Peter Pace put out to pasture

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CNN apparently decided that Paris Hilton's hearing was the bigger story, so I missed this until just now: U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced today that General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military, will be stepping down. If all goes according to plan, Pace will be replaced by Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chief of naval operations, when the former leaves office on September 30. Vice Chairman Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., will also be replaced.

Gates's press conference and statement were unusual because the defense secretary was seemingly transparent about his motives in letting Pace go. No excuses about "spending time with his family":

Gates said he intended to re-nominate Pace and Giambastiani but after consulting with senators of both parties came to the conclusions "that because General Pace has served as chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the last six years, the focus of his confirmation process would have been on the past rather than the future."

He said the confirmation process would have the possibility of being quite contentious. "I am no stranger to contentious confirmations, and I do not shrink from them," Gates said. "However, I have decided at this moment in our history, the nation, our men and women in uniform, and General Pace himself would not be well-served by a divisive ordeal in selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

In other words, Democrats threatened to turn Pace's reconfirmation hearings into a hearing on Iraq, and Republicans told Gates they'd rather avoid that. Another explanation raised by the New York Times is that Pentagon and White House officials believe the U.S. military "needs a new direction after years of being strained by the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Interestingly, both the combatant commander for U.S. Central Command, William J. Fallon, and the prospective nominee to replace Pace, Michael G. Mullen, are Navy admirals. Fallon is rumored to be dovish on Iran, but it's worth noting that the U.S. military's two highest profile jobs will soon be held by guys who know a thing or two about protecting sea lanes such as ... the Straits of Hormuz.