Are We Closer to War?

"But many said they agreed that once it became clear he had lost the confidence of his civilian bosses, it was the responsibility of the four-star admiral to retire. That was especially so, they said, as it became obvious that no great effort was being made by civilian leaders to persuade him to remain in command.

"At the same time, some younger officers who have been critical of senior commanders for not speaking up about the risks of invading Iraq now see a senior officer who did speak his mind publicly being prompted to choose early retirement."

Yochi J. Dreazen writes in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required) that Fallon's departure "could make it easier for the Bush administration to maintain troop levels in Iraq and adopt a tougher approach to Iran.

"Adm. Fallon had favored a significant withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, arguing that the open-ended deployment of 140,000 military personnel there was causing growing manpower strains throughout the armed forces. That position sparked tensions with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq and a White House favorite.

"Adm. Fallon has also long appeared to question the administration's Iran policy, arguing publicly that the White House's hard-line rhetoric and implied threats of military force against Iran were dangerous and unproductive. In interviews with a variety of media outlets in recent months, Adm. Fallon played down the possibility of an American strike on Iran and indicated that he thought such an attack would be a mistake.

"The resignation made Adm. Fallon one of the first high-ranking military officers to leave active duty amid tensions with the White House since President Harry Truman fired Gen. Douglas MacArthur at the height of the Korean War. . . .

"The Esquire profile was published on the Internet last week and sparked an immediate furor within the White House and the Pentagon. Senior Bush administration officials saw the article as a sign that Adm. Fallon was trying to publicly undercut Mr. Bush and limit the president's hand, according to two White House aides familiar with the internal discussions.

"'It was seen as a form of insubordination,' one of the White House officials said."

On the NBC Nightly News, Jim Miklaszewski reported: "Sources say that, in the end, under pressure from the White House, Defense Secretary Gates refused to take Fallon's calls, making it clear he had to go."

Thomas E. Ricks writes in The Washington Post: "Fallon is expected to step down at the end of the month, after barely a year in his position, and just eight days before Petraeus is scheduled to testify before Congress about conditions in Iraq. . . .

"Several Democrats were quick to accuse the administration of not tolerating dissent. 'It's distressing that Admiral Fallon feels he had to step down,' said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.). 'President Bush's oft-repeated claim that he follows the advice of his commanders on the ground rings hollow if our commanders don't feel free to disagree with the president.' Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) asked whether Fallon's resignation is a reflection that the administration is hostile to 'the frank, open airing of experts' views.'"

Janine Zacharia and Ken Fireman write for Bloomberg: "Admiral William Fallon's resignation as U.S. commander in the Middle East provoked criticism that President George W. Bush won't tolerate dissent and fed speculation his Iran policy could become more confrontational. . . .