Adm. Fallon, CENTCOM Chief, Steps Down

Adm. William J. Fallon has resigned as commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates accepted Fallon’s resignation, and request for retirement, on March 11. News media items have reported of late that Fallon often clashed with the Bush administration and Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander in troops in Iraq, over conduct of the war on terror. But Fallon stopped short of acknowledging such a rift. "Although I don’t believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command area of responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America’s interests there," Fallon said in a CENTCOM statement.