Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal
SecDef Robert Gates (right)
At odds against one another. I'd sympathize with Gen. McChrystal.
Posted on 10/06/2009 1:25:00 PM PDT by myknowledge
THE top US military commander in Afghanistan has been effectively rebuked by President Barack Obama's man in the Pentagon for running a public campaign to back his request for more troops.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates yesterday spoke out just days after General Stanley McChrystal declared any scaling back of operations in Afghanistan, such as that favoured by some White House officials, would be short-sighted.
In a speech to the Association of the US Army, Dr Gates urged advisers to Mr Obama to keep their views on the deteriorating allied position in Afghanistan behind closed doors.
"In this process, it is imperative that all of us taking part in these deliberations - civilians and military alike - provide our best advice to the president candidly but privately," he said.
The comments by Dr Gates follow criticism from Mr Obama's national security adviser James Jones a day earlier that military leaders should provide their advice "through the chain of command".
Mr Jones said determining the best strategy on Afghanistan was more complicated than adding to troop numbers.
In a speech last week in London, General McChrystal rejected the preferred view of some in the White House - including Vice-President Joe Biden and other senior officials close to Mr Obama - that the US should scale back operations by using unmanned drone aircraft and targeted raids by special forces against the Taliban.
General McChrystal has stuck publicly to his position that more troops are needed after submitting a 66-page review, commissioned by the White House, that warns the war effort "will likely result in failure" in the next year without additional forces.
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal
SecDef Robert Gates (right)
At odds against one another. I'd sympathize with Gen. McChrystal.
This old soldier won’t be fading away.
I don’t like saying it, but Gates has essentially become Obama’s pet. I disagree with a number of the things he has been willing to advocate recently.
It’s just shameful that a theater commander has to make a public plea for help because the political CoC is sitting on it’s collective thumb.
These clowns better think very carefully about who the American people are likely to sympathize with.
It does appear to me as though General McChrystal is employing a subtle psyops/civil affairs campaign. Whether or not it’s deliberate really hinges on who leaked the assessment.
At first I thought McC should step down.
Better he should stay and unload both barrels on Zero
Gibbs said today that Obama will “make up his own mind” about what to do in Afghanistan.
Then, he will go to the bathroom and make poo-poo and pee-pee all by himself too.
Me too and it sounds like another distraction the dimwits want. Alinsky rules and all.
I wonder if there are a couple of resignations in the offing. When, and if, that happens we can then speculate on the futures of Gens. Petraeus and McChrystal. I’m beginning to believe that they may very well be useful in a future government. We’ve never had a military government in modern times.
The Obama people never would have given Gates his current position if there wasn't something wrong with him. Gates has proved to be unprincipled and weak. He follows the political wind and stabs the military people in the back. Loyalty up and loyalty down is the principle of a successful military. Gates has shown no loyalty whatsoever to the men under his command.
Robt Gates has always been a POLITCIAN first and foremost - his “low key” style was the opposite of Rummy’s so took the pressure of Bushie once he was in - a limp-wristed, whimppy move. He now has the blood of American young on his hands - shades of McNamara - after Nam, we should be saying NEVER AGAIN and yell it at Gates...such utter CRAP!
Do I recall any criticism of Genral Shinseki when he went after Bush and Rumsfeld.
Remember Hitlery referring to General Petraeus as General Betrayus?
These hypocrits are costing American lives.
This admin wants to keep it behind closed doors and away from the American people. They know that the people are smarter than they are.
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.