Fallon 'may lose job over Iran war'

Fallon 'may lose job over Iran war'
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:54:40
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?i...tionid=3510203

Adm. William Fallon, the head of the US Central Command, may lose his
job for opposing President Bush's plans to wage war against Iran.

According to a new Esquire article by Thomas Barnett; Admiral Fallon
may be prematurely 'relieved of his command' as soon as this summer to
be replaced with a more 'pliable' commander.

"If that were to happen, it may well mean that the president and vice-
president intend to take military action against Iran before the end
of this year and don't want a commander standing in their way," says
the article which will be published on March 12.

Admiral Fallon, who has been named as 'one of the best strategic
thinkers in uniform today' by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, opposed
the troops surge in Iraq and has consistently battled with President
George W. Bush to avert confrontation with Iran.

The Navy admiral has vowed that an attack on Iran would 'not happen on
his watch', calling the White House warmongering echelons 'not
helpful'.

Washington and its allies are at loggerheads with the Islamic Republic
over the country's nuclear standoff with the West.

The Bush administration accuses Iran of pursuing nuclear weaponry,
while Tehran maintains its uranium enrichment will only provide fuel
for the country's under-construction nuclear power plants.

President Bush insists the military option against Iran remains on the
table, while his top military experts, including Admiral Fallon, urge
the White House to choose a diplomatic approach towards Tehran.

In a Thursday White House press briefing, spokeswoman Dana Perino was
asked about the Esquire piece and refused to confirm whether Fallon's
position is secure until the end of his tenure.

MD/RE

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Nutjob Pastor John Hagee endorses McCain, McCain returns compliment:

http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=85521

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Looks like Israel and Hezbollah are going to go at it again which
would be right in accordance with the rest of the 'A Clean Break'/war
for Israel agenda (see the 'A Clean Break' link at the top of
http://NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.BLOGSPOT.COM):


Subject: Israel, Hezbollah: Gearing Up for Another War?



Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
---------------------------

ISRAEL, HEZBOLLAH: GEARING UP FOR ANOTHER WAR?

Summary
A number of indications suggest that Israel and Hezbollah could be
readying themselves for a military confrontation in Lebanon in the
near
future. Israel's operations in Gaza could be an attempt to ensure it
only
has to fight on one front, and Stratfor sources report Hezbollah is
gearing up for a battle.

Analysis
With Palestinian rocket barrages continuing and Israel threatening to
reoccupy the Gaza Strip, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is
visiting Cairo, Ramallah and Jerusalem on March 4 with the ill-fated
goal
of reviving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. While the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bound to flare up every now and then,
there appears to
be a bigger issue in play. Israel's current focus on degrading the
Palestinians' rocket-launching ability could in fact be tied to
possible
Israeli intentions to wage war against Hezbollah in the near future.

Israel launched a major offensive into the Gaza Strip on Feb. 29
after
Palestinian militants lobbed around 20 Soviet-designed Grad rockets
(a
step up from the usual homemade Qassam rockets) into the coastal
Israeli city of Ashkelon, 11 miles north of Gaza. These rockets are
more
disruptive than deadly, but they inflict a heavy psychological toll
on
Israel. The Israeli government came under heavy pressure to respond
in
force, particularly after a Qassam attack killed a civilian in the
southern
Israeli town of Sderot.

Despite international condemnation, Israel has made clear that its
operations in Gaza are not over. Haaretz reported March 4 that
Israeli
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said this is not a quick operation, but
rather a long process that will involve more intense offensives.
Israeli
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni even threatened that Israel would
reoccupy
the Gaza Strip if necessary.

Israel's big push on Gaza might be driven by concerns larger than
just
its conflict with the Palestinians, however. There are a number of
indications that Israel could be readying itself for a military
confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon in the summer. The Israelis
have been
extending unusual carrot and stick offers to Syria as a warning to
stay out
of their fight with Hezbollah; U.S. warships are sitting off the
coast
of Lebanon, signaling possible U.S. intervention; and Hezbollah --
along with its Syrian and Iranian patrons -- appears to be making
preparations for a coming war.

According to a Stratfor source in Lebanon, a large contingent of
Iranian foreign intelligence officers, military officials and
security
experts have recently arrived in Beirut. Iranian missile and tactical
support
experts are allegedly in control of several military operations rooms
recently set up by Hezbollah in the southern Lebanese town of
Nabatiye
and the Bekaa Valley towns of Mashghara and Al Hirmil. Stratfor has
discussed before the Iranian intent to secure its grip over Hezbollah
ahead of any major confrontation with Israel.

Hezbollah, according to a Stratfor source, also is transporting a
large number of Zelzal missiles to the heights of the West Bekaa
valley.
These unguided rockets are large and difficult to transport or hide.
They
did not make an appearance in the 2006 conflict; however, if
Hezbollah
has managed to acquire several Zelzals, these long-range rockets
could
send a large warhead deep into Israeli territory. And Hezbollah is
digging out tunnels and underground shelters, reorganizing its
command
structure in the western Bekaa Valley and training under Iranian
military
commanders in Tehran. Moreover, Stratfor has received reports that
Hezbollah is installing explosive devices in Iranian-built Mohajer
unmanned
aerial vehicles and has acquired new antitank guided missiles.

While Hezbollah appears to be digging in for a fight, Israel is
focusing on diminishing the threat it faces on the Palestinian front.
Embedded
in a section on manpower requirements and reserve mobilization in the
final Winograd report on Israel's performance in the 2006 conflict,
several points were made on the difficulties Israel faced due to slow
decision-making in fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon while simultaneously
conducting operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The difficulty
during
that conflict was not in fighting the Palestinians per se, but in
having enough manpower to cover both fronts. If Israel can manage to
degrade a fair amount of Hamas' rocket-launching capability in Gaza
ahead of
a military confrontation with Hezbollah, it can clear its plate a bit
and focus more intently on the issue of allocating enough forces to
impose a military defeat on Hezbollah.

Copyright 2008 Strategic Forecasting, Inc.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----Original Message-----

From: Stratfor
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 12:19 PM

Subject: Lebanon: Israel Sends a Signal to Hezbollah


Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
---------------------------

LEBANON: ISRAEL SENDS A SIGNAL TO HEZBOLLAH

Summary
Israeli warplanes flew over the Lebanese capital of Beirut on March 7,
a
day after a Palestinian gunman attacked a yeshiva in Jerusalem,
killing
eight students. While Israel has conducted several overflights into
southern Lebanon since the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah, it is
unusual
for such flights to go as far north as Beirut. The March 7 overflight
is
a warning to Hezbollah.

Analysis
Israel air force (IAF) warplanes flew over the Lebanese capital of
Beirut on March 7, a day after a Palestinian gunman attacked a
yeshiva
in Jerusalem and killed eight students. Ever since the 2006 summer
conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the IAF has conducted a number
of
overflights into southern Lebanon. It is far more unusual, however,
for
these overflights to extend as far north as Beirut.

This latest overflight represents a direct signal to Hezbollah. The
March 6 yeshiva shooting was claimed by a shadowy organization
calling
itself the "Galilee Freedom Battalions--The Martyrs of Imad
Mughniyah."
The claim of responsibility flashed across the screen on Hezbollah's
Al
Manar television station shortly after the attack. A day later, a
Hamas
official told Reuters it is taking "full responsibility for the
Jerusalem operation" and promised to release more details at a later
stage. The claim raises suspicions over why Hamas did not just go
ahead
and take credit for the shooting when it issued a statement
"blessing"
the shooting the day of the attack. Adding even more confusion to the
situation, Hamas retracted its claim of responsibility for the attack
shortly after the initial claim.


Though Israel has been bracing for a Hezbollah retaliatory attack
after
the Feb. 12 assassination of the group's top commander Imad
Mughniyah,
the March 6 yeshiva shooting appeared too amateurish to bear the
hallmarks of Hezbollah. That said, Hezbollah could be playing it safe
as
it sees a military confrontation with Israel approaching. Hezbollah
is
likely aware that Israel's performance in a war against Hezbollah
this
time around would be far superior to what it was in 2006, making it
suicidal for the group to give Israel an excuse to wage war in
Lebanon.
At the same time, Hezbollah still has a need to retaliate for the
Mughniyah assassination, and it would want to create as much
obfuscation
as possible regarding the responsibility for and execution of the
attack. If there is indeed a Hezbollah link to the attack -- no
matter
how murky -- a larger militant campaign against Jewish targets with
the
potential to extend beyond Israel could be in store.

Regardless of whom the perpetrator of the yeshiva attack was, Israel
still has an excuse to link the shooting to Hezbollah and justify
military intervention in Lebanon against the group. The Israeli
government has been eerily calm following the attack, quickly
announcing
that the shooting would not derail peace talks with the Palestinians.
But actions can sometimes speak louder than words, and Israel's
unusual
behavior could just be the calm before the storm. The IAF flight over
Beirut looks to be a warning to Hezbollah that trouble is coming its
way.

Copyright 2008 Strategic Forecasting, Inc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Israeli forces cross boarder line in south Lebanon


http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_7733391.htm

Is the entire Middle East about to blow?:

http://lataan.blogspot.com/2008/03/i...t-to-blow.html

'A Clean Break'/war for Israel:

http://neoconzionistthreat.blogspot....ean-break.html

The youtube of the call is also linked at the following
wakeupfromyourslumber URL:

Blood-thirsty ISRAEL seeks "clean break" to ensnare Iran/Syria into
the war after "shoah" attacks on Gaza & Lebanon (be sure to take a
look at the comments at the bottom of the following URL)

http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/5890

See the additional posts on both pages of the following URL:

http://NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.BLOGSPOT.COM


Latest on coming war with Iran:

http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=71055


Rep. Ron Paul Stands Alone (defying AIPAC) in Voting Against Gaza Bill
(see the latest CNI send about Dr. Paul's courage which is included
below after the following):



'Going after Syria and Iran would be right in accordance with the rest
of the 'A Clean Break'/war for Israel agenda as discussed by James
Bamford (who is the most respected intelligence author/writer in
America) in his 'A Pretext for War' book (see the 'A Clean Break' link
at the top of http://NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.BLOGSPOT.COM as the following
is the direct link for it):



'A Clean Break':



http://neoconzionistthreat.blogspot....ean-break.html



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Rep. Ron Paul Stands Alone (defying AIPAC) in Voting Against Gaza
Bill:


On Wednesday, March 5, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.
951, which condemns the ongoing Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli
civilians, holding both Iran and Syria responsible for "sponsoring
terror attacks." Additionally, the resolution claims that "those
responsible for launching rocket attacks against Israel routinely
embed their production facilities and launch sites amongst the
Palestinian civilian population, utilizing them as human shields ...".
For the full text of House Resolution 951, please click he

http://cnifoundation.org/images/stories/HR_951.pdf

This resolution problematically includes a strong defense of the
recent Israeli incursions in Gaza. The following is one such exert:
"Whereas the inadvertent inflicting of civilian casualties as a result
of defensive military operations aimed at military targets, while
deeply regrettable, is not at all morally equivalent to the deliberate
targeting of civilian populations as practiced by Hamas and other Gaza-
based terrorist groups..."
The resolution passed the House with an unequivocal majority of 404 to
1 with four representatives voting present and nineteen abstaining.
Who was the lone Member of Congress to stand up to the Israel Lobby?
Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) not only voted against HR 951, but also
made a very strong statement explaining why he opposed such a biased
pro-Israel statement.

Below is Rep. Paul's statement he gave to the House before the vote:

Mr. Speaker I rise in opposition to H. Res. 951, a resolution to
condemn Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. As one who is
consistently against war and violence, I obviously do not support the
firing of rockets indiscriminately into civilian populations. I
believe it is appalling that Palestinians are firing rockets that harm
innocent Israelis, just as I believe it is appalling that Israel fires
missiles into Palestinian areas where children and other non-
combatants are killed and injured.

Unfortunately, legislation such as this is more likely to perpetuate
violence in the Middle East than contribute to its abatement. It is
our continued involvement and intervention - particularly when it
appears to be one-sided - that reduces the incentive for opposing
sides to reach a lasting peace agreement.

Additionally, this bill will continue the march toward war with Iran
and Syria, as it contains provocative language targeting these
countries. The legislation oversimplifies the Israel/Palestine
conflict and the larger unrest in the Middle East by simply pointing
the finger at Iran and Syria. This is another piece in a steady series
of legislation passed in the House that intensifies enmity between the
United States and Iran and Syria. My colleagues will recall that we
saw a similar steady stream of provocative legislation against Iraq in
the years before the US attack on that country.

I strongly believe that we must cease making proclamations involving
conflicts that have nothing to do with the United States. We incur the
wrath of those who feel slighted while doing very little to slow or
stop the violence.

The Council for the National Interest denounces H.R. 951 and
encourages our members to call their Representative to let them know
that this approval of Israeli aggression and flagrant human rights
abuses is unacceptable. To find out how your Representative voted,
please click here.

In addition, please thank Rep. Paul for his brave actions on
Wednesday. Contact his office today and express your gratitude by
calling (202) 225-2831.


Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1 · Washington, DC 20024
800.296.6958 · 202.863.2951 · Fax: 202.863.2952
http://cnifoundation.org/



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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6SQ02gqqao


http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...21400057137878

Yes, There Is a Guerrilla War Against Zionism in the U.S. What Should
Jewish Institutions Do?:

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweis...it-of-a-h.html

NOMOREWARFORISRAEL wrote in
:

Fallon 'may lose job over Iran war'
Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:54:40
http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?i...tionid=3510203

Adm. William Fallon, the head of the US Central Command, may lose his
job for opposing President Bush's plans to wage war against Iran.

According to a new Esquire article by Thomas Barnett; Admiral Fallon
may be prematurely 'relieved of his command' as soon as this summer to
be replaced with a more 'pliable' commander.

Let me guess you are setting up a regularly scheduled event
such as the change of a CJCS to be support one of your idiot
hypotheses.

"If that were to happen, it may well mean that the president and vice-
president intend to take military action against Iran before the end
of this year and don't want a commander standing in their way," says
the article which will be published on March 12.

Admiral Fallon, who has been named as 'one of the best strategic
thinkers in uniform today' by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, opposed
the troops surge in Iraq and has consistently battled with President
George W. Bush to avert confrontation with Iran.

He was wrong about the surge. Could be he's wrong about this.

In any case Ahmaneedanosejob will need SPF 5,000,000 sunscreen
real soon.

IBM