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The ever astute staff at Rolling Stone online finally decided to make this story available this afternoon. You can read what all the hubbub is at this link: The Runaway General
Obama to Decide Future of US Commander in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama is deciding whether to fire his commander in Afghanistan after the officer, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, and some members of his staff made derogatory statements about the president and other senior administration officials. The comments were made to a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine.
President Obama took the unusual step of ordering General McChrystal home for an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, after he read the article that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said made the president "angry."
"The magnitude and graveness of the mistake here are profound," he said.
Gibbs said the mistake was to say things and to allow his staff to say things that have distracted the president's national security team from its top priority -- defeating the Taliban and related groups in Afghanistan, so U.S. troops can begin to come home a year from now.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs briefs reporters at the White House, 22 Jun 2010
AP
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs briefs reporters at the White House, 22 Jun 2010
Gibbs said "all options are on the table" regarding General McChrystal's future.
In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal is quoted as belittling the importance of a meeting with President Obama, making fun of Vice President Joe Biden and accusing the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, of betraying him in a policy dispute. According to the article, McChrystal stood by as members of his staff ridiculed the vice president, the president's national security adviser, retired Marine Corps General James Jones, and the special U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
On Tuesday, McChrystal apologized for the article, calling it "a mistake reflecting poor judgment." He said he has "enormous respect" for the president and his national security team. He telephoned several of them on Tuesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended McChrystal for the Afghanistan command a year ago, and fired his predecessor to make room for him. At the time and repeatedly since then, Gates has called McChrystal the right man for the job and said he has a unique understanding of the complex counterinsurgency approach that Afghanistan requires.
Gates praised McChrystal again last week at a Senate hearing.
"We think we have the right assets, we have the right strategy, we have the right leadership. And most of our allies and partners share our view that things are heading in the right direction," said Gates.
On Tuesday, Gates issued a statement saying that McChrystal had made a "significant mistake and exercised poor judgment," and lamenting the "distraction" from what he said should be the "singular focus" on the war effort.
At the same hearing, the top U.S. military officer, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, also offered an endorsement of McChrystal and his team.
"We've got [a] tremendous leadership team we've put the resources in, and it's a very, very difficult counterinsurgency," said Mullen.
On Tuesday, a spokesman said Mullen expressed "deep disappointment" in a telephone call with McChrystal.
General McChrystal also got in trouble last year, during the White House Afghan policy review, when he said the effort in Afghanistan could fail if the president refused to send more troops.
The Rolling Stone article has resulted in much speculation about whether McChrystal should be fired. But the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, offered some of the few words of support for the general heard around Washington on Tuesday.
"I have enormous respect for General McChrystal. I think he's a terrific soldier," he said. "And this is a critical moment in Afghanistan. As far as I am concerned, personally, the top priority is our mission in Afghanistan and our ability to proceed forward competently," said Kerry.
The question is whether McChrystal's ability to lead that mission has been compromised beyond repair in terms of his ability to command respect at the Pentagon, at the White House and in the field.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who McChrystal has worked hard to build a good relationship with, expressed support for the general on Tuesday. But at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs indicated no one, not even as important a commander as General McChrystal, is indispensable.
"I think our efforts in Afghanistan are bigger than one person," said Gibbs.
Gibbs said President Obama's decision will be announced on Wednesday, after a private White House meeting with McChrystal and a previously-scheduled meeting of his national security team to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
SOURCE LINK
Obama to Decide Future of US Commander in Afghanistan
President Barack Obama is deciding whether to fire his commander in Afghanistan after the officer, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal, and some members of his staff made derogatory statements about the president and other senior administration officials. The comments were made to a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine.
President Obama took the unusual step of ordering General McChrystal home for an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, after he read the article that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said made the president "angry."
"The magnitude and graveness of the mistake here are profound," he said.
Gibbs said the mistake was to say things and to allow his staff to say things that have distracted the president's national security team from its top priority -- defeating the Taliban and related groups in Afghanistan, so U.S. troops can begin to come home a year from now.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs briefs reporters at the White House, 22 Jun 2010
AP
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs briefs reporters at the White House, 22 Jun 2010
Gibbs said "all options are on the table" regarding General McChrystal's future.
In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal is quoted as belittling the importance of a meeting with President Obama, making fun of Vice President Joe Biden and accusing the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, of betraying him in a policy dispute. According to the article, McChrystal stood by as members of his staff ridiculed the vice president, the president's national security adviser, retired Marine Corps General James Jones, and the special U.S. envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
On Tuesday, McChrystal apologized for the article, calling it "a mistake reflecting poor judgment." He said he has "enormous respect" for the president and his national security team. He telephoned several of them on Tuesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended McChrystal for the Afghanistan command a year ago, and fired his predecessor to make room for him. At the time and repeatedly since then, Gates has called McChrystal the right man for the job and said he has a unique understanding of the complex counterinsurgency approach that Afghanistan requires.
Gates praised McChrystal again last week at a Senate hearing.
"We think we have the right assets, we have the right strategy, we have the right leadership. And most of our allies and partners share our view that things are heading in the right direction," said Gates.
On Tuesday, Gates issued a statement saying that McChrystal had made a "significant mistake and exercised poor judgment," and lamenting the "distraction" from what he said should be the "singular focus" on the war effort.
At the same hearing, the top U.S. military officer, Navy Admiral Michael Mullen, also offered an endorsement of McChrystal and his team.
"We've got [a] tremendous leadership team we've put the resources in, and it's a very, very difficult counterinsurgency," said Mullen.
On Tuesday, a spokesman said Mullen expressed "deep disappointment" in a telephone call with McChrystal.
General McChrystal also got in trouble last year, during the White House Afghan policy review, when he said the effort in Afghanistan could fail if the president refused to send more troops.
The Rolling Stone article has resulted in much speculation about whether McChrystal should be fired. But the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, offered some of the few words of support for the general heard around Washington on Tuesday.
"I have enormous respect for General McChrystal. I think he's a terrific soldier," he said. "And this is a critical moment in Afghanistan. As far as I am concerned, personally, the top priority is our mission in Afghanistan and our ability to proceed forward competently," said Kerry.
The question is whether McChrystal's ability to lead that mission has been compromised beyond repair in terms of his ability to command respect at the Pentagon, at the White House and in the field.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who McChrystal has worked hard to build a good relationship with, expressed support for the general on Tuesday. But at the White House, spokesman Robert Gibbs indicated no one, not even as important a commander as General McChrystal, is indispensable.
"I think our efforts in Afghanistan are bigger than one person," said Gibbs.
Gibbs said President Obama's decision will be announced on Wednesday, after a private White House meeting with McChrystal and a previously-scheduled meeting of his national security team to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
SOURCE LINK
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