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Fallon: U.S. needs to restore relationships

Posted: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 4:03 PM

By Scott Foster, NBC News Pentagon Producer

As security continues to improve in Iraq and the U.S. plots the eventual drawdown of American combat troops, a former top military commander said Tuesday that the U.S. faces the "new challenge" of restoring neglected diplomatic relations with allies in the Persian Gulf.

Retired Naval commander Admiral William "Fox" Fallon says the U.S. now must "rebuild relationships that have been pushed aside during the war effort."

That pointed critique of American foreign policy over the course of the Iraq war comes from the former top commander of the U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, whose resignation earlier this year sparked a firestorm over a perceived schism in the Bush administration's Iran policy.

Fallon added that as the current $3 billion a week being spent in Iraq winds down, the U.S.should redirect some of that money to other initiatives in the region.

Speaking to an audience of national security analysts from various think-tanks in Washington, Fallon acknowledged that while many American allies in the Persian Gulf will continue to look to the United States for leadership, we should focus on greater security cooperation amongst regional partners.

Drawdown in Iraq presents 'opportunity'
In March of this year, Fallon resigned from his command after an Esquire Magazine profile of him suggested his anti-war stance with Iran was "brazenly challenging" President Bush.

During his one year tenure at U.S. Central Command, Fallon had been outspoken in his attempts to tamp down the heated rhetoric over a possible conflict between the U.S. and Iran, going so far as to call any potential military operation with Iran "ill-advised."

Fallon was careful not to re-ignite that debate Tuesday as he politely declined a chance to offer his take on that highly publicized policy dispute.

Still, it's clear Fallon favors a greater reliance on security cooperation and diplomacy in the Persian Gulf, as he said he believes that the beginning of the end of U.S. involvement in Iraq provides the "opportunity" to renew ties with partners, as well as "form new alliances" in the region.

Now a scholar at MIT's Center for International Studies, the former four-star admiral joked that he's still getting adjusted to his post-military service life. 

Accustomed to the secret service motorcades afforded to senior U.S. military officials, Fallon opened his remarks saying he wasn't sure he'd make it on time to the event - because he didn't know where to park.

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Comments

Fallon is just looking to squander money.  He was wrong for his job and now he needs to just go away.

Drew, York, PA (Sent Wednesday, July 30, 2008 6:33 PM)

Ronald Reagan said it best "My best wartime strategy..We win, they lose" Peace through strength was his motto, not peace through lilly, livered, yellow bellied actions of appeasement. Yeah, lets be allies with Iran! Let's disarm our military, gut the missile defense system and "trust the enemy". Right, let's all get out the fairy dust and keep on dreaming.

April, Victorville (Sent Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:30 PM)

NO! LETS GET OUT. We need to concentrate on the people of the U.S. Our economy or lack of one has created thousands of homeless citizens. Our jails are filling up with millions of people who are forced to crime just feed their famlies. The suicide and murder rate has increased with the bodies of people who have no hope. These bozos are talking about giving the war money we are forced to borrow to people we don't know or don't care to know. This is messed-up. Where is the sanity. This is Bizzarro world.

Pacheck, Huntington Beach, Ca. (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 11:22 AM)

Nobamas' arrogant ignorance will embolden the forces that would do us harm.

American Voter (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 4:27 PM)

April, maybe you don't remember or weren't aware.  While President Reagan did make those lines, he also understood the value of negotiating with the enemy.  It was our technology, supporting the military, which really scared the Soviets.  Glasnost and perestroika had nothing to do with opening up Soviet society and everything to do with trying to match U.S. knowledge.  He understood that to a degree the "conservatives" today simply can't understand.  He actually wanted to work with our NATO allies and even with the Soviets.  Under his watch the U.S. negotiated the INF Treaty which saw the U.S. and Soviets  eliminate a whole category of weapons to include the SS-20, a missile with three nuclear warheads.  START was begun under him, another treaty seeking to put a curb on nuclear weapons.  Oh by the way, SDI went away because it really could not deliver on what people thought it could.

The point you and your like minded colleague Drew can't seem to see (along with Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith, and all the rest of the neocons) is that U.S. strength lies on more than military might.  It is the ideas of America that make us great.  The Soviets went away ultimately because they couldn't compete in the marketplace of ideas - they had nothing of value to offer.  I would submit that the jihadis are no different.  They can not win unless we have willfully ignorant leadership like that currently inhabiting the White House, along with the ignorant people who put him there.  The sad thing is that President Reagan would probably not be nominated by the GOP today because he would be considered too liberal.  Two of the icons on Mt. Rushmore, Lincoln and T. Roosevelt (Republicans both) woudl also fail to win the nomination given the GOP "base."  Like Victor Gold said (worked on the Goldwater campaign in 1964), the current administration is the most inept in the last 80 years.

Robert, Bethesda, Maryland (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 8:19 PM)

At the end of World War I, the defeated Germans were brought to a rail car to sign surrender documents. At the end of World War II, the defeated Germans were once again asked to sign surrender documents and a peace treaty. At the end of World War II in the far east, Douglas McCarthur met with Japanese officials to have them sign surrender documents.

My point is that the USA was talking to these beligerants, and created or restored alliances with many of them. Can you imagine life without Toyotas, Mercedes or Beemers?

For the prior posters who would simply bomb the snot out of anyone they don't like, I have a suggestion. It is very hard to persuade someone to capitulate when you don't talk to them.

Study your history!!

Herbie2, Dublin, Ohio (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 8:32 PM)

Given the conditions of America now...it appears that BinLaden the boogie man succeded in terrorizing us..he won...this is exactly what he was trying to do to America with a few suicidal muderous pigs and 4 of our own air planes. Bush took the bait and swallowed it hook, line and sinker.Now we are a bankrupt nation.

Tim Skeens (Sent Thursday, July 31, 2008 9:21 PM)

"PEACE THRU STRENGTH?" Whow can the US suppose to lead the world when its economy is burdened with a half trillion dollar deficits, weakness of the US dollars, 3rd rate public education system, 54 million Americans lacking adequate health insurance, crumbling infrastructures(bridges,levee systems, electrical power grids)& soon with the arrival of the BRIC nations(BRAZIL,RUSSIA,INDIA,CHINA) how can we compete with them?
I say lets invest the US taxpayer money at home & starve the Pentagon!!!!!!!!!!!

Gaston, Indianapolis iN (Sent Sunday, August 03, 2008 10:17 AM)

Ideology and ideologues make it increasingly difficult to have dialogue among ourselves, and perhaps distill solutions from facts.  Fallon is a smart man, but of his many suggestions some are right and some probably aren't.  Certainly Rumsfeld tried an approach, with almost blind commitment from the
White House, and that approach failed badly.  I am reminded of how the World War II Japanese leadership dismissed all dissenting opinion -- over starting the war, its execution, and ultimate surrender -- and one can only marvel at how an intelligent people allowed the crazies to drive it almost to extinction.  Perhaps the most savy foreign affairs President since Roosevelt was Eisenhower, who was schooled on alliance diplomacy and made it work so well in the shadows.  When asked at the end of his term how a shooting war with the Russians had been avoided, he rather impatiently responded:  "It wasn't by accident".  

Neither isolationism, nor militarism, nor preaching, nor ideology is going to restore the balance.  It is time now, as it always has been, for clear-eyed realism, and acceptance of whatever polices work regardless of their genesis.  Democrats make fun of Kissinger, and he certainly made his share of bonehead plays, but he understood the nuances far better than anyone on the national stage now.

Roosevelt said, "Speak softly, but carry a big stick."  Bush has conducted policy that confuses our allies yet is perfectly predictable to our enemies.  Obama is fabian liberal and an isolationist who has no apparent understanding of America's place on the stage.  Me? I'm going to take two aspirin and go camp out in the Quetico for the next 8 years.

William A. Peithmann, Farmer City, IL 61842 (Sent Tuesday, August 05, 2008 11:42 AM)

All of you who are so set on bombing and fighting instead of talking, I suggest you spend a couple of combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Please remember that America's mighty military machine is made up of volunteers.  Once they become disillusioned and tired who do we turn to for our defense.  Do you really believe that six years of war have not taken their toll on the warriors? I love the army but after six years of war enough is enough.

Wayne, Honolulu, HI (Sent Friday, August 15, 2008 6:16 PM)



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