McChrystal fired over article comments

Thursday, June 24, 2010

US President Barack Obama has removed General Stanley McChrystal as commander of US forces in Afghanistan after the General and his team made derogatory comments about US officials in a magazine article.

The president has instead chosen the commander of United States Central Command, General David Petraeus, to replace him. Petraeus' involvement must be approved by the US senate before it takes effect.

Announcing the decision, Obama said that there was no sense of "personal insult" involved in the decision.

"I don't make this decision based on any difference of policy with General McChrystal, as we are in full agreement about our strategy," he said. "But war is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general or a president. As difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe it is the right decision for our national security.

"The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system and it erodes the trust that is necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan."

McChrystal offered his resignation after comments made in the Rolling Stone magazine article "The Runaway General", were made public. In the article, an aide to the US General is reported to have said that President Obama appeared "uncomfortable and intimidated" by the military and "didn't seem very engaged" when he first met McChrystal.

McChrystal reportedly said he felt betrayed by Karl Eikenberry, US ambassador to Afghanistan, after a classified cable written by Eikenberry was leaked to the New York Times. The cable criticised the surge strategy and said Afghan President Hamid Karzai was not a reliable partner for the coalition. "Here's one that covers his flank for the history books. Now, if we fail, they can say 'I told you so'," said McChrystal.

Following his dismissal, General McChrystal said in a statement: "I strongly support the president's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations and the Afghan people.

"It was out of respect for this commitment - and a desire to see the mission succeed - that I tendered my resignation."

British diplomat Mark Sedwill, NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, paid tribute to McChrystal, but said his loss would not interrupt the strategy in the country.

"Stan McChrystal was one of the finest men I have known, an outstanding military commander, and played a pivotal role in the new strategy - and as the president said, that strategy remains on course. That strategy is coherent and we are all working towards it. As President Obama said yesterday, the mission is greater than the man."

McChrystal had a strong relationship with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, and the Afghan government had supported him over the comments he made in the article. Following Obama's decision, a spokesman for Hamid Karzai welcomed the choice of General Petraeus as his replacement.

"General McChrystal was a fine soldier and a partner for the Afghan people, but we believe General Petraeus will also be a trusted partner," said the spokesman. "We know General Petraeus. He knows the country. He knows the strategy. He is the most informed person and the most obvious choice for this job."