McChrystal-Karzai Relationship Steers the News in Afghanistan

NYTimes ^ | June 29, 2010 | By MUJIB MASHAL

[Jet Jaguar]

The news of Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s dismissal is slowly settling here in Kabul. Only in the past few days have the local media gone beyond reporting mere facts as they developed in Washington, and started to include some opinion and analysis.

he papers in Kabul see the reasons for the general’s sacking to be more than just his inflammatory comments in the Rolling Stone article, which they consider only a tipping point. In fact, many of the editorials and articles spare no more than a line or two to the Rolling Stone piece; the rest is dedicated to speculating about other possible factors that could have brought this abrupt end to the general’s service.

And one factor, repeated in many of the articles, is McChrystal’s close relationship with President Hamid Karzai and how it made certain people in Washington nervous.

There is considerable attention also given to the insistence of the United States and Afghan authorities that the strategy will not change.

SNIP

Afghanpaper, an online news and opinion source, writes along the same lines:

“Some Karzai critics say that McChrystal, during his time here, had come heavily under the influence of the Afghan government’s politics. What proves this is the fact that McChyrstal did not acknowledge the extent of corruption and weakness in the Afghan government, and repeatedly requested the White House to maintain a close relationship with President Karzai.”

[dr_lew]

What proves this is the fact that McChyrstal did not acknowledge the extent of corruption and weakness in the Afghan government, and repeatedly requested the White House to maintain a close relationship with President Karzai.

It seems easy to suppose that McC' simply made a decision and stuck to it. We'll see what happens when Karzai comes unglued.