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Subscribe to RSSBelow are some of the more revealing -- and newsworthy -- passages in Michael Hastings' Rolling Stone profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
On ticking off others:
The general prides himself on being sharper and ballsier than anyone else, but his brashness comes with a price: Although McChrystal has been in charge of the war for only a year, in that short time he has managed to piss off almost everyone with a stake in the conflict.
On Vice President Biden, a critic of the surge in Afghanistan:
Now, flipping through printout cards of his speech in Paris, McChrystal wonders aloud what Biden question he might get today, and how he should respond. “I never know what’s going to pop out until I’m up there, that’s the problem,” he says. Then, unable to help themselves, he and his staff imagine the general dismissing the vice president with a good one-liner.
“Are you asking about Vice President Biden?” McChrystal says with a laugh. “Who’s that?” “Biden?” suggests a top adviser. “Did you say: Bite Me?”
On President Obama:
Even though he had voted for Obama, McChrystal and his new commander in chief failed from the outset to connect. The general first encountered Obama a week after he took office, when the president met with a dozen senior military officials in a room at the Pentagon known as the Tank. According to sources familiar with the meeting, McChrystal thought Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” by the roomful of military brass. Their first one-on-one meeting took place in the Oval Office four months later, after McChrystal got the Afghanistan job, and it didn’t go much better. “It was a 10-minute photo op,” says an adviser to McChrystal. “Obama clearly didn’t know anything about him, who he was. Here’s the guy who’s going to run his f&%$-ing war, but he didn’t seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed.”
On other politicians and advisers:
But part of the problem is personal: In private, Team McChrystal likes to talk sh&% about many of Obama’s top people on the diplomatic side. One aide calls Jim Jones, a retired four-star general and veteran of the Cold War, a “clown” who remains “stuck in 1985.” Politicians like McCain and Kerry, says another aide, “turn up, have a meeting with Karzai, criticize him at the airport press conference, then get back for the Sunday talk shows. Frankly, it’s not very helpful.” Only Hillary Clinton receives good reviews from McChrystal’s inner circle. “Hillary had Stan’s back during the strategic review,” says an adviser. “She said, ‘If Stan wants it, give him what he needs.’”
On Af-Pak envoy Richard Holbrooke:
McChrystal reserves special skepticism for Holbrooke, the official in charge of reintegrating the Taliban. “The Boss says he’s like a wounded animal,” says a member of the general’s team. “Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he’s going to get fired, so that makes him dangerous.
In conclusion, on the war:
So far, counterinsurgency has succeeded only in creating a never-ending demand for the primary product supplied by the military: perpetual war. There is a reason that President Obama studiously avoids using the word “victory” when he talks about Afghanistan. Winning, it would seem, is not really possible. Not even with Stanley McChrystal in charge.
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I agree with everything the General stated...however you go not tell things like that to the press. He should not resign, but force Obie to fire him, that way the failed war strategy would fall squarely upon Obie's shoulders
john in tucson, love how you are trying to re-write history. he should be fired. this war was started by bush and under manned. obama added more troops, which last i checked, was what all of the republicans and general mcchrystal wanted. it turns out, mcchrystal the republicans and obama were incorrect. period. i guess that is the republican montra. no accountability.
also, gutless to not go to the people you are complaining about to their face. maybe it's a john in tucson move, but not what true americans do.
oh, thats right. it's clintons fault. heard that for 3 years
John, I suspect when you think that everyone else is wrong then it is time to look inward. It’s like the old saying:
I think everyone in the world is crazy except you and me and sometimes I worry about you.
So you say you agree with the General? I know from your postings, Pres. Obama could find a cure for cancer and you would say Obie should have done it sooner, or he read the announcement of the cure from a teleprompter. What exactly do you agree with? When the Generals were pushing for more troops, against Pres. Obama's better instincts, he gave more troops. When the Generals said they wanted more time in Afghanistan to Win the war, Pres. Obama gave them more time. When Gen. MC-crystal wanted to run a counter insurgency strategy that he used in Iraq, Pres. Obama allowed him to do so. When the Joint Chiefs stated, the "Summer Surge"would eliminate the main effectiveness of the Taliban insurgency, the President took their advice, even over the concerns of the Vice President and other Democrats, and came up with the current strategy in concert with the Generals.
John, it appears you and others are complete idiots. Stop getting your news and opinions from the echo chamber of Fox and Freaks, Rush Limbo, Glen Beck and others. These folks are totally committed to keeping you Dumb and Ignorant. Man, learn to think for yourself and stop being an ignorant "Ditto Head". Stop being lazy, and research the issues before you open your mouth and say something stupid and vile.
Your asking way to much of John Chris, all he knows is stupid and vile.
The general seems to be a Republican who is out to try to discredit the Commander in Chief and his staff. His remarks make a lot of sense to me in this context.
To John of Tuscon...
Your use of the word "Obie" is disrespectful of our president. It's no wonder that you 'agree with everything the General (or actually his aide) stated since you're displaying the same condescending attitude.
Colorado:
'Obie' is tame compared to how some of what the right wing nuts refer to our President!
If he has any sense of honor he will resign his command.
The failed war strategy should fall squarely on President Bush's shoulders and his administration. They got us into this war; President Obama inherited it and is trying to do the best to get it completed and get us out. There are no easy answers. My opinion on it is that the general probably doesn't get enough sleep, is under way too much stress, and seems to be surrounded by a group (of aides) that has spiraled into cynicism. That's no excuse for his actions, I know, but everyone has their limits of what they can take. The long term answer is for us to get out. For the money that we have spent there, we could have paid off the federal debt. We could use all of those soldiers to clean up the gulf instead.
But, this is the war Obama said we should be in, not in Iraq.
Although I would agree with you to a point Colorado it was a mistake by Obama to add troops to this policing action. He should have began drawing down the troops in Afhanistan in a safe and efficient manner immediately. This 30,000 troop surge he approved was a farce.
Large numbers of ground troops should never be used to enter or invade another country unless the intent is to wage and win a war. And if that is the intent then you enter into that war with overwhelming force, cut your troops loose, and let them win that war. And winning a war means you bring that country or the enemies within that country to their knees. And as such a strategy is so over-powering and deadly, and where potential collateral damage has to be ignored, that is why any country (any President ) should think long and hard before they make that kind of decision.
It has been a farce. From the strategic goals, to the rules of engagement, there seems to be no real plan to either win, or get out. Instead we have something in the middle, and it makes us (Americans) look like fools.
Colorado Crenshaw
i don't know if your old enough to remember but Nixion got the same treatment from the democrats over vietnam. Johnson did the same thing Bush did, went to afgan, no exit stragety, no real plan for vistory and then handed it off to the next president. so here is obama just like Nixion, trying to get a real accessment and then putting a plan together. nixion made mistakes and obama has also. why because a goof from texas got us in to something he could not get us out of.
Shameful! This General never got over President Obama not having a military background. His superiority complex is showing.
This General is another readon why I'll shoot my son in the knee-cap before I allow him to die needlessly in service to this country. This is the ultimate betrayal by one sworn to serve. He is undoubtedly due his opinion, but not in public, not where it can effect the morale of the troops. If he feels this way, it filters down. How can we win when the people fighting don't believe it, they too are playing politics with our kids lives.
Who knew the top military brass were such gossips? That part's kinda funny.
But, the only thing that matters is: what are we really doing in Afghanistan and is the fight worth it?
Perhaps Sarah can pray on it, and God will then let us win in Afghanisatn. That's what I'd recommend.
Like Obama was praying about the oil spill?
of course that won't work if there isn't an actual 'vigil'. G-d is very busy, doncha' know? you betcha'!
McChrystal and Obama are perfect matches.
The General implements a war strategy that is based on schoolyard behavior, and is astonished that it fails. Our soldiers have to practically hand out questionaires before defending themselves in order to ascertain that they guy shooting at them does, indeed, mean them harm-and McChrystal is shocked that the war is going so badly, and that the troops' morale is low.
Obama seeks to undermine Karzai and is shocked to find that he can not count on his loyalty.
The only difference is that McChrystal knows full well that he has no business criticizing the commander in chief. It remains to be seen if Obama actually cuts him loose. I'm betting this is one crisis he will address forthwith. Anything having to do with his mountainous ego is dealt with immediately.
Same old same old no joe all blow. She was for the surge before she was against it. And isn't it amazing how she knows so much about what is happening in Afghanistan.
no joe, no bo, nj
Obama did what his general said should be done, the troops in Afghanistan were under manned under equiped. all the president did was get more troops there to help stadlize the situtation. i do remember you were infavor but what your saying now is with in all your comments about the president. Pls you need to stop with the gotta stuff. all your post here are saved and any time you pull what you just posted we will give you a gotta.
An honorable soldier knows when it is time to call it quits. The general knows he stepped over the line and now he should do the honorable thing and resign/retire.
This is what I don't understand about the tea party.
They want to reduce the federal debt, but they support expensive wars and defense spending (which I read recently is 50% of our budget).
They want small government, but they want the president to clean up the oil spill.
They trust big business, but went business fails (BP), they don't give business a hard time, they chastise the government for lack of response.
They are angry about the deficit (who isn't?), but they weren't concerned about it from 2000-2008. Then when we had to spend to get out of the financial meltdown, now suddenly they are super angry about it.
I'm sorry, but I just don't understand where they are coming from.
To me, it seems like the tea party (and GOP) is saying: "we're upset with whatever the president is doing and we want the opposite of whatever the president wants to do".
Colorado:
It seems to you like the tea partiers and GOP are saying they are upset with whatever President Obama is doing and they want the opposite of what ever President Obama wants? Where have you been.?That is the entire strategy of the Tta partiers and the GOP. To destroy Obama and his administration without caring less about who and what they take down with them. They claim to be patriots yet are wiling to do damage to this country if they can achieve their goal of taking down Obama. This is not news.
While I agree with what the general and his staff were saying, as a general, he has no right to publicly criticize the president, his commander and chief. Obama is not qualified to lead a pack of boy scouts on a weekend camp out, much less a military at war, but it is what it is, at least until 2012, and the general should have kept his mouth shut.
Notice how quickly Obama responds when his ego is bruised, as compared to his slow response to the Gulf oil spill?
You mean within a matter of minutes? Obama responded to the Gulf oil spill in a matter of hours.
Notice how quickly Renee jumped on the teabagger rants and hate. Your showing your true colors Renee the teabagger.
Renee, I have not heard a response from the President as of yet. If you have please tell me when and where you heard it.
And, I agree with Houston, if he did respond it had to be in a matter of minutes compared with the response within hours of the of the oil spill.
If you don't agree with the President you have that right. I don't agree with everything he says or does but I don't tell untruths knowingly just for the sake of voicing my disagreements.
Grow up if you're not there yet, if you are a grown up please act like it. By the way, don't count on 2012 going your way just yet.
The general is dealing with a war that George W. Bush started 9 long years ago but couldn't finish because he had no strategy at all.
McChrystal is a coward to say all that behind someones back !!! I hope Obama /Biden fires his loser ass and bust's him to a "PVT McChrystal" These generals like the senate & congress don't relealize ...to the American people they are the help....nothing more !!!!!
just another PUNK with a big mouth !!!