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CNN Live At Daybreak

Breaking News: Beirut Explosion; Widespread Panic at New York Mall; Cyber Romance

Aired February 14, 2005 - 06:29   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, torment with a sexual edge? Disturbing new reports out of Guantanamo Bay. We have all of the details for you.
Plus, how about a date? If it's been awhile since you've heard that question, we've got some Valentines Day's tips for you.

And good morning to you. Welcome to the last half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

"Now in the News."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets today in Washington with South Korea's foreign minister. The topic? North Korea's nuclear weapons. The South Koreans and Chinese both want more six- power negotiation, but the North Koreans are holding out for one-on- one talks with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered a crackdown on right-wing Jewish extremists. Sharon is responding to death threats against government ministers who support his plan to withdraw from Gaza.

Another telecom merger will be announced this morning. Verizon Communications is expected to pay nearly $7 billion in cash and stock for MCI, the nation's second-largest long distance carrier.

And a jury in Charleston gets the so-called Zoloft murder trial today. Christopher Pittman was 12 years old when he was gunned down by -- when he gunned down his grandparents, rather. Defense attorneys say the boy was under the influence of the antidepressant drug Zoloft.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

COSTELLO: A little more on the breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, this morning. We have some new pictures in from Al-Jazeera television. A huge car bomb exploded in Beirut, right in the business district. Apparently many hotels line the streets around this. Reuters is reporting at least one person was killed.

We apologize for some of these grisly pictures we're seeing. We're just getting these pictures raw, fed in to CNN.

As you can see, there was a person apparently dead inside of that car.

Reuters is reporting one person dead, at least 12 others injured. But Brent Sadler was telling us this explosion was so huge -- and you can see the aftermath that it was indeed huge -- there could be many, many more casualties.

Brent Sadler is gathering more information for us. And when he gets more, we'll pass it along to you.

Let's move on now.

In Upstate New York, the investigation of a shooting spree has shut down a Hudson Valley mall.

Sean O'Grady of CNN affiliate Capital News 9 picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a report that came through Ulster County 911 of a gunman in the Hudson Valley Mall.

SEAN O'GRADY, CNN AFFILIATE CAPITAL NEWS 9 REPORTER (voice over): A lone gunman shot his way into the Hudson Valley Mall, sending the crowded shopping center into a panic.

ALI AFSHAR, WITNESS: They were just nuts. I mean, just screaming, yelling, kids, mothers pushing their baby strollers coming out. It was just a free-for-all.

O'GRADY: The gunman, whose name is still not being released, fired multiple shots from an assault rifle. Amazingly, just two people were wounded, one a National Guard recruiter with a bullet to the knee, and another, an elderly local man with minor wounds to his left arm and leg.

When the gunman ran out of ammo, mall workers rushed him.

AFSHAR: He was on the floor. He was being smothered by two other guys that were holding him down. In the meantime, the security came by. And then the cops came, and the cops are the ones that actually handcuffed him.

O'GRADY: For safety purposes, the mall was put on lockdown for several hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Immediately the mall was shut down, and we were asked to stay in one spot. All of the stores were searched. And anyone was questioned that may have information. And we were just locked up until they made absolutely sure everyone was safe.

O'GRADY: Police say the mall will remain closed until the investigation is complete. The gunman is expected to be charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and first- and second-degree assault.

In Kingston, Sean O'Grady, Capital News 9. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Those two hours of terror left hundreds of shoppers and mall workers shaken. We'll hear more from one of the witnesses to the shooting later today on "AMERICAN MORNING." Soledad O'Brien joins us now with more on that, a preview, if you will.

Good morning -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you, Carol. You're absolutely right. Keep in mind that this mall shooting took place at 3:00 in the afternoon, a weekend, very busy, very crowded.

This morning, we're going to talk to some eyewitnesses to the shooting. The people, as we heard, panicked. They were -- though some people were able to come out and jump on the shooter and get him to stop when he ran out of ammo.

This morning, we're going to ask them, did it seem like the shooter was targeting anybody? And exactly what were police able to do when they got on the scene as well? Those stories are ahead this morning.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

Let's get right back to our breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, now.

David Clinch, our international editor, live in Atlanta to explain more of what possibly happened in Beirut.

Do we know for sure it was a car bomb, David?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: All appearances it was a car bomb. Our Brent Sadler on the scene there. We had Brent ready to do regional reaction to the Iraqi elections. So, he was in the city there in Beirut getting ready to talk about Iraq, and a huge explosion very near to our location there in Beirut.

He rushed down to the scene, and this is what he found: massive destruction. And as he's been telling us it's something that has not been seen on this scale in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in late '80s, 1990. So...

COSTELLO: And, of course, David, many Americans will remember the bombing of the Marine barracks back in 1983, the Beirut embassy bombing also in '83, targeting Americans. This does not appear to be that kind of situation, though, does it?

CLINCH: Well, you run through all of the possibilities. Where has it happened? What is targeted? And you are looking at the vehicles very closely to see whether it looks like it might be some kind of diplomatic or government target. Unclear at this point. You look at the area of Beirut where it's happened. There are hotels, there are banks, all sorts of possibilities of the targets there.

Then you think of the internal strife. We have seen attacks within the last few years internally in Lebanon. Still those political tensions exist. And every now and then they will come in this form of bombs. So, we're looking at the internal possibility of internal politics bursting into violence again.

So, at this point it's very unclear. So many possibilities, both because of the location and because of those tensions that still exist within Lebanon itself.

And then, as you say, the prospect, again, of international terrorism, targeting Americans or others. We're looking very closely, and we will wait until we have something confirmed, until we've identified what the target is.

Of course, it's always possible that bombs go off early, they miss their targets. But we're looking at where it went off in Beirut. We're looking at the vehicles, and then waiting to see if anybody claims responsibility for this explosion.

COSTELLO: Yes. And just an update. The Associated Press is reporting at least four dead in that Beirut explosion, dozens more wounded. When we get Brent Sadler up again, we'll get back to him.

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David, though, for helping us sort it out.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The stories are disturbing. Female interrogators at Guantanamo Bay allegedly using sexual tactics to break down terror suspects. The report is in the latest issue of "TIME" magazine.

Joining us now live from Washington, "TIME" correspondent Viveca Novak.

Good morning, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, I'm reading through this article, and the allegations are shocking. You're talking about a Saudi who was chained in a cell at Guantanamo Bay, and supposedly this female interrogator shed the top of her camouflage battle dress uniform, revealing a tight Army t-shirt. Tell me what went on from there.

NOVAK: Well, she was trying to break this detainee's connection with God, which she thought was giving him strength to resist the questions. They suspected him of taking flying lessons in Arizona.

And she went over, and she rubbed her chest against his back. And then, after taking another quick break, she came back and told the detainee that she was menstruating, and came over and put her hands down into her pants, walked around the back of him and brought her hands out of her pants with what appeared to be blood on them. And she smeared it on the Saudi's face.

And she told him that he wouldn't have any water in his cell to wash with that night. And if you're a Muslim, it's important to be pure, to be clean, before you pray.

And so, he reacted very dramatically. He screamed. He cried. He lunged forward and broke out of one of his ankle shackles. And the MPs had to come in. It was quite a dramatic scene.

But this whole area of sexual humiliation of detainees down there and elsewhere is something that we are hearing more and more stories about.

COSTELLO: And I was just going to ask you, how often does this allegedly happen?

NOVAK: Well, it's unclear exactly, but we have heard some other reports of it. And, in fact, a couple of female interrogators have already been essentially reprimanded by the Army for using tactics similar in nature to this.

COSTELLO: So, you know, the age-old question arises: Did anyone order this kind of interrogation to take place? Or did these women do this on their own?

NOVAK: Well, we don't know. There are investigations going on right now into these kinds of things.

We do know that the reason this came to light is that an Army sergeant, Erik Saar (ph), was the interpreter for this session. And he and I are writing a book about his experiences down at Guantanamo. And the Army -- the military had to approve some of the material that we're using before we could publish it.

Apparently, somebody within the military leaked some pages of this manuscript to the Associated Press. That came out a couple of weeks ago. But also, a note came out with it showing that within the military there was some discussion as to whether they would let this go through or would they require that it be redacted. And officials down at Guantanamo wanted to redact it and wanted to stamp it "secret" and not allow us to publish it.

So, we don't know what else is out there that hasn't yet come to light.

COSTELLO: So, last question for you. I was just wondering, do these tactics work?

NOVAK: Well, that's also unclear. They are not immediately productive. Whether eventually they break a prisoner down so much that he does talk is a little unclear. But from what the interpreter with whom I've been talking has seen, it hasn't worked.

COSTELLO: Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine. You can read more about this issue in this week's edition of "TIME" magazine. Thank you, Viveca.

NOVAK: It's good to be with you.

COSTELLO: News this weekend about possible U.S. spy activity in Iran. A former CIA director will talk about the allegations later on "AMERICAN MORNING." So, let's check in with Bill Hemmer now.

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you on this Valentine's Day.

One of our topics this morning is Iran. Is the U.S. now making plans for war in that country? A new report says U.S. is flying unmanned missions over Iran for about a year, said to be looking for evidence of nuclear weapons programs, possibly looking for weaknesses in air defenses as well.

We'll talk about all of this, Carol, with the former CIA director James Woolsey and try to find out how serious the situation is in the air over Iran.

One of our many topics today on Valentine's Day. See you in about 15 minutes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll be here. Thank you, Bill.

We're going to get more on that breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, right after a break. You are watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 6:48 Eastern. Here's what will be making news later today. Actually, this is making news right now.

Breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon. You're seeing pictures just in to us from Al-Jazeera Television. And this is the result of a huge car bomb explosion in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. The Associated Press is reporting six dead, dozens more injured. When we get Brent Sadler up again, we'll go live to Beirut.

Also, the nation officially gets a new legal chief this morning. In just over two and a half hours, former White House counsel Alberto Gonzales gets sworn in as attorney general.

Later this morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with her South Korean counterpart. The topic: finding a way to ease rising nuclear tensions with North Korea.

And an Upstate New York man is facing charges this morning in a shooting rampage at a crowded shopping mall. Police say the unidentified man opened fire with an assault rifle. Two people were wounded.

And finally, closing arguments are due today in the murder trial of Christopher Pittman. The South Carolina teenager is charged with gunning down his grandparents. The defense says the antidepressant Zoloft clouded the boy's mind. Prosecutors say he was simply angry.

Many people who are single and looking will be turning to online dating services this Valentine's Day, hoping for a love connection.

CNN's Maggie Lake talked to some people about the advantages of cyber romance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Feeling lonely and left out this Valentine's Day? It could be that true love is just a click away.

KRISTIN KELLY, MATCH.COM: Online dating is a really quick and simple way for you to meet lots of people.

LAKE: Nonexistent a decade ago, there are now dozens of Web sites, where singles can browse for their perfect mate. Match.com has 15 million subscribers.

Industry watchers do say online services provide something traditional methods do not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not going to ask somebody in person on the first meeting what their religion is, or whether they've ever been married or divorced, or whether they want children, or how much they smoke. But these are the kinds of things you can learn by looking at online dating profiles.

LAKE: If that profile is honest. Still, last year, according to Jupiter Media, 23 million Americans used an Internet dating service. Europeans have been more reluctant to look for love online, but that is now changing. Business at European sites is expected to grow by 82 percent this year, with subscriptions worth 160 million euros.

But not everyone is enamored with Web dating. After growing at a rapid clip in the early 2000s, business at online dating services in the U.S. has leveled off.

Some complain while there are more choices online, it's still hard to find that special connection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once in a blue moon you might meet somebody. I have met people before, but it's very difficult.

LAKE: Whether you decided to look for your Valentine online this year or stick to more traditional means, remember the quest for love is full of ups and downs.

Maggie Lake, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to go to Beirut, Lebanon, now. We do have Brent Sadler?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler is on the scene of that car bombing

Brent, what more can you tell us?

SADLER: Yes, I'm walking to the sirens -- the scene of this massive explosion that shook the Lebanese capital of Beirut within the past hour or so. We are getting confirmation from reports on the ground that there have been fatalities.

I've certainly seen many, many terrified people running away from the scene of this blast.

Unconfirmed reports that the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's convoy was in this area at the time. I can't confirm that. We're working on the ground with that, but I'm just walking closer to the site of the bomb blast, and I got maybe 50 yards away now.

A lot of collateral damage in this area. It happened there on the famed Cornische of Beirut, casualties, a huge blast that wrecked windows and brought masonry down of adjoining buildings, a wide area of damage around the blast site. Certainly windows were blown out of their frames in the center of the city about a mile away.

We're getting no confirmation that this was a terror attack. There is speculation that this might have been a car bomb. Certainly a lot of damaged vehicles here. The scene, I'm now right in the heart of tangled vehicles that have been tossed up in the air. It has all of the hallmarks of the kind of blasting we see after attacks that (AUDIO GAP).

And I've seen nothing, Carol, on this scale since the dark days of Lebanon's civil war when car bombs were often the weapon of choice here between rival militias.

So, just to recap. A large wide scene of destruction here, casualties. The army is now out in force. We're being pushed away. And a lot of devastation. Obviously a lot of concern about what is behind this explosion taking place amid very high political tension in this country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent, can anyone determine if there was a specific target?

SADLER: Not at this stage. All I can tell you is it's in a prestigious part of the newly-rebuilt part of the Lebanese capital. A huge ball of smoke immediately after the blast, a very, very powerful explosion, I can tell you. I was in my office a mile away and had to really take cover from glass flying around. So, really a very serious blast.

And a lot of collateral damage to buildings in this area. And obviously a lot of concern. You can see here I'm being pushed away now by the military. A lot of damage here and obviously a lot of concern. They're now clearing the area, forcing people further back. Perhaps concern there might be a secondary device in this area.

But unconfirmed reports, Carol, that former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's convoy might have been in this area at the time. Rafik al-Hariri is associated with a virulent opposition movement that's been building here in Lebanon against Syrian involvement in Lebanese politics. It's been building here on the political level for many weeks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler reporting live from Beirut, Lebanon, this morning.

We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, the weather could be frightening in parts of the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And we apologize for not getting to some of the stories we teased throughout our newscast because of the breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon. And, of course, "AMERICAN MORNING" will have much more on that breaking news, as you can see the terrible scene in downtown Beirut.

AP is reporting at least six people dead, dozens more injured. We don't know the target right now, but, of course, they'll have more information for you on "AMERICAN MORNING," which starts right now.

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 February 14, 2005 - 06:29   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, torment with a sexual edge? Disturbing new reports out of Guantanamo Bay. We have all of the details for you.
Plus, how about a date? If it's been awhile since you've heard that question, we've got some Valentines Day's tips for you.

And good morning to you. Welcome to the last half-hour of DAYBREAK. From the Time Warner center in New York, I'm Carol Costello, along with Chad Myers.

"Now in the News."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets today in Washington with South Korea's foreign minister. The topic? North Korea's nuclear weapons. The South Koreans and Chinese both want more six- power negotiation, but the North Koreans are holding out for one-on- one talks with the United States.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has ordered a crackdown on right-wing Jewish extremists. Sharon is responding to death threats against government ministers who support his plan to withdraw from Gaza.

Another telecom merger will be announced this morning. Verizon Communications is expected to pay nearly $7 billion in cash and stock for MCI, the nation's second-largest long distance carrier.

And a jury in Charleston gets the so-called Zoloft murder trial today. Christopher Pittman was 12 years old when he was gunned down by -- when he gunned down his grandparents, rather. Defense attorneys say the boy was under the influence of the antidepressant drug Zoloft.

(WEATHER REPORT)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

COSTELLO: A little more on the breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, this morning. We have some new pictures in from Al-Jazeera television. A huge car bomb exploded in Beirut, right in the business district. Apparently many hotels line the streets around this. Reuters is reporting at least one person was killed.

We apologize for some of these grisly pictures we're seeing. We're just getting these pictures raw, fed in to CNN.

As you can see, there was a person apparently dead inside of that car.

Reuters is reporting one person dead, at least 12 others injured. But Brent Sadler was telling us this explosion was so huge -- and you can see the aftermath that it was indeed huge -- there could be many, many more casualties.

Brent Sadler is gathering more information for us. And when he gets more, we'll pass it along to you.

Let's move on now.

In Upstate New York, the investigation of a shooting spree has shut down a Hudson Valley mall.

Sean O'Grady of CNN affiliate Capital News 9 picks up the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had a report that came through Ulster County 911 of a gunman in the Hudson Valley Mall.

SEAN O'GRADY, CNN AFFILIATE CAPITAL NEWS 9 REPORTER (voice over): A lone gunman shot his way into the Hudson Valley Mall, sending the crowded shopping center into a panic.

ALI AFSHAR, WITNESS: They were just nuts. I mean, just screaming, yelling, kids, mothers pushing their baby strollers coming out. It was just a free-for-all.

O'GRADY: The gunman, whose name is still not being released, fired multiple shots from an assault rifle. Amazingly, just two people were wounded, one a National Guard recruiter with a bullet to the knee, and another, an elderly local man with minor wounds to his left arm and leg.

When the gunman ran out of ammo, mall workers rushed him.

AFSHAR: He was on the floor. He was being smothered by two other guys that were holding him down. In the meantime, the security came by. And then the cops came, and the cops are the ones that actually handcuffed him.

O'GRADY: For safety purposes, the mall was put on lockdown for several hours.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Immediately the mall was shut down, and we were asked to stay in one spot. All of the stores were searched. And anyone was questioned that may have information. And we were just locked up until they made absolutely sure everyone was safe.

O'GRADY: Police say the mall will remain closed until the investigation is complete. The gunman is expected to be charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and first- and second-degree assault.

In Kingston, Sean O'Grady, Capital News 9. (END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Those two hours of terror left hundreds of shoppers and mall workers shaken. We'll hear more from one of the witnesses to the shooting later today on "AMERICAN MORNING." Soledad O'Brien joins us now with more on that, a preview, if you will.

Good morning -- Soledad.

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning to you, Carol. You're absolutely right. Keep in mind that this mall shooting took place at 3:00 in the afternoon, a weekend, very busy, very crowded.

This morning, we're going to talk to some eyewitnesses to the shooting. The people, as we heard, panicked. They were -- though some people were able to come out and jump on the shooter and get him to stop when he ran out of ammo.

This morning, we're going to ask them, did it seem like the shooter was targeting anybody? And exactly what were police able to do when they got on the scene as well? Those stories are ahead this morning.

Carol -- back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, thank you, Soledad.

Let's get right back to our breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, now.

David Clinch, our international editor, live in Atlanta to explain more of what possibly happened in Beirut.

Do we know for sure it was a car bomb, David?

DAVID CLINCH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: All appearances it was a car bomb. Our Brent Sadler on the scene there. We had Brent ready to do regional reaction to the Iraqi elections. So, he was in the city there in Beirut getting ready to talk about Iraq, and a huge explosion very near to our location there in Beirut.

He rushed down to the scene, and this is what he found: massive destruction. And as he's been telling us it's something that has not been seen on this scale in Lebanon since the end of the civil war in late '80s, 1990. So...

COSTELLO: And, of course, David, many Americans will remember the bombing of the Marine barracks back in 1983, the Beirut embassy bombing also in '83, targeting Americans. This does not appear to be that kind of situation, though, does it?

CLINCH: Well, you run through all of the possibilities. Where has it happened? What is targeted? And you are looking at the vehicles very closely to see whether it looks like it might be some kind of diplomatic or government target. Unclear at this point. You look at the area of Beirut where it's happened. There are hotels, there are banks, all sorts of possibilities of the targets there.

Then you think of the internal strife. We have seen attacks within the last few years internally in Lebanon. Still those political tensions exist. And every now and then they will come in this form of bombs. So, we're looking at the internal possibility of internal politics bursting into violence again.

So, at this point it's very unclear. So many possibilities, both because of the location and because of those tensions that still exist within Lebanon itself.

And then, as you say, the prospect, again, of international terrorism, targeting Americans or others. We're looking very closely, and we will wait until we have something confirmed, until we've identified what the target is.

Of course, it's always possible that bombs go off early, they miss their targets. But we're looking at where it went off in Beirut. We're looking at the vehicles, and then waiting to see if anybody claims responsibility for this explosion.

COSTELLO: Yes. And just an update. The Associated Press is reporting at least four dead in that Beirut explosion, dozens more wounded. When we get Brent Sadler up again, we'll get back to him.

CLINCH: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank you, David, though, for helping us sort it out.

CLINCH: OK.

COSTELLO: DAYBREAK will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The stories are disturbing. Female interrogators at Guantanamo Bay allegedly using sexual tactics to break down terror suspects. The report is in the latest issue of "TIME" magazine.

Joining us now live from Washington, "TIME" correspondent Viveca Novak.

Good morning, Viveca.

VIVECA NOVAK, "TIME" MAGAZINE: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: You know, I'm reading through this article, and the allegations are shocking. You're talking about a Saudi who was chained in a cell at Guantanamo Bay, and supposedly this female interrogator shed the top of her camouflage battle dress uniform, revealing a tight Army t-shirt. Tell me what went on from there.

NOVAK: Well, she was trying to break this detainee's connection with God, which she thought was giving him strength to resist the questions. They suspected him of taking flying lessons in Arizona.

And she went over, and she rubbed her chest against his back. And then, after taking another quick break, she came back and told the detainee that she was menstruating, and came over and put her hands down into her pants, walked around the back of him and brought her hands out of her pants with what appeared to be blood on them. And she smeared it on the Saudi's face.

And she told him that he wouldn't have any water in his cell to wash with that night. And if you're a Muslim, it's important to be pure, to be clean, before you pray.

And so, he reacted very dramatically. He screamed. He cried. He lunged forward and broke out of one of his ankle shackles. And the MPs had to come in. It was quite a dramatic scene.

But this whole area of sexual humiliation of detainees down there and elsewhere is something that we are hearing more and more stories about.

COSTELLO: And I was just going to ask you, how often does this allegedly happen?

NOVAK: Well, it's unclear exactly, but we have heard some other reports of it. And, in fact, a couple of female interrogators have already been essentially reprimanded by the Army for using tactics similar in nature to this.

COSTELLO: So, you know, the age-old question arises: Did anyone order this kind of interrogation to take place? Or did these women do this on their own?

NOVAK: Well, we don't know. There are investigations going on right now into these kinds of things.

We do know that the reason this came to light is that an Army sergeant, Erik Saar (ph), was the interpreter for this session. And he and I are writing a book about his experiences down at Guantanamo. And the Army -- the military had to approve some of the material that we're using before we could publish it.

Apparently, somebody within the military leaked some pages of this manuscript to the Associated Press. That came out a couple of weeks ago. But also, a note came out with it showing that within the military there was some discussion as to whether they would let this go through or would they require that it be redacted. And officials down at Guantanamo wanted to redact it and wanted to stamp it "secret" and not allow us to publish it.

So, we don't know what else is out there that hasn't yet come to light.

COSTELLO: So, last question for you. I was just wondering, do these tactics work?

NOVAK: Well, that's also unclear. They are not immediately productive. Whether eventually they break a prisoner down so much that he does talk is a little unclear. But from what the interpreter with whom I've been talking has seen, it hasn't worked.

COSTELLO: Viveca Novak from "TIME" magazine. You can read more about this issue in this week's edition of "TIME" magazine. Thank you, Viveca.

NOVAK: It's good to be with you.

COSTELLO: News this weekend about possible U.S. spy activity in Iran. A former CIA director will talk about the allegations later on "AMERICAN MORNING." So, let's check in with Bill Hemmer now.

Good morning -- Bill.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Carol, good morning to you on this Valentine's Day.

One of our topics this morning is Iran. Is the U.S. now making plans for war in that country? A new report says U.S. is flying unmanned missions over Iran for about a year, said to be looking for evidence of nuclear weapons programs, possibly looking for weaknesses in air defenses as well.

We'll talk about all of this, Carol, with the former CIA director James Woolsey and try to find out how serious the situation is in the air over Iran.

One of our many topics today on Valentine's Day. See you in about 15 minutes -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right, we'll be here. Thank you, Bill.

We're going to get more on that breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon, right after a break. You are watching DAYBREAK.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 6:48 Eastern. Here's what will be making news later today. Actually, this is making news right now.

Breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon. You're seeing pictures just in to us from Al-Jazeera Television. And this is the result of a huge car bomb explosion in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. The Associated Press is reporting six dead, dozens more injured. When we get Brent Sadler up again, we'll go live to Beirut.

Also, the nation officially gets a new legal chief this morning. In just over two and a half hours, former White House counsel Alberto Gonzales gets sworn in as attorney general.

Later this morning, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with her South Korean counterpart. The topic: finding a way to ease rising nuclear tensions with North Korea.

And an Upstate New York man is facing charges this morning in a shooting rampage at a crowded shopping mall. Police say the unidentified man opened fire with an assault rifle. Two people were wounded.

And finally, closing arguments are due today in the murder trial of Christopher Pittman. The South Carolina teenager is charged with gunning down his grandparents. The defense says the antidepressant Zoloft clouded the boy's mind. Prosecutors say he was simply angry.

Many people who are single and looking will be turning to online dating services this Valentine's Day, hoping for a love connection.

CNN's Maggie Lake talked to some people about the advantages of cyber romance.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Feeling lonely and left out this Valentine's Day? It could be that true love is just a click away.

KRISTIN KELLY, MATCH.COM: Online dating is a really quick and simple way for you to meet lots of people.

LAKE: Nonexistent a decade ago, there are now dozens of Web sites, where singles can browse for their perfect mate. Match.com has 15 million subscribers.

Industry watchers do say online services provide something traditional methods do not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're not going to ask somebody in person on the first meeting what their religion is, or whether they've ever been married or divorced, or whether they want children, or how much they smoke. But these are the kinds of things you can learn by looking at online dating profiles.

LAKE: If that profile is honest. Still, last year, according to Jupiter Media, 23 million Americans used an Internet dating service. Europeans have been more reluctant to look for love online, but that is now changing. Business at European sites is expected to grow by 82 percent this year, with subscriptions worth 160 million euros.

But not everyone is enamored with Web dating. After growing at a rapid clip in the early 2000s, business at online dating services in the U.S. has leveled off.

Some complain while there are more choices online, it's still hard to find that special connection.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once in a blue moon you might meet somebody. I have met people before, but it's very difficult.

LAKE: Whether you decided to look for your Valentine online this year or stick to more traditional means, remember the quest for love is full of ups and downs.

Maggie Lake, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: All right. We're going to go to Beirut, Lebanon, now. We do have Brent Sadler?

BRENT SADLER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler is on the scene of that car bombing

Brent, what more can you tell us?

SADLER: Yes, I'm walking to the sirens -- the scene of this massive explosion that shook the Lebanese capital of Beirut within the past hour or so. We are getting confirmation from reports on the ground that there have been fatalities.

I've certainly seen many, many terrified people running away from the scene of this blast.

Unconfirmed reports that the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's convoy was in this area at the time. I can't confirm that. We're working on the ground with that, but I'm just walking closer to the site of the bomb blast, and I got maybe 50 yards away now.

A lot of collateral damage in this area. It happened there on the famed Cornische of Beirut, casualties, a huge blast that wrecked windows and brought masonry down of adjoining buildings, a wide area of damage around the blast site. Certainly windows were blown out of their frames in the center of the city about a mile away.

We're getting no confirmation that this was a terror attack. There is speculation that this might have been a car bomb. Certainly a lot of damaged vehicles here. The scene, I'm now right in the heart of tangled vehicles that have been tossed up in the air. It has all of the hallmarks of the kind of blasting we see after attacks that (AUDIO GAP).

And I've seen nothing, Carol, on this scale since the dark days of Lebanon's civil war when car bombs were often the weapon of choice here between rival militias.

So, just to recap. A large wide scene of destruction here, casualties. The army is now out in force. We're being pushed away. And a lot of devastation. Obviously a lot of concern about what is behind this explosion taking place amid very high political tension in this country -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent, can anyone determine if there was a specific target?

SADLER: Not at this stage. All I can tell you is it's in a prestigious part of the newly-rebuilt part of the Lebanese capital. A huge ball of smoke immediately after the blast, a very, very powerful explosion, I can tell you. I was in my office a mile away and had to really take cover from glass flying around. So, really a very serious blast.

And a lot of collateral damage to buildings in this area. And obviously a lot of concern. You can see here I'm being pushed away now by the military. A lot of damage here and obviously a lot of concern. They're now clearing the area, forcing people further back. Perhaps concern there might be a secondary device in this area.

But unconfirmed reports, Carol, that former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri's convoy might have been in this area at the time. Rafik al-Hariri is associated with a virulent opposition movement that's been building here in Lebanon against Syrian involvement in Lebanese politics. It's been building here on the political level for many weeks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Brent Sadler reporting live from Beirut, Lebanon, this morning.

We're going to take a short break. We'll be right back with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Oh, the weather could be frightening in parts of the country.

(WEATHER REPORT)

COSTELLO: And we apologize for not getting to some of the stories we teased throughout our newscast because of the breaking news out of Beirut, Lebanon. And, of course, "AMERICAN MORNING" will have much more on that breaking news, as you can see the terrible scene in downtown Beirut.

AP is reporting at least six people dead, dozens more injured. We don't know the target right now, but, of course, they'll have more information for you on "AMERICAN MORNING," which starts right now.

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