Wednesday - June 23, 2010

Top Swap

President Obama announced Wednesday that he has accepted Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s resignation as the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan following a scathing article in which McChrystal and his aides were quoted criticizing the administration for its handling of the war.

In doing so, Obama nominated Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command and the former commanding general in Iraq, to replace him. The president stressed that while the decision was a difficult one, it does not represent a change in the course of the war.

“This is a change in personnel, but it is not a change in policy,” Obama said in the Rose Garden, Petraeus by his side and McChrystal nowhere to be seen.

The president praised McChrystal, saying he always showed “great courtesy” and carried out his orders “faithfully,” and that they were on the same page in terms of war strategy. He said the decision to accept the general’s resignation was not based on “personal insult,” but a desire to ensure there is no “diversion” to the mission. Obama said the conduct described in the article “does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general,” which led him to his decision. 

Wafflers McCain and Lieberman then took to the airwaves to provide a unified message from both left sides of the spineless middle (the left, and the further left). Yadda yadda yadda, “unfortunate remarks” yadda yadda “unity” blah blah frickin blah.

I don’t think these were unfortunate remarks. I don’t think McChrystal’s words were an accident. I think he said what he said with full knowledge of what would happen. And I think, in a couple years, he’s going to be a hero for saying it. Yes, I know, and everyone else who has ever been in uniform knows, that you don’t dis the Commander In Chief. But ...

I heard the other day that every Marine in Afghanistan has been issued a laminated little 3x5 ROE card that tells them they are not supposed to patrol areas where they expect to encounter any enemy forces. That’s even worse than the patrolling with unloaded weapons bit we heard about last month. The rules our leaders have laid down not only make it impossible for our troops to win, they make it impossible for them to even tie. The core idea is that same one recycled from Vietnam - winning hearts and minds. Winning hearts and minds may win the peace. Killing the enemy and making sure the locals are too afraid of the consequences of supporting those enemies actually wins the war. But it’s been obvious for more than 3 years now that our boys aren’t supposed to win that war.

Would you want to be in charge of that? I wouldn’t. Get out while you can and leave the end game to blacken someone else’s name? That may not be the bravest or most altruistic strategy, but it’s one I can understand. Lead your troops to win, and if you aren’t allowed to win, go home. And hey, bring the troops with you too.

So long General. I’m sure we’ll see you on the Tea Party talk circuit real soon.

Posted by Drew458     on 06/23/2010 at 02:20 PM   
Filed Under: • Military •  
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