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  • Stanley McChrystal summoned.

    White House officials say Gen. Stanley McChrystal has been summoned to Washington to explain his controversial comments in a Rolling Stone profile that casts him as a lone wolf on the outs with key figures in the Obama administration.

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    “the misery of being exploited by capitalists is nothing compared to the misery of not being exploited at all” -- Joan Robinson

  • #2
    No matter what he thinks of Obama, it's not his place to have disparaging remarks about his superiors in a public forum, especially not if he's being interviewed and portrayed as a soldier and not a private citizen.
    Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

    Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.

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    • #3
      Who would like to command the retreat from A-stan that Obama will order next year?I know I wouldn't.
      Those who know don't speak
      He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

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      • #4
        Self-Inflicted Wound

        I wouldn't be surprised if this soldier has committed the egregious offense of a self-inflicted wound in order to be removed from the combat-zone. What else explains this stupidity of permitting a reporter from ROLLING STONE into your inner circle. In this day and age were even the youngest college grad entering the corporate world recognizes that you keep your tongue in check and hold your thoughts to close counsel, this is idiocy...or a calculated attempt to engineer his removal on terms of his choosing.

        He is gone IMV. Bad timing for our troops on the ground but commanders operating at echelons above reality rarely alter ground-truths anyway.
        "This aggression will not stand, man!" Jeff Lebowski
        "The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." Lester Bangs

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        • #5
          most egregious IMV is not so much his comments against obama or biden-- it's the talk re: Eikenberry.

          it's pretty clear that -that- particular relationship is dysfunctional, and given the importance of matching military and civilian efforts on the ground, this is absolutely screwing us as it is.
          There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

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          • #6
            the original article.

            The Runaway General | Rolling Stone Politics
            There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

            Comment


            • #7
              S-2 reply

              Sir,I think we're some sort of evil twins.
              Presuming the US gets out(aka we lose the war),it's better for the Army and the country as a whole that politicians get blamed.Them playing the usual game of pointing fingers at the military men would harm your future options in international arena.No need for this Army to become another Shallow Army.It would also serve the truth better.
              The small detail that the politicians and public opinion tied the Army's both hands and ordered BS missions is the main reason for any SHTF (but this view of mine you already know).
              Those who know don't speak
              He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. Luke 22:36

              Comment


              • #8
                General Stanley McChrystal has been stitched up by Rolling Stone
                By Adrian Michaels Last updated: June 22nd, 2010
                General Stanley McChrystal has been stitched up by Rolling Stone – Telegraph Blogs
                There isn’t very much in the Rolling Stone article requiring an apology from General McChrystal, the man in charge in Afghanistan who has been summoned to the White House. If he does resign, it should not be because of perceived slurs against the White House. They’re not there.

                There was a copy of the article available online until recently, which I’ve read, and some excerpts and a news report about it here and here. Basically, the general – or “THE RUNAWAY GENERAL” as he is hysterically referred to – has been the victim of journalist hype. It is the magazine’s editors that call the White House “wimps”, and it is the author that uses almost every f-word in the piece, gratuitously, gratingly, and not while quoting anyone. The only f-word used by someone else is a Brit saying how much some people love McChrystal’s habit of showing up on patrol.

                Let’s be clear: Barack Obama may still want McChrystal to resign. The general gave long, close and after-hours access to a journalist and also apparently made no complaints when Rolling Stone sent him a pre-publication copy. That this represents poor judgment, and that this is not the first instance of his poor judgment, is indisputable.

                But of the inflammatory quotations and asides, I think it is safe to say they’re mostly ill-judged wisecracks. One in particular from a McChrystal aide about Joe Biden is specifically meant to be a joke. McChrystal also laughs about not wanting to open an email from Richard Holbrooke, and exhibits a reluctance to have a posh dinner in France. Some aides need to wash their mouths out. That really is about it.

                There is very little in the piece that would back up the “runaway” angle. There is almost no difference in policy mentioned between the army and the White House. McChrystal comes off as one of the few people actually building bridges properly with Afghanistan’s difficult government. And it would hardly be the first time that a general and a president have not got on like a house on fire.

                If anything, the case for dismissing McChrystal is strengthened by what the article exposes as his failure to win over the hearts and minds of his own men. There is considerable doubt among ordinary soldiers that counterinsurgency is the right strategy, and their commander does not come out of confrontations with them very well. But for insulting behaviour towards the administration? Look elsewhere.
                To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

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                • #9
                  Afghan politicians rally around Gen. McChrystal
                  By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer Robert H. Reid, Associated Press Writer Tue Jun 22, 2:47 pm ET

                  KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave a strong endorsement Tuesday to embattled Gen. Stanley McChrystal, describing him as the "best commander" of the war and expressing hope that he keeps his job despite a magazine profile replete with derogatory comments about President Barack Obama and members of the U.S. national strategy team.

                  While Obama's relationship with Karzai has sometimes been rocky, McChrystal has cultivated the Afghan leader, encouraging him to visit remote areas of the country and assume responsibility for military operations against the Taliban.

                  Karzai's chief spokesman said the Afghan leader believes McChrystal is a person of "great integrity" and had displayed a very good understanding of the Afghan people and the Afghan culture.

                  "The president believes that Gen. McChrystal is the best commander that NATO and coalition forces have had in Afghanistan over the past nine years," spokesman Waheed Omar said. Omar said McChrystal has worked closely with Karzai since he took command last year and that "lots of things have improved."

                  Asked what would happen if McChrystal were replaced, Omar said: "Of course, we hope that that does not happen."

                  McChrystal also received a vote of confidence from the secretary-general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who appeared concerned over the impact of a possible change of command at a time of rising casualties and faltering political support within allied capitals.

                  "The Rolling Stone article is rather unfortunate, but it is just an article," the alliance said in a statement issued in Brussels, Belgium. "We are in the middle of a very real conflict, and the secretary general has full confidence in Gen. McChrystal as the NATO commander, and in his strategy."

                  The U.S. Embassy followed with its own statement, downplaying any ongoing rift between McChrystal and Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, who was criticized in the profile.

                  Kabul was abuzz Tuesday as the flap unfolded throughout the day. McChrystal publicly apologized and made a round of phone calls to those maligned by comments made by him and his staff. His civilian media adviser who had arranged the Rolling Stone interviews, Duncan Boothby, submitted a letter of resignation and was subsequently let go.

                  Obama, who was angered by the article, hastily summoned the top commander in Afghanistan to Washington, ordering him to attend a White House meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan in person Wednesday and explain comments made to Rolling Stone magazine.

                  The White House said McChrystal made an "enormous mistake" in the unflattering magazine article and that "all options are on the table" with regard to the general's job.

                  McChrystal has enjoyed close relations with Karzai since assuming command in June 2009 a month after his predecessor, Gen. David McKiernan, was relieved. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at the time that the Obama administration needed "fresh thinking" to turn around the war against a resurgent Taliban.

                  McChrystal unveiled a strategy that shifted the focus from simply fighting the Taliban and its allies to protecting the Afghan people in hopes of weaning them away from the insurgents and shoring up support for the Afghan government.

                  McChrystal ordered U.S. and NATO forces to show restraint in battles where civilian lives were at risk, heeding Karzai's complaints that the heavy use of airpower was turning the population against the NATO mission. McChrystal established new rules of engagement which curbed the use of heavy weapons — a move that helped reduce civilian deaths attributed to the coalition but that brought complaints from soldiers in the field.

                  Most recently, McChrystal had sought to win public support for a planned security operation in the largest city in the south, Kandahar, organizing meetings with community leaders to explain the strategy even at the cost of delays in the timetable.

                  "He is the first good thing to happen to Afghanistan," said Karzai's half brother Ahmad Wali Karzai, considered the most powerful figure in Kandahar. "He is active. He is honest. He does a good job, a lot of positive things have happened since he has come."

                  Ghulam Dasdagar Azad, the governor of Nimroz province in western Afghanistan, praised McChrystal for his efforts to reduce civilian casualties.

                  "Airstrikes were reduced and he has very good cooperation with the Afghan troops," Azad said Tuesday. "My request is for the Obama administration to keep him. This is my message."

                  Those sentiments were echoed by Mohammad Akbari, a member of parliament from Bamiyan province and a leader of the Hazara ethnic minority in Afghanistan.

                  "He is active and is a good person. He has good experience," Akbari said. "For the current situation, he is good."

                  ___

                  Associated Press Writers Deb Riechmann and Amir Shah in Kabul contributed to this report.
                  Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

                  * Question
                  To sit down with these men and deal with them as the representatives of an enlightened and civilized people is to deride ones own dignity and to invite the disaster of their treachery - General Matthew Ridgway

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                  • #10
                    He got into some hotwater in the fall as well which can't help the situation. Seems wrong he had a civilian press agent. I wonder if one with the UCMJ in the front of his mind would of protected him from himself. The comments on Majiba were a bit disheartening. I think it's a real stretch to think we will leave Afganistan as long as doing so would create a threat. It isn't a situation like Vietnam. Obma isn't a pacifist or a caricature. It must of been maddening for everyone to read that report. I think the people slithering out and questioning his policies off the record are every bit as troubling. If it has that many internal doubters where were they and what's the alternative? We can't leave and having 10k troops there and high numbers of civilian deaths wasn't working the previous 7 yrs. Shitty situation no matter what.
                    Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”
                    ~Ronald Reagan

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                    • #11
                      General McChrystal

                      If Obama fires General McChrystal, should he run or be drafted to run for political office? Just throwing it out there for opinions.

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                      • #12
                        If he's stupid enough to grant unfettered access to Rolling Stone, then he should probably be handing out fries at McDonalds instead of running for office.

                        -dale

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by surfgun View Post
                          If Obama fires General McChrystal, should he run or be drafted to run for political office? Just throwing it out there for opinions.

                          No he is a liberal democrat and was one of the few general officers to support Obama for president. He would be much better as a bitter ex-commander huffing and puffing the media circuit.

                          My bet- he gets fired but is not allowed to retire right away and is shuttled off to middle-of-nowherestan to be kept quiet.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            On McChrystal, Obama giving little bark -- or bite: Washington Post
                            Video
                            By Dana Milbank
                            Washington Post Staff Writer
                            Wednesday, June 23, 2010

                            Gen. Stanley McChrystal was on a plane bound for Washington on Tuesday afternoon when White House officials sank their teeth into him.
                            President Obama's hand-selected commander in Afghanistan had, along with his aides, made shockingly insubordinate comments to Rolling Stone magazine: referring to Vice President Biden as "Bite Me," calling the national security adviser a "clown," describing Obama as intimidated and disengaged, and disparaging allies and top U.S. diplomats. The president ordered McChrystal to the Situation Room on Wednesday to explain himself, but White House press secretary Robert Gibbs wasn't waiting for an explanation.

                            First bite: "General McChrystal," Gibbs said, "has made an enormous mistake."

                            Second bite: "I think the magnitude and graveness of the mistake here are profound."

                            Third bite: "The purpose for calling him here is to see what in the world he was thinking."

                            Gibbs kept on chewing out the commander. "I think anybody that reads that article understands . . . what an enormous mistake this was," he said. Parents of soldiers "need to know that the structure where they're sending their children is one that is capable and mature enough in prosecuting a war."

                            ABC News's Jake Tapper stopped him. "Did I hear you correctly? So you're questioning whether General McChrystal is capable and mature enough for this job he has?"

                            "You had my quote right," Gibbs said.

                            Only two words were missing from this disembowelment of the commander: You're fired. Gibbs hinted that Obama would deliver that message to McChrystal in person on Wednesday. If he doesn't, it's hard to see how he can maintain his credibility as a leader.

                            Even before the quotes in the Rolling Stone article (the accuracy of which McChrystal hasn't challenged), the commander in chief had surprised foes and worried friends by how far he allowed himself to be pushed. That accounts for an Washington Post-ABC News poll earlier this month finding that 57 percent of respondents viewed Obama as a strong leader and 43 percent did not; 14 months ago, it was 77 percent to 22 percent.

                            On the Hill, Democrats have ignored White House pleas for party unity, and intraparty disputes are preventing action on the budget, war spending, job creation, immigration reform and energy legislation. In the media, stalwart allies such as MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow panned Obama's speech on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Obama's own secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton, told the world about his unannounced plan to file suit over Arizona's new immigration law.

                            Republicans, in turn, have reached new levels of presidential disrespect. After Obama pushed BP to set aside money for those hurt by the oil spill, the opposition apologized -- to BP. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), the number-two Republican in the Senate, took the extraordinary step of attacking Obama at a political rally over comments he says (and the White House denies) the president made in a private meeting.

                            Through it all, Obama has given precious little pushback, taking the disrespect like a President Dangerfield. When the public saw no anger from him over the oil spill, Gibbs assured Americans that he had, in fact, seen the president clench his jaw. Obama then insisted that he was looking for "whose ass to kick" on the Gulf Coast -- but no bottoms were bruised.

                            Now Gen. Bite Me may have gone too far even for President Dangerfield to tolerate. The insults from McChrystal and his men -- packaged with vulgarities, a middle finger and drunken singing in a Paris bar -- challenge not just Obama but the sacred concept of civilian control of the military. That's probably why figures such as Republicans Sens. John McCain (Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) gave Obama a free pass on Tuesday to fire the general.

                            The president, nibbling around the edges, said nothing about McChrystal until remarking in the evening that the general had shown "poor judgment." Gibbs, in the briefing room, was similarly slow to bare his teeth when asked for Obama's reaction. "Well, suffice to say, our combatant commander does not usually participate in these meetings from Washington," he said of Wednesday's session in the Situation Room.

                            But it didn't suffice to say that, and reporters tried to provoke Gibbs, sniffling and sipping tea from a paper cup, to unload on McChrystal: "How can the president keep someone in his job who offers that level of insubordination? . . . Does the president at all feel betrayed?"

                            The Wall Street Journal's Jonathan Weisman, pointing out that McChrystal had already been in trouble (for disagreeing publicly with Biden), asked: "How many times can this man be taken to the woodshed?"

                            Gibbs followed the familiar route of expressing the president's anger. "I gave him the article last night, and he was angry," he announced.

                            "How so?" asked CBS's Chip Reid.

                            "Angry. You would know it if you saw it," Gibbs said.

                            Reporters pressed: "Did he pound the table? Did he curse? Can you elaborate?"

                            "No," Gibbs said. "I'm not going to elaborate."

                            Good answer. It's time for Obama and his aides to stop talking about his anger, and start acting on it.
                            In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.

                            Leibniz

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                            • #15
                              I think it's more like if He gets asked to stay on. I have a limited understanding but, I get the impression he offered his resignation in deed if not action. Zraver I'd hazard a guess you are making assumptions on how top officers voted. Obama campaigned from the day that we'd let the war in Afganistan languish. Let's also not forget he has had a few success stories such as opening a route through Russia to send supplies and a concerted effort to deny safe harbor to the Taliban in Western Pakistan as well as some increase in NATO support. IMO it's a craptastic situation over there and probably will be in 2 yrs when he gets reelected
                              Where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost.”
                              ~Ronald Reagan

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