Afghanistan Turning Point
By Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com
Could a meeting between the President and a Four Star General in Copenhagen signal a turning point in the war against the Taliban? It has been reported that the NATO Commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has angered the White House with a series of candid comments about the war that has been going on for 8 years.
When asked if General McChrystal supported proposals to switch to a strategy which used more drone missile strikes and special forces against the enemy, he said it would lead to “Chaos-istan.” McChrystal also said, “Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome. This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely, and nor will public support.” General McChrystal delivered a report on Afghanistan requested by the President on August 31. The General has asked for 40 thousand more troops. Mr. Obama has held two meetings on the issue since the report was filed. The White House said recently it will take weeks to reach a decision on more troops.
McChrystal also told Newsweek he was firmly against half measures in Afghanistan saying, “You can’t hope to contain the fire by letting just half the building burn.” Also, in a report sent to the Pentagon, McChrystal delivered a confidential assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. The General described the situation there as “deteriorating,” and the likely outcome will be a “failure” unless America sends more troops. This bombshell report was “leaked” to the press recently.
Bruce Ackerman, an expert on constitutional law at Yale University, said in the Washington Post: “As commanding general, McChrystal has no business making such public pronouncements.” Ackerman added that it was highly unusual for a senior military officer to “pressure the president in public to adopt his strategy.”
So why would a Four Star General do such a thing? It is not because McChrystal is politically insensitive. One does not get to be a Four Star General without some sense of political know- how. I assume General McChrystal knows full well what he is doing and is not simply being insubordinate.
It was probably no surprise to McChrystal that President Obama scheduled a 25-minute face-to-face meeting on board Air Force One on the tarmac in Copenhagen last week. President Obama was there to pitch Chicago’s unsuccessful Olympic bid while General McChrystal was giving a speech across the “Channel” in London. Who knows what was said on Air Force One, but I feel the situation in Afghanistan is so severe that McChrystal was taking a risk to get the President’s attention. By all accounts, McChrystal feels the situation is critical and is nearing an ominous turning point. Let’s hope the right moves are made and things take a turn for the best!
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About the Author
Greg Hunter
Greg is the producer and creator of USAWatchdog.com. The site’s slogan is “analyzing the news to give you a clear picture of what’s really going on.” The site will keep an eye on the government, your financial interests and cut through the media spin. USAWatchdog.com is neither Democrat nor Republican, Liberal or Conservative. Before creating and producing the site, Greg spent nearly 9 years as a network and investigative correspondent. He worked for ABC News and Good Morning America for nearly 6 years. Most recently, Greg worked for CNN for shows such as Paula Zahn Now, American Morning and various CNN business shows.
Dear Greg,
Almost 60 years ago a five-star general allowed to be made public a letter to a member of the House in which he was critical of a President’s strategy for the Korean War. There had been a similar meeting on the tarmac in the President’s plane. The President was Harry Truman. The five-star general was Douglas MacArthur. Truman sacked the general for insubordination.
Cheers,
Ted.
How did we ever get to the point to allow the appeasers to get in such a position where we would actually have a discussion of not listening to the generals in Afghanistan?
How easy they forget all who died on 9/11/01