Non Spitzer Breaking News: Adm Fallon, Commander of Central Command Resigns

Resigns, pushed. Tomato, tomahto.

WASHINGTON — Admiral William Fallon, the head of U.S. Central Command, which leads U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan is stepping down, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Tuesday.

Gates said Fallon said misperceptions about differences between his ideas and U.S. policy are making it too difficult for him to operate. Gates said their differences are not extreme, but the misperception has become too great.

I don't know whether he was misinterpreted or whether people attributed views to him that were not his views, but clearly there was a concern," Gates said.

Apparently this had a lot to do with an article in Esquire where the Admiral voices disagreement with the administrations thoughts on Iran.

The article credits Fallon with "brazenly challenging his commander in chief" over a possible war with Iran, which Fallon called an "ill-advised action," and implies Fallon would resign rather than go to war against Iran.

Fallon took command of CentCom (the command responsible for both Iraq and Afghanistan) a few days less than a year ago.

Expect Democrats to have a field day with this.

MORE:

Here’s the Esquire article. Admiral Fallon clearly takes an expansive view of his role but the administration can’t claim surprise on that front. His actions at CentCom seem in line with what he did at PacCom.

Also, I am not familiar with the author, Thomas Barnett, but he throws around the term ‘neocon’ a little too much for my liking. Absent an actual definition, it seems to be nothing more than a taunt for people he doesn’t like.

Admiral Fallon was not pleased with the results of the article, calling it, "poison pen stuff" and "really disrespectful and ugly."

Not everyone thinks this move is about policy differences. Blackfive says it may be part a plan for General Petraeus to take over Central Command.

posted by DrewM. at 03:38 PM

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