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In the fallout of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and his staff's impolitic comments published in a magazine article, President Barack Obama today accepted the general's resignation. He announced his decision from the White House Rose Garden as the media anticipated the general would be fired. The president said:
"... war is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general, or a president. And as difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe that it is the right decision for our national security.
... The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system. And it erodes the trust that’s necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan.
Obama announced Gen. David Petraeus will replace McChrystal, pending results of confirmation hearings, which will be Tuesday, reports Stars and Stripes. Gen. Petraeus, who was the head of the United States Central Command, remained silent on McChyrstal's widely-discussed remarks.
McChrystal's statement in response to the president's announcement is available on Scribd:
This morning the President accepted my resignation as Commander of U.S. and NATO Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I strongly support the President’s strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people. It was out of respect for this commitment -- and a desire to see the mission succeed -- that I tendered my resignation. It has been my privilege and honor to lead our nation’s finest.
The Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that caused Obama to yank McChrystal from his post in Afghanistan is entitled "The Runaway General." It exploded on the Net and in mainstream media Monday and will be available on newstands June 25. Hastings takes readers behind the scenes with the general's senior aides in the Afghanistan War, and the magazine sums the lengthy piece up:
Stanley McChrystal, Obama's top commander in Afghanistan, has seized control of the war by never taking his eye off the real enemy: those whimps in the White House.
In it, one of McChrystal's aides called the general's meeting with Obama early in his presidency after the general was assigned as commander in Afghanistan a "photo op," and he said the president didn't know anything about McChrystal. Other sources, said Hastings, described the general's impression of Obama in an earlier briefing as "'intimidated' by the roomful of military brass."
McChrystal and his staff disrespected Vice President Joe Biden:
"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?"
As the article continues, it's clear disrespect from "Team McChrystal" extends to retired four-star general and veteran of the Cold War Jim Jones. An aide calls him "a 'clown' who remains "stuck in 1985." More insults flow as an aide shares how McChrystal likens Richard Holbrooke, a diplomat and special representative assigned to Afghanistan and Pakistan, "a wounded animal," who is "dangerous" because his job's in jeopardy.
Neither are Senators John McCain and John Kerry spared. Hastings writes, "Team McChrystal likes to talk shit about many of Obama's top people on the diplomatic side," and he says the only person not skewered is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because she said the administration should give McChyrstal whatever he wants.
That's the big red flag waving in this article that marks the chasm between the military and diplomacy camps on what to do about Afghanistan. The greater concern is that this division undermines civilian chain of command and the morale of U.S. troops. Hence, it was at this point in
