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CNN Live Saturday

Russians, U.S. and British Race Time To Rescue Submarine Crew; 22 U.S. Marines' Bodies Return Home; Passengers and Crew Rescued From Downed Flight Near Sicily

Aired August 06, 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: The race again time to save seven Russians trapped in a sub at the bottom of the ocean. U.S. crews arrive to help and CNN is live.
Anguish in Ohio -- the bodies of the Marines killed in a huge assault in Western Iraq come home. In this hour in Cleveland, at least two families wait.

And tonight, we remember the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima. This woman survived the bombing only a half mile away from Ground Zero. Time has not faded her vivid memories.

It is August 6 and you're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin. Our top story in just a moment, but first stories making news right now.

A London terror suspect is about to come face-to-face with British justice. Yassin Hassan Omar is scheduled to go before a British judge Monday. He's accused of planting a bomb in a backpack in one of London's subway stations. Omar is one of four suspects arrested after a string of attempted bombings on July 21.

Former British foreign secretary Robin Cook who quit Tony Blair's cabinet to protest the Iraq War died today. He was walking in the Scottish Highlands with his wife when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead after being helicoptered to the hospital. He was 59.

New insights into Marilyn Monroe's last days. "The Los Angeles Times" printed excerpts of tapes Monroe made for her psychiatrist. The tapes are gone but a former prosecutor who investigated her death in 1962 took notes. They say Monroe had a one-nightstand with actress Joan Crawford and the former prosecutor believes the tapes prove Marilyn Monroe did not commit suicide.

That is what's happening right now, but this is our top story, the call for help. U.S. and British rescue teams have just arrived at the staging site in the Pacific where just below seven people are stranded inside a Russian submarine. Time and oxygen are running out. CNN's Kathleen Koch is live at the Pentagon following the U.S. rescue operation. Matthew chance is in Moscow, but right now let's begin stateside with Kathleen.

Kathleen, what sort of help is the U.S. sending? KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, quite a lot of assets, Carol. But as you just reported, the news in right now is that the very first U.S./British team arrived on scene at 5:38 p.m. Eastern Time. And they say their mission now is really to establish visual contact, see where the mini sub is, how it is, and plan the approach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH (voice-over): They landed and rushed to the coast, British and U.S. teams with unmanned submersibles, their mission, help rescue the sailors on the min sub if the Russian efforts failed. The three unmanned British and U.S. Scorpio subs have lights, video cameras and agile robotic arms. Those operating them believe they can rid the vessel of antenna or metal debris that Russian officials say has ensnared it, 625 feet below the surface since Thursday.

CAPT. RUSSELL ERVIN, U.S. NAVY: Most likely it'll be using the hydraulic cutters on the mandible arms to reach out and actually slice those lines which are fouling the ship and holding it to the bottom. When that happens, we expect the submarine to come right to the surface, where we can retrieve it -- recover her and open the hatches and refresh the air for the crew.

KOCH: If that doesn't work, civilian divers in two 500-pound atmospheric diving system suits will go down to try to extricate the mini sub by hand. Finally, a Deep Drone 8,000 has been flown in from Maryland.

LANDON HUTCHENS, NAVAL SEA SYSTEMS COMMAND: It's got a proven track record and salvage operations. Some of the salvage operations it's been used on were the recovery of Swiss Air Flight 111, the recovery of Egypt Air Flight 990 flight data recorders and also TWA.

KOCH: Foreign policy experts say no matter the outcome, it's important the U.S. and Great Britain respond when an ally like Russia asks for help.

MICHAEL O'HANLON, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: Really, there's no price to be paid here. We don't have to share any more technical information on the exact parameters on the submarine we're sending than we have to. We can tell the Russians what we want and nothing more. We are simply trying to help a country under duress save its own people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOCH: No estimates yet on just what this massive rescue effort is costing. As one Navy official said, "You can't put a price on human life" -- Carol.

LIN: All right, thanks very much. Kathleen Koch reporting live at the Pentagon.

Now, let's go to Moscow and hear from Matthew Chance on the latest on the rescue operation from there -- Matthew. MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks very much, Carol. And it's been very much an international effort that's taking place now to try and extract the seven members of the crew on board that submarine deep beneath the ocean in the far eastern coastline of the Russian nation, many thousands of miles from here, the Russian capital.

Information is trickling through to us through the Russian Naval Headquarters, which is in Moscow. They're saying that Russian rescue workers have been successful in first of all, making contact with those on board. It's not clear how they've done that, whether it's through a radio transmission or some kind of Morse code or sort of acoustic tapping on the side of the submarine, or something like that. They're being very tight-lipid about how exactly they're talking to the individuals on board. But they are saying that all seven of the crew members appear to be in satisfactory condition.

At the same time, it is very much a race against time. Oxygen inside that submarine is very much running out. A few hours ago, the Russian authorities spoke of there being 24 hours, perhaps less, of oxygen remaining on board. But I think it's also true to say they said the same thing 24 hours ago as well, so a lot of confusion surrounding how much oxygen and how much air time there is actually inside the submarine, so all of that adding to the urgency to this now international rescue effort that's under way.

Back to you.

LIN: All right, Matthew, thank you very much. Matthew is going to stay on top of this story from Moscow.

At this hour, the body of one of the 22 U.S. Marines that died this week in Iraq is being returned to Ohio. Land Corporal Brian Montgomery was killed in a gun battle Monday along with Lance Corporal Nate Deyarmin and four others. Five of the six Marines belonged to a reserve unit based near Cleveland to which the bodies are returning. Standing by live at Cleveland's Hopkins International Airport, Gary Liberatore of CNN affiliate WJW.

Gary, what's happening now behind you?

GARY LIBERATORE, WJW REPORTER: Well, Carol, not much right now. We're still waiting for the family to come out again. They have arrived and we do have some video of them arriving in their motorcade, just about 15 minutes ago. And once again, Lance Corporal Brian Montgomery of nearby Willoughby is now back home here in Ohio. And I did speak with the fallen Marine and his family back in January when the troops were being deployed.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LIBERATORE (voice-over): I just remember he loved his little baby. He held on to him so proudly when I was interviewing him and all he could talk about was missing his little boy and his wife. But he was going over to Iraq with his younger brother, Eric. Both are in the same unit. Today, Eric is accompanying his brother's body back to Cleveland. So much emotion on that day, so much fear and now those fears have turned into reality. Brian Montgomery was killed alongside Dan Deyarmin of Talmitch (ph), whose body will be flown in here later tonight. Deyarmin and Montgomery were snipers with an Akron unit attached to the Brook Park Marines. They were two of the seven men from the 3rd Battalion killed on Monday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIBERATORE: And we've just been informed a few minutes ago that the body of a third Marine in that group, Lance Corporal Jeff Boskovitch of North Royalton here, nearby Cleveland, is coming in tomorrow night at 8:00. No word yet on the fourth Marine from this area, Lance Corporal Edward Schroeder of Streetsboro. He should be in either tomorrow or the day after.

Carol, just some sad, sad times here in the Cleveland area. This is the first of four to come in the next two days.

LIN: All right, Ohio bearing the brunt of many of the deaths in this past week. And what a sad coincidence that you interviewed that lance corporal just a few months ago.

LIBERATORE: Oh, and I was off on Tuesday and Wednesday when all this was coming down. And I saw that interview that I did with him, and it sent chills through my spine to see that he didn't make it home.

LIN: All right. Gary, thank you very much.

LIBERATORE: Sure.

LIN: Also, you might remember from this past week, that burning wreckage of that Air France jet in Toronto. Well, it turns out that the rescue operation of that was even more amazing than we realized. Canadian investigators now say four of the plane's eight doors and emergency exits failed to open properly. All 309 passengers and crew fled Tuesday's crash using the four remaining exits, half the available doors working on that flight.

Now to Italy where nearly two dozen survivors were pulled from the waters off of Sicily after a passenger plane crashed. Rescuers scrambled out to sea after a Tunis airplane went down today. Many of the survivors were found clinging to the wings. Others weren't so lucky. Let's go to Rome and to CNN's Alessio Vinci.

Alessio, some did not make it.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN ROME BUREAU CHIEF: Oh, Carol, yes. There were 34 passengers on board, and four crew members. At this time, we are confirming that 13 people are dead, two are still missing, but 23 of them survived the crash and were rescued and among them is the pilot.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) VINCI (voice-over): A few miles off the coast of Sicily, the Tunisian turboprop lies helpless in the Mediterranean Sea. Its tail snapped off but it remained afloat long enough for Italian Coast Guard boats to reach it. Survivors were brought ashore at the Sicilian port of Palermo. Reportedly, several survivors clung onto the plane's wings after it ditched and were rescued by Italian Coat Guards. Others were not so lucky. Italian port authorities confirm several dead and missing. Doctors at Palermo Hospital say several of the survivors are in shock.

The plane was an ATR-72, operated by an affiliate of Tunis Air. It was on its way to the Tunisian resort of Djerba, a popular destination for Italians. Most of the passengers, possibly all, were Italian. Soon after leaving Bari in Southern Italy, the pilot reported engine trouble, but requested permission to make an emergency landing in Palermo. Sixteen minutes later, the plane hit the water, still 10 miles short of the runway at Palermo.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VINCI: And port officials in Palermo are telling us that the pilot successfully managed to perform a so-called crash landing, possibly saving many lives. And indeed, survivors arriving on shore in Palermo are telling news agency reporters there it is a miracle that they have survived this crash. Others are quoted as saying that they managed to climb out of the aircraft when it broke apart on impact -- Carol.

LIN: Amazing indeed. Thank you very much, Alessio.

Next, we are going to take you to the front lines in building the new Iraq. First an Iraqi contractor puts a constructive spin on the meaning of Jihad.

And meet two mothers of soldiers fighting in Iraq with two different reactions to the stress of having a child in harm's way. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Every week we like to tell you the more personal stories from the frontlines of war. This week, you will meet one of many Iraqi civilians who risk their lives along with U.S. troops to rebuild Iraq. One particular Iraqi businessman isn't afraid to do what he thinks is right for his homeland no matter what the personal consequences. CNN's Jane Arraf takes us to the frontlines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE ARRAF, CNN BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): For Iraqi businessman, Namir al-Akabi, and his workers, this is jihad, a sacred struggle to rebuild their country despite the threats and violence.

NAMIR AL-AKABI, IRAQI BUSINESSMAN: This is the Iraqi -- the real jihad for us, you know, to rebuild our company. Jihad, they have it wrong, upside down, you know. Jihad is not to kill innocent people. Jihad is not to kill an engineer who works on a project that is financed by so-and-so, you know. Jihad is -- in my opinion, jihad is hard work in the sun 10, 12 hours a day, OK, and sweating, and then coming up with a result with something that will benefit the Iraqis.

ARRAF: Namir and his company, OBCO, are an Iraqi success story. Raised in Kuwait and living in London, he returned two weeks after Baghdad fell. He started with a staff of five and a $500 contract to deliver fuel. Now his company has 2,000 Iraqis on the payroll and hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts.

This project is funded by the U.S. government. It will bring clean water to the 2 million people of Sadr City. Every single worker here, from the engineers to the laborers, is Iraqi. Namir, a Shia Muslim, whose wife is a Sunni Kurd, says he doesn't know what religion most of his engineers are. As for the laborers, he makes a point of hiring them from the surrounding communities. They seem proud to be working here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): It's an honor for us to work for Sadr City. It's a great honor. We want to work day and night for the sake of the city.

ARRAF: They're paid better than average wages. Unskilled laborers get about $10 a day, skilled ones up to 40. They all have safety equipment, hard hats and proper shoes. The opportunities here have changed Namir's life and that of his workers.

Success hasn't come without a cost. Four of Namir's employees, one of them a relative, were killed in an ambush by 20 gunmen on the road from Taji, north of Baghdad last year.

AL-AKABI: We were not armed, so I actually could hear them go back on single shots and then (UNINTELLIGIBLE). It's like they -- it is something so brave. And in my opinion, this is the lowest of cowards, you know, when you kill an unarmed, injured man. You can't get any lower than this.

ARRAF: And he held a meeting with all his employees to see if they wanted to keep working. They did.

AL-AKABI: I could have packed my bags and left the country. I'm lucky. I could work in other countries. I made -- with the money; I could live well in other countries. But that's what the terrorists want. If people like me leave Iraq then they won. This is part of them winning, this is part of them winning, and this I will not allow anyone. I don't (UNINTELLIGIBLE), but we have to -- you see, we have to look through the sight of the road we have taken, you know. We have to keep on going on that road, the road of the people of Iraq for freedom and democracy to be another great success.

ARRAF: Jane Arraf, CNN, Baghdad.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, the mother of a soldier who died this year in Iraq led a demonstration today near the Bush ranch in Crawford, Texas. About 50 people took part in the antiwar protest as well. They were kept several miles from the entrance to the president's ranch by law enforcement officials. We have the story, though, from Crawford from CNN's Elaine Quijano.

Elaine, what was your understanding of why they were out there?

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello to you, Carol. Well, very simply, this is a mother who lost her son in Iraq, and she wants to know, quite simply, why her son died. She would like to pose that question to President Bush.

Now, we should tell you we have just learned -- just moments ago, we learned that the Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagen, as well as the president's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, apparently met with this woman. Her name is Cindy Sheenan. And they met with her, we are told, for about 45 minutes. She, we understand, expressed her appreciation for them coming out there. But I can tell you, I spoke to her just a short time ago, and she said she has no plans to leave at this point.

Now, she co-founded the group, Gold Star Families for Peace, and as you mentioned, she led a group of about 50 demonstrators near the president's ranch. Now, this is a picture of her son Casey. He was 24 years old when she was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, in April of last year. And now his mother today called on President Bush to withdraw American forces from Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY SHEENAN, MOTHER OF FALLEN SOLDIER: I want him to honor my son by bringing the troops home immediately. I don't want him to use my son's name or my name to justify any more killing. And I want to tell the president that and I want to ask him why my son died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

QUIJANO: Now, as for the Bush administration, the White House continues to say that the best way to honor the sacrifices of fallen troops is to complete the mission. And regarding a time frame for withdrawal, of course, President Bush has repeatedly refused to issue a time frame, saying that U.S. forces will return home once Iraqis can take care of their own security. But also today, this from a spokesman for the White House, saying that like all Americans, President Bush wants the troops home as soon as possible, but the U.S. will not cut and run from terrorists -- Carol?

LIN: Elaine, thank you very much.

It has been a tough week in Iraq, and for the folks at home who are waiting for their boys to come home. The death of 22 Marines in Iraq this week is having a chilling affect on Marine families everywhere who live with that constant worry that their loved ones won't come home alive. But they can find support without even leaving their homes. A Web site started by a Marine mom provides advice, both emotional and practical to parents whose children are fighting overseas. That mom is with me tonight. Her name is Tracy Della Vecchia. She joins me now live from Kansas City, Missouri.

Tracy, what a neat Web site. I mean just going through it; it is so emotional to read these testimonials from these parents. And a lot of these families got a chance to get together in 29 Palms because some of the kids came home, the Marines came home. What was it like for all these families to be together?

TRACY DELLA VECCHIA, MARINEPARENTS.COM: Indeed. Thank you. The 3rd Battalion 4th Marines came home last weekend in 29 Palms, California. And it's just amazing the love and respect and support that we have for each other and to be there and sharing in the moment that is as incredible as the day they are born to come back from a combat zone is just amazing, to share that time together with each other.

LIN: We're sharing some of the photographs from the reunions. These are folks who didn't even know each other but met on your Web site. What are...

DELLA VECCHIA: Right.

LIN: ...some of the most compelling stories that they were able to tell and the questions they were able to ask of each other?

DELLA VECCHIA: Well -- and the questions that they answer for each other, I think, that's one of the biggest things. And knowing that you're not alone in these highly emotional feelings that you have of roller coastering up and down and homecomings are ecstatic events, and then something like this week happening with so many Marines dying overseas. It's good to be amongst people that understand and know that you're not alone in all these emotions.

LIN: Yes. And not everyone is as lucky as the folks that we're looking at in these pictures. There was a father, John Dyer, whose 19-year-old son Chris died in battle. He was able to write about his son on your Web site. And there was such a loving outpouring, including a letter from you that was posted on the Web site, where you told him that you cried hearing about his son Chris. In response, he wrote back to everybody, and he said, "The last words that I spoke to Chris were: I love you son. Our loved ones can be taken from us for reason at any time. I am fortunate to have those as my last words. Please hug your kids and loved ones today for me and be patient with them." You know what a gift for you to be able to give voice to that dad.

DELLA VECCHIA: Absolutely, and it's incredibly important that everyone stands up and notices and listens and hears about his son. And it's important for him to be able to share that and our ears are open for him at all -- all the time to hear all the stories he wants to tell about his son and share his memories of him.

LIN: Tracy, you relate. I can just hear the tears in your voice?

DELLA VECCHIA: Yes. It's -- you know and these folks that are on the message boards, we're were also sending care packages to their sons, and so I know that we've touched his son's life, too, just knowing that we're back home caring about them and supporting them. And that's critical that they know that the folks back home are supporting them.

LIN: Because when you watch the news and when the other parents watch the news, and we report the numbers, you know, on a daily basis, those numbers really don't tell the whole story, do they?

DELLA VECCHIA: No. Each of those numbers has a face. Each of those numbers has a family member that's desperate. And it's very difficult. We do have some additional support for the Gold Star Families, too, though. So if there's other Gold Star Families out there that haven't yet found a place to connect and share, we've got a space for them as well.

LIN: Tracy, what about your own son?

DELLA VECCHIA: Derek just got back from his third tour of Iraq. It was his homecoming. His battalion came home last weekend.

LIN: Don't tell me he's planning on going back?

DELLA VECCHIA: No. This mom can't do another one. So, yes, I think three was enough. He's done his service to his country and is very proud of what his done.

LIN: All right. And I bet he's really proud of you. Has he seen your Web site?

DELLA VECCHIA: Oh, absolutely. And he was part of the one -- one of our main people in telling us what are the best things to send overseas to the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan...

LIN: Oh, what do they like?

DELLA VECCHIA: ...and how important it is.

LIN: What do they like?

DELLA VECCHIA: Oh, I'll tell you. Actually, you know what they really like is letters from home that say we support you. And if there are folks out there that would like to get things overseas to the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan, we've got an avenue to do that, too. It's important to support the guys over there and let them know that we care. Write letters to them. Beef jerky is a big one, and even baby wipes are still an important piece over there. So...

LIN: Beef jerky and baby wipes. You know Tracy, I wouldn't have guessed that, but I'm glad I have the information now.

DELLA VECCHIA: Absolutely.

LIN: Tracy Del Vecchia, thank you so much. Good luck with the Web site.

DELLA VECCHIA: Thank you. LIN: I see a long future ahead for it. Lots of people need you.

DELLA VECCHIA: Thank you.

LIN: All right. Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, she survived the first atomic bomb blast as people in the U.S. and Japan mark the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima. A personal story of a quick- thinking young girl and a life fighting the after -effect of radiation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: In our "World Wrap" tonight, people are dancing in the streets of Serbia during the Balkans' largest folk music festival. Organizers hope the party will help change the country's warn-torn image.

A rare tiger cub is finally making his debut at a New Delhi zoo. Jin Jin was moved to his own place earlier today. Now, if he lives, that would be a major success for the zoo's captive breeding program. What a cutie!

Well, the shuttle astronauts are facing what might be the most dangerous part of their expedition, preparing to return to earth. The crew of Discovery starts to head home.

And dangerous or just misunderstood? Will banning big dog stop a series of attacks?

You're watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. I'm Carol Lin and here's a quick look at what's happening right now in the news.

Ten thousand people, including Stevie Wonder, rallied in Atlanta on the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, which -- parts of which will actually expire in a couple of years. The act keeps states from imposing restrictions on minorities and low-income citizens when they try to vote.

Canadian investigators confirm what some passengers said after the Air France jet accident. Half of the plane's emergency exits and slides were not working properly. All 309 passengers and crew members managed to escape after the airbus skidded off the runway.

Russian rescuers are frantically trying to save seven people on board a mini sub by using cables to lift it from the ocean floor. A top Russian naval official says they want to raise it to allow divers to get in. U.S. and British rescue teams have just arrived on the site. According to the latest estimate, there is enough air on the sub to hold through late tomorrow, possibly even Monday.

Now, the rescue effort off Russia's Pacific Coast involves emergency help from the United States and Britain. Reporter Chris Shipp has more on the story from London.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS SHIPP, ITV REPORTER (voice-over): The mini submarine, similar to this one, has been trapped on the ocean floor since Thursday. No one knows exactly how much air is left on board. And President Putin involving himself in this operation, the man criticized when the Kursk sank five years ago, this time, met with his defense commanders before they flew out to the scene.

For the crew's family, the wait is agonizing. This is the wife and daughters of the crew's commander, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). She tells her daughters there's no daddy. Daddy's on the ship. He'll be home soon.

The site of the accident is off Russia's east coast, near the capital of Kamchatsky, deep beneath the Pacific Ocean, some 200 meters below sea level. The rescue operation will involve robotic submarines, each equipped with steel cable cutters and three cameras. They will attempt to free the submarine so the crew can bring the vessel to the surface themselves. Some Mariners here know just how much danger the crew is in.

IAN TYSON, FORMER SUBMARINER: They'll be laying down. Now, on board the submarines I was on, you'd have your bunk, and you'd go and lay in your bunk, and lay there quietly and calmly and breathe shallow. That's what they'll be doing, but they'll be laying on a hard deck, I would imagine, or sitting in darkened corners.

SHIPP: Help is now finally on its way to the crew of the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). But the greatest help of all, time, is in ever short supply.

Chris Shipp, ITV News.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The space shuttle Discovery has successfully separated from the international space station, and now the focus shifts to the crew's highly anticipated trip home. Discovery is scheduled to land at Florida's Kennedy Space Center early Monday morning. With details, here's CNN's John Zarrella at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: The 12-day mission of the space shuttle Discovery is winding down now. The astronauts are in a sleep period, which will last until late this evening, and then they will get up and begin the preparations for landing at the Kennedy Space Center early Monday morning. Much of the next 36 hours will be spent in the final preparations and some much-needed rest for the crew after a busy mission.

They undocked from the international space station very early this morning, a successful undocking, and then a fly-around of the international space station to take some pictures. And if they are able to land on their first try, Orbit 201 at the Kennedy Space Center, it should be quite a show for people over Florida. At first, the space shuttle will -- its path of entry will take it over Central America, then over Cuba, very close to Havana, west of Key West, then inland over Florida between Naples and Fort Meyers, up over Lake Okeechobee before coming down at the Kennedy Space Center.

If for whatever reason they need to wave off on that first opportunity, the second opportunity, the vehicle will actually come across the Gulf of Mexico, the Bay of Campici, very close to Progresso, Mexico, and then right over Tampa Bay, a straight shot into the Kennedy Space Center.

So if you live in Florida, Monday morning, you'll want to get up in the very early hours of the morning, a good chance you may see the shuttle Discovery streaking overhead. Mission managers say the vehicle is in excellent shape for return to earth, and the crew is ready for that return to earth, and weather at the Kennedy Space Center is expected to be good for that pre-dawn landing.

John Zarrella, CNN, at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: CNN is going to bring you live pictures of Discovery's homecoming Monday morning. Our coverage of the shuttle's return begins at 4:00 Eastern on "CNN DAYBREAK."

Now, when a California toddler was killed by a Rottweiler, people began complaining about so-called vicious breeds. Some cities already ban some dog breeds, but you can imagine what dog lovers have to say about that. Dan Simon reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the 150-pound Rottweiler authorities say attacked and killed a 16-month-old baby girl just outside of Los Angeles.

SGT. TOM LORENZ, GLENDALE POLICE: I understand the child was mauled over her entire body with severe head and facial trauma.

SIMON: The baby was pronounced dead a short time later at the Verduga Hills Hospital. What provoked the dog's ferocious attack isn't clear. The Rottweiler belonged to the baby's grandparents. Her mother had gone to their house to check on the dog while they were out of town. Investigators say the animal snatched the infant right out of her mother's arms and dragged her several feet.

RICKY WHITMAN, PASADENA HUMANE SOCIETY: During the attack on the baby, it bit the mother as well.

SIMON: The Rottweiler is under quarantine at the Pasadena Humane Society. The child's mother and grandmother too upset to talk about the attack.

(on camera): Here in California where it seems almost everyone has a dog, the tragedy has fueled the lightning-rod debate on whether certain breeds more prone to violence should be outlawed.

(voice-over): Images like this often feed an often angry debate. Miami has banned Pit Bulls, so has Denver. State law prevents cities in California from targeting specific breeds, but in San Francisco where a 12-year-old boy was killed in June by a Pit Bull, the mayor made his feelings known.

MAYOR GAVIN NEWSOME, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: I think it's time that we get serious about Pit Bulls in this city, we get serious about pit bulls in the state, we get serious about Pit Bulls across the United States of America.

SIMON: Some believe it's time to get serious about Rottweilers too. But Jill Kessler, who rescues and trains the breed, says banning isn't the solution.

JILL KESSLER, ROTTWEILER RESCUE: It does not change the percentage of bites and fatalities.

SIMON: A study conducted by Centers for Disease Control suggests that laws targeting dog behavior are more effective in ensuring public safety than outlawing breeds. But when a dog like this kills a human being, the statistics are often last in the demand for action. As for this Rottweiler's future, he'll most likely be put to death.

Dan Simon for CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And an amazing story of survival. A young girl lives through the 1945 atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima. Her story is next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: The Japanese city of Hiroshima came to a standstill this morning to mark the anniversary of the day the world awoke to the nuclear age. On the 6th of August, 1945, the United States dropped the first of two atomic bombs on Japan. The bomb on Hiroshima killed 140,000 people. Three days later, a bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 80,000 more. President Truman ordered the attacks to avert the slaughter of a land assault. Japan capitulated. World War II was over.

Now, 60 years later, there are fewer and fewer survivors. CNN's Atika Shubert has the story of a woman who remembers it all like yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hiroko Yamasta (ph) remembers August 6, 1945. Her parents told her to stay at home in Hiroshima and mind her younger brother, Yusaku (ph). She was 18, he was 6. At 8:15 that morning, the atomic bomb exploded.

"I remember the figure of my little brother coming home from our neighbor's house," she says, "silhouetted in a white flash."

SHUBERT (on camera): Where I'm standing now is almost directly under where the atomic bomb exploded. Behind me is Hiroshima Dome, one of the few buildings left standing after the attack. Hiroko's (ph) home was about 900 meters, about half a mile away from this spot, and this is her incredible story of survival.

(voice-over): Hiroko (ph) awoke under a pile of rubble. Her three-story home collapsed around her, but she had only one thought.

"I had to protect my brother. I struggled to get free and crawled up the pile of debris. I did not think about the pain," she says. "My brother saw me first and climbed up to me. We held each other and cried for a long time. We're OK is all we could say, over and over."

All around them, devastation: survivors with burned skin hanging from their bodies. Yusaku (ph) seemed unhurt but Hiroko (ph) suffered serious wounds and gaping wounds that exposed her bones. She had to get help immediately.

"I still remember the voices of the dying calling out, 'Help, help us,' but we could not help them," she says. "I wonder where I found the power to move on. If I did not have my little brother with me, I am sure I would have died right there. I think my brother was the one who rescued me after all."

Hiroko (ph) guided her brother to a nearby military airfield, a place where she thought she would die.

"I crawled to a long line of victims waiting in the open sun for treatment. Many died while they were waiting on line," she recalls. "I was careful not to let go of my brother's hand, because I knew I would lose him. I saw many people lying around us looking very close to death. One mother was still nursing her child, but she already looked dead."

The pair was saved when some of Hiroko's (ph) co-workers, looking for survivors, discovered them and brought them to her parents. Hiroko (ph) seemed worse than her brother. Then Yusaku (ph) suddenly fell ill.

"He collapsed, bleeding from his nose. We used towel after towel to stop the bleeding. I've never seen so much blood," she says. "You would not believe that such a small body could hold so much blood."

Like so many radiation victims, his hair felt out, his nosebleeds more frequent. Hiroko's (ph) dreams for her brother vanished before her eyes.

"He used to press his ear up against the speakers to hear the classical records we used to play," she says. "If Yusaku (ph) had lived, I'm sure he would have grown up to practice music."

Her brother died in the bed next to her. Days later, Hiroko's hair also began to fall out. Her mother collected each strand in preparation for the moment her daughter would die.

"They told us once you lose your hair, you will die," she says. "I did not have any will to live, honestly, because my little brother had already died. I wondered why I was allowed to live."

Hiroko's body slowly recovered. Her hair grew back. She still suffers recurring cancer, but in the post-war years, she defied her doctors, to have a baby boy, a son who grew up to be a symphony conductor, with the same love of music that her brother had long ago.

"I sometimes wonder that my brother's spirit seems to be reborn in my son."

The strands of hair her mother lovingly saved for her funeral are now on display at the Hiroshima Peace Museum, her suffering like so many survivors now a part of history.

Atika Shubert, CNN, Hiroshima, Japan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: The answers to some of the medical world's most bizarre questions next on CNN LIVE SATURDAY, but first here's what's ahead at the top of the hour when we go "ON THE STORY."

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're "ON THE STORY" from Washington, D.C., Houston, Texas, and Niger, Africa. John Zarrella is on the story of the shuttle, the future of the space program. Jeanne Meserve is on the story of the Air France crash in Toronto. Candy Crowley is on the campaign trail for the 2008 Election. And Anderson Cooper has been on the story of a famine-ravaged nation in Africa. That and more coming up, all "ON THE STORY."

And we're just two days away from the premiere of "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer. Wolf digs up the story essential to you, challenging the reporters and experts you trust for the inside scoop. So please catch "THE SITUATION ROOM" Monday afternoon at 3:00 Eastern.

We're back right after this.

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LIN: And we've got a new development in the rescue effort to save the seven Russians trapped in the mini sub. The Russian News Agency says British crews are lowering an underwater vehicle to help free them. The men on board the sub say they are OK, but it's not known how much breathable air is still left on the craft. We will continue to follow this story for any developments throughout the night.

And right now, the answers to life's burning medical questions such as, why do men have nipples. CNN's Jeanne Moos takes a look at that and more to the men who wrote the book.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): If you've ever wondered why you yawn when someone else does, if you've ever questioned why you have an innie rather than an outie, if your naval gazing has wondered north of the belly button to ponder...

(on camera): Why do men have nipples?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're asking me?

MOOS: Now, you can ask them, the guys who wrote this hundreds of questions you'd only ask a doctor after your third martini.

(on camera): Does urinating on a jellyfish sting stop the burn?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

MOOS (voice-over): Wrong. She must have been watching "Friends".

COURTNEY COX ARQUETTE, "FRIENDS": Jellyfish sting, oh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!

MATT LEBLANC, "FRIENDS": You're going to have to pee on it.

COX ARQUETTE: It doesn't hurt that -- pain!

MOOS: Dr. Billy Goldberg says forget urine, use vinegar. Dr. Goldberg is an emergency room physician who teamed up with a humorist to write the book.

DR. BILLY GOLDBERG, "WHY DO MEN HAVE NIPPLES?": People harass me at parties. They ask me questions. I get phone calls in the middle of the night from my family, from someone whose tongue has turned black from drinking Pepto Bismal.

MOOS: Folks ask things like can you loose a contact lens in the back of your head? Nope.

GOLDBERG: It's a closed space, so it can't really go anywhere.

MOOS: Is it bad to crack your knuckles? Not really, you're popping air bubbles, though you might stretch your ligaments. But let's get down to basics.

(on camera): Why does sweat stink? Because I mean it basically water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because it goes through a lot of crap to get out.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD: Maybe because it's something that you ate.

MOOS (voice-over): Sweat stinks when it interacts with bacteria on the surface of the skin.

Maybe you've wondered if it's dangerous to hold in a sneeze. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you're holding something back, you might blow your brain out your ears or something like that.

MOOS (on camera): That's more on less true.

(voice-over): Sneezes have been clocked at up to 100 miles an hour.

As for contagious yawning, they think it has something to do with humans' subconscious imitating one another.

GOLDBERG: I like the fact that other animals yawn. I never knew that. I found out that fish yawn. Have you ever seen a yawning fish?

MOOS: We've seen a yawning two-headed turtle where one head yawned and the other followed suit.

It may be full of bathroom humor, but the book has gotten to No. 3 on the Amazon Bestsellers List. Look out Harry Potter!

GOLDBERG: We're coming to get you.

MOOS: But why do men have nipples?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The women need something to play with as well, right?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For piercings.

MOOS: For piercings, that's excellent.

(voice-over): Actually, all embryos develop nipples until the male chromosome kicks in, at about six weeks.

Co-author Mark Lanner (ph) showed off his embryonic souvenirs.

(on camera): There's a third.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a little thing. I don't know what that is. That's not actually a third one.

MOOS (voice-over): If you ask most guys why men have nipples...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know, maybe I'm a morphodite.

MOOS (on camera): A morphodite. OK, thank you. A morphodite.

(voice-over): Now, there's a guy who finds the nipple inexplicable.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: OK, we can stop there. Your medical questions are answered by our Dr. Sanjay Gupta on "HOUSE CALL." This weekend, former President Clinton is Dr. Gupta's guest as he tackles the problem of childhood obesity. That's "HOUSE CALL" tomorrow morning at 8:30 Eastern.

And that's all the time we have for this hour. Coming up next, our Joe Johns is "ON THE STORY." Then at 8:00 Eastern on "CNN PRESENTS, Is Anybody Out There?" Miles O'Brien on the search for alien life forms, and at 9:00, don't forget Larry King. I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT." Ambassador Andrew Young tells me why we should vote on Saturdays not Tuesday.

A check of the hour's headlines and then "ON THE STORY."

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