US CENTCOM Commander Admiral Fallon hands in his lunch pail - EX - UK 2 IC in Iraq Gen. Lamb "winning Iraqi & Afghan "Hearts and Minds" is ridiculous

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced that Admiral William Fallon, head of U.S. Central Command,(CENTCOM) is stepping down effective March 31, because of well known differences on policy with the Bush administration.

Fallon assumed the post a year ago as the commander of all U.S. forces in the Middle East, with responsibility for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is said to have informed Gates of his decision today.

``Admiral Fallon reached this difficult decision entirely on his own,'' Gates told a news conference at the Pentagon. Gates said it was a ``misperception'' that Fallon differed from the administration.Absolute bollocks.

We did post about Adm. William Fallon, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), when he was dashing about the Central European Republics of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and also Pakistan in January. US launches 2 pronged diplomatic assault on Central Asian republics - Afghanistan poppies and pipelines

We did say then ,"Evidently the EU and the US are responding to the real politik that Karimov - unless he magically disappears - is there for another 7 years, sedulously playing Russia, China, Japan against the US and EU energy interests."

Anyway it's Fallon who has magically disappeared. (Fox news says it's over an Esquire article last week that sys Fallon opposes plans for a war in Iran)

US launches 2 pronged diplomatic assault on Central Asian republics - Afghanistan poppies and pipelines

Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (CENTCOM), described Petraeus as a sycophant when they first met Baghdad last March.

Fallon apparently told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that" .. remarks that followed Petraues trying to ingratiate himself to a superior.

What Petraeus did do was serve as front man for the George W. Bush administration's effort to sell its policy of increasing U.S. troop strength in Iraq to Congress.

Petraeus was the front man for the Administrations "surge" . He was installed in the office of Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in early February just before the Senate debated Bush's troop increase.Senators were then approached on the floor and invited to go McConnell's office to hear Petraeus make the case for the surge policy.Which he did. They made him C in C as a result. - then they asked him if he had done a good job.

Evidently Fallon didn't think he had.

British General says "Hearts & Minds policy" is an impossible goal.

Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb CMG, DSO, OBE 54, was until last October the top British commander in Iraq, speaking today to international security conference in Stockholm he said,"Winning hearts and minds" in Western-occupied nations like Iraq and Afghanistan is ridiculous. Reuters report his speech...

"There will of course be circumstances where we can earn the trust of local people, where we can prevail amongst the national leadership, establish a constructive dialogue with religious authorities, but I doubt we will (be) or maybe ever have been in a position to win their hearts and minds,"

"To suggest that good intentions will cross fundamental cultural, social and religious differences and win over a damaged population is at best dangerous and wishful thinking. The image of winning a heart or a mind is almost ridiculous,"

Lamb, who holds the post of Commander, Field Army Headquarters Land Command said "They are simply the architects of chaos. You have to expel them, incarcerate them or kill them."

He also expressed views on Iraq which will not be heard with any sense of welcome by the US allies ..."I would contend that the (U.S.-led) coalition just being in Iraq presents to a proud and ancient civilisation abject humiliation, visible shame," he said.

"Every day and in every way we outsiders are seen to be interfering in their affairs -- albeit with the best possible interests, and making a difference -- but nevertheless foreigners to their culture, their faith, their way of life."

The Daily Telegraph in May 2007 said, "Gen Lamb, regarded as one of Britain's most charismatic commanders, is understood to have been hand-picked for the task by Gen David Petraeus, the American in overall charge of military operations in Iraq. Gen Petraeus is said to have been encouraged by his deputy's progress and has requested that Gen Lamb's tenure be extended beyond his scheduled tour of duty." It was - the Times also reported that Petraeus and Lamb were good friends and had worked together in Bosnia and Iraq previously.

Not a good day for the world's Policema(e) n.... guided by the Statment of Principles from the Project for the New American Century

"If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of the past century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.”


This is what the brave Lamb said to a Pentagon Press Conference on January 19th 2007..." Who am I? Graeme Lamb. I'm a Scotsman. I spend my entire adult life doing this stuff, 25 -- no, 35 years now; know nothing else, really. I have a youthful spirit, a sense of humor. I still believe in duty, service and sacrifice. May be a bit old-fashioned. "Go as a pilgrim and seek out danger, far from the comforts and the well-lit avenues of life" type stuff. I still believe in heroes."

Must have gone down a treat.

" ...This is really difficult. This is three-dimensional chess in a dark room.

But hard pounding is what Wellington said at Waterloo before he went on to win as part of a coalition. "

Ideal reading ... sounds as though he is straight out of Boys Own Paper - probably the thought of thing they hand out with the cornflakes at Sandhurst.