Timing is dicey for war boss's abrupt exit

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon on Tuesday announced the abrupt resignation of the commander overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, who was seen as an internal critic of the Bush administration's troop decisions in Iraq.

The resignation of Navy Adm. William "Fox" Fallon, head of U.S. Central Command, comes at a critical time — a month before highly anticipated recommendations for the future of U.S. involvement in Iraq — and amid a debate among top military commanders over American deployments in the region.

Fallon had rankled senior officials of the Bush administration in recent months with comments that emphasized diplomacy over conflict in dealing with Iran, that endorsed further troop withdrawals from Iraq beyond those already under way and that suggested the United States had taken its eye off the military mission in Afghanistan.

Supporters of the administration's troop buildup argued that Fallon undermined the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Army Gen. David Petraeus.

"He fought Petraeus every step of the way, creating unrealistic demands and extra work," said a former senior Pentagon official.

Fallon's decision, representing the departure of a combatant commander in wartime, stunned even senior officers. Fallon, 63, took over the Central Command only a year ago.

Fallon insisted he had no substantive differences with the White House over policies. Instead, press reports of "a disconnect between my views and the president's policy objectives" had become a distraction, he said.

His resignation was announced at the Pentagon by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who also insisted Fallon had no significant policy differences with the White House.

Fallon's resignation came just a week after the publication of a controversial profile in Esquire magazine under the headline "The Man Between War and Peace," which portrayed the admiral as the primary opponent to a Bush administration plan to bomb Iran.

Across the officer corps, a large number of senior military leaders share Fallon's broad assessment that a war with Iran would bring unexpected, and perhaps unmanageable, risks elsewhere in the Muslim world and around the globe.

In a part of the world with "five or six pots boiling over," Fallon was quoted as saying, "our nation can't afford to be mesmerized by one problem."

Gates was asked whether the unexpected departure could be seen as a prelude to preparation for a war with Iran.

"It's just ridiculous," Gates responded.

A senior Pentagon official said Fallon repeatedly had angered administration officials with his public comments. In one instance, Fallon allowed a New York Times reporter into a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a decision that made Maliki uncomfortable and seemed to upset President Bush. Earlier this month, Fallon testified before Congress that Turkey must reach "accommodation" with the Kurdish Workers Party, a group the U.S. has labeled a terrorist organization.

Sources familiar with internal Pentagon debates said the administration had been souring on Fallon for months, largely because of his strained relations with Petraeus.

Both Fallon and Petraeus are known as hard-charging and intellectually gifted, and clashed over Iraq policy from the time Fallon first traveled to Iraq after assuming command of U.S. Central Command, according to current and former officials.

"I have the distinct impression that Fallon and Petraeus do not like each other personally and disagree dramatically on how extensive our effort in Iraq should be," said Stephen Biddle, a scholar at the Council of Foreign Relations who has advised the military command in Iraq.

A former senior Pentagon official said Fallon early in his tenure told Petraeus he believed Iraq was slumping inevitably toward civil war and the Iraqi government would be unable to turn the tide, meaning the U.S. should find a way to quickly disengage militarily.

By pushing for quicker withdrawals in Iraq, Fallon was seen as siding with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who have warned of stress on U.S. forces.

Fallon and his staff are known to share concerns of the Joint Chiefs about Petraeus' ties to the White House. Petraeus officially works for Central Command. But because he regularly speaks to Bush, Centcom has been left out of planning processes, to Fallon's frustration.

Fallon repeatedly has denied deep differences with Petraeus, who issued a statement calling Fallon a "true warrior."

Gates said Tuesday that Lt. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the Army officer who is No. 2 at Central Command and has served two tours in Iraq since the invasion of 2003, would temporarily take Fallon's place when the admiral retires at the end of this month.

A likely successor to Fallon is Petraeus, some defense experts said. The general could be promoted to the Centcom post and replaced in Baghdad by Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who until last month was Petraeus' deputy in Iraq. Odierno, who has been nominated to become Army vice chief of staff, developed a strong working relationship with Petraeus.

Fallon had replaced Gen. John Abizaid of the Army. Fallon, one of the last Vietnam veterans in the U.S. military, was the first Navy officer selected to lead Centcom, a role traditionally granted to Army and Marine generals such as Norman Schwarzkopf, Tommy Franks and Anthony Zinni.

At the time, a range of senior Pentagon civilians and military officers said Gates had recommended that Fallon move from his post as commander of American forces in the Pacific to bring a new strategic view — as well as maritime experience — to the Middle East.

Although known for being tough on his subordinates, he also developed a reputation for nuanced diplomatic negotiations with friendly nations, and with some with whom the United States has more prickly ties.

Richard Danzig, who served as Navy secretary from 1998 to 2001 and has known Fallon for 15 years, said Fallon's departure will leave a significant hole in a critical region.

That might prove especially true in Pakistan. Fallon had become a point man for crucial military relations there as the Pentagon implements a stepped-up program to help Pakistani forces deal with Islamic extremism along the border with Afghanistan.

Compiled from Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post and USA Today