War Bosses Butting Heads

France is preparing war plans in case an international coalition decides to force Iran to give up its alleged nuclear weapons program, according to Reuters "We must prepare for the worst," [Foreign Minister Bernard] Kouchner said in an interview, adding: "The worst, sir, is war."

Our Frankish friends across the sea aren't the only Western leaders focused on Iran, The Middle East Times reports:

*The [U.S.] Centcom commander [Admiral William Fallon] believed the United States should be withdrawing troops from Iraq urgently, largely because he saw greater dangers elsewhere in the region. "He is very focused on Pakistan," said a source familiar with Fallon's thinking, "and trying to maintain a difficult status quo with Iran." *

This runs counter to occupation boss General David Petraeus' (pictured with Fallon and President Bush) recommendation that the U.S. maintain large numbers of troops in Iraq for potentially years more. Fallon and Petraeus don't just disagree on matters of policy, the article points out:

*In sharp contrast to the lionization of General David Petraeus by members of the US Congress during his testimony this week, Petraeus's superior, Admiral William Fallon, chief of the Central Command (Centcom), derided Petraeus as a sycophant during their first meeting in Baghdad in March, according to Pentagon sources familiar with reports of the meeting. *

Fallon told Petraeus that he considered him to be "an ass-kissing little chickenshit" and added, "I hate people like that."

Related:
"Iraq me, Dave Petraeus"
Iraq gov't loves surge
Soldier-critics die
Grunts pen op-ed
"Surge" an illusion
Petraeus wrong about Iraqi deaths
U.S. troop deaths rising

(Thanks, Geoff!)