US Admiral in Charge of Mideast Quits

The top US military commander for the Middle East resigned today after the publication of a magazine profile that portrayed him as a vocal opponent of the Bush administration's Iran strategy, the AP reports. Adm. William Fallon, head of US Central Command, denied any rift and said he stepped down only because recent press reports created a "distraction at a critical time," ABC News reports.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Fallon quit of his own accord and called suggestions his departure signals a Mideast policy shift "ridiculous." "It isn't the result of any one article or any one issue," he said. The Esquire article said Fallon was “brazenly challenging his commander in chief” and described him as being a lone voice in the administration arguing against the use of military force on Tehran, NBC reports. (More William Fallon stories.)