Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is expected today to accept the resignation of the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, and to recommend that the critical job go to veteran Special Operations commander Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal.
Gates is expected to make the announcement in a hastily called Pentagon new conference along with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen at 2 p.m. today, Pentagon officials said. WaPo
Robert Gates speaks on the Camp Liberty shooting and McKiernan, who was fired:
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"Nothing went wrong," Gates insisted. "It’s time for new leadership and fresh eyes."
Said Mullen: "[McKiernan has] been there almost a year and in fact under normal circumstances he would have rotated somewhere between 18 and 24 months...I have said we must focus all of our efforts, in terms of making Afghanistan better, there probably is no more critical ingredient in that than leadership." Politico
