Clearing the Decks?

The decision to effectively remove General Peter Pace from his role as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is worrying.

General Pace has publicly stated his opposition to use weapons of mass destruction, has also said military officers should disobey illegal and immoral orders. In sharp contrast to the country's neocon leaders he has also been less than enthusiastic about attacking Iran and refused to make the direct connection between Iran’s Government and Iranian weapons allegedly being used by Iraqi insurgents against U.S. troops.

Although the reason given by Defense Secretary Robert Gates for not re-nominating Pace was to avoid a battle within congress (He was originally nominated for the post by former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld and may be seen by the democrats as vestige of that disastrous tenure, he has also made controversial remarks about homosexuality within the military) it has to be suspected that the Bushites may be clearing the decks for some military actions that would not sit so well with their Chairman.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10867870

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6360469.stm