General McChrystal Relieved
President Obama has announced that he accepted the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, and named General David Petraeus, currently commander of U.S. Central Command, as his replacement.
Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic asked after the Rolling Stone article broke: “What the Heck Was McChrystal Thinking?” This seems to be the same question asked by President Obama. A “furious” commander in chief ordered the general to personally explain some bizarre and intemperate remarks about the White House national security team made by McChrystal and his staff in the magazine profile. Earlier today, McChrystal met with the president for 30 minutes, where apparently the decision was made to replace him with General Petraeus.
Would that our president could get “furious” about the jobs situation in the country or the Gulf Coast oil spill. But neither of those leaderless crises are affronts to the president’s personal pride, so they get the “cool and detached” treatment. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, those twin bumbles will also lead to detaching Barack Obama from the White House — if the good Lord will vouchsafe us a little luck and the GOP can get its act together by 2012.
Unfortunately, the Obama national security team’s incompetence in Afghanistan is doing a lot more damage than oiling up a few pelicans or causing enormous angst among American workers, both employed and unemployed. What’s at stake are the lives of young men and women, the safety and security of the United States, and the efficacy of the North Atlantic alliance that has lasted longer than any other mutual security pact in history.
McChrystal’s staff did most of the damage in the article, referring to National Security Advisor Jim Jones as a “clown” who was “stuck in 1985.” He nicknamed Vice President Biden “Bite me.” The disparaging manner in which they spoke of both Afghan Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Special AfPak Ambassador Richard Holbrooke reveals a chasm that has opened up between the civilian and military leadership on what to do about bringing a satisfactory conclusion to our efforts in Afghanistan — a chasm that appears unbridgeable at this point and is contributing to the horrible sinking sensation many are feeling when looking at the situation deteriorate.
In truth, this is the major source of frustration for all sides in this spat; there simply isn’t a way forward that even smells like victory in the traditional sense. And as the months drag on, General McChrystal has found that the strategy that was so painstakingly drawn up and agonized over by the president cannot be implemented to any degree that would begin to make a difference in the security situation. Nor can the strategy change the dynamic in Kabul, where President Karzai sits atop a rickety government that is nowhere near ready to accept responsibility for the country’s security.
For one thing, the enemy is not cooperating by presenting themselves for execution. When Americans or NATO forces show up, the Taliban goes to ground, knowing all they have to do is wait a few months and most Americans will be gone, leaving the field to them. For another, the Afghan civilians are torn between the tyranny of the Taliban or continued war if they accept the legitimacy of their own government. It appears that being alive, albeit oppressed, is winning out over the alternative.
Couple that with McChrystal employing rules of engagement that many of our troops believe go too far in trying to protect civilians, and you have the worst of both worlds: a policy that so far has failed to achieve even minimal results, and rules that hamstring our soldiers just when the fighting is beginning to pick up in intensity.
Michael Savage did his entire show on this subject yesterday. Several callers with military background intimated that McChrystal deliberately gave the Rolling Stone interview, knowing full well of the repercussions, in order to step down from his command.
The General did this to get Wahington’s attention because they aren’t getting the help and supplies they need in Afganistan. He’s done a heroic job for us. Perhaps the golfers in Washington will let Petreaus actually fight to win. Telling the Taliban we’d be gone next summer is a traitorous thing to do, be it Jones or Obama. Obama said in his book he would side with the muslims if it came down to that. He has.
2. eor: Obama said in his book he would side with the muslims if it came down to that. He has.
June 23, 2010 – 12:41 pm”
eor, can you please cite? Because in this context, I can’t believe it.
Actually I checked and Obama never said that. (fail)
Rick: what are people smoking? this is America! in case you forgot!
the Supramcy of civilian over military is the fundamnetal of
democracy.. this is not about personal pride, this is about democracy. regardless of how ineffective our presiden is…
if this geos unchecked before you know we will have a system like Iran. or North Korea or be ruled by merciless Israeli solders in Gaza. If this is what you like go and live there. I could not stand president Bush, but if a general did the same to him his ass should gotten fired. this has nothing to do with polotics. My own son is a Marine. a soders get his orders. if they not like it or disagree with, then walk away.
I’m…speechless! Miriam, we’re on the same page! Rather than feel compelled to snub you I actually would like to shake your hand on this one. I am currently Active Duty so I know the laws of command quite well myself. I applaud the General standing up and making his personal position well known, however he should not have done it under contract like he did. Being under contract means that you will follow the Commander-in-Chief thoroughly unless it is an unlawful order. General McCrystal’s attitude and deeds are heroic and noble, however he is running the risk of violating the UCMJ.
Zamir: thank you. as you can see we liberals do love our country
too!! just differently…my son is in Mohavi desert for climate
training and will going to Afghanistan in Sept. in the most
f….up part of to. the helmand province
Just like my son, you General Mcchrytal you are all hereo
Intresting that you identify yourself as a liberal, and Not an American.
Thank you for that dishonest post and Jew hate.
A)in the military you can’t just walk away. B) what does being a democracy have to do with it? C) Just War theory mis-applied : Just Cause/self defense is a basis for war, but unrealistic rules of engagement and proportionate use of force rules prolong wars and reinforce the opposition.
The general seems to have fallen on his sword to make a point, that otherwise he’s not allowed to make.
Exactly what we think!!!…
He knows that there was little hope of Obama giving our people on the battle front the help that was asked for…this way , people pay attention..
Brave man vs a wimp paper tiger with all the power…the brave man loses and yet wins.
The only Israeli soldier in Gaza is the prisoner Galid Shalit. Amazing how you can get so close to truth but take a sharp U turn when you get to Jews.
Please show me in where in the Rolling Stones article that General McChrystal challenged civilian control of the military. Please show me where in the article that General McChrystal tried to influence the overall policy objectives lined out by the Obama administration.
McChrystal at most deserved a repremand. However, since Mr. Obama’s ego was involved, he had to be fired.
Folks – I have a little different take on this. I think Mc Crystal did this on purpose. He saw his mission as strategically and tactically impossible. He wanted to get fired. (For reasons of his own – he did not want to resign his post – which you can do as a General) He sought to cross the political line without crossing the legal line. He became politically impossible to keep in command while not crossing the line into criminal insubordination. Mc Crystal did it on purpose. Obama had no choice. In this – I have to agree with Miriam. It doesn’t matter who the commander in chief is and it doesn’t matter how bad the policies and strategies are. A General must salute and say “Yes Sir” or resign. A General who lacks the discipline to do either has to go.
Maybe – this will be for the best. Maybe putting a new guy in the field will give Obama the political cover “to re-think” his “certain and announced” withdraw date strategy and Petraeus just might have the political clout to request a “revised” rules of engagement policy that is a little less suicidal.
Irrespective of all this and irrespective of Obama’s policies – defaming the president is a UCMJ offence for a commissioned officer. The president can not let a General win a power struggle – no matter who the president or general is. That precedent would be far worse than any of the specifics of this individual situation.
GDT <— 20 year soldier – retired (Desert Storm Vet) among other things
P.S. – Miriam, I really would like to have a separate discussion on the Gaza issue (obviously one of your favorites). The Palestinians could have any and everything they SAY they want NOW – if they would just accept it, remove the extermination of Israel from their national charter and, oh I don’t know, stop lobbing rockets into Israel from bases located in hospitals and schools. When the Palestinians have the complete destruction of Israel as a national policy – it is real hard to fault Israel for doing whatever they deem necessary to keep that from happening.
Move McChrystal to Arizona. There are targets of opportunity there.
Nope. Hands tied behind your back in Arizona too. I mean, there are 13 to 15 million illegals just waiting to keep the progressives in power.
My Take:
http://www.bloggybayou.com/2010/06/mcchrystal-crisis-its-opportunity-vice.html
Cheers
“the Supramcy of civilian over military is the fundamnetal of
democracy ….”
========
The implication is that the civilian leaders are competent. Obama & Co. are not.
That is not the implication at all. The implication is that if military is running things the people no longer get to vote for their elected officials. This was a very purposeful part of our founding. No matter how incompetent the prez is he is still in command. This is central to maintaining democratic vote. If the military just gets to decide what they follow this is chaos. Gen McC understands this and offered his resignation. Whether it was on purpose or not who knows, but the outcome is the same.
Great article Rick.
Unfortunately the war as it now exists in Afghanistan is unwinnable given the current force level and rules of engagement.
It’s time to take the gloves off. The problem, as I see it, is two fold. First, a president who despises the military and does not truly understand war. Second, an administration and public unwilling to admit this is simply the latest phase of a war which has been going on between the Islamic world and the west for more than 1,200 years.
Western civilization and Islamic civilization are simply fundamentally incompatible as each are now constituted. One or the other is either going to have to change or cease to exist for this war to end.
Patrick
I hope the good Gen. makes the rounds exposing all the ways Obama is screwing over the mission in AFPAC.
WWMD? Give them all ten days to either forsake Islam and the Taliban and surrender or find a cave and nuke the whole friggin’ place.
SHAME!!! that would not be the love bunny way to fight a war.. we want to reach out and stroke them and love them into submission.. tell them the day we plan to leave, pay for them to rebuild their country.
It appears to me, the BLT/Marxist POTUS is an enemy of this country. As such, the U.S. military should try him in a military court for treason.
McChrystal is a loose cannon but he was factually correct and properly motivated. His situation was impossible. This administration is in over its collective head and will fail unless it allows Petraeus to exercise his judgment and provides him with what he needs in a way that it did not support McChrystal. The American people will be the losers. And Biden really is a clown.
This general says that he voted for Obozo. Now that, is unforgivable.
I guess Barry thought the military was in love with him. After all they are risking their lives so he can surround himself with like-minded Marxists, Commies and Union thugs, and party with the cool folks listening to Michelle, golf and when an emergency like this happens he is Johnny on the spot.. What is there to not like about this civilian community agitator dictating war strategy to nitwits from West Point??
General McChrystal is relieved all right, he’s relieved he will not be forced to lose a war.
Oh, this is too classic-
This afternoon MoveOn.org scrubbed “General Betray-us” from its website.
Nobody wants to be in charge of either a lost war or a goat screw both of which asstan has turned into.
I’d spoke up loud and clear to any MSM ass who would listen to get relieved of that FUBAR.
Something that has not mentioned needs to be. Since McChrystal was Obama’s man in Afghanistan, what does that say about this president’s competence? It feeds into the obvious narrative that Obama is incompetent, of course, but we now know this president’s character judgment is piss poor.
Another columnist wrote today that Obama wants so badly to be George W. Bush it shows. Sadly, not only is that true, it is impossible. Obama, as does McChrystal, lacks the judgment and character of Bush. The president apprehended in McChrysal something apparent in himself, and it is ugly to behold.
“Relieved” is a great word, but in this case it is probably most appropriate.
My bet is that he went into see Zippy with retirement papers filed, resignation in hand, book contract in hand, FOX consultancy in hand and his wife picking out furniture for their retirement home.
He is not stupid and his lack of troops, PC handcuffs, no-win situation in the theater along with his surroundings populated by Obama’s ship of fools would make retirement planning his life’s joy over the past few months. Betrayal is the operating principle of the Democrats and the Administration….get out when the opportunity presents.
Look for Petraeus to retire next before he becomes tainted by this Ship of Fools.
Oh good grief. Despite his admirable military status, I have no sympathy for McChrystal RE: losing his position. The guy was an ideological lefty, which is no doubt the reason Obama selected him in the first place. Giving a left-wing Rolling Stone writer access ironically allowed McChrystal to get hoisted upon his own petard.
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDg0NTNiYjFlNzJhOTNiMTdhYzhmZGJiNWQxZTA2Mjk=
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/the-night-beat-obama-borrows-the-military-back/58635/
No Brainer. Yep. So who replaces Petraeus? Colon Bowel? Stormin’ Norman? Dwight David Eisenhower? Who? Maybe Barry should fill in. I mean, he is about as qualified to be the commander of Centcom as he is to be the president of the United States.
If you need a laugh check out this humorous cartoon at http://drawfortruth.wordpress.com/category/obama/ on Obama’s “Brilliant” choice in selecting Petraeous! You may be surprised by who else he was considering.
Obama is a tool, and the general was fired for calling him on it.
The ROE’s are getting our troops killed.
General McChrystal, thank you for your service sir.
The nation is isn’t fooled by Obama’s thin-skinned rhetoric.
Enjoy your retirement, I can’t wait to read the book…