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Ford Recalling Millions of Vehicles for Defect; Two Israeli Soldiers Killed in Southern Lebanon; Operation Rolling Thunder in Long Island

Aired August 04, 2006 - 08:30   ET

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

SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Ford is recalling more than a million trucks and vans and SUVs because of a defect that could cause engine fires. You might remember last year Ford recalled 4.6 million vehicles for the same exact problem.
Jean Jennings is the editor-in-chief of "Automobile" magazine. She's in Farmington Hills in Michigan.

Jean, as always, nice to see you. Thanks.

JEAN JENNINGS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "AUTOMOBILE" MAGAZINE: Good morning

O'BRIEN: OK. So, here's my -- let's start first with the -- who's named in the recall here. Let's put it up on the screen so people can see if the vehicle they own -- boy that's tiny print. Here we go. 1994 to 2002 F250s, 350s, 450s, 550 trucks. 2000 to 2002 Excursion SUVs. '94 to '96 Econoline vans. '96 to 2002 E-450 vans. '98 Explorer SUVs. '98 Mercury Mountaineer SUVs.

So these are the people who need to be really concerned and listen up to this segment. My question for you is -- we've heard this before. Why such a delay between the two recalls, the very big one and then this one?

JENNINGS: Well, it's been a real pain. This actually goes back to 1999. There is a switch that -- that when you have your cruise control on and you press the brakes to shut the switch down, it's that switch that's going bad. And this is a new problem. The difficulty is, in a fire, it's very hard to find out what exactly happened. The government is saying that this is one of their most exhaustive investigations. And they expect no more than recalls after this.

But this -- there are 20 million of these switches in use. And they finally figured out that the switch in question, the problem switch, is in the case where they install the switch vertically instead of horizontally. So, in an upright position, there's a vacuum caused that causes this problem.

O'BRIEN: Can you explain then why the long time between the two recalls?

JENNINGS: Well, '99 was a little different problem. It was actually a problem inside the switch. This time, it's a situational problem. But it is the same switch, which makes it quite difficult. The problem, you know -- and the reason it is so difficult is that this happens when the key is out of the ignition, the car is parked. This -- this connection is hot all the time. And it causes fires when you're nowhere near your vehicle. When a car burns down, it becomes difficult to figure out what's wrong.

O'BRIEN: So, a lot of the evidence really wasn't left behind.

JENNINGS: Absolutely.

O'BRIEN: In a lot of cases that we saw, people's homes also burned to the ground when the car was inside the garage. What do you do if you look up and you say oh, my gosh, my car is on that list?

JENNINGS: Well, the first thing you would do, I would say, is don't mark it near anything flammable. You know, that's kind of obvious. But the -- Ford is saying now they have enough -- they have a little fix, it's a fused wiring harness that has to be installed at the dealer. If you go into the dealer, Ford says now they have enough of these parts to cover all the vehicles.

If your car is on this list, go to the dealership and have the fix done. It's a quick little fix, as well. You know, it's a $20 part. But, you know, who knows? They don't tell you how much it costs -- it's going to cost them to fix this. But it's going to cost labor, it's going to cost a part and it's times six million vehicle, more than six million vehicles.

O'BRIEN: In a company that's already struggling financially, certainly.

JENNINGS: Back week for Ford. Maybe they should take to Carlos Gowan (ph).

O'BRIEN: Maybe they should. Jean Jennings, the editor-in-chief of "Automobile" magazine. Thanks, Jean.

JENNINGS: Thank you.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, major break in that serial shooter case in Phoenix. We'll tell you what the cops are saying this morning. And this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of drugs, a lot of narcotics, a lot of guns around here. Street lights come on around here, you got to really be careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'BRIEN: It's a dangerous life if you're a U.S. marshal. We'll take you on an operation to hunt down felons. That's ahead on AMERICAN MORNING. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Good morning. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Soledad O'Brien.

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Rick Sanchez, in today for Miles O'Brien.

O'BRIEN: Nice to have you.

SANCHEZ: It's good to be here. Always good to be here with you. I can't say that enough.

O'BRIEN: Why, thank you, Rick.

Two Israeli soldiers killed this morning in new fighting in southern Lebanon. Their tank was hit with a missile. Israeli -- Israel, rather -- is launching attacks of its own, battering villages throughout the area, including Tyre. We've seen some pictures from there.

And that is where CNN's Ben Wedeman is standing by for us. Good morning, Ben.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Soledad. Those two Israeli fatalities took place just down the coast from here, in a place called Marqaba (ph), which is one of those areas where we have seen some artillery coming in. Mostly artillery falls on the coastal area stretched behind me. Otherwise, there's been a fair amount of Israeli air strikes throughout the day, basically all to the east and to the south.

A little while ago, we saw one Katyusha rocket being fired in the direction of northern Israel. And I could hear in the distance, but could not make out, other Katyusha launches, as well. It's been a very busy day in much of south Lebanon. You mentioned those two Israeli soldiers killed in Marqaba.

We're hearing reports that there was an air raid in the Bekaa Valley, in the town of Stura (ph). And in that case, we've seen reports of as many as 25 civilian casualties. No precise figures on dead and injured. And so, basically, we've seen steady military activity here, Soledad, throughout the day.

O'BRIEN: Ben Wedeman this morning for us. He's in Tyre in Lebanon. Thanks, Ben -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Let's do this now. For a look at what's coming up this weekend, let's go to Betty Nguyen and Tony Harris. They're both in Atlanta, standing by to bring us up to date on what they're going to be following.

Hey, guys, how are you?

BETTY NGUYEN, CNN ANCHOR: Hey there. Good morning, Rick.

Well, let me tell you what's going up this weekend. The scandal surrounding Tour de France winner Floyd Landis, well that is going to heat up tomorrow. TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We are expecting results from his second drug test. Could the American cyclist lose his title? And what goes into testing elite athletes? We will explain.

NGUYEN: Good question. And take a look at this. He is an Iraqi war veteran, and a double amputee. See if we got some video of this coming up. Now the Lance Corporal is a victim of a D.C. crime, of all things. You want to hear this marine's story. That's tomorrow at 10:30 Eastern.

HARRIS: And Betty, the long-awaited World Trade Center film from Oliver Stone hits theaters in less than a week. Coming up Sunday, in our "Faces of Faith" series, we will talk to a survivor about how that day changed her life and her relationship with God. That's at 7:30 a.m. Eastern.

NGUYEN: You know, I've actually seen a preview of that movie.

HARRIS: You have?

NGUYEN: Very powerful.

And, hey, we're also going to bring you live reports from the Middle East throughout the weekend. A lot going on there, as you well know. For the latest developments on the crisis, stay tuned to CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

HARRIS: Soledad, Rick, back to you in New York.

NGUYEN: You got it, guys. We will. Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Tony, Betty, look forward to it.

HARRIS: Good day.

NGUYEN: Have a great Friday.

O'BRIEN: Still to come this morning, are you undertaking a new career? Can you guess what we're talking about? Are you undertaking a new career? Andy is going to join us to talk about a hot new profession people are dying to work in.

SANCHEZ: Bah dum bum. He's going to "Minding Your Business."

Also, the dangerous life of a U.S. marshal. We're going to ride along as they actually execute Operation Rolling Thunder. That's next right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Also the dangerous life of a U.S. marshal. We're going to ride along as they actually execute Operation Rolling Thunder. That's next, right here on AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) O'BRIEN: On the hunt for some of America's most dangerous felons. Fifteen teams from federal, state and local agencies on the road for five days. Their goal was to find and to capture these 500 felons.

CNN's Deb Feyerick got to go along on the ride. She's got an exclusive look at what it takes to tackle crime.

Were you scared going into this? This sounds very risky, very dangerous.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not exactly. The truth is the first time you get out of the car, your adrenaline is going, your heart is racing a little bit, but then you realize that they've got this thing very well under control. There are a lot of bad people; they think they can get away with committing crimes. Think about it, the jails are overcrowded, the courts are overwhelmed, but there is one special task force, its agents know where the fugitives are hiding, and they're out to get them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I'm showing you guys any photos of the people you recognize, then you got to tell me.

FEYERICK (voice-over): The sun is rising, and we're on a fugitive hunt, riding with U.S. Marshal Bud Spellman (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Try to hit as many early as we can.

FEYERICK: We jump out at Terrence Avenue (ph) in Hempstead, Long Island.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police. Just want to talk to you.

FEYERICK: The banging wakes curious neighbors. Shouting comes from inside the apartment. After a few minutes, police walk out with a 21-year-old suspect, wanted on an outstanding warrant and about to face drug charges.

DEP. LENNY DEPAUL, U.S. MARSHAL, FUGITIVE TASK FORCE: A lot of drugs, a lot of narcotics. A lot of guns around here. When streetlights come on around here, you got to really be careful.

FEYERICK: Deputy Commander Lenny DePaul heads the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force. It's his operation. Over five days, 15 teams...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Watch your back!

FEYERICK: ... with investigators from federal, state and local agencies, fan out across Nassau County, Long Island. They're targeting 500 felons in a sweep called Rolling Thunder. The most dangerous are wanted for rape, assault, robbery.

We're on the front line. (on camera): This guy's a runner?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, he's a runner. So if he's there...

FEYERICK: You think it's going to...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is what it is. Yes.

FEYERICK (voice-over): One of the fugitive is a suspected gang member, wanted on assault and drug charges. The ten-man team knows he's inside. A dog barks wildly. Someone opens the door.

(on camera): The agents have gone inside the house. They were concerned that the person they wanted would try to round once they got to the door. A lot them set up the perimeter out back. The others inside -- we're hearing a lot of noise. We don't know exactly what's going on. We're waiting to see whether, in fact, they are going to bring this guy out.

(voice-over): And they do; a 16-year-old with a felony record.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we made entry into the house, they played a little game with us. The owner of the house said no one was upstairs.

FEYERICK (on camera): We heard they were yelling inside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it was a little bit of yelling. He didn't want to comply or cooperate, I should say. So when we got upstairs, there was a locked door. And the fugitive was behind the door.

FEYERICK: How often is it that people just lie?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the time, for whatever reason. Kids, mothers, fathers, you know, don't want to give up their own family members.

FEYERICK: What is this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) gang.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Police also find what they say could be good intelligence: a plaque which appears to be covered with gang street names. ATF Special Agent Paul Greenfield says intelligence often times comes from the fugitives themselves, some willing to cut a deal rather than go back to jail.

SPECIAL AGENT PAUL GREENFIELD, BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO AND FIREARMS: They may have information on guys that are selling guns or selling drugs or where other felony fugitives are. And they're always willing out themselves out a little bit.

FEYERICK: As we head to the next location, one of the local Hempstead cops gets a tip: a suspect is just blocks away. Luck is with the team. Two men are quickly cuffed and questioned. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't have anything off of these deals, do you? (INAUDIBLE)

FEYERICK: Not all the hits are successful. The team goes to a number of houses, only to find no one home. Word is out, and the fugitives are going underground.

(on camera): Do they have a sense of what's going on?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, drums are beating right now.

FEYERICK (voice-over): Beating in a chase law enforcement is determined to win.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Now in five days, police rounded up more than 150 fugitives, they closed some 200 cases. And this is the kind of operation that really makes a dent. Prosecutors say, many of these criminals are the ones who are committing crime after crime, terrorizing neighborhoods.

O'BRIEN: So how do they decide when they're going to make their move? Obviously they kind of let the criminals sit and be comfortable, be in their homes and then they go.

FEYERICK: That's exactly right. It's a big, organized initiative. You have people from all kinds of agencies sort of planning this out. Once they get those names, then the teams are put together, and they go out very early. The element of surprise is critical. They just don't want these guys running once they get there.

O'BRIEN: Were there any situations where you felt concerned about your own security, because, you know, any of these guys could of run out shooting, and there you are. I know you have a little flak jacket on, but you didn't seem particularly protected to me.

FEYERICK: Well, that's the thing, when they go in, they don't know what they're going to get. They don't how desperate the people inside the houses are, and so there have been cases where people will come out shooting, and that's what they're most concerned about.

But no, personally, we were with a terrific team. They were kind of watching us, and you know, you don't go too close until you make sure that there are no gun fire. So it wasn't too bad.

O'BRIEN: OK. I don't feel more comforted, Deb. Terrific, terrific report. Thanks. And the full report is going to air tonight on "PAULA ZAHN NOW." Of course that's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Thanks -- Rick.

SANCHEZ: Also ahead, a possible break in the serial shooter case we've been telling you about in Arizona, or two of them actually. Only one has the break, though. We've got the very latest on that. We're going to tell you what police are saying. It's a report from Phoenix. It's coming up just ahead.

Stay with AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

O'BRIEN: Andy is about to join us, "Minding Your Business," but first he has this week's edition of "Life After Work."

ANDY SERWER, "FORTUNE" COLUMNIST: That's right, Rick. Today we meet a woman who left the big city behind for a second career in the country and it's been a sheer delight. Check this out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDS BELLIZI, ALPACA RANCHER: Did you need a haircut? Are you not the sweetest thing in the world?

SERWER (voice-over): Sixty-one-year-old Sands Bellizi says she enjoys life a little more, thanks to her alpacas.

BELLIZI: Look at you, earth angel. You look beautiful.

SERWER: After selling her California home, she and her husband Paul (ph) bought land and made future plans.

BELLIZZI: He said, do you want to grow something? Do you want to raise an animal? I said, well, I want to raise alpacas. And he says, what the heck's an alpaca? They were indigenous to the high altitude areas of Peru, Chile and Bolivia, and they're a long domesticated animal.

SERWER: After a couple of years of nurturing her first animals while still working in travel sales, Sands closed her business to raise them fulltime. On their Yerington, Nevada ranch, they breed and sell these semi-exotic animals and market fleeces used for clothing and art.

BELLIZI: Oh, honey, it's all right!

They're not harmed at all. And once they're down on the ground, then they're secured. Then generally they relax. When you take his fiber, just naturally and make it into yarn, you come up with a beautiful male, masculine sweater.

Probably the best benefit of ownership is that it is a relaxed, wonderful place to be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BUSINESS HEADLINES)

O'BRIEN: Oh, ahead this morning, want to update you on our top stories, including what's happening in the Middle East this morning. Lots happening there. We will update you with our correspondents who are there. That's ahead. Stay with us. Also this morning, there's a pro-Hezbollah rally happening in Iraq. A big Shiite community there. Tens of thousands of people, actually, in Sadr City.

And a possible break in the serial shootings case in Phoenix. Two men are now in custody for questioning.

Deadly heat wave breaks, finally, on the East Coast.

And we're back to talking about autism with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the final story in our week-long series, a success story we end with. That's ahead on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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