McChrystal just made it more difficult to "win" the war in Afghanistan, if a war can be won at all. I'd argue not.
The Rolling Stone story is now posted here.
Instead of supporting Obama, republicans are excusing McChrystal.
I'd like to say we no longer belong in Afghanistan after this public display of immaturity, but I know that we're not going to withdraw. Worse, Obama will probably have to keep McChrystal. But I'd argue that McChrystal's idiocy has endangered the lives of our soldiers and American civilians. As if Obama doesn't have enough disasters to contend with. McChrystal, in his small mind, obviously didn't think about that.
I'd like to say we no longer belong in Afghanistan after this public display of immaturity, but I know that we're not going to withdraw. Worse, Obama will probably have to keep McChrystal. But I'd argue that McChrystal's idiocy has endangered the lives of our soldiers and American civilians. As if Obama doesn't have enough disasters to contend with. McChrystal, in his small mind, obviously didn't think about that.
There are also questions as to whether McChrystal is serving well in Afghanistan. He appears to be too chummy with Hamid Karzai.
I have to question McChrystal's mental state, especially after reading this. Perhaps he has spent too much time warring around.
Representative David Obey, a democrat, is calling on McChrystal to resign. I don't want to see him resign. I want to see him fired.
Read what Robert Gibbs had to say about the article and Obama's response here.
Some excerpts from the article: "Are you asking about Vice President Biden?" McChrystal says with a laugh. "Who's that?"Really?
"Biden?" suggests a top adviser. "Did you say: Bite Me?"
"I'd rather have my ass kicked by a roomful of people than go out to this dinner," McChrystal says.Read how the author got access to McChrystal here. It involves a change in travel plans due to the volcanic ash in Iceland and a lot of liquor. Here's more from the article:
He pauses a beat.
"Unfortunately," he adds, "no one in this room could do it."
With that, he's out the door.
"Who's he going to dinner with?" I ask one of his aides.
"Some French minister," the aide tells me. "It's fucking gay."
McChrystal reserves special skepticism for Holbrooke, the official in charge of reintegrating the Taliban. "The Boss says he's like a wounded animal," says a member of the general's team. "Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he's going to get fired, so that makes him dangerous. He's a brilliant guy, but he just comes in, pulls on a lever, whatever he can grasp onto. But this is COIN, and you can't just have someone yanking on shit."
At one point on his trip to Paris, McChrystal checks his BlackBerry. "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke," he groans. "I don't even want to open it." He clicks on the message and reads the salutation out loud, then stuffs the BlackBerry back in his pocket, not bothering to conceal his annoyance.
"Make sure you don't get any of that on your leg," an aide jokes, referring to the e-mail.
