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CNN Sunday Morning

Westerners Evacuated From Saudi Arabia; Missing American Contractor Escapes Captors

Aired May 02, 2004 - 08:00   ET

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

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


RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: And from the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is May 2, good morning to you. I'm Renay San Miguel.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for being with us. Here's a look at what's coming up for you at this hour.

A missing American contractor is free in Iraq after escaping from his captors. The coalition says Thomas Hamill is in good health; he is talking about his ordeal. We'll go live to Baghdad straight ahead.

An institute of higher learning takes us down a notch: Princeton University's bold move to go against grade inflation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: When I first walked in, I saw the president backstage. And I said how are you Mr. President. He said, "I don't feel comfortable answering that question without the vice president here." So we didn't -- I didn't quit get an answer there but...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Taking pot shots at the president. But this time, Mr. Bush has a few jokes of his own.

SAN MIGUEL: The deadly violence in the Mideast tops the headlines at this hour. Israeli military sources say gunmen opened fire on Jewish settlers in Gaza today, killing four Israeli children and their mother. The attack comes, as Likud Party members plan on a -- vote on a plan to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

The attack comes, as we said, Israeli ruling Likud Party votes on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza. The plan has the backing of President Bush, but has drawn some sharp criticisms from Palestinians, who say it does not follow the U.S. road map for peace in the region. A defeat by the party would be seen as a major blow to Sharon and could prompt a political crisis in Israel.

There are reports of evacuation in Saudi Arabia after a western compound came under deadly attack yesterday. Two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a Saudi police officer were killed, as were the four attackers. Supreme Court Justice David Souter is recovering from what a court spokesperson calls a random attack. The 64-year-old Souter was jogging Friday night when he was attacked by two young men. He suffered only minor injuries.

Well, the smart money on Smarty Jones at the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Take a look at this. The undefeated Pennsylvania-bred colt making the runs for the roses, seven wins in seven starts. It's the first Derby victory for jockey Stewart Elliott and trainer John Serves.

HILL: Some very good news out of Iraq this Sunday morning. American hostage Thomas Hamill is a free man. CNN Ben Wedeman is in Baghdad covering this late breaking news -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica. Well, at about 10:20 this morning local time, a man walked up to a group of American soldiers south of Tikrit, who were patrolling an oil pipeline, and identified himself as Thomas Hamill. the 43-year-old truck driver from Macon, Mississippi. You'll recall he went missing on the 9 of April when his convoy was ambushed outside Baghdad. That convoy included seven employees of Kellogg, Brown and Root. That's a subsidiary -- subsidiary of Halliburton. There was also a military escort there.

Now, four of those KBR staff -- the bodies of those KBR staff members have been recovered, but still in apparent captivity is Private Keith Maupin, who was last seen on a video that run on the Jazeera Arabic satellite news network. Now Hamill's kidnappers had also received -- released a similar video, which showed him standing in front of an Iraqi flag. A voice off camera saying that if United States Marines did not lift their siege of Fallujah that he would be killed within 12 hours.

Now, obviously the coalition is very happy to have announced this news. We were told that just about an hour-and-a-half beforehand that they would be making an important announcement. This is it. For once, some good news out of the coalition here in Baghdad -- Erica.

HILL: Some good news indeed and some good news for his family. He was actually, Thomas Hamill, the convoy was attacked just outside of Baghdad, but he was found about a 100 miles away just outside of Tikrit. We were told in the briefing that how he got there is going to be an interesting question, because the roads -- there are so many checkpoints along the road. Give us an idea what it's like to try to travel in between those two areas and how his captors may have been able do it.

WEDEMAN: Well, Erica, it's 100 miles from Baghdad to Tikrit; Tikrit being something of a Sunni stronghold where Saddam Hussein was born. It's a very large highway, if I recall, it's a four-lane highway, very busy. And there are checkpoints along the way, because obviously the U.S. military is very anxious to control movements and who's doing what in that area. At the same time, we have to remember, there is a very vast desert to the west of that. And obviously the people in that area are well aware how do get around the U.S. military, so that may explain why he wasn't caught there.

It really came as something of a surprise to everybody that he was -- that he suddenly appeared this morning, walked up to these soldier outside Tikrit, since that is a very long way from Baghdad -- Erica.

HILL: A long way indeed. But really some incredible news. Ben Wedeman, thanks for joining us. We'll be checking in with you throughout the morning.

Now as you can imagine, Thomas Hamill's wife Kelly overjoyed at the news of her husband's escape. She tells CNN, quote, "Words cannot begin to describe just how happy I feel. No one can understand just how happy I am."

SAN MIGUEL: Well, President Bush is praising the service and sacrifice of the Americans in the Armed Forces, especially what he calls this "time of testing and sacrifice." The president made those comments at the annual Journalists Dinner in Washington last night.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now live with more -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Renay, the president did start out by cracking a few self-deprecating jokes. That is of course, the tradition for presidents at diners, such as the one last night here in Washington. But his address did quickly turn serious; he talked about the war in Iraq. Not just of the U.S. military service there, but also he spoke, of course, to the White House Correspondent Association and he honored reporters who are in Iraq and who are elsewhere risking their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This year, we are also mindful that our country is in a period of testing and sacrifice. As I speak, men and women in uniform are taking great risks. And so are many journalists who are being faithful to their own sense of duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And the president also spoke of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who died recently in Afghanistan. Talking about him and his life and way he went out went after and went about serving in the U.S. military.

And of course, yesterday was the year anniversary of the president's aircraft carrier landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where he declared major combat over in Iraq under that "Mission Accomplished" banner. But there was no joking about that all. In fact, everything that the president said last night about Iraq was quite serious; different from about a month ago when he spoke at another dinner and joked about the fact that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. That was met with a lot of criticism from his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, who essentially said that was inappropriate -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Dana Bash live from the White House. Thank you, Dana.

BASH: Thank you.

HILL: We're going turn our attention now to Saturday's deadly attack in Saudi Arabia. As we told you, two American, two Britons, one Australian and a Saudi policeman are dead. Two of the attackers blew themselves up in a stolen car during a police chase; the other two were shot by security forces. Now western workers are reportedly being evacuated.

For the latest detail, CNN's Caroline Faraj joins us by phone now from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Good morning -- rather, good afternoon to you.

CAROLINE FARAJ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon, Erica. Well, the story is it's not a new thing. Basically, since last week the embassy --the U.S. embassy in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia issued a warning asking all the non-essential -- not the essential members of their staff to leave basically the Saudi Arabia. And of course, that was understood by most of the U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia that they also have to take precautions, measures and to leave.

So it started since last week when the Riyadh attack took place. And now with Yanbu and with the new tactic going back, those attackers going back to attacking westerners and foreigners. Like what happened yesterday in Yanbu, I think now people are starting to take this into consideration and taking it very seriously -- Erica.

HILL: Very seriously indeed. Do you know -- if you can, give us an idea of security may have been like at that building? We're hearing some representatives from the company were headed down and some diplomats now heading down to that area. But what would security typically be like at a building in an area like this?

FARAJ: Well, it was a bit strange, Erica, to know that formal statement that was issued by the Saudi government saying that three of the attackers, apparently they were working in the same compound and they've got their own access. So they entered as any regular entry because they are employees there. And then they managed to open the door of the emergency gate for the fourth person to enter as well. So basically the security is -- they've got their own guards, they have their own security. But it is clear that those people were not really well prepared, and they were not considering such attack to take place there. This is the first time that an attack actually takes place in Yanbu -- Erica.

HILL: And something that will undoubtedly cause some changes in the way, perhaps, security is done at other areas. But as you said, this warning now being taken more seriously, more people leaving in the country.

What are you hearing where you are in Dubai? What has the reaction been there? And is there any concern in that area that maybe westerners should start to leave other areas of the Middle East?

FARAJ: Well, on the contrary. In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, what I hear from the diplomats -- western diplomats and especially the U.S. diplomats, they are saying that they are even offering like a residential area -- as a residential place for them for their families. To bring their families and to reside here in Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates, while diplomats and other employees are working in the Gulf. So -- but some other countries are here from diplomats. And other diplomatic sources are saying that they are also suggesting that, you know, their families are not really essential to stay with them, it's better for them to go back to their own countries.

So it is really considered seriously. And they're taking things into consideration that they have to basically evacuate to whoever they feel they're not interested -- not really important for them to stay in the Gulf in general, and in the Arab world in general. Even I hear also people from the Middle East, they're evacuating. United -- also the U.N. members, they're ask that if it is not important for them to stay with their families there, it's better for them to basically send them either back home or to a safe country. And I hear that some of them are coming to the United Arab Emirates -- Erica.

HILL: Some interesting developments there and we appreciate you staying on top of them for us. CNN's Caroline Faraj.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, there are only so many A grades to go around. That's the new rule at Princeton University. Rationing grades, next on CNN SUNDAY.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LENO: I ran into Condoleezza Rice. I asked her what was on the menu for tonight. And she said it's not a menu; it's a list of non- actionable food items.

(LAUGHTER)

SAN MIGUEL: Plus, with targets on their backs, the Bush administration boldly heads to the annual Correspondents Dinner. Highlights coming up from that.

And dealing with the arrival of a newborn. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "HOUSE CALL" helps you adjust to the drastic changes a baby brings home. That's "HOUSE CALL" at 8:30 Eastern here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: A story that we are following very closely this morning. Thomas Hamill, a contractor who went missing on April 9, has been found alive and well in Iraq. He was found just south of Tikrit earlier this morning. We were first told of it just about an hour and 15 minutes ago by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY OPS DIR., U.S. MILITARY: Today at 10:20 hours, Mr. Tommy Hamill, an employee of Kellogg, Brown and Root, was recovered by U.S. forces south of Tikrit. He is in good health. He was report missing after his convoy was ambushed on 9 April.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: That convoy was ambushed outside of Baghdad near the Abu Ghraib prison. He was found, as we mention, in Tikrit that is about a hundred miles away. We were told at that briefing, we're learning more about how he got to Tikrit and about his captors. That information will be coming to us. One thing we do know is he was able to speak with his family. And his wife, just a minute ago, was able to speak in a radio interview. Let's take a listen to what Kellie Hamill had to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KELLIE HAMILL, WIFE OF KIDNAPPED CONTRACTOR: I feel great. I can't help but I've got to go pray, I'm so thankful. I feel wonderful. It's the best feeling I've had. I am so ecstatic. And I just want to thank everybody that has prayed and sent their prayers to us. Thank you all so very much.

I've talked to the company. That's what I'm trying to do is keep the lines open so I can talk to him.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HILL: And that was Kellie Hamill, Thomas Hamill's wife. She is in Macon, Mississippi. That was her speaking with -- in a radio interview out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We do know at this point that it appeared he may have escaped, we're being told from the briefing. Mr. Hamill walked out of a building. They say it looked like he escaped but they are not sure at this. We don't have exact details yet; we, as I said, are getting more of those.

He identified himself to American troops; they confirmed his identity. He was able to phone his family and is speaking with the military now giving them more information. And we will bring more of that to you as we get it here at CNN. Don't stray too far from CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Right now, though, I turn it over to my colleague, Renay San Miguel -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Thank you very much, Erica. And now the focus is on education. Is it too much of a good thing? Princeton University seems to think so. The Ivy League school says too many underclassmen are acing their courses. So next fall the number of students awarded 4.0s or A's will be limited.

And John Katzman of the Princeton Review joins us right now with reaction to the downgrade. And Mr. Katzman, let me put the question to you that was raised in "The New York Times" a few week ago about this particular issue. Are there really too many A's? Is there a lot of grade inflation out there? Or are students just smarter these days?

JOHN KATZMAN, PRINCETON REVIEW: I'm not sure students are smarter. Certainly they're working harder. And good morning. I'm not saying that kids aren't savvy or taking courses that might have higher grades, and tuning in to what professors are looking for. But I don't think this is a cause for national concern.

SAN MIGUEL: This is not a trend? Princeton University officials seem to think that it's not just, you know, going on at Princeton, but that there are too many A's being given out all over the country. What do you think?

KATZMAN: There are lot of A's being given out all over the place. This is not a Princeton specific problem. But I'm not sure it's a problem.

SAN MIGUEL: So how -- I mean how do you deal with this? I mean there are a lot of students who may be thinking they're doing exemplary work, saying you know what, I deserve an A. And you know, there's some kind of a curve going on where other students, who aren't doing the work are also getting A's.

KATZMAN: Right. Look, the thing about grades is -- and any high stakes kind of measurement like a test score is it's not that important what the range is. Everybody tunes into it; employers understand what an A means or what a B means at different colleges. What's important are the incentives that it gives. And if you set a curve, only so many kids are going to get an A. You set kids against each; the idea of cooperative learning, collaborative efforts, you know, goes out the window. If on the other hand, you say here's the standard for an A, this is what we're looking for, if you meet it that's great. If you don't meet it, you know, then you've got a B or a C; that's a way to handle things.

SAN MIGUEL: Do you see an impact on student financial aid here, students who rely on scholarships and things like this, or are trying to get scholarships, and maybe looking at other schools that have a more liberal grade policy?

KATZMAN: I think for graduate school, grades in college are pretty important. And it could be financial aid or it could just be admission admissions, but certainly students are paying attention. I don't think anybody is not going to go to Princeton though, because the odds of getting an A are a little lower.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. We'll have to leave it there. John Katzman, CEO and founder of the Princeton Review, thanks for getting up early and joining us this morning. We appreciate your time.

KATZMAN: No, thanks for having me, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: You bet -- Erica. HILL: All right. Thanks, Renay.

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Aired May 2, 2004 - 08:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: And from the CNN center in Atlanta, this is CNN SUNDAY MORNING. It is May 2, good morning to you. I'm Renay San Miguel.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hill. Thanks for being with us. Here's a look at what's coming up for you at this hour.

A missing American contractor is free in Iraq after escaping from his captors. The coalition says Thomas Hamill is in good health; he is talking about his ordeal. We'll go live to Baghdad straight ahead.

An institute of higher learning takes us down a notch: Princeton University's bold move to go against grade inflation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, COMEDIAN: When I first walked in, I saw the president backstage. And I said how are you Mr. President. He said, "I don't feel comfortable answering that question without the vice president here." So we didn't -- I didn't quit get an answer there but...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Taking pot shots at the president. But this time, Mr. Bush has a few jokes of his own.

SAN MIGUEL: The deadly violence in the Mideast tops the headlines at this hour. Israeli military sources say gunmen opened fire on Jewish settlers in Gaza today, killing four Israeli children and their mother. The attack comes, as Likud Party members plan on a -- vote on a plan to withdraw Israeli troops and settlers from Gaza and parts of the West Bank.

The attack comes, as we said, Israeli ruling Likud Party votes on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to withdraw from Gaza. The plan has the backing of President Bush, but has drawn some sharp criticisms from Palestinians, who say it does not follow the U.S. road map for peace in the region. A defeat by the party would be seen as a major blow to Sharon and could prompt a political crisis in Israel.

There are reports of evacuation in Saudi Arabia after a western compound came under deadly attack yesterday. Two Americans, two Britons, an Australian and a Saudi police officer were killed, as were the four attackers. Supreme Court Justice David Souter is recovering from what a court spokesperson calls a random attack. The 64-year-old Souter was jogging Friday night when he was attacked by two young men. He suffered only minor injuries.

Well, the smart money on Smarty Jones at the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Take a look at this. The undefeated Pennsylvania-bred colt making the runs for the roses, seven wins in seven starts. It's the first Derby victory for jockey Stewart Elliott and trainer John Serves.

HILL: Some very good news out of Iraq this Sunday morning. American hostage Thomas Hamill is a free man. CNN Ben Wedeman is in Baghdad covering this late breaking news -- Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Erica. Well, at about 10:20 this morning local time, a man walked up to a group of American soldiers south of Tikrit, who were patrolling an oil pipeline, and identified himself as Thomas Hamill. the 43-year-old truck driver from Macon, Mississippi. You'll recall he went missing on the 9 of April when his convoy was ambushed outside Baghdad. That convoy included seven employees of Kellogg, Brown and Root. That's a subsidiary -- subsidiary of Halliburton. There was also a military escort there.

Now, four of those KBR staff -- the bodies of those KBR staff members have been recovered, but still in apparent captivity is Private Keith Maupin, who was last seen on a video that run on the Jazeera Arabic satellite news network. Now Hamill's kidnappers had also received -- released a similar video, which showed him standing in front of an Iraqi flag. A voice off camera saying that if United States Marines did not lift their siege of Fallujah that he would be killed within 12 hours.

Now, obviously the coalition is very happy to have announced this news. We were told that just about an hour-and-a-half beforehand that they would be making an important announcement. This is it. For once, some good news out of the coalition here in Baghdad -- Erica.

HILL: Some good news indeed and some good news for his family. He was actually, Thomas Hamill, the convoy was attacked just outside of Baghdad, but he was found about a 100 miles away just outside of Tikrit. We were told in the briefing that how he got there is going to be an interesting question, because the roads -- there are so many checkpoints along the road. Give us an idea what it's like to try to travel in between those two areas and how his captors may have been able do it.

WEDEMAN: Well, Erica, it's 100 miles from Baghdad to Tikrit; Tikrit being something of a Sunni stronghold where Saddam Hussein was born. It's a very large highway, if I recall, it's a four-lane highway, very busy. And there are checkpoints along the way, because obviously the U.S. military is very anxious to control movements and who's doing what in that area. At the same time, we have to remember, there is a very vast desert to the west of that. And obviously the people in that area are well aware how do get around the U.S. military, so that may explain why he wasn't caught there.

It really came as something of a surprise to everybody that he was -- that he suddenly appeared this morning, walked up to these soldier outside Tikrit, since that is a very long way from Baghdad -- Erica.

HILL: A long way indeed. But really some incredible news. Ben Wedeman, thanks for joining us. We'll be checking in with you throughout the morning.

Now as you can imagine, Thomas Hamill's wife Kelly overjoyed at the news of her husband's escape. She tells CNN, quote, "Words cannot begin to describe just how happy I feel. No one can understand just how happy I am."

SAN MIGUEL: Well, President Bush is praising the service and sacrifice of the Americans in the Armed Forces, especially what he calls this "time of testing and sacrifice." The president made those comments at the annual Journalists Dinner in Washington last night.

CNN White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now live with more -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Renay, the president did start out by cracking a few self-deprecating jokes. That is of course, the tradition for presidents at diners, such as the one last night here in Washington. But his address did quickly turn serious; he talked about the war in Iraq. Not just of the U.S. military service there, but also he spoke, of course, to the White House Correspondent Association and he honored reporters who are in Iraq and who are elsewhere risking their lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This year, we are also mindful that our country is in a period of testing and sacrifice. As I speak, men and women in uniform are taking great risks. And so are many journalists who are being faithful to their own sense of duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And the president also spoke of Pat Tillman, the former NFL player who died recently in Afghanistan. Talking about him and his life and way he went out went after and went about serving in the U.S. military.

And of course, yesterday was the year anniversary of the president's aircraft carrier landing on the USS Abraham Lincoln, where he declared major combat over in Iraq under that "Mission Accomplished" banner. But there was no joking about that all. In fact, everything that the president said last night about Iraq was quite serious; different from about a month ago when he spoke at another dinner and joked about the fact that no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. That was met with a lot of criticism from his Democratic opponent, John Kerry, who essentially said that was inappropriate -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: All right, Dana Bash live from the White House. Thank you, Dana.

BASH: Thank you.

HILL: We're going turn our attention now to Saturday's deadly attack in Saudi Arabia. As we told you, two American, two Britons, one Australian and a Saudi policeman are dead. Two of the attackers blew themselves up in a stolen car during a police chase; the other two were shot by security forces. Now western workers are reportedly being evacuated.

For the latest detail, CNN's Caroline Faraj joins us by phone now from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Good morning -- rather, good afternoon to you.

CAROLINE FARAJ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, good afternoon, Erica. Well, the story is it's not a new thing. Basically, since last week the embassy --the U.S. embassy in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia issued a warning asking all the non-essential -- not the essential members of their staff to leave basically the Saudi Arabia. And of course, that was understood by most of the U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia that they also have to take precautions, measures and to leave.

So it started since last week when the Riyadh attack took place. And now with Yanbu and with the new tactic going back, those attackers going back to attacking westerners and foreigners. Like what happened yesterday in Yanbu, I think now people are starting to take this into consideration and taking it very seriously -- Erica.

HILL: Very seriously indeed. Do you know -- if you can, give us an idea of security may have been like at that building? We're hearing some representatives from the company were headed down and some diplomats now heading down to that area. But what would security typically be like at a building in an area like this?

FARAJ: Well, it was a bit strange, Erica, to know that formal statement that was issued by the Saudi government saying that three of the attackers, apparently they were working in the same compound and they've got their own access. So they entered as any regular entry because they are employees there. And then they managed to open the door of the emergency gate for the fourth person to enter as well. So basically the security is -- they've got their own guards, they have their own security. But it is clear that those people were not really well prepared, and they were not considering such attack to take place there. This is the first time that an attack actually takes place in Yanbu -- Erica.

HILL: And something that will undoubtedly cause some changes in the way, perhaps, security is done at other areas. But as you said, this warning now being taken more seriously, more people leaving in the country.

What are you hearing where you are in Dubai? What has the reaction been there? And is there any concern in that area that maybe westerners should start to leave other areas of the Middle East?

FARAJ: Well, on the contrary. In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, what I hear from the diplomats -- western diplomats and especially the U.S. diplomats, they are saying that they are even offering like a residential area -- as a residential place for them for their families. To bring their families and to reside here in Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates, while diplomats and other employees are working in the Gulf. So -- but some other countries are here from diplomats. And other diplomatic sources are saying that they are also suggesting that, you know, their families are not really essential to stay with them, it's better for them to go back to their own countries.

So it is really considered seriously. And they're taking things into consideration that they have to basically evacuate to whoever they feel they're not interested -- not really important for them to stay in the Gulf in general, and in the Arab world in general. Even I hear also people from the Middle East, they're evacuating. United -- also the U.N. members, they're ask that if it is not important for them to stay with their families there, it's better for them to basically send them either back home or to a safe country. And I hear that some of them are coming to the United Arab Emirates -- Erica.

HILL: Some interesting developments there and we appreciate you staying on top of them for us. CNN's Caroline Faraj.

SAN MIGUEL: Well, there are only so many A grades to go around. That's the new rule at Princeton University. Rationing grades, next on CNN SUNDAY.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LENO: I ran into Condoleezza Rice. I asked her what was on the menu for tonight. And she said it's not a menu; it's a list of non- actionable food items.

(LAUGHTER)

SAN MIGUEL: Plus, with targets on their backs, the Bush administration boldly heads to the annual Correspondents Dinner. Highlights coming up from that.

And dealing with the arrival of a newborn. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "HOUSE CALL" helps you adjust to the drastic changes a baby brings home. That's "HOUSE CALL" at 8:30 Eastern here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: A story that we are following very closely this morning. Thomas Hamill, a contractor who went missing on April 9, has been found alive and well in Iraq. He was found just south of Tikrit earlier this morning. We were first told of it just about an hour and 15 minutes ago by Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt in Baghdad.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BRIG. GEN. MARK KIMMITT, DEPUTY OPS DIR., U.S. MILITARY: Today at 10:20 hours, Mr. Tommy Hamill, an employee of Kellogg, Brown and Root, was recovered by U.S. forces south of Tikrit. He is in good health. He was report missing after his convoy was ambushed on 9 April.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: That convoy was ambushed outside of Baghdad near the Abu Ghraib prison. He was found, as we mention, in Tikrit that is about a hundred miles away. We were told at that briefing, we're learning more about how he got to Tikrit and about his captors. That information will be coming to us. One thing we do know is he was able to speak with his family. And his wife, just a minute ago, was able to speak in a radio interview. Let's take a listen to what Kellie Hamill had to say.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KELLIE HAMILL, WIFE OF KIDNAPPED CONTRACTOR: I feel great. I can't help but I've got to go pray, I'm so thankful. I feel wonderful. It's the best feeling I've had. I am so ecstatic. And I just want to thank everybody that has prayed and sent their prayers to us. Thank you all so very much.

I've talked to the company. That's what I'm trying to do is keep the lines open so I can talk to him.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HILL: And that was Kellie Hamill, Thomas Hamill's wife. She is in Macon, Mississippi. That was her speaking with -- in a radio interview out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We do know at this point that it appeared he may have escaped, we're being told from the briefing. Mr. Hamill walked out of a building. They say it looked like he escaped but they are not sure at this. We don't have exact details yet; we, as I said, are getting more of those.

He identified himself to American troops; they confirmed his identity. He was able to phone his family and is speaking with the military now giving them more information. And we will bring more of that to you as we get it here at CNN. Don't stray too far from CNN SUNDAY MORNING.

Right now, though, I turn it over to my colleague, Renay San Miguel -- Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: Thank you very much, Erica. And now the focus is on education. Is it too much of a good thing? Princeton University seems to think so. The Ivy League school says too many underclassmen are acing their courses. So next fall the number of students awarded 4.0s or A's will be limited.

And John Katzman of the Princeton Review joins us right now with reaction to the downgrade. And Mr. Katzman, let me put the question to you that was raised in "The New York Times" a few week ago about this particular issue. Are there really too many A's? Is there a lot of grade inflation out there? Or are students just smarter these days?

JOHN KATZMAN, PRINCETON REVIEW: I'm not sure students are smarter. Certainly they're working harder. And good morning. I'm not saying that kids aren't savvy or taking courses that might have higher grades, and tuning in to what professors are looking for. But I don't think this is a cause for national concern.

SAN MIGUEL: This is not a trend? Princeton University officials seem to think that it's not just, you know, going on at Princeton, but that there are too many A's being given out all over the country. What do you think?

KATZMAN: There are lot of A's being given out all over the place. This is not a Princeton specific problem. But I'm not sure it's a problem.

SAN MIGUEL: So how -- I mean how do you deal with this? I mean there are a lot of students who may be thinking they're doing exemplary work, saying you know what, I deserve an A. And you know, there's some kind of a curve going on where other students, who aren't doing the work are also getting A's.

KATZMAN: Right. Look, the thing about grades is -- and any high stakes kind of measurement like a test score is it's not that important what the range is. Everybody tunes into it; employers understand what an A means or what a B means at different colleges. What's important are the incentives that it gives. And if you set a curve, only so many kids are going to get an A. You set kids against each; the idea of cooperative learning, collaborative efforts, you know, goes out the window. If on the other hand, you say here's the standard for an A, this is what we're looking for, if you meet it that's great. If you don't meet it, you know, then you've got a B or a C; that's a way to handle things.

SAN MIGUEL: Do you see an impact on student financial aid here, students who rely on scholarships and things like this, or are trying to get scholarships, and maybe looking at other schools that have a more liberal grade policy?

KATZMAN: I think for graduate school, grades in college are pretty important. And it could be financial aid or it could just be admission admissions, but certainly students are paying attention. I don't think anybody is not going to go to Princeton though, because the odds of getting an A are a little lower.

SAN MIGUEL: All right. We'll have to leave it there. John Katzman, CEO and founder of the Princeton Review, thanks for getting up early and joining us this morning. We appreciate your time.

KATZMAN: No, thanks for having me, Renay.

SAN MIGUEL: You bet -- Erica. HILL: All right. Thanks, Renay.

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