COWBOYS ONLY: FALLON FALLS OFF BUSH’S WAR HORSE

On March 11, 2008, Esquire Magazine published an article entitled, “The Man between War and Peace” in which Admiral Fallon, then CENTCOM Cdr, was referred to as the one man standing between the Bush Administration and war with Iran. Thomas Barnett’s article profiles Fallon as the single force preventing Cheney-Bush from riding into Iran, donning their cowboy ensembles and shooting off their pistols. Barnett says, “And so Fallon, the good cop, may soon be unemployed because he's doing what a generation of young officers in the U. S. military are now openly complaining that their leaders didn't do on their behalf in the run-up to the war in Iraq: He's standing up to the commander in chief, whom he thinks is contemplating a strategically unsound war.”

As a veteran service member, I was shocked when Fallon was appointed to position of CENTCOM. First, he’s in the Navy – what do Navy guys know about ground fighting? He’s a Villanova graduate and a NFO – unusual credentials in comparison to the service academy marine/army Generals that generally fit the position profile.

Realistically Fallon was perfect for the job. His level headedness and reasonable outlook seemed refreshing in comparison to Cheney-Bush’s war mongering hot-headedness. At least he served as a buffer between Bush and his go-to-it guy, Petraeus who is too keenly inline with Bush’s agenda.

This morning I sent out an email entitled, “Cowboys Only: Fallon Falls off Bush’s War Horse”. To issue a disclaimer: I’m usually not one to push my personal political agenda on my friends and loved ones. But this issue seemed too important to let slip by unnoticed. My greatest concern is that in the aftermath of the Geraldine Ferraro and Eliot Spitzer debacles, Fallon’s very important move would become second page news. If the media would stop for an instant and adjust their focus, they might realize what a significant and controversial stance Fallon took in both his Esquire interview and later in his step down from CENTCOM Cdr.

How do we stop Bush’s agenda? Congress has tried; political activists have tried. Now, America’s senior military officials are relinquishing positions, throwing their hands up in the air, refusing to play pawn for Cheney’s oil. But does anyone seem to care? Spitzer’s escort’s brother got more press yesterday than Fallon. So we’ll continue sending our children overseas to a useless war, to return with PTSD and lifelong disillusionment, to sit rotting in rundown infested military hospitals. Bush will dig a little harder for a yes-man general, which shouldn’t be a challenging task. And the war will press on. And on.


http://www.esquire.com/features/fox-fallon