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CNN Wolf Blitzer Reports

NASA Returns to Space; Two Bombing Suspects were Asylum Seekers; Some of Roberts' Records Released; Tourists Venture Out in Egypt Again>; Egypt Denies Pakistan Connection to Bombings; Iraqi Planning Minister on the Insurgency

Aired July 26, 2005 - 17:00   ET

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

ANDREA KOPPEL, HOST: Happening now, reporters are culling through 15,000 pages of Supreme Court nominee Judge John Roberts' work during the Reagan administration. What clues do they hold for a potential nomination fight?
Stand by for hard news on WOLF BLITZER REPORTS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six, five, four...

KOPPEL (voice-over): Back in space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one. And liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery.

KOPPEL: From liftoff to orbit, images never seen before as NASA covers every angle looking for signs of trouble.

Terror trail. London police step up their hunt. The prime minister vows a crackdown.

TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Whatever excuse or justification these people use, I do not believe we should give one inch to them.

KOPPEL: In Egypt, investigators now look closer to home. I'll get an exclusive update.

Only on CNN, how one Navy SEAL survived when 19 comrades were killed. New details on a rescue in Afghanistan.

ANNOUNCER: This is WOLF BLITZER REPORTS for Tuesday, July 26, 2005.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Andrea Koppel. Wolf is off this week.

Out of despair and back into space, NASA is once again doing what it does best with shuttle Discovery" now orbiting Earth on a one-day mission of a -- 12-day mission whose cargo includes both the hopes and fears of the nation. CNN space correspondent Miles O'Brien witnessed the thrilling beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three, two, one. And liftoff of Space Shuttle Discovery, beginning America's new journey to the moon, Mars and beyond.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's been a long time coming, but in the end everything came together without a hitch. The weather was perfect, the countdown flawless, and the faulty fuel gauge that kept the launch on hold and NASA engineers scratching their heads for nearly two weeks inexplicably worked without a hiccup. On cue and on time, the shuttle Discovery rocked into space, marking NASA's return to flight nearly two and a half years after the loss of Columbia and her crew of seven.

MIKE GRIFFIN, NASA ADMINISTRATOR: Take note of what you saw here today, of the competence and the professionalism, the sheer gall, the pluckiness, the grittiness of this team that pulled this program out of the depths of despair two and a half years ago and made it fly.

O'BRIEN: For shuttle commander Eileen Collins and her crew, the day unfolded in a carefully scripted ritual. The crew walked out amid lots of cheers and, frankly, some deep rooted fears. Could it happen again? In New York, crew member Charlie Camarda's mother watched summoning help from an authority even higher than her son is now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'll just try to think he's going for a plane ride. Then maybe I won't be so scared.

O'BRIEN: So far, so good. But what seemed to be a picture perfect launch will be followed by a lot of poring over pictures like this one which shows some sort of debris falling off the external fuel tank, apparently harmlessly. That camera on the external tank even showed a never before seen view of the orbiter and tank parting ways.

JIM KELLY, NASA: That was a spectacular view. I wasn't real sure we were going to see it all the way through separation but it was one of the best views I think I've ever seen of the whole launch sequence from that view from looking above the orbiter back towards the earth.

O'BRIEN: But that is just the start. In the next few days, NASA engineers will analyze a dizzying stream of images of the launch employing a new, sophisticated network of tracking cameras, positioned all around the launch site. The hope is they will not see something like this, a big piece of debris falling off the external tank and knocking a hole in the shuttle heat shield as happened with Columbia's last launch in January, 2003.

(on camera) For NASA's beleaguered shuttle workers, it was the happy conclusion to a long, sad, draining struggle, but unlike previous missions, no one here is breathing a complete sigh of relief now that Discovery is in space. Columbia proved ever so poignantly that space flight is a dicey proposition in every phase of flight.

Miles O'Brien, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: In London, investigators have found out that two of the bombing suspects were welcomed as refugees, and the government was even giving one of them money to help pay the rent. Prime Minister Tony Blair is vowing that Britain won't give an inch to the terrorists.

Let's go live now to CNN's Jonathan Mann who is at London's Scotland Yard. So Jon, is there any kind of a backlash among the British public to this news?

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the news keeps changing and developing by the hour. We keep learning more about the men in question, about the investigation that's underway.

Earlier today, the man who's in charge here at Scotland Yard, the commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, said that the latest findings are significant and just a few moments ago, we learned even more, some vague information that police have found what they call material in the north London neighborhood that they have been searching. We don't really know what that means but it's significant that they made pains to announce it.

What they've been doing is essentially working through that neighborhood, finding new things, finding new things to look at. They seized a car and searched it. They seized an apartment or rather searched an apartment that belongs to one of the suspects that they have been looking for and they have told us more about the suspects themselves.

Four men are believed responsible for the botched bombings in London Thursday, the attempt on the public transit system. Two of them have been publicly identified by name.

What we know now about those two men is that they were both, as you say, asylum seekers. Both, in fact, entered the United Kingdom relatively young ,in their early teens, as young men, really. The children of asylum seekers from families from Ethiopia, or rather Eritrea and Somalia, and one of them, as you mentioned, was living in public housing and receiving a monthly payment of $550 to help him make his rent.

They have benefited from the generosity of the British public. The public is certainly not going to greet that news with particular affection.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has been doing his best to try and keep this country unified, to try to keep it calm in all of this. But a new poll finds a lot of Britons blame him for what's happened at least in part because he brought this country into war in Iraq. He says that's not the reason. He says the terrorists are acting for reasons of their own and he, as you mentioned, is determined that his policies will not change and that the British people will be stalwart -- Andrea. KOPPEL: Jonathan Mann in London. Thanks, Jon.

Just a couple of hours ago, the National Archives released some 15,000 pages of files pertaining to Supreme Courtupreme court nominee judge John Roberts. But some say that is still not enough. White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joins us to explain why.

So Suzanne, have you had a chance to go through some of these documents yet?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We haven't had a chance yet. We're still waiting for those documents to be released. We're told momentarily.

Of course, the White House has pledged to release some 65,000 documents pertaining to Roberts' records. But the Democrats, what they're saying today is that it's not the volume that matters here. They are looking at a particular time frame for Roberts, specifically when he worked at the solicitor general's office.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX (voice-over): Documents from Judge Roberts early work at Reagan's Justice Department are expected to be delivered to Capitol Hill Tuesday, the beginning of a process to provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with a fuller picture of Roberts' record.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think goes above and beyond what the Senate needs to do their job. It's more than what they need.

MALVEAUX: But Senate Democrats also want Roberts' documents from much later, internal memos from his four years as deputy solicitor general under the first President Bush. Democrats say those documents will give them a better sense of Roberts' thinking in how he might rule on abortion and other Supreme Court cases.

But the White House refuses to make those papers public, claiming attorney/client privilege.

MCCLELLAN: It would stifle the candid, honest, and thorough advice that solicitor generals depend on from their attorneys if that privilege was not protected.

MALVEAUX: As deputy solicitor general, Roberts argued cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the U.S. Government. Some legal scholars believe the White House position is appropriate.

PROF. DAVID GARROW, EMORY UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL: I'm a liberal Democrat, but I have to concede that the Bush administration has a very strong argument to make. Releasing the Roberts memos would, indeed, cause future members of the solicitor general's staff to pull their punches.

MALVEAUX: The Senate is largely split down party lines over the matter. SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), MINORITY LEADER: If it's only the documents we've seen in the "New York Times" and the "Washington Post," I think we need a little more than that.

SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (R-PA), CHAIRMAN, SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: It's an executive branch decision. That's where the privilege lies.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: And Andrea, there's mixed precedents here. When you take a look at Judge Bork and Rehnquist, both of them worked at solicitor general's office. Bork's records were released. Rehnquist was not. We know what happened to those two individuals. It's expected to be quite a battle this summer -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: I'm sure it is. Suzanne Malveaux at the White House, thanks.

We have new details today about who was and who wasn't involved in the bombings in Sharm El-Sheikh. Plus an exclusive interview with Egypt's ambassador to the United States, next.

Only on CNN, the dramatic details of how one Navy SEAL Survived in Afghanistan when his team came under heavy attack.

Could famine strike in Niger? CNN Jeff Koinange has just arrived in the country. We'll go there live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Egypt is now dismissing reports that Pakistanis may have played a role in the weekend bombings which killed at least 84 people at a popular Red Sea resort. CNN's hris Burns has the story from Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS BURNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After persistent reports of a possible Pakistani connection to the Sharm El-Sheikh attacks, Egypt sought to diffuse a potential diplomatic incident. Its ambassador to Pakistan told Islamabad Cairo agreed with what Pakistan had been claiming all long, that there were no Pakistani links. Egypt's main official newspaper also ran the denial, though gave no explanation why no link existed.

Egypt's leading independent newspaper ran the passport photos of five Pakistanis, noting authorities had said they were looking for them even before the attacks and that officials had been anticipating a strike.

"Al Masri Al-Yum" (ph) also reported that a source knowledgeable about the investigation confirms the five entered Egypt on fake Jordanian passports. They checked into a hotel on July 7, the day of the London bombings, and disappeared.

Egyptian security forcess had been releasing photos at checkpoints of a number of suspects but also rounded up scores of people, though so far no one has been charged. Authorities have reportedly identified one of the suicide bombers as Yusef Badran, an Egyptian who lived in northern Sinai and had ties to Islamic extremists. The interior ministry would neither confirm nor deny the reports.

Tourists who remained in Sharm El-Sheikh were returning to the streets and beaches after lying low since the bombings. British lawyer Richard Beverly and his family heard the blasts and hunkered down in their hotel ever since but they're now ready to venture out.

RICHARD BEVERLY, BRITISH TOURIST: The security seems good around the hotel and we've been well looked after.

BURNS (on camera): Have you left the hotel since the bombings.

BEVERLY: No, we decided to give it 48, just to let things settle down, really, but we'll venture out tonight and resume the holiday as normal.

BURNS (voice-over): With an exodus of thousands of tourists in recent days, hotel and tour operators are bracing for a slow period. But they're hoping for a quick recovery as after last year's Taba resort bombings.

(on camera) The quicker authorities get to the bottom of who planted the latest attacks, the sooner tourists, current and prospective, will feel reassured that the government has the situation under control. Indications are that it will take some time.

Chris Burns, CNN, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: Now only on CNN, let's get the latest on the bombings, the investigation and the impact on Egypt. I'm joined by the Egyptian ambassador to the United States, Nabil Fahmy.

Ambassador Fahmy, if it's not linked to Pakistan, then who do you think is responsible?

NABIL FAHMY, EGYPTIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.S.: Well, it's clearly -- it's clear from the intensity of the attack and the synchronization in three different plays in a short period of time that this is a sophisticated operation. That leads us to assume that it possibly has a foreign element as well as a domestic element. We do not yet have evidence that we can confirm as to the source of the foreign component or the local component and frankly, we would prefer to err on the side of caution before issuing specific accusations.

KOPPEL: Do you think it's fair to say that al Qaeda tops the list as far as foreign elements? We know that Osama bin Laden's No, 2, Al-Zawahiri, is an Egyptian.

FAHMY: That's true. Until we have evidence, we won't start naming organizations but we are looking into all organizations that are known and those that we hear of recently that are in this industry and without a doubt, suspicions will lead us to investigate very carefully.

KOPPEL: Since you are at the very beginning of this investigation, why does it seem that you have now ruled out any Pakistani links, or have you?

FAHMY: What we've ruled out is that we are searching or looking for the five Pakistanis specifically on this case. That's what we ruled out, because there was an attribution to an official source that we were doing that. And we thought it was unjustified to allow this to remain out there, since it was attributed to officials.

KOPPEL: Some have made -- are looking at the timing of the attack in Sharm El-Sheikh and the two attacks now in London and saying could there be a link? Could there be some connection between the two? Is that a -- is that a reasonable assumption?

FAHMY: What's clear is that the terrorists, be they in London or in Sharm El-Sheikh, want to send out a message as clearly and as loudly as they can. Consequently, one assumes that they choose timing and opportunity and sites for that effect. So one should not rule out a linkage, but again, we don't yet have evidence to that effect.

KOPPEL: Sharm El-Sheikh, obviously, is a very popular tourist destination. And we know that tourism in your country accounts for some $6 billion in annual revenue. It is one of the major employers for Egyptians, I believe two 1/2 million jobs are in the tourism industry. And then last year, you had a record number of eight million tourists that visited the country.

Do you think that these terrorists, if they are, in fact, terrorists, are trying to hurt your economy? What do you think the motive is?

FAHMY: I have no doubt in my mind that they definitely want to hurt the economy. They want to hurt the Egyptian people, and they want to, in a way, try to weaken our resolve in what Egypt represents by way of moving the Middle East into a new era in different phases, be that in the peace process, be that in terms of economic stabilization or as we move forward towards political reform, as well.

KOPPEL: What about the United States? Do you think Egyptian support for the United States is behind this, as well?

FAHMY: Terrorists generally have used a long list of reasons of why they do this or why they do that. They tend to choose issues that are of interest to our societies.

But let's not dignify their justification. Killing innocent civilians is unacceptable. It's an abhorrent, heinous act under any circumstanceses. Opposing and agreeing with the government here and there, there are ways and means to deal with those issues,not by killing people.

KOPPEL: All right. Ambassador Fahmy, thank you very much for your time.

FAHMY: Thank you.

KOPPEL: Ahead, staying safe and staying cool. When temperatures reach into the triple digits, tips to protect yourself.

A hot idea in fuel conservation. A major U.S. city is revving up for hybrid taxis.

And later, CNN has exclusive details about the rescue of a Navy SEAL in a remote region of Afghanistan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Has the war in Iraq brought terrorism home to Britain? A senior Iraqi official has gone to London to refute that notion, but there's new controversy this week as a U.S. government report says insurgents have infiltrated the Iraqi police.

Joining me now from London is the Iraqi planning minister, Barham Saleh.

Minister Saleh, does the Iraqi government agree with the findings of this U.S. government investigation, and if so, how do you plan on weeding out the insurgents from the police force?

BARHAM SALEH, IRAQI PLANNING MINISTER: I have not read the report in full. I've only see the press accounts of it. a very intense war against terrorists.

We're talking about a massive undertaking, of building a military while we are fighting a very intense war against terrorists. So I'm sure that there will be cases of infiltration here and there, but by and large from what I know and from the evidence that we've seen on the ground, I mean, there has been much, much progress that was achieved over the last year in building institutions of the military and competent, capable forces that have done well in fighting the terrorists.

KOPPEL: Speaking of the military, I want to read to you the findings of a joint report from the U.S. Defense Department and the State Department. This is what it had to say. "Despite recent improvements, too many recruits are marginally literate; some show up for training with criminal records or physical handicaps."

Do you think this is the case, and if so, is that a problem?

SALEH: Of course, if it is so, it will be a problem. But I -- probably my perspective on things are somewhat based on what we see in terms of the combat capability of the units that has been put together over the past year or so. And their conduct and their abilities have really improved a lot. And we have seen good account of their activities.

But I'm sure there will be cases that meets -- dealing with infiltration, recruits that may -- that may not be as disciplined as they should be. And these sort of things have to be dealt with. We don't deal with perfect -- a perfect world, a perfect situation. We are talking about a massive undertaking in the context of an ongoing struggle against terrorism in the most brutal sense of the word.

KOPPEL: I want to read to you what a minister within your own government is saying about one of your neighbors. This is the Iraqi defense minister quoted as saying that Syria "ignores demands by Iraqis to stop the infiltration of terrorists."

Both you and I know, Minister Saleh, that the Syrian government says it doing all it can to stop the infiltration. Do you agree?

SALEH: We are hearing good words from the Syrian government and certainly over the last few weeks, we have seen some new assertions by the Syrian government that they want to change their policies. But we have not seen deeds on the ground and I think the Syrian government, should it want to, it can control the borders. It can prevent the infiltration of terrorists coming across our borders and killing Iraqi civilians.

KOPPEL: Let's talk a little bit now about your mission to London right now. The Bush administration has long maintained that the central front in the war on terrorism is in Iraq. But now some are questioning that and saying perhaps that front has now expanded to places like London, like Sharm El-Sheikh. But you disagree. Is that right?

SALEH: I do disagree. Of course, I disagree. September 11 was before the war with Saddam Hussein. Egypt was not a partner to the coalition in the war to unseat Saddam Hussein from government. And the attack on Bali and Turkey, these were -- these are countries and governments that have not participated in the war against Saddam Hussein.

On the contrary, I would say that one of the main reasons that why we have this environment of despair that may generate anger is the policies that over the last 50 years have supported corrupt unaccountable governments in the Middle East. What we need in the Middle East is more open government, development, and better education.

Iraq is a central front in the war against terror because if we succeed in our mission -- and we must succeed in our mission -- to build a democratic government in the heart of the Islamic Middle East, we would have provided a major setback to the war -- to the cause of extremism and religious bigotry.

And furthermore, it was British and American troops having come to help us and deliver us from the tyranny of saddam Hussein that are giving us the chance to live in peace and security. Saddam Hussein killed nearly two million Muslims, Iraqis and Iranians and Kuwaitis. It is Saddam Hussein that was responsible for attacking Muslim shrines in Iraq.

KOPPEL: I'm going to have to...

SALEH: Not American and British troops.

KOPPEL: Barham Saleh, I'm going to have to end it there, but I do appreciate your taking the time to speak with us. Barham Saleh, the Iraqi planning minister, joining us from London.

SALEH: Thank you.

KOPPEL: Hundreds of stone-throwing villagers demonstrated outside the main U.S. base in Afghanistan today. Some tried to storm an outer gate at Bagram Air Base near Kabul chanting "Die, America." They demanded the release of eight people detained by the U.S. military for allegedly planning and conducting attacks against coalition forces. Protestors said they were angry that the Americans acted without consulting local authorities.

Other Afghan villagers recently defied al Qaeda and Taliban fighters and risked their lives to save a U.S. Navy SEAL. CNN has learned exclusive new details about how that one American survived a battle which took the lives of 19 other commandos.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, has the story, only on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): CNN has learned it was a more brutal and bloody fire fight than the military has acknowledged. In the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, more than 50 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters surrounded and killed three members of a Navy SEAL ground team.

Sixteen commandos on board a helicopter were shot down and killed just seconds before attempting a rescue.

The Navy SEAL who survived was found by a local Afghan and taken to his remote mountain village. Those villagers saved the American's life, but the full story of how an Afghan village risked its safety is now being told.

Military officials with knowledge of the incident confirm that Taliban and al Qaeda fighters came to the village, demanding the American be handed over. The villagers refused. The insurgents came back, offering up to $100,000 for the American commando. The villagers, knowing they risked attack, refused again. The insurgents remain nearby, watching for an opportunity to snatch the American.

The commando wrote a secret note, verifying his identity. A villager took the note to U.S. troops in the area. But how to sneak the Navy commando out of the village without the Taliban and al Qaeda noticing? The SEAL was disguised in local garb. Then villagers took him to a nearby location, where U.S. troops picked him up.

Later, a military chaplain assigned to comfort the SEAL posted on a Web site confidential conversations he had with the SEAL just hours after the rescue. Furious military officials say the chaplain may now face disciplinary action. (on camera): Those who have spoken to the Navy SEAL say he remains grief-stricken at the death of his fellow commandos. That rescue effort almost succeeded. Just as the helicopter was being shot down, all 16 commandos on board were standing at the rear of the helicopter ready to fast-rope down to the ground. They never made it.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOPPEL: The wait is finally over and American astronauts are now back in space, but video of debris falling off the shuttle Discovery is prompting new questions about safety. Veteran Astronaut Scott "Doc" Horowitz weighs in, ahead.

But first, the story of a nation on the verge of famine. Is the aid coming in too little, too late?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Well, as everyone nose by now, two-and-a half years later, we now have another space shuttle that has successfully taken off. Now, we're going to take you to a NASA presser that is taking place right now. I believe this is John Shannon, the flight operations manager, who is speaking right now.

JOHN SHANNON, NASA FLIGHT OPERATIONS MANAGER: ... Photos that we get that I think will shed a lot more light on that.

ANDY BETTAG, FUJI TELEVISION: Andy Bettag, Fuji Television. The second video -- what you were just talking about -- it seemed to be a larger piece. Is there any way to tell how dangerous that could have been had it hit the shuttle wing?

SHANNON: You know, with the one aspect that we had, you can't really tell if it's a small piece close to you or a large piece far away. And you don't know what the material is. So, it would be pure speculation. It would be even worse than that to try and characterize it, but once we understand what it is, then we'll be able to answer that question, I believe.

ERIC BERGER, "HOUSTON CHRONICLE": Eric Berger with the "Houston Chronicle." Is it safe to say that the most concerning image would be the first one of the tile, because that was directly on the orbiter? And I guess, the second question would be: Talk a little bit about how you lose tile in a lost of missions with the shuttle and how it would, you know -- losing one-and-a-half piece of tile or thereabouts may not be so dangerous.

SHANNON: What I can do is give you the characterization of the debris assessment team that goes and looks at the vehicle after every flight and they said just based on what we got from the camera on the external tank, this was an extremely clean flight.

Levels of concern -- you know concern doesn't really -- is not the right word. We are going to seek to understand any instances that we have of tile loss, no matter how small. We'd like to eliminate it. We did not come into this flight expecting to eliminate it all, but we knew that we had the tools available to us to characterize it.

And I think this will be a -- an attrition basis kind of thing. We may see something and that may improve our processes so that we can go and reduce tile loss or any debris generation.

So we're -- the reason we're flying this flight and the reason we're flying the next flight; we're putting them in the daylight; we're carrying all the tools; we're spending all of the time to do all the inspection; to take all the photography, is to characterize the vehicle and that is our number one goal and that's what we're heavily engaged in right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. This gentleman in the white shirt back here.

QUESTION: How small or how big does a tile have to be before the astronauts have to go outside and make a repair?

SHANNON: That is -- I wish could I give you one tile dimension, but of course, it --

KOPPEL: OK, we're going to bring in Scott "Doc" Horowitz, who is a shuttle veteran now with ATK, a defense and aerospace industry contractor. He is also a former NASA Astronaut. He joins us from Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

Doc, I don't know if you could hear much of the press conference, but I think to sum it up, what they're saying now is that a piece of a tile came off the Discovery at some point after live off. How serious -- do you have any idea how serious something like that is?

SCOTT "DOC" HOROWITZ, ATK ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS: Well, Andrea, I did hear a bit of that conference. and obviously since I have not reviewed the footage, I couldn't tell you exactly what I think of what they've seen.

This flight and I believe, as John Shannon was explaining, this is a test flight. We have all these cameras and all these resources trained on the orbiter to look for any of these types of debris or damage to the tile or any of that and one of the problems when you run an experiment like this, if you will, is you see things you've never seen before.

Every time the orbiter comes back, we have some measure of debris and we've known that for a long time ad a lot of it is not very consequential. And so, the team will have to analyze the photography. They'll look frame by frame. You can bet they're going to look at it very, very closely and they are going to characterize exactly what they saw and then determine if it has any impact to the flight.

KOPPEL: Unlike space shuttle Columbia two-and-a-half years ago, don't these astronauts, the seven men and women who are on board right now, don't they have kits on board? They're supposed to be trying to do sort of -- if in the event there is something very serious, that they could do some repairs actually in space?

HOROWITZ: Right on this flight, there's also a test of two types of kits. One type of kit is to address any kind of concerns with the tiles, which cover the majority of the surface of the orbiter.

Another kit addresses a concern with having to repair a hole in the hard leading edge of the wing, we call the RCC. And that kit actually was produced by ATK Thiokol and includes patches that they will check out in the mid-deck and they can be hard attached to the wing to cover any kind of hole, if one to be made by some kind of hit.

KOPPEL: What else are they going to be doing over the next 12 days? Obviously, their ultimate goal is to get to the international space station, but what are they going to be doing between now and the time they arrive and once they get there?

HOROWITZ: The first day, of course, is turning the space shuttle launch vehicle, if you will, into an orbiting spacecraft and so, the crew has probably done most of those operations already as they're preparing for sleep tonight. Tomorrow, they will have a whole bunch of tasks on hand, including doing some of the surveying of the vehicle. They have a long pole, if you will, in the payload bay that the robotic arm can pick up and has a sensor on the end and they will be scanning the vehicle using cameras and the sensors to figure out if they've had any damage to assess how these tools work in space.

Meanwhile, they're preparing the orbiter for the rendezvous which will happen the next day, which is an entire day event, to fly all the orbital maneuvers and prepare the orbiter and dock with the International Space Station, where the real meat of the mission is to transfer a lot of the hardware from the space shuttle into the International Space Station and to do some work there. The space station can also inspect the orbiter, and they will also then refill their cargo container and bring it home.

KOPPEL: Well something tells me that you would like to be along there with them. Scott "Doc" Horowitz, thank you so much for joining us today from Florida. An exciting day for everyone.

HOROWITZ: Very exciting and it's a lot of fun.

KOPPEL: Thanks.

In the African nation of Niger, hundreds of thousands of people are on the verge of starving to death. The country has been ravaged by drought and locusts. We get the very latest on the steepening crisis from CNN's Africa Correspondent Jeff Koinange, who joins us by video phone from Maradi, Niger.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT: Andrea, the situation on the ground is dire. Dire because hundreds of thousands of mothers are walking into what they call nutritional camps, starving mothers carrying equally starving babies. Babies that were looking at us with huge, big eyes that wouldn't blink, because the liquid in the eyes has dried up. That's how hungry the kids are, that's how desperate these people are. People who have been walking for miles on end to get to nutritional centers. And the aid agencies, in particular Doctors Without Borders, they tell us all of this could have been avoided.

So far, about two children are dying every day. At the height of this crisis, four were dying every day. A hundred fifty thousand children will die, according to Doctors Without Borders. Three-and-a- half million people across this nation face starvation. All this could have been avoided because, eight months ago, the aid agencies were waving the red flag saying help, help. The help didn't arrive and nothing has been done. So now aid is trickling in, but it's enough to last, literally, weeks. After that, the aid workers say they don't know what to do. They're angry the situation on the ground is in a word heart wrenching.

KOPPEL: Oh my goodness. Well, Jeff, we look forward to seeing your very important reports in the days ahead. Jeff Koinange. Thank you very much.

Here in the United States, the heat is reaching the unbearable mark in much of the country. We'll tell you how to stay safe while staying cool.

Plus, trying to clean up the streets of New York. The city's plans for hybrid taxis, ahead.

And later, a boy scout celebration closes for a day of grieving after four scout leaders are tragically killed. We'll take you to Bowling Green, Virginia, for the very latest on the investigation ahead.

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KOPPEL: And coming up at the top of the hour, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" and Lou is standing by in New York with a preview. Hi there, Lou.

LOU DOBBS, CNN HOST: Hi, Andrea. Thank you. At 6:00 p.m. Eastern tonight here on CNN, we'll be reporting on today's successful launch of the Shuttle Discovery and NASA's new mission. We'll have a special report for you on what's next for this country's space program.

Also, Congress expected to vote on a so-called free trade agreement with Central America this week. We have a debate between leading authorities tonight on whether CAFTA is about free trade or whether it's a corporate outsourcing program.

And is the war on terror over? Tonight we'll be reporting on the new language of the Bush administration, and what we on this broadcast call, the war on radical Islamists terrorists.

And tonight I'll have a few choice for a columnist for "The Philadelphia Inquirer." More coming up at the top of the hour. Now back to you, Andrea.

KOPPEL: Thanks, Lou. Well, if you live on the East Coast, we don't need to tell you what impact the heat is having on all of our lives. Well, the nation's largest city is taking steps to cut down on auto emissions year round. There is a reason behind that and a connection to the heat. CNN's Mary Snow is live in New York with details. Hi, Mary.

MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Andrea. Well you know, New York wants to make its fleet of yellow cabs green. And today it began testing the first model for environmental friendly cabs. This, in order to cut down on pollution.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW (voice over): Sizzling sun, 90 plus degree heat, high humidity.

MARCOS MERRANO, NYC TAXI DRIVER: You can feel it. You can smell it. It's hard to breathe.

SNOW: Cab driver Marcos Merrano says it's days like this that put him in favor of New York City's plan to convert to hybrid taxis that run on electricity.

MERRANO: The pollution is high. And then we spending a lot of money on gas. I think it would be great, that idea.

SNOW: New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, also likes the idea. He recently signed a bill paving the way for fuel efficient cars among the estimated 13,000 cabs in New York. City officials are test driving a half dozen hybrid vehicles to choose a model.

MATTHEW DAUS, NYC & LIMO COMMISSION: Not only will this make for a cleaner environment for all New Yorkers, but these vehicles are much more fuel efficient and at the end of the day, that results in savings to taxi drivers.

SNOW: The taxi commissioner hopes the savings in gas make up for the higher cost of some of the hybrid cars. It's considering models ranging from 19 to $49,000. While New York touts this as a progressive move, it's not the only city trying out hybrid cabs. The San Francisco cab company is testing ten of them. Tim Lapp drives a cab using electricity and gasoline.

TIM LAPP, SAN FRANCISCO TAXI DRIVER: I'm an environmentalist, but I'm also all in favor of saving as much money on gas as possible.

SNOW: Lapp says his hybrid cab gets two-and-a-half times more gas mileage than a regular car, saving him $20 a day. He says unlike regular cars, his powers up even while standing still, because the technology --

LAPP: -- allows the batteries to be recharged when you brake and when you start to slow down.

SNOW: Lapp says he's been cashing in on curiosity surrounding the green cabs.

LAPP: I think that the tips have increased as well as the gas expenditures having decreased. So it's been a win-win situation. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SNOW: And New York City is not mandating these hybrid taxis, it is offering incentives, hopes to have the first models on the road by the fall -- Andrea?

KOPPEL: I have a feeling there are going to be a number of cabbies who are lining up to get those cars. Mary Snow, thanks so much.

And after the break, we're going to have some tips for beating the heat.

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KOPPEL: It's not just hot, it's dangerously hot in some parts of the country. Nationwide, officials are investigating more than 40 deaths believed to be heat-related. And today, much of the East Coast is still sweltering with temperatures in the 90s and the high humidity that's pushing the heat index well into triple digits.

CNN's Brian Todd is out in the worst of it here in Washington, and he joins us live. Earlier today, Brian, we were hearing it was supposed to get up to 100 degrees here in D.C.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Andrea. And we've reached that mark, we're in full frying pan mode. We're down here at 14th and U Streets Northwest in the District, just outside of a cooling center that city officials have set up to help people get relief from the heat.

As you can see, this is a fairly busy intersection. People are out and about. It is rush hour. They're making their way home from work, but they are being advised to keep their exposure to the heat to a minimum. We're getting the tail end of a devastating heat wave that has swept through most of the country. Experts are telling us this is a particularly dangerous cycle of heat that remains unbroken night or day.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): Step outside in D.C., and it's like stepping into a sauna.

In Atlanta, a high school band member has another metaphor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Feel like I just felt shot with a flame thrower.

TODD: From Philadelphia and southern New Jersey to just north of Charleston, South Carolina, mid-Atlantic residents are given what the National Weather Service calls an excessive heat warning. That's when abnormally hot temperatures are felt for sustained periods of time, meaning there's little break between daytime and evening heat.

For this region of the East Coast, that means daytime temperatures in the mid- to upper '90s that feel like 110. Evening readings above 80, and it will last until 8:00 Wednesday night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not worried about the temperature in the house because I wasn't born in air conditioning.

TODD: This Washington resident more concerned about what's in his refrigerator.

New York City's weather not as severe, but that region is under a heat advisory until Wednesday, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees.

In New York, Washington, and other cities, officials have set up hundreds of so-called cooling centers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: O-73.

BARBARA CHILDS-PAIR, D.C. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY: Basically we offer ice water, a place to sit that's always air conditioned. We offer also heat tips, things you should be doing, things you should not be doing to ensure that you stay cool.

TODD: City officials and experts at the National Weather Service tell us if you're in a region with an excessive heat warning, go to a cooling center, a shopping mall, or somewhere else with air conditioning if you can't stay in your home. Wear light-colored clothing if you're outside. Don't stay outside for sustained periods, especially during the peak daylight hours. Of course, don't expose yourself to direct sunlight when you're outside, and stay hydrated. Drink water even when you're not thirsty, because when you are thirsty, experts say, that's a sign that you're already dehydrated.

This is the same heat wave that began in the Western U.S. in mid- July, claiming more than 20 lives in Arizona, breaking records elsewhere. Remnants of it still being felt in the Midwest.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TODD: But relief is on the way soon. Officials at the National Weather Service tell us come Thursday, temperatures here in D.C. will be abnormally low, around 80 degrees, or in that area through the weekend. Similar drops elsewhere on the East Coast. And in the southwestern U.S., where this whole thing started, they're in the monsoon season. No foreseeable heat waves in the near future -- Andrea.

KOPPEL: It's hard to imagine us thinking that 80 degrees is cool, but we'll take it.

Thanks, Brian.

It is a party fit for a queen. Check out this big birthday bash in El Salvador. It's our picture of the day, up next.

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KOPPEL: In our picture of the day, a fitting tribute to one of El Salvador's most famous residents. The El Salvador Zoo threw a big birthday bash for the country's most well-known animal, an elephant that just turned 55 years old. The honored guest got to munch on a giant birthday cake that included her favorite fruits and vegetables. And the crowd pitched in to sing a rousing version of "Happy Birthday." I can tell you, fruits and vegetables are not going to be on my birthday cake.

And remember, you can always catch WOLF BLITZER REPORTS at this time, 5:00 p.m. Eastern. And don't forget that Wolf's new show, "THE SITUATION ROOMS," starts August 8th. It airs from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.

Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Andrea Koppel in Washington. "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT" starts right now, Lou standing by. Hi, Lou.

LOU DOBBS, HOST, "LOU DOBBS TONIGHT": Hi, Andrea, and thank you.

END

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