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Marking 50 Years Since "Bloody Sunday"; DOJ Report On Ferguson Shows Patterns Of Racism; First Family Walks Across Edmund Pettus Bridge; Iraqi Forces Make Gains Near Tikrit

Aired March 07, 2015 - 16:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Fredricka Whitfield, here in Selma. Again, you're looking at live pictures of the president and first lady talking to people there, (INAUDIBLE), a foot soldier before the first family makes it across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Our live coverage continues.

Poppy Harlow in the NEWSROOM up next.

All right. Again, the president of the United States and Michelle Obama still making their way through the crowd. The plan has been that they would make their way from that podium and then start the family jaunt across that bridge. It takes it roughly 10 minutes to walk the entire span. I've done it myself a couple of times since being here.

For the president, it may be even quicker because they won't have traffic. They won't be walking on the sidewalk. They'll likely going to be walking right in the middle of the bridge. And you can see them they are walking perhaps they are going to first collect Sasha and Malia before they make that crossing of the bridge.

When they get to the other side, another extraordinary experience will take place. The National Voting Rights Museum is at the foot of the bridge on the other side of the Alabama River. In it, incredible documentation of Bloody Sunday. There are photographs, government surveillance photographs that were donated to the museum. There is an encasement Sheriff Jim Clark's possessions along with photographs of the sheriff wielding his Billy club and his cattle prong that was used on the marchers there and his sheriff's badge there. There are interactive rooms.

Athena Jones is with me now, too. You had the honor of talking to Congressman John Lewis who really is the centrepiece of the history of this bridge but (INAUDIBLE) Voting Rights Museum, there's an interactive portion in that museum. People get a chance to feel and experience what it was like for 20 people at a time to be in one prison cell, which is what many of these marchers experienced when they were collected here in Selma 50 years ago.

The president and first lady and the entire family is going to get a chance to see what is in that museum. Overall, this is going to be an emotional experience for the first family just as it has been for the thousands that have turned out here.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely it is. And the president himself has said it's very important for him to have his two daughters -- to have his young teenage daughters really understand that this isn't ancient history. This is something that happened in his life time and in the lifetime of many of the people who are here and you mentioned Congressman Lewis.

One thing that I thought was interesting that he said was there is still work to be done. Speaking of that work, I thought some of the most important remarks that the president made was the challenge he made directly to Congress about voting rights. I mean, as we all know, we're celebrating this day, we're marching this day, Bloody Sunday, because that march was about voting rights and it was this march that helped bring about the Voting Rights Act in august of 1965.

And so now that the act has been weakened, the president called on Congress and don't just honor the march with a congressional gold medal, do something to fix that law.

WHITFIELD: Right. He certainly extended an honor to former President George W. Bush and acknowledged that it was George W. Bush who also tried to anddid successfully extend voting rights. So together they stand on the importance of voting rights in that legislation.

Athena Jones, thanks so much. It's been so great being with you here today in Selma. Our live coverage has been extraordinary throughout. Van Jones was with us earlier, presidential historian, Douglas Brinkley. It's been an incredible journey of looking back and of course, looking forward. I think John Lewis said it best when he said "we've come here to be renewed, inspired, reminded what justice has called us to do."

Thank you for being with me throughout the day. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, here, live here in Selma. We continue our coverage with Poppy Harlow in the "Newsroom."

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Fredricka, thank you. If you can still hear me, thank you. Beautiful job covering all day covering that in Selma, Alabama. We appreciate it. What a day.

We're going to continue to show you these live pictures of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, marking 50 years to the day that historic Bloody Sunday, 1965, we look at all of the people gathered there after President Obama spoke, also this country and the president noting we're still very aware of the distance still to go before the U.S. Civil Rights vision is fully realized. That embodiment of progress, the first African-American president of this country today in Selma, Alabama, where he and the first lady will soon cross that bridge. You can see their motorcade preparing there.

That is the sight of what was a violent but pivotal event in the U.S. civil rights movement 50 years ago today. The president spoke a short time ago. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In one afternoon 50 years ago, so much of our turbulent history, slavery and anguish of civil war, the yoke of segregation and tyranny of Jim Crow and the death of four little girls in Birmingham and the dream of a Baptist preacher, all that history met on this bridge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: You're also looking at live pictures now of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. That is where a crowd of people today in honor of what happened in Selma crossed the Brooklyn Bridge as a sign of unity and remembrance of that historic day, holding signs some of them which read, "the civil rights movement is not over and we march with Selma."

The march in Selma, Alabama had long and has had long-lasting impacts on this country. I want to bring in historian from Princeton University, Julian Zelizer, and as we speak, I'd like to show live images, if we can, as well, on the screen, of what is happening now as the president and first lady prepare to cross the bridge.

Thank you for being with me, sir. I appreciate it.

JULIAN ZELIZER, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Thanks for having me.

HARLOW: I and all of us had an opportunity to listen to the president's remarks. One of your peers, presidential historian, Douglas Brinkley, calling this speech by President Obama the "I have a dream" speech of his -- of his lifetime. Do you agree with him? Was it that significant?

ZELIZER: Well, it was a very powerful speech and moving speech and a beautifully written speech. We'll see if has that kind of impact. What was remarkable of the King speech is not just the speech but what followed in terms of legislation, in terms of public opinion and I think that's one of the questions we have about what comes next with race relations in America.

HARLOW: Yes. You know, it's interesting, we heard the president say in these remarks we, we -- is the single most profound word in our democracy.

ZELIZER: I think that is on point and it's a message that the civil rights movements has been making for many decades back since the 60s, that the fight for civil rights is not black against white but it's a fundamentally American struggle to live up to the ideals of the nation and I think that message came through in all of President Obama's speech today but certainly with the use of that word, we.

HARLOW: Let's talk about the significance of the president being introduced -- we heard before him, Congressman John Lewis, someone who marched across that bridge 50 years ago and someone who the president said, it's a rare honor in this life to follow one of your heroes and John Lewis is one of my heroes.

ZELIZER: It's really amazing to watch him and listen to him speaking there. I mean this is a person who was at the center of the struggle, who was violently attacked in the most brutal fashion and now there he is a sitting member of Congress, introducing the first African- American president and, in some ways, you know, that's the biggest sign we have of how much progress that voting rights legislation resulted in, to all the critics and skeptics that it didn't matter, he was a living memorial to just how far we've come.

HARLOW: I thought it was interesting to hear the president after he opened he did talk about Ferguson and the events in Ferguson over the last year and he did talk about the DOJ report finding such troubling, a number of troubling findings in terms of racism within the police department but he said, "I reject the notion that things have not changed in this country for the better."

ZELIZER: Yes, I think he's trying to convey both messages by going back to Selma. Part is to mark all the progress that's been made, all the achievements, legislation was able to accomplish and that's an important message for everyone who wants to hear the second part of the message, which is there is still a lot to do.

HARLOW: Right.

ZELIZER: Whether it's issues involving policing or economic justice, that's part of what he wants to convey in the speech but with the reminder that we can make progress. There can be hope.

HARLOW: So let's pull up these poll numbers. This is from a recent CNN-ORC poll that came out this week talking about race relations in this country. Let's show them to our viewers. When you look at these numbers, what it shows us that most Americans think race relations have stayed the same or some believe -- 39 percent that it's gotten worse under President Obama, a minority there 15 percent think race relations has gotten better under this president. What do you make of those numbers?

ZELIZER: Well, obviously, it's disappointing that to see that many Americans think that race relations and public opinions about race have deteriorated after what was a historic election but I think it's difficult to ignore some of the problems after Ferguson and after the debates that unfolded that still exists.

And it's not totally surprising that an African-American president might end up polarizing Americans on some of these issues. But again the message of Selma is we've been through moments when where there is really intense feeling and deep hatred and we've been able to move forward beyond that and I think that's the president's message.

HARLOW: As we continue to talk, I just want to point our viewers to the live pictures we're seeing of the group gathered there in Selma, Alabama, as the president and the first lady, you see their daughters, Sasha and Malia there, preparing to walk across the bridge to mark the significant -- the significance of today 50 years to the date later.

The president talking, Julian, about what all of those people, black and white, all races, all genders, you know, all sexual orientations gathered together 50 years ago to walk across that bridge saying honoring the courage of ordinary Americans, marching towards justice.

Also, in this speech the president talked about President Lyndon Johnson, saying that he sent protection to those people, that he was instrumental in getting the Voting Rights Act of 1965 passed. I mean, you wrote this book about President Johnson. What do you make of that when we think about the president then and the president now and the ways in which they've contributed to civil rights?

ZELIZER: Well, I think that's an important part of the message. President Obama is reminding Americans of this magical moment that came about in early 1965 where the president of the United States and the grassroots movement which many people thought of as radical at the time came together. They came together in March of 1965 to push against all of the opponents at the grassroots level and in Congress for this legislation.

And I think President Obama wants to invoke that moment as a reminder for what needs to be done in the coming years with all of the issues that the nation faces involving race relations and so I think that is an important part of the speech and he has pointed to Johnson as a president who connected very closely to what was going on at the bottom up.

HARLOW: All right. Julian Zelizer, stand by, stay with me. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to wait for that moment when the president and others cross this historic bridge on this historic day. We'll discuss more, live from Selma in just a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: You're looking at live pictures of former first lady there along with the current first lady Michelle Obama. There you see President Bush as well joining President Obama and many, many others including Congressman John Lewis, and many other civil rights leaders as we wait for the first family and a group of about 50 people is expected to cross the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge there in Selma, Alabama, today marking exactly 50 years since the day that became known as Bloody Sunday, a pivotal day in the civil rights movement and progress towards the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

They are going to mark the courage of all of those people who marched 50 years ago today. They will mark that as they, too, cross the bridge. We're going to keep these live pictures up for you.

I also want you to take a listen to part of what President Obama said today just in the last hour when he spoke there in front of the crowd about the movement in Selma, Alabama. He also talked about what happened last year in Ferguson, Missouri. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: You know, just this week I was asked whether I thought the Department of Justice's Ferguson report shows that with respect to race little has changed in this country. And I understood the question. The report's narrative was sadly familiar. It evoked the kind of abuse and disregard for citizens that spawned the civil rights movement. But I rejected the notion that nothing's changed. What happened in Ferguson may not be unique. It's no longer endemic. It's no longer sanctioned by law or by custom and before the civil rights movement it most surely was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Well, racist e-mails that were uncovered in the Department of Justice's report they have caused three Ferguson employees to resign or be fired this week. Captain Rick Henke, Sgt. William Mudd resigning on Thursday over e-mails discovered during that DOJ investigation into the racial prejudice within the city's police department and their judicial system.

The city's top clerk also fired earlier this week. Some critics calling for the police chief to resign and for the entire department to be disbanded. In that scathing Justice Department report on policing in Ferguson, investigators uncovered what is a clear pattern and practice of racism. The numbers do not lie. Take a look at these, 85 percent of vehicle stops, 90 percent of citations, 93 percent of those arrests, African-Americans.

To put this in context, 67 percent of the population is African- American. But maybe more importantly the report painted the Ferguson Police Department as a thinly veiled money-making machine that targeted African-Americans for fines and traffic tickets and detentions and abuse. For his part, police chief Jackson isn't saying much. Here's our Sara Sidner in Ferguson.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Do you think that your department has a race problem, do they have a problem and are you going to fix it? What are you going to do about it?

CHIEF THOMAS JACKSON, FERGUSON, MISSOURI POLICE: I need to have time to analyze this report so I can comment on it.

SIDNER: Why do you need time to analyze the report? You know, you should have known what was going on in your department, correct? Right?

(voice-over): He should have known and he did know. This is his e- mail unearthed by the Department of Justice during its investigation. In the 2013 e-mail, the DOJ highlighted the chief boasting that court revenue passed the $2 million mark for the first time in history. And he managed a response "Awesome, thanks."

Apparently, not awesome enough because in another e-mail, the city manager tells a colleague he asked the chief if he thought the PD could deliver a 10 percent increase, adding he indicated "they could try." The intense effort to get money through traffic tickets and court fines and statistics show African-Americans bore the brunt of that.

(on camera): What do you think of the DOJ's report? JOHNSON: I'm still analyzing it.

SIDNER: You're still looking at it. But don't you think you should have known some of the things that came out, the racist e-mails, the numbers, were you just trying to bill people out of money, instead of protecting them, telling your department to just go ticket them?

JOHNSON: OK. Thank you. And I will be in touch. Get a hold of Jeff.

SIDNER: I've talked to everyone. I've given you literally every opportunity. We've been talking for days and days and days. All we want is an answer from you. What do you think of this DOJ report and what are you going to do about it? Just any idea what it is you are going to do yourself about this as the chief of the department?

JOHNSON: I'm going to analyze the report and take action where necessary.

SIDNER: Does that mean you're going to stay around?

JOHNSON: I'm going to take action where necessary. Thank you.

SIDNER: Are you planning on resigning?

JOHNSON: I will let you know.

SIDNER: Are you thinking about it?

JOHNSON: I've told you that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: All right. We still don't have an answer on whether he is resigning or not but the DOJ's bottom line, there's a pattern and a practice of racism that has existed in that police department. Also, the discovery that the department policed, in many ways, sometimes for profit rather than protection.

Let's discuss it with retired NYPD police detective Harold Thomas. He joins me in New York. Also, Tim Fernholz from Quartz who wrote about this. He wrote an article this week called "Ferguson is what happens when you run a police force as a profit making business." Thank you gentlemen for being here with me. I appreciate it.

Tim, let me begin with you. The Department of Justice talks in detail about how some officers -- this isn't to paint them all with a negative brush but some of the officers would use tickets, code violations, late fees to generate a lot of money for the city and it was unfairly targeting African-American citizens. You wrote about this and you said that is an officially sanctioned terror to fill the city budget.

TIM FERNHOLZ, QUARTZ: Yes, I mean what you see when you read that Department of Justice report is not a police force but just an armed gang almost. You know, they are talking about policemen changing their tactics, changing the shifts that they take, all to get more tickets, more fines from people and the numbers that you cited before, especially I think is most telling on just the sort of nuisance charges, failure to obey, a manner of walking, over 90 pecent African- American.

And I think the most telling thing is that African-Americans are twice as likely to be stopped in Ferguson but there's a 25 percent less chance that they have any contraband or that they are doing anything illegal.

HARLOW: Right. It's important statistic that you pointed out in your paper. Harold, former NYPD, you were nodding your head. What do you do about it when you see policing for profit like this?

HAROLD THOMAS, RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE: I think they need to change the whole department. I recently read an article about a national police department, someone suggested making a national police department. I think they need a federal unit, almost like the Department of Homeland Security -- someone, a department to monitor all the police departments --

HARLOW: That's what the Department of Justice is doing in this case. I think someone push back and say do we really need another big government body overseeing things? The Department of Justice did this in the case of Ferguson but, of course, it came after the fact that these things had happened. You say you need to change the department. Do you think that means all new officers and a new police chief, locally?

THOMAS: In Ferguson, yes. You look at it. It's not working. They have been doing this for quite some time. And I think it just brought a light what they've been getting away with for years, most of the police department, if you ask me.

HARLOW: Tim.

THOMAS: Getting away with it.

HARLOW: Tim, most of the police departments?

THOMAS: Yes.

FERNHOLZ: I think that's what is so frightening about this report is, you know, there's so many towns in the United States where you don't have this level of scrutiny and you have to say how widespread is this really and President Obama talked about it in his speech a few minutes ago. But it raises a real question and needs more scrutiny.

HARLOW: Did you, Harold, have that experience when you were part of the NYPD?

THOMAS: Yes. Yes, I did.

HARLOW: Can you tell me about it? What happened? Specific examples?

THOMAS: Actually, myself, I had a very traumatic personal experience in 2012 and I had 28 years in the police department, I was forcibly targeted. I was forcibly arrested when I was off duty and almost immediately the top brass, everyone in the police department knew the story that the young officer told was a lie but I still had to go through 17 months of embarrassment before it was cleared up and I had to actually fight it and take it to my department trial room to clear my name. It was a running joke with the brass at NYPD that, oh, we know that this is bull but don't worry about it. You'll be OK.

HARLOW: Tim, Politico wrote a really fascinating piece about it this week, just talking to some of the protesters, some who rose up. And in one line said, the cable channel satellite cable trucks that were once fixtures of Ferguson parking lots have long been gone.

Our Sara Sidner has been on the ground there throughout -- she is still there but, it's true, a lot of the spotlights are gone, the cameras are gone. And I wonder what you think it will take now in the long term for Ferguson, even when the news isn't shining a spotlight on it?

FERNHOLZ: Well, I think what is next for Ferguson is what Attorney General Eric Holder wants to do to fix the problems that they have identified. The Department of Justice negotiating with the town right now, trying to get them to come up with a plan that will be court enforced to do the kind of root and branch reform that seems to be necessary to fix the department and either the town is going to agree to that or there's going to be a legal battle about it.

HARLOW: Stand by with me, gentlemen. I do want to take, fold these live pictures of the president and first family in Selma, Alabama, right now, as we listen in. It looks like they are preparing to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark a historic day in this country, 50 years ago, when so many gathered together to walk across this bridge to fight for equal rights to vote.

The president in his address earlier today saying, we is the single most profound word in our democracy. Saying, "although there is still injustice, he is hopeful for what is ahead."

We're going to continue to monitor this. We're going to take a quick break. As soon as he begins that walk, you'll see it live. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: All right. Welcome back.

It has begun. You're looking at President Barack Obama leading a group of about 50 people, we are hearing, across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, on a glorious Sunny Day in Selma, Alabama, marking an historic but violent day known as Bloody Day in 1965, when so many people gathered together, brave people of all ages, whites and black, all sexual orientations, coming together to march across this bridge to fight for their right to vote in this country -- ultimately leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

We heard a very powerful speech from the president today. He was introduced by Congressman John Lewis, who is also marching with him, as we speak, that congressman marched across this bridge 50 years ago today. The president calling Congressman John Lewis a hero of his, saying it is a rare honor for him to be introduced by the congressman.

Also marching with the president and the first lady, their two daughters, Sasha and Malia, talking about this generation and what this means for this generation as we in this country all try to fight and continue the civil rights fight.

I want to bring in our Athena Jones. She joins me. She's been there throughout.

Athena, what a day.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You said it, Poppy. This is a momentous occasion. It's a huge anniversary. And you know, this is a big one, 50. Of course, they celebrate every year, mark every ten years, every five years, but 50 is a really big year and this may be the last big anniversary where so many of the people who did march on that day so long ago are still alive and able to cross that bridge with the president and the next president.

John Lewis -- Congressman John Lewis, then just 25, is walking across that bridge. We understand that Amelia Boynton Robinson, who is now over 100 years old, who also marched on Bloody Sunday, who's also been on Bloody Sunday, is being pushed in her wheelchair across that bridge.

And, of course you mentioned the president and his daughters. He has made a point of saying it's no accident that he wanted Malia and Sasha to be here --

HARLOW: Right.

JONES: -- because he wants to make it clear not just of them, but to young people, that this wasn't something that happened a million years ago, this is something that happened in many people's lifetime and so, that's what they're doing. They're marching across this bridge, a ceremonial walk in Edmund Pettus Bridge and later on the first family will be visiting the National Voting Rights Museum -- Poppy.

HARLOW: And, Athena, stay with me as we also bring in historian from Princeton University, Julian Zelizer, who wrote just sort of a book on President Johnson who was so instrumental obviously in getting the Voting Rights Act eventually passed.

But what stood out to me, Athena, the president said a number of things. But he said so much of our turbulent history, all of that history, meeting at this bridge and also saying what enormous faith these men and women had, faith in America, a very hopeful message from this president.

What was it like for you on the ground there hearing it in person?

JONES: Well, it was moving to hear him not just talk about the past but weave in the events of the president. Yes, he talked about the enormous faith of the men and women who walked across this bridge and children, I should mention, who had faith not just in God but faith in America. He talked about the Voting Rights Act which came out of this event, signed only a few months later in August of 1965, as being one of the crowning achievements of the American democracy.

So, he talked about big themes, he talked about Ferguson, of course, but he said this report that we received from the Department of Justice on the events in Ferguson on the Ferguson police department and municipal court system, we didn't need a report like that to know that America's racial history still cast a shadow.

So, it's a mix. You see celebrating the past, but also saying that there's still work to be done. And, of course, as I mentioned earlier, challenging members of Congress to update and fix the Voting Rights Act, which was weakened by the Supreme Court ruling in 2013, that struck down a key provision. So, there was a lot packed into the speech. Certainly very emotional as well. It was a big moment -- Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. Stay with me, Athena. We're going to continue to look at these live images there as you them gather there on the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

Professor Zelizer, are you with me?

JULIAN ZELIZER, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Can you hear me?

HARLOW: I can hear you now. I know you were also listening to the president's remarks. What stands out to you most about what he said and about this day?

ZELIZER: Well, I think most important is the vote that the civil rights struggle is part of the American tradition. This is a theme that dates back to the 1960s and it's a very important one. But at the same time, he pointed to the problems we had not just with Ferguson but also that the legislation that came out of Selma has been severely weakened as a result of a Supreme Court decision.

And, I think, this is one of the big questions he put on the table, will Congress step up and restore the strength of the legislation that all the marchers fought for on Bloody Sunday?

HARLOW: And what also stood out to me is that he said in these remarks back in 1965 that it was Republicans and Democrats working together to pass the Voting Rights Act and he pointed to the need for more of that in Washington today.

ZELIZER: Yes, Lyndon Johnson also said he didn't want a Democratic bill or he didn't want a Republican bill, he wanted an American bill. He wanted bipartisan support for voting rights and it was not a partisan issue. And one of the controversies over today's celebration is that none of the congressional leadership planned to go, at the end, Congressman McCarthy came, but many Republicans didn't attend. And so, I think this has to ultimately have bipartisan support to succeed as Johnson envisioned 50 years ago.

HARLOW: All right. Professor Julian Zelizer of Princeton, thank you. Athena Jones, thank you.

I'm going to leave you with these live pictures as we see the group lead by the president and first lady, their daughters. Also, former President Bush and his first lady, his wife as well, Laura Bush there as well. Lots of political leaders from both parties in Selma, Alabama, today.

Quick break. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Welcome back. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York.

To other news, Iraqi troops making a lot of progress in the battle to retake a key ISIS stronghold. Right now, Iraqi troops are just outside of Tikrit, better known as the hometown of Saddam Hussein. They have already liberated a strategic town on the city's edge, back up in a big way by Iran.

Our senior international correspondent Ben Wedeman has more from the front lines.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tikrit is the target, heavy rounds fired into a city, now the focus of Iraq's biggest yet offensive against ISIS. The group overran the city last June. There are no signs of life there.

Many civilians have already fled as well as some ISIS fighters, according to the soldiers here.

(on camera): We're at a base just two miles of -- 3.2 kilometers from Tikrit. ISIS is just on the other side.

(voice-over): That was an outgoing round.

Our visit was organized by the Hashd al-Shaabi, a Shia paramilitary force created when the Iraqi military nearly collapsed during last summer's ISIS onslaught. Increasingly, Hashd al-Shabi is playing a central role in the fight against ISIS.

Muin al-Kadhami, one of the Hashd al-Shaabi commanders, has learned a lot over the last few months about ISIS' tactics.

"Their basic strategy," he tells me, "is to avoid face-to-face confrontations. They depend on improvised devices and snipers."

The forces received ammunition, training, weapons and high level barrel field advice from Iran.

Our tour included a stop at this mosque east of Tikrit. Until just a few days ago, it was deep inside ISIS-controlled territory.

Iraqi parliament member Sitar Al-Ghanim visiting the troops was quick to praise Iran for its backing in the fight against ISIS. "Today, the Iranian support is much larger than the American support,

which is limited," he says, praise for Iran mixed with criticism for the U.S.-led and the ISIS coalition.

"Unfortunately," says spokesman Abaz Zadi (ph), "we've seen no effort by the international coalition here and that really doesn't reflect well on them."

Iraqi government has said it didn't request assistance from the coalition for the Tikrit operation.

If this operation is successful, these fighters and Iran will take the credit.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, outside Tikrit, Iraq.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Ben Wedeman there for us on the frontlines.

This is not the first time that Iraqi forces have tried to liberate Tikrit. What's different about the strategy this time?

Let me bring in former Army Delta Force commander and current CNN global affairs analyst, Lieutenant Colonel James Reese. He joins us from Baghdad this evening.

Thank you for being with me, sir. Let's talk about Tikrit strategically. How important is it?

LT. COL. JAMES REESE (RET), CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Poppy, strategically, it's important. It's a main town, main city between Baghdad and Mosul. It's also the historical aspect of Saddam Hussein where he was caught just over the river back in 2004, and it is a key area that helps the Iraqis control what they call MSR or Route Tampa -- for all of the Iraqi veterans that are out there, they will remember that -- up to Mosul, which they need to secure before they continue their assault on Mosul.

HARLOW: You were just there with our correspondent Ben Wedeman on the front lines. From what you've seen, do you think that the Iraqi army can pull it off this time and hold ISIS off?

REESE: Poppy, actually, they already have. Right now what they are doing in Tikrit is what I would call clearing operations. I was very impressed with the combination and I would just call it all conclusive Iraqi forces, some of the Iraqi federal police, some of the people's movement, what they call the PMU, which has a high concentration of the Badr organization, and some Iraqi army.

But I was very impressed with the way they secured Route Tampa all the way up to Tikrit. I was very impressed with their morale and also their senior leadership all the way up to the prime minister has been up there several times motivating the troops and, you know, when the leadership is behind your soldiers, soldiers want to fight.

HARLOW: Right.

Before I let you go, I want to talk about Iran. Iran has had a big role in terms of helping Iraqi forces and fighting this battle in particular. What is your take on Iran's role in this what has been, by all indications from you, been a success? REESE: Yes, it's two-fold. There's a tactical side and a strategic

side. Tactically, Iran with their Quds force advisers, remember, the Quds force are their special forces. So, very similar to what we are doing in al Anbar and Peshmerga is doing advisory and assist role. So, that's what their special forces are doing. And they have helped and brought some equipment in and some ammunition to allow the PMU, the Iraqi army, to do their thing.

Now, strategically, I believe the coalition has to get out in front of this because if they don't, if they wait to kill Daesh first and wait to figure what strategically and geographically what we are going to do with Iran, we may be too far behind the power curve, and the big winner could be Iran, (INAUDIBLE) really starts moving more and have more control of Iraq.

HARLOW: Something of great concern that a lot of people are talking about, especially this week. Thank you very much, Colonel Reese, stay safe with you and your team there. We appreciate it.

Coming up next, we're going to return to Selma, the 50th anniversary of the historic march across the bridge. We're going to speak with actor Trai Byers from -- there he is. Stay with me. We'll be with him in just a minute.

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HARLOW: Well, President Obama stood in front of and spoke in front of a piece of American history today and said, "Our work is not done." The president in Selma, Alabama, on this, the 50th anniversary, of the violent clash that became known as Bloody Sunday in 1965. That is when hundreds of civil rights activists were beaten and pushed back by Alabama state troopers. The president said, what people did in Selma 50 years ago followed a strong historical example.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For founders like Franklin and Jefferson, for leaders like Lincoln and FDR, the success of our experiment in self-government rested on engaging you can says of our experiment rested on engaging citizens, and that's what we celebrate here in Selma.

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HARLOW: The president went on to say the Americans who crossed this bridge were not physically imposing but they gave courage to millions.

The city of Selma and historic events there were the subject of the Oscar-nominated film "Selma". I'm joined now by an actor from that film, Trai Byers.

Thanks for being with me.

TRAI BYERS, ACTOR: Thank you for having me.

HARLOW: First of all, congratulations to you, the director, all of your fellow actors. What a movie it was and what a movie it is.

You know, when you -- when you looked at your role in this, you said it taught you the intricacies of the movement. Tell me more about that.

BYERS: Yes. You know, I'm a history buff, as I'm sure a lot of people watching now are.

Didn't know about the different organizations that came or that were actually present before the SCLC and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came.

So, to see -- to play James Forman in the film, a member of SNCC and to see what tensions Dr. King had to deal with, not just outside of, you know, his race, but within the race as well, it seems like a momentous task and that he was able to overcome that and still provide I guess the answer for its people, still be able to lead in the way that he did and get results, it just -- I had so much -- I have so much respect and love for him as a many and an icon. But, wow, it took it to another level for me.

HARLOW: Do you remember, when you first -- you the man, the little boy, not the actor, when you first heard about Selma and what that was like for you?

BYERS: There was a movie, I think it was a Disney movie called "Selma Lord Selma." Like way back in the day, I got a chance to look at it. And, you know, just as a kid, it didn't really hit me how hard of an impact it had on the country and race relations in general. You know, it was just a movie my mother made me watch and, you know, was interesting.

But being a part of this film later -- it just -- wow, just so hard hitting and not to compare the two, but just so hard hitting, so no holds barred and, you know, what a hero what heroes these guys words to be there and to go through what they went through, it's magnificent.

HARLOW: You say, if we do not learn from the past, we'll repeat it. Otherwise, we will keep repeating the same mistakes. And you reference Ferguson, Missouri, and what happened there last year. What do you mean?

BYERS: Yes, ma'am.

I mean, the writing's on the wall. Making this film, you know, was to pay homage to a time 50 years ago when we had a problem with race relations, with the police, with voting rights, with equality. And it's -- it just so happened, unfortunately, to be right on time with what's happening in our world today. And it's -- the most extreme, I think, example of learning from the past less we repeat it. I heard of a story this morning just unfortunate, people losing their

lives and based on what the color of their skin and what we attribute to that characteristics that others might attribute to that, you know, it's just differences that we can't really cope with or understand, and we act on it just like we did 50 years ago. You know, we need to learn these lessons so we can teach our children so they won't -- you know, we won't have to read about another person being killed, black, white or whatever.

That's what I mean. We need to learn from the past so we can have a better today and tomorrow.

HARLOW: Yes, and what a day to be having this conversation.

Trai Byers, thank you so much.

BYERS: Thank you so much for having me.

HARLOW: Good to have you on.

To other news now, couple of top headlines for your. Pretty sad news, a dolphin trainer found dead today after a scandal involving a grainy viral video of alleged dolphin abuse. The body of Jose Luis Barbero was found in his car outside of an airport in Spain, he was set to become the Georgia Aquarium's vice president, but he recently was put on hold from that job and the Georgia Aquarium had raised doubts about the video's legitimacy. Spanish police is saying that this case is right now being investigated but also being treated as a suicide.

HARLOW: Also, two arrests have been made in a Russian murder mystery involving one of Vladimir Putin's largest critics. Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was shot in the back last week as he walked over a bridge right near the Kremlin. Russian authorities saying today, two men are now in custody and they are from a region known for unrest and rebellion against Moscow.

Hillary Clinton will soon speak publicly for the first time since controversy surfaced earlier this week about the use of her personal e-mail while secretary of state. Will she discuss those e-mails? We will discuss next.

And we want to know what your questions are. Please send us a tweet, send me a tweet @PoppyHarlowCNN. Let me know what your opinions are about this entire controversy over those emails. Our panel will discuss it at 5:00 right here on CNN.

Much more right after the break.

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