Gen. Stanley McChrystal Relieved of Command After Obama Meeting

[Chris_]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/gen-stanley-mcchrystal-relieved-command-obama-meeting-rolling/story?id=10992188

President Obama   today fired embattled Gen. Stanley McChrystal  from his position as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, replacing him with General David Petraeus, currently the leader of United States Central Command.

Retired general says McChrystal needs to prove his competence as a commander. McChrystal was relieved of command, multiple sources told ABC News, after a meeting with Obama over disparaging comments about top administration officials in a Rolling Stone article.

The embattled general met President Obama for about 30 minutes this morning and returned to his home in Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C. without attending the national security meeting.

  Even before McChrystal's meeting with Obama, the White House had asked the Pentagon for a list of possible replacements, even though administration officials insisted a decision would not come until after McChrystal has made his case to the president.

McChrystal was prepared to resign but did not want to decide until he had met with Obama, a source close to the general said earlier today.

McChrystal admitted during his round of phone calls to top Obama administration officials that he had "compromised the mission," a senior administration source told ABC News.

More at link.....

doc

[TheSarge]

Well now this should be interesting...

[BlueStateSaint]

RedState is saying that GEN Petraeus is going to assume command.

[TheSarge]

RedState is saying that GEN Petraeus is going to assume command.

This makes no sense.  Gen. Petraeus was his boss.  By taking over for him here...that's a demotion of sorts.

[thundley4]

This makes no sense.  Gen. Petraeus was his boss.  By taking over for him here...that's a demotion of sorts.

Not taking over the command, but also assuming the duties. Petraeus will still keep his old title and job, too.

[Chris_]

This makes no sense.  Gen. Petraeus was his boss.  By taking over for him here...that's a demotion of sorts.

True, and the fact that he was Bush's choice for theatre commander in Iraq should not sit well with the liberals.......

TRG, is it remotely possible that Obama could not get anyone else to take the job?

doc

[thundley4]

   9/20/2007
Senate condemns 'General Betray Us' ad

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-09-20-senate-condemn_N.htm

A little bit of history. When the senate voted to condemn the moveon.org ad, Obama did not vote.

[TheSarge]

True, and the fact that he was Bush's choice for theatre commander in Iraq should not sit well with the liberals.......

TRG, is it remotely possible that Obama could not get anyone else to take the job?

doc

I dunno.  The Stars & Stripes article today had a sidebar that listed four possible replacements including his (GEN McChrystal's) Army forces commander LTG William Webster...his deputy Commander LTG David Rodriguez...Marine GEN James Mattis...and GEN Walter "Skip" Sharp who's currently the US/UN Commander in Korea.

No where that I've seen in the last two days even hinted that GEN Petraeus was even being considered.

[NHSparky]

This makes no sense.  Gen. Petraeus was his boss.  By taking over for him here...that's a demotion of sorts.

It's the administration trying to cover it's ass.  When Petraeus has his hands tied and the troops come home in a year, the entire region will go to shit.  Then Obumbles will say, "See?  Even the great and mighty General Petraeus couldn't fix the situation!"

****in politicians.

[TheSarge]

It's the administration trying to cover it's ass.  When Petraeus has his hands tied and the troops come home in a year, the entire region will go to shit.  Then Obumbles will say, "See?  Even the great and mighty General Petraeus couldn't fix the situation!"

****in politicians.

And when GEN Petraeus and does what the so called "experts" say can't be done...again...they can take the credit for the success.

[NHSparky]

And when GEN Petraeus and does what the so called "experts" say can't be done...again...they can take the credit for the success.

Yup--putting Petraeus in is a win-win for the administration.

[5412]

Yup--putting Petraeus in is a win-win for the administration.

Hi,

I am not so sure this is a win-win for the administration.  McCrystal said the situation he was in was un-sellable.  If Petraeus fails then McCrystal says, "I told you so!  Even the great General Petraeus could not execute that failed strategy."

I am not so sure that McCrystal does not now have a free reign to speak out.

Also, on Fox news website there was a remark by Obama saying that the civilian control over the military is what democracy is all about.  Thought that was pretty telling about how he feels.  Personally I think Obama is scared shitless of the military because eventually the public will learn he is a fraud and the military might just intervene.

regards,
5412

[Eupher]

After the announcement from the Rose Garden (God, that man in the White House is a travesty), I was thinking that yes, GEN Petraeus assumes the duties of his subordinate, but it will be only for a short time - namely only until the media frenzy subsides a little and the next commander in Afghanistan can be named.

One thing is for sure - the next commander won't be making the same mistakes that McChrystal made.

You simply can't be thinking out loud when the press corps is hanging on to your every word, recording and parsing and editing and condemning.

[cavegal]

I pray for the troops!

[Hawkgirl]

And don't be surprised that when the real replacement takes charge...an exit strategy will be laid out.  I heard a talking head yesterday stating "the Afghanistan War is now longer than the Vietnam War...and we need to get out"

[thundley4]

And don't be surprised that when the real replacement takes charge...an exit strategy will be laid out.  I heard a talking head yesterday stating "the Afghanistan War is now longer than the Vietnam War...and we need to get out"

When or lose, the Afghanistan War is Obama's, his rules, his timeline.

[vesta111]

I smell a pile of dead rats here.

It is said out of the mouth of Geraldo that this is going to be bad for the reporters, including him and his brother that go embedded with the troop's.  Will this become an excuse to make these men and woman off limits to the troop's high up Brass.?

Interesting as we have little knowledge of the reporter that blew the whistle. It is said he is free lance and not well known.

It was mother that pointed out that this may have become a well orchestrated ploy by Obamas administration to ultimately censor the war news.

Mom and her conspiracy theory's.  But then at her age she has seen it all.

There are Generals up the Ying Yang and perhaps the powers that be found he could be replaced and clamp down on the information the press knows but as responsible reporters do not release to the public.

Was Mc Christal sacrificed in order to control the press and the mounting unrest of the Brass over the War.??

This reporter must have had some credentials and government OK to interview the General and his staff regardless if he was in Paris or on base somewhere.

There has to be a huge story here we will never know of there is just too much here that even on first look is very unusual.

Who is this reporter and how did he get to the General and his Staff.??  

[RightCoast]

barack dismisses the guy like he's replacing an office administrator. "Hey Kathy, can you swing into my office for a minute?" Don't you think you'd at least want to get his insight at the vaunted "monthly security meeting" before walking him?

[Eupher]

barack dismisses the guy like he's replacing an office administrator. "Hey Kathy, can you swing into my office for a minute?" Don't you think you'd at least want to get his insight at the vaunted "monthly security meeting" before walking him?

The monthly meeting was a smokescreen. McChrystal was toast the minute he got the summons to go to Washington.

[Hawkgirl]

barack dismisses the guy like he's replacing an office administrator. "Hey Kathy, can you swing into my office for a minute?" Don't you think you'd at least want to get his insight at the vaunted "monthly security meeting" before walking him?

No one disparages the Great ONE.  NO ONE.  His fragile ego is close to shattering.

[cavegal]

When or lose, the Afghanistan War is Obama's, his rules, his timeline.

I have been doing things outside the past 2 days, so what did  McCrystal say to get obies panties in a wad?

[Hawkgirl]

The monthly meeting was a smokescreen. McChrystal was toast the minute he got the summons to go to Washington.

This whole situation reminds of something that would happen if a lieutenant crosses the Godfather.  A call to the office is a death sentence.  Although this was not a typical "hit"...it's thug style politics.

[RightCoast]

This whole situation reminds of something that would happen if a lieutenant crosses the Godfather.  A call to the office is a death sentence.  Although this was not a typical "hit"...it's thug style politics.

More like the Soviet Army.

[Boudicca]

Honest to goodness, it makes me want to  to think that the flaky, unpatriotic, nay, UNAMERICAN likes of Zero get to determine the final coda in Gen. McChyrstal's career.
I'm so g-damned sick of career politician lording it over the rank and file like feudal lords when they don't know shit and are bound and determined to crush any spark of greatness that could surpass their own (in their own minds of course as they are all full of ****ing dogshit, with apologies to my four mutts).
I'm even more enraged and downright disgusted with the American idiots who voted for this piece of shit.  We've got an asshole who joins in a lawsuit against AZ with the likes of CALDERON and his ****tastic government; an idiot who cuts off the livelihoods of 38,000 Gulf Coast oil workers and countless assorted casualties whilst his government funds a Brazilian deepwater oil dig to the tune of a TWO BILLION dollar loan. 
If I say anything else the powers that be will come haul my ass away.  I don't know why, but this forced resignation of a fine general, handpicked by Zero, on top of the Petraeus appointment, after being degraded as a liar by Zer0, Hillary, BiteMe, Harry Reid and others in a 2007 Congressional hearing is just the last ****ing straw.

[DefiantSix]

You simply can't be thinking out loud when the press corps is hanging on to your every word, recording and parsing and editing and condemning.

Especially when there's ample evidence that the state run propaganda organs are actively collaborating with the same folks you're shooting at.