Gen. McChrystal

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

For those of you who haven't heard...General Stanley McChrystal, the guy in charge of our efforts in Afghanistan, various aides, and some soldiers blabbed in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine about how much the Obama administration's management of the Afghan war sucks. The RS mag comes out on Friday. McChrystal issued an apology but has been summoned to Washington to meet with Obama and his Al Capone baseball bat to "explain his statements."

Many soldiers agree with McChrystal as they disagree with the big no-no of talking smack about the CIC publicly. Afghan pols are rallying to McChrystal's side.

CNN is claiming that McChrystal is going to tell Obama, "You can't fire me, I quit."

Here's Jeb Babbin's take:

http://biggovernment.com/jbabbin/2010/06/22/obama-cant-fire-mccrystal/#more-135594

Here's Monica Crowley's take:

http://biggovernment.com/mcrowley/2010/06/22/mcchrystal-goes-rogue-again/

Byron York has a good piece on the Washington Examiner's website but it's doing a number on my browser.

Here's what I think. It's not a good thing for a general to be mouthing off about the CIC's policies, character, etc.. McChrystal and his aides may have gone too far by going to the media with this. It sets a bad precedent.

But I can, even as a civilian, understand his frustration. Obama and his military-hating cronies are not committed to winning. Political considerations have overtaken military strategy. Either McChrystal pulled this stunt as a way to get Obama's attention--and the public's attention--back on Afghanistan or as a way to get off a sinking ship.

We have never learned the lesson of Vietnam...we cannot let politicians, the media, and eggheads run a war. They don't want the soldiers to get their uniforms dirty. You're more free to kick @$$ if you're on a football field than on a battlefield thanks to ROE that read like they were written by a 21-year-old hippie chick. If you commit to a war, you go in all of the way or you stay home. Winning comes from not the hearts and minds crap, but from utterly psychologically crushing the enemy and making them sorry they ever messed with you in the first place. My plan for Afghanistan would have been along the lines of turning the Hindu Kush mountains into a parking lot and wiping out every Taliban mo-fo without mercy. Take nothing off of the table. Once it's all said and done, you can send in the missionaries and start the work of turning the place into the next Japan or Germany.

Comments

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]

Either McChrystal pulled this stunt as a way to get Obama's attention--and the public's attention--back on Afghanistan or as a way to get off a sinking ship.

What? Obama's been focusing on Afghanistan far more than the previous administration, and it's one of the few major campaign planks he's actually followed through on. As jonathankorman said, McChrystal's virtually been given a blank check to do what he likes in Afghanistan, so it's weird that McChrystal feels the need to bite the hand that feeds him.

[lazypadawan.livejournal.com]

Whatever the case may be, there's definitely friction between McChrystal and his staff, and the administration.

[lafinjack.livejournal.com]