Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Sunday Morning

Suspicious Package Found in Northwestern London; Suicide Car Bombing Kills 22 in Baghdad

Aired July 24, 2005 - 09:00   ET

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

TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, it's been an emotional morning for the families of the July 7th London terror bombings. In the last few hours police have taken them to the sites of the attacks to give them more information on the final moments of their loved ones. The bombings killed 52 people. We'll go live to London straight ahead.
In Baghdad this morning a suicide car bombing killed at least 22 people and wounded 25 others. The attack happened near a police station and police officers were among the causalities. The blast also destroyed several cars and damaged nearby shops. A live report later this hour.

People along eastern Mexico's coast are bracing for a hit from Tropical Storm Gert. The storm is expected to reach the coast by tonight brining up to 10 inches of rain. Some areas ore still recovering from Hurricane Emily, which hit just four days ago.

It is 6 a.m. in Fernley, Nevada and 3 a.m. in Healo (ph), Hawaii. Good morning everyone, from the CNN Center in Atlanta I'm Tony Harris.

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We want to thank you for starting your day with us. Still to come this hour, a sex offender snatches a little girl from her home. Now police are asking for your help in finding them.

Also, sun, fun, molten lava? We will tell you why this Texas hiker would rather forget his trip to paradise. And a brush with death, we have the dramatic pictures. That's just a beginning in this Soldier's Story.

HARRIS: Our top story, new developments out of London. Just a few hours ago police detonated a suspicious package found in northwestern London. Also this morning police will keep the shoot to kill policy despite the fact police admit they made a mistake by gunning down a 27 year old Brazilian national aboard a crowded subway train on Friday. Police say he was not connected to the failed bombing attempts there on Thursday.

Brazilian leaders and community leaders are speaking out today. For more we go live to London and CNN's Jonathan Mann.

Jonathan, good morning.

JONATHAN MANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Tony. You know, in the first hours and the first days after the July 7th attacks, which took 52 lives here in London, people in the city were very proud of their police, their headquarters, the new Scotland Yard. Proud as well of the unity that they showed as a multi cultural community in the face of the attacks. Now both of those feelings are, for lack of a better word, being dampened.

The police, as you mentioned, are apologizing for the fatal shooting of a man who apparently had nothing at all to do with the attacks, nothing to do with their investigation, an innocent rider on a subway train in the south of the city. His name is John Charles De Menezes. He is a 27 year old Brazilian electrician. A man who really is -- involvement in all of this is entirely unexplained.

For a long time people here, Muslims here, had been predicting a back lash against the Muslim community. In fact what happened was a South American man entirely unrelated as innocent as anyone in the city of any crime, was a victim. Still the Muslims in this city are speaking out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

INIAYAT BUNGLAWALLA, MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN: This is a very disturbing aspect, particularly for Muslims, because they will now feel that if they are suspects then the same thing might happen to them. And I believe it has a knocking effect on getting them to cooperate with the security services.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANN: Now in spots across London Brazilians are gathering. They're not happy about this. They've been caught, their community of 100,000, in a series of incidents that they feel has no relationship to them. Like a lot of Londoners they're really worried now about the violence that seems to be if not a daily event in their city certainly a daily concern.

The Brazilian foreign minister was due in town on other business. He came obviously with something new on his agenda. He is demanding a full investigation. Police have promised one. But in the meantime, Tony, as you mentioned, the shoot to kill order is still in effect.

Tony.

HARRIS: OK. Jonathan Mann in London. Jonathan, thank you.

NGUYEN: In Egypt the investigation into the terror bombing as a resort town moves forward. Security forces are rounding up possible suspects in Sharm El-Sheikh. The three simultaneous explosions killed 84 people and wounded more than 200 others.

This is amateur tape of the second explosion in what is now Egypt's deadliest terror attack. A Polish tourist happened to be videotaping the old market area, which is mainly filled with Egyptians working in the town's resorts. Crews are now searching the rubble for more bodies and possible leads. Two groups have made separate claims of responsibility. One, the Addullazum (ph) brigades, is linked to al Qaeda. It also claimed responsibility for last October's attack that killed 34 people.

HARRIS: Democrats turned over their weekly radio address to a Republican this weekend. Former CIA agent Larry Johnson says President Bush is jeopardizing national security by not honoring a pledge to fire any White House staffer implicated in the outing of a CIA operative. The reporter has named top presidential adviser, Karl Rove as a source.

A federal investigation is underway into the naming of Valerie Plame. She is the wife of a former diplomat. Joseph Wilson says the Bush administration leaked her name in retaliation for his public criticism of the Iraq war.

Now we want to know what you think about the CIA leak scandal. Are you getting the answers you want? It's our e-mail question of the day, the CIA leak. Should the White House address the allegations? Let us know what you think, weekends@cnn.com.

NGUYEN: On a related note, the editor-in-chief of Time Incorporated, a corporate cousin of CNN, is defending the surrender of his reporter's notes in the case. The decision to hand over Matt Coopers notes and e-mails to a grand jury spared the writer from jail.

Now the "New York Times," on the other hand, allowed its reporter to be jailed to protect the source. "Times" decision has been heavily criticized especially by journalists.

At a writers convention yesterday, "Times" editor-ion-chief Norman Pearlstine said ,quote, " I did not think it was appropriate to subject the institution to this kind of regulatory scrutiny." He also said, "I would not do anything different in terms of the decision."

HARRIS: And also making news across America a family of five is safe this morning after a US Coast Guard crew rescued them Friday off the coast of Texas. The family was on a 22 foot pleasure boat that ran aground 100 miles from Corpus Christi. Crews lifted the family out of the water. The mother, father and their three children are said to be in good health.

In Florida children in day care allegedly being secularly assaulted and forced to eat worms. Those are among the claims against two day care sitters associated with a church called Faith Ministries. The state suspended both centers licenses. One day care worker is accused of molesting 10 children during games of truth or dare while another worker is accused of exposing herself to children.

And in Idaho the search continues for a registered sex offender suspected of repeatedly stabbing his 12 year old daughter. Police say John Rollins Tuggle is the is the only suspect in the case. The girl is hospitalized in serious condition. Thirty seven year old Tuggle served time for rape and was released from an Idaho prison last year. He is considered armed and dangerous. NGUYEN: Now to Nevada where police suspect an eight year old girl was snatched from her house on Friday by a family friend living in her home who is also a convicted sex offender. Police have issued an Amber alert and they are looking for Fernando Aguerro, described as a 48 year old, slim Hispanic male just over six feet tall.

For more now here's Nita Arenpour (ph) of CNN affiliate KTVN.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She always said hi. She always had a smile on her face. She was very positive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Neighbors describe eight year old Lydia Bethany-Rose Rupp as a as a sweet, energetic girl. Police say this innocent child was kidnapped by a man who was living with Lydia and her mom at this home in Fernley.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was very quiet. I never spoke to the man, but I saw him all the time outside with the little girl and he always watched over her real attentively.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The guy was kind of quiet. And you didn't really get a good feeling from him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fernando Aguerro met Lydia's mom at this church. He soon moved in with her. The pastor says he was always very suspicious of Aguerro.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't know much about him. That's when he came to me and told me he wanted to minister here I told him, no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pastor Mat McCreary has known Lydia her whole life.

MATT MCCREARY, PASTOR: She's a neat little girl. Real pretty and reel full of energy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: News of her missing came as a shock to the entire church.

MCCREARY: It was like 1 o'clock this morning when we found out. So we went to praying right away and I've got people praying here now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Praying and hoping Lydia returns. Police say Aguerro may have left with Lydia sometime Friday. Aguerro had dropped off Lydia's mother right here at Scaleries (ph) where she works. That was about 5:30 Friday morning. When Lydia's mom came home from work she faced every mother's worst fear. Her daughter was gone.

Also missing were all of Lydia's pictures, her birth certificate, Social Security card, even her cocker spaniel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely it's a tragedy. That's an eight year old girl out there and it's happening all over. Look at what happened in Florida. Look what happened in Colorado. Look what happened. These kids are not coming back alive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But law enforcement agencies across the country will keep up this search until Lydia is found. In the meantime, the community is hoping for miracle.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: And again that was Nita Arenpour (ph) of CNN affiliate KTVN.

HARRIS: Ready for this?

NGUYEN: What?

HARRIS: Now to the unbearable, unbelievable waves of heat roasting parts of the U.S. and Phoenix, Arizona. A splendid site of the summer sun is no shadow for the rays of ruin it is beaming down in the middle of a record heat wave. Some 13 homeless people have died on the streets of Phoenix. The Salvation Army is passing out water and social workers are trying to get many of the homeless into shelters.

Meanwhile, the folks in Kansas City, Missouri could be looking for tips to stay cool maybe from the wild animals. Visitors may get relief by watching the elephant take a dip in the pools of cool water. Parents and their kids can also stop at special cooling stations setup at the zoo.

NGUYEN: I wonder what's causing this. I mean we know it's summer, Rob, but this kind of record temperatures out there. Anything in particular that may be sparking it?

(WEATHER REPORT)

NGUYEN: There is lots ahead this morning including the story of a trip to paradise that turned out to be anything but. Lost on the lava rock in Hawaii, one man's story of survival.

HARRIS: And later another story of survival. This time surviving a sniper. A U.S. soldier is shot by -- look at that, by Iraqi insurgents and it's all caught on tape. You won't believe what happened next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, in case you are just waking up with us here is a run down of the top stories today.

In Egypt police have cordoned off the site of yesterday's bombings as they investigate those deadly attacks.

Meanwhile, security forces are rounding up potential suspects in a massive sweep in the Sinai Peninsula.

Now progress but no new promises. That is how Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sums up her Mideast trip. Rice is back in Washington this morning. She met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to make sure Israel's planned pull out from Gaza is on track.

Fire fighters in central Arizona are getting a handle on a raging wildfire. It has burned more than 70,000 acres, but thanks to rain and high humidity firefighters hope to have it under control by tomorrow.

HARRIS: And later this hour was it a stroke of luck or destiny? A man loses his wedding ring and finds it two years later. Where it shows up is nothing short of amazing. That story coming up.

NGUYEN: But first, a walk on the wild side in Hawaii brings a hiker to terms with a possibility of his own death. Jeanna Manajorie (ph) of CNN affiliate KHON reports on this amazing rescue.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When most people think of spending six days on the big island they don't mean in the middle of an unforgiving lava field. But that's what happened to Dewey Gaedcke lost for six days and five nights. He'd ventured out to get a night time glimpse of the lava flow.

GILBERT DEWEY GAEDCKE, BIG ISLAND SURVIVOR: These rocks that are like -- they're like four foot glass rocks that are hollow in the middle and they break when you step on them and you fall through and it's just the most vicious terrain I've ever seen in my life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gaedcke rested at the Yamia (ph) home of a family friend before heading back to Houston. It's a trip he'd lost hope making at least a few times during his ordeal.

GAEDCKE: There was two points at which I really came to terms with my own death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Forty five county personnel and 15 national park service workers conducted a four day search. It was called off Friday afternoon, but only 15 minutes later a teenager on a blue Hawaiian helicopter tour noticed something shiny. It was the camera lens Gaedcke had broken off to use as a reflector. As many as 10 tour helicopters cast above him each day before but getting rescued wasn't so simple.

GAEDCKE: I had to ride off the hope of being rescued because it was killing my survival.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's because it was too difficult to walk or even crawl on the glass-like lava to position himself in sight of a helicopter. Instead he focused on finding one thing, water, wringing it out of spongy green moss. Food was even more sparse.

GAEDCKE: I found some berries, a worm narrowly escaped me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's an adventurer at heart, snowboarding, rock climbing, weight boarding. In time he says this too may seem an adventure and he says he'll return to Hawaii. Right now though he can't wait to see his two daughters ages five and seven. GAEDCKE: It was a little mistake on my part had cost them their father so early in their lives and that was hard.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And soon a family that just days ago thought it lost so much a son, a brother, a father all in one will be reunited.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: That was Jeanna Manjorie (ph) of CNN affiliate KHON.

Now another interesting rescue to tell you about today. A man was rescued off the coast of Delaware after falling a fishing boat over night. His boatmates aboard the Hanging Loose were apparently doing just that and didn't realize he was gone. Coast Guard officials say he was found by a couple on board a boat dubbed the SS Minnow of all things, after treading water for more than 12 hours, Tony.

HARRIS: Well, perhaps in a sign of impending defeat there's word the Taliban is now recruiting new members, but they're not exactly what you'd expect. We'll explain when we go global.

And later, she is 63 years old but she's got a new lease on life. The story of Jenny and her new parents, yes, parents. An amazing story you won't want to miss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Grant Park, Chicago. Who's the affiliate on that, Betty? Who is that there?

NGUYEN: COTV.

HARRIS: Good morning, Chicago. I've got to tell you the excessive heat warning is in effect and it will be. It looks like 100 degrees is the inner temperature today, the air temperature. Now when you factor in the humidity you get heat indices I'm told here. This is what Rob has been telling us, anywhere from 100 to 114 degrees and that's what it feels like on your skin, OK. That's early this afternoon and early this evening. Do you best to stay cool. Chicago we will be right back with more of CNN SUNDAY MORNING right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Another devastating suicide car bombing in Baghdad and renewed clashes in Afghanistan.

HARRIS: For these new developments and some of the other big international stories we're watching this morning let's hand it over to Anand Naidoo at CNN's international desk.

Anand, good morning.

ANAND NAIDOO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks and good morning from the international desk. As you mentioned, Betty, another car bombing in the Iraqi capital. For the details let's go to CNN's Aneesh Raman. He's in the capital Baghdad.

Aneesh.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anand, good morning. At least 22 people are dead, 25 others wounded after a suicide car bomb detonated at a police station in southeastern Baghdad. The vast majority of causalities we're told are, in fact, Iraqi civilians.

The aftermath a disaster scene. A huge crater where the explosion took place, charred bodies as fire fighters and rescue officials tried to come to the scene. This underscoring the brutal resolve of Iraq's insurgency. This is the deadliest attack we've seen since a week ago Saturday where you'll recall 90 people were killed south of the capital city in the small town of Musaif (ph) after a suicide bomber detonated next to a fuel truck.

Now this comes also on a day where we're told a U.S. Marine has died northwest of the capital city. That as a result of an improvised explosive device. We do know they say it's from combat operations. We do know in that area there is an operation called Operation (INAUDIBLE) ongoing. That attempting to stop the flow of foreign fighters here into Iraq.

Anand.

NAIDOO: All right. Thanks Aneesh. Aneesh Raman there in Baghdad.

Now to the other war front. In Afghanistan a U.S. soldier has been killed and a second wounded in southwestern Afghanistan. U.S. military officials say their unit came under attack by 15 to 20 suspected insurgents. An interpreter employed by the U .S. forces was also wounded in the attack. U.S. and Afghan returned fire killing one suspected insurgent and wounding two others.

And we have one other note on Afghanistan. A U.S. commander there says the Taliban are being forced to recruit children because they've suffered heavy causalities. That's the Taliban has suffered heavy casualties in recent months.

Betty.

NGUYEN: Anand let's talk about a much lighter story. We all know that grapes make wine, right? But there's word the Chinese are substituting those grapes with fish, what?

NAIDOO: You are not going to believe this, Betty. This is a bizarre but true column, you know. You've heard of folks drinking like fish. Now in China you can actually drink the fish.

NGUYEN: I don't know about that.

NAIDOO: People in northern China have come up with, wait for it, fish wine. Here's the process in a nutshell. The fish is boiled and cooked with rice and then allowed to ferment for a month, and I'll spare you the rest of the details seeing that it's breakfast time NGUYEN: Please do.

NAIDOO: Yes, it's my first time around the country. But the brew, by the way, is on its way to the United States. Six dollars a bottle at any fine wine store.

NGUYEN: Are you ready to try it? I don't know if I'm going to venture.

HARRIS: (inaudible) a little squid, a little croaker, come on.

NAIDOO: I don't know. Betty, how about some wine with your salad?

NGUYEN: A little fish wine with my salad? You try it first. We'll check it out later.

Thanks, Anand.

HARRIS: And still ahead this morning, surviving a sniper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PFC STEPHEN TSCHIDERER, U.S. ARMY: I kind of open up my vest and I'm like oooh, all right no blood. Good to go. All right, let's go get them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: A man caught on camera. A U.S. soldier in Iraq narrowly escapes death after insurgents shoot to kill. I spoke with that soldier about his experience and you'll hear and see it next.

NGUYEN: And later lost and found. In perhaps a sign of eternal love a man finds a wedding ring he thought was gone forever, but wait until you hear where it turned up.

First a CNN extra. Is broadband Internet too slow for you? A Finnish company plans to speed it up next year introducing service that is 50 times faster than current average broadband speeds. The cost of connecting your home with the new technology could vary from $60 to $240.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: He was the target of a sniper just narrowly escaping death and it was all caught on tape. A soldier's amazing story of survival is just ahead. And Welcome back everyone to CNN SUNDAY MORNING. I'm Tony Harris.

NGUYEN: And I'm Betty Nguyen. We have that story coming up, but first, here's what's happening in the news.

Officials in London now say a 27-year-old Brazilian national had no connection, no connection, with Thursday's attempted bombings as originally suspected. Jean Charles de Menezes was fatally shot at close range Friday by London police at the Stockwell subway station. Police had been watching him and said at the time that he'd been acting suspicious.

Now to Nevada where authorities have issued an Amber Alert for an 8-year-old girl missing since Friday. Police are now searching for a convicted sex offender they believe took Lydia Rupp from her home near Carson City. The suspect reportedly lived with the family and he and the girl's mother met in April.

"Time" magazine's editor in chief is standing by his decision to turn over reporter Matt Cooper's notes and e-mails to a federal prosecutor in the CIA leak investigation. Norm Pearlstine told a writer's conference yesterday withholding his notes would put other "Time" staffers at risk of being subpoenaed.

And the western part of the country is battling an extreme heat wave. In Phoenix, Arizona, temperatures have hit triple digits almost every day for the last two weeks. The dry heat has led to the deaths of at least 21 people.

HARRIS: When a young American medic serving in Iraq survived a snipers bullet recently, his mother called it a miracle. But perhaps what's even more remarkable is that after he was hit, the medic then saved the life of the man who tried to kill him. I talked with PFC's Stephen Tschiderer about that day on the battlefield. Here's our "Soldier's Story."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: Let me first ask you, did this day, the day on which you were shot, did it start out any differently than any other day since you've been in the country in Iraq?

PFC. STEPHEN TSCHIDERER, U.S. ARMY MEDIC: Pretty much started out just like every other day. Just got down to the trucks, put your stuff in the truck, get your brief, let's go, time to go out and hopefully get some bad guys.

HARRIS: So my understanding is you're on routine patrol, just doing what you've been doing, any number of days in the country, in Iraq, and then describe for us what happened and what you remember.

TSCHIDERER: What had happened was we were going down one of the routes. Somebody opened up with an automatic rifle, shot at one of our Humvees. We then moved into what we call a (INAUDIBLE), you just basically surround off the block and we started searching homes. As we were searching those homes about half way through we got a small burst of automatic fire, then we also got a well-aimed shot which most of us automatically take it to that being a sniper. So, after that we thought we had an idea where the sniper was. We move around to that block, surrounded that block, but unfortunately, we were wrong and the block we surround was actually the one next to it. As you're looking at me, the reason I'm out on that side of the Humvee is we thought the threat was on the opposite side. So, I was outside, I felt that I was OK on that side, but unfortunately, I wasn't.

HARRIS: Stephen, the vest, it saved your life, didn't it?

TSCHIDERER: Yes, the vest definitely saved my life. There was another plate inside of it was what actually stopped the round, so -- so, that's why I'm here talking you today.

HARRIS: How concerned are you that the video that the world has seen now of this attack on you, how concern were you that the video was getting out ahead of your ability to even communicate to your family that you were OK?

TSCHIDERER: I was pretty worried about that. Right when it first -- like, the couple nights after I heard through the rumor mill that it had been released so, I was like, oh man, I haven't even talked to my parents yet. Fortunately, they were away during the Fourth of July down at one of the lakes near us, and it took me four and a half days before I finally got a hold of them, so, I was kind of worried. They got home and there was already like three or four messages from local media trying to contact them, so I was glad I go a hold of them. They heard my voice, that pretty much -- that was the only thing I was worried about, just my parents getting worried, seeing the video before they heard from me.

HARRIS: Did you talk to them on the phone? Did you e-mail them? And if you talked to them on the phone, give us a bit of that conversation.

TSCHIDERER: It was a little nerve-racking at first because my lieutenant commander was sitting there right over my shoulder making sure I called them. So I really didn't -- I was trying to keep just hush-hush and "Hey, yeah, I'm fine. I'm no worse for the wear, I'm fine." But, my Lieutenant commander made me call. I'm like, "Hey, mom, how you doing, I just want to start this off, I'm OK. But, I don't know if you her yet, but I got shot the other day and just got to explain what happened." She got all nervous.

DEBBIE TSCHIDERER, MOTHER: I said, "What do you mean there's a video?" He goes, "Mom, they taped the whole thing?" Why? For training. I wasn't supposed to live, it was for training.

It was the sound more than the actual action, and to hear the Iraqis talking about my son and to have him in their sights. For me the initial feeling was anger. Then I started sobbing hysterically, I mean, it just -- it was amazing to see how close -- how close it came. I said, "Steve, they were laughing." He said "No, mom, they were praying. As we go into battle, we pray, so do they."

We were starting to think that OK, we can do this, he'll be home soon and then it all then it all just kind of was put right back into perspective what these guy goes through every single day and it's hard. It's hard. This brought it all home.

HARRIS: When was the first moment and describe that moment for us when you realized, "Hey, I've been shot. I could have died."

TSCHIDERER: As soon as I hit the ground. I knew I was hit and I was, like "Oh, man I got hit." But I'm like, but "Well it doesn't hurt too bad so I guess I'm OK" so popped back up, got on the Humvee. When get on the Humvee I take a knee and I kind of open up my vest and I'm like, "All right, no blood, good to go. All right, let's go get him."

HARRIS: Well, Stephen, talk to us about that. You actually -- you and the other members of your team, you actually did go after the person who shot you and you found that person, didn't you?

TSCHIDERER: We chased the vehicle down. We ended up having to disable it, they wouldn't stop, for obvious reasons. One of the gunners on the Humvees shot out the tires on the vehicle, so they ended up bailing out, and they went running into a neighborhood. We chased after them. Eventually one of our -- we had two sections with us that day. One section went down the road before they went down and made it a blocking force, and we kind of went to the street they went down trying to push them towards our other Humvee and it actually worked for the driver. The driver just luckily enough was running, jumped over a fence and there was our Humvee sitting right there. So, that was an easy nab. And then we were going through the houses and trying to talk to the families, "Hey, have you seen this guy? Have you seen this guy?"

All of the Iraqi people in that area were extremely helpful, like, "Oh, yeah, he went this way, we went that way." We ended up finding a blood trail from the wounds that he had just received, followed that through a few homes and eventually we moved to the opposite side where we had captured the driver and started searching those homes and at that time the Iraqi army actually helped us. They showed up and were going to help us search. The very first house they're go in, they search out the house, clear it, they're on the roof and all of a sudden I hear this screaming and they're like, "Oh, he's next door, he's next door!" So myself and two of the Iraqi soldiers went outside into the next house and trying to get him to the front yard, we couldn't get into the gate, so I just grabbed him, we -- I threw him over the wall and jumped over the wall after him, just ran up, grabbed him, dragged him out in the yard, padded him down made sure he didn't have anything else on him. We cuffed him and bandaged him up and locked him up.

HARRIS: Stephen, you treated the man who you believe shot you.

TSCHIDERER: It's part of the job, I'm a medic. He put down his arms. He's no threat, I mean, there's no excuse not to. It's what anybody should have done and anybody would have done.

HARRIS: Stephen, someone else could have bandaged him up. You didn't have to do it. You, the person he shot, you didn't have to be the one to bandage him up, but you did. What does that tell us about you?

TSCHIDERER: All I was doing is just doing a job. That's it. I'm a medic, somebody's hurt, it's my job to make sure they survive. And plus, if he had died, unfortunately, he wouldn't have given us any information, so better to keep him alive and see if we can get something out of him than just keep him, then just having that life expire, then you nothing except for a dead body. So, it's kind of worthless after that.

HARRIS: Are you a religious man?

TSCHIDERER: Yes sir, definitely. He was definitely watching over me, definitely protecting me on that one, can't deny that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARRIS: That's a "Soldier's Story." Stephen says he can't wait to be reunited with his family in Mendon, New York, that's in September.

NGUYEN: That was a great story, Tony.

Straight ahead, another story of survival and inspiration. After years of abuse at the hands of her mother, a 63-year-old woman gets a new start on life and now a documentary tells her story. Up next, I'll speak with its producer and director.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARRIS: Checking our top stories now in Egypt, investigators are looking for clues and struggling to I.D. the 84 people killed in yesterday's string of bombings. The three explosions injured more than 200 people. Two groups have made claims of responsibility, one is linked to al-Qaeda.

Tropical storm Gert is making its way to the eastern coast of Mexico. The storm may hit some of the areas slammed last week by hurricane Emily. Up to 10 inches of rain and strong winds are in the forecast.

And Lance Armstrong, only has to breeze through Paris to clench a record-setting seventh win in the Tour de France. He's all but guaranteed the victory after winning Saturday's timed trial. Armstrong's coach says each race is special. He spoke with us earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CARMICHAEL, LANCE ARMSTRONG'S COACH: You know, it is an amazing feat. I mean, Lance winning his first one was so special after battling cancer, but to think now that we're going to be seven is just, you know, it's just -- it's -- I'm speechless to say how to kind of sum it all up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: It seems the horror started the moment she was born. Immediately placed in foster care, her mother is said to have physically abused her, others are said to have sexually assaulted her, and doctors are said to have failed her, for years, calling her mentally retarded. But now Virginia Ginny Matthews is about to be adopted at the age of 63. It's an incredible story of blight and might and the will to overcome. It's told in the documentary, "Adopting Ginny." Its director and producer is Elizabeth Gorcey and joins us now from New York.

I guess my first question to you was how did you meet Ginny?

ELIZABETH GORCEY, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER: I had known her just about my entire life and I always wondered, you know, what if Virginia was raised with a family that gave her love and care and if she were educated, what -- who and what would Virginia be today?

NGUYEN: And you know, we will soon find out because that adoption is going through the process. We'll get to that in a moment, but let's talk about what she endured growing up, some horrific situations. We want to take a listen to it in Ginny's own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIRGINIA GINNY MATTHEWS, ABUSED FEMALE: My mother was very cruel to me. She wasn't my real mother anyway.

Kicking me when I had my asthma attack and everything, that's what made me depressed.

I wish I'd never met my mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Just a glimpse of what she faced. We talked a little bit about it in the intro, Elizabeth, but what brought on this abuse? Do you have any idea in doing this documentary?

GORCEY: I think that her mother was heavily into alcohol and that she also had some mental illness, because immediately when Virginia was born her mother was placed into a mental institution, in Bellevue.

GORCEY: Oh, I see. OK, now on top of the abuse it was reinforced at an early age that Ginny had some mental challenges. Let's listen to what she was told early on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: My mother went around telling everybody I was retarded. I don't think I'm retarded, maybe I don't know how to read good, but I think we're al retarded in some ways, you know?

HILLARY: She wasn't retarded, but she's not stupid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Now medically, was Ginny deemed to be mentally challenged?

GORCEY: She was not. She lost her eye at age 3 and, you know, so that right there was a bit of a disability. When we got all of her social security records we found out that if somebody, the doctor who was treating her looked at all of these medical records they would realize that, you know, she really was more or less shy, but not retarded and had been abused both, you know, sexually, physically and emotionally and they gave her instead -- the stories that she told them, they thought that she was hallucinating, so they gave her a cocktail of, you know, medicines -- drugs.

NGUYEN: Well, you know, this is a story about a woman who has dealt with so much in her life. She is 63 now and wanting to be adopted. Usually when we think of people being adopted we think children who need homes, but she's 63 years old, why does she want to be adopted now? I think this gives her a sense of her -- of family. You know, she learns to dance with Ben, Hillary, she goes shopping and sometimes Hillary will put on her makeup. It's a sense that they both -- they all need and love one another. And I think what's important is the perspective that, you know, someone, -- here, I live in L.A., so in L.A. everyone is worried about whether it be what cell phone to buy or what car to drive and these people are fighting for their survival and when you watch Virginia and see her appreciation and her love and care that she's now being given and -- you know, receiving and giving, you -- it really puts things in perspective.

NGUYEN: It sure does and it's a beautiful thing. I want to show another clip of how Ginny is just so excited about coming into this family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATTHEWS: I'm so happy that Hillary and Ben are trying to adopt me.

HILLARY: You're very smart. You're crafty and like, you're smart as a fox. It's been a long time coming for the adoption.

MATTHEWS: Things have taken a while, but it will get done.

Hallelujah!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NGUYEN: Hallelujah, she says. How did she meet this new family of hers?

GORCEY: Her mother watched their kids, believe it or not.

NGUYEN: Really? And I guess my last question to you, Elizabeth, is what inspired you to tell Ginny's story?

GORCEY: I just think that Ginny's spirit just carries on. All of the things that she has been through in her life you would think that maybe she would be, you know, dead or on -- shooting up or something and instead she has a spirit that just carries on in life.

NGUYEN: She sure does. Elizabeth Gorcey, producer of "Adopting Ginny." We thank you for your time.

GORCEY: Thank you so much.

HARRIS: That's good. Up next, he went digging for clams. What he found was a treasure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden I came up with the clam rake and a little gold ring on top of it which I didn't recognize.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: It was fate or fortune? After two years, a man finds the item he says proves love is everlasting. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NGUYEN: Well, NASA is hoping for a smooth countdown to Tuesday's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Discovery. At Cape Canaveral, shuttle managers have been work round the clock to fix a glitch in a fuel tank sensor. The problem forced NASA to scrub the July 13 launch, as you'll recall, just two hours before liftoff. Forecasters are also keeping a close eye on the weather, but they say there is a 60 percent chance things will be all clear for that launch.

HARRIS: You want to go over a couple of e-mails.

NGUYEN: Yeah, let's get to those e-mails, today.

HARRIS: Before we wrap up and get out of here today.

All right, the e-mail question -- let me find that for you.

NGUYEN: On the screen.

HARRIS: Is it up there? OK. CIA leak: Should the white house address the allegations? I mean, are you frustrate on the answer that you're getting or not getting on this investigation, so far, from the White House?

The first e-mail comes from Erol who writes, "Since the president of the United States is the commander in chief in what is a complicated and dangerous world, shouldn't we give him the benefit of the doubt? Maybe there is a reason for "outing" that CIA operative."

NGUYEN: Well, Jason doesn't buy it. He says, "The administration should absolutely answer the hard questions. If there is no wrongdoing then it will be proven. If they're using dirty politics as a retaliation against a critic, that should be known."

We appreciate all those responses to these e-mail questions.

HARRIS: All right. It is a lost and found story most people would only dream of. Lose something valuable; find it years later in the same place you lost it? Well, that's exactly what happened to a Connecticut man's wedding ring, but it's where it happened that makes this story truly great. Erin Cox of our affiliate station WTNH has more. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERIN COX, WTNH REPORTER (voice-over): Nearly 40 years of marriage and Stewart and Mary Petrie still hold hands.

MARY PETRIE, WIFE: When we go for a walk or something like that, sure, we do.

COX: For two years he's been without the wedding band she gave to him in 1967. He lost it digging for clams.

STEWART PETRIE, LOST WEDDINGS RING: And so I was very depressed when I came back and even more depressed when I had to tell my wife, Mary, that I lost the wedding ring.

M. PETRIE: But it bothered him that he didn't have it so that bothered me, so that's why I said, "Well, we'll get another one."

S. PETRIE: She didn't berate me for it, which I thought she might, but she did not.

COX: Mary did forgive, but couldn't forget the ring given to symbolize their love. So she bought the replacement ring.

M. PETRIE: It's never the same. I don't even have the initials in here.

COX: When Stewart went tout on the same clamming spot this week, he got a gift from the sea.

S. PETRIE: All of a sudden I came up with the clam and a gold ring on top of it which I didn't recognize.

COX: This couple cleaned the clams and the ring and I saw the initials.

M. PETRIE: MTS to SJP, I couldn't believe it.

S. PETRIE: And to come up with a ring from two years ago, I mean, the odds are just stupendous.

COX (on camera): What makes this story really unbelievable; Stewart Petrie tells me he only goes clamming here once or twice a year.

S. PETRIE: It's god correcting my stupidity, see in loosing...

(LAUGHTER)

COX: Now when Stewart and Mary hold hands their wedding bands match. They know the love in their hearts though, was never lost.

S. PETRIE: There was a line in "Titanic" that our love will go on.

M. PETRIE: It just shows that it was meant for us to have our rest of our life together.

COX: Reporting in Branford, I'm Erin Cox, News Channel 8.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NGUYEN: What a great story. The odds! The chance of that.

HARRIS: You know, he got the business over those years when he couldn't find that ring.

NGUYEN: I know.

HARRIS: What a good story. And that is all of our time for CNN SUNDAY MORNING. Betty and I will be back here again with you next weekend.

NGUYEN: There's much more to come, "ON THE STORY" is next.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com