William J. Fallon

Admiral William J. Fallon, "the top American military officer in the Pacific", was confirmed February 6, 2007, by the U.S. Senate as Commander of U.S. Central Command. 

Fallon replaces Lt. Gen. John P. Abizaid as "part of a broad revamping of the military team that will carry out the administration’s new Iraq strategy," Bush administration officials said January 4, 2007. Abizaid's departure was expected. 

"Admiral Fallon would be the first Navy officer to serve as the senior officer of the Central Command, which is managing simultaneous ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Admiral Fallon is regarded within the military as one of its stronger regional combat commanders, and his possible appointment also reflects a greater emphasis on countering Iranian power, a mission that relies heavily on naval forces and combat airpower to project American influence in the Persian Gulf." 

"Officials also said Admiral Fallon received a persuasive recommendation from the Joint Chiefs as one of the military’s stronger commanders of a geographic theater, with his current command including the challenges of North Korea and China.

"In that capacity, he also took the unusual and punitive move in December of canceling a large, annual field exercise with the Philippines over a local judge’s failure to honor the bilateral treaty governing protections for American military personnel. The judge refused to honor the agreement’s rule that American military personnel remain in American custody pending final appeal of all criminal proceedings against them, and ordered a marine convicted of rape held in a local jail even though the case was on appeal." 

"The changes are being made as the White House is considering an option to increase American combat power in Baghdad by five brigades as well as adding two battalions of reinforcements to the volatile province of Anbar in western Iraq." 

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Exit Strategy from Iraq
 * New Iraq
 * Occupation forces in Iraq
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Four
 * Post-war Iraq
 * Rumsfeld and the Generals
 * stay the course
 * troop surge in Iraq

Profiles

 * William J. Fallon in the Wikipedia.
 * United States Navy Biography: Admiral William J. Fallon, Commander, U.S. Pacific Command.
 * Profile: William Fallon, BBC News.

External articles

 * Michael R. Gordon and Thom Shanker "Bush to name new general to oversee Iraq ," New York Times (Financial Times (UK)), January 4, 2007.
 * Jeff Huber, "Navy Admiral Goes to CENTCOM: Be Very Afraid," Pen and Sword Blog, January 5, 2007.
 * Michael R. Gordon, "A New Commander, in Step With the White House on Iraq," New York Times, January 6, 2007.
 * Ralph Peters, "Eyeing Iran. Why W's Tapping Admiral to Head Central Command," New York Post, January 6, 2007.
 * Thom Shanker, "Adm. William J. Fallon: An Experienced Naval Officer, and a Diplomat," New York Times, January 8, 2007.
 * Ann Scott Tyson, "Admiral's Diplomatic Skills Could Prove Crucial. Central Command Nominee Credited With Achieving U.S. Goals in Asia," Washington Post, January 14, 2007.
 * Christine Hauser, "Admiral Calls for ‘New and Different’ Approach in Iraq," New York Times, January 30, 2007.
 * "US commander warns of Iraq danger," BBC News, January 30, 2007.
 * Anne Flaherty, "Fallon Says U.S. Miscalculated Iraq. Adm. William Fallon, who commands troops in the Pacific region, says U.S. miscalculated Iraq," Associated Press (CBS News), January 30, 2007.
 * "U.S. may have to alter expectations for Iraq: Fallon," Reuters (ABC News), January 30, 2007.
 * Spencer Ackerman, "I could be wrong, could be wrong," Too Hot for TNR Online, January 30, 2007: "... just got back from Admiral Bill Fallon's hearing to head Central Command, and I've never heard a military officer testify for nearly four hours and fail to exhibit an understanding of even one issue he's about to grapple with...."
 * "Senate Panel OKs Fallon, Casey Nominations," Associated Press (Washington Post), February 6, 2007.
 * Dan Froomkin, "How Bush Uses His Generals," Washington Post, July 16, 2007.