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Thomas Hamill Freed; Likud Party Votes on Disengagement Policy

Aired May 02, 2004 - 07:30   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.


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Top stories at this hour, American contractor Thomas Hamill has been found alive. Coalition officials say Hamill is in good health after escaping from his captors near Tikrit. Hamill went missing April 9, when his convoy was attacked near Baghdad International Airport. He was later seen in the custody of Iraqi insurgents in this video that you're looking at right now.
We've been able to get a -- to have some contact with Hamill's wife, Kellie, who is telling reporters, "Words cannot begin to describe just how happy I feel. No one can understand just how happy I am."

We understand that Thomas Hamill has had a chance to speak with his family.

Also in Iraq, coalition forces reportedly killed a top deputy of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, that according to the cleric's press office. It says the forces raided al-Sadr's office in the central Iraq town of Hillah, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Four others were injured in the raid.

Two American soldiers were killed when their convoy was attacked by Iraqi militants near Amara in southern Iraq. Coalition officials say two more American soldiers were killed in an attack in northwestern Baghdad this morning.

In Gaza today, an Israeli woman and her four children were killed in an attack. Israeli soldiers killed the two gunmen. That attack came on a road near a block of Jewish settlements.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faces a critical test today within his own party. Members of his right wing Likud Party are voting right now. And we'll bring you more on that in just a moment.

For the time that we'd like to turn our attention back to the story coming out of Iraq this morning. Thomas Hamill found alive. We turn our attention now to our Ben Wedeman, who is standing by live in Baghdad with more on this story.

Good morning, Ben -- or good afternoon, rather.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Erica. Well, coalition officials obviously very pleased with this news. A surprise announcement, according to Major General Mark Kimmitt at about 10:20 this morning local time. This gentleman walked up to an American patrol and identified himself. According to General Kimmitt, he had been able to escape his captors, walking out of a building near Tikrit, which is about 90 miles to the north of Baghdad.

Now you may recall that this man was kidnapped or went missing on the 9th of April, after his convoy was ambushed. In that convoy, there were seven employees of Kellogg, Brown, and Root, which is a subsidiary of the Halliburton Corporation.

Now since then, in addition to him being kidnapped, another soldier was kidnapped as well. And when the kidnappers were holding Mr. Hamill, their demand was that the U.S. siege of Fallujah be lifted, otherwise he would be the victim of the same fate as what was suffered by those four U.S. contractors who were killed, and then mutilated in the streets of Fallujah a month ago.

HILL: And in effect, we have -- or the coalition troops, rather, have left Fallujah at this point, turning over control to Iraqi forces. As you mentioned, that was one of the demands from his captors. Have you been able to find out anything about whether or not that may be why he was let go or whether in fact he did escape? Kimmitt saying that it did -- Brigadier General Kimmitt saying it did look as if he was escaping from a building.

WEDEMAN: Well, General Kimmitt also said that military intelligence was debriefing him as well. So that information has not come out. No one has made the connection between the situation in Fallujah and his escape. If that's what it actually was, it may have been simply a case of the captors letting him go because he was -- it was too dangerous to continue holding him.

That sort of information we're hoping to get in the coming hours from coalition officials here in Baghdad.

HILL: All right, Ben Wedeman, we know you are on top of the story. And we appreciate. We'll check back with you in a bit, thanks.

SAN MIGUEL: Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon facing a critical test today within his own party. Members of his right wing Likud Party are voting right now on his plan to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from Gaza and part of the West Bank. A loss could lead to a political crisis. The vote has already been marred by violence.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us now from the Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv -- Matthew?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Renay. Got back -- it's an issue that's divided the Israeli public from many decades, whether or not to withdraw from the territory that Israel invaded back in 1967. The current proposals that have been put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calls for the vast majority of those Israelis, some 400,000 people, to stay exactly where they are, mainly in settlements in the West Bank.

But controversially, they also called for 7,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip, who live amongst 1.4 million Palestinians to be evacuated from their settlements, and for those settlements to be dismantled.

Well, this is an issue that has quite a lot of support amongst the general public in Israel. But it's one that has angered many people within Ariel Sharon's right wing Likud Party. And it's those Likud Party members who are casting their ballots in the 443 balloting stations, just like this one, all across Israel today, to decide whether to accept it or not.

As you mentioned, if it's a yes vote, then Ariel Sharon will be considerably bolstered. And we expect this disengagement plan will be implemented at the soonest possible opportunity. But if it's rejected, as many of the opinion polls that have been suggesting in the Israeli press are correct, if it's rejected by some narrow margin even, that could be a severe blow for the Israeli prime minister, and may even, as you say, lead to a leadership challenge, an Israeli political system.

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Matthew Chance, live from Tel Aviv. Thank you very much.

HILL: Who deserves to get an A? At 8:00 a.m. Eastern, should grades be rationed out at Princeton University? And is this part of a bigger trend? And then at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, how they tell the story, the debate over how the war in Iraq is portrayed by the Arab media. Then coming up at 9:45 a.m. Eastern, you know you've fallen for at least one in your lifetime, e-mail hoaxes and urban legends. What's the truth behind them?

First though, celibacy in the Catholic church, why one former priest believes it's OK to be married.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAN MIGUEL: It's a debate within the Catholic church. Should priests who have made sacred vows to God also be allowed to make the cherished vows of marriage?

As CNN's Alina Cho reports, one couple is hoping to find a balance between honoring God and honoring family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To many, Tom and Eileen McCabe have the perfect marriage, four grown children, a quiet life.

CHO: Thirty-four years, you probably made the right decision, right?

EILEEN MCCABE: I think so.

TOM MCCABE: As I tell Eileen, I have no regrets, not one. No regrets. CHO: It wasn't easy in the beginning. Tom was a priest. So he made a choice. He married Eileen in 1970 only after leaving the priesthood, only after 10 years of serving God.

T. MCCABE: It sort of broke my heart that I would have to leave the job I liked doing the most.

E. MCCABE: When he left, I realized he was leaving something very, very special. I mean, I guess I wasn't sure he was going to be happy.

CHO: They are, except Tom would like to be a priest again. The Roman Catholic Church does not allow priests to be married. Church law also says they must be celibate. The pope has indicated celibacy is a gift to the church and has rejected all calls to reverse policy.

(on camera): The problem for the Roman Catholic Church is that it is facing a critical shortage of priests. There are 64 million Catholics in the U.S., one in five Americans, and only 45,000 priests to serve them.

THOMAS REESE, FATHER, EDITOR, AMERICA MAGAZINE: If we don't have priests to serve our people, the people are going to go elsewhere. So I think the church has a serious problem.

CHO (voice-over): Tom McCabe says he's not against priest celibacy, he just wants it to be optional. The church disagrees.

THOMAS LYNCH, FATHER, ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK: This world that we live in needs the radical witness of celibate clergy.

CHO: Others say optional celibacy may not be the answer.

REESE: Certainly it's going to be more expensive for parishes, for the people in the pews, because you know, you're going to have to support a family.

CHO: Tom McCabe says he'd be an asset to the church.

Years of experience?

T. MCCABE: Yes. Better happen soon.

CHO: It's the right thing to do, he says. If history is any guide, change may be slow to come.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Just ahead, a heartwarming story. A Girl Scout saves a drowning toddler. And now, she is being honored. We'll speak with Lauren Goldstein about her story when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SAN MIGUEL: The big story out of Iraq this morning is a happy one for 43-year old Thomas Hamill, the American contractor who has been missing since a convoy attack last month has been recovered, and is said to be in good health after escaping from his captors, this according to the coalition authority. Hamill went missing on April 9, with two U.S. soldiers who are still missing, after their fuel convoy was attacked near Baghdad International Airport. He was captured by insurgents near Baghdad. He was recovered south of Tikrit. That is some 100 miles away from Baghdad.

Now you have no doubt likely seen the photographs aired last week that prompted international outrage over the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Now more extensive allegations of abuse are being detailed in an article in "The New Yorker." The magazine quotes a 53 page internal U.S. Army report completed in February and not intended for public release, as saying Iraqi prisoners face numerous "sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses."

The report written by Major General Antonio Emtiguba (ph) also cites detailed witness statements and extremely graphic photographic evidence. A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the article to Reuters, but does say that all reports of detainee abuse are taken seriously and all allegations thoroughly investigated.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt has said he is disgusted by the photographs. Charges have been filed against six soldiers who were working as military police at Abu Ghraib. And 17 others who have been relieved of duty until that investigation can be completed -- Erica?

HILL: Thanks, Renay.

Well, shifting gears now, you may know them for them their cookies, but besides selling snacks, millions of Girl Scouts also pledged to house others. In fact, that's a big part of being a Girl Scout. And that promise, along with some pretty fast footwork, let then 11-year old Lauren Goldstein to save a toddler from drowning last year. And now, as a reward for her service, she is getting a medal for a job very well done.

Lauren joins us this morning. Great to have you with us and congratulations.

LAUREN GOLDSTEIN, GIRL SCOUT: Thank you.

HILL: You got a medal on Friday night. And it was a bit of a surprise, but it's a very special medal and not something that every Girl Scout gets.

GOLDSTEIN: Right.

HILL: Tell us about it?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, the day of June 25, I was at the Riverside Club, where I was swimming. And my next door neighbor, Samuel Rosner, was there. And I was playing with his older sister, Amanda, throwing the ball, and once in a while I'd throw it to him, and he would go get it.

But one time, when he was throwing it back to me, I guess he didn't see the end of the pool and just ran right in. And I was out five feet away from him. And I was playing with his older sister. And I looked in the corner of my eye and I saw a splash. And so, I have really fast reflexes. So I just went right to him and picked him up. But when I got to him, he was at the bottom of the pool. So I picked him up. And his mother was screaming. And so, I ran over and picked him up and gave him to his mom. And I don't think the life guard would have been there in time.

HILL: And you really did save him. I was told it took about an hour probably for him to recover. And he was only, what, two years old, right?

GOLDSTEIN: Right.

HILL: So pretty impressive stuff. What were you thinking at the time? Like you said, you have fast reflexes, but do you even remember what you thought?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, I just thought, oh, I better get him. You know, I didn't really think. I just did.

HILL: And luckily, you did. And that is what you received your medal for on Friday night. Tell us about the honor that you received?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, the honor is Girl Scout Medal of Honor. And it is about just the Girl Scout promise. And so I did. And I'm really happy I did or else there wouldn't be a Samuel Rosner any more. And...

HILL: And I think his parents and his family probably also very happy. What is the Girl Scout promise, for folks who aren't familiar?

GOLDSTEIN: It's on my honor, I will try, to serve God and my country, to help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout law.

HILL: Pretty amazing stuff that you've done. This medal was a surprise to you. Your mom and dad, pretty secretive. They did a good job of keeping it from you. You had no idea you were getting it Friday?

GOLDSTEIN: I had no idea. They kept -- they took the letter from me, so I wouldn't see it. And the medal, they didn't show it to me.

HILL: What does the rest of your troop have to say? I bet they're pretty proud of it.

GOLDSTEIN: They're very proud of me. And I bet they were surprised, too.

HILL: And you have a lot of stuff going on in your life. You're a Girl Scout so obviously we know you're busy helping your community as you said. In fact, you're going off to do that later today?

GOLDSTEIN: Right, I'm going with my temple to the Jewish home to do a play for them.

HILL: Not bad. What's next for you? Do you have any big plans coming up or?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, my bat mitzvah is on June 5. And I have to do a lot of mitzvahs. And this was a huge one.

HILL: Well, best of luck with that. I know that is a huge undertaking.

GOLDSTEIN: Yes.

HILL: But good luck.

GOLDSTEIN: Thank you.

HILL: Thanks again for joining us.

GOLDSTEIN: Thank you.

HILL: And congratulations on your metal. We appreciate you taking the time.

GOLDSTEIN: You're welcome.

HILL: Lauren Goldstein joining us, a very heroic Girl Scout. And speaking of awards, meet Lulu the kangaroo. She's going to be getting an award as well. The animal's from Australia. And soon she'll receive that country's national bravery award for saving her owner's life. The kangaroo caper began last September when a tree fell on Lulu's owner after a storm. Jumping to action, Lulu barked. Did you know kangaroos barked, until the man's wife came to the rescue. The man sustained only minor head injuries. And as for Lulu, besides putting a metal in her pouch, her owners say she'll also get some extra special treats to eat.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAN MIGUEL: With a splash of mud and hearty high ho Smarty Jones, not Silver, the Kentucky Derby produced another compelling story yesterday.

And CNN's Josie Burke reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Smarty Jones came into the Kentucky Derby with a checkered past and questions about his worthiness. He left Churchill Downs with an undefeated record and a too good to be true story that could make him a legend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be telling my grandchildren about this and their grandchildren about it, hopefully.

BURKE: The horse's bloodlines aren't impressive. He's a thoroughbred outsider from Pennsylvania. And a year ago, Smarty Jones almost died in a training accident that left him with a fractured skull. Yet the owner and trainer who brought him to Louisville knew they had something special.

ROY CHAPMAN, OWNER, SMARTY JONES: My wife is the one that buys horses because of the look they got in their eye. And she said the horse has just got that kind of look in his eye. Let's keep him. And we kept him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it is such a great story, I think there was a lot of people rooting for us. And that's probably what made him the favorite.

BURKE: He was the scrappy horse with an equally hard suffering jockey. Stewart Elliott had more than 3,000 victories, but Smarty Jones was his first Kentucky Derby ride.

STEWART ELLIOTT, JOCKEY: I turned for home. I made the lead. I thought we're on our way. Where are the rest -- where are they? Where are they? And I just kept riding my horse. When I reached the finish line in front, it was like a dream come true.

BURKE: With the victory, Smarty Jones earned a $5 million bonus offered by Oak Lawn Park to the horse that could sweep the Rebel Stakes, the Arkansas Derby, and the Kentucky Derby. There's another $5 million bonus out there for him if he can win the Triple Crown. So what are his chances? Well, the last horse to come out of the Kentucky Derby undefeated was Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew (ph).

Josie Burke, CNN, Louisville.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAN MIGUEL: To be able to run that kind of race in the mud, I mean just adds to the drama there.

HILL: Pretty impressive stuff. It is. I was learning all about it. I just finished "Seabiscuit" so I love this stuff.

SAN MIGUEL: Oh, there you go. More drama and horse racing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Rob. Thanks a lot. We'll check with you later.

HILL: And we're going to go check now of our headlines at this hour. Missing American contractor Thomas Hamill has been found alive in Iraq, alive and in good health. Coalition officials recovered Hamill near Tikrit after he escaped from his captors.

Two American soldiers were killed during an attack by Iraqi militants near Amara in southern Iraq. Coalition officials say two more American soldiers are dead following a roadside bomb attack in northwestern Baghdad this morning.

SAN MIGUEL: And back to the Hamill story for just a second. CNN has been able to get in touch with Kelly Hamill, Thomas Hamill's wife in Macon, Mississippi essentially saying nobody can understand just how happy she is upon hearing this news, which you know, just happened within the last hour.

HILL: And what an incredible phone call for her to get.

SAN MIGUEL: I'm sure.

HILL: We were told in a briefing when we were told just about an hour ago, as you said, that he was found alive. We were told not a lot of information, but the little bit we did get was that he was able to speak with his family. And I can't even imagine what...

SAN MIGUEL: No.

HILL: ...that must have done for them.

SAN MIGUEL: Completely. And he -- right now, he is giving information to military officials about his captivity and how he was able to essentially what we're hearing, just walk out of a building and walk away from his captors. We will try to get more information on that to you.

Also, our -- we want to hear from you on our e-mail topic of the day. It has to do with the Internet and some of these hoaxes and frauds that are making the rounds on the web. Which Internet hoaxes have you fallen for? You know, don't be shy. We're not going to -- you know, you don't have to give us your real name or anything like that, but just tell us if you have fallen, you know, to some of these hoaxes out there, tell us about it. Maybe you'll be helping somebody else to..

HILL: You might. Maybe Renay will share with us how he fell for one.

SAN MIGUEL: I'm still getting, you know, from this Nigerian guy who says I have to give him all his money to save, you know, 20 million...

HILL: It's funny because he has my e-mail address, too. I wonder how.

SAN MIGUEL: How did they get that?

Anyway, please, we want to hear from you at wam@cnn.com. The next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

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Aired May 2, 2004 - 07:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Top stories at this hour, American contractor Thomas Hamill has been found alive. Coalition officials say Hamill is in good health after escaping from his captors near Tikrit. Hamill went missing April 9, when his convoy was attacked near Baghdad International Airport. He was later seen in the custody of Iraqi insurgents in this video that you're looking at right now.
We've been able to get a -- to have some contact with Hamill's wife, Kellie, who is telling reporters, "Words cannot begin to describe just how happy I feel. No one can understand just how happy I am."

We understand that Thomas Hamill has had a chance to speak with his family.

Also in Iraq, coalition forces reportedly killed a top deputy of Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, that according to the cleric's press office. It says the forces raided al-Sadr's office in the central Iraq town of Hillah, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. Four others were injured in the raid.

Two American soldiers were killed when their convoy was attacked by Iraqi militants near Amara in southern Iraq. Coalition officials say two more American soldiers were killed in an attack in northwestern Baghdad this morning.

In Gaza today, an Israeli woman and her four children were killed in an attack. Israeli soldiers killed the two gunmen. That attack came on a road near a block of Jewish settlements.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faces a critical test today within his own party. Members of his right wing Likud Party are voting right now. And we'll bring you more on that in just a moment.

For the time that we'd like to turn our attention back to the story coming out of Iraq this morning. Thomas Hamill found alive. We turn our attention now to our Ben Wedeman, who is standing by live in Baghdad with more on this story.

Good morning, Ben -- or good afternoon, rather.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, hello, Erica. Well, coalition officials obviously very pleased with this news. A surprise announcement, according to Major General Mark Kimmitt at about 10:20 this morning local time. This gentleman walked up to an American patrol and identified himself. According to General Kimmitt, he had been able to escape his captors, walking out of a building near Tikrit, which is about 90 miles to the north of Baghdad.

Now you may recall that this man was kidnapped or went missing on the 9th of April, after his convoy was ambushed. In that convoy, there were seven employees of Kellogg, Brown, and Root, which is a subsidiary of the Halliburton Corporation.

Now since then, in addition to him being kidnapped, another soldier was kidnapped as well. And when the kidnappers were holding Mr. Hamill, their demand was that the U.S. siege of Fallujah be lifted, otherwise he would be the victim of the same fate as what was suffered by those four U.S. contractors who were killed, and then mutilated in the streets of Fallujah a month ago.

HILL: And in effect, we have -- or the coalition troops, rather, have left Fallujah at this point, turning over control to Iraqi forces. As you mentioned, that was one of the demands from his captors. Have you been able to find out anything about whether or not that may be why he was let go or whether in fact he did escape? Kimmitt saying that it did -- Brigadier General Kimmitt saying it did look as if he was escaping from a building.

WEDEMAN: Well, General Kimmitt also said that military intelligence was debriefing him as well. So that information has not come out. No one has made the connection between the situation in Fallujah and his escape. If that's what it actually was, it may have been simply a case of the captors letting him go because he was -- it was too dangerous to continue holding him.

That sort of information we're hoping to get in the coming hours from coalition officials here in Baghdad.

HILL: All right, Ben Wedeman, we know you are on top of the story. And we appreciate. We'll check back with you in a bit, thanks.

SAN MIGUEL: Elsewhere in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon facing a critical test today within his own party. Members of his right wing Likud Party are voting right now on his plan to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from Gaza and part of the West Bank. A loss could lead to a political crisis. The vote has already been marred by violence.

CNN's Matthew Chance joins us now from the Likud Party headquarters in Tel Aviv -- Matthew?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, Renay. Got back -- it's an issue that's divided the Israeli public from many decades, whether or not to withdraw from the territory that Israel invaded back in 1967. The current proposals that have been put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calls for the vast majority of those Israelis, some 400,000 people, to stay exactly where they are, mainly in settlements in the West Bank.

But controversially, they also called for 7,500 Jewish settlers in the Gaza Strip, who live amongst 1.4 million Palestinians to be evacuated from their settlements, and for those settlements to be dismantled.

Well, this is an issue that has quite a lot of support amongst the general public in Israel. But it's one that has angered many people within Ariel Sharon's right wing Likud Party. And it's those Likud Party members who are casting their ballots in the 443 balloting stations, just like this one, all across Israel today, to decide whether to accept it or not.

As you mentioned, if it's a yes vote, then Ariel Sharon will be considerably bolstered. And we expect this disengagement plan will be implemented at the soonest possible opportunity. But if it's rejected, as many of the opinion polls that have been suggesting in the Israeli press are correct, if it's rejected by some narrow margin even, that could be a severe blow for the Israeli prime minister, and may even, as you say, lead to a leadership challenge, an Israeli political system.

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Matthew Chance, live from Tel Aviv. Thank you very much.

HILL: Who deserves to get an A? At 8:00 a.m. Eastern, should grades be rationed out at Princeton University? And is this part of a bigger trend? And then at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, how they tell the story, the debate over how the war in Iraq is portrayed by the Arab media. Then coming up at 9:45 a.m. Eastern, you know you've fallen for at least one in your lifetime, e-mail hoaxes and urban legends. What's the truth behind them?

First though, celibacy in the Catholic church, why one former priest believes it's OK to be married.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAN MIGUEL: It's a debate within the Catholic church. Should priests who have made sacred vows to God also be allowed to make the cherished vows of marriage?

As CNN's Alina Cho reports, one couple is hoping to find a balance between honoring God and honoring family.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): To many, Tom and Eileen McCabe have the perfect marriage, four grown children, a quiet life.

CHO: Thirty-four years, you probably made the right decision, right?

EILEEN MCCABE: I think so.

TOM MCCABE: As I tell Eileen, I have no regrets, not one. No regrets. CHO: It wasn't easy in the beginning. Tom was a priest. So he made a choice. He married Eileen in 1970 only after leaving the priesthood, only after 10 years of serving God.

T. MCCABE: It sort of broke my heart that I would have to leave the job I liked doing the most.

E. MCCABE: When he left, I realized he was leaving something very, very special. I mean, I guess I wasn't sure he was going to be happy.

CHO: They are, except Tom would like to be a priest again. The Roman Catholic Church does not allow priests to be married. Church law also says they must be celibate. The pope has indicated celibacy is a gift to the church and has rejected all calls to reverse policy.

(on camera): The problem for the Roman Catholic Church is that it is facing a critical shortage of priests. There are 64 million Catholics in the U.S., one in five Americans, and only 45,000 priests to serve them.

THOMAS REESE, FATHER, EDITOR, AMERICA MAGAZINE: If we don't have priests to serve our people, the people are going to go elsewhere. So I think the church has a serious problem.

CHO (voice-over): Tom McCabe says he's not against priest celibacy, he just wants it to be optional. The church disagrees.

THOMAS LYNCH, FATHER, ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK: This world that we live in needs the radical witness of celibate clergy.

CHO: Others say optional celibacy may not be the answer.

REESE: Certainly it's going to be more expensive for parishes, for the people in the pews, because you know, you're going to have to support a family.

CHO: Tom McCabe says he'd be an asset to the church.

Years of experience?

T. MCCABE: Yes. Better happen soon.

CHO: It's the right thing to do, he says. If history is any guide, change may be slow to come.

Alina Cho, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Just ahead, a heartwarming story. A Girl Scout saves a drowning toddler. And now, she is being honored. We'll speak with Lauren Goldstein about her story when CNN SUNDAY MORNING continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SAN MIGUEL: The big story out of Iraq this morning is a happy one for 43-year old Thomas Hamill, the American contractor who has been missing since a convoy attack last month has been recovered, and is said to be in good health after escaping from his captors, this according to the coalition authority. Hamill went missing on April 9, with two U.S. soldiers who are still missing, after their fuel convoy was attacked near Baghdad International Airport. He was captured by insurgents near Baghdad. He was recovered south of Tikrit. That is some 100 miles away from Baghdad.

Now you have no doubt likely seen the photographs aired last week that prompted international outrage over the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. soldiers at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Now more extensive allegations of abuse are being detailed in an article in "The New Yorker." The magazine quotes a 53 page internal U.S. Army report completed in February and not intended for public release, as saying Iraqi prisoners face numerous "sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses."

The report written by Major General Antonio Emtiguba (ph) also cites detailed witness statements and extremely graphic photographic evidence. A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the article to Reuters, but does say that all reports of detainee abuse are taken seriously and all allegations thoroughly investigated.

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt has said he is disgusted by the photographs. Charges have been filed against six soldiers who were working as military police at Abu Ghraib. And 17 others who have been relieved of duty until that investigation can be completed -- Erica?

HILL: Thanks, Renay.

Well, shifting gears now, you may know them for them their cookies, but besides selling snacks, millions of Girl Scouts also pledged to house others. In fact, that's a big part of being a Girl Scout. And that promise, along with some pretty fast footwork, let then 11-year old Lauren Goldstein to save a toddler from drowning last year. And now, as a reward for her service, she is getting a medal for a job very well done.

Lauren joins us this morning. Great to have you with us and congratulations.

LAUREN GOLDSTEIN, GIRL SCOUT: Thank you.

HILL: You got a medal on Friday night. And it was a bit of a surprise, but it's a very special medal and not something that every Girl Scout gets.

GOLDSTEIN: Right.

HILL: Tell us about it?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, the day of June 25, I was at the Riverside Club, where I was swimming. And my next door neighbor, Samuel Rosner, was there. And I was playing with his older sister, Amanda, throwing the ball, and once in a while I'd throw it to him, and he would go get it.

But one time, when he was throwing it back to me, I guess he didn't see the end of the pool and just ran right in. And I was out five feet away from him. And I was playing with his older sister. And I looked in the corner of my eye and I saw a splash. And so, I have really fast reflexes. So I just went right to him and picked him up. But when I got to him, he was at the bottom of the pool. So I picked him up. And his mother was screaming. And so, I ran over and picked him up and gave him to his mom. And I don't think the life guard would have been there in time.

HILL: And you really did save him. I was told it took about an hour probably for him to recover. And he was only, what, two years old, right?

GOLDSTEIN: Right.

HILL: So pretty impressive stuff. What were you thinking at the time? Like you said, you have fast reflexes, but do you even remember what you thought?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, I just thought, oh, I better get him. You know, I didn't really think. I just did.

HILL: And luckily, you did. And that is what you received your medal for on Friday night. Tell us about the honor that you received?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, the honor is Girl Scout Medal of Honor. And it is about just the Girl Scout promise. And so I did. And I'm really happy I did or else there wouldn't be a Samuel Rosner any more. And...

HILL: And I think his parents and his family probably also very happy. What is the Girl Scout promise, for folks who aren't familiar?

GOLDSTEIN: It's on my honor, I will try, to serve God and my country, to help people at all times and to live by the Girl Scout law.

HILL: Pretty amazing stuff that you've done. This medal was a surprise to you. Your mom and dad, pretty secretive. They did a good job of keeping it from you. You had no idea you were getting it Friday?

GOLDSTEIN: I had no idea. They kept -- they took the letter from me, so I wouldn't see it. And the medal, they didn't show it to me.

HILL: What does the rest of your troop have to say? I bet they're pretty proud of it.

GOLDSTEIN: They're very proud of me. And I bet they were surprised, too.

HILL: And you have a lot of stuff going on in your life. You're a Girl Scout so obviously we know you're busy helping your community as you said. In fact, you're going off to do that later today?

GOLDSTEIN: Right, I'm going with my temple to the Jewish home to do a play for them.

HILL: Not bad. What's next for you? Do you have any big plans coming up or?

GOLDSTEIN: Well, my bat mitzvah is on June 5. And I have to do a lot of mitzvahs. And this was a huge one.

HILL: Well, best of luck with that. I know that is a huge undertaking.

GOLDSTEIN: Yes.

HILL: But good luck.

GOLDSTEIN: Thank you.

HILL: Thanks again for joining us.

GOLDSTEIN: Thank you.

HILL: And congratulations on your metal. We appreciate you taking the time.

GOLDSTEIN: You're welcome.

HILL: Lauren Goldstein joining us, a very heroic Girl Scout. And speaking of awards, meet Lulu the kangaroo. She's going to be getting an award as well. The animal's from Australia. And soon she'll receive that country's national bravery award for saving her owner's life. The kangaroo caper began last September when a tree fell on Lulu's owner after a storm. Jumping to action, Lulu barked. Did you know kangaroos barked, until the man's wife came to the rescue. The man sustained only minor head injuries. And as for Lulu, besides putting a metal in her pouch, her owners say she'll also get some extra special treats to eat.

CNN SUNDAY MORNING will be right back. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAN MIGUEL: With a splash of mud and hearty high ho Smarty Jones, not Silver, the Kentucky Derby produced another compelling story yesterday.

And CNN's Josie Burke reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOSIE BURKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Smarty Jones came into the Kentucky Derby with a checkered past and questions about his worthiness. He left Churchill Downs with an undefeated record and a too good to be true story that could make him a legend.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll be telling my grandchildren about this and their grandchildren about it, hopefully.

BURKE: The horse's bloodlines aren't impressive. He's a thoroughbred outsider from Pennsylvania. And a year ago, Smarty Jones almost died in a training accident that left him with a fractured skull. Yet the owner and trainer who brought him to Louisville knew they had something special.

ROY CHAPMAN, OWNER, SMARTY JONES: My wife is the one that buys horses because of the look they got in their eye. And she said the horse has just got that kind of look in his eye. Let's keep him. And we kept him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because it is such a great story, I think there was a lot of people rooting for us. And that's probably what made him the favorite.

BURKE: He was the scrappy horse with an equally hard suffering jockey. Stewart Elliott had more than 3,000 victories, but Smarty Jones was his first Kentucky Derby ride.

STEWART ELLIOTT, JOCKEY: I turned for home. I made the lead. I thought we're on our way. Where are the rest -- where are they? Where are they? And I just kept riding my horse. When I reached the finish line in front, it was like a dream come true.

BURKE: With the victory, Smarty Jones earned a $5 million bonus offered by Oak Lawn Park to the horse that could sweep the Rebel Stakes, the Arkansas Derby, and the Kentucky Derby. There's another $5 million bonus out there for him if he can win the Triple Crown. So what are his chances? Well, the last horse to come out of the Kentucky Derby undefeated was Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew (ph).

Josie Burke, CNN, Louisville.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAN MIGUEL: To be able to run that kind of race in the mud, I mean just adds to the drama there.

HILL: Pretty impressive stuff. It is. I was learning all about it. I just finished "Seabiscuit" so I love this stuff.

SAN MIGUEL: Oh, there you go. More drama and horse racing.

(WEATHER REPORT)

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Rob. Thanks a lot. We'll check with you later.

HILL: And we're going to go check now of our headlines at this hour. Missing American contractor Thomas Hamill has been found alive in Iraq, alive and in good health. Coalition officials recovered Hamill near Tikrit after he escaped from his captors.

Two American soldiers were killed during an attack by Iraqi militants near Amara in southern Iraq. Coalition officials say two more American soldiers are dead following a roadside bomb attack in northwestern Baghdad this morning.

SAN MIGUEL: And back to the Hamill story for just a second. CNN has been able to get in touch with Kelly Hamill, Thomas Hamill's wife in Macon, Mississippi essentially saying nobody can understand just how happy she is upon hearing this news, which you know, just happened within the last hour.

HILL: And what an incredible phone call for her to get.

SAN MIGUEL: I'm sure.

HILL: We were told in a briefing when we were told just about an hour ago, as you said, that he was found alive. We were told not a lot of information, but the little bit we did get was that he was able to speak with his family. And I can't even imagine what...

SAN MIGUEL: No.

HILL: ...that must have done for them.

SAN MIGUEL: Completely. And he -- right now, he is giving information to military officials about his captivity and how he was able to essentially what we're hearing, just walk out of a building and walk away from his captors. We will try to get more information on that to you.

Also, our -- we want to hear from you on our e-mail topic of the day. It has to do with the Internet and some of these hoaxes and frauds that are making the rounds on the web. Which Internet hoaxes have you fallen for? You know, don't be shy. We're not going to -- you know, you don't have to give us your real name or anything like that, but just tell us if you have fallen, you know, to some of these hoaxes out there, tell us about it. Maybe you'll be helping somebody else to..

HILL: You might. Maybe Renay will share with us how he fell for one.

SAN MIGUEL: I'm still getting, you know, from this Nigerian guy who says I have to give him all his money to save, you know, 20 million...

HILL: It's funny because he has my e-mail address, too. I wonder how.

SAN MIGUEL: How did they get that?

Anyway, please, we want to hear from you at wam@cnn.com. The next hour of CNN SUNDAY MORNING begins right now.

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