Posted on 10/04/2009 7:56:37 AM PDT by Saije
At West Point his classmates compared him to the charismatic renegade played by Steve McQueen in The Great Escape. But General Stanley McChrystal, the coalition commander in Afghanistan, can offer no vanishing trick for the “deteriorating” mission that he has been ordered to rescue. Rather, he has called on politicians and a weary public to make the leap of faith...
McChrystal, who is married and has a (non-military) son, was chosen as the man who would shake things up. He arrived in Kabul last June to declare there were two types of people at headquarters — “martyrs and those that are going home”. Decreeing that troops had to learn to get along with Afghans, he dressed down the commander of a convoy bristling with weapons and speeding through the streets at 60mph: “This is exactly the way you create the ugly Isaf” (International Security Assistance Force, the coalition of American and Nato forces).
He stopped the practice of flying flags at half-mast every time a soldier was killed. “A force that’s fighting a war can’t spend all its time looking back at what the costs have been,” he said. His approach challenged the standard military culture of overwhelming the enemy with superior firepower, sometimes regardless of the consequences. He told his men to think before they shot. In August he angered Germany by apologising for an airstrike on two hijacked Nato fuel trucks. The strike, called in by the German contingent, had killed up to 90 people.
This compassion was a long way from the reputation McChrystal had enjoyed as America’s ruthless “chief terrorist pursuer” in Iraq and Afghanistan, caught up in a scandal over torture and prisoner abuse. His transformation into a “scholar-soldier” is perhaps one of his greatest achievements in a remarkable career.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Now he's asking for 40,000 more boots on the ground, but says he can live with the decision if Obama tells him no. He also says he "admires" Obama. Admires him? Why? Because he squeezed McChrystal in for a face-to-face meeting that took less time than it takes to finish one hole on one of Obama's frequent golf outings?
Sorry. I don't think McChrystal has the courage of his convictions. He's willingly letting brave men die under ridiculously restrained rules-of-engagement while Obama dithers.
He was with elite teams during his career, lots of their actions are classified and you will never see any awards that they received.
He was with elite teams during his career, lots of their actions are classified and you will never see any awards that they received.
He wears the EIB Look at his Class A uniform.
Stanley McCrystal is an embarrassment to the military. He toys with the lives of the men in the field. It is his decision to have his men take off their protective clothing, eliminate air strikes and walk into the Afgani villages without protection. He is the author of the “rules of engagement” that put our brave men at unconscionable risk.
McCrystal is a failure. Our soldiers pay the price for his stupidity. He deserves Obama and vice-versa; our soldiers deserve a leader.
If McCrystal had a speck of the courage of our soldiers he would resign.
If you restrict air power and artillery, You place them into the 19th century like the British. The key to this campaign are the ROE.
you place our brave troops in a meat grinder.
Do you know where Manassa, Colorado is? That is a few miles as the crow flies from my birthplace.
Do you know where Manassa, Colorado is? That is a few miles as the crow flies from my birthplace.
Many say even if you have earned it is better not to wear the EIB. It leaves no question that you have never been in combat. Yes Manassa, Colorado is in the San Luis Valley. Home of Jack Dempsey "The Manassa Mauler". There are turquoise mines near there; no? Everyone that I have known who have earned the CIB,
mock anyone who wears the EIB.
Jim—I agree with you on the larger point. I would add that the second mistake Bush made was to not engage the American public in the war. Reminds of the Viet Nam war in many respects. For instance the Bush and Rumsfeld minimalist war nonsense. So much for learning from history.
My son’s a senior NCO. Been in the Army a lot of years. Been in harm’s way four times. He’s been in combat. Been shot at and he’s killed. Many other brave soldiers have done likewise. Militart leadership, politicians and the American public have let our soldiers down.
It’s not all bad. Iraq, IMHO, will ultimately choose the 21st Century vice the 17th Century. And I think It’s still possible to win in Afghanistan. But it will take a lot more than adding 40,000 troops to the ones already there.
The current resident of the WH is ideologically opposed to America triumphing anywhere. And the American public barely remembers 9/ll. McCrystal, IMHO, is a weak soldier who is not willing to stand up for what is right. There are many ways he can get his message out, but apparently the job means more to him than America.
Anything can be made to appear plausible. Frankly, I think McCrystal is just a weak strategic military leader.
Even if there was a quid pro quo—accept ROE restrictions for more soldiers—the restrictions would ultimately negate the increase in troops. All the bad guys have to do is mix women and children among their terrorist murderers and we can’t shoot back.
The last straw for me was McCrystal running around publicly and appologizing for the US attack on the stolen gas tanker truck. Pathetic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.