contexts. and that is why brown and all that he meant, all that he means has merited so much of our attention. that's it for me from st. louis. i'll see you tomorrow. make sure to follow me on twitter @jake tapper and also at the lead cnn. that's it for the lead". i'm jake tapper. i now turn you over to wolf blitzer. is he in "the situation room." is he in "the situation room." wolf? -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com happenings now, stunning isis victory. the brutal group celebrates the capture of a key syrian military base. air strikes in syria. will the isis onslaught and the murder of an american lead the u.s. to step up its military involvement? i'll ask the pentagon spokesman, rear admiral john kirby this hour. and cry for justice. emotions run deep as thousands gather for the funeral of slain missouri teenager michael brown. we're going live to ferguson. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in "the situation room."

>> we're following two major stories this hour. thousands gathering for an emotional final farewell to michael brown, the unarmed black teen shot dead by a police officer. we'll go live to ferguson, missouri, for full coverage coming up. but first, isis insurgents score another stunning victory. this time in syria. the brutal jihadist group is now celebrating its seizure of a syrian air base which only days ago was operating against the rebels. and now, isis has basically taken control of the northern province of raqqah and holds a vast stretch of territory in both syria and iraq. usair power has slowed the isis advances in iraq but after the beheading of an american hostage by isis, the obama administration is weighing strikesing in syria. our correspondents and guests are standing by with full coverage of both of these stories. let's begin with our pentagon

correspondent barbara starr. barbara? >> wolf, right now the question is just how much of a threat does isis have to be? what would trigger u.s. air strikes? >> fighters parade through raqqah in northern syria after isis takes over an air base from bashar al assad's regime. consolidating its grip across the region. officially, the white house is still thinking about getting more involved. >> the president has not made a decision to pursue any sort of military action in syria. >> also unclear, how much the president's top military advisor general martin dempsey, supports immediate u.s. military action. dempsey has advocated going after isis in syria when it presents a direct threat to the u.s. homeland. but he has kept the door open. >> can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in

syria in the answer is no. that will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent boarder. >> a spokesman confirmed dempsey is preparing options to address isis both in iraq and syria with a variety of military tools, including air strikes. but before bombs fall, the u.s. has to get fresh intelligence. >> the reconnaissance assets that we will employ over syria will be looking for a variety of things, equipment parts, training centers, encampments, the sorts of facilities and buildings where isis perhaps has its governing facilities. >>ful president obama orders air strikes, the goal one u.s. official says will be to disrupt isis's power grab. >> air strikes are very effective at blunting the momentum of an armed force on the offensive. it doesn't take too many people around you getting blown up to

make you not want to get out into the open. >> but air strikes alone, of course, have never really defeated an enny on the battlefield. even ground forces these days, highly problematic. what general dempsey continues to point out is the political progress will be needed inside both iraq and syria. wolf. >> i know they don't like to talk about hypotheticals. you and i well know that officials at the pentagon a wide range of officials, they're going through all sorts of contingency planning right now, depending on what the president orders them to do, right? >> absolutely. wolf, planning it is no secret around the pentagon. planning is in full motion. they are prepared to offer president obama any number of a range of options. but the military option seems to center the largely around air strikes. but first, again, they're going to have to fly drones or reconnaissance flights over northern syria. they need to get for the first

time an up-close look where are the isis positions in northern syria. where are the isis troops? where are the isis training camps? that's what they want to go after. they want to put isis on its heels and make isis at least believe for the moment they do not have a safe haven and they cannot operate untouched. >> air power might not necessarily completely defeat isis but they could punish isis pretty severely as we've seen in iraq right now. barbara, thanks very much. just days after the savage murder of american jim foley by isis, another american has been released by islamist rebels in syria. the journalist and author peter theo curtis was held for almost two years by the al nusra front, an al qaeda offshoot. let's get details from sr. international correspondent nick paton walsh joining us from london. what's the latest, nick, on this front? >> we know from the family they say they thank the u.s. and qatarry governments for assisting in negotiations to

secure the release of their son. they also thank private individuals, say they don't think any money was paid. they don't know the details. it's not only the family overjoyed to see the release, it's also peter's cell mate. a very complex relationship they had. part of it involved an escape claim involving theo pushing matt up through a window to escape. matt got through but couldn't pull theo out. matt described to me exactly what it was they went through the together in that cell. >> they kept competing to break me. the low level guys all wanted to be the one to say i'm a cia agent. >> eventually he broke. >> say you're a cia agent or i will hit you very hard. >> and then i sat there and i was just like, they're just going to torture me till i say it. being tortured by a maniac, you're going to say what they want you to say sooner and later. i chose sooner rather than

later. >> locked up together in six different prisons, matt says he and the other american didn't get along but had to to plan their escape. one cell had a window up high with a flimsy wire grill which they could fit through. but if caught, they could be killed. matt says the other american who we haven't been able to speak to, was hard to convince. >> she's like you're endangering my life. i'm like i'm trying to save your life. >> eventually he was persuaded. they needed each other to push up to the window and squeeze through. >> third day, we went. i took apart the screen. pushed the sandbags aside and i got stuck around my waist. i unbuckled my pants. as soon as i did, i shot right out. >> but it wasn't as easy for the other american who we're not naming for his safety. >> he wasn't fitting. i was just like take off your shirt. get in there. get in there and i'm pulling him and pulling him as hard as i could. i couldn't run away and leave him there. you know what i mean?

we were both americans, we were in this together. we were making too much noise and the windows were open and the lights were above me and the sun was coming up. >> you must have known then that you had to leave him? >> yeah, yeah, it was one of the hardest things i ever had to do. i didn't just leave him. i said, i was like you're not fitting. >> what's his face look like to you when he was talking? >> he was scared. i was like, i got to go. >> he only said once, come back. i was like i can't come back. i was like i'll get help. i'll get help. he was just like, all right, go. >> now, matt really racked by guilt over that difficult decision. when i spoke to him yesterday and we talked about peter theo curtis's release he was in tears and put out a statement saying look, this is the happiest day of my life, finally having closure from that complicated episode in his life, the

toughest he's been through. we understand peter theo curtis obviously passed across to u.s. officials across the israeli syrian border. an odd choice. he may be headed back to the u.s. now. could still be getting checkups inside of israel. for matt and peter's family and peter himself, finally a piece of good news about kidnaps in syria. >> a fascinating development. the qataris clearly played aid significant role in getting peter theo curtis released. then he was released over the golan heights from syria through the goal lan heights into the israel. we were told he was someplace in tel aviv. we don't know where he is, but i assume he's getting medical attention before he flies back to the united states. is that your understanding? >> that's most likely what is occurring. i think they want to keep his whereabouts reasonably discreet because of the state of mind he would be in. you mentioned the choice of handover so strange. kidnapped in northern syria two years ago, held for a long time in aleppo and this bizarre

journey from damascus, through hezbollah to be handed over to israel. a very interesting development. >> there must be more to the story than we know. let's see if we can find out. nick paton walsh, thank very much. did the united states have a role in the al news ras group's release of this american hostage? joining us here in "the situation room" is, rear admiral john kirby, the pentagon press secretary. what's the answer? did the u.s. have a role in the release of this american? >> not really -- i don't have any information specifically on his release, wolf. as you know though, as a matter of policy, we don't pay ran some for hostages. that were taken captive by terrorists. >> did you discourage the qataris from paying ran some to release this american? >> i'm not at liberty to go into the details regarding mr. curtis's release. we're obviously happy he's back with his family. our policy hasn't changed. >> can you tell us anything? ing this bizarre transfer from syria through the goal lan heights to the united nations and then into israel?

we believe he was someplace in tel aviv and may have been gone by now but someplace in tel aviv in the u.s. embassy? >> i don't know. i'm not sure of his specific whereabouts right now. >> why was he released, you do believe, and foley the other american was executed by isiss? al nusra is a terrorist organization, deeped an terrorist ot organization by the united states government. isis is a terrorist organization, deeped a terrorist organization by the u.s. government. why do you think one american was executed another american was freed? >> that's a difficult question to answer. the only ones that know the answer to that are the folks in each of those terrorist groups. i mean, look, it doesn't -- i can't explain why they did one or the other. but these are both very dangerous groups. they are terrorist organizations. certainly integral to our interests in the region and around the world. obviously they continue to want to get american captives. >> i don't know if you saw but i assume you saw the story in the sunday times suggesting that the

white house, the president of the united states dawdled if you will, for 30 days, didn't organize that search operation, that rescue organization for foley been by the time it was approved, it was too late. it failed. if they had doneton 30 days earlier as originally recommended it might have worked. is there any truth to that at all. >> i've seen nothing to indicate that at all. the final decision without getting into too many detiles, the final decision to launch it could only have been made just prior to it. but the team the teams that participated in it, there was a lot of planning that went into that. weeks of planning that went into that. they had been authorized to begin that planning in effort. i'd also say sometimes you have to worry about the weatheren at climate. sometimes the decision to make, to launch operations like this do depend on the weather conditions at the time. what i can tell you is the time between the order to go and the time that they actually conducted the mission was very,

very short. but there was plenty of planning and prep before that moment. >> as there should be. a decision like that just like the killing of bin laden, that's a decision the commander in chief makes. >> there's a lot more we have to discuss. rear admiral kirby will be with me in "the situation room." up next, is the u.s. about to expand its air campaign against isis into syria? much more with the pentagon press secretary coming up. and a cry for justice, family, friends, politicians and celebrities remember the slain teenager michael brown. but many are also looking to the future. we're going live to ferguson. ♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ sweet, sweet st. thomas nice ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ st. croix, full of pure vibes ♪ ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce ♪ st. john, a real paradise ♪ so nice, so ni-i-i-ce

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late get back to our top story. a week after announcing the murder of an american hostage, isis is celebrating the capture of a key syrian military base expanding its hold on a vast stretch of territory. the obama administration is now weighing the possibility of expanding its air strikes from iraq into syria, as well. we're back with rear admiral john kirby, the pentagon press secretary. where does that stand right now? the air strikes so far are pretty successful against isis targets in northern iraq. are they about to expand against isis targets in syria? >> well we don't get ahead of operations obviously that haven't been conducted. what i'll tell you, you're right. we have had some success on a tactical level against sisal targets in iraq. they are principally done to either for humanitarian purposes

or to help protect u.s. personnel facilities and to enable the iraqi security forces to go after these guys. we understand that this is a regional issue and that they will isil enjoys free waing across what is really not even -- of course, they do. >> that's really their head quarters. >> that's right. we note they resource themselves from there, they train there. they equip there. we know we've got to take a regional approach. but there's been no decisions to expand the level or intensity of air strikes against isil right now. >> it's fair to say it's being considered. there's contingent sit planning going on at the pentagon. >> we plan for all manner of operations. i know that the military tool here is one that is continuing being evaluated for utility across the region. but i think secretary hagel and chairman dempsey both said last week the military solution is not enough. in order to get at a threat like isil, it's got to be diplomatic and economic and political.

what the real answer here long-term is stable governance in syria and in iraq to address the needs of people so he that they don't feel like they have to fall victim to these terrorists. >> let's say the president decides to go ahead and launch air strikes in syria. before you do that, you really need reconnaissance flights to find out where the targets are to get the precise information. have you authorized reconnaissance flights at least as of now? >> we don't talk about reconnaissance and intelligence matters. in general when you're thinking about conducting operations like that, you certainly want to get as much of a view on the ground as you can. as much situational awareness as you can. i won't speculate. >> is an i an plaque calmater, you can get a lot of in was from satellite reconnaissance but in a situation like this, you get better reconnaissance from planes or drones flying overhead. satellites provide closer visibility. you want closer eyes on target if you can get it. >> how much coordination would you need if any would you need

with the syrian regime of assad if you're going to launch air strikes in syrian territory? >> not getting into the hypothetical operations, there's no intentioning to coordinate with syrian authorities. >> they have a good anti-aircraft missile system, sophisticated planes. anti-aircraft missiles. u.s. warplanes going into syria could face problems if you don't coordinate with the regime. >> again, there's no plans to have in-depth discussions with the assad regime what we may or may not do inside syria. the assad regime, what they can do is stop the degradations on their people and step down. >> they're not doing that. three years, the slaughter has gone on and on. they're not about to step down voluntarily. they need to happen but it's not happening. in iraq at least you have some allies what's left of the iraqi military are helping a little bit. >> that's right. >> certainly the kurdish fighters are helping the u.s. on the ground. >> that's right. >> but the free syrian army,

these are the opponents of bashar al assad's regime, the opponents of isis, can they really do the job that the iraqi allies in effect are doing? >> they're not as well equipped or trained as the iraqi armed force or peshmerga right now. one of the things secretary hagel is looking at is a train and equip program. we've asked for money to have a moderate syrian opposition. >> has anything gone to them now, any military equipment or training for all practical purposes? >> we are supporting a moderate syrian opposition. we don't detail all the ways that support is happening >> they're badly outnumbered by isis and the military of bashar al assad. >> there's a lot of challenges inside syria. >> the president has to make tough decisions. thanks very much for coming in. don't leave yet. the isis kill ker of american james foley makes a stunning appearance in a new political ad. the mass jihadist appears for only a couple of seconds in a

campaign ad by new mexico's republican challenger to tom udall. ad seeks to connect the murder to what it portrays as a rudderless foreign policy mismanaged by democrats. >> coming up, an emotional day at michael brown's funeral. there are new cries for action. we're going live to ferguson for the latest. and a powerful earthquake hits northern california. new warnings of a strong and possibly damaging aftershock. stay with us. you' you're in "the situation room." big day? ah, the usual. moved some new cars. hauled a bunch of steel. kept the supermarket shelves stocked. made sure everyone got their latest gadgets.

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emotions are high in ferguson, missouri, today as the community mourns the life of michael brown the an his funeral. thousands of people turned out to remember the unarmed teen shot and killed by police, including politicians, celebrities even a handful of white house aides. many took the occasion to issue a call for social change with sharp words for police and looters alike. cnn's don lemon was at the funeral and joining us now live. how did it go? >> it went pretty well, wolf. it has been two weeks of violence, two weeks of protests, two weeks of calls for justice, but two weeks since michael brown lost his life. and finally today, his family laid him to rest. >> thousands gathered to remember the life of 18-year-old michael brown. inside the friendly temple

missionary baptist church, celebrities, civil rights leaders and family members mourned together. >> michael brown's blood is crying from the ground. crying for vengeance. crying for justice. there is a cry being made from the ground. not just from michael brown but for the trayvon martins, for those children at sandy hook elementary school, for the columbine massacre, for the black on black crime. >> after weeks of violent lpt protests, mourners urged to work for justice. >> i was going to read a poem and i'm not going to do it. because i would be lying if i said that i'm still have anger in my heart. got to vote. keep our dollars in our pockets.

we've got to look out for each other. >> for the mother leslie mcspadden joined by the mothers of trayvon martin and sean bell, all three members of an exclusive group of mothers mourning the death of their sons who in their deaths sparked debate and change the national discourse. >> his death is not in vain. i just want to say to mike that i love you and i wish i could hold you and kiss you. >> speaking from his own experience of losing his son, one clergy appealed to audience members beyond the church for their support in the investigation. >> please don't exacerbate the almost unbearable pain of this family. it is imperative eresist the temptation to retaliate by looting and rioting in our own neighborhoods. the destruction of property in ferguson only gives bad pictures to the world. >> about 5,000 people showed up

if not more. those ro couldn't get in stood outside. the interesting thing is they may have laid their son to rest today but this is really the beginning for the brown family when all the cameras and attention goes away, they're going to have to deal with not having their loved one anymore. >> and don, it's been quiet i take it throughout today. so far. what do we anticipate as we get into the evening? >> that's a very good question. everyone is asking. to be quiet honest with you, we don't know. we're going to be here to see. but i think it's going to be peaceful. the family you heard the father yesterday calling for a quiet protest. a peaceful protest. a day of quiet so let's hope that happens as we watch it over the next couple hours, wolf. >> the fear that outside agitators as some people are calling them could come in and disrupt the situation, how significant of a fear is that? >> it's a big fear. it is significant because that

happened in large part over the protests over the last couple weeks. if you look at the records of those arrested, many of them were not from this part of town. some of them were from out of state and part of so-called anarchist groups. that's a significant fear and one that you know, as we are here in the command center, those stationed here will be watching tonight. >> the all right, don lemon reporting for us, doing an excellent job. by the way, you can catch more of don's reporting from ferguson later tonight, a full report at 10:00 p.m. eastern, cnn tonight later today. check that out. 10:00 p.m. eastern. let's get more from ferguson joining us is john gaskin of the naacp. you were there at the funeral. there was a call for change. specifically what change do you hope to see? >> well, we certainly hope to see change in the way that our police departments function. we certainly want to see change in how police officers are interacting with citizens within

neighborhoods because what we have began to see is simply unacceptable. but the message that we have been trying to send across the country, there's a ferguson near everybody. there are michael browns all over the country. they just haven't been publicized. and so we've got to take a stand which people have began to do. and there's gotz o got to be change and i believe there's got to be a healing process. and today's funeral was certainly the start of that. >> politically speaking, how possible is it to see this kind of change develop? >> i think it's very much still possible. the naacp along with other coalitions here on the ground have launched massive voter registration which we continue, which we want to blake sure that stays persistent up till the november midterm election. and that's going to be key. you've got a lot of very angry people here that are beginning to be educated on how people like bob mccol la, the

prosecuting attorney in the area get in office and continue to stay in office. with that kind of rage and anger, you've got people that want to see an action and want to do something tangible about that. you probably heard some of the footage from the funeral, many leaders called upon people to get out and vote and get involved in their community. i believe tomorrow night if i'm correct is the ferguson city council meeting. it's my understanding that quite a few people from the community will be at that meeting demanding some answers from are the day to day functions of the city. >> so they're going to get more politically active. you've seen the protests. they've certainly shined some light on poor local police practices. there was that is police lieutenant who was threatening protesters. watch this. >> my hands are up, bro. my hands are up. >> hands up.

>> as you know, he was suspended. another police officer we first saw when he was pushing on don lemon on the street, this video surfaced of of a 2012 speech he gave making anti-obama misogynistic homophobic comments and he said this about kill. listen to this. >> i personally believe in jesus christ as my personal savior but i'm also a killer. i've killed a lot. if i need to, i'll kill a whole bunch more. if you don't want to get killed, don't show up in front of me. it's that simple. i have no problems with it. god did not raise me to be a coward. >> two different police officers and those two different clips. the second police officer was put on administrative leave by the st. louis county police. how do you eliminate from your perdspective, yuan, the cultural problem within the ranks of local police? >> well, there's got to be some accountability in-house. my real big concern is that

officer that was using that kind of language that has those kinds you have personal views, my question is, where are his colleagues that are allowing him to continue to serve on the police force? they're not saying -- i haven't seen anyone from within come forward and that's a major concern. >> john gaskin from the naacp. we'll continue our conversations in the days ahead. thanks for joining us. coming up, we're going to have much more coverage of the events in ferguson, including new information about the investigation into michael brown's shooting. also, after a devastating earthquake causes fires and destruction in california, we have a new warning about aftershocks. did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age?

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we're monitoring the situation in ferguson, but first, there's an urgent story i want to update you on. california reeling after a strong earthquake in the san francisco bay area. and there are fears of more damage as aftershocks continue to rattle the area in the so-called big one looms in the distance. kyung lah is on the scene for us in napa with the latest. you see some damage behind you. what's it like over there? >> well, if you drive around any part of this historic downtown, you see buildings, especially some of the older brick ones in a state like this. this is one of the worst ones in town that we've seen. you can see all these bricks that are lying on the ground on the sidewalk, covering it. this is an area where the owner tells us normally there already picnic tables, there are people outside enjoying wine.

and look straight up. that's where they came from. that's the force of the earthquake. a 6.1 earthquake. it was able to simply shatter those bricks and they came falling below. we actually spoke with someone who was in the building directly adjacent to us. he explains what it was like to be inside and what it was like as he watched these bricks falling as he escaped the building. here's what he said. >> so these buildings were all moving? >> definitely seven, eight feet from the top. you look at it from the top, seven, eight feet. i saw the asphalt moving like waves. something was like underground just waving, you know? and it was just like five to eight-seconds more and i was out here and i stopped, waiting for my friend. after, there was a big roar sound, some kind of sound like a storm sound, and maybe it was -- another five seconds right after it stopped completely. i thought everything's coming down.

i didn't know what to do. suddenly all the dust cloud came out. lights turned off. i got dust all over my head and eyes and was itching. part of the walls was falling already. and a large portion of the roof, as well. i was so thankful to god that i'm alive because for a moment, i said, i told myself, i told myself i'm not going to be able to make it. so i was so lucky. i was so lucky. >> just be careful and don't cut your feet. >> reporter: you can see that this room has -- that is room had a number of broken wine bottles. people were so terrified you could hear it in that man's voice. some people did not want to sleep indoors. that's not the general population here, but that is something we have heard from people. a lot of life has come back to normal here. many of the businesses are open. almost everyone has power. all the water is back on. but wolf, the clean-up will be

extensive. this building as well as 48 others have been what's called red tagged which means they are not safe to enter. >> they're still afraid of aftershocks, as well. they will col continue for several days if not a few weeks. kyung lah, thanks very much. the damages from the earthquake are expected to top $1 billion with one official warning that local resources are already exhausted. let's get more now. joining us is the chair of the napa county board of supervisors, mark luce. thanks very much for joining us. how many homes in your are still being inspected rights now? is it safe if you're still having aftershocks? >> well, the city is moving from the center of town outward. so i would say probably still in the hundreds that are being inspected. but i think the major damage has been looked at already. >> and what are the experts telling you about aftershocks? >> the good news is that the highest probability was in the first 24 hours and so that's

passed. so we're relatively hopeful that we've seen the worst of it so far for this quake and this area. >> let's hope. how severe have the injuries been? >> we've been really fortunate. just like your previous story there. there are a lot of stories of people who had near misses who count themselves very thankful they weren't hurt more. but we've had no fatalities related to the earthquake. about 190 or so lacerations and the like. only about 15 or so were actually admitted to the hospital. we count i don't remember selves very fortunate. >> indeed. how much of an economic hit has been going on now the past 24, 4 hours in napa per se in the nap pal area, specifically the wineries? i'm sure that they were impacted and many of them are now closed. >> probably most all of them are open, actually. many of them have been impacted. we're doing that assessment now. we don't have numbers for people. i've seen a lot in the news. we're still talking to people

gathering what the impacts have been. but i'd like to tell everyone that the wiperies for the most part are open. there's a handful of them more severely impacted but most are open for business. >> what about the gas lines? how much of a problem do you have as far as gas lines? because those can cause fires. >> our local utility pg&e has just been remarkable in getting out here and servicing the area, getting power back on, checking out homes for gas leaks. so we're all very aware of what the hazards are and i think we're progressing in a safe and efficient manner. so we should be up, most people have power and gas already. >> well, let's hope for the best. mark luca, nap pal county supervisor. thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you, wolf. >> just ahead, more of what's going on in ferguson on this important day. we have new information about the information and i'll speak with a lawyer for the family of michael brown. and human rights watch calls on hamas to stop the executions

of palestinians accused of helping israel as the rocket fire, the air strikes, they continue, we're going live to gaza. did you know, your eyes can lose vital nutrients as you age? [ male announcer ] that's why there's ocuvite to help replenish key eye nutrients. ocuvite has a unique formula not found in your multivitamin to help protect your eye health. ocuvite. help protect your eye health. ocuvite. we'we're trying ourls. best to be role models. we don't jump at the sound of the opening bell, because we're trying to make the school bell. corner booth beats corner office any day. we make the most out of our time... and our money. the chevrolet malibu.

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take a look at this video. that was a 15-story building that was hit. we're told that over 100 apartments are in that building. numerous families. they did have two warning strikes by the israelis before people evacuated that building. that was followed up by two missile strikes. people went back into the building looking for anyone injured to get some of their possessions. a third strike hit and we're getting reports that there have been numerous casualties, wolf, as well as many people are going to find themselves homeless again tonight, wolf. >> this is the second high-rise building that israelis blew up

effectively within the last couple of days. the other day they had evidence there was some sort of hamas command center, command and control center inside. have the israelis said anything about this new building? >> no, they haven't. and we're waiting for a response from the israelis. we usually get one fairly quickly. you're right. israelis said a building just a couple of days ago that was completely leveled, a 14-story building that was holding a hamas command and control center, hamas denies it saying it was another residential building. the result was a pretty dramatic video, building being collapsed and more people being put out going to these u.n. shelters. >> we know hamas has been getting some severe criticism from human rights groups for the summary execution of palestinians accused of collaborating with israel. what's the latest on that?

>> reporter: well, human rights watch has released a statement harshly condemning hamas for executing these collaborators that hamas says is helping israel. 25 people, according to human rights watch, have been killed so far. they're expecting that number to grow as this war continues. they're saying that these people aren't given fair due process. they're condemning that. well, you might wonder why these people are helping the israelis. these are palestinians betraying their country men allegedly. well, there's the obvious money. but talking to hamas, they say a lot of these people are blackmailed into helping israel and that's what basically the majority of them, that's what happens. now hamas has said that any of these people who want to turn themselves in, they're more than welcome, that they will show them mercy. but as this war continues, it's likely that these killings will also continue.

human rights watch also came out and condemned israel as well, condemning them for not allowing them or amnesty international into the gaza strip for monitoring the situation here. they say they should be allowed in, especially as these organizations are saying war crimes are being committed. they want to investigate. but, yes, as this war continues, they the there are likely going to be more of these killings. we have been to some of these sites, seen these areas, and it sends a message here, wolf. >> ian, thank you very much. british officials say they're close to identifying this man. we're going to take you inside the investigation to find james foley's killer. hey. i'm ted and this is rudy. say "hi" rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] i'd do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. that's why i'm so excited about these new milk-bone brushing chews. whoa, i'm not the only one.

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-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com michael brown's blood is crying if the ground. crying for vengeance, crying for justice. >> raw emotion and a new rally in missouri at the funeral for the teenager gunned down by a police officer. the brown's family lawyer is standing by to talk about demands for justice and new information about the investigation. thousands of mourners came together today. was it a first step toward healing in a community torn by michael brown's death and weeks of unrest? plus, authorities now say they're close to identifying the isis terrorist who beheaded an american. we're going to tell you how they're zeroing in on james

foley's executioner. we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer. you're in the situation room. michael brown's family says today is about saying good-bye and staying peaceful but tomorrow the fight for justice will go on. several thousand mourners turned out for the 18-year-old's funeral more than two weeks after a killing by a police officer that turned ferguson, missouri, into a battlefield. this hour we're covering the service, the investigation, and what comes next. our correspondents, analysts, and newsmakers are standing by. first to victor black well in ferguson. he has the very latest on this important day. victor? >> reporter: wochlf, the funera was part traditional baptist ceremony and political in many ways calling for action from the

community. there were speakers who said that they will hear our voices, our shouts will shake the heavens. now, there was plenty of shouting today, but for a different reason. ♪ >> reporter: organizers called it a celebration of the life of michael brown. family members and complete strangers jumped to their feet shouting and clapping, but not leslie mcspadden. at the start of the service she stood, staring at her son's casket and photos, more than two weeks after he was shot on the street in ferguson, missouri. >> michael brown's blood is crying from the ground, crying for vengeance, crying for justice. >> reporter: justice brown's great uncle says is for more than just his nephew. >> there's a cry made from the ground not just for michael

brown but for the trayvon martins, for those children at sandy hook elementary school, for the kcolumbine massacre, there's crying from the ground. >> there's a message. keep it peaceful. it starts at home. excuse me. it starts at home and goes out to the community and then to the world. we have to start with ourselves and then go out, you know, and spread peace and be respectful. definitely and first and foremost, be respectful of others. >> she had never met brown. likely neither had over 6,500. some wearing a t-shirt or mourning over someone they lost. >> i know a grieving over lost grandchildren that will never be born. >> celebrities and notables like spike lee and jesse jackson sat in a reserved vip section next to politicians from the state's capitol and the nation's capitol

and there was plenty of politics. >> what you guys can do to continue this, show up at the voting polls, let your voices be heard and let everyone know we have had enough of all of this. >> reporter: but after weeks of protests with moments of violence, fogs of tear gas, and standoffs with police, a plea. >> today is for peace, peace and quiet. we will lay our son, brother, cousin, uncle, our family, young man, young black man, young human being. but we don't say good-bye. we say good journey until we meet again. >> reporter: wolf, i sat in the balcony during the service, and listening to the conversations and speaking with people around

me, i could really get an understanding why people, so many thousands of people came to today's funeral. the woman who sat to my right, she was an older woman who was a member of the church and she wanted to be there just to support the family during this difficult time. behind me two younger women were talking about policies that should change and policing that should change in the united states. just in front of me there was a woman i recognized on friday night. she was dressed. she wore dark glasses, a t-shirt that said revolutions and cargo pants and military-style boots. that night she was telling the protesters to get off the route they were being ordered to follow and really start a revolution. she sat there quietly during the program. i asked a few people afterward, would the family get their wish, would there be peace tonight. most people said they didn't know but they were hoping for it. >> we don't know. thanks for the report. let's bring in our anchor don lemon. he's our reporter in ferguson. he's been there from almost the

very beginning. give us your impressions of how this day unfolded, don. >> reporter: well, you know, its was -- earlier one of the officials said, you know, it's over. i knew what he meant. he meant it's over in the sense that finally there is something -- there is at least some closure and i hate that word but some closure for michael brown's family, but it's really far from over when it comes to the community. it's far from over when it comes to the reality for the brown family. this is the day when you have the funeral, everyone comes together, all the dignitaries and celebrities. this is when the media is going to start pulling out. you're going to see less and less coverage and the brown family will be left with the fact that their loved one is no longer here and all the attention is turned away. they're going to have to figure out what to do next, the officials calling for change and asking to be a part of that. i think it went well as far as

being organized, as far as being peaceful, as far as being respectful. and i also thought it was very respectful of the minister and very smart of the minister to sea some of you who came here to speak, you're not going to be heard from today and if you want to be heard from, you're welcome to come next sunday to sunday's service, sort of weeding out the people coming here to make this -- just to get some sort of attention in front of the media, to get in front of the cameras. i thought it went very wrong, the mothers with very strong after seeing her after she came from the funeral home to see her son for the first time. i thought she was very strong togethe today. but we'll see what happens in the coming hours and coming days. it's going to be tough in the coming days. >> let's talk about tonight. a lot of people are worried. >> reporter: well, speaking to officials, they say they don't know what to expect tonight. they think that it is helpful

that michael brown's father called for calm and peace and for a day of silence, and so if there are any protests, they're hoping the protests will be silent protests and that those protests will be peaceful ones. in your initial question to me, wolf, i neglected to show this to you. this is -- this is a program from today's ceremony, and i thought it was very poig yannand very nice. there's a letter the mother wrote to her son and there's a picture of them at the skating rink laughing and having a game time and let's not forget the father who was involved in his son's life. we want to make that clear. there's a picture of them in here. it's very respectful. let's hope that the people who come out demonstrate and observe the father's wish, let it be peaceful and quiet. >> let's hope the folks do that exactly as the father and the

family is asking. don, we're going to get back to you. thanks very much. >> we're joined now by daryl parks. he's a lawyer representing the family. thanks very much. first of all, how is the family doing? >> you know, i think the dad said it best yesterday, wolf, when he said they're hurting. they're in deep pain. you fwhoe, the walk they had to make today from the front of the church to the back of the church behind that coffin is the toughest walk any parent has to make. they had to make that walk today and they're still standing tall but they're hurting. and so they're surrounded by all of their family. they're surrounded by the community. and we hope that folks will stay calm and have some silence in honor of mike brown's legacy. so that's our prayer and our hope today on behalf of this family. >> is that your sense that there will be an evening tonight, a night of peace? >> we have no reason to believe that people would not honor the

wishes of this family. you heard the father ask the public to policlease, please, please, let's honor his legacy. i would hope everyone that hears his voice and my voice right now would honor that request he made. >> what do you think? it's getting a lot of play on social media. "the new york times'" description of michael brown, the 18-year-old teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer as, quote, no angel. what did you think of that description of him as no angel? they were specifically referring to the videotape of the robbery that occurred at that convenience store only moments before he was shot and killed? >> well, he was like any other teenager. he lived a life and we all know that teenagers live life. they enjoy things, do things. however, we have to be very careful in our country not to blame victims.

it shouldn't be a situation where if you ha p to be a victim who may have had an incident or situation that your killers can use that to get away or to bring less honor to you in your death. we have to stop that. whatever he did then had nothing do with the situation where he lost his life, where the officer had the choice and chose to take his life, you know, at his own discretion. he shouldn't have done that. so i think we have to be careful about how we allowed them to paint a picture of a victim whose life certainly was not -- was not -- should not have been lost because of what happened at that store that day but this officer made a decision who had no respect for the value of michael brown's life that he could have made a different decision and not tooken his life. but because he saw him for whatever he saw him as, he chose to make the decision that he made and to shoot him in the

head twice. >> we know that there's a federal investigation, the justice department, the fbi. they're investigating the civil rights aspects of this. there's a st. louis county separate investigation. the grand jury as you know is meeting right now. but what about from your perspective a civil lawsuit? is that something that you as the lawyer for the family are considering? >> certainly we're going to consider that down the line. however, as you know, with two criminal investigations going on, they have precedence over the witnesses right now. thus things that we could do in a civil regards would be less likely right now given those two actions taking place as you know. >> as far as you know, mr. parks, are there other eyewitnesses that we haven't heard from yet? >> yes, there are. in fact, as we were leaving -- leaving today from the church, we had a witness walk up to us and said, hey, no one's talked to me yet. so there are still witnesses out

there who have not been contacted. we urge them to either contact the fbi or to contact the st. louis county police who's investigating the situation. but also contact us, you know, as the lawyers on the civil side if there are witnesses out there. many people saw this. that's why we're so -- so -- we really believe strongly that this officer's going to be convicted of this situation because there are many, many witnesses who saw what happened. and at a minimum he should have been arrest add long time ago, but given the great weight of the witnesses that we have thus far, this prosecutor has a great responsibility to go to the grand jury and come back with an indictment. we will accept nothing less than that. >> what about other videos that haven't been shown yet. are there, as far as you know, other videos of the incident? >> i'm not aware of any other videos that may be out there, but if there are people out

there who may have videos. we certainly urge them to come forward to the authorities because we want both the prosecutor and authorities in this case to have as much evidence as they can. we believe that there's already enough evidence from the great number of witnesses present for this officer to be arrested. >> we know the justice department, the fbi investigation, that could go on for months and months and months, maybe a year or two. the grand jury, though, is meeting right now. when do you anticipate we'll get a decision from the grand jury? >> i really can't say, wolf. i must say in a case like this one where there's such great public concern from what's going on and justice taking place in this case, we believe that there is of public importance that both officials move with due dill jans igence to come forwar their investigation. we're of the opinion that given the resources that both agencies have, both the federal and the

state, that they should come to a conclusion sooner than later on these investigations. >> daryl parks represents the brown family. mr. parks, thanks very much for joining us. >> thank you for having me. still ahead, we're learning new details about the death of michael brown and the contradictions told by police and witnesses. and later, the isis executioner with the british accent who beheaded james foley. we're show you how authorities are now closing in on a suspected terrorist. ♪ life-changing decision. at university of phoenix, we know going back to school is a big decision. that's why we offer students new to college a risk-free period. so you can commit to your education with confidence.

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just hours after the funeral for michael brown, we're getting

new information about the killing by the police officer. let's go to him. you're learning new information from sources about what officer wilson is telling investigators, is that right, evan? >> reporter: that's right, wolf. we're hearing that he told investigators that as he was coming back from answering a medical emergency call nearby, he came across these two young men, michael brown and dorian johnson, the friend, and he found them walking down the middle of the street. and according to the account he's provided to investigators, he told them to move out of the way out of the middle of the street and to go onto the sidewalk. he said they refused, that they were blocking his path as he was trying to make his way down the road and that's how this confrontation began. obviously this is very important because some of the portrayals frankly from the accounts was michael brown was shot down, you know, essentially for jaywalking and the officer is telling a more complicated story perhaps,

wolf. >> what are your sources telling about the grand jury that's now been conconvened. >> reporter: we know, wolf, that the grand jury is going to meet on wednesday. we're told they're already seeing some problems with witnesses having various accounts that contradict each other or shifting and they've seen witnesses that have shown up and frankly reciting things that they saw on television which often happens in big cases like this where there's media attention. it's not uncommon for them to come across this type of problem. >> i think you're right. evan paris from ferguson. thank you. guys, thanks very much. it's pretty common, tom. you're a former assistant to the fbi. let's say there are ten

eyewitnesses and there's not ten accounts but two or three raddic dlirchlt accounts, right? >> you could not only get ten different accounts but 30, wolf, if they change their story three times each. that's another problem with this. they may have given their story to one reporter that day or the next day and later give a different series of stories to the investigators and later yet in front of the grand jury telling other stories. that's not completely uncommon to have stories shift within the same person's account. >> as far as we know, jeffrey, there's no actual video of the shooting after he was shot and killed but no video that we've seen, at least not yet of the actual incident, right? >> that's right. certainly as far as i know and as far as i've seen. what's important to keep in mind about these multiple versions, especially multiple versions potentially influenced by news media coverage is that all of that becomess grist for

cross-examination if there's a trial. you said something different back in august. what about what you said in september? these things make a criminal case more difficult by having multiple versions, and if it's all with the grand jury there are lots of transcripts which, again, are fodder for cro cross-examination. >> that's why they don't like to put them in there. >> we've heard them say there are other eyewitnesses that claim they say what happened but they haven't yet been public about it, but he doesn't know of any other videotape that hasn't yet surfaced. donna, when you look at the funeral today, there were three officials from the white house, senior officials who went representing obviously the president of the united states. there's some criticism that that may have been inappropriate in a sensitive criminal -- potentially criminal case like

this that we're sort of tilting the wheels of the hands of justice if you will. what's your reaction to that? >> of course, i disagree with the criticism. look. one of the white house officials who attended went to high school with ms. leslie mcspadden, so there's no reason to criticize the white house officials who attended. there's no reason to criticize eric holder's involvement. look, the day afternoon this incident, the justice department division of community relations, they were there to help not just the local officials but also the protesters. so there's no question that the white house around i think the justice department has played a very important role. >> when you take a look at the situation out there for the president of the united states, how has he been dealing with this? we know eric holder, the attorney general, went out there, was very well received by the community. but is there something else that the president, you think, cornell, should be doing? >> a couple of things, wolf. one thing, i think the president can be unique in this being the

first african-american president, being the first president, already, on record from a mixed white and black couple. but first and for most, this is a ghost that's been haunting me. what did any of them do. this is a ghost that's been haunting for a long time. they can't change people's hearts. one of the things that was hoping when the president was elected in 2008 is that we could bring blacks and hispanics together as one. we talk about political polarization in this country. it's actually a ratio of it. you don't have to look past 2012 results to see the polarization. the president is unique in that he has the ability not through legislation but from who he is to give voice to the need to bring all americans together. >> has he done what you want him to do? >> he's been a little busy, you know, from syria. he's been a little busy. i'm hoping and a lot of us are hoping that toward the end of

his presidency when we can get away from some of these other pressing problems this is a problem that the president can speak to in a very unique way and help brijs americans together across ratio lines. >> jeffrey, having three white house officials there at the funeral service was that prejudicial to whatever the legal case is? >> not a bit. i mean, you know, if there is a legal case, it will be months down the line. there is no way a defendant in this case could prove prejudice by three aid aides going to the to this funeral. keep in mind also this wasn't just the shooting of an african-american young man. this was a riot. there was looting. i mean this was a major national event. that's why we have the white house and the justice department to pay attention to major national events. so the idea that these people going to the funeral is somehow crazy or inappropriate just seems wrong to me. >> tom, you worked with the fbi.

what do you think? >> i agree completely. i'd like to add eric holder, the attorney general, to have the credibility to be able to tell the family and indirectly the family supporters that the federal investigation, there will be no transparency, don't expect it. the fbi investigation will be a secret and it will take time. so don't expect a hurried investigation. we need patience, we need time, we need peace in the meantime and think that message coming from him had credibility that it might not have had from any official. >> if there's no indictment, criminal charge against the police officer who shot and killed michael brown, what happens? >> well, let's hope that the wheel wheels of justice will work their way so we have a fair outcome so the people of ferguson knows that everything, everybody exhausted themselves to find justice to find out what happened to this young man, unarmed, murdered, lying on the street for four hours.

>> i don't understand. do you understand why the body was out there for so many hours before somebody came and collected the body or put a cover over the body? >> i think there were probably -- i agree it looks terrible but in their minds they don't want to lie a cloth on top or tamper with him that might affect hairs or fibers on the body. they should have put something around the body so they couldn't see ill, cordoned it off while they were waiting for the forensic team to come out there. >> quickly can i get in on this ideal of justice? they talked about it. there is no justice without political power. political power, with political power, justice comes more swift. if you don't, you're at the mercy or convenience of those with power. when you look at is -- this is something reverend jackson looked at over the weekend. when you don't understand the

political system and understand the lack of officials they have right now, we need to understand it's kelkted to power. >> justice will come. we need peace. i'm with michael brown's father on that. >> let's hope it's a peaceful night and days and weeks to come. just ahead michael brown's mother shares her grief with two women who know all too well what she's going through. this is an exclusive cnn interview you'll see this hour. up next they're analyzing the beheading of james foley frame by frame. they're on the brink of identifying his killer. they're going to show you how they're closing in on the suspected terrorist right now.

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the fighters of isis are flaublting their latest. right now the white house is actively considering whether to expand its air strikes on isis in syria. let's go to senior white house correspondent jim acosta. he has the very latest. what's going on, jim. >> reporter: today the white house says president obama has not made any decision to take action against isis inside sy a syria. he talked somewhat cautiously about acting any time soon. that was after defense secretary chuck hagel last week who

described isis beyond anything we've seen. today they say they do not pose a threat to the u.s. homeland and they pointed to something dempsey said over the weekend. he said, quote, i can tell you with great certainty and clarity, dempsey said, it would certainly be my strong recommendation we would deal with it. here's what earnest had to say about that. >> you said there's no evidence of an active plot right now against the united states. >> that's what the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said. >> that seems to be a different question though than does isis pose a national security threat to the united states. >> that's correct. >> the answer is what? >> the answer to that is we are concerned about the threat that's posed by isil. >> not much more clarity than that. meanwhile syria's foreign minister demanded that the u.s. government consult with bashar al assad.

that's the same one that the white house considered striking last year. he said, no, they will not be speaking with him before that. >> will they have to go to congress first to get authorization if u.s. is to launch air strikes against isis targets in syria? >> that's right. we flash back to last year. he called on congress to authorize air strikes but the white house suggested today that will not happen this time around. as josh earnest said, this operation would be different. wolf. >> jim acosta at the white house. thanks very much. british officials say they're close to identifies the executioner. he spoke in a british accent on the gruesome video of the killing. brian todd has more on the investigation. brian, where does it stand right now? >> wolf, we've been speaking with government sources in the united states and in britain and the sense we're getting is that

the naming of james foley's killer is imminent. intelligence have picked apart this video. analysts have narrowed down where this militant could be from and other clues are emerging. intelligence officials are on the cusp of identifying the man who may have killed james foley. >> we're close. forgive me if i can't get much closer than that. >> is it the man seen in this video. we're told they're picking apart the video, looking at the background, the terrain and his voice. >> any 'tempt by you, obama, to deny them their results will result. >> some believe because of the way he speaks generally about muslims he could be a convert to islam, possibly from south london or that city's east end. >> he's very well educated and from what you would loosely call

a middle-class professional background. the voice to me seems to be under the age of 30. >> reporter: but matthew levitt, former counterterrorism analyst with fbi says intelligence officials will look at other physical traits. >> the first thing you're going to look at is his height, his build. you're going to see as we play the video that he's left handed. you're going to get a close look at his eyes. >> but there are still doubts. the video is edited and goes dark at the pup ported point of the murder. you don't actually see the murder. >> some say he didn't do the actual murder. he's just being used as the spokesperson because of his fluency in english and his british accent. >> other communications could give clues. a letter from james foley to his family written while he was in captivity gives a small hint of the size of at least one place he was held. 18 of us have been together in one cell, he writes, but even when authorities identify foley's killer, how will they

respond? various reports say the killer is likely in syria with isis, probably moving around but u.s. officials say no one is out of reach. >> we've made very clear time and again if you come after americans, we'll come after you, wherever you are. >> and analyst matthew levitt points out that reports that british forces are on the ground in that area looking for the man in the video. the clock is ticking. isis is still holding three americans including freelance journalist steven sotloll and they're threatening to kill him. >> thanks very much. next we have two former cia officers standing by. robert bair and rue mar. they're both here. we're going to discuss what's coming on. also ahead an exclusive and emotional interview with michael brown's mother joined by two other women whose sons were also gunned down, the mothers of sons

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latest on the isis terrorist. has the united states considered air strikes in syria. we're joined by two former cia officials. i don't think air strikes can punish isis, hurt isis but you can't defeat isis by air alone, right. >> >> no, wolf. they're putting down routes. it's very clear they're establishing their own state, issuing i.d. cards, beating the kurds the last couple of days. they're here to stay. and a few air strikes is precisely what they want. they want to characterize themselves as the enemies of the united states. they're not being hurt by this. we have to go beyond that.

>> in iraq you can't really defeat isis with the air power. you've got to go on the ground so whether the iraqi military or kurdish or those can do it, you've kbobt to go in there. u.s. doesn't want to put boots on the ground but somebody's going to have to go and do a ground and assault against isis. >> obviously the kurds can do it within their own domain. they don't have the man power to go outside proper kurdish territory. the iraqi army is in no state after the withdrawal of the u.s. forces. they went into a nosedive. they're increasing the number of troops there. i don't think the white house is being terribly forthright about that but you're going to have a lot of troops. >> to have boots on the ground. you're going to need more active duty military personnel in iraq right now. you need a lot more than that.

>> you know, with those number of troops you could go in and make a few strikes against, you know, iraq and things like that, but it's not going to destroy the organization. the problem is, wolf, you would need thousands and thousands of troops. we'd have to reoccupy big parts of iraq as well as syria, and i don't think the american people are going to stand for it. there's got to be an inbetween solution. i'm not quite sure what that is, but the people living in there, in isis area, tell me that this is for the long term. they are establishing a state which is going to be very difficult to destroy. >> if the u.s. were, the president's considering this option of launching air strikes into syria, not just in iraq against isis targets, how much damage would that do to isis? >> i mean it could do a fair amount. the problem, i think, in syria, it's going to take them a long time to really establish sufficient intelligence to go

after key targets. i mean they obviously can hit some of the weapon depots and things like that and that's important but i think a syria operation, they've got to be more clever about. again, i think they need to have troops on the ground. >> and you don't have in syria, bob, any of the ground support that you have in iraq. in iraq you have some iraqi military who are with you. you have the peshmerga and those. in syria, what do you have? >> you have nothing. the free army is not reliable. we have no allies to speak of. zero intelligence where isis is located. don't forget in this country you have sa-11 missiles, the same that took down the airliner. it's going to be a lot more difficult to go in there. >> which raises the question is it totally unrealistic for the u.s. to coordinate air strikes in syria against the common enemy of bashar al assad, the

president of syria and the common enemy of the u.s., the isis forces? would it be totally absurd to think the u.s. might coordinate air strikes with the regime in damascus? >> i suspect the administration knows that cooperation with the assad regime is pretty precarious, and i don't think they really need to do that if they -- >> they have good surface-to-air missiles. they could be in trouble. >> they could be. but i think the united states, if the assad regime were to launch those in fairly quick order the u.s. navy would be able to take care of those if they want to do so. >> do you agree with that, bob? >> i think we would have to respond, yes. but i mean the problem is with cooperating with bashir al assad, he's a shiite muslim essentially and we would look like we're taking sides in that civil war which has a lot of down sides. we don't want to get in the middle of a sectarian conflict. that's why it's such a fine line this administration is walking.

>> thanks very much for joining us. coming up, don lemon's exclusive interview with michael brown's mother and the mothers of trayvon martin and sean bell. they talk about the worst part about burying a young son much too soon. their words of comfort and their words of grief. that's just ahead. so what we're looking for is a way to "plus" our accounting firm's mobile plan. and "minus" our expenses. perfect timing. we're offering our best-ever pricing on mobile plans for business. run the numbers on that. well, unlimited talk and text, and ten gigs of data for the five of you would be... one-seventy-five a month. good calculating kyle. good job kyle. you just made partner. our best-ever pricing on mobile share value plans for business. now with a $100 bill credit for every business line you add. having a perfectly nice day, when out of nowhere a pick-up truck slams into your brand new car. one second it wasn't there and the next second... boom!

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michael brown's mother was told that his funeral today would be the worst day of her life. the warning comes from two women attending the service and know what she is going through. the mothers of trayvon martin and shawn bell.

all three women sat down with don lemon for an emotional interview about what it is like to have your young son gunned down and than try to carry on. >> what with these moms, these women, they can offer you something that the guys can't, right? that husbands can't. >> yeah. >> what can they offer you? >> they speaking to me from experience. you know. they are offering me something now that i can't say what it is. but it is something. >> something is more than nothing. >> when we were standing there waiting to meet her, you turned to valarie and sabrina and you said, are you having flashbacks of this moment? >> yes, she did. >> when it was the day before the -- >> yes, strong part of flash back is my son eight years ago. that's my flash back and

thinking of her at that time, her son was 10 years old when it happened. i thought, to say to her, keep the memories in your heart. that will help to you continue to carry on with your son. and believe in having faith god will help you and family members. my son would tell me, ma, i got this. so i'm telling you, ma, you got this. it is okay to cry, scream. i still do after eight years. >> you have to focus on when he was smiling. focus on his first day of school. focus on christmas day and things like that. the happier times. put a picture up when he was happy. focus on those. not the death. that will eat away at you. >> lindsay, it's hard and you're probably thinking right now, that i'm sure it doesn't seem real to you, but these ladies are examples that you can survive this. and i can't -- maybe i'm not

putting it in right words but can you ever be whole again? >> i don't think it is matter of being a whole. what i think it is is a matter of a new life. and this is the new life. this is -- i can never go back to who i was and what i was because i'm missing something very precious in my life and something very special. >> losing my son was like losing part of your body. but you remember. you remember what that part of your body has done for you. like losing an arm, you know what the arm did. so keep the memories and carry on. >> this will be very difficult an have you dealt with it, is character assassination. i think you describe it as character assassination, one of you. what do you mean by that? >> that means that people that don't even know her son is going to say negative things about him

just to portray him in a different light. in a negative light. just to try to justify what happened. >> is that one of the hard of the parts, you even thinking about people talking about your son? >> no. the hardest part for her is going to be home going service. as i have said, that is the absolutely worst day of her life as a mother. because there is no words that can bring comfort to her as a mother, by seeing her son in the casket. >> do you go around the house in the kitchen, do you talk to trayvon? >> absolutely. >> yes. >> absolutely. >> do you? >> yes. if i know something has to be done, ma, i got this. his favorite saying, ma, i got this. >> do you do the same thing?

>> especially when it rains. >> why? >> something about the rain. something about it. >> that makes you -- >> i feel -- he's there. he's there. he's watching over you. >> what was it like meeting her? >> i'm glad i met you. it brought back memories of my son. >> it's hurtful. but at the same time, it's comforting. because i know she needs people that understand what she is going through.

>> and what was it like meeting these ladies? they have been saying everything how they feel about you, what's it like meeting them? what do you want to say to them? >> i'm sorry you had to go lieu it. and i'm sorry about yours too. >> thank you all. >> i got you. i got you. i got you. >> very powerful interview. you can catch a lot more of that interview later tonight. don will be reporting from furgason. there's a full report coming up later tonight. 10:00 p.m. eastern. 10:00 p.m. eastern here on cnn. remember you can follow us on twitter. can you tweet me at wolf

blitzer. can you tweet the show at cnnsitroom. can you watch us live or dvr the show so you won't miss a moment. thanks very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." er erin ber net "outfront" starts right now. >> conflicting messages. is the threat to the u.s. beyond anything we've ever seen or is the homeland not yet at risk? plus, an american is free tonight after being held in syria by terrorists for nearly two years. why was he spared just days after another american was brutally killed there. and remembering michael brown. a community and some very famous faces paying their respects in st. louis today. will they be a catalyst for real change? let's go "outfront."