National Security Adviser Chides McChrystal

[jeffbr]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/04/AR2009100401879.html

National Security Adviser Chides McChrystal
By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, October 4, 2009; 4:03 PM

President Obama's National Security Adviser James L. Jones suggested Sunday that the public campaign being conducted by the U.S. commander in Afghanistan on behalf of his war strategy is complicating the internal White House review now underway, saying that "it is better for military advice to come up through the chain of command."

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who commands the 100,000 U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, warned bluntly last week in a London speech that a strategy for defeating the Taliban narrower than the one he is advocating would be ineffective and "short-sighted." The comments effectively rejected a policy option that senior White House officials, including Vice President Biden, are seriously considering nearly eight years after the U.S. invasion.

McChrystal's statement came a day after he was challenged by senior White House officials over his dire assessment of the war -- and what it will take to improve the U.S. position there -- during a video conference from Kabul with Obama and his national security team. Obama then summoned McChrystal to Copenhagen the day after the general's speech for a private meeting aboard Air Force One.

Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Jones said he had not spoken to Obama since the president met with McChrystal. But he indicated that the Obama administration, facing the most far-reaching foreign policy decision of its time in office, expects McChrystal and his military superiors to broaden the range of alternatives for how best to proceed in Afghanistan as the strategy review unfolds over the coming weeks...

[rockymountaindem]

1. Which reminds me, we haven't heard a peep out of Jones

I guess no news is good news from the National Security Advisor.

[thunder rising]

2. One aspect of the AF-1 meeting is that he couldn't go to the pentagon and prep

so he was probably not as scripted as he might otherwise have been.

Why would Obama would summon a General to meet him aboard AF-1 across the ocean.

1. The meeting was 1-1.
2. He couldn't prep like he would on a more official summoning.
3. Obama exercises the "I out rank you ... get you butt here"
What's your take? What am I missing.

[gateley]

4. I heard (cynically) that it was to quiet those who were complaining

that Obama had only spoken with McC once previously.

I'd like to think it was way more than that --

Has McC said anything after the AF-1 meeting, do you know?

[thunder rising]

6. Notta peep. And I agree, Obama has his chain of command excuse in place. There was a message

but apparently, Jones had to reinforce it.

[leeroysphitz]

12. The chain of command is not an "excuse". It exists and has existed thrughout the whole of military

culture for very real and very good reasons.

[thunder rising]

14. I'm a vet ... gonna educate me on something else?

[thunder rising]

3. Oh yeah, and the message from Jones is STFU.

[BuyingThyme]

5. Oh, boy. This is so complicated. Should we murder people for no reason?

Or should we act like we've progressed beyond kindergarten?

Fuck all these morons.

[thunder rising]

7. ?? Thanks for your concern.

[asjr]

8. Didn't Bush appoint McChrystal?

Whenever there is flak from others about the way to get out of Afghanistan someone needs to preface their reply with "As everyone knows the previous administration got us in this unholy mess and it will not be remedied overnight." I do not know this McChrystal nor do I wish to know him, but it seems to me he is either trying to make a name for himself or blurring the circumstance with making everyone believe it is Obama's doing.

[Thothmes]

13. No, he was selected for promotion to Brigadier General

during the final months of the Clinton administration. He was actually promoted to Brigider on 1 Jan 2001

[thunder rising]

9. Jones had to reinforce Obama's polite requests since his Rahm was not on board to properly translate

!@#$@! I want you to !@#$%@# 2#$@ @#$@# up Is that @#$%@ clear!
you know, something a prima-donna general could understand.

Remember the encounter with Joe the Plumber. Obama let him off easy.

[sudopod]

10. If he acts like a Douglass MacArthur

then treat him like Douglass MacArthur.

[malaise]

11. 100% correct

Know your fugging place McChrystal. I'm betting Obama told him just that during that meeting on Air Force One.

How strange that eight soldiers died today.

Just saying.


Obama will regret the day he appointed the man who covered up the Tilman murder - that should have been enough not to appoint him.