CentCom leader resigns

He says news reports made him ineffective. Some suspect he was pushed out.

By William R. Levesque, Time Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2008

TAMPA - The blunt and outspoken admiral leading U.S. Central Command abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday, a stunning decision that may signal tensions between him and President Bush over military strategy in the Middle East.

Adm. William "Fox" Fallon, 63, said he is stepping down as the commander of Tampa-based CentCom because media reports, especially a recent story in Esquire magazine, left him in an untenable position.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Fallon told him, "The current embarrassing situation, public perception of differences between my views and administration policy, and the distraction this causes from the mission make this the right thing to do."

The Esquire story suggested Fallon might be the only thing keeping the Bush administration from taking military action against Iran. In a statement, Fallon said he did not believe any disagreement on Middle East policy actually existed.

But "the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America's interests," said Fallon, who is retiring after nearly 42 years in the Navy.

The resignation is described by military analysts as unprecedented for CentCom, a command headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base that helps coordinate war planning in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The resignation makes Fallon, with one year at the helm, the shortest-serving leader in the command's 25-year history.

Fallon's top deputy, Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, will become interim commander until Bush nominates and the Senate confirms a successor.

A top military leader stepping down because of bad press is dismissed by analysts as polite talk to hide a schism between Fallon and Bush. Some think Bush may even have pushed the admiral out.

Fallon often found himself at odds with the White House on a number of issues, from reductions in Iraq troop levels to policy toward Iran. And some analysts say Bush had come to rely more heavily on his commander in the field, Gen. David Petraeus, bypassing Fallon on key issues.

"This is an unfortunate reminder that military commanders who speak their mind get cashiered," said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Most of all, some speculate, the resignation had more to do with an article in last week's Esquire, headlined "The Man Between War and Peace."

It cast Fallon in a favorable light and suggested the admiral, opposing military action against Iran, may be the only thing standing between Bush and a decision for war.

"He is that rarest of creatures in the Bush universe: the good cop on Iran, and a man of strategic brilliance," wrote respected military analyst Thomas Barnett.

While Bush trash-talks Iran, Barnett wrote, "it's left to Fallon and apparently Fallon alone to argue that, as he told Al Jazeera last fall, 'This constant drumbeat of conflict ... is not helpful and not useful.'"

Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores, said he spoke to Fallon twice last week and, each time, the admiral brought up the Esquire article and suggested it might be inaccurate.

"He was afraid he might have embarrassed the Defense Department," Young said. "I know that he felt really bad about this. ... I told him I understood how he could say one thing and it would appear in print to be something other than what he said or what he meant.

"For him, it's got to be a personal loss, because he has an outstanding career in the military and it's a shame to end it on this sour note," Young said.

Gates dismissed the notion that Fallon's removal meant a confrontation with Iran, saying, "It's just ridiculous."

At a news conference in Washington, Gates said he had immediately accepted Fallon's resignation, effective March 31, and denied a rift between Bush and Fallon.

"Adm. Fallon reached this difficult decision entirely on his own," said Gates, who went on to praise him. Fallon was the first naval officer to head CentCom.

The White House denied that Bush called for the resignation. The president praised Fallon, saying, "He deserves considerable credit" for progress in Iraq.

Reaction to the news came from all quarters of the political spectrum, especially in an election year.

Democrats on Capitol Hill were skeptical that Fallon left of his own accord.

"I am concerned that the resignation ... is yet another example that independence and the frank, open airing of experts' views are not welcome," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the panel found Fallon straightforward and apolitical.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Fallon's departure "is a disappointment to those of us who viewed his reputation for candor as an essential asset."

Those who have spoken with Fallon in recent weeks said he knew he might have difficulties with the administration.

But some military analysts said it appeared a combination of factors may have led to Fallon's departure.

Larry Korb, an assistant defense secretary in the Reagan administration, said Fallon was promised a key role in Iraq and found himself holding Petraeus' coat.

Taking a secondary role may have been too much for the career naval officer, Korb said.

"You've got to remember he's a naval officer," Korb said. "When you're the captain of a ship, you're in charge. I imagine he got to Iraq and said, 'I'm in charge but the president's dealing with my subordinate all the time.'"

Fallon had been the Pentagon's Pacific commander when Bush tagged him to replace Gen. John Abizaid.

Fallon was viewed as an unusual replacement for Abizaid, an Army officer fluent in Arabic and the cultural sensitivities of the Muslim world. While Fallon boasted a master's degree in international studies, it seemed incongruous to some to have a naval commander helping coordinate two ground wars.

Military leaders rarely resign in times of war, and the normal rotation at CentCom can approach four years.

"This just doesn't happen," said Jim Carafano, a retired Army officer and member of the Iraq Study Group.

"Senior leaders never resign. I'm left kind of scratching my head."

Times staff writers Rebecca Catalanello, Bill Adair and Wes Allison and Times researchers Angie Drobnic Holan and Caryn Baird contributed to this report. William R. Levesque can be reached at levesque@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3436.

[Last modified March 12, 2008, 00:08:19]