(Originally posted at NedLamont.com.)
The recent troubling resignation of CENTCOM Commander and Bush appointee Admiral William Fallon confirms a pattern that started to emerge even before the Iraq war began five years ago: President Bush is all for letting the military commanders, and not the politicians, make the call in Iraq - but only as long as they agree with President Bush.
Remember the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq? Army General Eric Shinseki testified in front of Congress that the post-war occupation would require hundreds of thousands of troops. He was forced into early retirement.
Four years later, America's senior military commander in the Middle East, General John Abizaid, argued against more American troops and in favor of an increase in Iraqi troops; he was moved aside for Admiral Fallon. Now Admiral Fallon, after expressing his best military judgment that America should accelerate its troop withdrawals from Iraq and stop rattling the sabers at Iran, has also coincidentally decided to retire early.
Commenting on Admiral Fallon only last spring, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates noted that he was "one of the best strategic thinkers in uniform today." But Fallon had a fatal flaw: he was no yes man.
When Senator Joseph Lieberman espoused taking "aggressive military action against the Iranians" last June, and followed up by pushing through the Bush-backed Kyl-Lieberman resolution in the Senate, Fallon countered that the "constant drumbeat of conflict" directed at Iran was "not helpful and not useful."
We saw just last week how America's aggressive military posture continues to play into the hands of Iranian bad boy Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
In stark contrast to President Bush's secretive fly-bys in and out of Iraq, Ahmadinejad was greeted as a conquering hero on his recent visit to Baghdad - with a red carpet, marching bands, hugs and kisses - and, yes, with flowers. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and his cabinet greeted the convoy of black BMWs and stood by silently as the Iranian president saluted the "brotherly" ties between the two nations and gloated that "Iraqis don't like Americans." All that was missing was the "Mission Accomplished" banner overhead. American troops and American officials were conspicuously absent - and clearly not needed to keep the peace - as Ahmadinejad slept soundly in one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, far from the protected green zone.
While the Bush Administration continues to force out military officials who attempt to stand up for common sense, their foreign policy continues in failing to make any strategic progress in containing either Iranian influence or violence across the Middle East.
Long ago, President Bush used to go around saying that "as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down." Admiral Fallon is apparently retiring for advocating that very same strategy in Iraq. And unfortunately, once again, it is a respected military official who is being asked to stand down.
Posted March 14, 2008 | 12:29 PM (EST)