Even more reason to think he said what he did with intent. It will help bring what needs to happen to the region. I hope!
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Gen. Stanley McChrystal: on the job market soon ... ???
- Thread starter A4sForever
- Start date
Even more reason to think he said what he did with intent. It will help bring what needs to happen to the region. I hope!
I don't think it's quite as simple as that; Eikenberry after all was a general. The print copy of the Rolling Stone piece has a graphic showing McChrystal's allies and foes within the administration - it may be a sidebar link online. In the foes camp is Jim Jones and the VP; in the allies, Clinton and Gates.
On a related note, the British envoy to Afghanistan, Sir Cowper-Coles, just resigned, and he didn't get along with anyone, McChrystal or Eikenberry. I think it's more a sign of how complex and daunting the Afghan problem is - and all these folks insist on doing it their way.
Just spitballin' here ...
Another thought that popped into my cranium earlier today: if the ship is sinking and the 'CAPT' sees it -- given a choice -- he probably doesn't want to be at the helm when it goes down ... I don't think I would.
While McChrystal may be the best guy for the job -- he's only got lukewarm support from this administration when he wanted troops & more troops, and he has to deal on a regular basis with the mental midgets that represent the politics of the Afghan war in-and-out-of-country. Holbrooke (for example) has always lent himself towards being the consummate self-promoter in my mind and listening to him gives me gas ... And Eikenberry a general, too (???) ... BFD, so was Westmoreland and a host of others ...
I mean -- who cares if you've got 'rank'?? What does that inherently have to do w/ competence and good headwork ??? Sometimes, it works just the opposite -- a lot of people get promoted way ahead of their abilities.
Afghanistan is going down in flames.
When you're flying into a strong headwind, you can only take so much and then you've got to go to plan 'B'. To relate to this discussion, at some point in time, you've got to take a stand -- I wonder if that's what's goin' down?? I was never a 'company man', so I know how it works and how it doesn't work ... I don't know how McChrystal evaluates all this, but I am certain he's thinkin' about all the ramifications -- he ain't stupid.
What better way to go out w/ some dignity and honor than to tell the 'truth' (as you see it) re: the Afghan cluster-fuck and the cretins that are running it from D.C. and State ???
And then ... of course, you'd have to 'resign' ...
Another thought that popped into my cranium earlier today: if the ship is sinking and the 'CAPT' sees it -- given a choice -- he probably doesn't want to be at the helm when it goes down ... I don't think I would.
While McChrystal may be the best guy for the job -- he's only got lukewarm support from this administration when he wanted troops & more troops, and he has to deal on a regular basis with the mental midgets that represent the politics of the Afghan war in-and-out-of-country. Holbrooke (for example) has always lent himself towards being the consummate self-promoter in my mind and listening to him gives me gas ... And Eikenberry a general, too (???) ... BFD, so was Westmoreland and a host of others ...
I mean -- who cares if you've got 'rank'?? What does that inherently have to do w/ competence and good headwork ??? Sometimes, it works just the opposite -- a lot of people get promoted way ahead of their abilities.
Afghanistan is going down in flames.
When you're flying into a strong headwind, you can only take so much and then you've got to go to plan 'B'. To relate to this discussion, at some point in time, you've got to take a stand -- I wonder if that's what's goin' down?? I was never a 'company man', so I know how it works and how it doesn't work ... I don't know how McChrystal evaluates all this, but I am certain he's thinkin' about all the ramifications -- he ain't stupid.
What better way to go out w/ some dignity and honor than to tell the 'truth' (as you see it) re: the Afghan cluster-fuck and the cretins that are running it from D.C. and State ???
And then ... of course, you'd have to 'resign' ...
Did I miss some quotes in the article; everything quoted that was critical of other people is from annonymous staffers. I didn't see any quotes directly attributed to McChrystal that were derrogatory.
The comments that were attributed to him were second hand from staffers saying stuff like 'the General was dissapointed' and so forth.
When McChrystal speaks with the Pres he could say that he never said any of this and it was all 'unnamed sources' in the same manner as pretty much every adminstration, or he could look Obama in the face and say, "Yeah, I said it, what do you want to do now?"
Either way, I'd love to be a fly on the wall during that meeting!!
The comments that were attributed to him were second hand from staffers saying stuff like 'the General was dissapointed' and so forth.
When McChrystal speaks with the Pres he could say that he never said any of this and it was all 'unnamed sources' in the same manner as pretty much every adminstration, or he could look Obama in the face and say, "Yeah, I said it, what do you want to do now?"
Either way, I'd love to be a fly on the wall during that meeting!!
^ I like plan b 
Influential Washington Post calls for President to keep GEN McChrystal on the job
Post sizes up situation and calls for President keep McChrystal at helm of Afghanistan fight.
Post sizes up situation and calls for President keep McChrystal at helm of Afghanistan fight.
Clux4
Banned
I don't see this as another careless encounter with the press. This is not the first time he is having issues with the press. Remember this? I personally think he has issues with the administration and he needs to step down rather than handling the issue the way he is going about it. There is no reason he should continue in Afghanistan. He has demonstrated a loss of confidence in higher. Let Lloyd Austin or David Rodriguez take over for him as Mattis gets ready to relieve Petreaus. After all, Admiral Fallon left over a similar media gaffe.
From a policy perspective, there are many people that question the McChrystal doctrine. I think he is a great guy/smart but I am not buying his strategy. His restriction on indirect fire weapon is very questionable considering the number of lives we have lost. I think that policy would have served us well in Iraq but not in Afghanistan. This is one policy I am convinced Mattis will change should he end up taking the job.
From a policy perspective, there are many people that question the McChrystal doctrine. I think he is a great guy/smart but I am not buying his strategy. His restriction on indirect fire weapon is very questionable considering the number of lives we have lost. I think that policy would have served us well in Iraq but not in Afghanistan. This is one policy I am convinced Mattis will change should he end up taking the job.
I can buy Peter Feaver's thesis, that the article is an amalgam of three; it was pitched to McChrystal as exploring the tension between his ROE and the risks he's asking his troops to assume; it was pitched to the magazine as hitpiece on McChrystal and the US strategy in Afghanistan; and by luck he happened to witness a loose moment during that unexpected layover in Paris. You can find all three parts in the article; the first is pretty good, the second is obnoxious, and nobody cares or notices because all everyone cares about are a few wisecracks about his bosses.
http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/22/what_happened_in_paris
http://shadow.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/06/22/what_happened_in_paris
After the Rolling Stone report, the military takes a new approach towards interviews:
http://www.theonion.com/video/pentagons-unmanned-spokesdrone-completes-first-pre,14256/
http://www.theonion.com/video/pentagons-unmanned-spokesdrone-completes-first-pre,14256/
Looks like the deed is done. I understand why, but still not sure if its the best decision.
Speaking as a civilian, I see why this happened. It's a power play. I really think the President knows that the military has zero respect for him, and I think that the feeling is mutual from the President. "I have the power to fire your top guy. You'd better respect me," is the statement that this makes to the armed services.
Just a theory.
Afghanistan is all fucked up, anyway. I doubt the change in leadership is really going to change that too much.
Just a theory.
Afghanistan is all fucked up, anyway. I doubt the change in leadership is really going to change that too much.
That's a fairly bold statement...