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March 12, 2008
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US Admiral Fallon resigns just days after recommending Turkey for dialogue with Kurds instead of war
Kurdishaspect.com - By Karwan Simek
The head of the U.S. military command in charge of Iraq and Afghanistan resigned on Tuesday just days after the admiral's statements were published in the media, which portrayed him as challenging President Bush's foreign policy on Iran and Turkey. Admiral William Fallon was referred to by Esquire Magazine as the "one person in the military or Pentagon standing between the White House and war with Iran." The admiral had also recently made statements regarding the ongoing conflict between Kurdish rebels and the Turkish military implying that such a conflict cannot be resolved via military means, but instead, requires dialogue with Kurdish rebels.
In an article by the Esquire Magazine, Admiral William Fallon was quoted as saying that a possible U.S. war with Iran was an "ill-advised action". Fallon had been openly critical to any intention by the Bush Administration to initiate a war with Iran. Last year, the admiral expressed strong opposition to an administration plan to increase the number of aircraft-carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf. Following his open resistance to such plans, the Bush Administration seemed to change it's policy. Now, a reassertion of the admiral's stance with regards to a war with Iran seemed not well received in Washington.
In more overlooked recent remarks by Admiral William Fallon, the head of the U.S. military command recommended that the Turkish government begin peace talks with Kurdish rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who have been fighting the Turkish military for over two decades. Rebels leaders in the PKK have long expressed their willingness to negotiate an end to their armed struggle. The Kuwait News Agency recently reported that rebel leaders had made another request to the Turkish government to negotiate peace just this month following Turkey's failed ground operation against rebel fighters stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Admiral Fallon at the House Armed Services Committee stated that, "we're [the U.S.] really strongly encouraging them [Turkey] to figure out a political solution here." Shortly after, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates quickly refuted Fallon's statements and stated that "nobody" [in the U.S. administration] would recommend any talks with the PKK.
While the main western media outlets are reporting the resignation of Fallon as being directly related to his opinions regarding Bush's Iran policy, Turkish medias such as the Turkish Daily are reporting the resignation of Fallon a result of Bush's intervention to "soothe the Turkish public's concerns".
Fallon's open critical statements of Bush's foreign policy raised public speculation that the admiral would be either forced to resign or would resign voluntarily.
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