Posted on 10/05/2009 7:41:35 AM PDT by peggybac
The relationship between President Barack Obama and the commander of Nato forces in Afghanistan has been put under severe strain by Gen Stanley McChrystal's comments on strategy for the war.
According to sources close to the administration, Gen McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers with the bluntness of a speech given in London last week.
The next day he was summoned to an awkward 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen, where the president had arrived to tout Chicago's unsuccessful Olympic bi
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
’ An adviser to the administration said: “People aren’t sure whether McChrystal is being naïve or an upstart. To my mind he doesn’t seem ready for this Washington hard-ball and is just speaking his mind too plainly.” ‘
Who’s not ready???? Gawd, this makes me sick.
I’m not a military man, but I have to say I am not impressed with the strategies of either the president or the general, but if the general says he needs resources we should give them or get out.
McCrystal spoke truth to (a person in a position of) power.
Sux if the empty suit didn’t want to hear or heed the advice.
How dare this “General” question the “ONE”? Doesn’t he know his place? Doesn’t he realize the “ONE” is infallible and omnipotent? Off with his head...off with his head I say! /s
Uh, oh. General McCrystal didn’t get the memo explaining that Dear Leader and his team are theorists and do not appreciate any information based on reality.
Better take it all back, General, so that Dear Leader can continue to bask in the glow from his halo.
What does Obama know about military issues let alone the continuity of American policy?
The great Anti American is bitter.... screw him.
Now? Not so much.
I find it interesting that the General can go on TV and voice his opinion but is stopped from going to Congress.
Seems to me McChrystal finally got his attention. 25 minutes should have been hours weeks ago. Bama is an ass, what do you want the generals to do? Zinni came out this weekend to and was confused by Bama and HE is a liberal that was 100% behind Bama.
Somehow, I just have a difficult time imagining Gen McChrystal being intimidated by meeting with Obama on Air Force One. I imagine him sitting down while the President enters the room, and then asking him for a beer.
How do you, as a General, respect a President who places his own glory in appealing for the Olympics, over the lives of men in the armed forces who are laying their lives on the lines in Afghanistan? How do you, as a General in charge of a war, respect a President who has time to appear on David Letterman, but does not have time to talk to the Military Leaders in the past 80 days?
I imagine the situation boiling down to this “Wanna fire me? Go for it. - in the mean while make yourself useful and get me a beer”. Obama knows that if he fires the General, then the General is free to go off and write a book about his experiences serving under President Zero, and can detail the lack of leadership, experience and interest in the lives of the US Military.
If anyone would be uncomfortable after the meeting on Air Force One, I sincerely doubt it was the General.
I wonder about the Gen. James Jones who is supposed to be advising him.
I thnk that pretty much sums up why their meeting lasted only 25 minutes.
Seems like Bush met with his military advisors, Patreus and others routinely.
I fear Viet Nam again. A gradual involvement with no winnin strategy and full of restraints on our troops.
The Russians couldn’t pull it off, so is McChrystals’ strategy different?
Why also are we singling out the Taliban? I thought it was Al Quaeda that is the enemy.
Epic FAIL. Unfortunately this one is going to cost American lives.
Why is it that we can only hear the truth from a foreign newspaper?
It seems to me that if the only place that the President can find time to speak with the military leader of a war effort is on the tarmac of a foreign airport, then the problem is Obama’s attitude not the General’s outspoken speech.
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