Adm. William Fallon’s confirmation hearing for the US Central Command top post
began this morning. He submitted answers to advance questions–available in PDF form at the Senate Armed Services Committee website. You should read the whole thing. Here are a few highlights:

(Ed note: Images removed in June 2007 to facilitate site re-design.)

Much of this jibes with the feedback we got from troops at FOB Justice, who, as I noted:

…scoff at peace activists’ efforts to “bring them home now.” But they are just as critical of the Bush administration and Pentagon’s missteps—from holding Iraqi elections too early, to senselessly breaking up their brigade combat team, to drawing down forces and withdrawing last year in Baghdad and Fallujah, to failing to hold cities after clearing them of insurgents. They speak candidly and critically of Shiite militia infiltration of some Iraqi police and Iraqi Army units and corruption in government ministries, but they want you to know about the unseen good news, too.

Today’s Hot Air TV Baghdad report, part of our ongoing series, dovetails with Adm. Fallon’s points about non-military strategies in Iraq–and President Bush’s State of the Union Address call for a civilian reserve corps.

Meantime, QandO highlights a news report of troops who reject the anti-war Left’s “support.”

And Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, who was confirmed by the Senate last Friday to become the top U.S. commander in Iraq, will arrive in Baghdad next week to take over for Gen. George Casey.

1130am update on the hearing and questions about Iran:

Several Senators asked Fallon his views on Iran, which the Bush administration accuses of meddling in Iraq’s internal affairs and supplying weapons for use by insurgents against American and Iraqi soldiers.

Sen.
Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., asked what he thinks are the intentions of the Iranian government, with regard to security in the Gulf region.

“They are posturing themselves with the capability to attempt to deny us the ability to operate in this vicinity,” Fallon said, adding that there is room for diplomatic efforts with Iran because it also has an economic stake in keeping open the commercial shipping lanes of the Gulf.

“They are aware of our strike capabilities,” he added, and are looking for ways to either neutralize those U.S. capabilities or to keep U.S. forces at bay.

Fallon said he has not been ordered to update the Pentagon’s contingency plans for war with Iran.

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Related: I noted the action in Najaf the other day. The NYTimes reports on what it calls missteps. Zeyad at Healing Iraq passes along multiple versions of what may have happened.