thedrifter
01-05-07, 08:57 AM
January 04, 2007
Fallon to replace Abizaid at CentCom, report says
By Gordon Lubold
Staff writer
Adm. William “Fox” Fallon, chief of the U.S. Pacific Command has been tapped to replace Army Gen. John Abizaid as the commander of U.S. Central Command and overseer of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. “I think it demonstrates Adm. Fallon is a person they need out there,” Inouye told a luncheon in Honolulu, as reported by The Honolulu Advertiser.
ABC News is reporting that Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the well-respected Iraq commander who had begun the effort to train Iraqi security forces, will be nominated to become senior commander in Iraq, replacing Army Gen. George Casey.
Since Abizaid announced that he would leave his post in March, there had been widespread speculation as to who would replace him. Petraeus, thought to be one of the smartest commanders in Iraq, was often cited around Pentagon water coolers as one of the likeliest candidates to replace Casey.
As a sailor tapped to lead a combatant command engaged in a furious ground war, Fallon is more of a surprise. Fallon has said that one of his most important missions at Pacific Command is establishing a trusting and substantive relationship with China.
Officials at the Pentagon declined to comment on any possible changes to senior commanders.
Bush is expected to announce his new strategy in Iraq next week. Although the way forward is still far from clear, a distinct possibility remains that he will authorize a temporary “surge” in Iraq by sending as many as 30,000 more troops.
USA Today contributed to this report.
Ellie
Fallon to replace Abizaid at CentCom, report says
By Gordon Lubold
Staff writer
Adm. William “Fox” Fallon, chief of the U.S. Pacific Command has been tapped to replace Army Gen. John Abizaid as the commander of U.S. Central Command and overseer of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii. “I think it demonstrates Adm. Fallon is a person they need out there,” Inouye told a luncheon in Honolulu, as reported by The Honolulu Advertiser.
ABC News is reporting that Army Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the well-respected Iraq commander who had begun the effort to train Iraqi security forces, will be nominated to become senior commander in Iraq, replacing Army Gen. George Casey.
Since Abizaid announced that he would leave his post in March, there had been widespread speculation as to who would replace him. Petraeus, thought to be one of the smartest commanders in Iraq, was often cited around Pentagon water coolers as one of the likeliest candidates to replace Casey.
As a sailor tapped to lead a combatant command engaged in a furious ground war, Fallon is more of a surprise. Fallon has said that one of his most important missions at Pacific Command is establishing a trusting and substantive relationship with China.
Officials at the Pentagon declined to comment on any possible changes to senior commanders.
Bush is expected to announce his new strategy in Iraq next week. Although the way forward is still far from clear, a distinct possibility remains that he will authorize a temporary “surge” in Iraq by sending as many as 30,000 more troops.
USA Today contributed to this report.
Ellie