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Funeral Service for Rosa Parks; Vehicle Bomb Explodes Outside Shiite Mosque; More Battles Ahead?

Aired November 02, 2005 - 11:00   ET

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

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's go ahead and take a look at what's happening "Now in the News."
At least 20 deaths and dozens of injuries are reported in a vehicle bombing south of Baghdad. Police say the bomb was planted in a minibus and it exploded near a Shiite mosque at a shopping area in a region known as the Triangle of Death. We'll have a live report just ahead.

More American troops have lost their lives in Iraq. Military officials saying two Marine pilots died earlier today in a helicopter crash near Ramadi in Anbar province. A warplane later pounded an insurgent base near the crash site. So far, there's no word what caused that crash.

The death toll for U.S. troops in Iraq is now 2,029.

One day after the fireworks in the Senate over the Iraq war investigation, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee accuse Democrats of stretching the truth. Senator Pat Roberts says that his staff told Democrats two days ago that the committee would complete phase two of its investigation into the intelligence that led the U.S. into the Iraq war.

Democratic invoked a little used rule yesterday to close the Senate to the public, pressuring Republican leaders to complete the long-promised investigation.

On day two of their official visit to the U.S., Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are heading to the White House. They're having lunch a short time from now with the president and Mrs. Bush. Tonight they'll be the honored guests at a lavish White House dinner.

The royal couple stopped in New York on the first leg of their eight-day tour. They also will visit New Orleans and San Francisco.

And good morning to you on this Wednesday morning. Welcome to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Let's check the time around the world.

Just past 8:00 a.m. in Los Angeles; just past 10:00 a.m. in Montgomery, Alabama; and a little after 11:00 a.m. in Detroit.

From CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Daryn Kagan. Her active courage sparked a revolution and changed the nation. As we look at live pictures from Detroit, Michigan, we begin with the farewell to civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks.

The funeral for Parks is under way or is just getting under way at this hour in Detroit, her adopted home since 1957. Thousands are on hand, including dignitaries, politicians and members of the public who simply want to pay their final respects.

We will be bringing you portions of the service throughout the hour.

The crowd began lining up early this morning outside the Greater Grace Temple, where the funeral for Parks is being held. Our Dan Lothian is there, and he joins us live.

Dan, good morning.

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

Well, indeed, many of those folks are still in line. Although this line has moved, those who came very early in the morning or came late last night are now inside the church. Someone just came by a while ago and said that they had to hold up the line so that the family members, Rosa Parks' family members, could get inside.

As you mentioned, the dignitaries have already been arriving here. We saw former President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senator Clinton, also arriving here. Senator John Kerry also here. And various civil rights leaders who will also be taking part in the -- in the funeral service.

Now, this is a moment, as you talk to the people who have been standing there, not a time for them to mourn her death, not a time to really cry about this loss, but a time to celebrate her life. As you talk to them, what you keep hearing time and time again is that through her example she stood up and she changed the world. It also teaches them that -- and I'm speaking in particular about African- Americans now -- that they can also through one small act also make a big difference.

Now, this is not just a crowd, though, of African-Americans. While it is overwhelmingly blacks here, you also see whites, and we even saw some young White students who came here.

For many of them, you know, obviously not alive when Rosa Parks sat down and stayed seated on that bus in 1955. They were not alive, but certainly this is an important time for them as they learn the history of the civil rights struggle and certainly how what Rosa Parks did 50 years ago has impacted their life and will impact their lives in the future -- Daryn.

KAGAN: You know, Dan, such a fascinating journey that this woman lived and the choices that she made. So famous for what she did almost exactly 50 years ago in Montgomery, Alabama.

Tell us a little bit about her life and her journey that led Detroit to be her adopted hometown.

LOTHIAN: Well, the reason that she came to Detroit -- she came here in 1957, that was two years after what happened on that bus in Alabama. And the reason she came here is there were death threats against her and her family.

So, she ended up, in essence, escaping to her New home in Detroit, coming with her husband, and also with her mother. And this, again, became her home where she held various low-paying jobs and then was involved in the office of a U.S. representative for some 20 years, working in various different jobs.

And, you know, even at her death, she died here late last month, but she was taken back to that spot where it all began in Alabama. And then, of course, to the Capitol, where she was also honored before returning here to her home.

KAGAN: Dan Lothian, live in Detroit, Michigan. We'll be back to you over the next hour. Thank you.

And we encourage you at home to stay with us throughout the hour. We're going to continue our coverage of the funeral for Rosa Parks. We'll also bring you the other news of the day, along with portions of the funeral live from Detroit.

But first, let's go ahead and get other news of the day in here. A bomb in a vehicle exploded outside of a Shiite mosque in a town south of Baghdad today. The attack coming during the holy month of Ramadan, and was just one of several violent incidents in Iraq.

Our Aneesh Raman is live from Baghdad with the latest.

Aneesh, hello.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, good morning.

At least 20 people now confirmed dead, upwards of 60 others wounded after a suicide bomber detonated in the Shia town of Musayyib. That is south of the Iraqi capital in the Babil province, in an area known as the Triangle of Death, an area that has seen violence before.

Musayyib itself on July 16 saw one of the deadliest car bombs in Iraq to date. Some 98 people were killed there on July 16 when a bomber detonated next to a fuel truck.

Now, it comes, as you say, at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, the beginning of the Festival of Eid. This explosion took place near the Shiite mosque in the town center, as well as restaurants and shops.

We're told by officials on the ground a good number of people were out at the time of the explosion. It took place just a few hours ago.

Meantime, north of Baghdad, in the town of Kirkuk, a car bomb detonating there around 3:00 p.m. local time today. That explosion killed two people, wounded seven others. Among the dead in Musayyib are women and children. Among the wounded in Kirkuk, women as well.

It is the brutal insurgency, the Sunni-dominated insurgency, continually striking against the Shia civilians here -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman live in Baghdad. Thank you.

Now let's get some news in from here in the states. Republicans and Democrats agree to appoint a task force to check on the status of the Iraq intelligence probe and report back, but the fight may be a preview of coming battles.

Our National Correspondent Bob Franken is at the White House this morning with the view from there.

Bob, good morning.

BOB FRANKEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

And what the Democrats have done, in effect, is ratchet up the intensity here, the intensity of the political battle that has brewing, oh, so politely for quite some time. Of course as we know, the Senate operates in this extremely self-consciously polite mode all the time.

So when the Democrats surprised the Republicans by demanding a closed session, something that hasn't occurred for about 25 years, demanding a closed session to air their bitter frustration, their charges that the Republicans are stonewalling an investigation into allegation that the Bush administration misused intelligence in the run-up to the war, that was really considered a slap in the face, no question about it.

That is what the majority leader, Bill Frist, said, that this was a slap in the face, that it would make it very difficult for him to deal in the normal, cordial way that Democrats and Republicans deal with each other, albeit insincerely often, in the Senate.

Comes now questions like, what is the climate going to be for the battle over Samuel Alito and the nomination for him to be a Supreme Court justice? Many people believe that this means that that is going to be an all-out war, which is, of course, something that conservatives and liberals both say that they would want it.

So it could be a few interesting months here -- Daryn.

KAGAN: So you have the war, and you have the Senate shutting down. Let's talk about what's really important, and that's the arrival of the royals. You know, keeping our priorities straight.

FRANKEN: I know. I know. And they're all atwitter here.

And in about an hour they're going to walk out and go and have lunch with the -- with the first lady and the president. And of course everybody is going to be stumbling over himself to see if he made the guest list. We don't know who's on the guest list not. I think that either of us is, Daryn, although I was pushing very hard for you. And of course, everybody here is now trying to practice how to curtsy and bow.

KAGAN: Well, thank you, but the only gown I'll be wearing tonight will be a flannel nightgown. So fab.

FRANKEN: Well, thank you for sharing that with us.

KAGAN: Too much information. All right, Bob. We'll be looking forward to that later in the day.

Also, though, on a much more serious note, of course, we are following the funeral service for Rosa Parks in Detroit, Michigan, the Greater Grace Church. A veritable of who's who is in that church. Four thousand people will be attending the service, and you're going to see a lot of it live right here on CNN.

We'll get to that in just a moment after this break.

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KAGAN: Showing you a live picture right now of Andrews Air Force Base. We believe the plane carrying Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, they, of course, on their tour of the United States, coming in from New York City.

They're expected at the White House in 45 minutes. They'll be doing lunch, and then what's being called a social dinner, a black-tie dinner later tonight with President and Mrs. Bush. More on the royal visit in just a bit.

First, though, more live pictures from Detroit, Michigan.

And our live coverage continues of the funeral service of Rosa Parks, the civil rights pioneer who died October 24 in Detroit. The service also taking place in Detroit, Michigan.

As we bring you portions of the service, I want to welcome former Atlanta mayor, former congressman, former ambassador to the United Nations, former Martin Luther King aide -- I could use the whole hour with all your "formers" -- Andrew Young.

Mr. Young, good morning. And good to have you here with us.

Of course, you've known Rosa Parks for a good many years.

ANDREW YOUNG, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Yes, I was pastoring in Thomasville, Georgia, in 1955, and then came to work with Martin Luther King in 1961. And it was shortly after that that I met Rosa Parks with Septa McClark (ph), who was her good friend. They had been involved together at Highlander Folk School in Tennessee, which was kind of a training ground for people who were trying to register voters, teach people how to read and write. And it was one of the places that sort of inspired Rosa, I think.

KAGAN: The famous moment where she refuses to give up her seat on that bus in Montgomery, Alabama, December 1, 1955, almost exactly 50 years to the day. I mean, she died really within weeks of that 50- year anniversary of that famous moment.

YOUNG: Yes, and yet, though we celebrate the moment and know her for the moment, really Rosa Parks' life was a constant quiet dedication to changing the South without violence, without anger, without ever raising her voice. One of the things that amuses me about all of these services is that none of them is very quiet. And Rosa Parks was so quiet.

KAGAN: Well, I think that's a reflection of so many people want to pay their respects. This service today a culmination of three different stops: Montgomery, Alabama; Washington, D.C.; and now here in Detroit, Michigan.

You paid your respects in Montgomery. What was that service like?

YOUNG: That was a beautiful service, because it was -- there were just about six people who had worked with her. And there were children that had grown up in schools that were influenced by her. And it was a very brief and eloquent service, almost because of its brevity and its eloquence.

KAGAN: Today, there will -- a lot be happening. Brevity will not be one of them. They're expecting this service to go on for three hours or more.

YOUNG: Well, I hope so, because that -- she deserves the tribute, but I think that we don't want to lose sight of who Rosa Parks was. Rosa Parks was a -- was a seamstress. I don't think I ever heard her raise her voice about anything. She talked just above a whisper.

KAGAN: So you had to lean in to actually hear her?

YOUNG: Yes. I don't think that there is -- I've never known anyone either during or after that ever was able to get angry with her at -- for any reason. And the thing was that there had been a lot of people sitting down in these buses, but they didn't cause the reaction that Rosa Parks caused.

The reason Rosa Parks caused a reaction was that she had lived such a peaceful, respectable and non-violent life, that when she clashed with segregation, everybody said, well, if they're going to throw Rosa Parks in jail, nobody's safe. And she was able, by the quality of her life, to galvanize 50,000 people.

And the irony is that Martin Luther King went to Montgomery because he wanted to spend his first time in ministry studying, preparing, completing his dissertation. And he did not want to be a leader of...

KAGAN: What he ended up being a leader of.

YOUNG: ... anything. And it was Rosa Parks, the incident -- in fact, when she was arrested, he was the one who ended up doing the mimeographing in those days we had to do, running the mimeograph machine to get out hand bills inviting people to come together for a meeting. But he clearly saw himself as a behind-the-scenes kind of person, until that moment when Rosa Parks and the people of Montgomery began to push him to the front.

KAGAN: Well, you have many good stories. And I'm going to invite you to stay right here with me. And we'll watch the service. And we'll be back and forth in Detroit, along with Ambassador Young.

Thank you, sir. Back with you in just a moment.

Our coverage of Rosa Parks' funeral will continue throughout the morning, as we say good-bye to a civil rights pioneer. We're going to take this opportunity to look at the legacy that Rosa Parks leaves for some of the youngest Americans. That's just ahead.

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KAGAN: Live pictures from Andrews Air Force Base. We expect any minute Prince Charles and his new wife Camilla to come through the door. And they are heading to the White House.

It will be lunch with President and Mrs. Bush. And then a social black-tie dinner, as Prince Charles and Camilla make their way across the U.S. New York City, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and San Francisco on their itinerary.

Meanwhile, to the north, in Detroit, thousands are bidding farewell to Rosa Parks today. The lessons of her courageous act live on.

Her refusal to give up a seat on a bus helped end the laws of segregation in the South. It's now 50 years later. She continues to inspire old and young.

As an example, Donna Lowry, of one of our affiliates, WXIA, here in Atlanta, looks at how some kindergarten students get a lesson in courage from Rosa Parks.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Are you ready?

DONNA LOWRY, REPORTER, WXIA (voice over): As with any actors, they get in character. In this case, 1955 Montgomery, Alabama.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This lady won't get up!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. I need you to give me some more energy.

LOWRY: Teacher Tyree Thornton directs these kindergartners through their scenes. They've read the Rosa Parks story in their class at Randolph Elementary. Now it's time for action.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Black people were not allowed to sit in the front seat of buses.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let me have the seat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then one day a lady named Rosa Parks had enough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm tired and my feet hurt. Why do you treat black people like this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She won't give up her seat.

LOWRY: The teacher decided on the skit after Rosa Parks died. And most of the children didn't know about her.

TYREE THORNTON, TEACHER: I think one child raised his hand and said, "Rosa Parks was Martin Luther King's friend."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll just have to call the police on you.

LOWRY: It's not easy getting five and six-year-olds to focus, but then again, this sometime happens to veteran actors, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why didn't you give up -- why didn't you give up this seat when they told you to?

LOWRY: Through the stops and starts, the jail visit and fingerprinting, Dr. King's declaration...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are gathered here today because of an injustice.

LOWRY: ... and the actual boycott and picketing, these pint-size actors come to their own conclusions on why they should remember Ms. Parks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because we love her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can sit wherever you want to since Rosa Parks helped us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm going to have to take you to jail.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Rosa Parks was a hero!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mrs. Rosa Parks was a hero!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mrs. Rosa Parks was a hero! LOWRY: They now know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: Thank you so much. That report from Donna Lowry, our affiliate here in Atlanta, WXIA.

Part of our coverage, our continuing coverage of the funeral today for Rosa Parks taking place in Detroit, Michigan. I have with me former congressman, ambassador, former Atlanta mayor, Andrew Young. We'll be visiting with him a little bit more in just a minute.

Right now, another break.

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