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2010-06-22 Afghanistan
RollingStone full article - The Runaway General
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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2010-06-22 12:58|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top

#1 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 fucking war, but he didn't seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed."

The first seven words says a lot.
Posted by Bobby 2010-06-22 13:22||   2010-06-22 13:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Suggest the General walk into the White House with the "You can't fire me, I quit!" ploy.
Posted by ed 2010-06-22 14:24||   2010-06-22 14:24|| Front Page Top

#3 Stan the man spoke the truth - BUT he was insubordinate and must now pay for that deliberate choice. The question is does Obama have the b*lls to fire him or will waffle / etc. If he doesn't have the cojones to fire one of his generals for talking smack then the wolves will realize all his hot air is just that and act accordingly (read China, World Court, Al-Q, etc)
Posted by Flailet White6069 2010-06-22 15:22||   2010-06-22 15:22|| Front Page Top

#4 "then the wolves will realize all his hot air is just that"

Oh, they already know that, Flailet.

In spades.
Posted by Barbara Skolaut  2010-06-22 15:24||   2010-06-22 15:24|| Front Page Top

#5 The first seven words says a lot.

They do indeed.

It is difficult to accept that Michael Hastings has the kind of access to McCrystal that this article implies.
Posted by JohnQC 2010-06-22 16:01||   2010-06-22 16:01|| Front Page Top

#6 Shades of Col. David Hackworth! I'd guess that McChrystal is seeing the writing on the wall, and is purposefully doing this.
Well, heck - a general's retirement pay isn't anything to sneeze at, and being able to look at yourself in the mirror is probably worth something, too.
The immolation of the Obama administration is imminent - hey, Barbara, you'd better order a truckload of popcorn!
Posted by Sgt.Mom  2010-06-22 16:14|| http://www.celiahayes.com  2010-06-22 16:14|| Front Page Top

#7 Drudge flash -- no link yet:

FLASH: According to an unnamed source 'Gen. McChrystal has submitted his resignation' - Joe Klein on Rick Sanchez, CNN... Developing...

Posted by trailing wife 2010-06-22 17:04||   2010-06-22 17:04|| Front Page Top

#8 He has done this intentionally. He does not want his legasy to be the guy that lost this war. Better to be the general that called the prez a loser and let history prove him right.
Posted by 49 Pan 2010-06-22 17:09||   2010-06-22 17:09|| Front Page Top

#9 He knows the Afghanistan war is an unwinnable disaster and wants to cause some damage to those who caused it to be the disaster it is.
Posted by phil_b 2010-06-22 18:01||   2010-06-22 18:01|| Front Page Top

#10 In my humble opinion, any military person who talks to any newspaper reporter, other than to brief on the results of a concluded operation, is a fool. If you do brief on the results, do not take questions, do not offer any opinions.

THE PRESS IS NOT ON YOUR SIDE!!!
Posted by Rambler in Virginia  2010-06-22 18:26||   2010-06-22 18:26|| Front Page Top

#11 General McChrystal is frustrated and is reacting to the constraints, ROE, and exit plans placed upon his warfighters by the current administration. We may only be seeing the half of it. No one wants to be a party to programmed failure, least of all a professional Army officer. If he goes, many will go with him. Just my assessment.
Posted by Besoeker 2010-06-22 18:28||   2010-06-22 18:28|| Front Page Top

#12 An associate of mine following this closely says he read Rolling Stone sent it back for review.

No comments. No wonder the press attache 'resigned'.
Sorry, no link...
Posted by Bobby 2010-06-22 18:35||   2010-06-22 18:35|| Front Page Top

#13 A very sad day for America. Very sad.
Posted by Besoeker 2010-06-22 18:38||   2010-06-22 18:38|| Front Page Top

#14 Sepuku?
Posted by Deacon Blues 2010-06-22 18:45||   2010-06-22 18:45|| Front Page Top

#15 This is a real onion of a story (layered and aromatic). Stan submitted his resignation. If it's accepted then he's positioned for a spot as Secretary of the Army in the next administration. If it's turned down then Obama can look munificent. Either way, the tar baby approach works though - the suspicion is planted/will remain that the aide's allegations were correct. Despite the MSM spin on this McChrystal has the power in this situation - especially because he has chosen not to play by the rules.
Posted by Flailet White6069 2010-06-22 19:33||   2010-06-22 19:33|| Front Page Top

#16 ....or Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (ASDSOLIC).

I vote YES!
Posted by Besoeker 2010-06-22 19:41||   2010-06-22 19:41|| Front Page Top

#17 This was a no-brainer once the the fight for Kandahar was put off. The General really had no choice other than to resign and make the facts known or allow Obama to throw him under the bus.
Posted by Mike N. 2010-06-22 20:09||   2010-06-22 20:09|| Front Page Top

#18 The General isn't allowed to play to win.
Sounds like he's done with bambi and the bullshit artists that pass for journalists now days.
Posted by bigjim-CA 2010-06-22 20:32||   2010-06-22 20:32|| Front Page Top

#19 Thiswas deliberate. I do love the irony. Rolling stone, the most liberal of all rags in America, The general calls out the prez on his home turf! I do love it. If zero fires him he will be cleared hot to tell all about Zero and his mismanagement of the war.

More popcorn please!!!
Posted by 49 Pan 2010-06-22 22:43||   2010-06-22 22:43|| Front Page Top

23:56 junkiron
23:52 Mike N.
23:45 bman
23:38 Mike N.
23:37 AzCat
23:26 Attention on Deck
23:19 gorb
23:17 gorb
23:16 bigjim-CA
23:13 Attention on Deck
22:59 Attention on Deck
22:43 49 Pan
22:37 Barbara Skolaut
22:29 Anguper Hupomosing9418
22:27 JosephMendiola
22:26 Barry Goldwater
22:18 Pappy
22:17 JosephMendiola
22:15 JosephMendiola
22:13 Frank G
22:12 SteveS
22:08 DMFD
22:03 Pappy
22:01 JosephMendiola









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