Barack Obama furious at General Stanley McChrystal speech on Afghanistan

Telegraph ^ | Oct. 5, 2009 | Alex Spillius

[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

[uncommonsense]

CitizenUSA said: "Wrong! The military works for civilian leadership. POTUS is the commander in chief, and so long as he doesn’t issue unlawful orders, the military is obligated to follow him to the best of its ability.

McChrystal is free to resign or retire. Otherwise, he is not supposed to publicly air his disagreements with the POTUS or carry on a public relations campaign to force the POTUS to follow a particular strategy (no matter how worthy that strategy is)."

This is the oath of an enlisted serviceman:

I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

This is the oath taken by an officer:

"I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

Notice the difference? There is no oath of obedience to the President or superiors. This is an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States. This is NOT an oath to defend any specific territory or persons or property and there is no duration defined in the Oath. Once taken, it is a lifetime affirmation.

[nikos1121]

The Russians had the numbers and the equipment. They killed people by the thoudands, but couldn’t conquer these people.

I think there’s a lesson here. Unless you bring the Taliban in to our side, and together you oust Al Queada, you could be in there 100 years.

[nikos1121]

I think you nicely proved my point.

[COUNTrecount]

Could be a Bluetooth phone set, in any case, who’s on the other end and what’s he telling Obama to say?

Everyone.

[YankeeReb]

This is just perfect. Last Fri we're told not to worry because TOTUS had met with Gen. McChrystal presumably to discuss strategy going forward. Now we find out , thanks once again to the British press, that all it was was a dressing down for making the "Dear Leader" look like the putz that he is.

I had a feeling, you don't discuss war strategy for 25 minutes sitting on a tarmac. Good Lord!!! That's less time then the Great Stainmaker spent getting his haircut while on a tarmac.

Sadly, the real loser in all this is our troops in Afghanistan. While the POS TOTUS and VP Plugs dither, they're in a potential meat grinder.

This whole administration is like one long national nightmare.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

I remember when MANY saw the dangers of 0bama during the POTUS election. I remember asking if he has to pass any *real* legal WH/CIA/FBI background check. The answer was NO. The media vet the POTUS candidates.This is no joke. that’s it, the media!

Most (way under his paygrade) civilian and military jobs require a background check.

So what do we do when a person utilizes a crime filled corrupt (should all be in jail) ACORN; to steal a win? What do we do when we have a rogue, dangerous POTUS? NOT just a bad POTUS like Carter...but a POTUS that is so TIED to corruption and slush funds you can’t touch him? What do you do when you have an AG Holder protecting this corruption?

[Condor51]

Here's the speech that embarrassed Barry. There's also a pdf download and video link.

General Stanley McChrystal Address

But there's onr thing to remember, Gen McChrystal is not only the US commander but also that of all NATO forces in Afghanistan. Which I recall reading there's approx 100,000 total to our 60,000. So it's not only American men he has to worry about coming home in a body bag.

So what Barry does or doesn't do affects some soldier's mother/family in Coventry or Hamburg too.

[GI Joe Fan]

I like the angle of this photograph.

General McCrystal is in the power position of the photo.

And you are right. Obama's face is indifferent or perhaps even hostile to General McCrystal's smile.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

... Gen McChrystal shocked and angered presidential advisers ...

The advisors were shocked. Until his Teleprompter tells him so Obama doesn't know enough to be shocked!

[Monkey Face]

Obama sucks rotten eggs.

[kabar]

Agreed. If we can't trust our people on the ground to make appropriate judgments, they shouldn't be there. General McCrystal is far more qualified to do his job than Obama is to do his.

We all know what is happening here. Obama is looking for an exit out of Afghanistan and he is seeking a politically palatable excuse to leave. I guess the longer he drags this out, the less favorable will be the opportunity to win, ergo, the only option is a phased withdrawal.

Thank you for your service as well.

[Big Horn]

If the egomanic don’t like him he can fire him. Hitler fired Generals, I think they had to kill themselves.

[kabar]

He put him in there about six months ago, I believe.

[kabar]

You joined today and make some ridiculous statement about Obama passing information to the Taliban. Specifically you opined,

"Does anyone else wonder if Barry is sending valuable military information to his friends in the Taliban so that they are able to know troop movement and therefore set up ambushes?"

That is outrageous. Anyone who agrees with you is either a nut case or an agent provocateur. The DU and others would love to have people here support such statements to show how nuts the right wing is.

[angkor]

>>> I think you nicely proved my point. <<<

Well, there are several similarities between Vietnam and Afghanistans, Pakistan and Cambodia/Laos.

[Tailback]

You joined today and make some ridiculous statement about Obama passing information to the Taliban. Specifically you opined, "Does anyone else wonder if Barry is sending valuable military information to his friends in the Taliban so that they are able to know troop movement and therefore set up ambushes?"

Actually Kabar, if you read Ann Coulter's book "Treason" especially the chapter about the UN and the passing of info to China and by default N. Korea, this wouldn't seem so far fetched. Not that I'm saying he's correct, just that with this group of absolute nutty Marxist/gay/revolutionary/anti American/black separatist/wealth redistributionists anything is possible.

[Tailback]

What I find interesting, and I don’t know if anyone else has picked up on it, is that the General is meeting the POTUS wearing ACU’s (fatigues) instead of Class A’s.

Could that be an under the radar snub, since McChrystal knew this was gonna be a photo-op with the Soros sock puppet? “Hey look at this empty suit sitting by me, a real snake eating warfighter.”

[kabar]

The idea that an American President would be passing tactical information to the enemy so they could ambush our troops is beyond the pale. To suggest it is possible is nuts.

[Tailback]

Yup, just like commie American scientists giving the secrets for the atom bomb to the soviet union.

Just like Clinton and Gore selling ICBM guidance technology to the Chinese for campaign money.

To imply that is just crazy.

[LADY J]

"Here's the speech that embarrassed Barry. There's also a pdf download and video link.

General Stanley McChrystal Address"

Bad link