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CNN Live Saturday

Volunteers Gear Up For Iraq Election; Interview with Mudslide Survivor Don Chiapuzio

Aired January 15, 2005 - 18:00   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.


CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: He's considered the man who was the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. But now, Specialist Charles Graner faces years in prison. We've got the breaking details coming up.
Also, the mud slide victims in California. One, tonight lives on the edge of living or dying. I have got his story tonight.

It is January 15 and you are watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin and here is what's happening right now in the news.

We've got the breaking new of the first conviction in the prison scandal at Abu Ghraib, but first, look at this. Most of the 60 residents near a five-alarm fire at an oil company in Oklahoma City are being allowed to return home as the blaze burns itself out. At least 30 fire trucks have been on the scene but so far, no deaths or injuries to report.

And searchers and rescue dogs are looking for up to five people feared dead from a colossal avalanche near a Utah ski resort. We're going to have the full report on weather related events in 15 minutes.

Mahmoud Abbas is officially president of the Palestinian Authority. But Israel is not talking to him. Israel will not talk piece until Abbas controls the militants attacking Israel. Six Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Thursday.

And Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the U.S. shares with Indonesia the goal of completing the U.S. relief mission there as soon as possible. Wolfowitz toured today in Banda Aceh one of the areas of the December 26th earthquake of the tsunami that hit the hardest.

But right now, we want to begin with breaking news out of Fort Hood, Texas that came in just moments ago. A military jury has just handed down a sentence for Army Reserve Specialist Charles Graner. Just yesterday, Graner was convicted on charges of attacking and humiliating detainees at Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison. Our Susan Candiotti was in the courtroom when the sentence went down.

Susan, he was qualified for up to 15 years in prison. What did he get?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He got only 20 years, plus a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank. And moments after it happened, Specialist Charles Graner said that he actually felt that he had done better than he had expected. He had expected to receive the full 15-year sentence.

I was in court as it was read. He stood straight at attention when it happened. His eyebrows furrowed a bit when he heard the sentence. But afterwards, after the jury walked out of the room, he gave a bit of a nervous chuckle and said, "Well, that's what makes the world go round."

Now, afterwards he also told us that he felt as though he had had a fair trial, that, in many ways, that he certainly respected the job that the jury had done. But he was obviously disappointed that no one testified in his behalf of any rank higher than himself because he continues to insist that he was just following legal orders. He said, "Apparently, I thought that the orders I was following were legal."

When -- he also said on his own, "You know, a lot of people throughout this trial thought that" -- in his words -- "thought that I was kind of goofy, that I was smiling all the time, saying that the sky was blue." But he said, "I looked at it this way" -- in his words -- "I'm home. I didn't think I'd make it home like some others did not."

In addition to this, remember that Charles Graner had an opportunity during the sentencing phase to speak before the jury, before they began their deliberations, and he did for almost three hours. He did not ever use the words "I am sorry." He didn't offer an apology per se, but he did say this -- quote -- "I didn't enjoy it. A lot of it was wrong. A lot of it was criminal." However, he made this in the form of an unsworn statement. That was a calculated decision by his attorney, his lawyer told us, because he was not allowed to be cross-examined by prosecutors. Of course, on the other hand, this also meant that the jury could assess his statement in terms of credibility, because he did not take an oath before he made it and because he wasn't able to be asked any questions by the other side. So at this time, he was able to say good-bye to his parents. He is being handcuffed, leg shackles put on and he is being escorted off the base to a local county jail before he is assigned to a military prison to begin his sentence of 10 years -- Carol.

LIN: Ten years, and also he is going to be eventually dishonorably discharged from the military. He once said that he would rather serve prison time than be dishonorably discharged. Do you have any idea of what his state of mind is going into prison and whether there are any special precautions that they are going to take once he's behind bars?

CANDIOTTI: He claims that he is in very high spirits. And it's interesting to note this, for 14 years, he was a prison guard himself, a state corrections officer. He said that he doesn't think it will be any different for him now this time being on the other side of the bars. He insists it's just a matter of being there a lot longer as opposed to a regular shift. That's what he told us, Carol.

LIN: All right, Susan Candiotti. Charles Graner facing 10 years in prison.

Now, we want to move on to the latest violence in Iraq and a U.S. Marine was killed in action today south of Baghdad in the Babil Province. Some call that area the triangle of death because so many people have died there; there have been so many attacks. No details right now on how that Marine has died.

In the meantime, in northern Iraq, two U.S. military pilots are safe today after making an emergency landing in Mosul. Their chopper came under fire as clashes flared between insurgents and U.S. troops. Both crew members escaped injury. They were later able to fly, though, the OH-58 (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to safety with a hole near its cockpit the size of a fist.

And Monday marks a special day for thousands of Iraqi exiles. It is not a holiday, but it's going to feel like one. It's the first chance they are going to have to register to vote for Iraq's upcoming election -- Democratic elections. Some 240,000 Iraqis right here in the United States are eligible. Our Kathleen Koch sat down with one voter who considers the January 30 election a new start for Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ALI ALATTAR, IRAQI EXILE: You need exercise absolutely.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dr. Ali Alattar fled Iraq with his family 25 years ago when he was just 17. The day Baghdad fell marked a new beginning for him and thousands of other Iraqi exiles worldwide.

ALATTAR: I consider that my second birthday. And it put an end to an era of hopelessness.

KOCH: Alattar says Iraqis in his Virginia community are eager to register to vote in the January 30 elections even though they know it won't immediately solve Iraq's problems.

ALATTAR: It's not going to make the security situation or make the electricity better or make other services appearing overnight. But we have to start.

STEPHEN LENNON, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We're sending out registration books, ballot boxes and office kits.

KOCH: In the U.S., organizers started shipping out election materials to the five cities where Iraqis begin to register Monday. To qualify, voters must be 18 and able to prove they are either an Iraqi citizen or that their father was born in Iraq. The polling cities are Washington, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Some Iraqis are angry that there is only one polling station west of the Mississippi. Unavoidable, say organizers.

SIR ROGER BRYANT, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We would be delighted if we could broaden our operations, but given the time frame we are working under, it is just not possible. KOCH: Also not possible, distributing information on any of the 111 candidates or parties running for office.

SVELANA GALXIMA, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We do not provide any material on political entities and on their platforms. And we do not get involved in any political campaigning. This is not part of our mandate.

KOCH: Pamphlets are being distributed urging Iraqi exiles to vote.

(on camera): And polling sites like this one just outside Washington, D.C. will have security, though organizers don't expect any trouble.

LENNON: We have not received any intimidation and no indications of Iraqis in the United States being intimidated.

KOCH (voice-over): Alattar says the U.S. is his home now, and he plans to stay here. Still, he believes democracy is the only way to bring the disparate ethnic groups in Iraq together.

ALATTAR: I believe our strength is in our diversity. Our hope is in our diversity. And this is the way we hope to see Iraq.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, you can imagine Iraqi citizens must be facing these elections with a sense of excitement, but also with a sense of dread. There is still more violence in that country. Election workers are being targeted. And right here in the United States, the Bush administration is watching very carefully. So much is at stake. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on this -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well, with the Iraqi elections, obviously so close, and the insurgency so strong, strong enough to clearly affect turnout and security, the Bush administration is trying to emphasize that these elections aren't necessarily the end-all and be-all to democracy. But some say that perhaps it's hard to overstate how important they are to Mr. Bush politically.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): With Iraqi elections some two weeks away, the Bush administration appears engaged in a campaign to lower expectations, taking pains to explain it's just the first step in electing Iraq's government.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: This leads to a transitional assembly that will write an Iraqi Constitution. And there will be another election towards the end of the year.

BASH: And highlighting the realities on the ground. LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULITNATIONAL CORPS-IRAQ: But I can't guarantee that every person in Iraq that wants to vote goes to a polling booth and can do that safely.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Democracy takes time. And in this election, no one expects to be perfect.

SUSAN RICE, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: This election will not be all that the administration has for many months built it up to be. I think they are now realizing that and trying to reduce expectations.

BASH: With no weapons of mass destruction found, and more than 1,300 U.S. troops dead, the president's justified the war in part by emphasizing the birth of a new Middle East democracy. So some say no matter how elections fare for Iraqis, politically, for Mr. Bush, they must bring stability.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: If they fail to do that, I think the president is going to pay an increasing political price for this war over the next couple of years.

BASH: Already 56 percent of Americans do not support how the president's handling Iraq. And he's heading towards inauguration without the honeymoon of recent predecessors. His overall approval, 10 points below president Clinton and Reagan at the same point in their presidencies.

GERGEN: Iraq definitely has weakened his -- President Bush's hand as he enters the second term.

BASH: It's a term Bush aides say he'll begin likely requesting billions more to fund Iraq, even as he calls for budget cuts at home to shrink the deficit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And as for Iraq, the election administration officials are calling for prospective, noting the wonder of any democracy there at all. And the president says he's taking the long view, that he believes ultimately there will be freedom and liberty in Iraq. And Carol, those are two themes he will emphasize in his inaugural address -- Carol.

LIN: We'll find out after the elections on January 30 in that country. Thanks very much, Dana.

Well, President Bush is standing by his decision to invade Iraq, as you imagine, but sometimes his Texas-sized expressions get in the way of good politics, maybe even good judgment. In an interview on ABC's "20/20" last night, Mr. Bush expressed regret over telling Iraqis, threatening U.S. troops at the time, to -- quote -- "bring it on."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do think, you know, when I said some things in the first term that probably were a little blunt. "Bring it on" was a little blunt. And I was really speaking to the -- to our troops. But it came out and it had a different connotation, different meanings for others. And so I've got to -- I'll be more disciplined in how I say things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the president did repeat that the world is safer without Saddam Hussein in power.

And here in the United States, it has been a wicked week of weather across the nation -- raging floodwaters that ripped homes from their foundations and in one California community, a mud slide that buried a neighborhood and several of its residents. Up next, I'm going to talk to a man who has witnessed two mudslides there over the time he's been living in that neighborhood. We're going to talk about his plans for the future.

Also, it's criminal activity that's making a comeback. In security watch, what the nation's top cops are planning to tackle, a growing problem of gangs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bad thing about this that I can't stress it enough is that it never should have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: And on the front lines, one father's struggle with the death of his daughter in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Parts of the United States are trying to recover from a week of wild weather, from massive snow storms and rainfall out west to floods in the east. All of it extreme and deadly. CNN's Sara Dorsey has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 400,000-ton mud monster, racing down a hillside in La Conchita, California. Residents forced to outrun the massive mud slide. Not everyone could.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he was over there helping the boy get his stuff out of there. He didn't make it. He didn't make it.

DORSEY: After 10 days of search and rescue operations, 10 people are dead, at least 15 homes destroyed, a community crushed. There are the storms and water, a lot of both in several states. In Utah, homes were eaten up by the raging Santa Clara River. Drivers in Kentucky had to be rescued as floodwaters continued to rise there. Cars in West Virginia bobbed in the water with only their tops still visible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's such a mess. DORSEY: Moments after she woke up Friday morning, Beth Snead discovered the strength of the storms passing through Raleigh, North Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I came into this room, and when I flipped on the light, I saw outside.

DORSEY: In Denver, as motorists tried to get around on this slick snow-covered city street, it looks more like bumper cars or a bad dream. Drivers forced to dive from their vehicles to avoid the impact of the crash. All the extra snow in the west is nice to look at, but it's also proven extremely dangerous. The search continues for up to five missing skiers in Park City, Utah, who disappeared in an avalanche.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we've got more now on that dramatic mud slide in La Conchita, California. In the five days since that mountain -- take a look at this -- collapsed, killing 10 people, residents are now back home, at least some of them, and are getting at least the go-ahead to return. But they are not going to have power for several days. And they're not going to have much water service either for as long as maybe two to four weeks. Some are staying away fearing that there's going to be another deadly collapse because right now geologists still have to assess that hillside.

But on the telephone with me right now is Don Chiapuzio. He and his wife survived the mud slide.

Don, you were a mere feet -- what, 60 feet away from where the earth started to collapse?

DON CHIAPUZIO, MUDSLIDE VICTIM: Yes, that's correct.

LIN: And you managed to survive but you've lost many of your neighbors, haven't you?

CHIAPUZIO: I lost 10 of my friends.

LIN: That is remarkable. They are assessing the hillside right now. Don, did you know that the sheriff in your community has said that they may not ever scoop away all that mud? They may never be able to clean it up because that mud pile, some 30 feet high, is actually helping to hold up the hillside and the house that you're in tonight.

CHIAPUZIO: Yes, that's right. But if it comes down again, it will probably take the rest of the street out because there's nothing to hold it back now.

LIN: So those homes will remain possibly buried underneath all of that mud. What are you and your wife going to do?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, we don't know what to do. I don't know where to go because I want to stay close to my children. And I can't -- homes are so expensive now, so we don't really know what to do now yet. We're thinking about it. In a week or so -- I'm staying with one of my sons now, and in a week we'll know.

LIN: You actually own property that you lost in the 1995 slide in that area.

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I lost my house in that, too.

LIN: Why did you stay? Why did you stay, Don?

CHIAPUZIO: Because my other house was down a block away, and I never -- I couldn't visualize the mud coming that far. I wasn't afraid. But now I'm afraid.

LIN: Don, we hear the stories coming out of there, those who lived, like yourself, and those who died. It was a difference of, what, a matter of decision-making. I mean one family -- one man survived because he left his house for ice cream and his three daughters and wife died in the mud slide.

CHIAPUZIO: That's a tragedy. That's one of the worst tragedies I've ever heard in my life. And I lost -- we lost a lot of nice people there. And Jim, who lost his wife and three children, he's handling it pretty good. But he's pretty religious, and that's helped him through, I believe.

LIN: Yes, it certainly -- you feel the hand of God in this kind of thing.

CHIAPUZIO: Right.

LIN: I'm going to be talking with Diane Hart, who -- one of your neighbors who has an amazing story; I'm going to be talking to her at 10:00 tonight in our primetime show. Do you know her?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I don't know her personally, but I know who she is, sure. She only lives four doors away from me.

LIN: AND you actually have her stuff now in your garage?

CHIAPUZIO: That's correct. I have her -- about four or five boxes of her stuff in my garage, yes.

LIN: One survivor to another, when you talk about what -- the hand that fate dealt you, what do you -- what would you want to say to Diane?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I'm sure glad she's alive. And she took it a lot better than I would take it. I couldn't stand being buried alive for sure. I'd probably never make it, but I think she's pretty strong.

LIN: And we think you're pretty strong, too, Don. Don Chiapuzio, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Don who lives with his wife just 60 feet away from that slide zone. Later tonight on "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT," you are going to hear the harrowing story of a Diane Hart, a woman who was injured in the mud slide. Just like Don was saying, she was buried alive in her closet. She is going to join me live to talk about what it was like to live through that disaster. That's at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

In the meantime, an AMBER Alert for two children taken at gun point. The circumstances behind their abduction straight ahead.

Also, a young boy at the center of a bitter custody dispute. This morning, emotion overflowing as the only parents he's ever known were forced to give him up.

But first, cracking down on gang violence. The FBI has a new agenda for the crime wave that's suddenly making a comeback.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: You know we talk a lot about terrorism overseas but gang violence is on the rise right here in the United States and not in just cities like Los Angeles, but elsewhere. So CNN has learned that the FBI is going to be announcing a new plan to combat the growing violence, but state and local governments are already knee-deep in the process. CNN's justice correspondent Kelli Arena has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's early evening in Northern Virginia and these members of the gang task force are getting ready to head out into the streets. Their targets are young. At times as young as seven or eight and dangerous. Earlier in the week, an alleged gang member wielding a machete cut three fingers off his victim's left hand. And this night could bring similar violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll throw some signs for -- flash some hand signs to see whether they're friend or foe. And if they're foe, that's where you get your assaults.

ARENA: Both men who work undercover and wanted their faces hidden give extra scrutiny to young Latinos, that's because they are primarily on the hunt for members of the Latin street gang known as MS-13. The ATF, which has been fighting gangs for decades, says the increased use of violence by MS-13 and others is alarming.

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: They're arming themselves much better than before. In fact, in many cases they're arming themselves better than the police.

ARENA: The Justice Department estimates there are more than 21,000 gangs nationwide.

(on camera): And the FBI says juvenile gang murders have shot up 25 percent since 2000. CNN has learned as a result, the FBI is preparing a new gang offensive.

(voice-over): Among the changes to reclassify gangs as criminal organizations, just like traditional organized crime families.

SGT. RON HAUGSDAHL, N. VIRIGINIA GANG TASK FORCE: They are organized. They do keep notes of their meetings. They do collect dues.

ARENA: Part of the gang offices includes outreach. Many task force members work with organizations like the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America. Some of the people in this room have been asked to join gangs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They still cuss at me, I mean, a little bit. Flip me off because -- try to hurt my feelings, you know what I mean, because I didn't join them.

ARENA: These kids are well aware of the problem. Often their parents are not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's what shocks me the most.

ARENA: Both gang task force members are parents, too, fathers of young children, making their battle a very personal one.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All of us at CNN are committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security, so stay tuned right here for CNN to give you the latest information day and night.

And that goes for international news as well because we have a story about the new leadership in the Middle East. It is the same old story when it comes to violence, though. But we've got a new twist on it.

Also, the innocent victims of militant attacks on Israel, the ordinary people in Gaza and the price of an arms struggle straight ahead.

And billions of dollars for one industry, how the medical community will benefit in the future. One state stands to benefit right now.

And the Golden Globes are the entertainment world's first big awards night of the year. Who should take home the hardware? Well, I'm going to live to Hollywood for a preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Here's a look at what's happening right now in the news. A military jury has sentenced Army Reserve Specialist Charles Graner to 10 years in prison. He testified today he was only following orders when he mistreated Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. He was convicted yesterday.

And in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas was sworn in today as the new president of the Palestinian Authority. The inauguration comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suspended contact with Abbas and the Palestinian leadership. The move was in response to an attack that killed six Israelis.

Seven Palestinians were killed and three Israelis wounded in violent clashes across Gaza today. Israel says it's trying to stop mortar attacks against Israeli citizens. Israeli military officials say soldiers opened fire on armed militants who approached troops.

And caught in the middle of the strike between Israel and Palestinian militants are the impoverished people of Gaza. The latest cycle of violence at border closings is stifling hope for the prosperity peace could bring. CNN's Ben Wedeman has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Twelve-year- old Mahmoud is on his winter break. But when school's out, Mahmoud and his 10-year-old brother, Cyed (ph), have to help their father, Isam (ph), sell fruits and vegetables. Despite Gaza's image as a militant hotbed, the vast majority of people here are far too busy scraping by to revel in radical politics.

According to the United Nations, around 65 percent of Gaza's population lives below the poverty line, defined as a daily income of $2. On a good day, Isam (ph) says he might take home a bit more than that, but rare is the good day in Gaza.

Before the Palestinian uprising, he worked as a construction worker in Israel, making more than $60 a day. Back in Isam's (ph) cold damp home in Shati (ph) Refugee Camp, he recalled happier days before the uprising.

"Of course, it was better," he says. "We worked. We had money. Now we don't have a life."

WEDEMAN: His wife, Samira (ph) says the children are always sick, showing us their medicine.

Like many people here, Isam (ph) is hesitant to criticize the militants on camera, but he had no words of praise for their attack Thursday night on the Carney Crossing, the main entry for commercial goods into Gaza, now closed until further notice.

"It's a source of income," he says. "It was a mistake. People depend on it."

Increasingly, one hears hints of disillusion from those who must endure this unending conflict and poverty and destitution.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Shati (ph) Refugee Camp, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now, we've got news across America. An AMBER Alert is out for two children police say were abducted at gun point by their biological parents from a foster home in Boone, North Carolina. Authorities say the couple drove to Tennessee, but the children were not with them when they abandoned their car and fled from the police into the woods.

A three and a half-year-old boy at the center of a bitter custody dispute in Atlantic Beach, Florida is with his biological mother tonight. The mother changed her mind about an adoption agreement she had while making -- while she was pregnant. The couple who raised the child lost legal custody last month. The would-be adoptive mother gave up the toddler today and then fell to the ground screaming in anguish.

The government report shows a coal company had misfiled a map that could have prevented the 2002 Que (ph) Creek mine flood in Pennsylvania. Nine miners spent 77 hours trapped underground before their rescue.

And a new FBI task force is getting help in museums and art dealers in a crackdown on art theft. INTERPOL ranks stolen art third among property crimes worldwide.

Every week we bring you the more personal stories from the front lines of war. Earlier this week, President Bush said he has no intention of sending women into combat. But more American women have died in the Iraq War than in any conflict since World War II. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace has the story of one father struggling to cope with the death of his daughter in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angelo Cruz says he has just about no reason to live. His wife died in 2002 and tragedy struck again last year. His beloved daughter, 39- year-old Army sergeant Linda Jimenez (ph) died in Iraq.

ANGELO CRUZ, DAUGHTER DIED IN IRAQ: And as it stands now, I'm just taking up space really, you know. I feel like I'm sitting around. We're all on death row. It's matter of timing.

WALLACE: Jimenez was fatally injured when she fell into a bomb crater just three weeks before she was to return home. She was born in Brooklyn, twice divorced, a doting mother of a 3 1/2-year-old son. In Iraq, Cruz says his daughter was first assigned secretarial duties, part of a combat support unit, and was then reassigned to what he calls more dangerous jobs, including helping with house-to-house searches. Now, a critic of the war, Cruz says poor planning, including not enough troops, forced his daughter more into harm's way.

CRUZ: Every day is horrible when you have the memory of a lost child. But the bad thing about this death, I can't stress it enough, is that it never should have happened.

WALLACE: More American military women have been killed in Iraq than in any conflict since World War II. Fifteen died in the Persian Gulf War, at least seven in Vietnam. Part of the reason for the higher female death toll? Women now make up a larger percentage of the military than they did a decade ago. Another reason? Experts say in Iraq, women are playing a more extensive role than ever before, commanding helicopters, patrolling streets, armed with machine guns, going up against an unconventional enemy.

CAPT. LORY MANNING (RET.), U.S. NAVY: What we're seeing now is an insurgency where it's the supply people that are being attacked or whoever happens to be in the wrong place when the insurgency strikes. So that could anybody. There is no real front line.

WALLACE (on camera): There are fewer restrictions now on women in combat than there were 10 years ago. The question, though, is whether what is happening in Iraq will lead to an increased or a decrease in restrictions on the roles women can play in war zones.

(voice-over): But for one father, that's beside the point.

CRUZ: I'm just obsessed with my daughter, and my -- I go to sleep with her on my mind and it just never ends. It's a nightmare.

WALLACE (voice-over): Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns, cashing in on stem cell research. Billions of dollars are being handed out, and one state is reaping the benefits.

And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he would have been 76 years old today. Straight ahead, how some famous voices are doing their part to make sure you remember him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Billions of taxpayer money at your disposal. Imagine that. It might be a fantasy, but for one industry, it is a reality. Big money grants are being handed out to scientists working on stem cell research. And it's all happening in the Golden State, a fact that has researchers across the country California dreaming. CNN's Peter Viles reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology, a leader in stem cell research is heading west, because all of a sudden California is where the money is. Over the next decade, $3 billion in taxpayer money for stem cell research.

MICHAEL WEST, CEO, ADVANCED CELL TECHNOLOGY: It is a calculated gamble for us to make a major move to another state. But the -- it's strategic for us because we need to know that this area of research, as promising as it is in many respects, will have ample financial support and infrastructure.

VILES: While the nation was reelecting a president who has allowed only limited federal funding of stem cell research, California went the other way. Its popular governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a clear majority of its voters said to scientists, come on out.

SUSAN BRYANT, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: And if I were a young post doc interested in this area, sitting in some other parts of the country, I would definitely be attracted to California right now.

VILES: New Jersey and Wisconsin have also embraced stem cell research but they lack California's money. Universities in the state are now recruiting scientists and encouraging talk of a western migration.

DR. LARRY GOLDSTEIN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: A lot of discussion at meetings. I've certainly gotten plenty of hints from people and seen lots of pictures of snow at home and all the rest. And, yes, there are people that I think I would like to try to recruit here, and we'll see if we're successful or not.

VILES (on camera): Now, there are many decisions yet to be made on exactly how this money will be given away and under exactly what ethical rules and guidelines. But the money is coming. The first grant scheduled to be awarded in May.

Peter Viles, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And speaking of money, the stars are going for the gold tomorrow night in Hollywood. It is the Golden Globes. Sibila Vargas is live in Beverly Hills with a preview -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I'll give you all the scoop from the red carpet at the 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards when CNN SATURDAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: You can bet the stylists and beauty consultants are racking up the overtime in Hollywood this weekend. It is the preparation for the Golden Globes, the pre cursor to the Academy Awards, but an awards show that is getting its own dose of respect, you might say. Our Sibila Vargas is out there in Hollywood with all the preparations -- Sibila -- actually in Beverly Hills.

VARGAS: That's right. It is absolutely a spectacular time. And in just no time -- in about 24 hours, this place is going to be wall to wall celebrities. And once again, Hollywood is celebrating its finest all with the chance of going home with the gold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, Howard Hughes.

VARGAS (voice-over): Leo...

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: And it'll be you, young squire.

VARGAS: ...and Johnny...

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: Don't bother me again.

VARGAS: ...Nicole and Renee. When the Hollywood foreign press throws an award show, they make room for big stars. This year is no different.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: He was America's first legitimate billionaire.

VARGAS: Dicaprio's nod came from playing aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. In fact, every one of the nominees for Best Actor in a Drama plays a real life person. Bio pics dominate the Best Drama category, too. Besides "Finding Neverland" and "The Aviator," there's "Hotel Rwanda" and "Kinsy", the story of the famed sex researcher.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why don't we go back to my place?

VARGAS: It wasn't a bio pic but an original story that earned the most Golden Globe nominations. That's "Sideways" with seven, including one for Best Musical or Comedy, and another for costar Virginia Madsen.

VIRGINIA MADSEN, ACTRESS: I didn't dare hope that it would really, really happen.

VARGAS: Besides "Sideways," the musical or comedy category is the usual grab bag. With one animated film, a genuine musical, a dark comedy, and another bio pick, "Ray."

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Yes, but I'm going to make it two for the two, baby, yes.

VARGAS: The title role in "Ray" earned Jamie Foxx one of his three acting nominations, an unprecedented feat.

KIDMAN: It's certainly a film that causes people to discuss it.

VARGAS: Among films' leading female contenders, Nicole Kidman for "Birth." Hillary Swank received two nominations while Uma Thurman and Renee Zellweger were each nominated a second time for a repeat performance.

Meanwhile, it was the women of Wisteria Lane that dominated the television categories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't mean anything. It was just sex.

VARGAS: "Desperate Housewives" grabbed five nods in all, including three for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and one for Best Supporting Actress. A major comeback for the major ABC network which also snagged the Best Drama nomination for "Lost."

Lost entirely in the shuffle were the final seasons of veteran shows "Friends" and "Frasier." But such was not the case for HBO's "Sex in The City." Its swan song was tapped for Best Comedy and Best Actress for Sarah Jessica Parker.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: I don't know why I war fretting it. This is going to be fun.

VARGAS: Keep that scorecard handy. Twenty-four categories in all and 122 nominees adds up to a whole lot of gold.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: Well, you know, win or lose, at least the presenters will not be going home empty handed, Carol.

With me now is "In Style's" (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Caribbean. Great name...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

VARGAS: ...by the way. And you're going to tell me the presenters are not going home empty handed, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

VARGAS: Thirty-eight thousand dollar gift bags?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Every presenter at the Golden Globes will receive this spectacular, spectacular presenter box that "In Style" magazine, along with the Hollywood foreign press, has put together.

VARGAS: OK, big ticket item.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big Ticket items -- the big ticket items is the Rosemont Estate Winery. It is a $17,000 package, which consists of Quauntus (ph) first class airline tickets, four-star hotel for two weeks in Sydney. It is an amazing, amazing package.

VARGAS: And that is fabulous. All right, I need to talk about this, this Shapard (ph) watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that beautiful?

VARGAS: That is beautiful. How much is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is from Shapard (ph). It's from their Pink Collection and it's valued at $850.

VARGAS: That's terrific. And this band looks like it might be even alligator. OK, this -- I love this. We've got to talk about this. Lots of bling bling. We all love the bling bling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that fun?

VARGAS: It might be a little bit big for my hand, but I don't know. What do you think here, Carol?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is from Swarovski Crystals. It's something fun, you know. It's all about diamonds, and like you said, bling bling. It's something fun that they created for us for our presenter trunk.

VARGAS: That is terrific. And then, of course, you've got your chocolates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

VARGAS: You've got some jewelry. Anything for men?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Men, we have a great package from PGA, which is a golf -- it's all sorts of golf certificates and fun stuff, if you're in, you know, golfing and so all sorts of stuff.

VARGAS: Well, that's terrific. So the celebrities, not only are they getting the fashion wardrobe, the jewels, but also gift bags.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. And we have...

VARGAS: They've got it good. Thank you so much (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Carol, back to you.

LIN: All right, thanks Sibila, because we know that those presenters surely must be short on cash. They need that stuff. Thanks, Sibila, look forward to your Golden Globes coverage.

In fact, CNN is going to bring you a preview of the celebrities and movies vying for the Golden Globes tonight. "The Road to Gold" special begins at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific right here on CNN, so please join us.

In the meantime, right here on CNN SATURDAY, how some famous faces are helping preserve the memory of a civil rights pioneer, but first, here is Mark Shields to tell us what "THE CAPITAL GANG" has.

Hi, Mark.

MARK SHIELDS, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Hey, Carol. Carol, the gang will look at President Bush's new chief of homeland security, the return of Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich's thoughts on a potential presidential campaign. We'll go to California to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger's first year as governor. All that and much more right here next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: This weekend America is remembering Dr. Martin Luther King. Well, this year's holiday marks the 40th anniversary of the slain Civil Rights leader's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and Hollywood is lending its voice to play -- to a play at least being performed in Atlanta to honor the day and the man. CNN's Denise Belgrave has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Courage begins with one voice. DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of Hollywood's most famous faces descended on Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. They read from a play called "Speak Truth to Power," which is based on the actual words of human rights workers around the world.

Lynn Redgrave says the play tells us, we don't have to wait for a great leader.

LYNN REDGRAVE, ACTRESS: We can all make a step for ourselves, like the people who we give voice to tonight in the show. Each of them took a bold step on their own and made a difference.

BELGRAVE (on camera): The connection between the characters in the play and this great man is moral courage. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King taught this nation about moral courage, and he also taught every individual the meaning of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Diana Ortiz.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Cowigiwa Womwari (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Desmond Tutu.

BELGRAVE (voice-over): Their stories are heart-wrenching and at the same time, they're inspiring because many of these people faced insurmountable odds.

MARTIN SHEEN, PORTRAYING HAFEZ ABU SEADA: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Hafez Abu Seada. These scars across my face are from when they pushed me through a window. When I was under investigation, they asked me if I was responsible for managing everything here at the Egyptian Human Rights Organization. I told them that I was. I was responsible for everything. I wrote the report, I read it, I reviewed it, and I decided to publish it and issue it in a newspaper. I am not frightened. This is our job, to point the finger at the government errors. If we don't do this, who will?

BELGRAVE: It's a dramatic way of sharing how Dr. King inspired a generation of crusaders for justice.

ALFRE WOODARD, ACTRESS: The important thing is, once somebody demonstrates what is possible, then it is incumbent on each of us to take that responsibility and that privilege to do the same kind of work. And again, you don't have to lead a march, you don't have to start an organization, all you have to do is, in your workplace, when people are being -- when there's injustice committed daily, to speak up.

BELGRAVE: And speaking up through word and deed may well be Dr. King's greatest legacy.

Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: And that is all the time we have for this hour, but coming up next at 7:00 Eastern, "THE CAPITAL GANG." And then at 8:00 Eastern, our special, "Road to Gold," a preview of tomorrow night's Golden Globe Awards. And at 9:00 Larry King's guest is going to be Kevin Spacey. And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT."

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


Aired January 15, 2005 - 18:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: He's considered the man who was the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. But now, Specialist Charles Graner faces years in prison. We've got the breaking details coming up.
Also, the mud slide victims in California. One, tonight lives on the edge of living or dying. I have got his story tonight.

It is January 15 and you are watching CNN LIVE SATURDAY.

From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Carol Lin and here is what's happening right now in the news.

We've got the breaking new of the first conviction in the prison scandal at Abu Ghraib, but first, look at this. Most of the 60 residents near a five-alarm fire at an oil company in Oklahoma City are being allowed to return home as the blaze burns itself out. At least 30 fire trucks have been on the scene but so far, no deaths or injuries to report.

And searchers and rescue dogs are looking for up to five people feared dead from a colossal avalanche near a Utah ski resort. We're going to have the full report on weather related events in 15 minutes.

Mahmoud Abbas is officially president of the Palestinian Authority. But Israel is not talking to him. Israel will not talk piece until Abbas controls the militants attacking Israel. Six Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza on Thursday.

And Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says the U.S. shares with Indonesia the goal of completing the U.S. relief mission there as soon as possible. Wolfowitz toured today in Banda Aceh one of the areas of the December 26th earthquake of the tsunami that hit the hardest.

But right now, we want to begin with breaking news out of Fort Hood, Texas that came in just moments ago. A military jury has just handed down a sentence for Army Reserve Specialist Charles Graner. Just yesterday, Graner was convicted on charges of attacking and humiliating detainees at Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison. Our Susan Candiotti was in the courtroom when the sentence went down.

Susan, he was qualified for up to 15 years in prison. What did he get?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He got only 20 years, plus a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank. And moments after it happened, Specialist Charles Graner said that he actually felt that he had done better than he had expected. He had expected to receive the full 15-year sentence.

I was in court as it was read. He stood straight at attention when it happened. His eyebrows furrowed a bit when he heard the sentence. But afterwards, after the jury walked out of the room, he gave a bit of a nervous chuckle and said, "Well, that's what makes the world go round."

Now, afterwards he also told us that he felt as though he had had a fair trial, that, in many ways, that he certainly respected the job that the jury had done. But he was obviously disappointed that no one testified in his behalf of any rank higher than himself because he continues to insist that he was just following legal orders. He said, "Apparently, I thought that the orders I was following were legal."

When -- he also said on his own, "You know, a lot of people throughout this trial thought that" -- in his words -- "thought that I was kind of goofy, that I was smiling all the time, saying that the sky was blue." But he said, "I looked at it this way" -- in his words -- "I'm home. I didn't think I'd make it home like some others did not."

In addition to this, remember that Charles Graner had an opportunity during the sentencing phase to speak before the jury, before they began their deliberations, and he did for almost three hours. He did not ever use the words "I am sorry." He didn't offer an apology per se, but he did say this -- quote -- "I didn't enjoy it. A lot of it was wrong. A lot of it was criminal." However, he made this in the form of an unsworn statement. That was a calculated decision by his attorney, his lawyer told us, because he was not allowed to be cross-examined by prosecutors. Of course, on the other hand, this also meant that the jury could assess his statement in terms of credibility, because he did not take an oath before he made it and because he wasn't able to be asked any questions by the other side. So at this time, he was able to say good-bye to his parents. He is being handcuffed, leg shackles put on and he is being escorted off the base to a local county jail before he is assigned to a military prison to begin his sentence of 10 years -- Carol.

LIN: Ten years, and also he is going to be eventually dishonorably discharged from the military. He once said that he would rather serve prison time than be dishonorably discharged. Do you have any idea of what his state of mind is going into prison and whether there are any special precautions that they are going to take once he's behind bars?

CANDIOTTI: He claims that he is in very high spirits. And it's interesting to note this, for 14 years, he was a prison guard himself, a state corrections officer. He said that he doesn't think it will be any different for him now this time being on the other side of the bars. He insists it's just a matter of being there a lot longer as opposed to a regular shift. That's what he told us, Carol.

LIN: All right, Susan Candiotti. Charles Graner facing 10 years in prison.

Now, we want to move on to the latest violence in Iraq and a U.S. Marine was killed in action today south of Baghdad in the Babil Province. Some call that area the triangle of death because so many people have died there; there have been so many attacks. No details right now on how that Marine has died.

In the meantime, in northern Iraq, two U.S. military pilots are safe today after making an emergency landing in Mosul. Their chopper came under fire as clashes flared between insurgents and U.S. troops. Both crew members escaped injury. They were later able to fly, though, the OH-58 (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to safety with a hole near its cockpit the size of a fist.

And Monday marks a special day for thousands of Iraqi exiles. It is not a holiday, but it's going to feel like one. It's the first chance they are going to have to register to vote for Iraq's upcoming election -- Democratic elections. Some 240,000 Iraqis right here in the United States are eligible. Our Kathleen Koch sat down with one voter who considers the January 30 election a new start for Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. ALI ALATTAR, IRAQI EXILE: You need exercise absolutely.

KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dr. Ali Alattar fled Iraq with his family 25 years ago when he was just 17. The day Baghdad fell marked a new beginning for him and thousands of other Iraqi exiles worldwide.

ALATTAR: I consider that my second birthday. And it put an end to an era of hopelessness.

KOCH: Alattar says Iraqis in his Virginia community are eager to register to vote in the January 30 elections even though they know it won't immediately solve Iraq's problems.

ALATTAR: It's not going to make the security situation or make the electricity better or make other services appearing overnight. But we have to start.

STEPHEN LENNON, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We're sending out registration books, ballot boxes and office kits.

KOCH: In the U.S., organizers started shipping out election materials to the five cities where Iraqis begin to register Monday. To qualify, voters must be 18 and able to prove they are either an Iraqi citizen or that their father was born in Iraq. The polling cities are Washington, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Some Iraqis are angry that there is only one polling station west of the Mississippi. Unavoidable, say organizers.

SIR ROGER BRYANT, DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We would be delighted if we could broaden our operations, but given the time frame we are working under, it is just not possible. KOCH: Also not possible, distributing information on any of the 111 candidates or parties running for office.

SVELANA GALXIMA, INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION: We do not provide any material on political entities and on their platforms. And we do not get involved in any political campaigning. This is not part of our mandate.

KOCH: Pamphlets are being distributed urging Iraqi exiles to vote.

(on camera): And polling sites like this one just outside Washington, D.C. will have security, though organizers don't expect any trouble.

LENNON: We have not received any intimidation and no indications of Iraqis in the United States being intimidated.

KOCH (voice-over): Alattar says the U.S. is his home now, and he plans to stay here. Still, he believes democracy is the only way to bring the disparate ethnic groups in Iraq together.

ALATTAR: I believe our strength is in our diversity. Our hope is in our diversity. And this is the way we hope to see Iraq.

KOCH: Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, you can imagine Iraqi citizens must be facing these elections with a sense of excitement, but also with a sense of dread. There is still more violence in that country. Election workers are being targeted. And right here in the United States, the Bush administration is watching very carefully. So much is at stake. Our White House correspondent Dana Bash has more on this -- Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Well, with the Iraqi elections, obviously so close, and the insurgency so strong, strong enough to clearly affect turnout and security, the Bush administration is trying to emphasize that these elections aren't necessarily the end-all and be-all to democracy. But some say that perhaps it's hard to overstate how important they are to Mr. Bush politically.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH (voice-over): With Iraqi elections some two weeks away, the Bush administration appears engaged in a campaign to lower expectations, taking pains to explain it's just the first step in electing Iraq's government.

RICHARD BOUCHER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: This leads to a transitional assembly that will write an Iraqi Constitution. And there will be another election towards the end of the year.

BASH: And highlighting the realities on the ground. LT. GEN. THOMAS METZ, MULITNATIONAL CORPS-IRAQ: But I can't guarantee that every person in Iraq that wants to vote goes to a polling booth and can do that safely.

SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Democracy takes time. And in this election, no one expects to be perfect.

SUSAN RICE, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION: This election will not be all that the administration has for many months built it up to be. I think they are now realizing that and trying to reduce expectations.

BASH: With no weapons of mass destruction found, and more than 1,300 U.S. troops dead, the president's justified the war in part by emphasizing the birth of a new Middle East democracy. So some say no matter how elections fare for Iraqis, politically, for Mr. Bush, they must bring stability.

DAVID GERGEN, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: If they fail to do that, I think the president is going to pay an increasing political price for this war over the next couple of years.

BASH: Already 56 percent of Americans do not support how the president's handling Iraq. And he's heading towards inauguration without the honeymoon of recent predecessors. His overall approval, 10 points below president Clinton and Reagan at the same point in their presidencies.

GERGEN: Iraq definitely has weakened his -- President Bush's hand as he enters the second term.

BASH: It's a term Bush aides say he'll begin likely requesting billions more to fund Iraq, even as he calls for budget cuts at home to shrink the deficit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: And as for Iraq, the election administration officials are calling for prospective, noting the wonder of any democracy there at all. And the president says he's taking the long view, that he believes ultimately there will be freedom and liberty in Iraq. And Carol, those are two themes he will emphasize in his inaugural address -- Carol.

LIN: We'll find out after the elections on January 30 in that country. Thanks very much, Dana.

Well, President Bush is standing by his decision to invade Iraq, as you imagine, but sometimes his Texas-sized expressions get in the way of good politics, maybe even good judgment. In an interview on ABC's "20/20" last night, Mr. Bush expressed regret over telling Iraqis, threatening U.S. troops at the time, to -- quote -- "bring it on."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I do think, you know, when I said some things in the first term that probably were a little blunt. "Bring it on" was a little blunt. And I was really speaking to the -- to our troops. But it came out and it had a different connotation, different meanings for others. And so I've got to -- I'll be more disciplined in how I say things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: Well, the president did repeat that the world is safer without Saddam Hussein in power.

And here in the United States, it has been a wicked week of weather across the nation -- raging floodwaters that ripped homes from their foundations and in one California community, a mud slide that buried a neighborhood and several of its residents. Up next, I'm going to talk to a man who has witnessed two mudslides there over the time he's been living in that neighborhood. We're going to talk about his plans for the future.

Also, it's criminal activity that's making a comeback. In security watch, what the nation's top cops are planning to tackle, a growing problem of gangs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The bad thing about this that I can't stress it enough is that it never should have happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIN: And on the front lines, one father's struggle with the death of his daughter in Iraq.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Parts of the United States are trying to recover from a week of wild weather, from massive snow storms and rainfall out west to floods in the east. All of it extreme and deadly. CNN's Sara Dorsey has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA DORSEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A 400,000-ton mud monster, racing down a hillside in La Conchita, California. Residents forced to outrun the massive mud slide. Not everyone could.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And he was over there helping the boy get his stuff out of there. He didn't make it. He didn't make it.

DORSEY: After 10 days of search and rescue operations, 10 people are dead, at least 15 homes destroyed, a community crushed. There are the storms and water, a lot of both in several states. In Utah, homes were eaten up by the raging Santa Clara River. Drivers in Kentucky had to be rescued as floodwaters continued to rise there. Cars in West Virginia bobbed in the water with only their tops still visible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's such a mess. DORSEY: Moments after she woke up Friday morning, Beth Snead discovered the strength of the storms passing through Raleigh, North Carolina.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I came into this room, and when I flipped on the light, I saw outside.

DORSEY: In Denver, as motorists tried to get around on this slick snow-covered city street, it looks more like bumper cars or a bad dream. Drivers forced to dive from their vehicles to avoid the impact of the crash. All the extra snow in the west is nice to look at, but it's also proven extremely dangerous. The search continues for up to five missing skiers in Park City, Utah, who disappeared in an avalanche.

Sara Dorsey, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, we've got more now on that dramatic mud slide in La Conchita, California. In the five days since that mountain -- take a look at this -- collapsed, killing 10 people, residents are now back home, at least some of them, and are getting at least the go-ahead to return. But they are not going to have power for several days. And they're not going to have much water service either for as long as maybe two to four weeks. Some are staying away fearing that there's going to be another deadly collapse because right now geologists still have to assess that hillside.

But on the telephone with me right now is Don Chiapuzio. He and his wife survived the mud slide.

Don, you were a mere feet -- what, 60 feet away from where the earth started to collapse?

DON CHIAPUZIO, MUDSLIDE VICTIM: Yes, that's correct.

LIN: And you managed to survive but you've lost many of your neighbors, haven't you?

CHIAPUZIO: I lost 10 of my friends.

LIN: That is remarkable. They are assessing the hillside right now. Don, did you know that the sheriff in your community has said that they may not ever scoop away all that mud? They may never be able to clean it up because that mud pile, some 30 feet high, is actually helping to hold up the hillside and the house that you're in tonight.

CHIAPUZIO: Yes, that's right. But if it comes down again, it will probably take the rest of the street out because there's nothing to hold it back now.

LIN: So those homes will remain possibly buried underneath all of that mud. What are you and your wife going to do?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, we don't know what to do. I don't know where to go because I want to stay close to my children. And I can't -- homes are so expensive now, so we don't really know what to do now yet. We're thinking about it. In a week or so -- I'm staying with one of my sons now, and in a week we'll know.

LIN: You actually own property that you lost in the 1995 slide in that area.

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I lost my house in that, too.

LIN: Why did you stay? Why did you stay, Don?

CHIAPUZIO: Because my other house was down a block away, and I never -- I couldn't visualize the mud coming that far. I wasn't afraid. But now I'm afraid.

LIN: Don, we hear the stories coming out of there, those who lived, like yourself, and those who died. It was a difference of, what, a matter of decision-making. I mean one family -- one man survived because he left his house for ice cream and his three daughters and wife died in the mud slide.

CHIAPUZIO: That's a tragedy. That's one of the worst tragedies I've ever heard in my life. And I lost -- we lost a lot of nice people there. And Jim, who lost his wife and three children, he's handling it pretty good. But he's pretty religious, and that's helped him through, I believe.

LIN: Yes, it certainly -- you feel the hand of God in this kind of thing.

CHIAPUZIO: Right.

LIN: I'm going to be talking with Diane Hart, who -- one of your neighbors who has an amazing story; I'm going to be talking to her at 10:00 tonight in our primetime show. Do you know her?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I don't know her personally, but I know who she is, sure. She only lives four doors away from me.

LIN: AND you actually have her stuff now in your garage?

CHIAPUZIO: That's correct. I have her -- about four or five boxes of her stuff in my garage, yes.

LIN: One survivor to another, when you talk about what -- the hand that fate dealt you, what do you -- what would you want to say to Diane?

CHIAPUZIO: Well, I'm sure glad she's alive. And she took it a lot better than I would take it. I couldn't stand being buried alive for sure. I'd probably never make it, but I think she's pretty strong.

LIN: And we think you're pretty strong, too, Don. Don Chiapuzio, thank you very much for joining us tonight. Don who lives with his wife just 60 feet away from that slide zone. Later tonight on "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT," you are going to hear the harrowing story of a Diane Hart, a woman who was injured in the mud slide. Just like Don was saying, she was buried alive in her closet. She is going to join me live to talk about what it was like to live through that disaster. That's at 10:00 Eastern, 7:00 Pacific.

In the meantime, an AMBER Alert for two children taken at gun point. The circumstances behind their abduction straight ahead.

Also, a young boy at the center of a bitter custody dispute. This morning, emotion overflowing as the only parents he's ever known were forced to give him up.

But first, cracking down on gang violence. The FBI has a new agenda for the crime wave that's suddenly making a comeback.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: You know we talk a lot about terrorism overseas but gang violence is on the rise right here in the United States and not in just cities like Los Angeles, but elsewhere. So CNN has learned that the FBI is going to be announcing a new plan to combat the growing violence, but state and local governments are already knee-deep in the process. CNN's justice correspondent Kelli Arena has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLI ARENA, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's early evening in Northern Virginia and these members of the gang task force are getting ready to head out into the streets. Their targets are young. At times as young as seven or eight and dangerous. Earlier in the week, an alleged gang member wielding a machete cut three fingers off his victim's left hand. And this night could bring similar violence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll throw some signs for -- flash some hand signs to see whether they're friend or foe. And if they're foe, that's where you get your assaults.

ARENA: Both men who work undercover and wanted their faces hidden give extra scrutiny to young Latinos, that's because they are primarily on the hunt for members of the Latin street gang known as MS-13. The ATF, which has been fighting gangs for decades, says the increased use of violence by MS-13 and others is alarming.

MIKE BOUCHARD, ATF: They're arming themselves much better than before. In fact, in many cases they're arming themselves better than the police.

ARENA: The Justice Department estimates there are more than 21,000 gangs nationwide.

(on camera): And the FBI says juvenile gang murders have shot up 25 percent since 2000. CNN has learned as a result, the FBI is preparing a new gang offensive.

(voice-over): Among the changes to reclassify gangs as criminal organizations, just like traditional organized crime families.

SGT. RON HAUGSDAHL, N. VIRIGINIA GANG TASK FORCE: They are organized. They do keep notes of their meetings. They do collect dues.

ARENA: Part of the gang offices includes outreach. Many task force members work with organizations like the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America. Some of the people in this room have been asked to join gangs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They still cuss at me, I mean, a little bit. Flip me off because -- try to hurt my feelings, you know what I mean, because I didn't join them.

ARENA: These kids are well aware of the problem. Often their parents are not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And that's what shocks me the most.

ARENA: Both gang task force members are parents, too, fathers of young children, making their battle a very personal one.

Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: All of us at CNN are committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security, so stay tuned right here for CNN to give you the latest information day and night.

And that goes for international news as well because we have a story about the new leadership in the Middle East. It is the same old story when it comes to violence, though. But we've got a new twist on it.

Also, the innocent victims of militant attacks on Israel, the ordinary people in Gaza and the price of an arms struggle straight ahead.

And billions of dollars for one industry, how the medical community will benefit in the future. One state stands to benefit right now.

And the Golden Globes are the entertainment world's first big awards night of the year. Who should take home the hardware? Well, I'm going to live to Hollywood for a preview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Welcome back. Here's a look at what's happening right now in the news. A military jury has sentenced Army Reserve Specialist Charles Graner to 10 years in prison. He testified today he was only following orders when he mistreated Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. He was convicted yesterday.

And in the West Bank, Mahmoud Abbas was sworn in today as the new president of the Palestinian Authority. The inauguration comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suspended contact with Abbas and the Palestinian leadership. The move was in response to an attack that killed six Israelis.

Seven Palestinians were killed and three Israelis wounded in violent clashes across Gaza today. Israel says it's trying to stop mortar attacks against Israeli citizens. Israeli military officials say soldiers opened fire on armed militants who approached troops.

And caught in the middle of the strike between Israel and Palestinian militants are the impoverished people of Gaza. The latest cycle of violence at border closings is stifling hope for the prosperity peace could bring. CNN's Ben Wedeman has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CAIRO BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): Twelve-year- old Mahmoud is on his winter break. But when school's out, Mahmoud and his 10-year-old brother, Cyed (ph), have to help their father, Isam (ph), sell fruits and vegetables. Despite Gaza's image as a militant hotbed, the vast majority of people here are far too busy scraping by to revel in radical politics.

According to the United Nations, around 65 percent of Gaza's population lives below the poverty line, defined as a daily income of $2. On a good day, Isam (ph) says he might take home a bit more than that, but rare is the good day in Gaza.

Before the Palestinian uprising, he worked as a construction worker in Israel, making more than $60 a day. Back in Isam's (ph) cold damp home in Shati (ph) Refugee Camp, he recalled happier days before the uprising.

"Of course, it was better," he says. "We worked. We had money. Now we don't have a life."

WEDEMAN: His wife, Samira (ph) says the children are always sick, showing us their medicine.

Like many people here, Isam (ph) is hesitant to criticize the militants on camera, but he had no words of praise for their attack Thursday night on the Carney Crossing, the main entry for commercial goods into Gaza, now closed until further notice.

"It's a source of income," he says. "It was a mistake. People depend on it."

Increasingly, one hears hints of disillusion from those who must endure this unending conflict and poverty and destitution.

Ben Wedeman, CNN, Shati (ph) Refugee Camp, Gaza.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And now, we've got news across America. An AMBER Alert is out for two children police say were abducted at gun point by their biological parents from a foster home in Boone, North Carolina. Authorities say the couple drove to Tennessee, but the children were not with them when they abandoned their car and fled from the police into the woods.

A three and a half-year-old boy at the center of a bitter custody dispute in Atlantic Beach, Florida is with his biological mother tonight. The mother changed her mind about an adoption agreement she had while making -- while she was pregnant. The couple who raised the child lost legal custody last month. The would-be adoptive mother gave up the toddler today and then fell to the ground screaming in anguish.

The government report shows a coal company had misfiled a map that could have prevented the 2002 Que (ph) Creek mine flood in Pennsylvania. Nine miners spent 77 hours trapped underground before their rescue.

And a new FBI task force is getting help in museums and art dealers in a crackdown on art theft. INTERPOL ranks stolen art third among property crimes worldwide.

Every week we bring you the more personal stories from the front lines of war. Earlier this week, President Bush said he has no intention of sending women into combat. But more American women have died in the Iraq War than in any conflict since World War II. CNN national correspondent Kelly Wallace has the story of one father struggling to cope with the death of his daughter in Iraq.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Angelo Cruz says he has just about no reason to live. His wife died in 2002 and tragedy struck again last year. His beloved daughter, 39- year-old Army sergeant Linda Jimenez (ph) died in Iraq.

ANGELO CRUZ, DAUGHTER DIED IN IRAQ: And as it stands now, I'm just taking up space really, you know. I feel like I'm sitting around. We're all on death row. It's matter of timing.

WALLACE: Jimenez was fatally injured when she fell into a bomb crater just three weeks before she was to return home. She was born in Brooklyn, twice divorced, a doting mother of a 3 1/2-year-old son. In Iraq, Cruz says his daughter was first assigned secretarial duties, part of a combat support unit, and was then reassigned to what he calls more dangerous jobs, including helping with house-to-house searches. Now, a critic of the war, Cruz says poor planning, including not enough troops, forced his daughter more into harm's way.

CRUZ: Every day is horrible when you have the memory of a lost child. But the bad thing about this death, I can't stress it enough, is that it never should have happened.

WALLACE: More American military women have been killed in Iraq than in any conflict since World War II. Fifteen died in the Persian Gulf War, at least seven in Vietnam. Part of the reason for the higher female death toll? Women now make up a larger percentage of the military than they did a decade ago. Another reason? Experts say in Iraq, women are playing a more extensive role than ever before, commanding helicopters, patrolling streets, armed with machine guns, going up against an unconventional enemy.

CAPT. LORY MANNING (RET.), U.S. NAVY: What we're seeing now is an insurgency where it's the supply people that are being attacked or whoever happens to be in the wrong place when the insurgency strikes. So that could anybody. There is no real front line.

WALLACE (on camera): There are fewer restrictions now on women in combat than there were 10 years ago. The question, though, is whether what is happening in Iraq will lead to an increased or a decrease in restrictions on the roles women can play in war zones.

(voice-over): But for one father, that's beside the point.

CRUZ: I'm just obsessed with my daughter, and my -- I go to sleep with her on my mind and it just never ends. It's a nightmare.

WALLACE (voice-over): Kelly Wallace, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: Well, when CNN LIVE SATURDAY returns, cashing in on stem cell research. Billions of dollars are being handed out, and one state is reaping the benefits.

And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he would have been 76 years old today. Straight ahead, how some famous voices are doing their part to make sure you remember him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: Billions of taxpayer money at your disposal. Imagine that. It might be a fantasy, but for one industry, it is a reality. Big money grants are being handed out to scientists working on stem cell research. And it's all happening in the Golden State, a fact that has researchers across the country California dreaming. CNN's Peter Viles reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PETER VILES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Massachusetts-based Advanced Cell Technology, a leader in stem cell research is heading west, because all of a sudden California is where the money is. Over the next decade, $3 billion in taxpayer money for stem cell research.

MICHAEL WEST, CEO, ADVANCED CELL TECHNOLOGY: It is a calculated gamble for us to make a major move to another state. But the -- it's strategic for us because we need to know that this area of research, as promising as it is in many respects, will have ample financial support and infrastructure.

VILES: While the nation was reelecting a president who has allowed only limited federal funding of stem cell research, California went the other way. Its popular governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a clear majority of its voters said to scientists, come on out.

SUSAN BRYANT, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: And if I were a young post doc interested in this area, sitting in some other parts of the country, I would definitely be attracted to California right now.

VILES: New Jersey and Wisconsin have also embraced stem cell research but they lack California's money. Universities in the state are now recruiting scientists and encouraging talk of a western migration.

DR. LARRY GOLDSTEIN, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: A lot of discussion at meetings. I've certainly gotten plenty of hints from people and seen lots of pictures of snow at home and all the rest. And, yes, there are people that I think I would like to try to recruit here, and we'll see if we're successful or not.

VILES (on camera): Now, there are many decisions yet to be made on exactly how this money will be given away and under exactly what ethical rules and guidelines. But the money is coming. The first grant scheduled to be awarded in May.

Peter Viles, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LIN: And speaking of money, the stars are going for the gold tomorrow night in Hollywood. It is the Golden Globes. Sibila Vargas is live in Beverly Hills with a preview -- Sibila.

SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. I'll give you all the scoop from the red carpet at the 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards when CNN SATURDAY continues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: You can bet the stylists and beauty consultants are racking up the overtime in Hollywood this weekend. It is the preparation for the Golden Globes, the pre cursor to the Academy Awards, but an awards show that is getting its own dose of respect, you might say. Our Sibila Vargas is out there in Hollywood with all the preparations -- Sibila -- actually in Beverly Hills.

VARGAS: That's right. It is absolutely a spectacular time. And in just no time -- in about 24 hours, this place is going to be wall to wall celebrities. And once again, Hollywood is celebrating its finest all with the chance of going home with the gold.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, Howard Hughes.

VARGAS (voice-over): Leo...

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: And it'll be you, young squire.

VARGAS: ...and Johnny...

NICOLE KIDMAN, ACTRESS: Don't bother me again.

VARGAS: ...Nicole and Renee. When the Hollywood foreign press throws an award show, they make room for big stars. This year is no different.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BEST ACTOR NOMINEE: He was America's first legitimate billionaire.

VARGAS: Dicaprio's nod came from playing aviation pioneer Howard Hughes. In fact, every one of the nominees for Best Actor in a Drama plays a real life person. Bio pics dominate the Best Drama category, too. Besides "Finding Neverland" and "The Aviator," there's "Hotel Rwanda" and "Kinsy", the story of the famed sex researcher.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why don't we go back to my place?

VARGAS: It wasn't a bio pic but an original story that earned the most Golden Globe nominations. That's "Sideways" with seven, including one for Best Musical or Comedy, and another for costar Virginia Madsen.

VIRGINIA MADSEN, ACTRESS: I didn't dare hope that it would really, really happen.

VARGAS: Besides "Sideways," the musical or comedy category is the usual grab bag. With one animated film, a genuine musical, a dark comedy, and another bio pick, "Ray."

JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: Yes, but I'm going to make it two for the two, baby, yes.

VARGAS: The title role in "Ray" earned Jamie Foxx one of his three acting nominations, an unprecedented feat.

KIDMAN: It's certainly a film that causes people to discuss it.

VARGAS: Among films' leading female contenders, Nicole Kidman for "Birth." Hillary Swank received two nominations while Uma Thurman and Renee Zellweger were each nominated a second time for a repeat performance.

Meanwhile, it was the women of Wisteria Lane that dominated the television categories.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It doesn't mean anything. It was just sex.

VARGAS: "Desperate Housewives" grabbed five nods in all, including three for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and one for Best Supporting Actress. A major comeback for the major ABC network which also snagged the Best Drama nomination for "Lost."

Lost entirely in the shuffle were the final seasons of veteran shows "Friends" and "Frasier." But such was not the case for HBO's "Sex in The City." Its swan song was tapped for Best Comedy and Best Actress for Sarah Jessica Parker.

SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: I don't know why I war fretting it. This is going to be fun.

VARGAS: Keep that scorecard handy. Twenty-four categories in all and 122 nominees adds up to a whole lot of gold.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to Hollywood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: Well, you know, win or lose, at least the presenters will not be going home empty handed, Carol.

With me now is "In Style's" (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Caribbean. Great name...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

VARGAS: ...by the way. And you're going to tell me the presenters are not going home empty handed, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Correct.

VARGAS: Thirty-eight thousand dollar gift bags?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. Every presenter at the Golden Globes will receive this spectacular, spectacular presenter box that "In Style" magazine, along with the Hollywood foreign press, has put together.

VARGAS: OK, big ticket item.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Big Ticket items -- the big ticket items is the Rosemont Estate Winery. It is a $17,000 package, which consists of Quauntus (ph) first class airline tickets, four-star hotel for two weeks in Sydney. It is an amazing, amazing package.

VARGAS: And that is fabulous. All right, I need to talk about this, this Shapard (ph) watch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that beautiful?

VARGAS: That is beautiful. How much is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is from Shapard (ph). It's from their Pink Collection and it's valued at $850.

VARGAS: That's terrific. And this band looks like it might be even alligator. OK, this -- I love this. We've got to talk about this. Lots of bling bling. We all love the bling bling.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Isn't that fun?

VARGAS: It might be a little bit big for my hand, but I don't know. What do you think here, Carol?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is from Swarovski Crystals. It's something fun, you know. It's all about diamonds, and like you said, bling bling. It's something fun that they created for us for our presenter trunk.

VARGAS: That is terrific. And then, of course, you've got your chocolates.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely.

VARGAS: You've got some jewelry. Anything for men?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Men, we have a great package from PGA, which is a golf -- it's all sorts of golf certificates and fun stuff, if you're in, you know, golfing and so all sorts of stuff.

VARGAS: Well, that's terrific. So the celebrities, not only are they getting the fashion wardrobe, the jewels, but also gift bags.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. And we have...

VARGAS: They've got it good. Thank you so much (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Sibila.

VARGAS: Carol, back to you.

LIN: All right, thanks Sibila, because we know that those presenters surely must be short on cash. They need that stuff. Thanks, Sibila, look forward to your Golden Globes coverage.

In fact, CNN is going to bring you a preview of the celebrities and movies vying for the Golden Globes tonight. "The Road to Gold" special begins at 8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific right here on CNN, so please join us.

In the meantime, right here on CNN SATURDAY, how some famous faces are helping preserve the memory of a civil rights pioneer, but first, here is Mark Shields to tell us what "THE CAPITAL GANG" has.

Hi, Mark.

MARK SHIELDS, CO-HOST, "THE CAPITAL GANG": Hey, Carol. Carol, the gang will look at President Bush's new chief of homeland security, the return of Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich's thoughts on a potential presidential campaign. We'll go to California to talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger's first year as governor. All that and much more right here next on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LIN: This weekend America is remembering Dr. Martin Luther King. Well, this year's holiday marks the 40th anniversary of the slain Civil Rights leader's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and Hollywood is lending its voice to play -- to a play at least being performed in Atlanta to honor the day and the man. CNN's Denise Belgrave has that story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Courage begins with one voice. DENISE BELGRAVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Some of Hollywood's most famous faces descended on Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. They read from a play called "Speak Truth to Power," which is based on the actual words of human rights workers around the world.

Lynn Redgrave says the play tells us, we don't have to wait for a great leader.

LYNN REDGRAVE, ACTRESS: We can all make a step for ourselves, like the people who we give voice to tonight in the show. Each of them took a bold step on their own and made a difference.

BELGRAVE (on camera): The connection between the characters in the play and this great man is moral courage. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King taught this nation about moral courage, and he also taught every individual the meaning of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My name is Diana Ortiz.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Cowigiwa Womwari (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Desmond Tutu.

BELGRAVE (voice-over): Their stories are heart-wrenching and at the same time, they're inspiring because many of these people faced insurmountable odds.

MARTIN SHEEN, PORTRAYING HAFEZ ABU SEADA: UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Hafez Abu Seada. These scars across my face are from when they pushed me through a window. When I was under investigation, they asked me if I was responsible for managing everything here at the Egyptian Human Rights Organization. I told them that I was. I was responsible for everything. I wrote the report, I read it, I reviewed it, and I decided to publish it and issue it in a newspaper. I am not frightened. This is our job, to point the finger at the government errors. If we don't do this, who will?

BELGRAVE: It's a dramatic way of sharing how Dr. King inspired a generation of crusaders for justice.

ALFRE WOODARD, ACTRESS: The important thing is, once somebody demonstrates what is possible, then it is incumbent on each of us to take that responsibility and that privilege to do the same kind of work. And again, you don't have to lead a march, you don't have to start an organization, all you have to do is, in your workplace, when people are being -- when there's injustice committed daily, to speak up.

BELGRAVE: And speaking up through word and deed may well be Dr. King's greatest legacy.

Denise Belgrave, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LIN: And that is all the time we have for this hour, but coming up next at 7:00 Eastern, "THE CAPITAL GANG." And then at 8:00 Eastern, our special, "Road to Gold," a preview of tomorrow night's Golden Globe Awards. And at 9:00 Larry King's guest is going to be Kevin Spacey. And I'll be back at 10:00 Eastern for "CNN SATURDAY NIGHT."

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