Gen. McChrystal Called In to Explain His Anti-Administration Comments

reply to post by Helmkat


Facing the mirror is often the hardest thing to do. * for you.

reply to post by OldDragger


Buddy, you made my day LOL!

I have a feeling this thread will soon be filled with Right-Left rhetoric, so I'll just throw in my (hopefully pertinent) two cents before that occurs.

I understand that it's terribly tempting to take this as an opportunity to slam the POTUS. I get it, I really do. But the fact of the matter is that General McChrystal has been a mediocre player from the start, provoking a virtually endless stream of concerns from the soldiers themselves. The Tillman incident (whether you believe McChrystal was justified or not) is only the most obvious controversy from a mountain of them. The General has behaved like an egomaniac without the success to back up his apparently conflated estimation of himself. This would be tolerable if it didn't jeopardise the lives of everyone affected by his decisions (soldiers and the oft-overlooked civilians). Arguments of "but his hands are tied!" are rebuked by the available evidence. The General is, at best, personally ineffectual at the job he's been tasked with. At worst, he's dangerous.

The act of insubordination for which he is now under fire may be the nail in the coffin for a disappointing career. If so, at least he'll be going out on a blaze of conservative glory, considering the burst of passion this has inspired in some among the conservative ranks of America. Is the glass half empty or half full, General?

The issue here is that lots of what he said is definitely unbecoming of an Officer of his caliber.

He not only said things about folks in the administration, but pretty much had a crappy attitude on anyone he talked about... including other nations, peers, coworkers, etc

And the fact that he simply told all of this to a Rolling Stone Reporter? really? Can you say OPSEC?

This guy not only has a disregard for his Chain of Command, he has a total disregard for the position he holds given how loose lipped he was to a journalist and how derogatory his attitude is toward pretty much everyone he spoke about...



[edit on 22-6-2010 by HunkaHunka]

reply to post by HunkaHunka


It really is quite a bizarre interview. It's as if McChrystal opened up a verbal salvo while blindfolded--no particular target, just running his mouth. I don't know what to make of it. I don't know what can be made of it.

Humm
I wonder if the Timewave Zero prediction on tomorrow being a huge change in novelty has any connection.

Thoughts?

How about the guy recognizes we are fighting a useless, illegal war and is trying to preserve young men's lives...? Anyone consider that option?

Afghan politicians rally around Gen. McChrystal

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.

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."
"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."

news.yahoo.com...

If General McChrystal is relieved, the administration will have created a formiddable opponent. Unlike Palin, Romney or any other sad excuse for a presidential candidate, the General is a graduate of West Point, Special Forces commander, alumni of the JFK School of Government at Harvard, member of the CFR, JSOC commander, responsible for the capature of Saddam, and the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

reply to post by D377MC


Yes.. that was the first option that crossed my mind...

Until I realized that his attitude and his loose lips both put the troops in danger...

So, I threw that option out soon thereafter

Yes Obama has done a terrible job with the war. Yes the general disagreed with Obama and didn't get a lot of things he needed. If you can't follow orders in good concious, you resign your post. You don't pull the crap he did with Rolling stone. You don't badmouth the CIC during wartime if you are the Commanding Officer in charge of the conflict, or in the military period. He should have resigned his post. And he ought to know better than to do what he did.

Obama should remove him from command. Obama has no business commanding the military but lets hope he doesn't screw this up. MyChrystal is a brilliant CO, he's a leader of men and an excellent military strategist. But once he figured out how badly he was hancuffed by Obama, he should have stepped down.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Actually, that goes for the rules of engagement only - shooting his mouth out like that is a case for immediate dismissal, I recognize that.

Originally posted by DrJay1975
Yes Obama has done a terrible job with the war. Yes the general disagreed with Obama and didn't get a lot of things he needed. If you can't follow orders in good concious, you resign your post. You don't pull the crap he did with Rolling stone. You don't badmouth the CIC during wartime if you are the Commanding Officer in charge of the conflict, or in the military period. He should have resigned his post. And he ought to know better than to do what he did.

Obama should remove him from command. Obama has no business commanding the military but lets hope he doesn't screw this up. MyChrystal is a brilliant CO, he's a leader of men and an excellent military strategist. But once he figured out how badly he was hancuffed by Obama, he should have stepped down.

CNN is reporting there is one good source that McChrystal has resigned. No confirmation on this yet. I haven't heard this anywhre else.

A good general will question policy from the top, especially if it directly affects his men. Not in an open forum though. That should have been between him and the Administration. Insubordination it is.

Does this not make you SICK to your stomach?

What makes me sick to my stomach is war.

Just thought I would say that.

Yet another reason I strongly believe that in order to be president of the United States, it should be mandatory that you served in the military. Its amazing how easily some presidents can throw troops around and put them into harms way without thinking twice. Once you've been in the # and chewed on dirt, it makes a person think differently.

I can tell you that i had a friend in Iraq. His name was Michael Craig Ledsome he was from Brownwood Tx. He died in this war in Nov. of 2006. I talked to his mother and she had a letter from Michael. The letter was him telling her that he was being shot at among other things but his Commander had told him and his troops to no matter what DON'T SHOOT BACK. He was killed by a 13 year old kid who he couldn't defend himself against.

I tell you this is ridiculous.

reply to post by Doc Velocity


The only reason General Stanley McChrystal is being torn apart is he is trying to fight a war which cannot be fought and he spoke his mind.

McChrystal is and always has been a snake eater.

If he and his aides think Obama is an idiot, it is his right to think that, but to share that thought and or idea, with subordinates is tantamount to treason and sedition.

When in the military, under civilian command, meaning the Commander-In-Chief, he is in the rather delicate position of doing the bidding of a civilian, in a military manner, something very difficult to do, because he is working with his hands tied behind his back by a man who has never served militarily.

General McChrystal Speech


The problem with Obama is all he talks is cotton-candy words, gumdrop dreams, and rainbow smiles.

Anyone who does not do the same thing, which is lie through diplomacy, is not a friend of his, and McChrystal will come out of this lucky to have his job at all.

When listening to Obama anyone can pick apart his rhetoric and easily see through it.

McChrystal is someone who wants to lead from the front not from behind a desk.

And I seriously doubt he respects any person who leads from behind a podium.

[edit on 22-6-2010 by SpartanKingLeonidas]

reply to post by antonia


With all do respect, given the General's credentials and respectable career I am quite positive he made a calculated statement and along with those that serve under him I am sure he is as frustrated as the rest of the military. Are you aware of his credentials? Do you know anything about this man? He is a General and with that comes a level of respect regardless of his statements towards our commander and chief. Hats of to your family and husband for serving. In all honesty, if you ever get the chance to meet him he is a truly great man.

Originally posted by SpartanKingLeonidas
reply to post by Doc Velocity

 

The only reason General Stanley McChrystal is being torn apart is he is trying to fight a war which cannot be fought and he spoke his mind.

Uh noo.. that's not the issue... its the fact he spoke his mind to a REPORTER!

This isn't how American Generals should behave...

nm...not worth it

[edit on 22-6-2010 by David9176]