So, is the Admiral the right man for the job?

I didn't watch the Fallon confirmation hearing today, but there were a number of quotes out of it that really set me to wondering. Remember, this man is seeking the top Centcom post with overview/control of both Afghanistan and Iraq.

(NYTimes) "Asked to give his assessment about the flow of additional American troops into Iraq, and whether it would actually prevent Iraqis from doing more, Admiral Fallon said it was his assessment that current efforts have not been working, but he added that he has not been involved in the details of how the additional troops would be used.

“As you know, I’ve got a full-time job in Pacific Command, and I’ve tried to stay away from the detail of Central Command until such time as I might be confirmed,” he said. “Then I intend to dive into it.”

(AP) "And it seems to me that one of the things in the back of my mind that I'd like to get answered is to meet with the people that have been working this issue, particularly our ambassadors, our diplomats, to get an assessment of what's realistic and what's practical.

"And maybe we ought to redefine the goals here a bit and do something that's more realistic in terms of getting some progress, and then maybe take on the other things later." — Fallon.

This guy, self admittedly, has no fucking idea what's going on in Iraq. He doesn't know the players, has yet to speak with significant US personnel in theater, and has done this willfully.

He has intentionally buried his head in the sand before taking on this post.

This is the same guy who is scheduled to preside over "the surge" when he takes his new command in less than a month.

(Later: Maybe he's engaging in this willfull ignorance so he can later disown the failure? If so, is that the guy we want in charge of 160,000 soldiers in Iraq?)

Later Still: Thinking back over those articles, Fallon never seems to explicitly endorse "the surge," and, frankly, seems to lay the groundwork to blame others. (Even Later: ThinkProgress highlights Fallon's refusal to endorse "the surge.")