By- Suzie-Q @ 5:15 PM MST
From: Crooks & Liars
You knew it was coming. We thought he’d be fired at C&L, but Fallon resigned instead. Robert Gates took the stage and was battered with questions today as he announced the departure of Chief Admiral Fallon, who asked out of the administration:
The top U.S. military commander for the Middle East resigned Tuesday amid speculation about a rift over U.S. policy in Iran. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Adm. William J. Fallon had asked for permission to retire and that Gates agreed. Gates said the decision, effective March 31, was entirely Fallon’s and that Gates believed it was “the right thing to do.”
As you may recall Fallon was openly against starting a war with Iran.
Admiral William Fallon, then President George W. Bush’s nominee to head the Central Command (CENTCOM), expressed strong opposition in February to an administration plan to increase the number of carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf from two to three and vowed privately there would be no war against Iran as long as he was chief of CENTCOM, according to sources with access to his thinking.
According to Gates, Fallon resigned because the fall-out from the article. Gates said Fallon told him: “The current embarrassing situation, public perception of differences between my views and administration policy, and the distraction this causes from the mission make this the right thing to do.” Gates said he approved Fallon’s request to retire with “reluctance and regret.
The National Security Network compiles examples of Fallon’s dissenting views from the Bush administration.
This is very bad news.
Fallon, as an article I posted on this site a few days ago, said, was perhaps the only man standing between Bush and his possible designs to attack Iran.
Was he forced to resign? Or did he do so because he thought, mistakenly, that it was the “right thing to do” because of policy differences between himself and the Bush adminsitration?
If the latter, then it was definitely the wrong thing to do.
Anthony,
The Stock Markets are going to reel from this news tomorrow!
It doesn’t matter if Fallon was pushed out or not, the only thing that matters now is that it is a certainty that Bush & Cheney are going to hit Iran with nukes.
Soon!
This is suicide for America because Russia has warned us and so has China and the Pentagon’s own study said it’s incredibly difficult, not to mention the blow back that it will create for us at home as far as Oil.
It looks to me like the CFR boys gave the White House the word because of the Oil situation in the persian gulf. (namely the Iranian Oil Bourse selling in “other” currencies thereby threatening the dollar further..)
Bush and Cheney are mad!
We’re going into Global Thermonuclear War!
WW3!
Duhhbya praises Fallon
“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.”
But doesn’t mention his leadership and diplomacy with Iran, nor does he mention Fallon’s meetings where he advised Musharraf in difficult times…G:
Comments from DEM Sen Majority Leader Harry Reid on Fallon’s Abrupt Resignation:
Being in charge of CENTCOM he was the final stumbling Block to attacking Iran as was the original plan and reason for attacking Iraq to get into the middle east. Gates is against it but he doen’t matter! Could be around June but definitely it will happen before the election.
Kind of suspicious isn’t it that the chief war monger and advocate of attacking Iran cheney, will be there shortly supposedly to say how much we want peace, Yeah before we friggen attack!
Wordgeezer,
Dumbya praises his worst enemies in public while he stabs them in the back…
Admiral Fallon might be a more formadible enemy of Bu$hco now that he is an ex military leader. He’ll make General Wesley Clark look like a pussy cat…
Admirals against WW3!…
Fallon is the coolest…
Lay it on them Reid! Impeach them for an illegal war!
Hey Wordgeezer,
Remember Fallon’s Comments about Patraeus:
“Petraeus Is ‘An Ass-Kissing, Little Chickensh*t,’ ‘I Hate People Like That’”
LMAO*)
We all think Fallon is a real American hero!
LOL that was funny GEF!
We love you Admiral Fallon!! *Smooch*
hehe
I’m optimistic. Juan Cole thinks this has more to do with Iraq than Iran. But, no mistaking: Fallon was unusual in that, while in uniform, he was actually conducting public diplomacy. Admiral Fallon was the ‘good cop’. Now, for the next 10 months anyway, all we have are the bad cops and the bad guys. Good night and good luck with that.
See video: Why Fallon’s Resignation is Frightening Defense Secretary Robert Gates did not have to accept Admiral Fallon’s resignation. “The military people think basically that Admiral Fallon was PUSHED OUT” – Mark Thompson Time Magazine National Security Correspondent
Fallon is described as “the one person in the military or Pentagon standing between the White House and war with Iran.”
GEF
Yep, I saw that. Lord help us if Betray us replaces him…
Thanks for the video’s RP. Will be posting it on my blog.
Cheers…G: