An ominous resignation

The news that broke on March 11 about the early retirement of Adm. William Fallon means one thing: stay alert for war moves against Iran. The Bush gang pushed Fallon out of his position as top U.S. commander in the Middle East. He has spoken out for negotiating with Tehran rather than bombing Iran first.

Like the other top brass at the Pentagon, Fallon has been a loyal servant of U.S. imperialism. He has never shrunk from using military power when ordered to. But he has crossed those who advocate, as Vice President Dick Cheney reportedly does, that the U.S. should attack Iran while the Bush administration is still in office and before talking to the Iranians. Last fall, in an interview with al-Jazeera, Fallon said, “This constant drumbeat of conflict [from the Bush administration] ... is not helpful and not useful.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that letting Fallon go does not mean war with Iran is imminent. But the Pentagon is spending billions to keep a huge fleet of U.S. warships, including some heavy-duty aircraft carriers, off the coast of Iran. Not just Bush but all imperialist governments lie while preparing a pretext or provocation for war. The anti-war forces can’t allow Washington to launch yet another disaster in order to grab Middle East oil. Stay alert and ready to act.

—WW Editorial Staff