McChrystal should be sacked for insubordination.

[denem]

Whatever you might think of his conduct of, or advice on, the Afghanistan War, or even the leak of his assessment on troop number, a report in the New York Times makes it pretty clearly he ignored, or 'misinterpreted' the orders given in March by the President, including the exit strategy. The troops were being prepared for a more permanent presence, and the Comander in Cheif's strategy was being renounced in the field.

How Obama Came to Plan for ‘Surge’ in Afghanistan

... (McChrystal's) request outlined three options for different missions: sending 80,000 more troops to conduct a robust counterinsurgency campaign throughout the country; 40,000 troops to reinforce the southern and eastern areas where the Taliban are strongest; or 10,000 to 15,000 troops mainly to train Afghan forces.

Mr. Obama was focused on another report. At 10 p.m. on Sept. 29, he called over from the White House residence to the West Wing to ask for a copy of the first Afghanistan strategy he approved in March to ramp up the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban while increasing civilian assistance. A deputy national security adviser, Denis McDonough, brought him a copy to reread overnight. When his national security team met the next day, Mr. Obama complained that elements of that plan had never been enacted.

The group went over the McChrystal assessment and drilled in on what the core goal should be. Some thought that General McChrystal interpreted the March strategy more ambitiously than it was intended to be. Mr. Biden asked tough questions about whether there was any intelligence showing that the Taliban posed a threat to American territory... (Obama decided against immediate withdrawal).

Tension with the military had been simmering since the leak of the McChrystal report, which some in the White House took as an attempt to box in the president. The friction intensified on Oct. 1 when the general was asked after a speech in London whether a narrower mission, like the one Mr. Biden proposed, would succeed. “The short answer is no,” he said.

White House officials were furious, and Mr. Gates publicly scolded advisers who did not keep their advice to the president private. The furor rattled General McChrystal, who, unlike General Petraeus, was not a savvy Washington operator. And it stunned others in the military, who were at first “bewildered by how over the top the reaction was from the White House,” as one military official put it. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/world/asia/06reconstruct.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

'Bewildered' my ass.

[BeFree]

1. Correction:

Should have been fired already

But we do know he was a buddy of Cheney's, right?

[Kdillard]

2. I agree apparently McCrystal needs to be reminded that the military

Does not make policy for the US.

[denem]

3. "elements of (The President's) plan had never been enacted...

Seems pretty open and shut to me.

[Garam_Masala]

5. I think McCrystal was responding to a request from the president

to give the president the general's assessment of situation on ground
in Afghanistan and make recommendation. This general was a hand pick
by the president.

Somehow, the report was leaked by some one in Pentagon.

[polichick]

4. The only ones sacked are people like Van Jones, who are targeted by the right. nt

[zulchzulu]

6. Since McChrystal covered up Pat Tillman getting fragged, how can he even be trusted?

More here:
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090525/zirin2

[denem]

7. Fuck Trust: It's black and white. Whether a strategy is being implemented or

subverted is a Yes or No question. Trust has nothing to do with it.

[Divine Discontent]

9. ugh.. the Tillman frag is so frustrating!!!!

[Divine Discontent]

8. it would be very good if he was! but he won't. the president seems very confident about his choice

I hope Congress won't let this happen, regardless.

[bertman]

10. Did anybody keep track of how many generals leaked reports when Cheney was Preznit?

[uponit7771]

11. McChrystal is most likely being watched VERY closely now...

[vaberella]

15. Probably...his removal may be immenent. n/t

[TexasObserver]

12. McCrystal is certifiably nuts and has no business in charge of anything.

Taking advice from psychos like him is always a bad idea.

[ClarkUSA]

13. McChrystal's biggest supporter in Obama's cabinet is Hillary. She favored his 80K troops/10 yr. plan

She'd probably oppose any move to remove him. Remember that her military mentor last year was neocon Gen. Keane.
I'll bet both McChrystal and Hillary are being watched closely, kept busy following Pres. Obama's directives (her many
gaffes aside) while their warmongering "advice" was duly ignored. Thankfully.

[denem]

14. I believe Obama welcomes Hawkish advice, stongly put,

that's not the issue.

[ClarkUSA]

17. He welcomes it right before he ignores it. Thankfully.

I agree with your viewpoint, but I still believe that Hillary would put up a huge stink if McChrystal got canned over this
because of her affinity for his perspective.

[SIMPLYB1980]

16. LoL!