sixth hour of this hostage crisis. It was a 55-year-old man who suffered from heart problems. An additional four passengers, two men, two women, were subsequently released within 10 minutes after the first one.

Authorities say, view this as a very positive development. It means, they say, negotiations between them, between police and the hijackers, are going well.

The identity, however, of these hijackers still remains a question. They are split between, some officials are split between identifying them as Albanian or Russian. They themselves claim to be Russian, demanding also that authorities provide them with a driver to be taken to the airport and then flown to Russia -- Carol.

COSTELLO: And this has been going on for, what, six hours now? How are the authorities communicating with the hijackers on board the bus?

CARASSAVAS: Well, those details we don't exactly know. But what we have understood is that there has been one passenger who has liaising and messages being passed by cell phone through this particular passenger. There is also, at times, we understand that there is a direct contact, a direct line by use of cell phone between these hijackers and the authorities.

But, again, authorities have been telling us that this relationship of confidence has been building. Initially it was very, very testy, very heated. The hijackers fired at least on four occasions, trying to get police to move away from the area, as they brought in some vehicles to stop this coach from moving in any direction.

COSTELLO: Oh, a very frightening situation as we watch recorded video of another hostage being released from that bus.

We'll get back to you when you have more.

Anthee Carassavas reporting for CNN from Greece this morning.

A trip to the gas station explodes in a customer's face. The whole thing, there you see it, caught on tape.

Also ahead, you borrow it, you could own it. If you don't return it on time, that is. New rental rules to tell you about.

And later, party faux pas -- the little things that go a long way to make your holiday party fun and safe for your invitees.

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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

If your new year's resolution is to return your movie rentals on time to avoid those late fees, well, then you've got an easy next year.

Carrie Lee is live at the Nasdaq market site to explain further -- good morning, Carrie.

CARRIE LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol.

Well, it sounds like a good thing, and it is, but there is a catch. Blockbuster dropping its late fees starting on New Year's Day, 2005. The movie renter is giving customers a one week grace period starting on the first of the year. So if you return the movie within a week, end of story. You don't have to worry about it. You keep the movie or game longer than that and Blockbuster is automatically going to charge you for purchasing the item.

Now, if you bring it back within a 30 day period, you will get a credit for the purchase minus a $1.25 restocking fee. So the motivation here for customers, return it within a week. Blockbuster obviously trying to stay competitive with online rental companies like Netlix. Also, Wal-Mart, Circuit City selling DVDs on the cheap these days, so trying to do what they can to stay competitive. But you definitely have to watch the timing, Carol, on this one, starting in 2005.

Quickly, taking a look at stocks to watch, Best Buy, keeping an eye on that one. Third quarter profits out today and Wall Street expecting $0.44 a share on the bottom line.

And that's the latest from here.

COSTELLO: Thank you.

Carrie Lee, live from the Nasdaq market site.

Across America this morning, police in Houston are investigating this fiery situation. Look at this. This woman burned by fire at a gas station pump says she doesn't have any idea how it started. She escaped with burns to her hands and legs. But police say the woman and her roommate had been fighting and drinking before the fire. Firefighters say a lighter was found at the scene. And, you know, they are at a gas station.

In Alabama, a judge refused to delay a trial after an attorney got upset over the judge's robe. The robe has the Ten Commandments embroidered in gold on the front. A defense attorney objected, but the judge says he believes the law and the Ten Commandments cannot be separated.

Thousands of music fans crowded into the convention center in Arlington, Texas to remember "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. He's the guitarist who was shot and killed on stage last week in Columbus, Ohio. The crowd gave the loudest cheers to Abbott's brother and band mate, Vinnie Paul.

You know that color coded security alert system that we all love to hate? Well, outgoing homeland security chief Tom Ridge says it may not be effective, not be effective. You'll hear it in his own words.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Your news, money, weather and sports.

It is 6:19 Eastern.

Here's what's all new this morning.

A hostage stand-off in Athens, Greece is stretching into its seventh hour now. Two armed men took about 25 hostages aboard a passenger bus. At least five hostages have walked off the bus without incident. You're looking at a live picture right now and you can see authorities are blocking the bus and also surrounding it.

Continental Airlines says it's not to blame for the crash of a Concorde jet near Paris in 2000. A French investigation says a piece of metal that fell from a Continental plane contributed to the crash that killed 113 people.

In money news, the Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate another 1/4 percent. That's the fifth increase this year. The overnight lending rate is now 2.25 percent.

In culture, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is coming back to the big screen. He will make a cameo appearance in the movie "The Kid and I," which stars his very good friend, Tom Arnold. The movie should be released some time next year.

In sports, baseball in Washington may not be a done deal just yet. The city council changed the proposed stadium deal to say that half of the cost must now be privately financed. That change could prompt major league baseball to find a new city to host the team. And I hope they try and have no takers -- Chad.

MYERS: I don't know, Carol. They have a couple of sites, one by RFK and another one down near the naval shipyard. And, boy, they want $200 million of private funding and another $200 million, obviously, from public. But we will see.

COSTELLO: It's crazy.

MYERS: They're going to play at RFK for a while. They're not going away yet, so that's still the plan.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: Those are the latest headlines for you this morning.

Are you a Martha Stewart type or more like Roseanne Barr? A new survey looks at desperate and not so desperate housewives across the United States. Oh, stay tuned for that one.

You're watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: 'Tis the season to be jolly. But if foods are not handled with care, parties could spread germs instead of holiday cheer.

Who else would talk about this but registered dietitian, Lisa Drayer?

She is here with some warnings.

LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Good morning, Carol.

That's right. And with lots of food and people gathering together, holiday parties can be a prime location for the spread of food borne illness.

COSTELLO: I thought this was only a concern when you had barbecues.

DRAYER: No, parties, holiday parties, as well, especially with all the people and the food. And, in fact, there are some new statistics that we'll take a look at right now, from the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

First, 38 percent of Americans admit to double dipping. And just to clarify, that means dipping a chip or a vegetable into a bowl or dip of salsa, biting off half and then dipping again.

COSTELLO: Oh.

DRAYER: One in four confess that they do not consistently wash fruits such as limes or oranges before using them as garnishes in holiday drinks. And 40 percent of hosts say they wait for meat to look done or until the juices run clear. And a small percent say they will even poke meat or taste it to tell if it's done.

COSTELLO: Well, if you're having family over, who cares?

DRAYER: Well, but the issue is that it can lead to food borne illness, especially among very young children and older individuals with weakened immune system. So it's important to take the proper precautions.

COSTELLO: OK, so give us some food safety tips on what we should be doing for our holiday party.

DRAYER: Right. Well, first, you do want to wash all fruits and fruit garnishes, even ones with peels, like oranges and limes. The reason is the peel can be contaminated and then once it's cut, either with a knife or with your finger, the bacteria can spread to the flesh of the fruit. And then, if you ingest the flesh, you ingest the bacteria. Or,, in the case of a garnish, it can contaminate the glass. So you do want to thoroughly wash with water.

Also, in addition to that, you want to use a meat thermometer. This is the best way to ensure that meat is adequately cooked. So a ham, for example, should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, strikes also to 160 degrees. If you like them well done, you can cook to 170 degrees. And a whole chicken or turkey should be cooked to 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Another tip, you don't want to leave food out buffet style for more than two hours. The reason is after this amount of time, bacteria enter what's called the danger zone. That is, they rapidly multiply. And so this can lead to food borne illness. So don't...

COSTELLO: Even inside the house, huh?

DRAYER: Yes. The reason is it enters this certain temperature zone where it tends to multiply more rapidly. So you want to be careful with that. The same applies if you're bringing food to a party, if you know that it's going to be more than two hours from the time you leave the house until the time food is served, you want to keep a cold dish in a cooler or a hot dish in an insulated bag.

COSTELLO: Or ask to use the refrigerator, I guess.

DRAYER: Right.

COSTELLO: That would be easier.

Thank you, Lisa, for the advice.

We appreciate it.

DRAYER: Thanks.

COSTELLO: Yellow, orange, red -- how effective is the color code for terror threats anyway? Hear what Tom Ridge has to say about the system now.

(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