As the military buildup continues in the Gulf in preparation of an anticipated military strike against Iraq, Head of the US military’s Central Command Army General Tommy Franks is currently under an internal investigation.
Army General Tommy R. Franks, who is slated to command US forces if war on Iraq breaks out, is being investigated by the Pentagon's inspector general for possible abuse of his office, and investigators tentatively have concluded that the Central Command chief likely violated some restrictions involving his wife, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing defense sources.
A probe into allegations that General Tommy Franks allowed his wife to attend classified briefings won't affect Franks' ability to lead a US-led war against Iraq, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said on Tuesday.
Rumsfeld told a Pentagon new conference that Franks had his "complete confidence and the complete confidence" of American President George W. Bush.
"There isn't a chance in the world that it will have any possible interference with his role as the combatant commander in the Central Command," Rumsfeld said. "Tom Franks is doing a superb job for this country, and we are lucky to have him there. He is a man of great talent and skill”, AP quoted Rumsfeld as saying.
The US Defense Department declined to provide details of the investigation. However, officials, requesting anonymity, said the inspector general has been looking into allegations that Franks allowed his wife, Cathy, to take part in classified briefings, gave her a military bodyguard she was not entitled to and may not have properly reimbursed the government for all of her travel when she accompanied him on official trips.
Rumsfeld downplayed the investigation, stating charges against senior offices are not uncommon. He said the probe is about three-fourths finished. The charges were not expected to derail Franks' career, and it was unclear what, if any, disciplinary action might follow, if they proved true.
Franks, on his part, issued a brief statement saying he was cooperating with the investigation.
The charges were made by a subordinate, and two top members of the Central Command staff declined to act on the complaints before they eventually were taken to the inspector general, according to the Post.
Franks, 57, was selected to become Central Command chief in 2000 and came to public prominence in 2001 as US commander of the war in Afghanistan. A Texas native, he enlisted in the military in 1967, was selected to attend officer candidate school and then served in Vietnam.
In a subsequent Pentagon tour in the 1970s, he served in the investigations division of the Army Inspector General's office. In the course of the Persian Gulf War in 1991, he was an assistant division commander in the 1st Cavalry Division. (Albawaba.com)
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