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Your World Today
President Bush Announces High Level Personnel Changes Before Unveiling Iraq War Strategy; Tensions Remain High in Gaza, West Bank; One Lucky Sailor
Aired January 05, 2007 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A new way forward in Iraq. President Bush announcing some high level personnel changes before unveiling his war strategy.
RALITSA VASSILEVA, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: A monster in a petri dish. A controversy rages in Britain over stem cell research that uses animal eggs as host for human embryos.
CLANCY: Sex, YouTube and videotape. A Brazilian judge has a say about a Web site showing steamy video of a model and her boyfriend.
VASSILEVA: And hip hop, Palestinian-style. A new Arab rap group wows the young. Their inspiration, they say, is anger.
CLANCY: It is 12:00 noon in Washington, D.C., 5:00 p.m. in London.
Hello and welcome, everyone, to our report broadcast around the world.
I'm Jim Clancy.
VASSILEVA: I'm Ralitsa Vassileva.
From Rio de Janeiro, to Ramallah, wherever you're watching us, this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
CLANCY: Well, we haven't yet seen the plan, the new course for Iraq, but we do know this, President Bush will have some new hands at the helm.
VASSILEVA: That's right. U.S. President George W. Bush is making leadership changes today from his national security team to military commanders.
CLANCY: It comes just ahead, of course, of his long-awaited announcement about that new way forward. That's expected to come next week.
VASSILEVA: We are covering the leadership reshuffle from all angles, with reporters at the White House, also at the Pentagon, and in Iraq.
CLANCY: Let's start with our White House correspondent, our own Suzanne Malveaux. Suzanne, no surprise here that some changes were going to be made. But perhaps a little surprising at just how sweeping they were.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jim, you're absolutely right here. And there really is a sense of urgency from this White House, from this president, to get the new team in place before unveiling what he is calling this new strategy regarding Iraq.
So that is why we saw today the National Intelligence director, John Negroponte, the official announcement in the Roosevelt Room that he would be moving from his intelligence post to become number two at the State Department. And then, of course, the official nomination of Mike McConnell, former director of the National Security Agency, to fill his spot.
And what this emphasizes here is really a sense of diplomacy, the diplomatic component that this new strategy is going to take on. We expect that it is going to be very high profile and very important in this president's new strategy.
President Bush, earlier this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For nearly two years, John has done a superb job as America's first director of National Intelligence. John Negroponte's broad experience, sound judgment and expertise on Iraq and in the war on terror make him -- make him a superb choice as deputy secretary of state, and I look forward to working with him in this new post.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: And Jim, specifically what he's talking about, his experience as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. It was a seen and considered very important to have somebody in that particular position in the State Department that really was at the forefront of Iraq policy.
We have been told the president personally reached out to Negroponte and McConnell to ask both of these men to accept these positions. We are also told that McConnell, of course, a favorite, not only because of his intelligence experience, but also his experience in the private sector. And he has a good working relationship with now the secretary of defense, Bob Gates. They used to work together back when Gates was director of the CIA -- Jim.
CLANCY: All right. Suzanne Malveaux there at the White House. A little bit of background information, filling us in on some of the details about these new appointments.
Thanks -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Well, President Bush has not yet announced how he plans to change the U.S. military strategy in Iraq. But we have already learned that two top U.S. generals in Iraq will soon be on their way out.
Let's get details from Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon.
Kathleen, so what does this mean for policy? And who are we going to see take their place?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ralitsa, it's our understanding what President Bush is basically doing here is lining up this new team to carry out his new strategy in Iraq. And basically, what he's looking for is commanders who, unlike some current commanders, commanders who will not object to having an increase in U.S. forces in Iraq. So major change.
First of all, General John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, will be out. Taking his place will be Admiral William Fallon.
Now, Admiral -- Admiral Fallon, who is currently the top American military officer in the Pacific, will -- he was a surprise choice. He'll be the first Navy officer to certain as head of Central Command.
The second change, General George Casey, the current commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, will be replaced by Army Lieutenant General David Petraeus. Petraeus is obviously very well respected, very experienced in Iraq, served two tours of duty there. He headed the effort, also, to train Iraqi security forces. The general most recently helped oversee the drafting of the military's new manual on the counterinsurgency.
So, these are major shakeups, will have a major impact on the U.S. strategy on the ground in Iraq. And we are expecting the announcement to be made officially in the form of a paper statement here at the Pentagon any time now -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Kathleen Koch, thank you very much, live at the Pentagon -- Jim.
CLANCY: The big question, what will these new faces bring in the way of change on the ground in Iraq. And what does the average Iraqi think about the moves?
Arwa Damon has some answers for us from Baghdad.
Hi, Arwa.
ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim.
And there are mixed thoughts about this potential increase in U.S. troops here in the capital, Baghdad. A lot -- what we're seeing is this trend where more and more Iraqis are feeling that the U.S. presence here is only serving to increase the violence.
In fact, a recent poll taken by a nongovernmental organization showed that at least 80 percent of Iraqis did not feel safe when coalition forces came into their neighborhoods. This is partly because they feel that the presence of coalition troops means that there will be an increased number of attacks against them and that that, then, means that more civilians will die in the crossfire.
Also, we are seeing a number of Iraqis who blame this U.S.-led invasion for all of the sectarian divides that we're seeing right now. And so we're seeing this increase in aggression towards U.S. troops, towards the U.S. presence, even from average Iraqis.
CLANCY: All right. Arwa Damon there, giving us the background on what is happening there.
Arwa, thank you very much.
We want to thank everybody, Arwa, Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, as well as Kathleen Koch at the Pentagon, giving us a broader view here of what's really going on with these changes today.
VASSILEVA: Some very important announcements.
CLANCY: Absolutely. How these men really affect it. We're going to get a little bit more on that later. We'll have some analysis from General David Grange.
But right now, let's check some other stories that are making news around the world this hour.
VASSILEVA: And we're going to begin in Somalia, where Somalia's president calling for international peacekeepers to stabilize his chaotic nation. He's meeting with top U.S. and EU diplomats in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss ways to bring peace to Somalia.
Government troops, backed by Ethiopian soldiers, are still battling Islamist fighters alone the border with Kenya.
CLANCY: And days after a massive car bomb killed two people at Madrid's international airport, police now have found two new stashes of explosives in northern Spain. They were discovered in the Basque separatist region. Police say it does appear they were ready for immediate use by the Basque separatist group ETA.
An elite Brazilian police force is going to soon be deployed to the state of Rio de Janeiro. A wave of gang violence last week left 19 people dead. The state wants to guarantee public safety during carnival celebrations in February and the upcoming Pan-American games in July.
VASSILEVA: Shop owners went on strike to protest the latest Israeli incursion on the West Bank, while Palestinian leaders, once again, promise to end factional bloodshed.
Elise Labott reports tensions remain high in both Gaza and the West Bank.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Four funerals in the West Bank Friday. Tensions still high after Thursday's deadly incursion by Israeli forces into Ramallah. This taxi driver saw Israeli troops entering the city.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): A friend of ours was standing at this coffee corner. His name is Khalid al-Beiruti (ph). He closed his corner to leave but later was shot in the chest, twice.
LABOTT: Israel said a manhunt for one Palestinian militant escalated when its troops encountered armed resistance. But the timing could not have been worse. Troops rolled in just as Israel's prime minister began a summit in Egypt with President Mubarak, casting a shadow over Prime Minister's Olmert's efforts to jump-start peace.
A shaky cease-fire in Gaza between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants also now in doubt. Kassam rockets landing in this Israeli town of Sderot as the Sabbath began.
In Gaza, more funerals. Deaths not at the hands of Israelis, but Palestinians turning on one another.
Another day of clashes Thursday between Fatah and forces of the Hamas-led government. A violent power struggle since President Abbas' calls for early elections. Eight dead, including a Fatah commander and a senior Hamas officer.
Gaza reeling from collateral damage. Hospitals teeming with dozens of wounded.
An emergency meeting between President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh, and an agreement to step back from the brink of civil war. The two men promised to get gunmen off the streets, deploy police to restore law and order, and restart talks on power sharing.
ISMAIL HANIYEH, PALESTINIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We reject the use of violence as a way to settle internal differences and condemn anyone who would resort to such a method.
LABOTT: A fragile truce which, like earlier truces, could be short-lived. In fact, just hours after the agreement to stop the violence, a cleric calling for an end to the Palestinian infighting was gunned down.
(on camera): And close to $100 million in U.S. funding expected soon to boost President Abbas' security force with training and equipment could even further fuel simmering tensions.
Elise Labott, CNN, Jerusalem.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CLANCY: Well, still ahead, the mystery of a missing airliner.
VASSILEVA: Anxious families await for word of the loved ones who have been missing since New Year's Day.
CLANCY: Also coming up, a model, her boyfriend, and some steamy video which a judge says is a bit too much. VASSILEVA: Plus, their song has become a cult anthem among young Palestinians. Meet a leading Arab hip hop group.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VASSILEVA: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching YOUR WORLD TODAY.
CLANCY: This is where we bring CNN International viewers and U.S. viewers up to speed on some of the most important international stories of the day.
And our top stories this day, U.S. President George W. Bush shuffling leadership positions in his administration ahead of a planned speech on a new policy in Iraq.
Palestinians in Ramallah protesting an Israeli arrest raid that left four people dead.
And Somali government forces continuing to battle Islamist fighters as diplomats meet in Nairobi to chart a new path for the country.
In his final message to controllers, the pilot of an Indonesian airliner expressed concerns about violent crosswinds. That was on Monday, shortly before the Boeing 737 disappeared halfway through a two-hour flight with 102 souls on board.
Now, with the search widening, anxious relatives are waiting for word. Dan Rivers is waiting alongside them.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
DAN RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): In a small gloomy hotel on a remote island in Indonesia they are praying for a miracle. Relatives of those missing from flight KL-574 united in profound shock and distress. Devout Christians asking for God's help after the aircraft carrying their loved ones disappeared on New Year's Day.
Wesley Mamahani (ph) is waiting to find out what happened to his sister Lydia (ph). She and her 3-year-old son were on board.
"When our family first heard the news, we were devastated," he says. We were overwhelmed with shock.
Selve Kuwembian (ph) is hoping her brother, sister-in-law and 18- month-old nephew will also be found. She says, "I know it's probably humanly impossible that they are alive now, but anything is possible in the eyes of God."
Three Americans are also among the missing -- Stephanie Jackson (ph), a 21-year-old student from Oregon, her 18-year-old sister Lindsay (ph), and their father Scott (ph), who lived part time in Indonesia. Friends at Lindsay's (ph) high school in Oregon are trying to maintain hope.
LAUREN HALE, FRIEND: She was just such a wonderful person that I know that if anything bad did happen to her that she'll be missed by so many people.
RIVERS: But after four days of intense searching, there is no sign of the plane on Sulawesi. Searchers suggest it's likely the jet may have plummeted into the sea.
(on camera): The anguish and distress of these families is getting worse every hour. There's little for them to do but watch television and hope for some good news. But many now are facing the fear that their loved ones simply aren't coming home.
(voice over): Breaking the news as gently as they can to family and friends, confronting the bleak reality that this story is now unlikely to have a happy ending.
Dan Rivers, CNN, Makassar, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VASSILEVA: Well, another family is experiencing celebration after days of uncertainty about the fate of one loved one in their family. Injured and lost at sea for three days, a U.S. sailor, Ken Barnes, was rescued this morning by the Chilean navy.
Our Chris Lawrence has been following this dramatic story from California. He joins us now with details.
Chris, this is one lucky sailor.
CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Ralitsa, when you look at it, at one point, his masts were destroyed, he had no steering, his engine was crippled. He had begun to take on it water, and he was nursing a deep gouge in his leg.
He was in bad shape. But now he is on a Chilean fishing vessel, heading for shore, all because of a very coordinated international effort, including the Chilean navy sending out a surveillance plane to find his distress beacon and then guiding that nearby fishing vessel to his location.
As soon as he got on board, it wasn't long before he put in a call to his girlfriend and family back home here in California.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEN BARNES, RESCUED AT SEA: I'm on the fishing boat heading for (INAUDIBLE). I'm OK. Everything's OK. And I should be there in about a day or two.
CATHY CHAMBERS, GIRLFRIEND: OK.
BARNES: Can you still hear me?
CHAMBERS: Yes. Can you please get some sleep?
He called us at 4:49 this morning from the sat phone, and he said -- he goes, "I'm on the fishing vessel, I'm OK, I'm thankful." I'm just excited now.
Can you keep -- can you keep trying to call us?
BARNES: Can you hear me?
CHAMBERS: Yes. Can you keep letting us know what the status is?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Now, Ken Barnes set sale in late October, and he had hoped to end his trip sometime between April and June, after he had circumnavigated the world alone on his boat.
VASSILEVA: Chris, what's always fascinating with these stories is, why do people do this? This obviously was a childhood dream for this sailor.
LAWRENCE: Yes, it was. And I think his daughter spoke to that somewhat, about some of the disappointment that he may be feeling when he gets back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTNEY BARNES, KEN BARNES' DAUGHTER: It was really scary. It was hard to hear him in pain and wanting to come home, because that's not like him at all. He's a very strong person, and he wouldn't have done this trip if he wasn't certain that he could do it. So with the weather, that's the only thing that stopped him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAWRENCE: Yes, the weather is bad. They call that area around Cape Horn "The Graveyard." And, you know, for Ken Barnes, it very nearly was -- Ralitsa.
VASSILEVA: Chris Lawrence with an amazing story from California.
Thank you very much.
CLANCY: Lucky guy. Very remote area between Antarctica and South America.
VASSILEVA: Yes, 500 miles away from shore in bad weather.
CLANCY: Yes. Well beyond -- well beyond helicopter range.
Still ahead, though, another story, tampering with Mother Nature.
VASSILEVA: British scientists stir up a controversy with a plan to mix animal and human genes in the name of research.
CLANCY: And nothing is sacred on a top video-sharing Web site in the U.S. Just ask a Brazilian supermodel caught in a compromising situation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Hi, everybody. I'm Heidi Collins at the CNN Center in Atlanta.
More of YOUR WORLD TODAY in just a few moments. But first, we want to check the headlines making news here in the U.S.
Severe weather tearing across the South today. In Louisiana, residents in shock after tornadoes tore through the southern part of their state.
Roofs were ripped off. Mobile homes were heavily damaged. At least two people were killed, 15 others injured. One uplifting piece of news, though, three children who were missing after the storm blew through have now been found.
A state of emergency has been declared in four parishes. Today, residents are being warned about the possibility of flash flooding.
Rob Marciano's in the weather center now to keep track of it all.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: Personnel changes ahead of a major announcement on Iraq. President Bush announcing shifts in his diplomatic and intelligence lineups. Mike McConnell is his pick to be director of National Intelligence, replacing John Negroponte, who is in line to become deputy secretary of state.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN NEGROPONTE, NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR: The past 20 months, I believe that our intelligence community has embraced the challenge of functioning as a single unified enterprise and reaffirmed the fact that it is the best intelligence community in the world. Second to none.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Some military moves also in the works. According to two high-ranking military sources, Admiral William Fallon has been tabbed to replace General John Abizaid as top commander in the Middle East. Fallon currently overseas U.S. forces in the Pacific.
And according to one of those sources, Lieutenant General David Petraeus has been chosen to replace General George Casey as chief commander in Iraq. The moves come as the president finalizes his new Iraq plan.
New Congress, new business. The Democratic-controlled House flexing muscle on pocketbook items and ethics. This, as new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighs in on word the president may send thousands more troops into Iraq.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Madam Speaker, congratulations.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: Hi. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you support a surge in U.S. troops in Iraq?
PELOSI: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Democrats have been pushing to get troops out of Iraq. The new leadership says any plan to send more U.S. troops to Iraq will get a cool reception.
Ken Barnes' dream, sail solo around the world. But that dream turned into a nightmare.
A violent storm left his 44-foot yacht adrift at sea for three days. Then today a fishing boat came to his aid off the coast of Chile.
Barnes' girlfriend and twin daughters are delaying their celebrations until he gets home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAMBERS: I think it's just because I'm tired and I'm -- haven't had much, you know, sleep at all. And I'm hungry and my stomach is still in knots. I won't feel totally good until I can actually see his picture and I can hear his voice.
B. BARNES: It was really scary. It was hard to hear him in pain and wanting to come home, because that's not like him at all. He's a very strong person.
And he wouldn't have done this trip if he wasn't certain that he could do it. So with the weather, that's the only thing that stopped him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: A Chilean naval officer says Barnes is in good condition except for a small cut on his thigh.
The catch of a lifetime. Just in time.
A couple of quick-thinking New York men caught a 3-year-old child. The toddler fell from a fourth floor fire escape in the Bronx. Julio Gonzales (ph) and Pedro Navarres (ph) say they saw the little boy dangling and rushed underneath as the toddler let go. The toddler got a few cuts and bumps but he will be OK.
That's a look at our stopper to top stories.
The "NEWSROOM" continues coming up at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.
I'm Heidi Collins.
Now back to YOUR WORLD TODAY.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWSBREAK)
CLANCY: Let's get some more on the high-level personnel changes, and how the new faces fit into the new way forward we're expecting to hear from President Bush next week, the way forward in Iraq, that is.
CNN's military analyst David Grange joins us now from Chicago with a look at all of that. Obviously, the personnel changes can go hand in hand. Now what do they really mean on the ground for, perhaps, a fresh look at the problems that confront the U.S. and the coalition troops there?
DAVID GRANGE, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, I think that's just it, is a fresh look. I don't think anybody's leaving Iraq or leaving Central Command because they failed. They both worked very hard. Conditions have changed on the ground In 2006, and surely in '07, compared to 2003 and 2004. They want a fresh look. They brought in two very capable commanders to take those positions. And since they're changing the strategy, this will help the process.
CLANCY: Are they really changing the strategy? We haven't seen the plan yet. But there's a lot of speculation that the president may be calling for a short-term spike in the number of U.S. troops on the ground in Baghdad and in Anbar province, the wider area to the west of Iraq.
GRANGE: Well, I hope so, because I think that's what it's going to take. It's a critical period here for the next four to six months. I think that has to be done. I believe that will be announced. I think the Baker Commission didn't really show a lot of change, except for the two points on accelerating the training and also taking a regional approach, which I agree with the regional approach, because it's bigger than Iraq itself.
But I do think that there will be a spike, and I think something has to change besides just keeping a lid on it and waiting for things to improve on the Iraqi side, which is going to take sometime.
CLANCY: You know in terms of the sectarian violence, even today, there was a major Muslim group, this Sunni Muslim group in Baghdad, who is blaming the government directly for being involved, some government officials, for being involved with these death squad, with the militias that are going on there. And they really believe that that's the problem that hasn't been addressed. You think the U.S. will be able to do that?
GRANGE: I think it has been addressed behind closed doors. I think that part -- part of that is true. I think there are officials in the government that are in cahoots with militias, with death squads. And there's also, with the other factions, with the insurgency. Absolutely. And that's why I'm saying that I believe that the strategy has to change for us to at least be involved in a heavier way for a short period of time to hopefully change that somewhat. The strategy that's been employed right now is not going to work. Iran's strategy and other people that influence that area, their strategy is working. I think that the signal's going to be sent that the United States is not leaving. That we intend to be successful here. And I think you're going to see that being said.
CLANCY: How about General Petraeus? What does he bring to all of this? He's going to be the man on the ground for Iraq.
GRANGE: David Petraeus brings exceptional skill as a soldier and land fighter, warrior. And also with counterinsurgency. It's a little bit different now with the counterinsurgency, that efforts that should have happened in 2004, let's say, in those times, were a counter insurgency, that doctrinal action, has to happen up front. Now we have an issue where we have a counterinsurgency and also have the civil war-type sectarian violence in Baghdad, which is beyond an insurgency. And so he has a tall task ahead of him. But he's the kind of soldier that will be able to take that on, if he's given the empowerment and resources to do so.
CLANCY: One troubling thing in all of this, even with an increase in troops on the ground, new people in place, the regional dynamics at play here, the man, the Iranian dissident who revealed Iran's nuclear program, before the rest of the world, before the Mossad, before the CIA or anybody else knew about it, are now saying that there's evidence the Iranians are pouring cash into the fight to fan the flames of sectarian violence and to provide some of the critical technology for deadly roadside bombs that are taking the lives of U.S. soldiers. How -- what's the possibility there? What are your intelligence sources tell you?
GRANGE: Well, regardless of what the dissident has said, there's plenty of intelligence that's been gathered that -- of the Iranian influence, both providing sophisticated triggering devices for improvised-explosive device, IEDs, which are killing a lot of American GIs, which this country, the United States of America, is very upset about, and I think that there's going to be some red lines drawn in the sand on Iran's influence in Iraq. There's no doubt in my mind, with money, with advisers, with munitions, that they're deeply involved. They want to create a Hezbollah-type Lebanon scenario in Iraq.
CLANCY: All right, General David Grange, we're going to have to leave it there, but I want to thank you very much as always for lending your perspective to us.
VASSILEVA: A British court has convicted a Muslim man in connection with a demonstration against editorial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Unran Javad (ph) was convicted of calling for the murder of U.S. and Danish citizens during a protest outside the embassy in London last March. The publication of the editorial cartoons in a Danish newspaper sparked demonstrations around the globe. The Koran forbids the depiction of the prophet in any form. Javad expressed regret and called his comments, quote, "soundbites and slogans." He'll be sentenced at a later date.
When we come back, another YouTube controversy.
That's right, Brazil takes on Google's popular video-sharing Web site over a steamy video clip of a top model that's been getting a lot of hits, to say the least.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CLANCY: Welcome back to CNN International.
Welcome back to CNN International.
VASSILEVA: Seen live in more than 200 countries across the globe this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.
CLANCY: Well, it is a decision that could impact the health of millions of people. Britain now debating whether or not to ban stem cell research.
Sue Saville reports on the debate that pits cold, hard science against critics afraid that mixing human and animal embryos could result in a modern day Frankenstein.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUE SAVILLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The research on treatments for as yet incurable diseases needs eggs to grow human embryos but there aren't enough human eggs available so scientists wants to use animal eggs as hosts, which brought fears of Frankenstein monsters.
PROF. STEPHEN MINGER, STEM CELL RESEARCHER: I think people have some weird notion that we're going to create half human-half cows and this is anything but that. This is really taking advantage of biological material, which is readily available and in the process we will create human embryos. When we remove the cow nucleus and insert a human cell, it is, by default, human.
SAVILLE (on camera): What scientists want to do is to create disease specific cell lines, disease in a dish if you like from human embryos grown in animal eggs from which the nucleus has been removed. But this hybrid, known as a chimera, has sparked serious ethical debate.
(voice-over): An egg is taken from a slaughtered cow and most of its genetic information erased. Then a single cell from a motor neuron or Alzheimer's patient is removed and injected into the animal egg, which divides to become an embryo. A freak of nature, say opponents.
DR. ANDREW FERGUSON, CHRISTIAN MEDICAL FELLOWSHIP: We're going to be proposing to mix genetic material, albeit at 199 to 1 ratio of humans and other animal species. We believe that crosses a fundamental dividing line. It's not happened in nature since the dawn of time.
SAVILLE: This morning, the prime minister entered the debate.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: We haven't made this country number one in the world of stem cell research, we haven't done things that are saving tens of thousands of lives, as we see here now, you know, in order to turn all that on its head.
SAVILLE: For Rosie Fraser, with motor neuron disease, it's too late, but stem cell research may yet help her sons.
ROSIE FRASER, PATIENT: I hope that it will help the rest of my family. I have two boys. And also other members of the family who may in the future have this disease.
SAVILLE: Bids for licenses on this research will be heard next week.
Sue Saville, ITV News.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VASSILEVA: Well, now to Brazil, where a judge has ordered the video sharing website YouTube to stop showing steamy footage of Brazilian supermodel Daniela Cicarelli and her banker boyfriend.
The website was first ordered to remove the video back in September but users just kept reposting it. Two other Brazilian sites that hosted the video have complied, have found ways to comply with this original order. And the new order opens up quite a can of worms when it comes to the internet, privacy issues and copyright laws.
Joining us now from New York to try to sort all these complicated issues is the Bruce Upbin. He's the assistant managing editor of "Forbes" Magazine. Thank you so much for joining us. So, what do you think of this judge's decision?
BRUCE UPBIN, "FORBES" MAGAZINE: We're going to see a lot more of these. The thing about YouTube is, the reason it became so successful is because anyone can put up anything at any time. YouTube is forced to take things down if they infringe on a copyright. And they've been told by the judge to take this down for privacy reasons. People keep putting it back on. I just saw it this morning on YouTube. I couldn't see anybody, even though I could tell it was two people cavorting in the surf.
VASSILEVA: So what has YouTube violated?
UPBIN: Well there's privacy laws in Brazil, there's privacy laws in most every country. Laws against exploiting people's right to privacy and their intimacy. And we have laws like this here in the U.S. of course, there's a safe harbor, YouTube can't be prosecuted if they're deemed just to be transmitting someone else's video.
VASSILEVA: Has Google done enough to block it?
UPBIN: They're trying. What they want is a very secret formula algorithm in their software that can look at everything and deem it to be an invasion of someone's privacy or allows them to go find it quickly. They can't right now, they haven't invented that yet.
VASSILEVA: So, how did the two other Brazilian sites comply with it in December?
UPBIN: We're going to see this forever and ever. Google's just going to put money into every little suit that comes up. They'll have to settle them. They might get hit with a very big one, but mostly for copyright infringement of movies, TV shows, and music.
VASSILEVA:: So what precedent does this case set?
UPBIN: It doesn't really set any kind of precedent here. It's still an open question about how that will affect laws all over the world. Again, every country's privacy laws different. I wouldn't read too much into it. It's kind of a nuisance suit at this point for YouTube.
VASSILEVA: Could it be damaging though? They're talking about the possibility of a fine of $119,000 for each hit.
UPBIN: That would be -- yes, that would damage the suit, but it sounds like a negotiating position to me. I think Google can find a way out of it eventually.
VASSILEVA: All right, Bruce Upbin, assistant managing editor of "Forbes" Magazine -- thank you very much. Interesting case.
CLANCY: A lot more lawsuits where those are coming from because as more and more people put more of their videos on the internet there will be these issues. That's why it's important to watch.
VASSILEVA: Well, straight ahead on YOUR WORLD TODAY ...
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UNIDENTIFIED MALES: Mean and heavy, mean and heavy, mean and heavy.
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CLANCY: Hip-hop in the Holy Land, rapping to break free of the poverty and violence in a rough neighborhood. That story straight ahead.
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VASSILEVA: Welcome back, everybody. Despite urging from China for Iran to heed the U.N. Security Council sanctions, Tehran remains adamant in its pursuit of nuclear power. The country's top negotiator Ali Larijani says Iran will not bow to international pressure or give up its uranium enrichment program.
While vowing his country's plans are peaceful, he also says that that could change if Iran is threatened. Larijani sat down with our own John Vause.
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JOHN VAUSE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At least one senior cleric has warned that pressing Iran will have consequences. I think the quote was, many will suffer from the smoke of this fire. What does this mean?
ALI LARIJANI, IRANIAN NUCLEAR NEGOTIATOR (through translator): Of course (INAUDIBLE), applying illogical pressure on Iran are known to everybody. This kind of adventurous behavior and pressure on Iran is not a win-win situation and will have its consequences eventually.
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VASSILEVA: Well, the U.N. resolution, which was passed last month, bans all countries from selling any material or technology to Iran that could be used in the development of its nuclear programs.
CLANCY: Rap music often finds an audience because it documents life under difficult, even violent, conditions.
VASSILEVA: And life in the Arab slums of Israel can be bleak. Sure enough there is a popular hip-hop group cataloging the conflict between Palestinians and Jews.
CLANCY: The group hails from the town of Lod, one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country.
And Hala Gorani gives us a profile of the members of the band.
HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hip-hop, Palestinian-style. Rap and hip-hop, born half a world away, taking root in the Middle East with Dam, the leading Arab rap group. Led by 27-year-old Arab-Israeli Tamer Nafar, his younger brother, Suhell, and their friend, Mahmoud Jreri. Their inspiration, they say, anger.
TAMER NAFAR, DAM MEMBER: You see what happens in Gaza, and you cannot not stay angry. The cops comes and beat me down, you cannot not stay angry. So you get angry. So you write anger.
GORANI: At a concert in the West Bank city of Ramallah, they attract a crowd of young Palestinians, cheering the trio, rapping over pictures of the Palestinian intifada.
Dam, which means "blood" in Arabic, says lyrics are their weapon, against what they call political and social oppression.
SUHELL NAFAR, DAM MEMBER: These days, hip-hop is the pain language, hip-hop doesn't have any language -- it's not English, it's not Arabic. It's the pain. Everybody using it these days.
GORANI: Their growing fanbase agrees. Pouring out of the Ramallah movie theater, they say rap is their language, too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Politically, we are defeated, but these voice saying that we are not defeated anymore, and we are doing our best to deliver our message. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the people we rap about, our country, we want freedom, we want peace.
GORANI: Dams CDs are selling well in Palestinian towns and villages. But there's no money to produce a state of the art video, so they post their music on file-sharing sites like YouTube and MySpace, where they rap both in Arabic, asking, who's the terrorist -- but also in Hebrew, saying they, too, were born here.
Here is the mixed Arab Israeli city of Lod, in the low-income housing where drugs and violence are also an inspiration.
T. NAFAR: We grew up thinking that you were nothing. And then you grew up with the name Ahmed, or Asa or Hamad, no job, nothing, unemployment, and the only chance you have is selling drugs.
MAHMOUD JRERI, DAM MEMBER: Our reality is complex. It's social, political, personal problems. And that's what we are bringing to the paper. Everything that we are living or feeling, we are writing.
GORANI: From Lod, Dam is sparking interest outside the Arab world. Today, the brothers are packing for a two-week tour of musical festivals in France and Holland. The Nafar brothers still live at home with their family. Not enough money to move out, they say. And on the walls of the bedroom they share, posters of figures that sparked their passion for hip-hop.
S. NAFAR: Tupac is one of the reasons that we're doing hip-hop today.
T. NAFAR: What! Tupac.
First, I started listening to hip-hop. Then I got deep into the black culture. Like Malcolm X, like Martin Luther King, Black Panthers, blah, blah, blah, da, da da, and from there I got to my own roots, to my own roots, like our own Malcolm Xs and our own Black Panthers, and I got to be more Palestinian.
GORANI: More Palestinian, but also Israeli -- Arabs who are Israeli citizens. With that comes a very special kind of identity crisis.
S. NUFAR: Because the Israeli treat us as Palestinians and the Arabic world treat us as Israelis. So we don't have anywhere to put out our art. So what we did is just make our own company and we don't need anybody's favors, and we going to do everything independent and make everything through us, independent.
GORANI: The trio hops in a cab to the airport, saying they want their message heard more, beyond the borders of the country they call home.
Hala Gorani, CNN, Lod, Israel.
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CLANCY: And on that note, we're going to have to call it a day. That's it for this hour. I'm Jim Clancy.
VASSILEVA: I'm Ralitsa Vassileva and this is CNN.
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