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Your World Today

Top Sunni Sheikh and U.S. Ally Killed; Iraqi Boy in U.S. for Medical Treatment; Sumatra Area Hit By Yet Another Quake

Aired September 13, 2007 - 12:00   ET

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

JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: From success story to state of emergency, a key U.S. ally is killed in an Iraqi province that had been touted as an example of progress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PETER GROSSMAN, PRESIDENT, GROSSMAN BURN CENTER: Youssif, can you open your mouth for me?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HALA GORANI, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: An attempt to leave behind the scars of war, a boy begins a medical treatment program made possible by an outpouring of help.

CLANCY: And, commitment for their country. Russian couples get an extra incentive to have a baby, nine months from now.

It's 8:00 p.m. in Moscow, 7:00 p.m. in Jerusalem.

Hello and welcome to our report broadcast around the globe.

I'm Jim Clancy.

GORANI: I'm Hala Gorani.

And this is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: We begin with a shocking setback to U.S.-led efforts against Al Qaeda in Iraq.

GORANI: Well, even as U.S. President George Bush prepares to make a primetime pitch for patience, here's the latest from that country.

Mr. Bush is set to deliver his televised address from the White House in nine hours. He's expected to stress what his administration calls bottom-up political progress in Iraq.

CLANCY: This all comes as a key Sunni sheikh who just met with President Bush and was united with U.S. forces against al Qaeda militants has been assassinated near his home in Anbar province.

GORANI: Adding to all this turmoil, a painstakingly constructed compromise on Iraq's oil revenue-sharing law, crucial to national reconciliation. That law appears in danger of collapse. CLANCY: Right now, a state of emergency is in effect in Anbar province in the wake of today's roadside bombing that killed Sheikh Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha. At least two of his bodyguards also died in the explosion near the Sunni leader's home.

Michael Ware joins us now live from Baghdad.

Michael, who is behind this killing?

MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, nobody's claimed responsibility at this stage. It's only a few hours after the deadly bombing.

We can't rule out the possibility that this is interfactional feuding between the insurgents and the Anbar tribes that America is working with. But, from the outset, at first blush, one would have to say this so far bears all the hallmarks of Al Qaeda in Iraq.

They had been targeting Sheikh Sattar's organization since its first emergence last year when an American Army brigade in Ramadi plucked Sheikh Sattar out of obscurity and turned him into this cosmetic front of this insurgent movement that the Americans are now working with. We've seen al Qaeda with an endless ream of assassinations against figures in this movement. We've seen them hit the Anbar Salvation Council which the sheikh led with suicide car bombs, (INAUDIBLE) suicide bombers, even chlorine gas bombs.

I'm afraid to say that among the insurgents, among the Iraqi security officials, and the more pragmatic American military officials I've spoken to, many have been feeling that, you know, this was only a matter of time, unfortunately -- Jim.

CLANCY: This from the Pentagon briefing this morning: "Despite the tragic loss of Sheikh Sattar, he has ignited a movement that will outlive him."

How does the killing affect this U.S. strategy of bolstering Sunni militias to battle al Qaeda?

WARE: Well, I think the assassination of Sheikh Sattar, as tragic as it is -- well, my first instinct is to say that it will only be symbolic. I mean, such a movement is under way out in the west and other parts of the country, that I don't think the loss of this one man, who, by himself, to be honest, wasn't that powerful. He comes from a small, largely irrelevant tribe. The Americans built him up.

But now that the Sunni insurgents and particularly the Ba'ath apparatus of Saddam Hussein's former regime has the Americans in the bargaining position where they want them, and now that the Americans have finally realized that they need the Sunni insurgents for a whole host of reasons, not just al Qaeda, but Iran, I don't think anyone's going to stop this process. And from my dealings -- I've just come back from Al Anbar with some of these groups working with the Americans, and it was clear to me, these men don't take their orders from Sheikh Sattar. The elements of the Islamic army who were involved in this program, the elements of the Brigades of 1920 and countless other insurgent groups take their orders from their commanders. Their commanders are much bigger dogs on the block than Sheikh Sattar ever was. So it's very decentralized. This is a tragic loss, but I think the momentum is such that it's now in too many people's interest for it to be arrested -- Jim.

CLANCY: One other question, and it has to be on that attack two days ago. One person was killed, 11 were wounded. Camp Victory, the U.S. military headquarters, hit by a missile. That missile, according to U.S. commanders, was built in Iran.

What does this mean?

WARE: Well, this is a continuation of Iran's communication, shall we say, with America. Whilst its engaged America in two significant meetings here in Baghdad, the only two diplomatic meetings since the Islamic revolution more than 20 years ago, Iran has also had another channel of communication. That is through violence, through weapons, by funding Shia insurgents. We've seen Iran introduce the most deadly roadside bomb of the war.

Now, we first raised the issue of these 240-millimeter missiles known as the Farlac (ph) 1. Now, ordinary missiles that hit the Green Zone or American basses are of a type that this weapon, this missile, is 17 times larger. It has a 15-kilogram warhead.

Now, this arrived sort of in the middle of last year. But we've seen an uptick since the Americans began engaging with the Iranians. This is the Iranians keeping the pressure on the Americans.

We also now see, Jim, in the last couple weeks the introduction of yet another weapon. This is a weapon that we saw in the hands of Hezbollah last summer as they destroyed Israeli tanks.

The RPG-29, an anti-tank weapon, is now in use in Iraq. It took out three American vehicles in a week alone, injuring several. This, too, is an escalation. A weapon we saw from Iranian-backed Hezbollah, now suddenly used against Americans -- Jim.

CLANCY: Michael Ware reporting live.

Some disturbing developments there.

Thank you.

This reminder as well -- U.S. President George Bush scheduled to address Americans several hours from now. Stay with CNN for live coverage of the president's speech. That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern in the United States, 01:00 hours Greenwich Mean Time for international viewers.

Let's check some of the other stories that are making news right now.

(NEWSBREAK)

CLANCY: We return to Iraq now, the impact the war is having on children. We've been updating you on Youssif's story. He's the Iraqi boy, if you'll recall, who was burned and horribly disfigured during an attack outside his Baghdad home.

Well, thanks to a major outpouring of help from you, our viewers, he's been able to travel to the U.S. to get the medical help he needs.

Arwa Damon has been with Youssif nearly every step of the way as he made his journey to America.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For Youssif and his family, this was not just a journey from Iraq to America. In the words of his father, it was a journey from death to life.

"It's like a dream, not reality," his mother Zainab (ph) says, glimpsing America for the first time. "Pinch me. It's strange. Am I really coming to America?"

Greeted at the airport by the Children's Burn Foundation, and taken to the apartment they're providing, the family clearly overwhelmed. "From the bullets of Baghdad, to this?" Youssif and his sister forgot the exhaustion of their 24-hour journey and had the adults in stitches with their antics.

(on camera): She wants every single one of them.

(voice over): The next morning, when Keely Quinn, program director for the Children's Burn Foundation, arrived at the apartment, it seemed the fun had never ended. New adventures amid more laughter began.

(CROSSTALK)

DAMON: There is so much here that Zainab (ph) says she had only seen in the movies -- manicured lawns, sparkling pools and, of course, the playground. Youssif scampered up and down the slides, being a boy again, while his parents discussed more serious issues, like programs the foundation has to help burn victims cope.

KEELY QUINN, CHILDREN'S BURN FOUNDATION: The kids that come to our camp, one of the things that they've said is that it helps them feel normal. They didn't know that other kids had burn injuries. They didn't know that other people had scars or surgeries.

GROSSMAN: You're not happy with me? Oh.

DAMON: Scars this man, Dr. Peter Grossman, is going to try to erase.

Youssif is reluctant. Perhaps haunted by the pain he suffered in Baghdad's hospitals. But the little man was brave.

GROSSMAN: Youssif, can you open your mouth for me? OK.

DAMON: Dr. Grossman estimates that Youssif is going to need at least eight to 10 surgeries over the course of at least six to nine months, warning the family that Youssif might not ever be 100 percent normal. His mother says she just wants her son's smile back. A smile that today almost broke through the scars.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: Well, we will be following Youssif's story in the months to come as he undergoes difficult surgeries and recovery, of course, as well.

Let's try to understand what's ahead medically and psychologically really for Youssif.

We're joined by Dr. Peter Grossman, president of the Grossman Burn Center in California. And also Youssif's surgeon.

Dr. Grossman, thanks for being with us.

What is next now for Youssif surgically speaking? What is the first thing you're going to do and when?

GROSSMAN: Well, the first thing we're going to do is try to de- bulk some of the excess scarring that he has on his face. He's got a tremendous amount of scars on his nose and around his jaw line and in front of his ear, particularly on the right side. What we're going to do is a combination of procedures.

We're going to cut away some of the scar tissue been and do what's called full-thickness skin grafting to the area of the nose. But more extensively, we're going to be putting in what are called tissue expanders to the neck and to the side of the face that doesn't have burn scars.

Those tissue expanders are like empty water balloons. And we place them in the good skin, right next to the burned scar tissue. And over a period of several months, we'll be able to stretch out his good skin -- in essence, create new skin right next to the bad skin. And then after we've stretched out enough of the tissue, we will then removed the burned scar tissue and advance the healthy, new skin to replace the bad scar tissue.

GORANI: So it's like a water balloon, because healthy skin actually grows around a larger volume, so it will grow around. You'll cut that out and replace the burned skin with this healthy skin.

What will this child end up looking like? How close to what he looked like before will he -- will he end up looking like?

GROSSMAN: Well, remember, this whole thing is a process. And in the process of the tissue expansion, he will actually look even more disfigured than he is right now, because it's a very odd look when you have these large, expanded balloons underneath your tissue. But our goal is, once we remove the burned scar, we will minimize his -- his disfigurement and improve his function.

He'll never be like he was before the accident. Unfortunately, we cannot erase the scars.

Our goal is to trade one better scar for a worse scar. And I think that by doing this, we should be able to make him look better and function better. We should be able to get him to open his mouth better. We should be able to get him to smile again.

GORANI: And smile? Right, because his mom really wants him to be able to smile again.

GROSSMAN: Well, you know, if we get him to smile again, we at least know we've done part of our job. And that's what we're going to try to do.

We've got a great team here to move us forward and help achieve our goals. And our goals are going to be to get him as close to his pre-injury status as possible. And that may be a time.

That may take several operations, several months. But he's a strong young boy. And I can tell you from what we've seen from the responses that we've gotten from the viewers of CNN, he's got a lot of love around this world, and I think that will work very well for him.

GORANI: And what made you want to take this case, versus other cases? So many people are in need of help.

GROSSMAN: Well, you're right. And it's very, very difficult to say I can do one and I can't do another. Unfortunately, you've just got to evaluate one case at a time.

In Youssif's situation, the whole mechanism of how he got injured and the seeming helplessness that he was facing was really what motivated us here to get involved. While we're very appreciative of the fact that people want to come here, there are many, many fine burn centers throughout the world who can certainly do excellent work.

Our goal is to take those children who have no other access, and in this particular situation, that was the case. And even more pressing was how he got burned and what a tragic situation this was. And I think that we -- we all feel strongly that this is a child who really deserves a chance at life.

GORANI: Right. And so many other children as well in need, as we mentioned. And Youssif as well, very lucky to have you and your team working on his case.

Dr. Peter Grossman, thank you very much, president of the Grossman Burn Center in California, for joining us live.

GROSSMAN: Thank you.

GORANI: And we're going to continue to follow this story. CLANCY: We absolutely are.

GORANI: As Dr. Grossman was saying, months and months of surgery, rehabilitation, and it's going to be one that we're going to be keeping our eye on to see how he improves.

CLANCY: Looking for that smile.

We've got to take a short brask, but coming up, a very important milestone for the world's children.

GORANI: We are talking about children, and these are the children of the world. UNICEF releasing an encouraging new report saying that the world is actually turning the corner on child mortality.

Why is that?

CLANCY: Also, fast cars and espionage. Not James Bond, but a spy scandal that is rocking Formula 1.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back, everyone. You're with CNN International. You're very welcome. This is YOUR WORLD TODAY.

CLANCY: We're covering some of the news that the world wants to know. And today, we've got a major story to tell you about.

The United Nations Children's Fund says the world reaching a milestone for children's health.

GORANI: All right. There is still much improvement to be made, but UNICEF says the number of children dying before their 5th birthday has actually dropped below 10 million a year for the first time ever.

CLANCY: It calls the loss of young lives absolutely unacceptable. Break it down, more than 26,000 children a day, and most of those deaths could be prevented.

GORANI: All right. Let's look at the statistics.

UNICEF says children deaths worldwide fell to 9.7 million in 2005, and that's down from nearly 13 million in 1990.

CLANCY: UNICEF says lifesaving measures like vitamin supplements, vaccines, mosquito nets to prevent malaria, reaching more children than ever in poorer countries.

GORANI: But even with these gains, the loss of life is staggering. Consider this, nearly 30,000 children are dying every single day. Half simply just from malnutrition.

CLANCY: Now, UNICEF says the biggest challenge is in Sub-Saharan Africa. If current trends continue, that region could account for 60 percent of children's deaths between birth and the age of 5 by the year 2015.

UNICEF's executive director says despite all the recent drop in child deaths, this certainly is no time for complacency. Ann Veneman says the solutions to keeping children alive are tried and tested and what we need is more action from all of us.

The executive director joins us now from New York City.

What do the numbers mean, Ann, in human terms?

ANN VENEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UNICEF: Well, as you said, they really show that progress is being made. The fact that since 1960, we've gone from 20 million children dying every year under the age of 5 to now under 10 million, it shows that we are making progress and we know what works.

And I really think that what we have to do going forward is to better apply what works to determine which countries and which areas aren't getting the needed help and to really focus our efforts to achieve results all around the world. Because no child deserves to be left behind.

CLANCY: You know, when you look at the statistics, you see things like AIDS, malaria, intestinal or respiratory problems accounting for a large portion of these deaths. And yet more than half of them are one way or another linked to malnutrition.

VENEMAN: Well, that's correct. Lack of proper nutrition contributes to 53 percent of these deaths.

Now, it doesn't cause them. But, for example, if you have malaria as a child and you are also malnourished, you're more likely to die.

And mal-nourishment often comes because a child does not have access to clean drinking water. So, then, gets diarrheal diseases that saps the child's system of the proper nutrition. And so, all of these issues are linked, from clean water to nutrition to the diseases that impact children so dramatically, including pneumonia, malaria and so forth.

CLANCY: You know, before you go, this has been a week when we have looked at Iraq again and again, focused on that and the future of the U.S. military there, but certainly the tragedy within the story in Iraq, has to be its children. UNICEF and others have been trying to raise funds to provide an education. A lot of these people can't go to school and they are not getting the nutrition or health care they need.

VENEMAN: Well, we are very concerned about the state of children in Iraq. And we are focused on not only getting clean water and sanitation to children in Iraq and education to children in Iraq, but also there have been a number of refugees that have come over the border into Jordan, into Syria who are Iraqi children who need help. And we are working with the high commissioner for refugees to ensure that we can reach the children inside Iraq as well as those who are refugees so that they can get health care, education, and clean water and sanitation.

CLANCY: Ann Veneman, thanks to you, and all the people at UNICEF that are working on this every day, not just when a big report comes out.

VENEMAN: Thank you very much.

CLANCY: And if you, our viewers, want to help the U.N. and its fight against child mortality, try going to CNN.com/impact. You'll find a wealth of information there about organizations, links, too, to those that are trying to make a difference.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWSBREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back, everyone, I'm Hala Gorani, to our viewers all over the world including, this hour, the United States.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. And we're following some of the top stories for you around the world this hour.

One of them, the Pentagon reporting on this, an assassinated Sunni leader. It ignited a movement that the Pentagon says will outlive him. A roadside bomb killed Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Reesha (ph) and at least two of his bodyguards outside his home in Ramadi today. Abu Reesha (ph) had united with U.S. forces against Al Qaeda militants in Anbar Province.

GORANI: UNICEF says for the first time the number of children dying under the age of five has actually fallen worldwide. It says that better access to vaccinations and mosquito netting helped reduce the death toll to 9.7 million in 2005, that is down from nearly 13 million in 1990.

Also in the headlines -- the U.S. President George Bush is putting the final touches on tonight's prime-time address to the nation. He is expected to announce a planned withdrawal of 30,000 American troops from Iraq, but we're told Mr. Bush will also ask for more time, despite persistent cries for a complete U.S. pullout.

CLANCY: The Associated Press -- I'm going to bring you a bulletin here -- the Associated Press has -- quotes the Indonesian government as issuing a tsunami warning. There has been another earthquake off Sumatra, and the Indonesian government is warning the people that live in coastal areas to evacuate.

This is a tsunami warning after yet another earthquake there off of Sumatra. We're going to bring you updates on this minute by minute, as they come in.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll finds 61 percent of Americans believe U.S. President Bush's policies are moving the country in the wrong direction. Mr. Bush's approval rating of 36 percent is barely above where it was at the start of 2007. And when contrasted with the Democrats in Congress, 50 percent of Americans asked, said they thought the opposition party would do a better job of leading the country.

GORANI: Well, politicians from both parties, in the U.S. Congress, are blaming the government in Iraq for failing its citizens. So when Anderson Cooper visited with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, he expected a strong defense of the Iraqi stewardship. What he got was a little different. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): In two days of testimony on Capitol Hill, Iraq's prime minister came under blistering criticism.

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: The Maliki government has not seized the opportunity.

SEN. TOM LANTOS (D) CALIFORNIA: Prime Minister Maliki and the Iraqi politicians need to know that the free ride is over.

COOPER: Even the U.S. ambassador to Iraq was tough.

RYAN CROCKER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ: There is an enormous amount of dysfunctionality in Iraq. That is beyond question. The government in many respects is dysfunctional.

COOPER: So when we sat down with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, we expected him to protest. Surprisingly, he agreed with Ambassador Crocker's portrayal.

(On camera): You're actually agreeing to some extent that the government has been dysfunctional?

NURI AL-MALIKI, PRIME MINISTER OF IRAQ (through translator): Yes, definitely. That is why we are considering reenergizing it and reconsidering the process of minister selection. So that they are more professional, but this does not mean that the ministers did not achieve anything. They fought all the challenges and achieved successes, but we want more successes.

COOPER: Does it anger you when you hear U.S. politicians essentially saying you should resign?

MALIKI (through translator): Frankly, I don't blame them when they don't know the facts, and when they don't realize the difficulties. Every person wishes that everything happens fast and with ease. But he who lives the problems and challenges is he who appreciates the situation. So I don't blame them, because they're not aware of the actual challenges.

COOPER: Have you ever considered resigning?

MALIKI (through translator): No.

COOPER (voice over): Maliki says he agrees with General Petraeus who argues the so-called surge has been successful. While he says he supports the U.S. tactic of working with Sunni tribes against Al Qaeda, he does have serious concerns about the true intentions of some of the gunmen.

MALIKI (through translator): We fear from the Taliban experience in Afghan. Therefore when we welcome them into recruiting and they wear the uniform of the police and army, they must have a clean criminal record. They cannot be from gangs or involved in the killing of innocent people.

COOPER: Al-Maliki's own government is dominated by Shia militias, some of which are alleged to have sponsored death squads in government uniforms. A charge al-Maliki denies.

As for Iran, increasingly the focus of U.S. concern, for the prime minister that presents a diplomatic dilemma. He can't afford to anger his powerful neighbor, which his government increasingly relies on.

(On camera): You've traveled to Iran, many in America criticized you, you've been photographed holding hands with President Ahmadinejad.

MALIKI (through translator): Honestly, I am perplexed by others. Nothing that happened is out of the ordinary. This is something normal between nations, even during conflicts, they meet and negotiate.

COOPER: Do you believe the allegations by the United States against Iran, that Iran is supplying materials and explosives for bomb -- for bombs that are killing American troops here?

MALIKI (through translator): This is the issue we brought up with Iran. And we said, yes, there are bombs that come through the Iranian borders that kill our soldiers and American soldiers. And, of course, they said, as others like Syrians, they come through against our wishes and beyond our control.

However, we said, yes, you are responsible in controlling your borders. And I believe that they are honest with us now in controlling their borders, and stopping infiltration of explosives through the borders, that kill the Iraqis and American soldiers.

COOPER: Why should more Americans fight and die here? What would you say to the parents of American troops who have lost their lives here and to the parents of American troops who will lose their lives here, in the coming months and perhaps even years? It is a high price America paying. Is it worth that price?

MALIKI (through translator): I sympathize with those victims. And I give my condolences to the families of the victims, military men and women who lost their lives in fighting dictatorship, establishing democracy and freedom. And they helped a nation that was suffering under the dreadful dictatorship. And what was accomplished in Iraq was very large and Iraq will preserve and appreciate it due to the sacrifice of the American people, the American soldiers, and the American administration.

COOPER: Anderson Cooper, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: Well, is it a blame game? Ask any Iraqi, they will point to Washington and say, when you arrived, we had eight hours of electricity in Baghdad a day. Today, we're lucky if we have an hour. What happened to the electricity? Jonathan Mann joins us now with a little bit of "Insight" on all of this.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's funny because electricity is one of the things people say is a success story in Iraq. There are success stories and electricity, a very basic one, is said to be one of them. Ironic, though, to be looking at power in the middle of the surge, the thing is even the power may have come, as Jim was saying, unplugged.

To be clear, there is more power in Iraq. Right after the invasion, there were about 3,200 megawatts of power being generated daily. Now it is over 4,000. So it is up, it is surging. But the thing is this: Iraqis bought lots of TVs after the invasion. They bought air conditioners. So they draw more power than ever before. Supply is surging, but demand is surging faster. Iraq needs about 10,000 megawatts a day now. And remember it's only generating slightly more than 4,000. So even with more power, Iraq is running out -- Jim.

CLANCY: Jon, the capital seemed to have a bigger problem than just that.

MANN: It does. And as you mentioned, in the old days, Baghdad used the entire national power grid for its power. It got lots of power as a result, often day and night. Now, local plants keep a lot of the power that they generate for their own communities. Under orders from local politicians, or literally, under threat from the guys with the guns and the local militia. Call it civic-minded or selfish, it means that Baghdad now gets lots of blackouts. Neighborhoods in the dark most of the time. So, even with the surge, a big disconnect. Back to you.

GORANI: All right, Jonathan Mann with some "Insight" there.

We'll take a short break on YOUR WORLD TODAY. When we return they're e cute and cuddly wherever they may be.

CLANCY: In Ulyanovsk, in Russia, there's something particularly special about babies, because they are also lucrative. We'll tell you why, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GORANI: Welcome back on YOUR WORLD TODAY. Taking you to Pakistan, we're getting word that at least 10 soldiers were killed in a blast in an army mess hall in Lahore, Pakistan. That's inside a containment (ph) area about 100 kilometers northeast of Islamabad. Ten soldiers killed in an apparent attack, that is according to the Pakistani army spokesperson.

All right, now, moving on.

CLANCY: Need a new refrigerator? Need some cash?

GORANI: How about an SUV? Maybe you should head to Ulyanovsk, in southwest Russia. Where they are being offered as prizes.

CLANCY: All right, there's a catch to all of this. Well, let's just let Matthew Chance tell this story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They call him little Peter, the Patriot. Born on Russian National Day, and in more ways than one, the blessing to his family. For their efforts, his proud parents received a brand new SUV.

In a country desperate for babies, cash prizes, even expensive gifts are on offer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

CHANCE: "We're all patriots in this family," the father, Andre, says. "But we had our son because we wanted him, not just because of the government's rewards."

"It is a great car, though," he told me.

The Russian city of Ulyanovsk is where this controversial program to encourage bigger families has taken root. Every year a special day of conception is staged. With family friendly events and workers given time off to boost the country's plummeting numbers. Official figures say Russia's population shrinks by nearly 800,000 people every year.

(On camera): Across Russia, a devastating population crisis is under way. Linked not just with the low levels of birth, but also with the extremely high rate of premature death. Apparently, in this provincial town, the birthplace of the founder of the Soviet Union, efforts are under way to reverse the terminal decline.

(Voice over): It's an effort led by the region's governor. Here touring a bustling maternity ward. He admits offering prizes for childbirth, may not be the entire solution, but he says it's a start.

SERGEI MOROZOV, ULYANOVSK GOVERNOR (through translator): We can't obscure the real problems. For instance, we're not happy about income levels. But we are trying to revive Russia, and such theme events make people believe they have a great future ahead.

CHANCE: Maxime (ph) and Svetlana say they are getting married, so they can have a child by Russian National Day, on June the 12th, to qualify for next year's prize. But they told me Russia's dwindling population is a real concern as well. "The statistics are bad," said Maxime. "If there are less and less people, who will live in our country?"

"I'd like to see this kind of event in other parts of Russia, too," Svetlana adds.

For many young Russians, it seems, the combination, prizes and patriotic duty, is proving a potent mix. Matthew Chance, CNN, Ulyanovsk, Russia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CLANCY: I want to keep you updated on a story we reported a few minutes ago. CNN has confirmed the Indonesian government issuing a tsunami alert. To residents along the coastline there, with Sumatra Island. All along that area after there was a strong earthquake -- yet another one. This one, measuring preliminarily at least at 6.2 on the scale. Once again, Indonesian government ordering a tsunami alert.

GORANI: Here we are. When we return, we'll talk with a Hollywood hero.

CLANCY: That's right, actor Russell Crowe telling Hala all about his latest film, the "3:10 To Yuma", when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down, now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ah!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pull up. Pull up!

(CRASHING SOUNDS)

(END MOVIE CLIP)

GORANI: Exciting stuff there. It looked like that horse exploded, or was it just me? That's from the new film "3:10 to Yuma" starring Russell Crowe. Earlier I had a chance to speak with him. I began by asking Russell Crowe why he wanted to do a remake of "3:10 to Yuma."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: It's very simple, really. I read the script and I really liked the dynamic between the two characters. So, the things that you get to do in a movie like this, ride guns -- sorry, shoot guns and ride horses and all that sort of stuff, it all just added up in my mind to a fun way to spend some time, so that's why I went and did it.

GORANI: And tell us about the character, then.

CROWE: Well, Ben's an outlaw and a very successful one. And I think during the course of the movie, you see why.

(BEGIN MOVIE CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got your horses back, didn't you? And your --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, I got my horses back. But you killed two of my herd.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I tell you what, that should cover it. How much you get for a day's work?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: $2 when I hire out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there are $2 for half a day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You took up my boy's time, too.

(END MOVIE CLIP)

CROWE: I really enjoyed working with Christian. He's a great chap and focuses on his work really well, but without making a big deal about it which is, you know -- which is great fun when you're the guy working opposite him. You know, we just had the same type of work ethic.

GORANI: This is remake of a movie that really more than about 50 years old. It's a Western, so it is a genre that isn't perhaps the most innovative, or new. How do you explain the massive success of a film like this?

CROWE: I think it's just a fun movie, you know?

GORANI: Yeah?

CROWE: People go. And it's a good story. I mean, that's why it was worth remaking. Because the essential story, which comes from an Elmo Leonard short story in the first place, it's just a good, cracking yarn, you know? And Mangold (ph) has in a way modernized many of the aspects of the film which couldn't have been made this way in '57 when the original was made with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. So, I think just bottom line, it's a really good experience in the cinema. I think that's what people are talking about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: It's a good, cracking yarn. That's a very Australian way to put it. Actor Russell Crowe talking with us earlier about his new film, "3:10 To Yuma." You in that little clip there, action packed.

CLANCY: All right. Let's move on now. What makes somebody a hero? All this year, CNN is answering that question, by introducing you to incredible people that are making differences in all of their communities.

GORANI: We want you to meet a woman from Egypt. She's hiding a social stigma for the sake of some of her country's most vulnerable. Dina Abdel Wahab, she is today's CNN hero.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DINA ABDEL WAHAB, CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: I remember when my son was born eight years ago. I didn't hear anything about inclusion in Egypt.

Very good reading.

We first learned that Ali has Downs Syndrome when he was three months old. And, of course, it took us some time to really learn what to do, and we did a lot of research. We went to the States and we did some programs for Ali. And it was to my surprise, when I went there, to see that children with special needs were just integrated into the main school system. And they went in the same classroom with other children.

If it can happen around the world, it should happen here. And this is how the Baby Academy started. I was absolutely convinced if you want to talk about mainstreaming, and if you want to talk about inclusion of children with special needs, you have to start at a very young age. You need to prepare him academically. You need to prepare him socially.

You prepare the children who don't have special needs to be with their peers in the classroom and accept their differences. It was so nice to see a disability in a new and different light and learn how to deal with it in a positive way.

Because it was a new concept in Egypt and because not everybody really understood, can they really be together? We have prepared and opened the doors for them to see things in a different perspective.

We really believe that it is a right for every child to have a proper education and just seeing that there is a shift in mentality now is a plus, and is hope for the future. And not only for Ali but for all other children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GORANI: It is needed in the Middle East. That is it for this hour. I'm Hala Gorani.

CLANCY: I'm Jim Clancy. Stay with CNN.

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