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Iraqi Elections; Gadahn Arrested; Countdown to the Oscars

Aired March 07, 2010 - 16:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. It's Sunday, March 7th and you're in the CNN NEWSROOM. They called him a zombie American. A Pakistani official tells CNN that intelligence agents have arrested Adam Gadahn in Karachi today. Gadahn grew up in California but he moved to Pakistan back in 1998 and appeared in more than a dozen Al Qaeda videos condemning the U.S. and Israel. He has been considered the spokesperson of Al Qaeda.

CNN's Reza Sayah is in Islamabad. Reza, give us an idea of the circumstances of this arrest and why Pakistani officials are so quick to boast about this.

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka. Very few details about this arrest. But the arrest was confirmed to us by a senior Pakistani government official. We should note that U.S. officials have yet to confirm the arrest of Adam Gadahn. In fact, we were eager to see if President Barack Obama would say anything when he delivered some comments about the Iraqi elections about an hour ago. He did not.

But let's tell you what we have from this senior Pakistani government official. This official telling CNN that Gadahn is an American citizen who joined Al Qaeda was arrested in a southern port city of Karachi. Karachi, a city where we have seen a number of senior Afghan Taliban leaders arrested over the past couple of months.

Adam Gadahn, an incredibly bizarre story. This was a young man, 31 years old, born in California. He essentially became a mouthpiece for Al Qaeda. Ever since 2004 he delivered a number of videotaped messages on behalf of Al Qaeda. It is not clear if this is a coincidence. But his latest videotape message surfaced today in that videotape message, he called on Muslims in America to wage jihad against America, on American soil.

He described the Ft. Hood killer as an example of a good Muslim. Of course, the Ft. Hood killer of the army major who killed 13 people in an Army base in Ft. Hood, Texas. Adam Gadahn started studying Islam when he was 17. He converted to Islam and later moved to Pakistan in 1998. Married an Afghan woman. Few years later, he joined Al Qaeda and became a spokesperson.

In 2006, U.S. courts charged him with treason. Washington was offering a $1 million reward for his capture. And again, according to this senior Pakistani government official, Adam Gadahn indeed in custody. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Reza Sayah in Islamabad, thank you so much for that.

So what does Adam Gadahn's arrest mean for the fight against Al Qaeda. Ken Robinson is a former military intelligence officer. He is joining me now by phone from Los Angeles. So Ken, how significant would this arrest mean in the U.S.' fight against terrorism?

KEN ROBINSON, FMR. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (ON THE PHONE): Well, Fred, it is a really big deal because this man knows a lot about the recruitment and retention of the global jihad movement on the internet. It is a funny thing that English is not only the language of civil aviation. It has become the language of jihad because there's so many different languages, it becomes a unifying language for them in distance learning and it's a big deal now that they have lost their biggest spokesman.

WHITFIELD: But what is going to be an even bigger deal is will he talk, would he cooperate? Because there are a lot of questions that Pakistani as well as U.S. officials will have for him. But should anyone count on him actually divulging any information?

ROBINSON: He's probably going to be a tough target. He's probably going to be - has been trained in resistance to interrogation. And there is perishable information that he has that probably won't be worth much 48 hours from now. But is valuable now. And so it's a race with him to see what he has on him and what he is willing to say.

But more importantly, it is the ideology and recruitment of guys like him because if you - if you notice, this is what's called a leaderless resistance. What that means is there is no corporate headquarters. They put their ideas out on the web and they find people who are sympathetic, who are hopeless, and they recruit them and then someone comes in and radicalizes them. Just like what happened with him.

And it is a dangerous cycle we are seeing where they reach out to anyone and everyone other than typically Arabs. They are now targeting Europeans, the United Kingdom and in the United States successfully.

WHITFIELD: Ken Robinson, thanks so much. Again, U.S. sources have not confirmed this arrest. Right now only Pakistani officials are saying this arrest indeed took place. Meantime, at the White House, President Barack Obama is praising today's Iraqi elections as an important milestone. Despite at least 38 deaths in election related violence, large numbers of Iraqis went to the polls to elect a new parliament.

It was Iraq's first national vote since 2005. CNN's Arwa Damon is in Baghdad. Are the people there in Iraq considering this a successful day of elections?

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, Iraq is most certainly looking at this as a significant milestone. And also, as a display of their courage, bravery, and resilience. At least among those who did, in fact, go out to vote. Now we don't have an official estimate just yet. But according to the independent high electoral voter, turnout was good. We should be getting a specific number on that tomorrow.

But one has to remember that Iraqis woke up this morning to the news that at least 30 mortar rounds had rained down on Baghdad and it was with that knowledge that they went to the poll. At least those that decided to go. Of course, we asked them about why it was that they decided that it was worth casting their vote. And they basically said that this was their way of defying the insurgents.

They said that they felt like it was their responsibility to go out and vote not necessarily for their own future. No one is expecting anything to dramatically change out of these elections when it comes to what the average Iraqi wants to see changed. But they are saying it is for the future of the next generation. These are, however, very critical, very important elections.

In fact, they are being called the most decisive moment in Iraq since 2003. Quite simply because the government that eventually is going to emerge and remember it could take months for a government to actually come together, but it really is going to determine whether or not Iraq is on this path of democracy, if that's what we want to call it, moving towards being a more secular nation. Or if, in fact, ends up a more conservative and religious state.

And this is proving to be a very, very close race, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Arwa Damon, thanks so much, from Baghdad.

On the road again, President Barack Obama takes his health care push to two key states this week. We will talk about the political week straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. Time to talk politics. And this week, President Obama is taking his health care push on the road again. He's heading to two swing states to drum up grassroots support for his signature legislation. Joining us from our Washington studio is CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser.

All right. Paul, good to see you. So here the president was talking about Iraq earlier today perhaps make way for focusing again on domestic issues this week. Namely one that's near and dear to his heart, health care. He is heading to Missouri as well as Pennsylvania.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: You are absolutely right. and this is really his signature domestic issue and he's been pushing it for a long time and still no, you know, no law yet. As you mentioned, yes, Pennsylvania tomorrow. Missouri on Wednesday. And Fred, you got it right. These states have crucial elections this November and both will most likely be very important battleground states in the next race for the White House in 2012.

As you mentioned, this is his signature issue. If the president doesn't get the push through Congress and signed into law, this could be very tough for him politically and for the Democratic party. So they have a lot on the line. The key question, of course, do the Democrats have the votes to pass this?

You heard Congressman Chris Van Hollen, he's a tough democrat in the House. He said earlier on "State of the Union" with our Candy Crowley that they think they have the votes but it is not a lock yet. So this is - there's a lot on the line her and of course, the clock is ticking. They want to get this done, Fred, before the end of month when the president goes overseas and before Congress takes a break for Easter.

WHITFIELD: In the meantime, there has been some other distractions perhaps for this White House. Mainly it was just last week when it was revealed that a democrat got a hold of some Republican fund- raising PowerPoint papers which showed President Obama as the Joker and so now apparently the - Democrats as a whole are trying to come out with some ads to kind of respond to what the Republicans have been doing.

STEINHAUSER: Exactly. This was a big story at the end of last week. And this was a private presentation, a fund raiser by the Republican National Committee. And as you mentioned, part of it contained a racially tinged description of the president as the Joker in "Batman" and also equate it what the president is doing with socialism. So take a look at this, the Democratic National Committee says they are coming out with this ad this week. They say lit run in a couple of markets. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: President Obama as the Joker? Speaker Pelosi as Cruella Deville. Senator Harry Reid as Scooby Doo? This is today's -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STEINHAUSER: All right. The ad goes on to say that there are no new ideas in the Republican Party and that basically all they have left is fear. This is an interesting story because earlier last week the Democrats were definitely on the defensive and had a very bad week with those controversies in New York with Governor Paterson up there, with Congressman and former chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel and with Eric Massa, another democrat who is resigning on Monday.

So the Democrats had a very tough week. Then this story came around and now the Republicans seem to be on the spot. The Democrats are going to try to make the most of it. Fred.

WHITFIELD: And you saw some of that imagery during some tea party movement gatherings. Tea party usually appealing to Republicans but now I understand that there is a relationship building with Democrats?

STEINHAUSER: Yes. This is interesting. You don't see this a lot. This is kind of a mix, strange bedfellows, I guess you could say. Some local tea party groups in Alabama, obviously very conservative, are teaming up with some Democratic groups in Alabama as well. And why are they teaming up? To go after Congressman Griffith Parker who, of course, Parker Griffith, I'm sorry, Parker Griffith, who just at the end of last year, he switched parties.

He was a Democrat and now he is a Republican. You saw him just yesterday giving the Republican response. The radio and internet address on health care. And both sides are going after him because the top Republican in the House, John Boehner is coming to Alabama tomorrow, do a fund-raiser for Griffith and both sides are very upset for different reasons but they are teaming up. You don't see this very often but you're going to see it tomorrow in Alabama. Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. Thanks so much. Paul Steinhauser from Washington.

STEINHAUSER: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: And, of course, we are going to focus on what is taking place on the west coast. Because we're counting down the hours to the night tinsel town has been waiting for. The Oscars. We'll have more on Hollywood's golden boy in the CNN chat room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, their suits are fresh, shoes shined. The ladies, no doubt had their hair done. Plenty of stars are getting all dolled up for the 82nd Academy Awards Show in Los Angeles tonight. Many of the nominees have worked together before. Here now is our Brooke Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a personal question.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We hardly know each other.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Actually, "Up in the Air" star George Clooney knows his fellow Oscar nominees quite well. He has worked with more members of this year's club than just about anyone. Clooney appeared in "Ocean's 11" and it's sequels with Matt Damon -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are either in or out.

ANDERSON: "Syriana" with Damon and Christopher Plummer and the with "The Men that Stare at Goats," with Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges, the best actor favorite for "Crazy Heart" crossed paths in a scary way with best actress favorite Sandra Bullock 17 years ago.

JEFF BRIDGES, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: The "Banishing," I buried her alive. I could tell she was talented right away. Amazing. Just, you know, to jump in and do it.

ANDERSON: Bullock also appeared in "The Lake House" with Plummer. But this year's connection queen is Meryl Streep.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is it that you really like to do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eat.

ANDERSON: "Julia and Julia" was Streep's second pairing with fellow nominee Stanley Tucci after their fashionista flick "The Devil Wears Prada." Streep also appeared in "Mama Mia" with Colin Firth, "Adaptation" with Maggie Gylenhaal, "The Manchurian Candidate" with Vera Farmiga and the "Prairie Home Companion" with Woody Harrelson.

WOODY HARRELSON, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR NOMINEE: She is really a joy to work with.

ANDERSON: Woody also shared the screen with Penelope Cruz in the "High Low Country." And Jeremy Rainer from the "Hurt Locker" co- starred with Harrelson in "North Country."

HARRELSON: He played a - kind of despicable guy. Man, I tell you what, he was so good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They are all preparing.

ANDERSON: Several nominees have a current Oscar connection. Damon and Morgan Freeman are both nominated for "Invictus." Gabourey Sidibe and Monique for "precious." Plummer and Helen Mirren for "The Last Station." And Clooney, Farmiga and Anna Kendrick for "Up in the Air." Even young Carrie Mulligan has a connection. She showed up in "When Did you last see your Father" starring Collin Firth. In fact, there's only one nominee this year who doesn't fit into our game.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finding people is my specialties.

ANDERSON: Best supporting actor favorite Christof Waults has no onscreen connections to any other acting nominee. But his "Inglorious Bastard's" director Quentin Tarantino teamed up on "From Dusk Till Dawn" with yes, George Clooney. This year, all roads lead to George.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And Brooke joins us now from Los Angeles looking ravishing. Brooke, already the stars are out.

ANDERSON: I'm sorry, say that one more time for me, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: The stars are out. Including you.

ANDERSON: Oh, you are so kind. Thank you. It is fun to get glammed up every now and then. Feel girly, feel feminine. And in that piece, you know, we say all roads lead to George. I have to tell you, Fredricka. This is his fifth Oscar nomination this year. So it is all a little bit old hat to George. But it never gets tiring for me talking to George Clooney. He'll be here in just a little bit.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I can understand that. You lucky dog.

All right.

ANDERSON: It's fun. It's fun. WHITFIELD: We will be watching you this evening because you have a special 7:00 and then again 11:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN. So you got a busy night talking to all those glamorous stars.

ANDERSON: We do and we're going to be here from the red carpet - that's right. Talking to George Clooney and Jeff Bridges, and Sandra Bullock. Sandra, by the way, I don't know if we have time to talk about this. But she won an award for worst actress last night. She's the first person to ever get the award for worst actress the same year she is nominated for best actress. It was the Razzy awards. Yes. She showed up and she was a good sport about it. But she did say thank you for ruining my career with a bad decision.

She told the audience and the voters that they made an uninformed decision and she brought a cart load of DVD for them all to see her movie "All about Steve," which is what she was honored for there. Or dishonored for. So she was a good sport but is nominated here for best actress for the movie "The Blind Side."

WHITFIELD: Well, she's got a great sense of humor. I'm sure she was able to turn it all around and they all loved her anyway.

ANDERSON: She was. Indeed.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brooke Anderson, thanks so much, appreciate that. Of course we are all looking forward to finding out the results of the Academy Awards this evening. Brooke will be bringing that to us along with A.J. Hammer, again 7:00 Eastern Time and then 11:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN.

Jacqui Jeras here in the "Chat Room" with me because we will be tuning in as well because for one, we haven't seen any movies. We need to get educated tonight.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: This is the first year in memory where I haven't seen a single one of the best pictures.

WHITFIELD: I at least saw one "Hurt Locker."

JERAS: And.

WHITFIELD: Oh, pretty powerful.

JERAS: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But you know sadly, I haven't seen any of the other nine in the nominee category of best picture. You know, yes. It is great, powerful, thought provoking. But darn it just didn't make enough time for the other movies this year.

JERAS: I know. We done a little poll asking around the newsroom, I posted it on my facebook page. So if you guys want to weigh in and let me know what your thoughts are. Are the Oscars relevant anymore? Do you want to watch the movies? Are you just more interested in some seeing outfits? Are you too busy? Is it too expensive to go out to see a lot of these movies? WHITFIELD: Oh it is probably all of that. Of course people are tuning in to find out what people are wearing. You know. Brooke was talking about Sandra Bullock; I understand that just a couple of weeks ago, you know, she wasn't sweating it. That she hadn't picked out a dress. She figured there are a lot of gorgeous things out there, lots to choose from. You know, she is going to be calm, cool, and collected. Of course, all eyes on her.

JERAS: She is so gorgeous she could wear a paper bag and look absolutely fantastic. She is 45 years old.

WHITFIELD: She looks great.

JERAS: Hello.

WHITFIELD: I know. James Cameron, he is up for best director. His wife just might be stealing the show a little bit because she is going to wear an eco-friendly dress. It is the winner of --

JERAS: Pretty interesting to see. Something, you know, green, so to speak. Is it all organic material?

WHITFIELD: It apparently is. She says there are sustainable materials and it is a one-shouldered dress with a big slit up the side. Of course, it is "Avatar" blue. You won't miss it.

JERAS: You didn't see "Avatar?"

WHITFIELD: I.

JERAS: That's probably the biggest box office of all time. If you have seen any of them that's probably the one that most of you saw.

WHITFIELD: I'm just going to have to be late. I will now -- pay attention to the show. See who wins and then go out and check them out. DVD or et cetera and see.

JERAS: It is hard.

WHITFIELD: I will weigh in that way.

JERAS: For some reason -- the whole sci-fi thing. Not so interested. Perhaps, I will get there.

WHITFIELD: Oh, boy. We are late bloomers this time around. Maybe next year we will get it.

JERAS: There we go.

WHITFIELD: Best picture, there are the categories or all the nominees. "The Blind Side" we mentioned that with Sandra Bullock, "District 9," "An Education" I don't know what that one is.

JERAS: Some of them I haven't heard of, interesting to see an animated film on there "Up."

WHITFIELD: That's right.

JERAS: If you were wondering which one.

WHITFIELD: I did know which one that was. Best actor.

JERAS: I did see "Fantastic Mr. Fox" by the way, which is up for best animated feature. So I don't know if that says I'm a mom. George Clooney who we were talking about was in that film. It was actually very entertaining and much more old school animation. So that was kind of fun.

WHITFIELD: At least you saw one movie out there, me, too. We matched on one movie each. Thank so much Jacqui, appreciate that. We will check back with you later on for the look of the national weather picture, too.

How long would you wait to snap the perfect photo? A minute? An hour? Maybe even a day? How about a year? We are going to show you the kinds of pictures that are worth waiting for.

That terrible day in Selma. Remembering "Bloody Sunday" 45 years ago today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The capture of al Qaeda's American born spokesman is obviously a big catch. CNN International correspondent Nic Robertson tells us what this means for the war on terror. So Nic I wonder how crippling potentially might this be for al Qaeda this arrest.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Adam Gadahn was never involved in the military operations of al Qaeda, what it really become was a mouth piece for Osama Bin Laden. He can speak in English and reach that english part of the audience and deliver Bin Laden's message to the United States. A message that he was going to continue to attack them. But indeed, the message that was broadcast just today by Adam Gadahn said exactly that, to calling on Muslims to continue to attack the United States. So while we still wait for a confirmation from the U.S. official, we have it from the Pakistani source that has been captured; the likely impact is going to be on al Qaeda's ability to get its message out.

It has this organization which releases its videos, Osama Bin Laden's videos, messages by the number two of al Qaeda and also Adam Gadahn's videos as well and he has been very much involved in the sort of english language part of that operation. It may have an impact on that but perhaps if -- if his capture turns out to be as we are being led to believe a successful capture, it will also send a message to al Qaeda that it is not going to be as safe as it thought it was inside Pakistan where it is widely believed that al Qaeda's leaders have found sanctuary of these past number of years. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: You have to wonder whether he will talk because that potentially could make this arrest that much more damaging for al Qaeda as a network. ROBERTSON: Absolutely. And you can bet anything he says, anything that he says, is going to be scrutinized very carefully. And we certainly know that there have been a number of people, Americans who have gotten into al Qaeda and Pakistan who have been captured and handed over to U.S. authorities. And have gone into providing many, many details. I talked with a former CIA psychologist about why these people talk when they captured and he said it is quite common for people to talk in this situation because they feel proud of what they achieved and they want to not boast but they just want to tell, you know, tell whoever called them, everything that they have been involved in, put it all out there.

So there is this sort of element in some people that will allow them to talk. Of course, intelligent operatives that want to key in on al Qaeda's networks, on its safe houses, on what people this particular person Adam Gadahn in this case will recognize. So they will use grains of information that he provides them to build a bigger picture. Something that he may provide a piece of information which would just crystallize their thinking over an incident that happened maybe three years ago. Move them further forward on that investigation. But of course, they will want to know from him where Osama Bin Laden is hiding and where his deputies are hiding and that's information that he just may not have. But the bits that he will have are going to add an inform of the FBI and others already know. Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Nic Robertson thanks so much, from London.

On this day in this country, 45 years ago, a violent chapter of the Civil Rights Movement was written in blood in Selma, Alabama. A group of Civil Rights marchers savagely beaten by state troopers on the Edmond Pettis Bridge. Today take a look at new images from today. People gathering at the bridge to commemorate what has become known as "Bloody Sunday." It galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and led to the passage of the voting rights act.

In a statement President Obama said, quote, let us honor the memory of all those who were shoved and beaten within an inch of their lives because they believe in the simple truth that every American, regardless of race, had the right to cast a vote. Had the right to live free and had the right to reach for their dreams, end quote, from the president.

Andrew Young has been on the frontlines of the Civil Rights struggle for his entire life. Next weekend, I will talk to the former U.N. Ambassador about a documentary that he has recently completed. It is called "Crossing St. Augustine" and it tells the story of a confrontation that tested the Civil Rights Movement to its core.

They tell the story of a generation, one image at a time. We are counting down the top photographs of the year.

And this is the first full week of March. Here is some of what happened this week in history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD (voice over): This week five years ago, in 2005, a defendant in a rape trial shot and killed a judge, a court reporter, and a sheriff's deputy at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta. The police arrested Brian Nichols, the next day. Eventually he was sentenced to life in prison.

Twenty years ago in 1990, Dr. Antonia Coello Novello became the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as U.S. Surgeon General. Thirty years ago in 1980, Scarsdale Diet doctor Herman Tarnower was shot to death at his home in New York. His former lover Jean Harris served 12 years in prison for his murder. Fifty years ago in 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard Nixon won the New Hampshire primaries. Kennedy would go on to beat Nixon in the November election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our at our top stories right now. A dispute over fees may leave millions of cable subscribers steamed over tonight's Oscars. Disney, ABC's parent company, pulled the plug on its signal to cable vision at midnight. So more than three million people will not be able to see the Academy Awards unless they have a television antenna.

An investigation into corruption allegations against this man, an Italian government official has unveiled a new scandal for the Vatican. Angelo Valducci is accused of having a Nigerian singer arrange gay liaisons for him. Both men have ties to the Vatican, the singer is a former member of the choir and Valducci was an usher.

Rapper Lil Wayne is due back in court tomorrow to find out his fate. His sentencing hearing on a gun charge has been postponed twice. Once for dental surgery and the other time after a fire at the courthouse. Wayne is expected to get a year in jail.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: They captivate, motivate, and inspire. They are some of the most memorable images of 2009. "National Geographic" is set to unveil its top photographs this week in a new television special. But we are giving you a preview actually today. Executive vice president of "National Geographic" Television. Mark Bauman in Washington. Good to see.

MARK BAUMAN, EXEC. V.P., "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIS:" Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: Oh we are so honored to get the sneak peek of these images. "National Geographic" always known for incredible still images and now you are putting it in television form. Digestible way so people can watch it on television. Let's start from, I guess, ten on down to the number one image. We are trying to get through all of them. Let's talk about the first image that gives us a new view or different view of the Amazon. In what way?

BAUMAN: So Kevin Schaefer is shooting in an area of the Amazon where visibility is basically just a couple of inches and he is trying to capture an image of the river dolphins down there which are incredibly rare and beautiful animals. In order to get this close, I mean, he spent months and months working with them. And you see -- you get eye contact in the shot with a whole family of dolphins.

WHITFIELD: So he's in the water.

BAUMAN: He is in the water and he was snorkeling. And he tried all kinds of things.

WHITFIELD: He was snorkeling and taking these images. Wow.

BAUMAN: He was snorkeling; he created this huge platform above the water because you can only see them when you are a few inches away or when they are right at the surface. So he tried shooting them at surface and then he tried getting in the water with them and he tried getting under them and shooting the contrast against the sun. But again, these are incredibly rare animals. Animals that very few people in the world ever get a chance to see in a lot of areas they are in danger. And he gets this incredibly intimate image to share with the world.

WHITFIELD: That is my first view thanks to Kevin.

All right. Fritz Hoffman, his depiction of the new river here in China. In what way? People are -- are actually crossing this river, carrying an animals aren't they?

BAUMAN: That is exactly right. They are crossing this river to get to market. This is market day. This is a pretty incredible shot. Fritz is suspended on a cable over the river as well. He sees this young man come down with a cow. Usually people are bringing smaller things. Right, so at the bottom of the zip line the cow stops. Then he has to reach out with his feet and literally pull himself and the cow all the way up to the other side just to get the animal to market.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. So the stories behind these images are almost as fascinating, if not more so in some cases right than the actual image. How about this from Amy is it Tunsing (ph)?

BAUMAN: Amy Tunsing (ph), yes. She was doing a story on river management and drought. This is in Australia right after a big rain. She goes out with this family to see whether there's any grass out there. And captures through the window of this pickup truck an amazing image that gives you a window not only into the drought and this incredible moonscape but also into this family and a father showing the love for his children in this moonscape where he has to survive.

WHITFIELD: Wow. Who knew that caves could look so fascinating and interesting with the right amount of lighting? That's what this is all about.

BAUMAN: Yes. Stephen Alvarez crawls into places that most people would never want to go. You can see here a caver barely got his nose out of the water. Stephen combines lighting techniques that are almost a century old with modern photography to light these caverns in the southeastern United States. And unless you are an incredibly advanced caver, you won't ever get a chance to see most of these places that are right under our feet.

WHITFIELD: That is incredible. And courageous to have been there to get that close and shoot that. Let's talk about the many faces of Islam and this was an image captured in Indonesia.

BAUMAN: Jim Knockway (ph) usually covers conflict. But in this case, he's trying to create a nuance image of Islam around the world. This is a fairly conservative group of Muslims and the women in the picture are in shadoors (ph). You get a human connection with the child who isn't there yet. And I think that's the power of the image. She has her arms spread. Almost as if she's an angel. And she reminds you that there are people behind those veils.

WHITFIELD: This husband and wife photography team, Lynn Genshal (ph) and Diane Cook.

BAUMAN: Exactly.

WHITFIELD: Captured this.

BAUMAN: Yes. They were doing a story on green rooftops. I love the contrast in this picture. You have this incredibly green garden on the roof of city hall in Chicago. Surrounded by the steel and cement cityscape, you know, one of America most modern cities. A story about what we can do in modern urban centers to try to make our lives a bit more green.

WHITFIELD: We have four more images. In less than minute, Martin Showler (ph), beautiful view of Tanzania.

BAUMAN: This is a picture of a Hasid kid, he is hunter gathers. But Martin is a portrait photographer and he kind of takes people out of their context and reminds you of the human connection. You can't tell whether you are looking at somebody who is rich or poor or where they are.

This is a piece on food shortage by John Stanmeyer. You have the pyramids in the background, the Egyptian government subsidizing grains. People trying get their daily bread.

WHITFIELD: I love this. Looking like a teddy bear.

BAUMAN: Yes, absolutely. Randy Olson was doing a story on salmon. This bear is just a few feet away from him. He has a camera on the bottom of this river. As this bear is poking around for salmon.

WHITFIELD: And then the number one shot.

BAUMAN: Yes. This is a picture of a gorgeous giant. One of the oldest and largest trees in the world, 1600 or 1700 years old. In a way that you can't really see with the naked eye, it is a tree in the middle of the forest. And so if you look up, all you see are under branches and you can't get back far enough to capture it. They had to climb up and create cables and take -- I think that 84 images and composite them together so that you can see this gore just redwood. WHITFIELD: What a beautiful tribute to help us appreciate just simple natural beauty. Mark Bauman of "National Geographic." Thanks so much. And of course "National Geographic" Magazine's top ten photos of the year will debut tonight on PBS. The show will air throughout the month of March on PBS. You can go to PBS.org to check your local listings for that, you don't want to miss it.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Thanks so much for joining us. In our 6:00 p.m. Eastern Hour, find out why a charter school for African-American boys thinks that all of its graduates will complete college. Don Lemon will be here in THE NEWSROOM one hour from now.

But first, an inside look at Hamas from the son of one of the founders on "Amanpour."

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