Thread: Adm. William Fallon 'may lose job over Iran war' opposing Bu

Fallon 'may lose job over Iran war'
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:54:40

Adm. William Fallon, the head of the US Central Command, may lose his job for opposing President Bush's plans to wage war against Iran.



According to a new Esquire article by Thomas Barnett; Admiral Fallon may be prematurely 'relieved of his command' as soon as this summer to be replaced with a more 'pliable' commander.

"If that were to happen, it may well mean that the president and vice-president intend to take military action against Iran before the end of this year and don't want a commander standing in their way," says the article which will be published on March 12.

Admiral Fallon, who has been named as 'one of the best strategic thinkers in uniform today' by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, opposed the troops surge in Iraq and has consistently battled with President George W. Bush to avert confrontation with Iran.

The Navy admiral has vowed that an attack on Iran would 'not happen on his watch', calling the White House warmongering echelons 'not helpful'.

Washington and its allies are at loggerheads with the Islamic Republic over the country's nuclear standoff with the West.

The Bush administration accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weaponry, while Tehran maintains its uranium enrichment will only provide fuel for the country's under-construction nuclear power plants.

President Bush insists the military option against Iran remains on the table, while his top military experts, including Admiral Fallon, urge the White House to choose a diplomatic approach towards Tehran.

In a Thursday White House press briefing, spokeswoman Dana Perino was asked about the Esquire piece and refused to confirm whether Fallon's position is secure until the end of his tenure.

MD/RE

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=4 ... id=3510203

Fallon: No military move against Iran
Sun, 18 Nov 2007 17:56:35
Head of US Central Command Admiral William Fallon
Head of the US Central Command Admiral William Fallon has reiterated that Washington will not seek 'a military strategy' against Iran.

Speaking to reporters in Cairo on Sunday, Admiral Fallon said the White House seeks more 'helpful ways' to resolve Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.

Admiral Fallon, who oversees military operations in the Middle East, said the prospect of a US strike against Iran, which has been portrayed by the media, is 'not very accurate'.

"My first objective is to try to encourage the atmosphere that will lead to a solution without military force," he added.

The US CENTCOM Chief's remarks come at a time when the Bush administration is trying to revamp its Iran policy.

Analysts believe by accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weaponry, Washington is attempting to manipulate public opinion.

However, IAEA Chief Mohamed ElBaradei's report on Iran, which was released on Thursday, confirmed the peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear activities.

MD/HGH/RE

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=3 ... =351020104

Fallon: Iran strike 'strategic mistake'
Mon, 12 Nov 2007 17:26:12
Head of the US Central Command Admiral William Fallon
Head of the US Central Command Admiral William Fallon has said the Pentagon is not preparing for a pre-emptive attack against Iran.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Adm. William Fallon said while resolving the Iranian issue is a 'challenge' for Washington, a military strike is not 'in the offing'.

"Another war is just not where we want to go," said Adm. Fallon, who oversees military operations in the Middle East.

He added that attacking Iran as a means to force Tehran to alter its nuclear policies is not 'the first choice in [his] book'.

According to several senior active and retired military officers, the Pentagon believes striking Iran would be 'a strategic mistake'.

The US and its allies have accused the Islamic Republic of pursuing nuclear weaponry, while Iran and UN nuclear watchdog have repeatedly rejected the allegations as 'baseless'.

Amid Washington's increasing bellicose rhetoric against Tehran, analysts have raised the question whether Washington plans to wage a war against Iran.

MD/HGH/MG

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=3 ... =351020101

War with Iran is imminent, and since Bush's original plans to "stage" an Iranian attack against the U.S. to justify military retaliation against Iran were thwarted by the leaked N.I.E. in December, Plan B gave Israel the "green light" to launch the retaliatory strike to "defend their national security", in which the U.S., E.U., and NATO alliances will quickly join forces to protect their ally against Iran. It won't be long, because every day that passes, Russia and China grow stronger militarily, as does their alliance with Iran. So it will be very soon!