At Ease, Gen. McCrystal!

[Krashkopf]

Obama should sack Gen. McCrystal, immediately.

As a former Army Lawyer, I think it is OUTRAGEOUS that Gen. McCrystal would interject himself into a public debate over what the U.S.'s military policy should be in Afghanastan.

McCrystal's job, as CINC of U.S. troops in Afghanastan is to wait for the President, his COMMANDER IN CHIEF. to tell him what the United States' military policy is, and then to devise a combat plan to accomplish that mission.

And further, McCrystal's job is to advise the President, in private, not to second guess him in public. He should STFU in public.

I think McCrystal's public statements are tantamount to gross insubordination, and Obama should replace him, immediately.

[vadawg]

1. i hate to say it, but i would be hypocritical at least if i did lambast mcChrystal

as i fervently hoped that the generals would come out and critizise bush and his plans, so on this one i got to hold my fire and side with the general... I think you either have to listen to your generals or you have to fire them...

[Krashkopf]

9. McCrystal's only public comment should be "Sir. Yes Sir!"

I think you either have to listen to your generals or you have to fire them . . .

In this Country, the civilians control the military, not the other way around. The President sets policy. The Generals devise tactics. The President should listen to the Generals on tactical issues, but it is ALWAYS the President's decision as to how to proceed. "The Generals" should NEVER comment on policy issues, or attempt to box the President into a corner, which, IMHO, is exactly what McCrystal is trying to do.

It is time for McCrystal to salute, smartly, say "Sir, yes Sir," and to go about the job of carrying out Obama's plan.

If he can't do that, he should STFU and resign.

[timeforpeace]

10. Well said. We hammered Bush on that. But McChrystal is trying to get fired,it's obvious he wants out

[Krashkopf]

13. The RETIRED Generals who came out against Bush's Iraq policy . . .

waited until they were OUT OF UNIFORM before critcizing the President.
It was their right to do so, then. But, NO ACTIVE DUTY military commander should PUBLICALLY criticize, or otherwise second guess, the President.

We have never had a military coupe in this country because that BRIGHT LINE of seperation between the civilian commanders of the military and the military itself - which is essential to preserving our FREEDOM - has always been strictly observed.

[vadawg]

14. you see that was the problem with the wermacht, they didnt come out and oppose hitler

unlike you i dont believe the military should just say yes sir no sir three bags full sir, if a general believes that his orders are going to get his men killed for nothing then he has a duty to complain up the chain and if he feels the need he has an obligation to go outside of the chain of command, but he must also realise that could end his career.

[Ikonoklast]

25. You do your complaining to your superior in private.

The General decided that he would make the issue public, for his own reasons.

Wrong all the way. He is trying to control the debate by doing this.

MacArthur found out just how irreplaceable he was after using that tactic.

[gratuitous]

11. I advocated for generals under Bush to speak out

But I also acknowledged that doing so was at the risk of their cushy job and generous pensions. What's worth more to a man? His comfort or his conscience? Did the generals carrying out administration orders value the star(s) on their shoulder more than the men and women who would die for a reckless cause? The answer, under Bush, was yes, again and again. We now are treated to the spectacle of retired career military folks who say that we've gone horribly wrong in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that Something Needs To Be Done. But not a one of them uttered a peep when they were in a position to do something about it.

Yeah, it would have required a pretty big sacrifice to speak up. But isn't that what heroes are supposed to do? No more parades. No more honor guards. No more fly-overs. No more air shows. It's just puffing up a bunch of cowards who are no worse, but certainly no better, than the vast majority of the rest of us. Let's quit genuflecting in the Church of Redemptive Violence.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

19. THE GENERALS WANT WAR... ONLY WAY THEY GET PROMOTIONS

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR MILITARY COUP?

[Xipe Totec]

2. McCrystal will be sucking on a corncob pipe any moment now... n/t

[Captain Hilts]

3. Me, too. Folks here have accused me of just being a sucker for a right wing Brit rag.

But the Torygraph is not a rag. The NYDNews agrees with it, and so do I. It looks as though he's using the press to pressure the prez. I DO NOT understand why folks here are okay with that and chose, instead, to criticize the Telegraph.

Perhaps because my mother worked in the War Dept/Army Dept. during some of the MacArthur fracases.

All Prez Obama wants from him is a cheery 'aye-aye'.

[deaniac21]

15. Aye, aye isn't an army term.

[Captain Hilts]

16. No shit. I'm from a Navy family. nt

[deaniac21]

20. wHY WOULD AN ARMY GENERAL SAY "AYE, aYE" ?

[Captain Hilts]

22. It's an expression that's meaning is clear. That's all.

Let it go.

[deaniac21]

26. Words that would never be uttered in the Army.

[inna]

4. he just fired another Afghanistan commander.... it won't look good.

McKiernan was fired in May AFAIR; it won't look "good" if another commander gets sacked now - and this is why I doubt that Obama would do it.

personally, I'd rather see him gone given his current insubordination and history of condoning torture:

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/stanley-mcchrystal-a-history-of-torture.html

[HelenWheels]

5. Don't forget Tillman

McCrystal was the main man in the cover up of Pat Tillman's death by friendly fire.

[inna]

7. oh, i didn't know that.

well, in this case, it looks like McCrystal was yet another bad choice in the first place.

[sad sally]

28. Yes, and why aren't there more reminders about this fact?

And how about McCrystal leading the cover ups regarding the number of innocent Afghans killed by "mistake" over the last years...what else is he hiding? It's disappointing that he's the one President Obama is listenting to.

[malaise]

6. He was told to STFU and suddenly

eight soldiers were dead.

Just saying.

[kjackson227]

8. Yep, he's gone rogue, but his days are numbered.

[BlooInBloo]

12. Civilian control of the military needs to be absolute - one of the few things...

I'm pretty much totally absolute about.

[ddeclue]

17. I think Obama can take it and it all depends on how short a leash Obama has him on.

If Obama doesn't mind the General speaking his mind then there's no problem. If Obama wants him to shut up, I'm sure he'll get the message sooner rather than later. So far the General hasn't done anything besides state his opinion on the situation - he hasn't called Obama a "doodyhead" or done anything particularly wrong.

Personally I'd rather the commanders were free to speak their mind to the public provided that when the time came that they followed orders. If only Bush's commanders had been granted the same latitude we might never have gone into Iraq in the first place.

[TexasObserver]

18. I'll be disappointed if the president doesn't quickly whip him into line.

[TicketyBoo]

21. After hearing what McCrystal had to say

on 60 Minutes, I think we should bring the troops home. It's that or expect to be there for the next 50 to 100 years. Bring 'em home.

[SoCalDem]

23. Within that 5-sided building in DC, there are many Cheney-ites

who are probably in constant contact with the Dickster. Mischiefmaking on a grand scale is what these types do BEST.
GW blew out of town and probably never looked back, but Cheney stayed close by, and has a vested interest in keeping the US "at war"..it vindicates him, and he's trying to position Little Lizzie as the 21st Century incarnation of him.

Loyalists at the Pentagon & the CIA are keeping him "filled in", and of cousre he's coaching them from the armchair-quarterback chair.

[bridgit]

24. This nonsense about McCrystal and any others thinking they answer to the MIC & AEI first...

and not the POTUS has to stop and it has to stop now!

[JVS]

27. Maybe this whole problem would clear up if Obama decided to stop waging war

[Joe Fields]

29. Gen. McCrystal was ordered to assess the situation.

His findings should never have been leaked to the public. The General,(and you are exactly right) should have never opened his mouth in public. It is reminiscent of Douglas MacArthur.

[baba.power4]

30. McCrystal

The events thus far speak for themselves...OBAMA has done what
he is suppose to do and said YES SIR, NO SIR.