Commander’s veto sank Gulf buildup
By Gareth Porter
[See also: Iran courts the US at Russia’s expense]
WASHINGTON – Admiral William Fallon, then US President George W Bush’s nominee to head Central Command (CENTCOM), expressed strong opposition in February to an administration plan to increase the number of aircraft-carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf from two to three and vowed privately that there would be no war against Iran as long as he was chief of CENTCOM, according to sources with access to his thinking.
Fallon’s resistance to the proposed deployment of a third aircraft carrier was followed by a shift in the Bush administration’s Iran policy in February and March away from increased military threats and toward diplomatic engagement with Iran. That shift, for which no credible explanation has been offered by administration officials, suggests that Fallon’s resistance to a crucial deployment was a major factor in the intra-administration struggle over policy toward Iran.
The plan to add a third carrier strike group in the Gulf had been a key element in a broader strategy discussed at high levels to intimidate Iran by a series of military moves suggesting preparations for a military strike. CONTINUE
It is unlikely that three air craft carriers would be enough to pose a credible military threat to Iran. Iran has a very capable Navy and they have the backing of Russia and China, the two most powerful nations on Earth.
Due to the fact that its maximum request was only for three aircraft carriers and there was no massive military build up after the attacks of 911 leads me to believe that no major decision makers ever considered a military option against Iran.
The claim in the article by Gareth Porter that Admiral Fallon was risking his career by opposing the policies of the Administration is a ridiculous one. Btw, I’m no fan of this president. I wish the Democrats and Republicans would get on with impeachment. Frankly, we and all of Western civilization face an existential threat and not only has George W. Bush become a distraction, but based on what he has done to date, he is the worst president in American history. The chief problem has been his pro-Palestinian stance.
If Admiral Fallon has vowed there will be no war with Iran while he is the chief of CENTCOM, this must mean that he does not plan to respond when Iran or its proxes attack the US homeland or American interests outside of the Middle East.
If he is vowing there will be no war with Iran, he is unfit to be head of CENTCOM. A good commander keeps all options open and is open minded to considering alternative points of view. If he is vowing there will be no attack on Iran, this is very alarming. It concerns me that he does not have the military prepared for confrontation with Iran. Someone needs to tell the good Admiral that Iran is working to destroy the United States. As a military leader his job is to design and implement strategies military strategies to deal with threats to American national security. His job is not to go around vowing that their will be no attack on Iran and his job is definitely NOT to worry about European opinions. Much of the world has decided that the US just intersts can be sacrificed, in order to appease Iran and Russia.