Free Republic

So our top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has told CBS's "60 Minutes" that he has spoken with President Barack Obama only once since June. This is a troubling revelation. Right now, our commander in chief is preparing to make one of the most important decisions of his presidency—whether to commit additional troops to win the war in Afghanistan. Being detached or incurious about what our commanders are experiencing makes it hard to craft a winning strategy.

FP: James Rothrock, welcome to Frontpage Interview. Rothrock: It’s an honor to be here. FP: So tell us a bit about what inspired you to write this book. Rothrock: I served in Vietnam and lived through the tumultuous antiwar years. I have always been troubled by those in the antiwar movement who undermined their own country, subverted the nation’s war effort, and tarnished the image of the American servicemen who served their country, many of whom gave their all. I still remember the day I returned from Vietnam and was told to change into civilian clothes before proceeding off base....

The U.S. military confirmed Thursday that all 16 servicemembers aboard a special forces helicopter died when it crashed into a mountain ravine earlier this week, apparently after being shot down. The remains of those killed were being recovered at the site in eastern Afghanistan where the MH-47 chopper went down Tuesday. The helicopter crashed while ferrying reinforcements to a battle against the insurgents, the military said in a statement. The military reported earlier that 17 people were on board but revised that figure to 16 later Thursday. "At this point, we have recovered all 16 bodies of those service men...