Security

McChrystal Backer: 'Travesty' if Obama Sacks General (Updated)

General Stanley McChrystal made a mistake — a giant mistake — talking smack about his superior officers and colleagues like U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry. But that doesn’t mean he should be canned for the comments, admirers say. In fact, one e-mails: “It would be a travesty if we fired McChrystal and kept Eikenberry.” Not only […]

General Stanley McChrystal made a mistake -- a giant mistake -- talking smack about his superior officers and colleagues like U.S. ambassador Karl Eikenberry. But that doesn't mean he should be canned for the comments, admirers say. In fact, one e-mails: "It would be a travesty if we fired McChrystal and kept Eikenberry."

Not only is McChrystal the "only one with any sort of relationship with [Afghan president Hamid] Karzai," says this civilian advisor to the McChrystal-led International Security Assistance Force. Eikenberry "has no plan, didn't get COIN [counterinsurgency] when he was the commander and still doesn't." Plus, the advisor adds: "The Embassy hates Eik. That's not necessarily an indictment (I'm no fan of the Embassy). But it contributes to the dysfunction and it means that half the Embassy is focused on keeping Eik in line."

But even this McChrystal backer admits that the backbiting and the shit-talking between the general's camp and Eikenberry's is hurting the war effort.

“There are very few things we control in Afghanistan. In every review of COIN best practices, ‘unity of effort' tops the list. Every. Single, Review. And we’re totally fucking it up; fucking up the one thing that should be in our control,” the advisor says. "We can’t control Karzai, or the ANP [Afghan National Police], or the Pakistani tribes, but we should be able to get our shit in one sock and we’re not.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates agrees with the "shit in one sock" sentiment, it appears. But in a just-released statement, Gates offers no hints about McChrystal's fate:

I read with concern the profile piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal in the upcoming edition of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. I believe that Gen. McChrystal made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment... Going forward, we must pursue this mission with a unity of purpose. Our troops and coalition partners are making extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our security, and our singular focus must be on supporting them and succeeding in Afghanistan without such distractions. Gen. McChrystal has apologized to me and is similarly reaching out to others named in this article to apologize to them as well. I have recalled Gen. McChrystal to Washington to discuss this in person.

Hawkish senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham are none too pleased, either: "General McChrystal’s comments, as reported in Rolling Stone, are inappropriate and inconsistent with the traditional relationship between Commander-in-Chief and the military. The decision concerning General McChrystal’s future is a decision to be made by the President of the United States.”

Photo: DoD

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