Wednesday, 03.12.08
Admirable
PHOTO BY KOICHI KAMOSHIDA/LIASON/GETTY IMAGES
The appointment of Fallon about a year ago set off alarms in many liberal minds. CENTCOM governs American military assets throughout the greater Middle East, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, and has traditionally been led by an Army or Marine general. Bringing in a Navy man looked like an effort to remind Tehran that not all of America's military assets were tied down in Iraq. Now his unusual decision to announce an early retirement is setting off alarm bells among liberals who worry that Bush may be planning to, as John McCain would put it, "bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."
Rumor had it that Fallon was leading the intra-administration charge against the push by Dick Cheney and others to heighten tensions with Iran. Those rumors got a little too explicit when Thomas Barnett published a glowing profile of Fallon in Esquire that came right out and said, "If we do not go to war with Iran, it'll come down to the same man. He is that rarest of creatures in the Bush universe: the good cop on Iran, and a man of strategic brilliance." This touched off a firestorm of controversy inside the military and the administration, and led to the bizarre spectacle of Fallon's disavowing Barnett's effusive praise.
Then Fallon resigned. Both he and the administration deny that Iran policy played a role (how could it, since they deny the existence of any disagreement over Iran) but the timing is extremely suspicious. At a minimum, the controversy over Barnett's article suggests that there's an ongoing tug-o-war inside the administration over our policy -- and that the hawks still have a strong grip on the rope.
Profile of resignationThomas P. M. Barnett's glowingEsquire profile of Fallon portrayed him as dovish on Iran -- and helped spur his resignation. |
Good riddanceMax Boot says Fallon was wrong about Iraq and emboldened America's enemies in Iran. |
Relax, this doesn't mean warSteve Clemons says Fallon's departure doesn't change the Bush Administration's Iran strategy. |
His own doingFred Kaplan says Fallon "wasn't hounded out." |
HagiographyChris Floyd says the left is making Fallon out to be a peacenik martyr, but he's actually an imperialist thug. |
(2)
ADM Fox Fallon looks like a classic NFO overachiever. Going through an otherwise sterling career as a backseat guy, unlike other NFOs I've known, he did not have the humility to know when he was in over his head.
Which, in a grunt-based command like CENTCOM, he most assuredly was. All by itself, what he has said against GEN Petraeus is beneath a seaman second, let alone a four-star.
As for his policy disagreements with the president, what ADM Fallon (and all officers) are trained to do is think for ourselves, but if an order is lawful, salute and carry it out. Period. No sniping in the media; that's a mark of disloyalty and might even be chargeable under UCMJ (e.g. conduct unbecoming; prejudice of good order and discipline)
Farewell, Admiral; don't let the hatch nail your sorry butt on the way out.
Although it's difficult to know exactly what goes on in this most secretive of administrations, it seems likely that Admiral Fallon is suffering the consequences of opposition to an attack on Iran. Finally, a major military man with courage.
Given all the "unintended consequences" and "collateral damage" flowing from the occupation of Iraq, the disastrous possibilities that would follow an attack on Iran are dreadful to imagine. Let's start with US troops in Iraq trying to defend themselves against a counterattack -- not by organized Iranian tank columns but via a large infiltrated army which would have the active support of Iraqi Shiites. Would we pull forces from Afghanistan? Think about what Iranian-trained Hezbollah troops did to the vaunted Israeli army. And how about a cutoff of oil from the region? Economic collapse, anyone?
Let's hope the press keeps a keen eye on the lunatics who head our government and will hold power for enough time to cause another catastrophe.
Posted by denis | March 13, 2008 12:54 PM