Commander's View in Iraq; Inquest into Daniel Smith's Death
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everyone. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Tony Harris.</s>HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Heidi Collins. Watch events come in to the NEWSROOM live. Here's what's on the rundown for Tuesday, March 27th. He calls the shots now in the Iraq war. The new head of Central Command in a one-on-one with our Kyra Phillips in Baghdad, an interview you'll see only on</s>CNN. HARRIS: An inquest getting under way today in the death of Daniel Smith. The coroner says his mother, Anna Nicole Smith, died from an accidental drug overdose.</s>COLLINS: A rare and expensive Ferrari totaled by a comic movie star. A costly crash. And nobody's laughing -- in the NEWSROOM. In charge and on the ground, the new top U.S. commander in the Middle East is getting a first-hand look at the war in Iraq and the challenges. Can the U.S. regain control with the so-called troop surge? And will Washington allow enough time to achieve that mission? CNN's Kyra Phillips has a one-one-one interview with Admiral William Fallon. He's the new head of U.S. Central Command. It's an interview you'll see only on CNN. So, Kyra, what did the admiral have to say about the security situation there?</s>KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Heidi, as you can imagine, just walking through the streets of Baghdad, walking anywhere in Iraq, he has quite the entourage as he travels. He has to for security reasons. But at the same time, the Iraqi people flock to him. He sits down, he has tea, and guess what they talk about? Security.</s>PHILLIPS: Is that your biggest concern, security? Biggest challenge?</s>ADM. WILLIAM FALLON, COMMANDER, U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND: Of course. Without security, and some sense of stability, that the people perceive that they can actually move forward with their lives, then we're not going to -- not going to be able to get there. I was out actually in the streets the other day and took a little stroll and saw a lot of folks moving around. And they saw me. I'm not sure -- they probably didn't have any idea who I was, but they saw the entourage, so there must be something wrong.</s>PHILLIPS: You must be important.</s>FALLON: So, we came over, and the first thing the guy did was offer me a cup of tea. So, no sooner did I have the tea to my lips, than a large group of people, and they wanted to talk. And every one of them asked for more security, just give us some security. Why? Because they want to go about their lives. They want to -- they want to do things.</s>PHILLIPS: Could you tell them, look, you'll have it, you'll have it in six months, you'll have it in a year? Were you able to say to them...</s>FALLON: Well, I can't make promises that I don't know whether we're going to keep. We're certainly going to be moving in that direction and trying. The big piece of this, they have to really want it. Now, they say they want. They're going to have to demonstrate by actions that they will do everything they can to help us to identify those who are not likely or just definitely not willing to go abide by the rules of justice. There are some killers that are still loose in this country. I think it's a very small percentage of the population. The idea that the whole country is at war with one another I think is absolutely not true, but there are some zealots here that will stop at nothing. And they don't care how many men, women or children they'll kill or maim.</s>PHILLIPS: And you don't think there's civil war?</s>FALLON: No, I don't think it's a civil war. There are factions that are fighting one another.</s>PHILLIPS: And Heidi, that was what was really interesting about what the admiral said, is that it's the responsibility of the Iraqis as well to want that security. And what he was saying is, the U.S. military really depends on local intelligence. There is so much that happens within the districts, within the regions, within the villages, and the locals know where the bad guys are, they know where they are hiding out. And yes, it's a tremendous risk for them to come forward and say something, but that's how coalition forces are getting their hands on members of al Qaeda, other militias and insurgents here in the country.</s>COLLINS: And it must say something, too, Kyra -- obviously, we know that Admiral Fallon, as he walks the streets in Iraq and talks with the people, does have quite a security situation for himself, and I'm sure he feels safe. But him walking around in the streets, I mean, is that rare for someone who is in charge of the entire operation to be able to do?</s>PHILLIPS: Actually, yes. Actually, it is, because it draws a lot of attention when you have such a big entourage, and it brings home the point that the streets of Baghdad are still very dangerous. I mean, we have to travel the same way as well. I mean, we don't have air support and a convoy, obviously, like the head of Central Command, but it's very intense. Now, what you're going to hear about in the next hour is the other areas that he went to throughout Iraq -- Falluja, Anbar, Irbil. And he talks about the progress that he's seen in those areas. He talks about the economy, the activity, and that life is getting better for people in those areas, and he's seen the reconstruction. So I'll tell you more about that in that part of the interview coming up then.</s>COLLINS: All right, Kyra. We look forward to it. Thanks.</s>HARRIS: In less than an hour, an inquest begins into the death of Anna Nicole Smith's son Daniel. It happened last September, just five months before the former playmate died of an accidental drug overdose. CNN's Rusty Dornin has the latest from the Bahamas.</s>RUSTY DORNIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Twenty-year-old Daniel Smith came here to the doctor's hospital in Nassau. He came to celebrate the birth of his baby sister. But three days after she was born, he was found dead in his mother's hospital room. A medical examiner says he died of an overdose of methadone and two antidepressants. Police have now determined his mother died of an overdose, too, although the drugs were different. Her death, they determined, was accidental. But was the son's death an accident, suicide or something else? That's what Bahamian investigators want to know. Chief magistrate Roger Gomez says his sudden death on such a festive occasion was very unusual.</s>ROGER GOMEZ, BAHAMIAN CHIEF MAGISTRATE: On the fact that he came to see his newly-born sister, and for him to just suddenly drop down dead, raises a lot of questions.</s>DORNIN: Now, as part of the inquest into his death, 40 witnesses will be questioned, including hospital staff, friends of Daniel, and police from the U.S. Even Larry Birkhead, the man claiming to be the father of Anna Nicole Smith's 6-month-old daughter, will be one of the first witnesses. Another person authorities here definitely want to talk to -- Howard Stern.</s>GOMEZ: Oh, he would be a very key witness, because he is the only surviving person who was in that room when Daniel died. Anna Nicole, unfortunately, has died. And we were looking forward to hearing her evidence, but unfortunately we don't have it anymore because she has died.</s>DORNIN: One thing that will be talked about are these photos that show methadone found in Anna Nicole Smith's refrigerator after he died. Family and friends say the photos were staged. Anna Nicole Smith did not die from an overdose of methadone. But methadone did contribute to her son's death, according to the medical examiner's report. (on camera): Are you still going to be interested in the fact that there was purported to be methadone in her refrigerator?</s>GOMEZ: Oh, yes. All that will be coming up at the inquest.</s>DORNIN: This is the courtroom where more than 40 witnesses will be questioned about the circumstances surrounding Daniel Smith's death. There will be seven jurors sitting over here. They will reach a verdict. Their verdict will be given as a recommendation to the attorney general. (voice over): They could vote death by misadventure here. That means accidental. Or suicide. But if there is evidence to prove criminal intent, they can draft criminal charges. Tourists are no longer allowed at the graveside of Smith and her son. At the courthouse, the media crowd has gathered to hear the questions about Daniel Smith's death. Questions Bahamian officials hope will soon be answered.</s>HARRIS: And Rusty Dornin joins us live now from Nassau. My goodness, Rusty. Over 40 witnesses to hear from. This is going to take some time. Who are we expecting to hear from today?</s>DORNIN: Well, the judge told us that they were going to try to get the witnesses from the U.S. up first, because they obviously would like to go home after testifying. But it looks like the medical experts would be the first ones to testify, because you have to lay the groundwork for what happened for -- surrounding Daniel Smith's death -- some of the hospital workers and some of the people who came to treat him when they found him in that hospital room unconscious. So, we're expecting medical experts, followed by probably witnesses from the U.S. And, Tony, this inquest is expected to go on for the next three to four weeks.</s>HARRIS: I guess there are worse places to spend the next three or four weeks. Rusty Dornin in Nassau, in the Bahamas for us. Rusty, thank you.</s>COLLINS: Fire and ice, weather to the extreme. This is what you get in south Florida when rain doesn't fall. Wow. Wildfires sweeping across tinder-dry brush. This blaze scorched nearly 300 acres in Lehigh Acres. One home was damaged, at least half a dozen other buildings were destroyed. At last word, the fire was fully contained, but firefighters say dry conditions could help it spread again. No danger of a wildfire in this part of the country. Look at that. The High Sierras in California getting slammed with a spring snowstorm. Parts of that region are expecting up to a foot of snow. So, I haven't lost the entire winter yet? I still might be able to go skiing if I go all the way out there?</s>CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: You can still make it.</s>HARRIS: Taking the fifth. A key aide to the attorney general refuses to testify about the firings of eight federal prosecutors. That story coming up in the</s>NEWSROOM. COLLINS: Also, close to colliding on the runway. Find out what is in the works to make things safer on the ground.</s>HARRIS: More than a dozen British sailors and marines still held by Iran. And now Britain takes a tougher stand. The latest on a tense diplomatic standoff just ahead.</s>COLLINS: And time to hustle. Troops tangle with Taliban in Afghanistan. You get a front row seat.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice over): There are 10 of us exposed to the Taliban fire. The Marines desperately trying to find the firing points.</s>COLLINS: Firefight and fallout in the</s>NEWSROOM. HARRIS: And another brutal beating caught on tape, and this time the victim is a 77-year-old man. Police want your help to find the suspect. The story ahead. Keep it here in the NEWSROOM.