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U.S. Sailor Killed During Abduction; War Games Angering North Korea; Hayward May Leave BP; Outspoken Gay Soldier Discharged

Aired July 25, 2010 - 18:00   ET

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

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: This hour on CNN, the man who has become the face of the BP oil disaster, Tony Hayward may soon be unemployed. News reports say he could be out as soon as tomorrow.

Arizona's controversial new immigration law takes effect in a few days. But did you know it's possible for Americans to be deported? You'll meet one of hundreds who are forced out every year.

And the Army National Guard lieutenant who spoke out against "don't ask, don't tell" was ousted from the military. This week, tonight, he'll tell us why he's worried about more soldiers than just himself.

(MUSIC)

LEMON: But we start in Afghanistan where one American soldier is reportedly dead, another is in the hands of the enemy. The Taliban says it tried to take both men alive in the Logar province. But a fire fight broke out and one of them was killed.

Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, is closely following all of this for us.

Barbara, what's the very latest on this?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (through telephone): well, good evening.

Very few statements from the U.S. military at this hour, because, by all accounts, they are still pulling out all the stops to search for the sailor who is still missing and believed to be in Taliban hands. Afghan government officials in the province where all of this took place south of Kabul, the capital, say the body of one of the sailors has been found, that he was apparently, by all accounts, killed in the fire fight that broke out. The other sailor may be wounded.

But at this hour, in fact, they are still searching urgently for him. Posters have been put up, rewards have been offered, and they are scouring that region south of the capital looking for any leads that they can.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: Our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr following this story. Barbara, if you get more information, welcome back to you. Thank you so much.

And right now, the U.S. and South Korea are in the middle of war games. And North Korea is furious over it. The north threatened a nuclear response if these drills went forward, but it is just those kinds of threat that led to this show of force.

Our Kyung Lah has more now from Seoul, South Korea.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even in the overnight hours here in South Korea, the U.S. military says that the exercises are ongoing and will continue 24 hours a day until Wednesday here Asia Time. It is a large joint military operation between South Korea and the United States -- 8,000 military personnel, some 20 ships and submarines and 200 aircraft involved.

But it is not just the size that is notable, according to the U.S. Navy, it's the timing. This is the first major joint operation to take place off the coast of South Korea since the sinking of the South Korean warship. Forty-six crew members did die in that incident. An international investigation led by South Korea did find that North Korea was responsible for the sinking of the warship. The north, though, has vigorously said they had nothing to do with the sinking of the ship.

The U.S. Defense Department, noting that this was going to be taking place, said that this military exercise was going to send, quote, "a clear message to North Korea that it needs to stop its provocative and war-like behavior." Now, the north has ratcheted up its own rhetoric, saying as it started -- as all of this started off the coast, that it would, quote, "react to sword brandishing in kind" and that it would react to both dialogue and war, and it was unfazed by military threat and sanctions.

Tensions have been rising here on the Korean Peninsula since the sinking of the warship, but this new sign of force, these war games off the coast of the Korean Peninsula, has certainly turned things up a step.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Seoul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: All right, Kyung.

To another U.S. foreign policy challenge right now -- Iran's suspected nuclear program, a former CIA director tells CNN's Candy Crowley that he's concerned U.S. military action against Iran now seems increasingly likely. On this morning's "STATE OF THE UNION," retired General Michael Hayden said, virtually, every U.S. policy effort so far has had almost no effect on leaders in Tehran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CANDY CROWLEY, HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": Iran doesn't seem to be paying much attention to the sanctions. As far as we know, they're still trying to get nuclear capability. If it should, is there any alternative to taking out their facilities?

GEN. MICHAEL HAYDEN (RET.), FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: It seems inexorable, doesn't it? We engage, they continue to move forward. We vote for sanctions, they continue to move forward. We tried to deter this way, they continue to move forward.

When I was in government, what we would use to mystically call "the kinetic option" was way down on our list. In my personal thinking -- in my personal thing, I need to emphasize that -- I've begun to consider that that may not be the worst of all possible outcomes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: One effort to revive the stalled nuclear talks with Iran includes a proposed deal for Iran to exchange low-grade nuclear fuel with Turkey.

Diplomats from Turkey, Iran and Brazil held talks today in Istanbul. Iran's foreign minister says the country plans to send a letter to the International Atomic Energy Agency outlining their proposal, and then, he said, negotiations on the fuel swap can begin.

The U.S. and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council have criticized that proposed deal.

Want to see the Gulf oil spill from thousands of feet below the water?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We have an amazing opportunity to go down in this thing. It looks like it's from a science fiction movie. It's called a man-submersible. It can go down about 3,000 feet below the sea. And we're going to be there looking for oil dispersants. We're also going to use this claw here to collect samples, and also collect some fish, get some baseline research here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That's CNN's Amber Lyon. And she took the plunge beneath the only water -- the oily waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And straight ahead, we'll show you what she found.

But, first, BP is laying out its future. Will Tony Hayward be a part of it?

Also, don't just sit there. Make sure you become part of the conversation, become part of our community here, our show. Join me on Twitter, on Facebook, send us a message, or you can check me out on Foursquare or my blog at CNN.com/Don. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: It is day 97 of the Gulf oil disaster. If published reports are true, BP's CEO Tony Hayward could be out of a job by day 98. "The Wall Street Journal" and British media say Hayward's exit from the company could come as soon as tomorrow. BP denies Hayward is on the verge of leaving, saying he has, quote, "the full support of the board and senior management."

Despite the battering BP has sustained over the oil disaster, it is still expected to post a $4 billion profit on Tuesday. That's only slightly less in the same quarter just a year ago.

As for the well itself, a small fleet of ships are back at the site and preparing to resume work to finally kill the well. National Incident Commander Thad Allen says a relief well could begin pumping mud into the well as soon as one week from today.

Our David Mattingly is down in New Orleans and David joins us now.

David, you just had the chance to fly over the site. Tell us what you saw.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. We flew over the site in a Coast Guard cargo plane, and when we got out there, we saw a lot of the pieces coming back together, most notably the drill rig that's going to be handling the drilling of that relief well.

But something that is noticeably absent from that area now after having that well capped for nine-plus days, we are not seeing any thick oil out there at the well site. In fact, we didn't see any thick oil anywhere in our fly over the Gulf. There were some areas where we saw some emulsified oil, some of those orange bands that we've seen throughout this disaster and some sheen.

But so far, there seems to be exactly what the Coast Guard is telling us. They are having trouble finding those patches of thick oil for the skimmers to come in close and take those patches up. And I talked to the admiral in charge of those cleanup efforts while I was up in the airplane and he was saying it's true. They're just having trouble finding that thick oil.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REAR ADM. PAUL ZUKUNFT, FEDERAL ON-SCENE COORDINATOR: This oil is rapidly breaking down and there's very little oil left. We have a few streamers that we located earlier off of Grand Isle that perhaps can be skimmed, but right now, we're not seeing any targets of our skimming fleet of 780 skimmers.

MATTINGLY: Do you realize when you say that, it's so hard for people to believe that this spill was so enormous and yet you were having trouble finding the oil to skim it? ZUKUNFT: Well, it's not for lack of trying. We've had 50 aircraft saturating this very location where satellite indicates there could be oil stains in the area. And so, we're going to look just like we would doing search and rescue to see where any possible targeted pocket of oil might be over this area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: One of the most remarkable things I heard today, Don, was the fact that there's so little oil out there now on the surface that they think we might see this surface oil gone in a matter of weeks. And that is from the cleanup efforts and from the natural spreading around of the oil that's been going on out there.

LEMON: Boy, wouldn't that be great? Wouldn't that be great?

Hey, I want to ask you about something I said just before we came to you live down there. Tony Hayward hasn't been in charge of this operation for a while now. What is the reaction to reports that he will possibly be stepping down?

MATTINGLY: Well, we did talk to some of the parish presidents and to the mayor of New Orleans, Mitch Landrieu, about that possibility, and the time that Tony Hayward was here in Louisiana, he did not make many friends at all. So, they're viewing that this opportunity, or the possibility at least that he might be leaving as an opportunity for them to have a change at BP that they feel might move things forward more quickly.

So -- and here are some of the comments that they had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR MITCH LANDRIEU, NEW ORLEANS: BP has got some international concerns. Obviously, Mr. Hayward's initial foray into helping resolve this issue met with some negative response. I expect that BP is hopefully going into a different direction as it relates to creating better relationship with not only the United States government but also the people on all the coast of Louisiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: But as I pointed out, Don, Tony Hayward did not make any friends while he was on the ground here in Louisiana no matter how much he tried to back off some of the statements that he made. He left the United States and went back to England as someone who was really not very well thought of at all here in the Gulf Coast.

LEMON: David Mattingly -- thank you very much, David.

And make sure you stay tuned for our special report. It's called "Rescue: Saving the Gulf." It's hosted by CNN's Rob Marciano. It begins at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight.

As hurricane season gets fired up, storms in the Gulf could complicate that cleanup. So, I want to turn now to CNN's Bonnie Schneider. She's in our weather center.

Bonnie, you know, they dodged a bullet with that last storm, but Thad Allen says they're playing a game of cat and mouse with these storms that are coming through.

BONNIE SCHNEIDER, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. Especially this time of year, you have the remnants of Bonnie, Don, plus, you have isolated thunderstorms that are popping up all over the country, and they've actually produced some potentially tornadoes. We don't have reports of tornadoes, but I can tell you, all afternoon, I've been tracking tornado warnings in Pennsylvania, in New York, in New Jersey, in Delaware.

And now, the storms are rolling through coastal areas, so you can see, as we put this into motion sliding into Washington, Philadelphia, New York, hanging on to Block Island, the cape in Nantucket is about to get hammered up in Massachusetts with heavy downpours of rain as well.

And then as we head across the country, you can see we have little orange boxes here. These are severe thunderstorm warnings in the south, across Mississippi, as well as Alabama and into Georgia. Not too far north of Atlanta, on I-75, some very rough weather with frequent lightning strikes. These severe thunderstorm watches are kind of shrinking as we go through the evening hours. That's a great thing.

So, we still have them for Roanoke, Virginia, for Richmond, as well as parts of Maryland and Delaware, particularly those lower coastal areas that are seeing the worst of these storms right now. Now, these storms will help reduce some of the heat and humidity, but unfortunately, even though they're bringing a lot of heavy rain, they're also bringing a lot of problems.

Look at the flight delays. It's a busy Sunday evening. A lot of people want to get home after a long July weekend away and the delays are increasing at JFK, an hour and 45 minutes; an hour and 30 in Newark and delays across D.C. And more recently, this just popped up, increasing in Atlanta and in Philadelphia, and Atlanta and New York, these are all connections places, Don. So, it's going to make a tough go of it for those that want to get home on this Sunday night.

LEMON: All right. Well, good luck to them. Thank you, Bonnie, very much. We appreciate that.

Lieutenant Dan Choi was one of the highest critics of "don't ask, don't tell." A year ago, he announced he was gay and this week, he was honorably discharged from the Army National Guard. He's going to join us next to talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: We want to check your top stories right now on CNN.

Firefighters are battling a pair of wildfires in northeastern California in Lassen County. A 250-acre fire burned at least one home and two other buildings. Officials say they've got it at about 30 percent contained. To the south of that, a 525-acre fire is burning near Bridgeport. It's only about 20 percent contained, but it's not threatening any structures there.

In Panama, police say a man wanted in connection with the deaths of three people is now suspended in the killing of an American woman whose body was found last week. The body of this woman, Cher Hughes, was found Tuesday on the property of the William Adolfo Cortez Reese. Hughes was originally from St. Louis. The director of Panama's national police says Cortez and his wife are on the run.

Cycling legends and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong paid tribute to cancer fighters worldwide today in what he could be -- what could be, I should say, his last Tour de France. Armstrong and his RadioShack racing team wore matching black jerseys before and after today's final leg of the tour to honor the 28 million people worldwide currently living with cancer.

Race officials forced Armstrong and his team to wear their regular jerseys for the race. Armstrong finished this year's Tour de France in 23rd place. Alberto Contador of Spain was the winner there.

He's a West Point grad, an Arabic speaking linguist and an Iraq war veteran with 11 years in the service, but Dan Choi is also openly gay, famously outing himself on national TV more than a year ago. And this past week, he learned his military career is over because of it. He was honorably discharged under "don't ask, don't tell."

And the former Army National Guard lieutenant joins us now live along, with Michelangelo Signorile, an openly gay author and activist.

Good to see both of you.

Dan, you knew this was coming. Was it worth the prize for speaking out?

DAN CHOI, FMR. ARMY NATL. GUARD LIEUTENANT: Don, it's really painful. As much as you can prepare yourself for the ultimate paperwork that I got saying that I'm fired, terminating my entire service, it still hurts. But when I look at the reason why I started in the service, why I rose my right hand and stood up to fight and wear the uniform, I remembered that I did it because you have to serve other people.

And I hope that if anybody hears the message that whenever you tell the truth and whoever you say the chains of shame and self-hate can be broken just by standing up, if anybody hears that today, I would tell them, of course, it is worth it. You can have consequences. Mike and I and so many people know that sometimes it hurts, but to do the right thing, that's what makes us Americans.

DON: So, listen, Dan, I want to ask you this before I get to Michael. The House has voted to repeal "don't ask, don't tell," and the Senate could vote to do the same before the end of the year. If it is repealed, can you re-enlist? Would you be able to go back in as a lieutenant, or is it a done deal now? CHOI: Well, the legislation is not specific about that. But, as for me, my plan is to continue to serve, with or without the uniform. I have an oath to protect the Constitution. I don't intend to stay silent as long as there's discrimination going on.

But if the law does change, of course, there's no reason why I shouldn't want to go back or why I'd be afraid to go back. I've been serving openly for 17 months as an infantry officer.

LEMON: I want to ask you this, Dan, because if it happens by the end of the year, if you could go back and do it, would you have waited until the end of this year when it was a possibility, or would you have done it when you did it?

CHOI: Well, the timelines of anyone's actions should not be based on consequences or benefits to anybody. You don't go and join the military in order to make money or to get a pension or to have a high status or a rank. And I tell you one thing about honor, one thing about dignity -- it's not dependent on what's written on a document. That comes from standing up and being truthful to who you are.

LEMON: OK. I want -- I want to get Michel in here.

Michel -- because we want to look beyond the military. Obviously, a very important, but how is Lieutenant Choi's discharge resonating in the country, especially in the gay community, if you can gauge that?

MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE, AUTHOR & GAY RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Well, I want to first say, what Dan did was so important in terms of even getting the bit of movement we have gotten on "don't ask, don't tell" repeal, this so-called compromise -- which is very unclear, we don't know when there will be a date, we don't know when there will be an end to the discharges. But that movement that took place took place because Dan stood up and spoke out, and the administration did not want to move. They were pushed to move by Dan and others who were pushing on this issue.

His discharge yesterday underscores the fact that after all of the discussion in Congress, after the Senate Armed Services Committee had moved to put the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal compromise in the Defense Authorization Bill, we still have discharges still happening, people's lives still being affected, careers destroyed and no date set.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But are people -- do people feel hopeful, though, Michel? Or are they saying -- are they more concentrating on what they feel has been the wrong, what Dan has gone through?

SIGNORILE: Well, people would be hopeful if we had some real leadership from the White House, from the administration, from Congress and certainly from the Pentagon. Instead, we've really gotten mixed messages. Right now, the Pentagon is serving troops about whether or not they want to serve openly with gays and lesbians.

The survey is homophobic, the questions are leading. Everybody is wondering why are they asking the troops, what if it comes back if enormous opposition to doing this. The survey is not secure, anyone can take it. People are worried that we're really not going to see repeal, that the forces against this in the Pentagon and elsewhere are just lining up to keep this policy in place, would even segregate gay and lesbians troops from other troops.

LEMON: Yes, that has been a big issue. Dan, I have to ask you this: what's -- what's next for you? Are you going to keep fighting? What are you going to do now?

CHOI: Well, since the very beginnings of my service, I realized that there is far greater purpose for every single one of us. Even if we're stripped of all of our wealth or our resources, anything that we had or we took stock in, you can do everything that you can, and when you speak up for someone else, when you encourage and inspire someone else, you always feel a little bit taller, you always grow a little bit more.

So, I'm going to continue to speak up for those who cannot. I'm going to continue to pressure those who purport to be our friends. Those -- whether they're congressmen or senators or the president himself, if they make a promise, I will hold them to it. And as far as what I do in the next couple of days, you know, I know that there are a lot of people that are suffering, and my oath and my commitment to them, that doesn't end.

LEMON: All right. Dan Choi, Michelangelo Signorile, thanks to both of you.

CHOI: Thank you, Don.

SIGNORILE: Thank you, Don.

LEMON: Americans deported. The concept seems so wrong. It's strange to hear the two words together, doesn't it? But it happened. And it happened to a man that you're about to meet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In four days, Arizona's new immigration law will go into effect. With police starting to enforce Arizona's new law next week, there is fear that a little known problem will get worse: Americans getting deported. That's right, Americans getting deported.

According to a Northwestern University researcher, every year, hundreds of Americans are wrongfully forced out of the country. It happened to Johann Ace Francis. He was deported to Jamaica in 1999 after committing a crime. This is his last photo with his family.

Now, he says he kept telling authorities that he thought he was an American citizen but he didn't have the paperwork or access to an attorney to prove it. Ultimately, he spent 10 years in Jamaica unable to return until this past February, and that explains the big smile on his face you see in that picture. Johann Ace Francis joins me now in studio.

Good to see you.

And also, we have Professor Rachel Rosenbloom, an immigration law expert from Northwestern School of Law. She's going to joins us as well.

So, Ace, your story is very complicated. You had served, what, less than a year for the assault conviction. You thought you had done your time and then you were, what, immigration agents came to your house who put you in detention and then authorities sent you back?

JOHANN ACE FRANCIS, DEPORTED AMERICAN: Right. It was exactly like that.

LEMON: I should say "sent you to" because you were born here, but they sent you to Jamaica, right?

FRANCIS: They sent me to Jamaica, and it was kind of funny that I thought my whole life that I was an American citizen, you know, grew up here, lived here for a long time. And when the sentence was finished, I actually went through a rigorous boot camp training program. I'm not sure if you got that information. But it was six months hard, long thought.

And on my release, on my release date when families were coming to pick up their loved ones, INS came for me at that time.

LEMON: Yes. You know, you seem so cool about it, but you're getting a little at first, when I was talking to you, but you're getting a little emotional about it. For 10 years when you could have been here, that doesn't upset you?

FRANCIS: You know what -- you know, it upsets me extremely. You know, I'm looked upon by my family as one who has the potential to fulfill a lot of different aspects in my life based on what was happening with me at school, being the junior vice president and just a leader at my school. And really, if you think to yourself, just imagine you without 10 years.

LEMON: Yes. The thing is, when you committed a crime, you got into an altercation with some kids and you guys were throwing rocks, right?

FRANCIS: Right, we were 18. It was nothing major. You know, young kids.

LEMON: Yes, but you signed your own deportation documents. Why did you do that?

FRANCIS: I wasn't really given an option. You were given an option to either remain in custody with no sight of an end date, or be released or be free. And that was my choice to freedom. The day I was released, my -- the following day was my birthday.

LEMON: Wow. Professor, I want to bring you in because, had his mother taken care of papers -- there are papers, naturalization papers -- if she had filled them out, this could have been avoided. But there are hundreds of people who are not aware of this, and the same thing happened to them.

RACHEL ROSENBLOOM, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF LAW, NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW: Well, he became a U.S. citizen by action of law automatically, so his mother naturalized, and got the paperwork. But he didn't have to have any certificate there, so this case is really -- I've seen a pattern emerging in cases like this.

I've reviewed a number of cases in which U.S. citizens have been deported. and they're quite similar to this one. They involve people who were detained, who didn't have attorneys, who couldn't afford attorneys. The government doesn't provide them with attorneys.

And in some of the cases I reviewed, people are actually threatened by officers that if they don't give up their citizenship claims, they may be prosecuted criminally for making a false claim. So it's not surprising at all that people in this situation give up valid citizenship claims. They're looking at years behind bars. And they have no resources. They can't get out and get the professional information.

LEMON: Professor, so what is the concern with Arizona's new immigration law, which should take effect on Thursday?

ROSENBLOOM: Well, I just wanted to point out, I'm actually from Northeastern University School of Law. You said Northwestern at the beginning. My colleague from Northwestern, Jackie Stephens (ph), is also working on this, but just to clarify that.

LEMON: OK.

ROSENBLOOM: In terms of Arizona, well, it's just going to make matters worse. Its' going to -- we have a system that's not working. Deportation is one of the most severe consequences that someone can face within our legal system. Our system treats it like it's a speeding ticket. We don't provide any of the due process protections that people get in the criminal system. In particular, what we don't provide is attorneys for people like Mr. Francis, who can't afford them. And so you have all of these people being rushed through this system. The system is already overloaded. And Arizona is simply going to pump more people into that system, including more U.S. citizens. So we're going to see more of these cases emerging.

I'm personally familiar with a couple dozen cases like this, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. If you look at Mr. Francis, it took ten years for him to get back here and tell his story. There are a lot of these cases out there and there are going to be a lot more if we don't provide the due process protections people get in the criminal system.

LEMON: I want to ask Ace, have you been paying attention to the Arizona law? Do you have a concern when it comes to that? Do you have a concern? FRANCIS: I have a concern. It's difficult to see where they're going, having been through it. Having to know if that basically, if one can't defend for himself, there will be and is not any legal representation whatsoever that is given to you. And it kind of seems, to people that, oh, you know, OK, OK, well, have your family come help you, but how can your family come help you when you were actually detained and remanded somewhere that no one knows where you're at? You know. So there is a wide space available for mistakes, and --

LEMON: So it only adds to the problem that you believe, that she said people will be piling -- putting more people into the system.

So, listen, I want to thank the professor.

And I want to thank you, Ace. And I want to say that, Ace's your mother knew of the papers, if she had done the paperwork, but she didn't have the money to do it, we understand.

FRANICS: Right.

LEMON: Thank you, Ace.

Thank you, Professor.

ROSENBLOOM: Thank you.

LEMON: We asked Immigration and Custom Enforcement to join tonight's conversation. Officials declined, but they gave us this response: "ICE never knowingly detains or removes U.S. citizens and the agency has a number of measures in place to ensure that this doesn't occur. In the event a person, formerly identified as an alien, makes a claim to U.S. citizenship, ICE carefully and thoughtfully investigates a claim."

So Ace Francis, as we said, again, his mother knew about it but she did not have the money to pay for it. She also said she did not know for three years where he was. The vacuum of information is a problem that family members of the people who were detained have complained about for years. Now the solution is here on line for you.

Just this Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement launched this detainee locator web site. People can search alien registry or number or by name, to find where an accused immigrant is detained. As Ace said, if you don't know where your family member is, you can go online and you can find them with either a number, or you can just go to that sight and you can get that information.

It's been a disaster in the gulf, but what if I told you that it was a profitable quarter for B.P., almost as close as the amount of money they made last year.

Check it out, in a new high-tech mirror that does more than just show your reflection.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: The top stories right now. One American sailor is reportedly dead in Afghanistan. Another is in the hands of the enemy. The Taliban said it tried to take both men alive in Logar Province, but a fire fight broke out and one of them was killed. U.S. military officials tell CNN the other sailor was wounded. So far the Taliban hasn't made any demands for his release.

Police in Duisburg, Germany, say 19 people were crushed to death during a techno music festival. In respect for the dead, organizers canceled the rest of the Love Parade 2010. Hundreds more were injured. The panic and stampede occurred yesterday in an underpass leading to the main event site. More than one million people had crowded into that festival.

B.P. Oil Company is expected to post a healthy profit on Tuesday. That is when it releases its quarterly earnings report. Analysts project about $4 billion in profit, just slightly less than the same quarter a year ago. That's despite the company's stock losing nearly half its value since the gulf spill started on April 20.

Everybody spends some time in front of the mirror in the morning. Now you can use time to also catch up on the day's headlines or the weather forecast.

CNN's Gary Tuchman shows us a mirror that can tell you a lot more than how you look. It's today's "Edge of Discovery."

(EDGE OF DISCOVERY)

LEMON: Next, under water in the gulf. Our Amber Lyon went on board a sub for a fish-eye's view of the disaster. She joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: In four days, Arizona's new immigration law will go into effect. Police are supposed to begin asking people about their citizenship status if they have probable cause that those approached are here illegally.

CNN is traveling by road to Arizona, getting the pulse of the nation and beyond as this controversial law becomes reality.

CNN Espanol's Gabriella Frias is live for us just off the CNN Election Express in El Paso, Texas.

Gabriella, good to see you. What are you hearing from people? Are they even aware that this law goes into effect on Thursday?

GABRIELLA FRIAS, CNN ESPANOL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Don. Yes, they are aware of this. Behind me, IS one of the oldest cities in the world, as you know. There are drug cartels in and out of here, as this is a key entry point for drugs.

People are aware of the law, Don, but the passion is not as high as you would see in Arizona. We have been able to talk to the major of (INAUDIBLE). We have been able to talk with workers, who say the only reason they want to be in the United States is economic opportunity, progress for their children. So, but we know that the opinions are divided. The only difference is the passion with which the people defend the topic. Because you will find Hispanics who are in favor of the S.B. 1070 -- Don?

LEMON: Is there a process, any way of preparing for the law on Thursday?

FRIAS: Not really. What you can hear is cases of people, Hispanics, who are leaving Arizona but going more towards New Mexico. Some, of course, leaving and going back to Mexico City.

But given the recession, in the latest recession, Mexico's job market is still very fragile. So for many people, the opportunity is still here. And no matter at what cost, they would rather stay in the United States.

LEMON: All right, Gabriella Frias from CNN Espanol, thank you.

It is the last day of one of the biggest gathering on the planet right now. This is fun. It's call Comic Con. The stars have packed in and the fans have dressed up. We'll show you more next.

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LEMON: You know, it started as a comic book convention 40 years ago but it's become one of the country's biggest celebrations of sci- fi and pop culture. This is the last day of Comic Con in San Diego, an annual preview of practically everything you'll want to watch, read or play over the next year.

Tech wiz, Katie Lindendoll.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: She's certainly dressed for it.

Katie, what are you doing? Green Lantern? What's going on?

KATIE LINDENDOLL, TECH WIZ: Yes, I am. I am the Green Lantern. And I have some serious abs. This is PX-90 right here Don.

LEMON: You had some cosmetic surgery I see. You had a little work done. But you're going to need more work done, because your mask is upside down, Katie.

LINDENDOLL: Yes, about that --

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: You were getting dressed a little fast.

OK, so listen, so everyone who pictures this as guys in Klingon and really wooky (ph) costumes, tell us what the big deal is all about. (LAUGHTER0

LINDENDOLL: Yes. It gets crazier every year. If you're wondering why I'm in costume, let me give you the break down. Comic Con is an annual event. As you mentioned, it started in 1970, only 145 in attendance. Now the annual event has sold out since 2008, bringing in 125,000 people. It's really a mecca for us nerds. It celebrates sci-fi and anime and video games and, of course, comic books. It gets bigger and better every year with tons of stuff to see in the world of pop culture, what's going on and what is coming out.

The "Green Lantern," we were expecting to see that this year. And we are pumped up.

LEMON: You are pumped up. You got some abs going on and some muscles and everything.

(LAUGHTER)

Did you wear this outfit down the street to New York? People probably wouldn't look twice.

LINDENDOLL: No, the subway. It was totally normal. Everything is cool. Don't worry about it, Don.

(LAUGHTER)

Completely under control.

LEMON: There's a big announcement that's supposed to come out at this years Comic Con. What is it?

LINDENDOLL: Yes, let's talk about things going on. This is an exciting year for Comic Con. One milestone you must know about, "Superman" and "Batman" have reached their 700th issue, "Wonder Woman" her 600th issue. She's got a wardrobe change, which a lot of guys are very excited about.

Also in the D.C. Comics world, the "Green Lantern" is coming out this year. I always feel bad for him. I always feel like he got the shaft in the Justice League. That's why I'm supporting him today.

Also in the Marvel world, "Thor" is coming out in 2010. It has also been announced that "The Avengers" as an outline form. Get this. Mark Ruffalo starring as "The Hulk." Everyone is pretty excited about that.

My big thing, Don, is "Tron." The most highly anticipated film in 3D since "Avatar." This is a film taking place in a digital world. Very anticipated. We got a sneak peak at that. Everybody is excited for that to roll around in December. Also coming out with cool merchandise here.

And last but not least, I know you're a fan of "Twilight." Vampires not going anywhere. We saw the cast of "True Blood" and also the cast of "Vampire Diaries." Something to expect to see for quite a while.

LEMON: Katie, Katie, Katie, always something with you. It sounds like fun. It really does.

LINDENDOLL: Yes. It's a blast.

LEMON: Yes, it is, especially when you talked about "Tron." And Mark Ruffalo is going to be what again?

LINDENDOLL: The new "Hulk."

All right, "Green Lantern" doll.

We'll see you.

LINDENDOLL: It's been real.

LEMON: Adios, amigos.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: You want to see the gulf oil spill from thousands of feet beneath the waters? Our Amber Lyon took the plunge, beneath the oily waters of the Gulf of Mexico. She's going to join me next.

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LEMON: In the Gulf of Mexico, millions of gallons of oil have spilled from B.P.'s broken well. There's no way all of it can ever be collected. The question now is, how much damage has the oil done to Marine life?

Amber Lyon took a voyage to the bottom of the sea to find that out.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE). You should be good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger that. You guys need to stay back.

AMBER LYON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are just being lowered into the water right now, about 88 miles off the coast of Florida. We're here with a group of scientists from Florida Atlantic University. We're going to be heading down to survey deep water reefs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger that. We're diving.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, we're heading down.

LYON (voice-over): We're diving with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. The mission here? Surveying the gulf's deep-water coral reefs for any oil damage after the B.P. spill. Any negative results could be used for a government lawsuit against B.P.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are on the bottom. Our depth is 140 feet. LYON (on camera): As we're gliding along here, it almost looks like you're swimming through the water. But we've got five and one- fourth-inch of Plexiglas holding us in.

(voice-over): Chief scientist, Shirley Pomponi, rides in the back of our four-person sub.

This research is being funded by NOAA, and the results from this dive are critical. It's an urgent health check.

SHIRLEY POMPONI, HABOR BRANCH OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE: I think people tend to think that the deeper you go, these deeper wells, nothing is living down there. Look around you, Amber. You can see there's a lot living down here.

The little dots are little mini jellies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Little mini jellies.

POMPONI: We have a school of fish swimming alongside us.

LYON: These reefs are known as the rain forest of the sea because of their potential in life-saving medicines.

POMPONI: Some interesting sponges that have produced novel chemicals that have activity against certain types of cancer, like pancreatic cancer or colon or breast cancer. One sponge in particular that we're working on now is a glass sponge that's found in deep water.

LYON: Pomponi says this reef gets a clean bill of health for now, but it's still a rush to collect as many samples as possible for a baseline, in case oil reaches the reef in the near future.

(on camera): So you guys are like the crime scene investigators of the ocean.

POMPONI: I guess so. The CSI of the ocean. We're doing the before and the after. The CSI of the ocean, before and after.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Amber Lyon joins me live from St. Petersburg by phone.

Amber, what signs are they looking for, if not visual ones?

LYON: Well, above all, Don, the scientists want to reiterate, if these reefs were to be damaged at all by the oil, it's going to be a slow, gradual process. Now they're taking samples to get a good before picture, so when they return in six to 12 months, they compare it to the after effects. They're testing for oil and dispersants.

Above all, Don, the coral reefs are like the blood pressure of the sea. They're an indicator as to the health of the Gulf of Mexico. Almost like when you go to the doctor to get your blood pressure taken. If it is bad, it means your overall health is bad. LEMON: All right, Amber Lyon, joining us from --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Amber, were you done?

(LAUGHTER)

LYON: Yes, I'm here.

LEMON: OK. Were you done with your statement? I wasn't sure if you cut out or what.

LYON: No, no. We're good to go.

Just above all, they just want to go ahead and make sure they have enough baseline research. So maybe two, three, five years from now, they'll have something to compare it to.

LEMON: Amber, thank you. We really appreciate your reporting. We'll see you again soon.

Stay tuned for our special report. It's called "RESCUE: SAVING THE GULF." It's hosted by our own Rob Marciano. And it begins right here on CNN at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.