Czar George W. Bush Flails Around and Gets Some New Cossacks
Watertiger observes that Bush's "clean sweep" of his Iraq team should start at the top. Impeach George W. Bush. Impeach him now:
Dependable Renegade: You call it a "clean sweep.": I call it flailing around for a deus ex machina answer.
I'm certainly no military expert, but it seems to me that firing the guys who carried out your poorly designed plan and then, when the plan didn't work, told you it was because your plan was poorly designed doesn't exactly qualify as "leadership." Smacks of scapegoating to me....
Admiral William J. Fallon to replace General John Abizaid at Central Command.... [T]he replacement as MNF-I commander in Iraq (replacing Gen. George Casey) will be LTG David Petraeus. Though Casey was originally staying in position till June, he is expected to leave earlier than expected probably in the next few months. "The president wants a clean sweep" an official told ABC News.
Fallon, who is in the Navy, is currently head of Pacific Command; he will be overseeing two ground wars, so the appointment is highly unusual.
"Unusual" may be putting it mildly. Pat Lang writes:
Sic Semper Tyrannis 2006: Casting for the Play: An intelligence analyst makes judgments based on available data and interprets that data through a mental "filter" made up of experience, contextual knowledge, probabilities and sheer, unmerited, intuitive talent. Among the most valuable indicators of intentions are the appointments of senior people to fill leadership positions.
In that regard it must be said that the appointment of Admiral William Fallon the the post of Commander, US Central Command is surely indicative of intentions. This distinguished officer's career lay altogether within the field of naval aviation and latterly of joint staff and command functions. His official biography is posted below.
It makes very little sense that a person with this background should be appointed to be theater commander in a a theater in which two essentially "ground" wars are being fought unless it is intended to conduct yet another war which will be different in character. pl
If Pat Lang is right in reading the meaning of Admiral Fallon's appointment, "another war" would be a naval-based aviation and missile war against Iran.
