McChrystal is not going to take the rap for Obama’s remote, arm chair,quarterbacking.
I don’t understand your comment. None of the quotes I have seen have been about disagreements in how to prosecute the war. In fact, my impression is that McChrystal was given everything he wanted. Biden advocated less troops, McChrystal wanted more and got them. That’s the odd thing about the whole story. McChrystal isn’t taking a principled stand against policy, he’s just complaining about personalities–and rubbing in the fact that he won a policy disagreement with the VP.
But McChrystal didn’t win. Not all the way, anyhow. He asked for 40 thousand troops and got 30. He probably really believed he needed 40 and still does. He does have policy differences with the administration’s diplomacy people concerning the care and feeding of the Afghan government. Maybe McChrystal is right and maybe he’s wrong. But it’s more than just personality stuff. Quite possibly he should have resigned some time ago instead of letting it be known among subordinates (let alone Rolling Stone) that he harbored contempt for administration people.
Fair enough. But most of what is being reported from the article is not substantive. Its name calling and petty stuff. If he made a substantive argument about policy I would still think he was wrong to do it in public, but I would understand it better. And I agree that if he thought the 10K made that big of a difference he should have resigned. But to end a great career by making fun of the VPs name, referring to a retired Commandant of the Marine Corps as a “clown,” and referring to the French as “[explictive] gay” is just inexplicable. We’ll see if there is more substance when we get a chance to see the whole article, but the bits released so far do not reflect well on the judgment or maturity of McChrystal or his staff.
I have, in the past, been made aware that a lot of officers think things like that. Some few will say them. What is so inexplicable to me are two things. First, that he didn’t resign in disgust if he was so disgusted, and second that he actually supported Obama himself. My goodness! Could he not figure the man out better than that?
From reading the article, the only people showing discust are some of his subordinants, not him. He is just being petty.
They’re also considered one of our more valuable allies in regards to counterterrorism intelligence.
McChrystal never got all the troops he wanted. And it took umpteen months to get the ones he did. Hillary Clinton is the only one who totally supported him.
Obama and the guys have to be sweatin’ bullets. If he fires McChrystal, it’s McChrystal’s go-ahead to be able to do what he wants. Talk shows. Radio. Books for starters.
I’m sure the political theater has just started.
yes, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. a general doesn’t become a general by being stupid. surely he knew the reporter worked for rolling stone magazine and what that meant. i admit that i have to agree with most of what the general said about obama and his administration. maybe they are looking for a story to overshadow the oil spill for a week or so and the negative criticism that obama and his administration have received over that.
Obama had already deployed an additional 17,000 troops in February of 2009. In September, McChrystal wanted 500,000 more! Just to put that in perspective; it would mean that 57% of all active duty forces in the United States military would be in Afghanistan. I’d say that’s a lot to think about especially while our Ambassador to Afghanistan, a retired 3 star General which led our forces in Afghanistan between 2006-2007, is speaking out against an increase in troop levels. Obama also had to consider the fact that Hamad Karzai’s commitment was, and still is, questionable as he had entered into negotiations with the Taliban. In the end, he gave McChrystal another 30,000.
Oh brother.
With federal judges overturning his orders I am uncertain it is possible for Obama to appear any weaker then he already is.
Their soldiers and our soldiers might not get along, but there’s large cooperation in intelligence.
How could that happen? The French are a bunch of gay sissies who run away from a starter’s pistol.