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CNN Live Sunday

Hussein Osman Confesses To Being July 21 Bomber; President Bush Will Speak At Boy Scout Jamboree Today

Aired July 31, 2005 - 18:00   ET

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

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Our top story now, more arrests in the London bombing probe. Now 21 people in total are in custody. And we are told one of those suspects, Hussein Osman, is talking with investigators in Rome. His attorney says he plans to fight extradition back to London, possibly throwing a wrench into Britain's investigation. CNN's Jim Boulden is outside Scotland Yard in London -- Jim.
JIM BOULDEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi. London police tell us that seven were arrested in the south of the country today, six men and one woman arrested at two address it in the Brighton area which is in Sussex on the south coast of the U.K.

But police tell us that no armed policemen were involved in these two arrests, in these two houses that were raided this morning. They say that this was a planned operation. And they did not need to have armed policemen on the scene.

The British police are notoriously tight-lipped about why they arrest people, but they did give us some information about today's arrests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEOFF WILLIAMS, SUSSEX POLICE: We have today conducted two searches of two addresses. At present seven people have been arrested, six men and one woman. They've been arrested under the Terrorism Act. And they are currently being interviewed at a police station in Sussex.

Of course, the key issue for us is the safety of the public -- is always paramount. And I will say that this was a low-key operation, it was a planned operation, and we would assess that there are no risks to the members of the public.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOULDEN: A total of 35 people have now been arrested since the botched bombings of July 21st. We are told 11 of those are being held at a high security prison -- high security jail in Central London, that includes three or four of the main men they think were behind the botched bombing of July 21. But no indication that they have anybody they believe is the mastermind either behind the deadly bombings on July 7 which killed 56 people, or behind the July 21 botched bombings -- Carol. LIN: Jim, the sheer number of people, though, being arrested, and perhaps even more to come. What does the -- what does the sheer number of them tell investigators about who is responsible for these bombings and if, there might be more?

BOULDEN: What we're finding in a number of these arrests is these are family members, or people who might have been harboring these men, or people who might have had information where the men were staying after the botched bombings and did not report to the police. We also know one man who was arrested for wasting police time.

So many of these people are arrested under the Terrorism Act of 2000 as it's called. That does not mean they will be charged with terrorism offenses. It allows the police to hold these people for up to 14 days without charge. Many times these situations, these people either are re-arrested under less offenses, or actually let go.

But we know, of course, that several of the main suspects are in custody, also number of members of their families are in custody. It just remains to be seen whether any of these people who had been arrested, especially today, have any actual connection to the botched bombings.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much. Jim Boulden reporting live.

Now, the investigation is moving fast in Rome. CNN's Jennifer Eccleston has the very latest from there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER ECCLESTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The judge that questioned the London bombing suspect, Hussein Osman, today validated his arrest and his detention under the extradition request from the United Kingdom. And that means he'll stay in jail until a decision on whether the extradition will be processed.

Now, his lawyer, tells CNN he will indeed fight extradition. And that would delay any possible return to the United Kingdom by several months due to a lengthy appeals process.

Now, we're also getting some insight into the mind-set of Osman regarding the July 21 failed bombings. A judicial source close to the investigation tells CNN that Osman confessed to carrying out the London bombing, that he brought a bomb on the tube, but he said it was meant to be an attention grabbing strike, a protest he said against the Iraq war. And he was emphatic that it was not meant to kill anyone.

The source also said that Osman denied any links to the July 7 tube attacks and that he had no links to al Qaeda.

Now, the suspect told investigators there were five bombers. And that Ibrahim Muktar Said, who is custody in London, gave Osman the backpacks with the bombs and instructed him where to put them one day before the attack, that would be on July 20. He also said there were no explosive in the bombs. Now, he only said that they were there to make a noise. Our source also said that Osman goes by another name, which is Issak Abuz Hamdi (ph), which is on an Ethiopian birth certificate. The sources says the name Hussein Osman is from a fake Somali passport.

We also learned today that police arrested the older brother of Hussein Osman in Northern Italy on charges of destroying evidence. And of course, another brother was arrested with him on Friday in Rome. And he has been detained for carrying false documents.

Jennifer Eccleston, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, Britain is urging Zambia to extradition Harun Rashid Aswat, a man they believe is tied to the first bombing in London. Aswat, a British national, was captured in Zambia 11 days ago, some authorities wonder if he should have been arrested even before the London attacks. U.S. authorities were seeking custody of Aswat just weeks ago in South Africa to question him about a plot to establish a jihad training camp in Oregon. But during negotiations with Britain he slipped away.

As Iraqi officials work furiously to prepare the country's constitution ahead of a mid-August deadline, insurgent bombings continue and with deadly results. Four U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad. The bomb exploded near the Baghdad International Airport.

And south of Baghdad today, gunmen attacked a convey belonging to the political party of Iraqi deputy prime minister Ahmed Chalabi. Police say a bodyguard was killed and three others were wounded. A Chalabi aid says the deputy prime minister was not in the convey. Chalabi survived an assassination attempt in the same area last year.

Now not far from there, insurgents targeted an Iraqi police patrol. Officials say a remotely detonated car bomb exploded near the patrol killing five and wounding ten others.

Northwest of Baghdad near the town of Haditha, a battle broke out between a U.S. marines and a group of insurgents. U.S. military officials say 11 insurgents attacked marines with mortar fire. Officials say the attack was launched in an empty schoolhouse that was rigged with explosives and filled with weapons. Coalition aircraft and tanks fired on the building, killing the insurgents inside.

And now to the political pressures facing Iraq. President Jalal Talabani insists a constitution will be ready by the August 15 deadline. But the officials writing the draft charter are not as confident. They say they need more time. Now the issue is expected to come to a head tomorrow, the last day that the constitution drafting committee can request an extension.

And back in this country, thousands of Boy Scouts are waiting to hear from the president. Now, they had a pretty rough week at the National Jamboree in Virginia, four Scout leaders were accidentally electrocuted last Monday. And President Bush postponed a visit twice. Our Kathleen Koch now is live at the Jamboree. Kathleen, what's the mood out there right now?

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's very upbeat right now, Carol. As you can see, it is a complete sea of khaki behind me as the roughly 42,000 Boy Scout leaders and volunteers file into this open air arena to hear the president speak. And for many of them, as you mentioned, this will really be the highlight of what's been a very difficult week.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): Back on track, say the Boy Scouts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE; It's been really fun, doing all the different activities and stuff.

KOCH: After a rough start at the National Jamboree. On opening day four leaders from Alaska died when a tent people struck a power line.

TREVOR BROWN, BOY SCOUT: Just around camp, people were a lot more quiet, you know, more somber, you could feel it throughout the camp.

KOCH: And Wednesday, 300 Scouts and others were overcome by heat exhaustion while waiting for President Bush's later canceled visit.

CHRIS STURGILL, BOY SCOUT: One of the boys in our troop fell down from heat stroke but he did OK. They almost gave him an IV. But yeah, it was kind of scary.

KOCH: Cooler temperatures and gray skies have Sunday rated a green day: go for outdoor have activities. So even leaders who kept their Scouts back last week are looking forward to President Bush's evening appearance.

AL SMITH, SCOUT LEADER: We're going to go to the show as planned as long as it's a green day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to be awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah. I'm real excited to see him. It's going to cool. It shows that he supports the Boy scouts, and that's good.

KOCH: One high point for the Scouts last week, a unanimous Senate vote to allow military facilities like Ft. AP Hill to continue to host Boy Scout events. The ACLU had sued, saying that violates the first amendment Separation of Church and State, since Scouts must swear an oath of duty to God.

BRENT REED, SCOUT LEADER: This kind of event, I mean, you have a -- look at the vastness of this event. Where would you put this on?

GARY WHITFIELD, SCOUT LEADER: I had a tough time imagining where we would go if the army didn't support Boy Scouting.

KOCH: The military says the event is good training for the 2,000 service members participating.

MAJ. VINCE MITCHELL, U.S. ARMY: They are doing, as I said, mission related training, whether you are a military police officer, whether you are providing security, whether you are communications.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: President Bush will be speaking here in just over an hour. And this is his first appearance at a National Boy Scout Jamboree. His appearance four years ago was canceled, as was Wednesday night's because of bad weather -- Carol.

LIN: All right. Thanks very much. Kathleen Koch reporting for live.

Well, also on the president's agenda, does he have a secret plan up his sleeve for his U.N. Ambassador nominee? Rumors and rumblings in Washington this weekend about a possible end around in the Senate to install John Bolton. A live report from the White House straight ahead.

And reunited: A mother sees her daughter for the first time a week after she was kidnapped.

But first, the famine in Niger. The rush to get food to a starving nation before it's too late. CNN's Jeff Koinange joins me from Niger when CNN LIVE SUNDAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Those pictures are so hard to look at but they tell the real story of what's happening on the ground in Niger.

U.N. officials believe that so many people are at risk now of starvation in that country, that they are redoubling relief efforts. And they hope to feed 2.5 million people very soon. Our Jeff Koinange is in Maradi, Niger.

JEFF KOINANGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol. They are redoubling those efforts, because they didn't anticipate that so many people would be streaming out of the villages and into towns like Maradi where we are.

Thousands, tens of thousands have been pouring into these towns, looking for nutrients, looking for aid, looking for help. They didn't know that this number would grow in these days.

Also, UNICEF has appealed for about $15 million to jump start their program on the ground. They want to make sure that this kind of situation does not happen again.

And Carol, that's the crux of the matter here. This was a disaster and a catastrophe that shouldn't have happened in the first place. As late as eight months ago, aid agencies have been waving the red flag saying there is disaster looming in Niger (AUDIO GAP), and that's why we are at the situation we are at today.

At the same time, aid agencies on the ground, instead of putting blame or taking blame, well, there's a lot of team work going on. Something you don't see on the ground with aid agencies. A lot of them are actually working together, making sure that the aid, once it gets to towns like this, goes on to the cities, the villages, and the countryside where a lot of the people still are.

Remember, this is a country twice the size of Texas with one- tenth of the infrastructure. So as soon as you get up the main road, the roads are dilapidated, they are literally paths, and when it rains, if it rains, well those roads are impassable.

And in fact, aid workers are telling us, if rains do come in the next three or four weeks, well, they are hoping it's not too much rain, because the trucks carrying the food will all be water logged. And we'll all be stuck on those roads. And the food will not get to where it's needed most -- Carol.

LIN: So Jeff, outside of mother nature, the nongovernmental organizations which are trying to bring the food to the people, they expect that they will be able to get food and supplies to where they are needed the most right away without interference?

KOINANGE: Well, they are hoping to. And so far, there's been several plane loads of goods this past week. In fact, there was a plane that landed three or four hours ago in the Capital of Niamey. But again, it's 600 kilometers from the Capitol to where we are.

Yes, things have been going smoothly. The stuff is off-loaded off the aircraft and put on trucks. And then they get here eventually.

Again, it's a big country. But you are right, the bureaucracy and the red tape is reduced. And the aid is getting to these towns. It's from the towns to the villages that's key, Carol.

LIN: All right. That is good news indeed. Jeff Koinange, thank you very much.

If you want to help, please grab a pen and a piece of paper, because here are some phone numbers of the aid agencies that are helping with the relief efforts. And you can also get more information online. UNICEF's Web site is Unicef-USA.org. CARE's is CARE.org, or you can contribute to the United Nations World Food Program. That Web address is www.wfp.org.

Also, stay with CNN for the latest on the food crisis in Niger. Catch a special report on the famine with "ANDERSON COOPER 360." That's Monday night at 7:00 Eastern right here only on CNN.

In the meantime, safe in space, but what about the return home? The possible problem for the Shuttle Discovery and the options engineers are considering. And later, if your kids aren't outside playing this summer they are probably in front of the computer. What's driving them online? The answer when CNN LIVE SUNDAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Well, there is a big decision ahead for NASA. There are parts of the shuttle that are actually dangling from the belly of the craft. And engineers are debating whether to try to repair the shuttle damage that could possibly catch on fire as the spacecraft returns on its trip home.

With more on that critical decision, we turn to CNN's John Zarrella who is standing by live at the Johnston Space Center in Houston.

So, what is the latest decision? What are they going to do?

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Still haven't made up their mind, Carol. The teams are handling analysis tonight. They have teams set up that have gone back to really take a look at this issue.

And other than this issue of what's called gap fillers -- and I want to show you something for one second -- other than that, there are no other issues.

But this is what it is -- take a look at this -- piece of paper I have between my hands here would be like the filler, gap filler, the piece of paper, between two shuttle tiles.

Now we can look at the graphics. On the underbelly of the space shuttle, there are two of these places, two gap fillers, that are protruding. And one of them is protruding 1.1 inch, and the other protrudes from .6 to .9 of an inch. So NASA is concerned enough about that they have engineering teams out there trying to see what the issue -- how they can resolve the issue. The problem is heat build-up behind those gaps -- those fillers on reentry.

And the other problem is, according to the deputy shuttle manager, program manager, Wayne Hale, there just is no real data because the shuttle is the only bird that flies the way it does. There's very little data for them to look at to see how this might affect reentry.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WAYNE HALE, DEPUTY SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: It seems to me we have adjusted some of the blankets before on the upper surface. But I don't have that data at hand. You know, as opposed to the station where we do maintenance every time it seems like we visit them, there's been little if any on the shuttle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: The problem, of course, is because of the thermo dynamics, the build-up of heat behind those protrusions, that's the concern. How much heat will build up on reentry? Would it damage other tiles behind that?

Now, this morning on CNN, Miles O'Brien had a chance to speak with the crew and with commander Eileen Collins. And Collins said to Miles that she wasn't very concerned about this issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EILEEN COLLINS, SHUTTLE COMMANDER: I believe the gap fillers are within, or similar to what we have seen on some previous flights. So, definitely not a big concern to me right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: But it is concern enough to the NASA managers that these teams are in place. They are looking at the issue. They expect to make a decision tomorrow.

So, what can they do? Bottom line is, on an EVA, either one of the next two EVAS that are planned, or on a separate EVA, the astronauts would -- an astronaut would have to go beneath the belly of the shuttle, presumably dangling from one of the remote manipulator arms, either from the shuttle or from the International Space Station, and go in there and snip off those fillers, kind of just shave them down so that they are flush with the bottom of the shuttle.

The whole idea, again, is smooth surface, then you don't have these aerodynamic build-ups behind where those gap fillers are.

So, it's a tough, tough issue, a tough call for NASA to do it. And remember, you too, you have two rookie spacewalkers up there. The two men that are designated to do space walks on this mission had never done a spacewalk before the one they did yesterday morning. So a whole new ball game. A lot to be discussed.

LIN: Yes. A lot at stake. The ultimate home improvement project up there in space. We wish them well.

So far, though, they are pretty optimistic they will be able to fix this. And they have got until August 8, until they really actually scheduled to come back. Thanks, John.

LIN: Coming up, our Carlos Watson is going to join me for his "Fresh Take" on politics. What does a streaker have to do with the energy bill passed by the Senate? Stayed tuned to find out.

Plus, back with her mother, a young girl kidnapped from her home and taken to a foreign country. The heart-warming reunion straight ahead. You're watching CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. I'm Carol Lin. And here's a quick look at what's happening right now in the news. Authorities in Rome are questioning a suspect arrested there Friday in London's failed July 21 bombings. Sources tell CNN, Hussein Osman confessed to carrying a bomb on a train. They also say he claims the plot had no connection to al Qaeda, or the deadly attacks two weeks earlier.

Seven more suspects in the case were arrested in Britain today, bringing the total now in custody to 21. Police say they have detained all the men accused of carrying bombs in the plot.

And Egypt's prime minister says there is no evidence a suicide bombing that killed 84 at a resort last week was not related to al Qaeda. The prime minister says the investigation is targeting young outcasts from a local Bedouin tribe. The motivation for the bombings still remains unknown.

And flood waters are rising again in Mumbai, India, causing more misery after last week's devastating monsoon rains. Authorities now say more that 1,000 people have died in western India from floods and landslides. Today, some residents confronted local officials, they are angry they don't have water or electricity.

And in Washington, the battle over John Bolton is reaching a boiling point. There are indications President Bush will go around the Senate this week and go around the Senate this week and appoint Bolton -- go ahead and appoint him U.N. ambassador. Today some Democrats strongly urged the president to reconsider. CNN's Elaine Quijano reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, when will you appoint John Bolton to U.N.?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Bush isn't talking publicly, but two senior administration officials say as early as this week, he could bypass the Senate and use a recess appointment to make Bolton ambassador to the United Nations. The White House which had been seeking an up or down vote in the Senate, has now signaled time is running out.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The United Nations will be having their general assembly meeting in September, and it's important that we get our permanent representative in place.

QUIJANO: Democrats initially stalled Bolton's nomination over access to documents from his time at the State Department. Last week, Democrats seized on another issue, the State department acknowledged Bolton incorrectly filled out a questionnaire for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, failing to tell members he had been interviewed by the department's inspector general as part of an investigation into alleged attempts by Iraq to get uranium from Niger.

A department spokesman says when Bolton completed the form, he didn't recall the interview. That prompted 35 Democratic senators, and one independent, to send this letter to President Bush Friday urging him not to appoint Bolton.

SEN. CHRIS DODD, (D) CONNECTICUT: He's damaged goods. This is a person who lacks credibility. That's not what you want to send up, a person who doesn't have the confidence of the congress. SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN, (D) CONNECTICUT: There will be a cloud over his head. On the other hand, he will be our representative at the United Nations for the next year and a half. I hope members of Congress of both parties will then unite and try to give him support.

QUIJANO: Still, Republicans maintain Bolton blunt style is what the U.N. needs.

SEN. JOHN KYL, (R) ARIZONA: I think he's tough guy, but I think they appreciate the fact that the president felt at this time in the U.N.'s history when it could use a little tough love, John Bolton is the kind of guy to do the job that the president wants done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUIJANO: If President Bush does move ahead with the recess appointment, John Bolton would hold his post until January of 2007. That is when Congress' term ends. Carol, back to you.

LIN: All right. So Elaine, the bottom line, fait accompli, John Bolton is going to be the U.S. representative to the United Nations.

QUIJANO: Indications are such. But, of course, we always have to have that caveat that anything can happen. But certainly, some strong signals coming out of the White House, particularly late last week that this could be in the works for early this week. We know, of course, the president is heading down to his ranch in Crawford for the August recess, his own August recess. And so speculation certainly running rampant now that it could happen tomorrow or perhaps Tuesday before he leaves town.

LIN: All right. Good preview for the week to come. Thanks very much, Elaine.

In the meantime, the Senate passed an mammoth energy bill that is a victory of sorts for President Bush. He promised it would secure America's energy future and cut our dependence on foreign oil. But our CNN political analyst Carlos Watson has a "Fresh Take" on what the bill is really about. In fact, he asked that we start what you might call -- there you, the bear essentials.

CARLOS WATSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Carol Lin, you gotta love that, don't you? Your probably wondering why, why am I starting with naked streakers running across our screen? Well because in many ways, this energy bill, while it's the first comprehensive energy bill in over a decade, and while it does a lot of things, everything from encourage more renewable energy sources to increase Daylight Savings Time, in some ways it's really kind of a naked power grab or power give to big oil and gas companies.

Some $8 to $10 billion at a minimum will go to them in the form of tax subsidies. And maybe as much as $26 to $32 billion. And, a lot of those just sound like more big numbers. But to put that into perspective, every year, about a half million high school students graduate, have a B average, but don't go on to a four year college because of financial issues. If that $8 billion to $10 billion was spent on those kids, every one of them could go to a state university.

And if the number actually turns out to be $26 to $32 billion, every one of those kids could go to Yale, the president's alma mater, for four years. So a lot of pork.

LIN: All right. A lot of pork. But there's supposed to be some benefits in there for consumers. For example, you know, if you want to by a Toyota Prius -- I mean, it was specifically named in the legislation, then you could get a tax credit as a consumer. So there are things in there that might be a bonus, or a benefit for people who are out there car shopping.

WATSON: You know, there are a few benefits out there. Again, Daylight Savings Time is extended, they are looking at a whole variety of new kinds of technology, including clean coal and how to use wind and solar in order to power a lot of things we do.

But the reality is, that when all is said and done, this will probably -- it's just one of many things that make this maybe the best year the big corporations have had in Congress in a long time. When you think about the class action bill that limited lawsuits against big companies. When you think about the highway bill that also just got passed with a lot of pork in it. The spending bills that have come through. Coming up soon when we get back from congressional recess, they will consider whether to appeal the estate tax which protects large estates against...

LIN: Well, if you, yourself Carlos are making the point that there are things here that may benefit society as a whole, like cleaner fuels, and other alternative energy sources -- credit to the federal government for trying to do so?

WATSON: Well, you've got to give them credit. As I said, most comprehensive bill in 13 years. But I think on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, they would say this is a modest start. A little bit, if you will, like Cracker Jacks, if you remember that old candy.

LIN: Oh, the prize.

WATSON: There's a little prize in here for consumers. And there's some good starts that you can't dismiss. But it is -- when you take a macro step back, it is worth noting that big corporations will gain significantly. And there may be -- that may be a good thing, but it's worth noting.

LIN: Yeah. And also more investment, also, in alternative fuels. And more research out there.

WATSON: Very much so. Although, what's interesting here Carol, is that often when you think about making big changes in public policy, you think about Congress and the presidency. But the people who really may be the power brokers on this issue are not members of Congress who passed this bill, but actually maybe folks out here where I live, out in California.

LIN: Silicon Valley.

WATSON: Silicon Valley venture capitalists who are looking to quadruple their investment in what's called clean technology, everything from how to make the batteries on your iPod run longer to make your home heating bill go down, to how to make sure that the waste that's created from coal-fired plants go down. And again, they are doing it because out of the goodness of their heart, they're doing it because they think they can make a ton of money.

LIN: Money to be made.

All right. So maybe that explains why an unusual choice is heading off to Silicon Valley.

WATSON: You know, it's interesting enough -- and this may capture the shift perfectly, Colin Powell, former secretary of state, the ultimate Washington insider, just announced in the last couple of weeks that he, in effect is going from East Coast to West Coast. He's joining as a venture capitalist at one of the premiere firms Kleiner Perkins. And what are one of the three priorities that he's looking to invest?

LIN: What?

WATSON: Alternative energy.

LIN: Aha!

WATSON: So, he's seeing that there is a real opportunity here as well. It's not just all just about Google and Yahoo!, it's about as we said, longer living batteries and ways to produce clean coal.

LIN: And the ching ching.

And the ching ching.

WATSON: And the ching ching.

LIN: Hey, speaking of the Bay Area -- I know you don't like to brag see I will brag for you, a month or so ago you were talking about how California and San Francisco in particular was taking the initiative on the stem cell issue. And now look what happened. I mean, you said that there would be a domino effect, and just this past week Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announces -- break from his party and announces that he's supporting embryonic stem cell research.

WATSON: A big deal that Republican senator and more notably a doctor, a noted heart surgeon, Bill Frist, has said that in contrast to President Bush, he now supports federal financing for additional stem cell research. We know this is a controversial issue, pits people not only on either side of the aisle but within parties...

LIN: Yeah. Look at the players we have got on the screen, right now. You have got Nancy Reagan there who wants this stem cell research, obviously from the experience of her husband Alzheimer. WATSON: You have got the super liberal Gavin Newsome, the mayor of San Francisco, who gave the green light to gay marriage last year and also is a strong supporter of stem cell initiative, you have President George W. Bush who in 2001 banned additional federal financing of that kind of research. So you are right, that this is an interesting won that brings lots of people to the table. And we are going to see lots of different changes on this question over the next year. And it could emerge in 2006 if you will, as maybe the hottest hot button issue -- and there are a lot-- in control of who controls the Senate. So expect to hear more about this, especially from individual states.

LIN: A "Fresh Take." And we can't say we weren't warned, because we have Carlos Watson on our side.

WATSON: Carol Lin, good to see you.

LIN: You too. Thanks, Carlos.

In news across American now. A huge wildfire near Vail, Oregon now stretches over 34 square miles and is threatening homes. Firefighters are making progress. The blaze, though, is 75 percent contained and officials hope it will be completely contained later tonight. It's just one of eight wildfires burning now across Oregon.

And there's still no word on the whereabouts of a ranger missing in Colorado Rocky Mountain National Park. Park officials say Ranger Jeff Christianson was last seen Friday morning and was plan to hike one of the trail heads. A team of rangers is searching the area along with two helicopter crews and local rescue units.

The mother of the teenager missing in Aruba has returned to her home in Alabama. Beth Holloway Twitty has been in Aruba for the last two months waiting for word on her missing daughter Natalee. She plans to return to the island if there are any developments in the case. So far there are none.

An international search has turned up a missing 8-year-old girl. She was found in Mexico with a convicted sex offender. The suspect could serve decades in prison if he is convicted in Mexico, or life without parole in right here in the United States. Jen Rogers has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEN ROGERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a reunion neither mother or daughter will ever likely forget. After eight agonizing days, a mother had her little girl back in her arms again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wanted to thank everybody. The police in Mexico, all the authorities, everybody that helped me finding my daughter.

Police say Fernando Aguerro (ph), the mother's live-in boyfriend, disappeared with the eight-year-old on July 22, allegedly taking her birth certificate, Social Security card, photos and even her dog. It was Mexican authorities who found the two in a low income shelter in Ensenada after locals recognized them from photographs on fliers distributed.

Police who questioned Aguerrro (ph) say he admitted to sexually abusing the young girl while he was living with her family near Reno.

ANTONIO MARTINEZ, ATTORNEY GENERAL, BAJA, CALIFORNIA: When we interviewed him with the district attorney's office, he said that four months previous to today, he had sexually assaulted or molested the little girl. And that he decided to bring her to Mexico.

ROGERS: Despite several efforts, CNN was unable to confirm whether Aguerro (ph) has an attorney. The victim's mother says she had no idea Aguerro (ph) was a convicted sex offender, or that he posed a risk to her daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He loved her. They were very close. They because like father and daughter. They got along very well.

CAPT. JEFF PAGE, LYON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPT.: This man was a predator, he's a manipulator, he spent a great deal of time working his way into this family, he had planned this abduction for quite some time.

ROGERS (on camera): If convicts, authorities say Aguerro (ph) could face up to 38 years in a Mexican prison. U.S. and Mexican officials will meet next month to discuss extradition issues, as well.

Jen Rogers, for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: In the meantime, you have heard of alkaline batteries, but what about alkaline water? Could that be the secret behind this life- changing slimming for one woman? Look at that. A doctor with a different take on nutrition that seems to be working ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

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LIN: In our "Fountain of Youth" segment today, balancing your body chemistry to lose weight. A top research scientists say most of us take better care of our swimming pools than our bodies. And in his book "The PH Miracle For Weight Loss," he has a different take on nutrition. Author and doctor Robert Young is joining me now from New York. And we have got lots of before and after pictures to show the folks out there. But Dr. Young, first explain this whole PH balancing thing. And what it has to do with losing weight.

DR. ROBERT YOUNG, AUTHOR: Well, the PH miracle and balancing your fluids of the body is of utmost importance, because there's some confusion here. It's not that we're overweight, it's that we're over acid. Because our bodies constantly need energy and there's a waste product in energy production, which are acids, if out body doesn't eliminate acids through urination, defecation, perspiration or respiration, that acid gets parked on our hips, our thighs, our buttocks, our waistline our breast or in our brain. And this is what makes us fat. So, obesity or overweight is not a fat problem, it's an over-acid problem.

LIN: OK. So balancing the internal PH of your body, how do you do that? Does it have to do with diet and what we eat?

YOUNG: Well, you do it with what you eat, what you drink, even your thoughts can make you over acidic. And so it's really important to focus on more alkaline, more alkalyzing foods like spinach, and parsley, or celery.

LIN: Wait, because I have to explain the side panel on the screen. We're listing a bunch of acidic foods. These are the foods you're saying we should avoid: beef, chicken, dairy products? I mean, those are really the foundation of most people's diets.

YOUNG: Well, the foundation of most people diet, the standard American diet, is over acid. And when we are over acid, this makes us sick, tired and overweight. So animal proteins, and dairy products, even the wrong kind of water, acidic water. If we are drinking carbonated water, these are acids that build up in our system and if not eliminated, they build up in our fatty tissues, in our connective tissues, and it's acid that makes us fat.

LIN: So, you're saying that we should be more green. We should eat more greens, like your listing leafy greens, and cucumbers, olive oils.

YOUNG: Exactly. We need to move to an alkalyzing diet, more green foods and green drinks. And also good healthy fats. Good, healthy fats like from fish: sea bass, trout, salmon, even mackerel or tuna, as well as seed oils like flaxseed, or hemp seed, even olive oil, these fats can actually neutralize acidity and help us to become more healthy and more energetic, and help us to maintain our ideal, healthy weight.

LIN: All right. So, what do you eat for breakfast? I mean, you can't cheese, you can't have eggs, can't have dairy.

YOUNG: Well, this is where my wife comes in. I mean, she has created some incredible recipes. Shelly, the co-author of "The PH Miracle for Weight Loss" has provided over 100 recipes in the Ph miracle book on how to alkalyze. And one of the most important meals that needs to change is breakfast. And I know this may sound strange, but eating a salad or having a vegetable soup for breakfast or even some steamed veggies: broccoli or spinach. In the morning, we make a green shake.

LIN: A green shake.

YOUNG: A green shake with cucumbers and avocados, rather than going to protein, we go to alkalyzing foods.

LIN: Tell the kids. It may not go over. Kix cereal looks pretty good sometimes at 8:00 in the morning. Let's show some of the results, OK? I mean, taking a look at some of these pictures, it's hard to believe that these people lost so much weight by simply making those -- well, they're pretty basic choices there.

YOUNG: When you move to a more alkaline diet, you can lose up to a pound a day.

LIN: And it's not about calories?

YOUNG: It's not about calories. It's not about protein. It's not about fat. It's not about carbohydrate. It's whether or not the food is alkalyzing to the fluids of the body or acidifying to the fluids of the body. Because our body is only as healthy as the water it's bathed in. And the Ph of our fluids is balanced at 7.365.

LIN: And you say exercise can also make you fat? So, you're saying don't exercise?

YOUNG: No. It's not that exercise is bad, it's when we overexercise we produce lactic acid. And that lactic acid is thrown out into the fatty tissues, which can cause the body to go into preservation mode making us sick, tired and also fat.

LIN: All right. You know what, if I don't have to count calorie, and I don't have to exercise.

YOUNG: No, you have to exercise. Exercise is important. The most important part of exercise, is sweating. Because you eliminate acids through perspiration. It's what over exercise that's not good for you, OK? So definitely exercise.

LIN: OK. Couldn't get away with it, could I? Thanks very much, Dr. Robert Young, author of "The Ph Miracle for Weight Loss." OK, eat healthy, don't forget to exercise. We've made that point.

Sounds like a good lesson for teens as well. But these days, you are more likely to find teens in front of a computer instead of outside. And What are they doing on the Internet anyway? Well, we talked to them and we found out when CNN LIVE SUNDAY comes right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In Australia, a spectacular show on the water will soon give SCUBA divers a new playground under the surface. Hundreds of people watches as officials detonated 38 explosives aboard the HMAS Brisbane. The 436 ft. long ship will become an artificial reef that's expected to draw about 10,000 divers a year. The blast sends the former Australian naval destroyer 115 feet down to the bottom of the Pacific. Dive trips are expected to begin within three weeks. We'll be right back.

Well, in the meantime, looks like we're going to be back sooner than I thought. A new study says the number of American teenagers using the Internet has grown 24 percent just in the last four years. A typical kid is likely to be found at the keyboard during the day or evening. Daniel Sieberg has a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A group of kids enjoy a pickup game of basketball on a hot summer day in Atlanta, but chances are, most of them spend more time tapping on a keyboard than shooting hoops.

(on camera): How many hours a day, honestly, do you guys spend on the computer?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, God, during the summer, unless someone beats me out of the house, I'll end up just glued to it.

SIEBERG (voice-over): That supports a new survey by the non- profit Pew Internet and American Life project, which says that 87 percent of U.S. kids aged 12-17 use the Internet via computer, cell phone or PDA. Just five years ago, a similar Pew survey found 73 percent of teens were online.

KIPLING GILLESPIE, STUDENT: Just because the technology allows us to plug in, because now that we have high speed DSL and cable Internet access, we're able to do everything much faster. So, it's much easier to do.

SIEBERG: We found some plugged in teens at -- no surprise here -- a computer camp, the iD Tech Camp going on this summer in Atlanta. Here, teens and preteens learn everything from robotics to video game creation. One thing most kids don't need a lesson in, instant messaging.

(on camera): How many of you use instant message every day ? Just a show of hands.

(voice-over): The Pew survey says 75 percent of online teens use instant messaging. And nearly one-third of all U.S. teens use IM every single day.

DARSHAN CHELLERAN, STUDENT: I almost always have it open, but I'm usually not chatting except like half an hour or one hour a day.

WILL MCCALL, STUDENT: I'm probably on at the minimum 30 minutes, but on usual during the school year, probably about three or four hours.

ABBEY LATTS, STUDENT: It's just a convenience. You're already typing. You're already looking at the screen. So you can still talk to your friends without having to try and struggle with a phone like this, you know.

SIEBERG: Despite IM's increasing popularity, e-mail is still the biggest reason teens go online, followed by visits to entertainment Web sites, playing games and getting news. Instant messaging comes in fifth.

(on camera): What do you do typically on the Internet? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Play games.

CROWD: Play games.

(CROSSTALK)

LATTS: The comics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Online comics.

SIEBERG: Do your parents know what you are up to online most of the time?

LATTS: Well, usually. I've learned how to delete my history pretty good.

SIEBERG (voice-over): Meaning, she's savvy enough to know how to cover her digital tracks if she needs to. And the Pew survey says older girls like 17-year-old Abbey are driving much of the growth in teen Internet use. They're more likely to use e-mail and look for information on the Web.

(on camera): The survey's authors do say wired teens get outside for other activities on occasion, albeit with a little coaxing. And here at the camp, they are required to get away from the computers for at least an hour a day.

Daniel Sieberg, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Ahead on CNN this Sunday evening. Up next, it is "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS" with a look at pop divas, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.

And then at 8:00 Eastern, "CNN Presents: Is Anybody Out there, The Search For Live in the Universe." Scientists believe they are on the verge of a major breakthourhg.

And at 9:00 Eastern is "LARRY KING WEEKEND." Tammy Faye Messer talks about facing cancer for the third time. And I will be back at 10:00 Eastern with the day's top stories.

Plus, can gay teens be taught to live a straight life? We are going to take you to a camp that is trying to do just that.

Meantime, a check on the hour's headlines after a quick break.

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