The Hidden General Stan McChrystal runs 'black ops.' Don't pass it on

Newsweek ^ | June 26, 2006 | Michael Hirsh and John Barry

[RDTF]

June 26, 2006 issue - No one would have mentioned his name at all if President George W. Bush hadn't singled him out in public. Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, West Point '76, is not someone the Army likes to talk about. He isn't even listed in the directory at Fort Bragg, N.C., his home base. That's not because McChrystal has done anything wrong—quite the contrary, he's one of the Army's rising stars—but because he runs the most secretive force in the U.S. military. That is the Joint Special Operations Command, the snake-eating, slit-their-throats "black ops" guys who captured Saddam Hussein and targeted Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.

JSOC is part of what Vice President Dick Cheney was referring to when he said America would have to "work the dark side" after 9/11. To many critics, the veep's remark back in 2001 fostered his rep as the Darth Vader of the war on terror and presaged bad things to come, like the interrogation abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo Bay. But America also has its share of Jedi Knights who are fighting in what Cheney calls "the shadows." And McChrystal, an affable but tough Army Ranger, and the Delta Force and other elite teams he commands are among them.

After the Zarqawi strike, multinational forces spokesman Gen. Bill Caldwell refused to comment on JSOC's role, saying, "We don't talk about when special operating forces are involved." But when Bush revealed to reporters that it was McChrystal's Special Ops teams that had found Zarqawi, Caldwell had to gulp and say (to laughter), "If the president of the United States said it was, then I'm sure it was."

[Coldwater Creek]

God bless our black ops people.

We do not want to nor need to know every thing that is being done to keep us safe in this country.

[hsalaw]

Leave it to Newsweak to "out" the good guys and hide the bad guys. Fools.

[SevenMinusOne]

Rumsfeld is especially enamored of McChrystal's "direct action" forces or so-called SMUs—Special Mission Units—whose job is to kill or capture bad guys,

Which is just another clear reason why SecDef Rumsfeld is the perfect man for the job in today's world.

[reagan_fanatic]

They are heroes, pure and simple. Thank God they're on OUR side!

[Gondring]

Leave it to Newsweak to "out" the good guys and hide the bad guys. Fools.

Uh, in case you missed it, it was President Bush who outed him. I saw it live, as well as poor Gen. Caldwell later trying to answer without answering.

[theFIRMbss]

>Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, West Point '76, is not someone the Army likes to talk about

Of course, he does have his own action figure and Marvel comic line . . .

[MD_Willington_1976]

Agreed

[tx_eggman]

Experts partisan hacks like former (Clinton) Deputy Defense secretary John Hamre are also concerned that Special Ops now has generic authority to deploy where it wants without case-by-case orders. Without proper civilian oversight, a Zarqawi-style success can easily become a "Black Hawk Down."

It was civilian oversight by The Stain® and his cronies that gave us "Black Hawk Down" in the first place

[rahbert]

"the snake-eating, slit-their-throats "black ops" guys"

Wonder if they have snake flavor MRE's for these guys?

[jazusamo]

Experts like former Deputy Defense secretary John Hamre are also concerned that Special Ops now has generic authority to deploy where it wants without case-by-case orders.

Why is it not surprising that a Deputy Defense Secretary in the Clinton Administration would be critical of Special Ops? If Special Ops would have been supported by Clinton, we might not be in the situation we're in now.

[MNJohnnie]

Here is the dichotomy. The Black Ops people still got to fight for their budgets. You got to have good PR to get political muscles to pull in the Budget Wars for you but Spec Ops hates to talk about what they do since keeping Methods and Means secret is life and death for them.

Read "Masters of Chaos". Spec Ops is finally starting to play the game. I think that is a good thing.

[hsalaw]

Oops.

[MNJohnnie]

Umm I seriously doubt having the top guy's name know is going to hurt them in the least. It's a two way street. Good PR gets you political pull. Classifying everything makes you prime target when the budget knives comes out. Spec Ops has to learn they CAN be TOO secret.

[theDentist]

I hear he goes by another name: Jack Bauer.

[Daus]

Experts like former Deputy Defense secretary John Hamre are also concerned that Special Ops now has generic authority to deploy where it wants without case-by-case orders. Without proper civilian oversight, a Zarqawi-style success can easily become a "Black Hawk Down."

Sure, if only their had more 'civilian control' in Somalia, the whole thing could have been avoided... /s

[Diogenesis]

[Junior]

A "black ops" ping...

[Shimmer128]

I'm pretty enamored of them too!

[Thrusher]

Without proper civilian oversight, a Zarqawi-style success can easily become a "Black Hawk Down."

Um, didn't "Blackhawk Down" become a "Black Hawk Down" because of the "civilian oversight" not wanting to do soemthing un-PC, rather than just letting the military do its job?

[Ditto]

Experts like former Deputy Defense secretary John Hamre are also concerned that Special Ops now has generic authority to deploy where it wants without case-by-case orders.

Here's a National Review from back in 1998 article by Bill Gertz on this Hamre character. Typical Clintonoid social activist who found the military "distasteful" at best.

[MNJohnnie]

Yeah, you really really nailed it.

It was "Civilian Over Sight" that refused the Armor Reaction force the SOF people wanted in Somalia JUST to respond to a "Black Hawk Down" type situation. Basic operations principal for SOF types They will hang it all out but they want SOME chance to pull it out if it drops in the meat grinder. They usually want some heavy hitter on call to back them up.

But of course, typical Leftist Political type, he is never willing to accept the blame for the consequences of his stupidity.

Vietnam, Desert One, Black Hawk Down. Bosnia, Sudan, The Leftist Presidents from LBJ to Carter to Clinton fumbled just about EVERY time they demanded "Civilian Over Sight" of Operations.

What ever their other flaws, bless Bush 1 and 2 with the brains to manage the politics and leave Operations to the pros.

[shield]

bttt

[jazusamo]

Thanks for the link to his Bio, it was much worse than I thought possible. He should be a social worker somewhere but I guess that's the type Clinton relied on.

[TexasRepublic]

There's a guy named Hugo that should be very scared.

[BJClinton]

Rattlesnake tastes like chicken FWIW.

[popdonnelly]

Another example of our irresponsible news media. Anything for a story.

[rightofthefairway]

Which is just another clear reason why SecDef Rumsfeld is the perfect man for the job in today's world.

funny I don't but a handful of team guys that want the current leadership you praise.

but I bet you have a great view from your couch

[PeteB570]

They say everything tastes like chicken. I must disagree, I think most stuff tasted like mush. I guess I'm a bad cook with "field" rations.

Now, with some spices, a little hot sauce, nice wood for coals we can get something right tasty going.

[PeteB570]

I like my view from the couch. Only took me 21 years to get it. How about you DevSix?

[rightofthefairway]

MRE's for serious time away are field stripped (no heating packet, mini-tobasco, salt......) just one cold Meal Ready to Exit.
I actually like them though. pluss with all the extra heat packets you can make some cool piro fun with the magnesium

[PeteB570]

When I talk "field" rations I mean "Field".

Issue food would have been real nice. I'm talking frogs, minnows, little birds, snakes, and anything you could get your fingers on. Boiled in a canteen cup over crappy wood and it all tastes like mush.

Eaten Cs, LRRPs, Mountain Rations, MREs (1st & 2nd gen), tray packs, Hot As and they are all much better than the free range stuff. :-)

[rightofthefairway]

Love to know what someone with atag Devsix actually did for a living

[PsyOp]

Wonder if they have snake flavor MRE's for these guys?

Sure. There's the traditional "stewed rattlesnake with potatos and carrots"; "Boa Loaf"; and my favorite "Anaconda Almondine."

[PeteB570]

Fixin' to start a new campaign with rahbert?

:-)

:-)

[SevenMinusOne]

Um, didn't "Blackhawk Down" become a "Black Hawk Down" because of the "civilian oversight" not wanting to do soemthing un-PC, rather than just letting the military do its job?

That and Mr. Murphy - An additional fact that often gets completely ignored is our warriors kicked as$ that day - When things went to sh*t our guys cowboy'd the hell up and took the fight to'em - They did not lose whatsoever that day or that battle - They got their marks that were at the hit location and they brought them in -

It was the WH that turned tail and ran days later -

[damper99]

Mr. Hamare is watching too many episodes of "The Unit".

[Ditto]

Rattlesnake tastes like chicken FWIW.

I second that. It didn't suck but I wouldn't go out of my way for it either. Gator is better. ;~))

[Gondring]

???

The reason the mainstream media are going nuts on this is because it was President BUSH who talked. They are loving to bring attention to his breach.

[Gondring]

Another example of our irresponsible news media. Anything for a story.

Why is it irresponsible to report that President Bush decided to release this information? If the president made a correct choice, then it's good it's being told. If he did something he shouldn't have done, then it's good the media reported it, just like I'd like them to keep tabs on the lefties' follies.

[PsyOp]

I'm always campainging--one way or another.

[TADSLOS]

Glad Stan McChrystal will be running things in that part of the AOR. Al qaeda and the taliwhackers are about to get a huge, harsh dose of Spec Ops whoop ass. I do find it humorously ironic though that Obambi has thrown his lot with a man who was vilified as a torturer by the libs in congress and the media while serving in Iraq under the Bush administration. I guess Stan must have attended Obambi’s re-education camp or something before being selected for his rush assignment. /s/

[talismanAK47]

McChrystal is a funny name-—dont ya think? I mean Kristol is less Irish sounding, but more attune to the type of promotons that have been made in the military of late