Bin Laden’s death brings new challenges for Central Command
Source: Tampa Bay Online, 5/2/2011
ASP board member Adm. William Fallon is featured.
When he ran U.S. Central Command, Admiral William Fallon said Osama bin Laden was “always in the back of our minds” at the Tampa-based command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region of the world where the al-Qaeda leader operated and was killed on Monday.
“As we went about the business of our daily activity, it was always in the back of our minds that it would be helpful to the world if we could somehow get rid of the guy,” said Fallon, who led the command from March 2007 to March 2008.
Bin Laden’s death may bring relief, but it does not bring the command any respite, said Fallon and another former commander, Anthony Zinni, a retired Marine general who ran Central Command from August 1997 to September 2000.
There were bigger problems besides bin Laden, said Fallon.
“I had two wars raging hotly,” he said.
While combat operations in Iraq are over, Afghanistan is still a war zone.
