http://hamptonroads.com/node/461804Adm. William J. “Fox” Fallon made his career on a quick mind, immersion in details and a network of personal connections built like a beat cop and kept like a priest.
His four-star appointments placed him in parts of the world where friendship to the United States is in short supply and dwindling. Last year, he became commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East. True to form, he met the people, he listened and learned.
He spoke bluntly about the challenges. It may have cost him his job.
A lengthy Esquire magazine profile last month painted Fallon, 63, as the lone figure holding back a United States attack on Iran. The story pitted Fallon against the White House.
Within days, Fallon declared that the piece caused “a distraction at a critical time” and retired a year early from his post at Central Command.
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Below I've highlighted a couple of great quotes from Marine General (Ret) Jack Sheehan.
This is what we've been saying for the past 6 years.
Jack Sheehan, a retired Marine Corps general and NATO commander, was offered the position of war czar by the White House a year ago. Sheehan said he seriously considered taking the position to give Fallon an ally in Washington.
He ultimately turned it down. “I called him up one day and said 'Fox, this is not going to work. As long as we have these crazy neocons there, we’ll never get anywhere.’”
Fallon focused on the larger questions about the war’s impact on relations in the Middle East. He averaged five days a week away from the Tampa, Fla., headquarters of Central Command.
“We’ve got to rebuild relationships,” Fallon said. “You can’t solve Iraq without working around the region.”
Sheehan credits Fallon for making strides.
“He did a tremendous amount of work visiting the Gulf states,” Sheehan said. “One of the big things that’s a real criticism of this administration – they don’t talk to anybody.”Leave it to the Marines to put it bluntly, and on point!