View source for 2008-03-11 A Pentagon problem - loose lips

<noinclude>[[category:data.links]]</noinclude>{{#vardefine:keylist|}}{{data.pair|Date|2008-03-11}}
{{data.pair|Topics|\potential US attack on Iran\William Fallon\CENTCOM\William Gates}}
{{data.pair|URL|2=http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/03/11/754424.aspx}}
{{data.pair|Title|A Pentagon problem – loose lips}}
{{data.pair|Text|by Jim Miklaszewski: &ldquo;The Pentagon sharks are circling CENTCOM Commander [[William Fallon|Adm. William "Fox" Fallon]] for a magazine interview in which he appears to openly criticize [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] on the [[Bush II administration|administration]]'s [[potential US attack on Iran|Iran policy]]. The very public comments raised speculation Fallon would either volunteer or be forced to resign. .. Defense Secretary [[William Gates]] announced Tuesday that Fallon is stepping down as head of [[CENTCOM|U.S. Central Command]].&rdquo; ... &ldquo;Gates has said publicly and privately that under current conditions he's opposed to war with Iran. Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. [[Mike Mullen]] is also against it. In fact, almost every senior military officer we've talked to is against launching military strikes against Iran, because as one senior official told us, "then what do you do?"&rdquo; ... &ldquo;...during a conference in Bahrain last December, Gates had to convince Gulf state Arab allies that the United States was not going soft on Iran, because from their vantage point it appeared the Bush administration was backing away from its tough stand against Iran.&rdquo; Perhaps this explains why an attack is even being contemplated &ndash; Bush's Saudi masters want it.}}<noinclude>
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