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Who Decides?; Terror Groups Increasingly Active in Qatar

Aired March 25, 2005 - 13:30   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.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, Baghdad today, drive-by shooters kill an Iraqi general and wound his two sons one day after five Iraqi women, three of them sisters, died in a similar attack. The women were cleaning staff on an American military base. The gunmen got away.
West of the capital of Ramadi, a car bomb exploded Thursday at a checkpoint manned by Iraqi police officers. Eleven police officers were killed in a break from the insurgents' pattern. U.S. military investigators believes the car bomb's driver may have been forced to detonate the explosive.

Word today that the United States will resume military sales to Pakistan. An official announcement is expected later today on plans to again provide Pakistan with F-16 fighter jets. A similar deal with India. The U.S. suspended support to Pakistan 15 years ago. We're told President Bush has already phoned the prime minister of India to tell him about the pending sale.

Amber Alert, a statewide search in Iowa for a 10-year-old Cedars Rapid girl, Jetseta Marie Gage, missing since last night, believed taken by a man known to the family, and a registered sex offender. Authorities are scouring the state for the pickup truck they think 37- year-old Roger Bentley is driving.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We're still awaiting a response from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. That's where Terri Schiavo's parents have filed their latest appeal in a last-ditch bid to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted. Now legal experts say Bob and Mary Schlinder's appeal has very little chance of success. It's now been a week since that feeding tube was removed from the severely brain-damaged woman. And a short while ago, Bob Schindler appeared outside her hospice to tell supporters he believes Terri is down to her last hours.

Others Schlinder supporters have gathered for an all day Good Friday prayer vigil at the Florida governor's mansion. They hope to persuade Jeb Bush to intervene, despite his comments that he can't overstep his gubernatorial powers.

Although the case of Terri Schiavo has made global headlines, her story's not unique. In Louisville, Kentucky a car wreck led to a similar tragedy, and similar battles a decade ago, even down to the 11th hour intervention of a governor.

CNN's Tom Foreman with the story of Hugh Finn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The story of Hugh Finn's controversial death begins on this road outside Louisville where the popular local TV host was in a horrific accident on an icy morning. The wreck left Hugh Finn in a permanently vegetative state and his wife, Michelle, in a terrible spot.

MICHELLE FINN, WIFE: And we had talked about the fact that we would not want, neither one of us would want to live in that type of condition.

FOREMAN: So, you never had any doubt about what his wishes were?

M. FINN: No.

FOREMAN: So, more than three years later she decided to remove his feeding tube at his nursing home in Virginia. His parents challenged the decision in court and they lost.

THOMAS FINN, FATHER: When he was in that hospital, we could touch him. There was hope. Now that he's in the hole there's no hope for him, none whatsoever.

FOREMAN: But with the tube removal only hours away, Michelle could not believe what happened next. Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore went to the state courts to try to stop it.

M. FINN: I was just hysterical. I couldn't believe -- it never occurred to me that it would happen. I kept saying how can he do this? How can he do this?

GOV. JIM GILMORE (R), VIRGINIA: Well, I think the public officials have a duty to make sure that those who are disabled those who are vulnerable make sure that they're properly protected. That, I think, is a proper role of an elected official and the law supported that type of intervention at the time.

FOREMAN: The governor lost too. The feeding tube was removed and nine days later Hugh Finn died.

T. FINN: It was a murder because you put him to death.

FOREMAN (on camera): The rift between Michelle Finn and her husband's family has never fully healed, despite efforts on both sides and she points out even her own mother disagreed with her decision.

(voice-over): Michelle understands. She does not apologize.

M. FINN: I felt like I had one more commitment that I had made to him that I needed to fulfill.

FOREMAN: You didn't think you could walk away?

M. FINN: No, absolutely not. I could not walk away from that because I knew...

FOREMAN: Even though the family wanted to say we'll take care of him. Just leave him alone.

M. FINN: Except that that's not what he wanted and that's what I was afraid of was I knew what he wanted and if I did not do it, nobody would and he would not get what he wanted.

FOREMAN: Like the rest of the nation, Michelle Finn is following the saga of Terri Schiavo but, unlike most, it is a road she has traveled.

Tom Foreman CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Today's security watch takes us to Qatar, where authorities today say they found a house where last weekend's suicide car bomb was prepared. The attack killed one person, injured a dozen others, and reinforced warnings to Westerners living in that region, that terror groups are increasingly active there.

CNN's Barbara Starr has more from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the peaceful Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, a theater popular with Westerners earlier this month was attacked by a suicide bomber. An Islamic-related Web site posted unverified claims of responsibility.

Now concern is rising across the region about the threat from fundamentals with ties to any number of organizations. As Easter approaches, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar is now warning, a number of reports have been circulating, particularly on the Internet, suggesting that American and other Western interests, such as churches, may be the targets of terrorist attacks.

Senior U.S. commanders this week warned again that al Qaeda and other groups are on the move across the Persian Gulf all the way to Eastern Africa, in part because other havens have been shut down.

MAJ. GEN. SAMUEL HELLAND, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: With the increase in stability and security in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have to move around.

STARR: Commanders say it may not matter if terrorists are al Qaeda members. The attackers' goal, frighten Westerners, chill the investment climate and unsettle local governments.

In Qatar, the suicide attack was the first of its kind. A close U.S. ally, Qatar hosts the desert headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which led the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Government support for the U.S. appears unshaken.

In Saudi Arabia, a brazen military attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah in December ended with several assailants being killed, shockwaves through the kingdom. Crown Prince Abdullah has vowed a crackdown. In Kuwait, security forces had several shoot-outs with suspected militants in January. Security has been tightened at buildings and oil facilities across the country where Westerners work.

Still, General Helland says al Qaeda is increases its ties to emerging terrorist organizations and is using them as front men.

HELLAND: Now, those operations could be something as simple as cutting a railroad line, blowing up a supply line, an oil line or whatever, so they can disrupt the control of the government that is in place.

STARR (on camera): U.S. military intelligence official fully expect more attacks, but they also say that governments in the region are responding strongly and are fully committed to defeating the terrorists.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

O'BRIEN: Is a manmade problem poised to create a real life Atlantis. Coming up in the next hour on LIVE FROM, a south pacific paradise targeted for extinction by a rising sea.

And up next...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was marching on crutches, and he walking all the way, 55 miles, from Selma to Montgomery, for my freedom, for our freedom and our right to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Remembering the march that helped change America forever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: 40 years ago, the nation was embroiled in the evolving struggle for civil rights for black Americans. To call attention to discrimination over voting rights in Alabama, leaders, including the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy decided to march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery.

The first march turned into the violent confrontation now known as Bloody Sunday. On this anniversary of the end of the march, CNN's Paula Zahn talks to some of those who were there and who will never forget the first steps toward equality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): As soon as they learned of the violence on Bloody Sunday, Dr. Martin Luther King and Reverend Ralph Abernathy immediately went to Selma to arrange another march. They knew it would dangerous, which was made was clear to Donzaleigh Abernathy, who was six years old at the time.

DONZALEIGH ABERNATHY, AUTHOR, "PARTNERS TO HISTORY": We shortly thereafter -- that daddy sat us down as children and told us that he might not make it and that we needed to be prepared. And my father wanted us to understand you have to be willing to lose your life, to die on the cross, and that he was doing it for us, to make the world a better place.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We have the right to walk to Montgomery if our feet can get us there.

ZAHN: Dr. King appealed to religious leaders across the U.S. to join the cause. Then, just two days after Bloody Sunday, King and Abernathy led another large group to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

ABERNATHY: At that point, everybody got down on their knees and they prayed. And Daddy prayed this prolific prayer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep us walking and walking and fighting for freedom.

ABERNATHY: And they got up and they returned non-violently.

ZAHN: To go all the way to Montgomery without police interference, the marchers needed a court order. That night, violence struck again. Three white ministers who came to Selma to join the march were attacked by a white mob.

KING: I understand one was so brutally beaten that he had to be rushed to the hospital in Birmingham with a possible brain concussion.

ZAHN: Reverend James Reeve (ph) died from his injuries.

AMB. ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER ASSISTANT TO MLK: Well, that was just uncalled for and it was not something that a civilized democratic nation could tolerate.

ABERNATHY: The momentum starts to build because, you know, you cannot be depressed after something like this has happened. It just makes them more determined. And they have the great support of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

ZAHN: On March 15, 1965, President Johnson addressed the nation, directly responding to the violence in Selma. He asked legislators to pass a voting rights act.

LYNDON JOHNSON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their cause must be our cause, too. Because it's not just Negroes but, really, it's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.

REP. JOHN LEWIS, FMR., HEAD, SNCC: And I looked over at Dr. King, and he started crying. Tears came down his face. And we all cried a little, to hear the president of the United States use the theme song of the civil rights movement, and we shall overcome.

(MUSIC)

ZAHN: Two days later, a federal judge granted the marchers the permission they requested. On March 21, 1965, a group of more than 3,000 set out on a 54-mile walk to Montgomery.

Matt Herron was a photojournalist documenting the journey.

MATT HERRON, PHOTOJOURNALIST: It felt like a new day for everyone. I mean, housewives left their aprons in northern cities and got on planes and came to Selma. Hundreds and hundreds of people poured in, and most of them had never been to the South before.

HERRON: It was like we were involved in a holy crusade.

ABERNATHY: The person that stuck out the most in my mind that I marched with was this absolutely wonderful man named Jim Lefether (ph), who was this white man who had lost one leg, and he was marching on crutches. And he was walking all the way, 55 miles from Selma to Montgomery, for my freedom, for our freedom and for our right to vote.

HERRON: And as we marched through these blackbelt counties, people out of the rural, out of the woods, and stood by the side of the road in absolute wonder. No one, I think, in the deep South ever expected this.

ZAHN: But the Justice Department was concerned that violence would be directed towards Dr. King. On the last day of the march, they requested that Dr. King be driven the rest of the way to the state capitol in Montgomery. He refused.

YOUNG: He was dressed in a dark blue suit, as -- which is kind of a preacher's uniform. I got everybody, every black preacher with a blue suit on, and I put them all in the front row together, saying that snipers from a distance -- people say we all look alike anyway.

ZAHN: It took Dr. King and the marchers five days to make it safely into Montgomery and the steps of the Alabama state capitol. The number of people had grown to 25,000.

ABERNATHY: And then after Martin preached that speech -- and he said how long? Not long, because no lie will live forever. How long? Not long.

KING: Because you shall reap what you sow.

ABERNATHY: I just remember standing backstage and jumping up and down and screaming because what he had to say was so great that day.

ZAHN: But the victory celebration soon turned to sadness.

LEWIS: There was a young woman, white housewife, who came down as a volunteer from named Viola Liuzzo from Detroit. And she was ambushed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. ABERNATHY: And the car drove up to the side of her, and she turned and she looked at them, and they took the shotgun and they shot her in the face, and her brains splattered all over Lee Remoten (ph), who was sitting beside her in the car.

LEWIS: We didn't become bitter, we didn't become hostile. We kept the faith and we became much more determined to see that the voting rights act was passed and did what we could to get people to register to vote.

ZAHN: Less than five months later on August 6, President Johnson signed the historic voting rights act of 1965 into law.

At this year's 40th anniversary commemoration, Andrew Young had the opportunity to meet the children of Viola Liuzzo and James Reed (ph).

YOUNG: I got really emotional, choked up so much I could hardly talk. I said to them, I know that I have profited by the sacrifice and blood of your father and mother, and I don't forget that.

ZAHN: Selma marked the turning point in the struggle to secure every citizen's right to vote.

LEWIS: To me, it represented one of the finest hours in America. There had been a march in America like this before, and there hasn't been like this, really.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: We're going to check in right now with CNN's dot-com desk for more on the stories you can check out on our Web site today. Veronica De La Cruz says today's focus is on the brain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Do you remember the capitals of all 50 states? How about the name of your second grade teacher? Do you remember where you put your keys? Whether you know those answers or not, learn more about how memory works at CNN.com.

Details, impressions and opinions constantly bombard our brains, giving us fodder for memories. But how are memories made and later recalled? Well, when you have an experience, it's stored throughout cerebral cortex. At CNN.com, this interactive guide explains specific brain structures and their roll in this complex process.

But even as scientists make strides in understanding memory, millions of Americans struggle with memory loss. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation, as many as 16 million could suffer from a mind-eroding disease by 2050, up from 4.5 million today. And even though it is difficult to predict Alzheimer's, some say you could do your best to prevent it.

To keep your nogin nimble as you age, a few steps suggested by the Mayo Clinic. First of all, exercise your mind with brain teasers. Start by reading a book or learning a new language. Also, mind and body work together, so it's important to stay physically active.

In addition to the resources available at CNN.com, Dr. Sanjay Gupta hosts a prime-time special on memory. That's at 10:00 Eastern this Sunday night on CNN. Hopefully you'll remember.

From the dot-com desk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: I have a memory question for you. How is it I can forget my anniversary, but still remember the theme song, in its entirety to the "Gilligan's Island" show -- just sit right back and you're a tale. What up with that?

Well, anyway, there are certainly other mysteries to be explored Sunday night. Tie a string, do your TiVo right now so you don't forget. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's primetime special on memory 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

You might as well start your TiVo at 8:00, though, because my special comes on then on, global warming. We'll tell you a little more about that later. It's not getting quite as much promotion, but it's my responsibility therefore to fill the void here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: "Gilligan's Island," global warning, forgetting your anniversary -- Miles, you have issues.

All right, he's helped millions realize their own spirituality without the benefit of organized religion. So what does Deepak Chopra think about the battle over Terri Schiavo? I'll speak live with the bestselling author in the next hour of LIVE FROM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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 March 25, 2005 - 13:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now in the news, Baghdad today, drive-by shooters kill an Iraqi general and wound his two sons one day after five Iraqi women, three of them sisters, died in a similar attack. The women were cleaning staff on an American military base. The gunmen got away.
West of the capital of Ramadi, a car bomb exploded Thursday at a checkpoint manned by Iraqi police officers. Eleven police officers were killed in a break from the insurgents' pattern. U.S. military investigators believes the car bomb's driver may have been forced to detonate the explosive.

Word today that the United States will resume military sales to Pakistan. An official announcement is expected later today on plans to again provide Pakistan with F-16 fighter jets. A similar deal with India. The U.S. suspended support to Pakistan 15 years ago. We're told President Bush has already phoned the prime minister of India to tell him about the pending sale.

Amber Alert, a statewide search in Iowa for a 10-year-old Cedars Rapid girl, Jetseta Marie Gage, missing since last night, believed taken by a man known to the family, and a registered sex offender. Authorities are scouring the state for the pickup truck they think 37- year-old Roger Bentley is driving.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: We're still awaiting a response from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. That's where Terri Schiavo's parents have filed their latest appeal in a last-ditch bid to have their daughter's feeding tube reinserted. Now legal experts say Bob and Mary Schlinder's appeal has very little chance of success. It's now been a week since that feeding tube was removed from the severely brain-damaged woman. And a short while ago, Bob Schindler appeared outside her hospice to tell supporters he believes Terri is down to her last hours.

Others Schlinder supporters have gathered for an all day Good Friday prayer vigil at the Florida governor's mansion. They hope to persuade Jeb Bush to intervene, despite his comments that he can't overstep his gubernatorial powers.

Although the case of Terri Schiavo has made global headlines, her story's not unique. In Louisville, Kentucky a car wreck led to a similar tragedy, and similar battles a decade ago, even down to the 11th hour intervention of a governor.

CNN's Tom Foreman with the story of Hugh Finn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The story of Hugh Finn's controversial death begins on this road outside Louisville where the popular local TV host was in a horrific accident on an icy morning. The wreck left Hugh Finn in a permanently vegetative state and his wife, Michelle, in a terrible spot.

MICHELLE FINN, WIFE: And we had talked about the fact that we would not want, neither one of us would want to live in that type of condition.

FOREMAN: So, you never had any doubt about what his wishes were?

M. FINN: No.

FOREMAN: So, more than three years later she decided to remove his feeding tube at his nursing home in Virginia. His parents challenged the decision in court and they lost.

THOMAS FINN, FATHER: When he was in that hospital, we could touch him. There was hope. Now that he's in the hole there's no hope for him, none whatsoever.

FOREMAN: But with the tube removal only hours away, Michelle could not believe what happened next. Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore went to the state courts to try to stop it.

M. FINN: I was just hysterical. I couldn't believe -- it never occurred to me that it would happen. I kept saying how can he do this? How can he do this?

GOV. JIM GILMORE (R), VIRGINIA: Well, I think the public officials have a duty to make sure that those who are disabled those who are vulnerable make sure that they're properly protected. That, I think, is a proper role of an elected official and the law supported that type of intervention at the time.

FOREMAN: The governor lost too. The feeding tube was removed and nine days later Hugh Finn died.

T. FINN: It was a murder because you put him to death.

FOREMAN (on camera): The rift between Michelle Finn and her husband's family has never fully healed, despite efforts on both sides and she points out even her own mother disagreed with her decision.

(voice-over): Michelle understands. She does not apologize.

M. FINN: I felt like I had one more commitment that I had made to him that I needed to fulfill.

FOREMAN: You didn't think you could walk away?

M. FINN: No, absolutely not. I could not walk away from that because I knew...

FOREMAN: Even though the family wanted to say we'll take care of him. Just leave him alone.

M. FINN: Except that that's not what he wanted and that's what I was afraid of was I knew what he wanted and if I did not do it, nobody would and he would not get what he wanted.

FOREMAN: Like the rest of the nation, Michelle Finn is following the saga of Terri Schiavo but, unlike most, it is a road she has traveled.

Tom Foreman CNN, Louisville, Kentucky.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Today's security watch takes us to Qatar, where authorities today say they found a house where last weekend's suicide car bomb was prepared. The attack killed one person, injured a dozen others, and reinforced warnings to Westerners living in that region, that terror groups are increasingly active there.

CNN's Barbara Starr has more from the Pentagon.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the peaceful Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, a theater popular with Westerners earlier this month was attacked by a suicide bomber. An Islamic-related Web site posted unverified claims of responsibility.

Now concern is rising across the region about the threat from fundamentals with ties to any number of organizations. As Easter approaches, the U.S. Embassy in Qatar is now warning, a number of reports have been circulating, particularly on the Internet, suggesting that American and other Western interests, such as churches, may be the targets of terrorist attacks.

Senior U.S. commanders this week warned again that al Qaeda and other groups are on the move across the Persian Gulf all the way to Eastern Africa, in part because other havens have been shut down.

MAJ. GEN. SAMUEL HELLAND, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: With the increase in stability and security in Afghanistan and Iraq, they have to move around.

STARR: Commanders say it may not matter if terrorists are al Qaeda members. The attackers' goal, frighten Westerners, chill the investment climate and unsettle local governments.

In Qatar, the suicide attack was the first of its kind. A close U.S. ally, Qatar hosts the desert headquarters of the U.S. Central Command, which led the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Government support for the U.S. appears unshaken.

In Saudi Arabia, a brazen military attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah in December ended with several assailants being killed, shockwaves through the kingdom. Crown Prince Abdullah has vowed a crackdown. In Kuwait, security forces had several shoot-outs with suspected militants in January. Security has been tightened at buildings and oil facilities across the country where Westerners work.

Still, General Helland says al Qaeda is increases its ties to emerging terrorist organizations and is using them as front men.

HELLAND: Now, those operations could be something as simple as cutting a railroad line, blowing up a supply line, an oil line or whatever, so they can disrupt the control of the government that is in place.

STARR (on camera): U.S. military intelligence official fully expect more attacks, but they also say that governments in the region are responding strongly and are fully committed to defeating the terrorists.

Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And CNN is committed to providing the most reliable coverage of news that affects your security. Stay tuned to CNN for the latest information day and night.

O'BRIEN: Is a manmade problem poised to create a real life Atlantis. Coming up in the next hour on LIVE FROM, a south pacific paradise targeted for extinction by a rising sea.

And up next...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was marching on crutches, and he walking all the way, 55 miles, from Selma to Montgomery, for my freedom, for our freedom and our right to vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: Remembering the march that helped change America forever.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: 40 years ago, the nation was embroiled in the evolving struggle for civil rights for black Americans. To call attention to discrimination over voting rights in Alabama, leaders, including the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph David Abernathy decided to march from Selma to the state capitol in Montgomery.

The first march turned into the violent confrontation now known as Bloody Sunday. On this anniversary of the end of the march, CNN's Paula Zahn talks to some of those who were there and who will never forget the first steps toward equality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): As soon as they learned of the violence on Bloody Sunday, Dr. Martin Luther King and Reverend Ralph Abernathy immediately went to Selma to arrange another march. They knew it would dangerous, which was made was clear to Donzaleigh Abernathy, who was six years old at the time.

DONZALEIGH ABERNATHY, AUTHOR, "PARTNERS TO HISTORY": We shortly thereafter -- that daddy sat us down as children and told us that he might not make it and that we needed to be prepared. And my father wanted us to understand you have to be willing to lose your life, to die on the cross, and that he was doing it for us, to make the world a better place.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: We have the right to walk to Montgomery if our feet can get us there.

ZAHN: Dr. King appealed to religious leaders across the U.S. to join the cause. Then, just two days after Bloody Sunday, King and Abernathy led another large group to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

ABERNATHY: At that point, everybody got down on their knees and they prayed. And Daddy prayed this prolific prayer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Keep us walking and walking and fighting for freedom.

ABERNATHY: And they got up and they returned non-violently.

ZAHN: To go all the way to Montgomery without police interference, the marchers needed a court order. That night, violence struck again. Three white ministers who came to Selma to join the march were attacked by a white mob.

KING: I understand one was so brutally beaten that he had to be rushed to the hospital in Birmingham with a possible brain concussion.

ZAHN: Reverend James Reeve (ph) died from his injuries.

AMB. ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER ASSISTANT TO MLK: Well, that was just uncalled for and it was not something that a civilized democratic nation could tolerate.

ABERNATHY: The momentum starts to build because, you know, you cannot be depressed after something like this has happened. It just makes them more determined. And they have the great support of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

ZAHN: On March 15, 1965, President Johnson addressed the nation, directly responding to the violence in Selma. He asked legislators to pass a voting rights act.

LYNDON JOHNSON, FMR. PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Their cause must be our cause, too. Because it's not just Negroes but, really, it's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome.

REP. JOHN LEWIS, FMR., HEAD, SNCC: And I looked over at Dr. King, and he started crying. Tears came down his face. And we all cried a little, to hear the president of the United States use the theme song of the civil rights movement, and we shall overcome.

(MUSIC)

ZAHN: Two days later, a federal judge granted the marchers the permission they requested. On March 21, 1965, a group of more than 3,000 set out on a 54-mile walk to Montgomery.

Matt Herron was a photojournalist documenting the journey.

MATT HERRON, PHOTOJOURNALIST: It felt like a new day for everyone. I mean, housewives left their aprons in northern cities and got on planes and came to Selma. Hundreds and hundreds of people poured in, and most of them had never been to the South before.

HERRON: It was like we were involved in a holy crusade.

ABERNATHY: The person that stuck out the most in my mind that I marched with was this absolutely wonderful man named Jim Lefether (ph), who was this white man who had lost one leg, and he was marching on crutches. And he was walking all the way, 55 miles from Selma to Montgomery, for my freedom, for our freedom and for our right to vote.

HERRON: And as we marched through these blackbelt counties, people out of the rural, out of the woods, and stood by the side of the road in absolute wonder. No one, I think, in the deep South ever expected this.

ZAHN: But the Justice Department was concerned that violence would be directed towards Dr. King. On the last day of the march, they requested that Dr. King be driven the rest of the way to the state capitol in Montgomery. He refused.

YOUNG: He was dressed in a dark blue suit, as -- which is kind of a preacher's uniform. I got everybody, every black preacher with a blue suit on, and I put them all in the front row together, saying that snipers from a distance -- people say we all look alike anyway.

ZAHN: It took Dr. King and the marchers five days to make it safely into Montgomery and the steps of the Alabama state capitol. The number of people had grown to 25,000.

ABERNATHY: And then after Martin preached that speech -- and he said how long? Not long, because no lie will live forever. How long? Not long.

KING: Because you shall reap what you sow.

ABERNATHY: I just remember standing backstage and jumping up and down and screaming because what he had to say was so great that day.

ZAHN: But the victory celebration soon turned to sadness.

LEWIS: There was a young woman, white housewife, who came down as a volunteer from named Viola Liuzzo from Detroit. And she was ambushed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. ABERNATHY: And the car drove up to the side of her, and she turned and she looked at them, and they took the shotgun and they shot her in the face, and her brains splattered all over Lee Remoten (ph), who was sitting beside her in the car.

LEWIS: We didn't become bitter, we didn't become hostile. We kept the faith and we became much more determined to see that the voting rights act was passed and did what we could to get people to register to vote.

ZAHN: Less than five months later on August 6, President Johnson signed the historic voting rights act of 1965 into law.

At this year's 40th anniversary commemoration, Andrew Young had the opportunity to meet the children of Viola Liuzzo and James Reed (ph).

YOUNG: I got really emotional, choked up so much I could hardly talk. I said to them, I know that I have profited by the sacrifice and blood of your father and mother, and I don't forget that.

ZAHN: Selma marked the turning point in the struggle to secure every citizen's right to vote.

LEWIS: To me, it represented one of the finest hours in America. There had been a march in America like this before, and there hasn't been like this, really.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: We're going to check in right now with CNN's dot-com desk for more on the stories you can check out on our Web site today. Veronica De La Cruz says today's focus is on the brain.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VERONICA DE LA CRUZ, CNN ANCHOR: Do you remember the capitals of all 50 states? How about the name of your second grade teacher? Do you remember where you put your keys? Whether you know those answers or not, learn more about how memory works at CNN.com.

Details, impressions and opinions constantly bombard our brains, giving us fodder for memories. But how are memories made and later recalled? Well, when you have an experience, it's stored throughout cerebral cortex. At CNN.com, this interactive guide explains specific brain structures and their roll in this complex process.

But even as scientists make strides in understanding memory, millions of Americans struggle with memory loss. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation, as many as 16 million could suffer from a mind-eroding disease by 2050, up from 4.5 million today. And even though it is difficult to predict Alzheimer's, some say you could do your best to prevent it.

To keep your nogin nimble as you age, a few steps suggested by the Mayo Clinic. First of all, exercise your mind with brain teasers. Start by reading a book or learning a new language. Also, mind and body work together, so it's important to stay physically active.

In addition to the resources available at CNN.com, Dr. Sanjay Gupta hosts a prime-time special on memory. That's at 10:00 Eastern this Sunday night on CNN. Hopefully you'll remember.

From the dot-com desk in Atlanta, I'm Veronica De La Cruz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: I have a memory question for you. How is it I can forget my anniversary, but still remember the theme song, in its entirety to the "Gilligan's Island" show -- just sit right back and you're a tale. What up with that?

Well, anyway, there are certainly other mysteries to be explored Sunday night. Tie a string, do your TiVo right now so you don't forget. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's primetime special on memory 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

You might as well start your TiVo at 8:00, though, because my special comes on then on, global warming. We'll tell you a little more about that later. It's not getting quite as much promotion, but it's my responsibility therefore to fill the void here -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: "Gilligan's Island," global warning, forgetting your anniversary -- Miles, you have issues.

All right, he's helped millions realize their own spirituality without the benefit of organized religion. So what does Deepak Chopra think about the battle over Terri Schiavo? I'll speak live with the bestselling author in the next hour of LIVE FROM.

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