BREAKING: NBC News says sources state Obama has relieved McChrystal of his command.

[AndyA]

Edit to add link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37866754/ns/us_news-military/?ns=us_news-military

[SpiralHawk]

1. "You're fired." - Donald Trump

"We don't need no steeenkin insubordinate FAIL-Freak Homelanders dumpin on America or the Commander in Chief."

[otohara]

2. WTG Mr. President

ENOUGH!!!!

[Skidmore]

3. I'll vouch for you. I heard it too on MSNBC.

[xultar]

4. So basically do exactly the opposite of what Keith O says.

[backscatter712]

13. I love Keith, but I disagree with him on this.

Obama clearly needed to assert his authority as commander in chief - Bad Things happen when generals are allowed to badmouth their superiors and buck orders from the President - that behavior is transmitted down the chain of command to the troops, and damages discipline in the ranks.

[AnArmyVeteran]

31. I could command the forces in Afghanistan by just saying "Pack up, we're leaving".

That's what I hope Obama does now because there are absolutely NO reasons for staying in Afghanistan. There is absolutely no way we could win there, none. No other country in the history of the world has ever succeeded in winning in that land. It defies all reason and common sense to keep sending our soldiers to die for nothing and to kill countless civilians in the process. We need to pull out immediately and let it go back to the 4th century standards, which it will do anyway. Bush created this monster and Obama needs to kill it. And he needs to do it now.

Conventional war against an unconventional enemy is ridiculous and insane. The Vietnam War was the same. The enemy was everywhere, just like in Afghanistan. You can't fight terrorists with armies. The entire concept is crazy and it's ridiculous how anyone can be talked into believing such nonsense.

[itsrobert]

28. The POTUS doesn't take orders from KO

KO was wrong on this. KO been right on other things, but this, nope.

[valerief]

5. So now he can make money and run for office. nt

[me b zola]

21. My idea was this:

Order him to alcohol treatment, strip him of his security clearance and command, and give him a do-nothing job. This would neuter McChrystal, put a black mark on his record showing that he cannot be trusted. If McChrystal then wanted to retire, who cares, he's damaged goods.

[AnArmyVeteran]

33. I agree, he has a lifelong history of insubordination.

[valerief]

41. I LIKE it! nt

[AndyA]

6. Headline now appearing on MSNBC.com, and being reported on Andrea Mitchell's show.

Edit to add link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37866754/ns/us_news-military/?ns=us_news-military

[Duppers]

7. YES!

Good!

[backscatter712]

8. D'oh! I've been beaten!

Should I have my thread on this exact same subject locked?

[myrna minx]

9. K&R n/t

[EFerrari]

10. Best news of the week.

I'm so happy this bastard is out.

[bdamomma]

11. good if its true he was one of cheney's lapdogs

[Skidmore]

17. He was, big time.

[AndyA]

26. Makes you wonder if he was still "taking orders" from Cheney.

Wouldn't surprise me.

I wish Obama would investigate the Bush years, and advise Holder to go after them! That might put a stop to a lot of this crap.

[bdamomma]

36. these agencies and dept. still have bush trolls in them

they should be terminated.

[pinboy3niner]

12. Great! nt

[suffragette]

14. Glad to hear it

As an oddity, here's USAToday reporting on MSNBC's report: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/06/nbc-obama-relieves-mcchrystal-of-his-command/1

[boomerbust]

15. Petreus

Next commander in Afghanistan

[Solly Mack]

16. Good

[Cognitive_Resonance]

18. No choice but to fire him. For the best anyway. nm

[Blue Owl]

19. Good Riddance

Now, about the rest of those BU$HCO cronies infesting our government like the fucking maggots they are -- how about firing while the iron's still hot?

[Contrary1]

20. The president had no choice

"On his arrival at the Pentagon, he denied to NBC News that he's offered his resignation. "Come on, you know better than that. No!"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37866754/ns/us_news-military/?ns=us_news-military

[AndyA]

22. AP now reporting that Petraeus will replace McChrystal. n/m

[Corgigal]

23. good

now maybe the ass can sleep more then a few hours a night and eat more then one meal a day.

Straight up loony tune.

[AnArmyVeteran]

24. Great. He should have been fired. But he's going to make millions as a right wing hero now.

[wackywaggin]

25. Huge mistake!!

While the general may have been percieved by others as being "out of control," I think it is a huge mistake to fire him. Saying that, I am making no excuses for the insults and some of the atrotious events that have happened during the war's under his command, but I also think that the troops respected and admired the general's courage and integrity to say what he thinks. I think the executive branch will see a backlash from this, if in fact the general was dismissed.

Heretic Wack

[AndyA]

27. Did Bush see a backlash when he fired military guys who didn't tell him what he wanted to hear?

Bush always said he would let the commanders on the ground make the decisions. Of course, if those decisions weren't in agreement with Bushco, they were replaced.

I think this may be a good thing, a fresh perspective on Afghanistan. End the war, bring our troops home.

[Greyskye]

35. More of a backlash if he stayed.

What kind of a message does it send if the President allows this kind of behavior to go unchecked? The military would have carte blanche to run roughshod over the President for the remainder of his term.

I think the troops will respect the chain of command; from what I've seen the majority of troops seem pleased with Obama.

[rhett o rick]

42. Good gravy, you afraid of a little back lash. F that shit. There is a long list of right wing hacks

that Obama needs to fire. Let's hope this catches. And again, F the backlash.

[lib2DaBone]

Yeaaaaaa!! Now bring the troops home... today.

Asking a Military General if he wants more troops is like asking a 5-year-old if they want more candy.

[backscatter712]

29. So long, General Ripper! Work on protecting our precious bodily fluids as a private citizen! n/t

[demoleft]

30. great news. i'd rec 10 times, if i could. n/t

[SweetieD]

32. GOOD!

[Sheepshank]

34. Military Vs Civilians

this was another test of how much abuse civilians will take and how far the military will be allowed to pursue their myopic agenda. The agenda of pressing the power of military over civilians. In addition, to responding to insubordination, and an going head butt with this particular General, Obama represented all of our best interest in re-establishing that military answers to the civilan side of govt, and not the other oway around! I would never want the military to be seen usurp civilan power...never. And McChrystal just lost that war.

[mvd]

37. K&R

I prefer the term "relieved of command" rather than resigned. We know what happened, and it's a good, decisive move.

That and the not backing down on the withdrawal date are good signs.

[SoCalDem]

38. Time to Make a new plan, Stan

buh-byee

[mvd]

40. Agree! This could mark a new direction

Obama said all the things that he has to say in regards to Al Qaeda and success, but deep down, he should be seeing this as a big change. We are fighting an idea, and not a country. There is no true measure of success, and diplomacy combined with counter-intelligence measures is preferable to occupation and war.

[spin]

39. Obama did the right thing ...

McChrystal might be a great soldier and general just as Douglas MacArthur was.

But I doubt that McChrystal will give as good a going away speech as MacArthur.

I am closing my 52 years of military service. When I joined the Army, even before the turn of the century, it was the fulfillment of all of my boyish hopes and dreams. The world has turned over many times since I took the oath on the plain at West Point, and the hopes and dreams have long since vanished, but I still remember the refrain of one of the most popular barrack ballads of that day which proclaimed most proudly that "old soldiers never die; they just fade away."

And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty.

Good Bye.

In McChrystal's case.. Good riddance and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.