March 12, 2008
IRAN BETTER GET READY – Adm. Fallon is fallen!
“The
man (according to
an article in Esquire Magazine—link to full article
here) who is singularly responsible for preventing war” is
quitting! Put it together any way you wish – but the resignation
(read by Defense Secretary Gates) bodes ill for Iran and her nuclear
program. What’s going on here? Rocket scientists need not conjecture
– “The Man between War and Peace” has now been removed. That leaves
the “military option” for the Bush Administration to damn the
torpedoes – full speed ahead!
Iran – you’re in the cross-hairs and you better get ready for the big one! And, America, if marshal law breaks out as a result of the implementation of this dreadful thought – you won’t have to concern yourself about the pleasantries being exchanged among the candidates for what McCain tabbed: WASHINGTON, D.C. – “THE CITY OF SATAN!”
The below-written articles reveal the consequences of Adm. Fallon resignation . . . but troubles existed long before his resignation:
Washingtonpost.com (March 6, 2008)
Fallon has previously made it clear he has differences with the Bush administration's foreign policy. Some White House aides were said to be unhappy with his decision to dump "the long war" as a phrase to describe U.S. efforts against terrorism. In addition, some White House officials were irked by the persistent friction between him and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. Fallon and Petraeus are known to have disagreed about plans and troop levels in Iraq, but Petraeus, even though technically subordinate to Fallon, appears to have more influence with Bush.
Asked about his dealings with Petraeus, Fallon said in a December interview, "That stuff is all overblown. . . . We talk daily." He added, "Dave does internal Iraq. I do the region."
Fallon, a career naval aviator and one of the last Vietnam War veterans on active duty, took over as chief of the Central Command in March 2007, becoming the first Navy officer ever to hold that post. Conservatives have been critical of him for years, faulting him for taking what they considered a dovish stance on China in his previous position of U.S. military commander in the Pacific. Their antagonism has deepened over the past year. "You heard negative things about him almost from the moment he was named, and the chorus has been almost unrelieved," said Tom Donnelly, a hawkish defense expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Top U.S. Mideast commander quits after Iran article
By Andrew Gray and David Morgan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Adm. William Fallon, the top U.S. commander for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, announced his retirement on Tuesday citing what he called false reports of big differences between him and the Bush administration over Iran.
His decision followed a report in Esquire magazine last week which called Fallon "The Man between War and Peace" and portrayed him as resisting a drive by the administration to take tougher action against Tehran.
Announcing Fallon's decision to reporters at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Robert Gates dismissed a conclusion of the Esquire article that if Fallon were to leave his post it would make war with Iran more likely.
"I have approved Admiral Fallon's request to retire with reluctance and regret," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.
"Admiral Fallon reached this difficult decision entirely on his own," he said.
"I believe it was the right thing to do, even though I do not believe there are, in fact, significant differences between his views and administration policy."
The Bush administration says its policy is to use diplomacy to resolve its differences with Iran, particularly over Tehran's nuclear program, but it will not take military options off the table.
Washington and other Western nations say Iran is trying to develop the capability to build nuclear weapons. Iran says its program is to produce energy.
Fallon heads U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, the headquarters that oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been in the post for just under a year.
WAR AND PEACE
The
Esquire article that led to his resignation described Fallon as
challenging the White House and urging restraint on Iran.
Fallon cooperated with the author during the article's preparation but strongly criticized the story after it appeared, describing it as "poison pen stuff".
But Gates said the perception that Fallon was at odds with the administration was not linked just to the article.
"We have tried between us to put this misperception behind us over a period of months and, frankly, just have not been successful in doing so," he said.
Fallon will retire at the end of the month. His deputy, Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, will take charge of Central Command until a long-term successor is chosen, Gates said.
Fallon said he had concluded that perceptions of a rift were hurting his ability to do his job.
"Recent press reports suggesting a disconnect between my views and the President's policy objectives have become a distraction at a critical time and hamper efforts in the CENTCOM region," he said in a statement.
"And although I don't believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command Area of Responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America's interests there," Fallon said.
Both Gates and Bush praised Fallon's military service.
"Admiral William Fallon has served our nation with great distinction for forty years," Bush said in a statement.
"During his tenure at CENTCOM, Admiral Fallon's job has been to help ensure that America's military forces are ready to meet the threats of an often troubled region of the world, and he deserves considerable credit for progress that has been made there, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan," Bush said.
(Reporting by David Morgan and Andrew Gray, Editing by Patricia Wilson and Philip Barbara)
Adm. William Fallon oversaw Iraq and Afghan wars
(Writing by Paul Grant, Washington Editorial Reference Unit; Editing by David Storey)
Adm.
William Fallon, head of the U.S. military command in charge of Iraq
and Afghanistan, stepped down on Tuesday following a magazine article
that portrayed him as challenging President George W. Bush on Iran
policy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said.
Following are some facts about Fallon.
* Fallon, 63, took over on March 16, 2007 as commander, U.S. Central Command, the regional headquarters that oversees military operations in the Middle East, including Iraq and Afghanistan. He succeeded Army Gen. John Abizaid, who retired.
* In his resignation statement he said: "Recent press reports suggesting a disconnect between my views and the President's policy objectives have become a distraction at a critical time and hamper efforts in the CENTCOM region."
* That followed an article in Esquire magazine that portrayed Fallon as resisting a drive by the Bush administration to take tough action against Iran. The magazine described him as "The Man Between War and Peace."
* Fallon, who began his 41-year career as a fighter pilot and flew missions in Vietnam, had previously been head of the U.S. Pacific Command, where he played a major role in the U.S. response to the rapid military build-up by China.
* At his confirmation hearing in January 2007, Fallon told the Senate Armed Service Committee the United States might have to lower expectations for Iraq.
· While he has been overseeing the war in Iraq, the level of violence dropped sharply after President George W. Bush ordered a big deployment of extra U.S. forces last year.
US central command chief Fallon quits amid reports he differed with Bush on Iran
WASHINGTON (Thomson Financial) - The commander of US forces in the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, is stepping down amid reports he differed with President George Bush over Iran, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said today.
Gates announced he had accepted Fallon's resignation just after the admiral issued a statement saying he had requested permission to retire because of a magazine article that portrayed him as opposed to Bush's policies on Iran.
Gates said that was 'a misperception' and there were no significant differences between Fallon's views on Iran and those of the administration.
Fallon is in the midst of a controversy after a magazine article said Fallon has been 'creating serious friction with the White House' and 'brazenly challenging his commander in chief,' over Iran.
Published by Esquire magazine, the profile described Fallon, head of the US Central Command, admiringly as 'The Man Between War and Peace.'
Fallon supports increased diplomacy with Iran and the article said Fallon is singularly responsible for preventing war.
Gates said Fallon's decision to step is 'the right thing to do' because the questions about their policy views had become a distraction, even though he did not consider Fallon's views to be different from the administration's views.
tfn.newsdesk@thomson.com - afp/wash - Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007.