CentCom Commander: ‘I Have No Idea’ If White House Iran Claim Is True
CentCom Commander: ‘I Have No Idea’ If White House Iran Claim Is True
On Sunday, anonymous administration officials presented evidence purportedly showing that weapons have been smuggled into Iraq with “the approval of senior Iranian officials.” Yesterday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Peter Pace seemed to contradict this claim, saying that he has not seen evidence that the Iranian government “clearly knows or is complicit” in the weapons smuggling.
Today on CNN, CentCom Commander William Fallon, the top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, was asked about the administration’s claim. Fallon said, “I have no idea who may be actually with hands-on in this stuff.”
Watch it:
White House Press Secretary Tony Snow failed to address reporters’ questions about Pace today, and according to the AP, the Pentagon had similar troubles:
Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday he could not explain the apparent contradiction and referred questions to Pace’s office and to American forces in Baghdad.
A military official on Pace’s staff said the general stands by his comments. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.
John Hutson, a retired former Navy judge advocate general and dean of the Franklin Pierce Law School, said of the intel debate, “I think we have to take away from it a huge dose of caution.”
Transcript:
PHILLIPS: If you listen to Joint Chiefs chair, Peter Pace, he said just recently — and we’re going to take a listen in just a second, that he doesn’t believe the military — or the government of Iran is involved with these weapons, yet Tony Snow at the White House today said that he believes it’s the radicals behind the manufacturing and distribution of these weapons.
Let’s take a listen to Peter Pace, and I want to get your response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GENERAL PETER PACE: We know that the explosively formed projectiles are manufactured in Iran. What I would not say is that the Iranian government, per se, knows about this. It is clear the Iranians are involved, and it’s clear that materials from Iran are involved. But I would not say, based on what I know, that the Iranian government clearly knows or is complicit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: Sir, what is your belief?
FALLON: Kyra, I have no idea who may be actually with hands-on in this stuff, but I do know that this is not helpful to the situation in Iraq. The folks there are struggling. They’re trying to build a new life for themselves, a new country.
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CentCom Commander William Fallon, the top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, was asked about the administration’s claim. Fallon said, “I have no idea who may be actually with hands-on in this stuff.â€
Truly terrifying, and truly telling as to the exact nature of this administration.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:17 pmGreat, the top Military Commanders are kept out of the loop when it comes to the reason to go to war against Iran.
We’ll just have to trust the Commander-in-Chief. He won’t mislead us into War based on cherry-picked and/or faulty intelligence again, will he?
February 13th, 2007 at 9:19 pmWhat a joke. I’m so glad that the Jackass-in-Chief needed to steal two presidential elections so he and his band of murderous thugs could stampede this country into a ill-conceived and ill-executed invasion and occupation, while systematically stripping us of our ‘inalienable’ rights.
Sometimes I really think I’m going to wake up any minute…but it never seems to happen.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:20 pm.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:24 pmAdmiral Fallon, sir, can you, will you, please stop this madness?
…please…
.
Comment by rachel ” the rich jew ” kinnardi esq. — February 13, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
Rachel, TP is still slow when it comes to actually banning an ISP. Even then, it doesn’t prevent someone from coming back on with a different ISP.
Clogging up the threads, as was done Sunday evening only serves the purposes of the Bush Administration. I don’t think that’s who you really want serve, do you?
Please stick to what you do best: finding information from other sites and bringing it to our attention. That’s the side of you I appreciate.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:34 pmWhat a joke. I’m so glad that the Jackass-in-Chief needed to steal two presidential elections so he and his band of murderous thugs could stampede this country into a ill-conceived and ill-executed invasion and occupation, while systematically stripping us of our ‘inalienable’ rights.
Sometimes I really think I’m going to wake up any minute…but it never seems to happen.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:34 pmRachel; just STFU. Your repitious ranting on every thread is wearing out your welcome. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:37 pmUncle Ho, please don’t feed the troll. She thrives on attention. Ignore her and she’ll go away.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:41 pmHey, Uncle Ho. Did you get it figured out?
February 13th, 2007 at 9:41 pmFallon, will you and Pace get together and finally expose the White House? Will you stand together and defy Bush? Will you tell the press of all the lies? Will you persuade Gates to defy Bush? Will you tell Congress that you will support them if they remove Bush from office?
Will you stand by the men under your command? Will you defend them against their enemies – the ones in the White House?
February 13th, 2007 at 9:43 pmAs Bush himself so ineloquently put it:
“Fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”
For more on the Bush credibility gap on Iran, see:
February 13th, 2007 at 9:46 pm“Fool Me Once: Bush and Iran.”
Just was listening to Thom Hartman. He said that in 2000 there was a successful coup. I agree. This country was “taken over” in 2000 and we’re just coming to terms with it. He was saying, and I agree though, that we have Democracy in our genes. In Germany when Hilter took apart Democracy it had only been around 20 years. I think we can get this country back but the generals are going to have to do their part and come out and speak.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:49 pmComment by s — February 13, 2007 @ 9:49 pm
S, you are more correct than you know. Democracy is inherent in Nature.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:51 pmZooey, no I did not try today. left TP for a little to check today’s e-mails and articles on truthout. My ISP gave notice along with my invoice that wireless broadband will soon be available in my area-yea.
trip; rachel’s nonstop blathering is starting to be like fingernails across a chalkboard.
I’m calling it a night. Good luck all.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:52 pmOk, Uncle Ho.
Goodnight, all.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:55 pmThe way the military commanders keep contradicting the administration one might thnik that we’ll soon be having a civil war of our own. If it means getting rid of this human garbage in our Congress, White House and Pentagon, I say: Let’s go for it and get it done. It would send one helluva strong message that would be totally clear and unmistakable.
February 13th, 2007 at 9:58 pmGOT ME?
Comment by rachel ” the rich jew ” kinnardi esq.
Oh, I dunno, why not just take you and your adolescent threats and stick them where your brain, if you have one, and the sun don’t shine.
Hint: the TP moderators don’t respond to complaints in the thread. They only respond to email. But we appreciate your whining, cause that’s what we’ve always thought of you and it only helps reinforce who you are.
Take some Haldol, please.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:27 pmMuqtada al-Sadr, the radical Iranian backed leader of the Jaish al-Mahdi, or Mahdi Army, left Iraq several weeks ago and is staying with ‘family’ inside Iran, according to an ABC News report. Military officials told ABC News Sadr is said to have left Iraq just prior to the deployment of U.S. forces, and feared being targeted by U.S. Air Force.
While the reports indicate Sadr is staying with family, a source in the U.S. intelligence community told us Sadr is under the protection of the Iranian government. “Sadr is currently being protected by Qods Force,” the same Iranian special forces unit that is believed to have executed U.S. soldiers in Karbala, Iraq, and has been supplying Sunni and Shia terrorists with weapons, support and agents to killed Coalition forces. Members of Qods Froce are currently in U.S. custody.
Sadr’s underlings have been reported to be fleeing Iraq to Iran in January. Sadr’s departure from Iraq indcates he takes the Baghdad security plan seriously, and fears for his direct safety. U.S. and Iraqi forces battled Sadr’s militia numerous times during the late summer and fall of 2006. U.S. and Iraqi forces detained over 15 leaders of the Mahdi Army and killed 1, and detained over 600 fighters from December 2006 to January of 2007.
U.S. and Iraqi forces targeted Iranian agents in Baghdad in December 2006, and Irbil in January 2007, capturing Qods Force agents, along with plans and documentation on Iran’s support of the Iraqi death squads, al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Sunnah. An Iranian ‘diplomat’ was kidnapped in Baghdad in broad daylight, while two Sadr aides were murdered. The deputy minister of Health, a Sadr underling, was arrested for “links with the death squads.” Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki approved the arrest.
Sadr has tested the winds in Iraq, and deemed it unsafe for him to stay.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:31 pmGlobal Warming
The latest FOX News Poll finds that most Americans believe in global warming
Wow, FOX people actually can think…a bit, dayumm.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:32 pmWhat does this say about this Administration when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff AND the Commander of the Theater of Operartions for the Region contradict the “Anoymonous Officials” who claim that Iran is neck deep in fomenting trouble for us in Iraq? This looks like just another major credibility problem for Bush. Then again, what isn’t?
February 13th, 2007 at 10:32 pmUncle Ho, please don’t feed the troll. She thrives on attention. Ignore her and she’ll go away.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey — February 13, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
I just dont want Spudge to use that name anymore is all.
It is offensive to me.
As well as any newcruisers to this site.
A normal name will do.
One you can stick with.
Comment by rachel †the rich jew †kinnardi esq. — February 13, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
Rachel, TP is still slow when it comes to actually banning an ISP. Even then, it doesn’t prevent someone from coming back on with a different ISP.
Clogging up the threads, as was done Sunday evening only serves the purposes of the Bush Administration. I don’t think that’s who you really want serve, do you?
Please stick to what you do best: finding information from other sites and bringing it to our attention. That’s the side of you I appreciate.
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — February 13, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
Briseadh na Faire,
I hear you loud and clear bro. Zooey, you too I hear.
Me be good. Me promise.
Links, On-Topic, general “gopher” assistance and I will remain the most elusive fish in the pond.
I am back to ” hangin out ”
*poof*
I guess this means troll alert will now be out of a job.
Drat #%#^#%$!!
February 13th, 2007 at 10:32 pmIt is contrary to that “God-damned piece of paper” that we all know and love to propose, support, or participate in the violent overthrow of our “elected” government. Having said all that I am prepared to join any group that stands ready to overthrow the bushco by any means. We must take a hint from our good friend Bill: “It all depends on what your definition of ‘is’ ‘is.’” Is King George the Dumb the “elected” government? The “is” is that no way was he legitimately elected. Therefore we may legally hang the guilty bastard and them impeach him for hanging. Would the overthrow be violent? The “is” is that over 70% of the American public would be dancing in the streets and no way could such a party be considered “violent” if subjected to a vote. Therefore, Bye Bye KGtD, enjoy the breeze through the old oak tree.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:32 pmI see wingnut Vince is back.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:33 pmAnyone have any idea why the Iranians would stencil manufacture dates in U.S. format (”MM-DD-YYYY”), and would use the English word “LOT” on the labels of their munitions?
Just curious.
Is the Farsi word for “lot” also “lot” (and is “lot” unspellable in Farsi)?
Do the Iranians also use U.S. date format (perhaps a remnant of the Shah)?
Or has the world standardised on English as the common language of munitions (what an honour)?
Cheers,
February 13th, 2007 at 10:35 pm#26 Arne
The world of bushco has standardized on the common language of fools. DUHbya can’t read any language except Greedish.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:41 pmAnyone have any idea why the Iranians would stencil manufacture dates in U.S. format (â€MM-DD-YYYYâ€), and would use the English word “LOT†on the labels of their munitions?
Just curious.
Comment by Arne Langsetmo — February 13, 2007 @ 10:35 pm
Ummm…It`s the only alpha-numero system the CIA knows?
February 13th, 2007 at 10:42 pmIt is all too unbearably obvious Bush/corporate Media are trying to bring on another illegal war, again for no reason – following the PNAC blueprint.
Who is going to stop this maddness?
One reason Vietnam came to an end is the fact our military began to ‘bulk’ – question what they were doing.
CentCom Commander William Fallon please do the right thing. Congress stop this insane idiot sitting in the White House before it is too late.
February 13th, 2007 at 10:55 pmBernie Ward who also reads TP will probably talk about this tonight at 10pm pt
February 13th, 2007 at 11:14 pmKGO is the only station I know of that is constantly live with lprogressive talk at night.
Consider whether smoke+mirrors.
We’ve got to keep our eye on the ball here.
Is this Iranian allegation merely a distraction to take the media focus off the Democratic AND Republican stand against Bush? Tough to say. I will say that it would be entirely in keeping with Bush/Cheney/Rove.
However, we do not need to know in order to act. There is only one airtight way to restrain these madmen running our Executive Branch, and that is:
REPEAL the AUMF.
That will remove the legal basis for action in Iraq. Simultaneous passage of funding authorization for redeployment of the troops out of Iraq will deflect the inevitable right wing criticism that we are not supporting the troops.
Repeal will also remove any possible justification for escalating this war, a la Cambodia, into Iran.
—
-Authorization…for the Use of Military Force, passed by an obsequious and scared Congress in October 2002 just before the mid-term elections in which we Dems got trounced.
Bush has used it to justify virtually every insane act he has undertaken since, including the invasion of Iraq, the jailing of anyone he chooses without trial or due process, expansion of Presidential War Powers, etc…
February 13th, 2007 at 11:14 pm“This mission just got a hell of a lot more impossible!!”
February 13th, 2007 at 11:19 pm–ben stiller as “tom crooze” [Mission: Improbable]
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — February 13, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
There is no way that can be the real BnF.
Comment by Spudge_Boy — February 13, 2007 @ 10:17 pm
I assure you, I wrote that.
In all things, seek balance.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:19 pmUmmm…It`s the only alpha-numero system the CIA knows?
Comment by rachel kinnardi esq. — February 13, 2007 @ 10:42 pm
Or maybe because we sold them to Iran in the ‘good ole days’ of Iran-Contra?
February 13th, 2007 at 11:21 pmYa kno Ah dun anserd dis berry same questshun manny ah time b’fore.
Offsir. “You been Drinkin boy!”
Haw, “I habb kno Ideer.”
Yet dey askit agin n agin.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:48 pmWhile I would not trust this administration to tell me the time of day, SO WHAT if the Iranians are selling their neighbors weapons to fight off the oil grabbing so called freedom promoters from the west. Is there any law against supplying weapons to other nations? I hope not; it is one of our major export businesses. These goons in the White House are going to hit Iran and all the rest is just dog and pony show. Now that they need this new war in which to fold in their Iraq failure, I just see very little hope without some serious supervision from capital hill. In other words, I see very little hope here–all those people have to worry about their individual political careers, that goode olde american self interest thing.
jon
February 13th, 2007 at 11:48 pmFor some relevant irreverence on the climate change report, see: http://EcosystemCollapse.com/ellen.html
Sadr has tested the winds in Iraq, and deemed it unsafe for him to stay. Comment by Vince P — February 13, 2007 @ 10:31 pm
Sounds more like the neocons (like yourself) are testing the winds to justify attacking Iran and keeping the US at a constant state of war. Are you one of the NeoCons obsessed with protecting Israel from the Islamists – or are you just one of the chick-$hits that scare like a little child at the bogeyman. Just imagine, without cowards believing that Jews were the Dark Horde, there never would have been a Hitler. Remember that the next time you spread your particularly vile brand of hatred. You have more in common with those followers of Hitler than you do with Jewish, Christian or American traditions. Just think Vince P, many of Hitler’s inner circle were self loathing gay men – some jews just like yourself. Lets see that little salute to the fuhrer – OK skippy?
February 13th, 2007 at 11:52 pmSadr has tested the winds in Iraq, and deemed it unsafe for him to stay. Comment by Vince P
Yet Vince wont.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:55 pmjust dunt tell un yews gey Vince, g’awn do it.
February 13th, 2007 at 11:56 pmScalia’s daughter charged with DUI
Hay how dew yew spel hipocrasse?
February 14th, 2007 at 12:01 amThe Iranians would want to harm our troops. Iran is a progressive peacful regimes in which people have more liberty than here.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:27 amBush is bad and Iran is good!
February 14th, 2007 at 12:32 amOh come on now for God’s sake, whether the Iranians are “explicitly” or “implicitly” allowing war materials over the border into Iraq an absurd argument. The real argument is why the flow cannot be stopped. If they were really not trouble-making nuts they would have sealed their borders but somehow I very much doubt that they have ever even considered that. Meanwhile, thousands of our kids are getting blown to f_cking bits over there in a war where they don’t even show the coffins coming off the plane (Cheney learned that was not a good thing during Nam, you see). 10,000 -15,000 are badly maimed. Politicians like Lieberman have never been to war and don’t know a damn sole over there. Every single f_cking pathetic member of Congress ought to be put on notification duty in their own districts – that’s right, you knock on the door and tell little Suzy to go get her Mom because Daddy got killed today. Of course that will never happen. Lieberman is not a man. He is a pathetic war profiteer like the rest of them. Meanwhile, as one Captain put it “that is all we can do is send our men down the street and wait until they get shot or blown up”. Its all ridiculus. Other than start a war (and this one will certainly end all wars), we cannot do anything to stop Iran’s because we are locked into funding Iran !!! The checkmate is this: We can’t tell the Chinese to embargo Iranian oil because we need them to keep growing so they will keep out interest rates from soaring. They’d say f____ you anyway. We can’t stop buying oil because of years and years of policy stupidity. $75 billion of it goes to the Middle East and I estimate that $4 billion of that gets to Al Queda fighters and probably $1 billion is going to make nukes in Iran. If this keeps going like this, you can bet that damn soon Chavez will be pulling a Castro too.
The Russians love it all with oil at around 60. Keep it coming. They have no desire to stop seeing us destroy ourselves. The other players ? Israel and Iran will be the likely next launchers of nuclear weapons. It will be the end as the Russians and Cheney get involved. No one will be able to stop it. Cheney will live in some cave for a few years which he knows he can do — so he has an out in his feeble twisted mind. The man is straight out of Dr. Strangelove. Chimpy is just simply a nothing, a f_cking disaster for this country.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:38 amWow, I am confused.
Comment by Spudge_Boy — February 14, 2007 @ 12:20 am
If Rachael is the one of many names whom I think she is, she upon occasion does a great job at finding other news articles and posting portions of them here along with links.
I have found many of those articles informative, even though I have not replied to the article itself (as they are usually off-topic, yet no thread is ever created to discuss them). Those kinds of posts do this site a service. I encourage that which promotes growth.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:41 amin all things, seek balance.
yeh baybieeee yehhhh!!
February 14th, 2007 at 12:41 amhe Russians love it all with oil at around 60. Keep it coming. They have no desire to stop seeing us destroy ourselves. The other players ? Israel and Iran will be the likely next launchers of nuclear weapons.
whut in da heck is this one on about?
February 14th, 2007 at 12:44 amhe Russians love it all with oil at around 60. Keep it coming. They have no desire to stop seeing us destroy ourselves. The other players ? Israel and Iran will be the likely next launchers of nuclear weapons.
why yer eyeball is smaller than yur universe baybieee!! Yeh!!
February 14th, 2007 at 12:45 amA Utah police officer hailed for helping stop a rampaging shooter who killed five people in a Salt Lake City mall said he simply did what his fellow officers would have done. “I was in a situation that I was carrying my gun, and I felt that I had to do something,” Officer Ken Hammond said.
Lets here it for this man!!! Bless ye soul sir, bless it.
February 14th, 2007 at 12:52 amSpudge_Boy = ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus
February 14th, 2007 at 12:59 amThe big question is — Who put these high ranking military officials in Baghdad up to this incredibly stupid claim. Cheney?
February 14th, 2007 at 1:31 amI did not post this:
Spudge_Boy = ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus
FALSE troll alert ALERT!!!!!
Rachel,go to bed,boy.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:42 amI did not post this:
Spudge_Boy = ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus
I posted this instead:
Spudge_Boy = ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus
February 14th, 2007 at 2:42 amFALSE troll alert ALERT!!!!!
# 53.- Rachel,go to bed,boy.
February 14th, 2007 at 3:04 am>Okay ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus , whatever you say.
TP?
I would like you to make this poster STOP using this atrocious name ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus.
What kind of a message does this send to new people cruising through this site?
What kind of an image does this name project upon this site?
Might I suggest that we go the way of registration soon so as to weed out this kind of rabble off of this site?
February 14th, 2007 at 4:00 am[...] to rally the troops.) Bogus claims against Iranian influence in Iraq are being treated with the contempt they deserve. Even a New York Rabbi is worried about poor Britney Spears. What the hell can be [...]
February 14th, 2007 at 6:12 amSo let us see what we have here. The head of the jcs and the head of centcom both clearly state that they have no- I repeat – no evidence that links the gov of Iran to the presence of these weapons!
February 14th, 2007 at 6:46 amAnd at the same time that these comments are occuring, the lying sacks over at 1600 are continuing to build up to a attack on another soverign country!
IMPEACH and do it asap!
lol
February 14th, 2007 at 7:28 amRACHEL – grow some friggin skin! Whiner weenie! What kind of image does your incessant whining project on my brain? Might I suggest you register your complaint WITH SOMEONE WHO FRIGGIN GIVES A CRAP!?! Grow up.
February 14th, 2007 at 8:28 amIs Adm. Fallon the first to know,or the last to know?!!!
February 14th, 2007 at 8:40 amWho is this “Rachel” whore? You come on this blog with your inane threats. Beyotch, nobody cares what you do or say. BE GONE!!!
February 14th, 2007 at 9:38 am46. in all things, seek balance.
yeh baybieeee yehhhh!!
Comment by haw — February 14, 2007 @
Exactly. Which is what is missing since the fall of the Berlin wall and the USSR. Because there is no balance, an idiot like bush gets to play presdent.
February 14th, 2007 at 10:34 amRachel you sound like a liberal whore.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:34 pmSen Clinton has just made a speech on the Senate Floor in which she notes this disparity between what Bush is saying and what his top General is saying.
February 14th, 2007 at 1:43 pmMovie Titles:
February 14th, 2007 at 4:28 pmTHE GANG THAT COULDN’T SHOOT STRAIGHT
FEARLESS LEADER(aka Rocky and Bullwinkle)
A THOUSAND CLOWNS
WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT?
WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY?(”what War?”–CHIMPya)
M*A*S*H
How could CNN and this site identify Adm Fallon as the CENTCOM Commander? While he has been comfirmed for the job, Gen Abizaid is still the commander. Adm Fallon is still at home at PACOM and until the change of command occurs, misidentifying him as the CENTCOM Commander is shoddy reporting.
February 23rd, 2007 at 4:49 am