“There are several of us trying to put the crazies back in the box.” - Admiral Fallon

[Postman]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/15/1212/

Admiral William Fallon, then President George W. Bush’s nominee to head the Central Command (CENTCOM), expressed strong opposition in February to an administration plan to increase the number of carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf from two to three and vowed privately there would be no war against Iran as long as he was chief of CENTCOM..


Fallon’s refusal to support a further naval buildup in the Gulf reflected his firm opposition to an attack on Iran ..

...an attack on Iran “will not happen on my watch”.

Asked how he could be sure, the source says, Fallon replied, “You know what choices I have. I’m a professional.” Fallon said that he was not alone, according to the source, adding, “There are several of us trying to put the crazies back in the box.”

...this is one Admiral I would like to salute...

[babylonsister]

1. IF it's true; I thought there were 3 strike groups over in the Gulf now.

I vaguely recall posting something about that recently.:shrug:

I stand corrected; I just googled and can't find any indication of 3, only 2.

[Adsos Letter]

3. I seem to recall that one strike group was on the

way for a scheduled rotation...but I haven't heard any reports about the one to be replaced rotating out yet...so there may be three there still. Plus, the French one...that would make four, I suppose.

[peacetalksforall]

38. Oh man ... if there is more than one, the risk of a major friendly

fire incident is too horrendous to consider. However, knowning the dictatorship-loyalty-revenge cycle that this admin is always on - this is plain dangerous.

[jazzjunkysue]

2. Let's hope Fallon has the phone numbers of the GOP senators.

They're the only ones who can put the crazies anywhere. The senate can stop this.

[Hekate]

4. From his mouth to God's ears. We're all praying and hoping he's sucessful.

Great choice of words, too.

Hekate

[Rex]

5. Yes, good, they have to deal with a Fleet Admiral

and not some GM General. Bout to find out the difference. Good on em!

[Old and In the Way]

6. Wow...very illuminating. A shame it will get drowned out with Falwell threads.

Hope this kicked.....I wonder how he and Cheney are getting along these days?

[IChing]

7. A little encouraging news for sure......I'll nominate it. n/t

[Roland99]

35. Then let's kick the shit out of this thread!!!

[babylonsister]

8. FWIW, here's another article on Adm. Fallon:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3266002

[Monk06]

9. Can we say Battleship Potemkin ???? n/t

[donco6]

14. I thought the British thing was it.

But still waiting.

[HeeBGBz]

10. A wee bit of hope

That someone would just say no.

[Cults4Bush]

11. would like to see this keep kicked for a while myself... k&r'd nt

[L. Coyote]

12. K&R. Whew, there are a few Homo sapiens, sapiens out there, and here too.

At some point, will there be mass resignations in the military and USG?

We need to start tracking who is wise enough to abandon ship instead of polishing their deck chairs.

[loudsue]

19. I hope there aren't mass resignations; Blackwater is ready to take their place

For a big price, of course, and not for love of country, but to take their place, nevertheless. That's what you get when you "privatize" the military.

:kick::kick::kick:

[JHB]

27. Keep your shirt on

Blackwater may be too big for any legitimate purpose, but it's not big enough to replace a major military force, especially not one the size of ours.

[loudsue]

31. I hope you're right JHB. But even in Iraq, Blackwater has far more

equipment, bullets, and training than our troops. Our soldiers complained before the Senate committee that, by regulation, they aren't even ALLOWED to was a load of clothes for themselves. Instead, they face reprimand unless they let Halliburton/KBR was their clothes at $99.00 per load. Even on the battlefield, these "privatized" military contracts have taken the rights away from our soldiers to run their own army.

The republicans have totally broken our system, which is what they intended all along.

:kick:

[FatDave]

30. There's really only one place I see that scenario heading

And in a battle between the US military and Blackwater, my money's on the US military.

[brer cat]

13. k&r n/t

[Marie26]

15. K&R

This is reassuring.

[Solly Mack]

16. He's gonna need a big box

[radfringe]

22. And wrapped with alot of duct tape

to make sure the box stays shut and secure...

[WillyT]

17. K & R !!!

:kick:

[pnwmom]

18. Thank you. K & R.

[hunter]

20. We should all be trying to put the crazies back in the box.

We need to put the Bush Administration back into the box, and bury it away somewhere it won't pollute the groundwater.

[bklyncowgirl]

21. How long before the Admiral resigns to spend more time with his family.

He certainly has a thankless job.

[maine_raptor]

23. Fallon's no fool.

I'm not sure how many (number) ships currently make up a CVBG (Carrier battle group), but I'm willing to bet it's at least 10. The Persian Gulf is an very small space and thirty-odd ships in that region makes for a very target-rich environment.

Never mind the politics, external and internal, as a military man and navel officer, Fallon's no fool.

If you see him go, then watch out, war's a'comin'.

[Strelnikov_]

24. Maximum Leader Chimp sez it's good to be a gangster

when you can send some other dude to sling caps in the other guys hood.

But what happens when the other dude won't go?


Wonder if Fallon's refusal has something to do with the new 'war czar' position? A new capo/enforcer to whip the gang into line, provide cover for the Chimp?

[indepat]

25. If only a few more senior flag officers would step up to their oaths of office rather

than march to the illegal orders of the "crazies" like lemming rushing to sea.

[Senator]

26. Godspeed Admiral -- And could you try to leave "the box" behind...

...at the bottom of the Red Sea?

---

[Wiley50]

28. Use a metal box, weld it shut, encase in concrete

and cram it up the GOP poopchute

[bdamomma]

29. kick and recommended.

[GliderGuider]

32. When BushCo decides to fire Admiral Fallon

and we give Gen. Rick Hillier the boot, can we have your permission to recruit Fallon as our Chief of Defence Staff?

[FloridaJudy]

33. Thank gods the US Military still has some men of honor

in top positions. How long do we have before they all resign and appear on VoteVets videos?

[ourbluenation]

34. a great, big kick to the greatest page

:kick:

[SOS]

36. Interesting choice of word

"crazies"

That was Bush 41's term for Rumsfeld and Cheney.

[seemslikeadream]

37. Admiral Fallon’s resistance

to a further buildup of naval striking power in the Gulf apparently took the Bush administration by surprise.


NO DOUBT!

[BelgianMadCow]

39. Excellent. Like the resistance to planning a nuclear war with Iran

[Shipwack]

40. huh?

An flag rank officer with integrity and spine? This completely shakes up my world-view...

[Martin Eden]

41. Who are the crazies?

WE know who they are, but I'd like to see Fallon name names.

Anyone in a position to push the buttons of war would have to be at the highest reaches of the executive branch.

[TankLV]

42. But I thought bush* was the one listening to the commanders in the field & the dems were the ones

allowing politics to influence their decisions!

That can't be true...damn liberal press...

[Old and In the Way]

44. He listens only to his Father in Heaven.

But I suspect He's no longer taking the Commander Guy's calls.

[AnnieBW]

43. Good for him!

Unfortunately, he just committed career suicide by saying this aloud.

[seasat]

45. Based on the subject, I thought he was referring to the Rep candidates.

After watching last night's debate, I'd box them all up.