President Barack Obama ousted Gen. Stanley McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan on Wednesday, choosing the embattled general's direct boss - Gen. David Petraeus to take over the troubled 9-year-old war.This is actually something upon which I agree with President Øbama. I had a good friend growing up who went on to join the armed forces out of college - he went through the ROTC program, and right into a commission in the Army. After he had been commissioned, I asked him what he thought about (then) newly minted President Clinton, and he refused to comment. "He's my Commander-in-Chief, no matter what I think of the man personally; I can't criticize him." Even in a private conversation with a personal friend, he wouldn't break that oath, and I respected him greatly for it (even if I did think - and still do - that Clinton deserved all the scorn and then some I could muster...)
Speaking in the Rose Garden, Mr. Obama said that he accepted McChrystal's resignation "with considerable regret but also with certainty that it is the right thing for our mission in Afghanistan."
He said McChrystal's biting comments about the president and other officials in a magazine article did not meet the standards of conduct for a commanding general.
Having said that, I think it's hysterical that Øbama replaced McChrystal with Petraeus. Isn't Petraeus the one that was mockingly called "Betrayus" by Move-On (who have conveniently taken down that ad BTW)? Didn't some call him a "war criminal"? He's even been protested at campus speeches. This is the person Øbama chooses to replace McChrystal? Someone with these kinds of ties to the previous administration, what with the waterboarding, Abu Ghraib, and panties-on-heads atrocities?
Now, Petraeus makes excellent sense (which is why I suspect Øbama's motives here). Petraeus engineered the plans that McChrystal was implementing in Afghanistan, so it's quite logical that he get the nod. In a move uncharacteristic of the administration so far, they made the right decision for a replacement of a military officer in a troubled theater. Because of who it is making the replacements, I can't help but wonder if this is a blind squirrel/nut thing, or something more deep-rooted. It is interesting that disparaging remarks about Petraeus are disappearing down the memory hole - Winston Smith, call your office.
I gotta ask, though - is this the hope, or the change we were promised from Barack Øbama?
That is all.
4 comments:
"Petraeus engineered the plans that McChrystal was implementing in Afghanistan"...
Um... not quite Jay, they actually came from McChrystal and the SPECOPS world and were signed off by Petraeus. He was not involved in their design, nor was he involved in the minimum manning surrounding the plan.
Also, I firmly believe this is a way to get Petraeus out of DC before the coming elections, lest someone convince him to run for Congress or higher...
Petraus was hated by the left because it's pretty well known that he's a Republican. You never saw that stuff about Mcrystal because it's pretty well known that he's a liberal Democrat.
Different standards and all that...
It seems to me that McChystal wanted out of an unwinnable situation. Withdrwal is already scheduled for next year.
Anybody believe that a Rolling Stone writer was going to do positive piece on either the war in Afganistan or a General?? He had to know talking to RS would cost him. They don't give Stars to the clueless.
As for Patraes, he becomes the new fall guy with the added benefit that they can more easily hang the whole thing on GWB. After all, it's not like Patraeus could turn it down.
Note that barry ( with a small b) still couldn't bring himself to actually fire McCrystal.....he just "accepted his resignation with regret"... no.. then the responsilility would have Obama's.
Can't we send this whole thing to some commision to solve???
It can be construed that this is actually a demotion of sorts for Gen Petreaus, as he was already the CENTCOM commander.
It's like replacing Patton with Eisenhower...
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