Admiral Says Us Needs New Approach to Iraq

Stabilising Iraq will require "new and different actions", the prospective US commander in the Middle East said today.

Admiral William Fallon, nominated by George Bush to lead Central Command, also told a Senate confirmation hearing that it could be time to "redefine the goals" in Iraq. "I believe the situation ... can be turned around, but time is short," he said.

The admiral, currently the commander of US forces in the Pacific, said he saw a need for a comprehensive approach to Iraq, including economic and political actions as well as military force.

"What we have been doing has not been working," he said. "We have got to be doing, it seems to me, something different."

Adm Fallon acknowledged that errors had been made, saying the US had probably been mistaken in its assessment of the Iraqi government's ability to rebuild the country.

"Securing the stability of the country has been more difficult than anticipated," he added. "Our ability to correctly assess the political, economic and security situation in Iraq has been lacking."

The appointment of Adm Fallon is part of a military and diplomatic reshuffle as the Bush administration sends an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq in a bid to slow the country's slide into chaos.

Mr Bush has already replaced Donald Rumsfeld with Robert Gates as defence secretary, and has named a new US ambassador to Iraq.

If confirmed by the Senate, Adm Fallon will become the first naval officer to head Centcom, with his remit stretching from the Horn of Africa through the Middle East to central Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The choice of a naval commander comes with the US taking an increasingly tough approach to Iran. Any move against Tehran would rely heavily on ship-based missiles and carrier-based aircraft.

While Adm Fallon is expected to easily win confirmation, opposition to the US troop "surge" in Iraq remains strong.

In remarks prepared for a speech today, Bill Nelson, a Democratic senator on the armed services committee, said only another 200,000 or 300,000 US troops would be enough to make a substantial difference.

"Based on everything I saw ... and my conversations with Iraqi officials, our own military leaders and rank and file soldiers, I am convinced more troops won't end the sectarian violence," he said.

Mr Nelson, who has just returned from a visit to the region, also criticised the Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, saying he "either lacks the will, or the nerve, to take on the Shia militias".

Last week, the Senate approved Mr Bush's nomination of army Lieutenant General David Petraeus to take over command of US troops in Iraq.

During his confirmation hearing, Gen Petraeus said the situation in Iraq was "dire", but denied it was hopeless.