What Do You Think?

[jerrys1960]

Ok . . . talking to a magazine (or press in general) about the problems and the things that need to be done in Afghanistan was probably not the best thing to do to help prolong a career. But at the same time . . . when one has been given orders to achieve an objective only to be hindered and blocked from reaching the assigned goals by your own leaders . . . all the while the political hindrances are unnecessarily risking lives of not only military personnel but also civilians because of the governments self inflicted issues . . . that has got to be unimaginably frustrating on A Commander.

Sometimes there comes a point after talking quietly and privately to the political leaders only to have everything fall on death ears (or only given token crumbs as a show of their support) when one has no other option except to shine a very bright, very uncomfortable and very public light on the issues and problems as an attempt to try to get results.

The question now is will the Administration actually work at fixing the problems or will it look for scapegoats and do a very heavy spin on the issue to try to sweep everything under the carpet?



copied from:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/06/22/2010-06-22_gen_stanley_mcchrystal_top_commander_in_afghanistan_ordered_home_over_rolling_st.html

Gen. Stanley McChrystal, top commander in Afghanistan, ordered home over Rolling Stone comments

BY Sean Alfano
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
June 22nd 2010


Gen. Stanley McChrystal apologized from overseas Tuesday for ripping the administration in a magazine article.

Now, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan will have a chance to say sorry in person.

McChyrstal has been ordered to Washington to explain why he and his staff criticized the White House in a recent Rolling Stone interview, administration officials said Tuesday.

Earlier, McChrystal had attempted to defuse the backlash over his comments in the piece, titled "The Runaway General."

"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened," he said.

"Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard," McChrystal added.

Instead of attending the monthly White House meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan via teleconference, the general will be there in person Wednesday, the officials told The Associated Press.

The first casualty from the article appears to be a civilian member of McChyrstal's staff who allegedly arranged the Rolling Stone interview.

NBC News reported that Duncan Boothby quit his role on the general's public relations team. According to a senior military official, he was "asked to resign."


Last year, Obama criticized the general over his call for more troops in Afghanistan. In September, McChrystal issued a report saying without more soldiers, the war "will likely result in failure."

The president eventually added 30,000 soldiers to the war, but McChrystal and his staff felt Obama took to long and found his July 2011 deadline for withdrawal arbitrary.

"I found that time painful," McChrystal said. "I was selling an unsellable position."

Among McChrystal's criticisms in the Rolling Stone interview:

The general said he felt "betrayed" by U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, a former three-star general. In a leaked document last year, Eikenberry said he distrusted Afghan president Hamid Karzai. "Here's one that covers his flank for the history books," McChrystal told Rolling Stone of Eikenberry.

McChrystal, the article reports, took control of the war, the article states, "by never taking his eye off the real enemy: The wimps in the White House."

An aide is quoted as calling National Security Adviser Gen. (Ret.) Jim Jones a "clown."

On Richard Holbrooke, the president's envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, a McChrystal staffer says he is a "wounded animal," dangerous because rumors speculated Holbrooke would be fired.

The general said that while he voted for Obama, the two men never hit it off in meetings last fall and he found the president unprepared.

However, McChrystal said Tuesday he has "enormous respect" for Obama and his team and emphasized his devotion to winning the war.

"I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome," he said.