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The Spectacle Blog
President Obama just announced that Gen. Stanley McChrystal is out as top commander in Afghanistan, and was replaced by Gen. David Petraeus. The move ensures the continuity of policy in the war, and puts the man who led the turnaround in Iraq in charge of the difficult task ahead in Afghanistan. The move represents a tremendous sacrifice on the part of Petraeus, who was in charge of the whole Middle Eastern theater as head of Central Command, based in Tampa and able to spend more time in his family. Now he’ll have to return to combat duty and take over yet another war that has been written off as unwinnable.
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/06/23/mcchrystal-out-petraeus-in
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Teflon93| 6.23.10 @ 2:21PM
But did Petraeus vote for Obama, as the woefully foolish McChrystal did?
JP| 6.23.10 @ 2:26PM
Outside of a change in the CINC, what has changed in Afghanistan? President Obama still maintains a July 2011 withdrawl date; the ROEs will not be changed, and the civilian authority in Afghanistan is still anchored in Kabul (Eickenberry and Holbrooke. They adamantly are against the stirke and hold doctrine. They wanted out yesterday).
Wally| 6.24.10 @ 9:52PM
I wonder if McChrystal will vote for Obama in 2012.
Any bets?
Ken (Old Texican)| 6.23.10 @ 2:29PM
God bless both Generals.
God has already damned their bosses...but they still have a chance to repent.
What do you folks think? Will they repent?
Campy| 6.23.10 @ 3:21PM
Repent? Nope and for sure not now.
I hate to admit it, but for the first time Obama seemed, well, presidential. He came across as reasoned, purposeful and in control of the situation. To liberals desperately seeking an iota of such leadership—in the Gulf for instance—they will glam onto this like barnacles on a drifting boat. Today's Rose Garden announcement will probably spike his ratings.
But JP is right... just this week the firm withdrawal date was reiterated (well, depending on who's talking), and there will be no change in the handcuffing ROEs. It's a war, not an adventure—and we're trying to play nice and by the rules with an enemy that knows neither.
jrjr| 6.23.10 @ 4:32PM
Obama looked Presidential? Looks are deceiving aren't they. He read the speech using the teleprompter. Someone else was Presidential, not the Messiah. And I think I heard several versions of I, Me, Chief, etc., to highlight that "I'm in charge." He was going to let Biden make the speech but Biden would have knocked over the lectern and teleprompters.
Nate| 6.23.10 @ 3:05PM
Obama had to fire McChrystal. I doubt he wanted to, but civilian command of the military is essential to our system of government. Petreus will obviously do as good a job as can be done.
And let's remember what Obama has to do, in addition to dealing with a world wide recession, an impossible eco-disaster in the Gulf, and stubborn unemployment: he has to succeed where Alexander the Great, the Romans, the Ottomans, the British, and the Russians failed and conquer Afghanistan.
Campy| 6.23.10 @ 3:28PM
Yes, Obama had to fire McC and, frankly, he appears to have done it well. But spare me the soliloquy, Nate. He's succeeded on nothing else positive in my book. Nor will he when it comes to Afghanistan. He's not that smart.
JP| 6.23.10 @ 4:52PM
Thus far the President has made wrong decisions in about every facet of his Presidency. From the Stimulus and its attendent debt, to health care reform, rising unemployment, very poor appointments (Holder, Napaletanio, Blair, etc...), to Afghanistan the President has created far more problems than he has solved.
And now his disasterous Afghan policies are for the voters to see. The Marjah Offensive last winter was a bust, and the Kandahar Offensive has been postponed. His ambassador to Afghanistan has been nothing but a thorn in the military's side, and with an advertised withdrawl date what Afghan is going to cooperate with us?
People should remember that the President didn't accept McChrystal's military policy reccomendations last August. Instead, like LBJ before him, Obama micromanaged those policies and forced the DOD to accept them - which is his perogative as President. Now he must live with them. Unfortunately, our soldiers must suffer from them.
Tim*| 6.23.10 @ 6:53PM
President Obama faces rising political heat over the economy, federal spending and the Gulf oil spill, complicating the Democratic Party's chances in mid-term elections.
A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows Mr. Obama's approval rating dipping to 45 percent in June, from 50 percent in May. Recent election history shows that presidential approval of 50 percent or higher is critical for the party in power to avoid major mid-term losses in Congress.
The poll shows some of the most important sources of public discontent. More than eight in 10 Americans described themselves as dissatisfied with the economy. And the unabated BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico isn't helping: seven in 10 fear the spill will have a major effect on the economy. By 50 percent to 42 percent, Americans disapprove Mr. Obama's handling of the spill.
The Tea Party Rebellion Escalates.
L. Ross| 6.23.10 @ 3:10PM
Regarding the "demotion" of General Petraeus, I think there are only two kinds of generals. Those who are paper pushers, and those who are warriors. I rather doubt that Patraeus looks at this as a demotion.
Nobama| 6.23.10 @ 3:11PM
Presidential elections have consequences. God help our military, because they're paying the price for the last one.
Hikerdude| 6.23.10 @ 6:55PM
No, they are paying the price of the previous one.
Nobama| 6.23.10 @ 8:13PM
Don't think so, dude; McChrystal's Oilbama's guy--he even voted for the incompetent corruptocrat loser. It's Oilbama's war now.
It's waaay past time for you Liberal morons to put on your big boy pants and stop blaming the previous administration.
I know it must be tough for Beta Boys like you to grow a pair, but please try to sprout a little something down there.
RCV| 6.23.10 @ 11:08PM
It's precisely that testosterone-runs-brain syndrome that got us into these ill conceived cowboy adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan in The first place.
Nobama| 6.24.10 @ 12:07AM
If Willy Nilly Clinton had kept his pecker in his pocket when he was POTUS, perhaps he would have snagged Bin laden just ONE of the TEN times the Sudan tried to hand him over to us and 9/11 and the resulting war in Afghanistan would never have happened. Worthless dummocrats.
Not much testosterone in the White House right now, and Afghanistan is a bigger mess than ever.
Oilbama's henpecked; Michelle wears the pants in that family. Obviously.
Teflon93| 6.23.10 @ 3:38PM
McChrystal was Obama's hand-picked guy and one of the very few officers to vote for the man.
That Obama alienated one of his few military supporters tells you everything you need to know about his competence as commander-in-chief, just as selecting McChrystal in the first place tells you Obama places political loyalty above sober judgment.
Petraeus got the gig because Obama needs somebody to blame for the debacle to come. Petraeus will want to keep a resignation letter handy.
Pete| 6.23.10 @ 4:42PM
Loved this in the AP article:
"Obama said he did not make the decision over any disagreement in policy or "out of any sense of personal insult."
Given the option, the Messiah always opts for the most direct, outrageous and flagrant lie possible.
Becky| 6.23.10 @ 5:03PM
I think there are probably further shake ups coming down the road, as mentioned by JP, the policy and other players are still in place, and I think it is fair to say, it needs tweaking. Karzi isn't going anywhere for a while, and I understand there is conflict between him and Eikenberry and Holbrooke.
martin j smith| 6.23.10 @ 5:55PM
I really suspect that McCrystal is relieved to be relieved. I suspect that he felt more than frustrated by Obama's concept of the War On Terrible twos. Will Patreus last ? I wonder. One thing for sure, he will have to face the reality of Obama more directly now.
Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 6.23.10 @ 6:48PM
What better way to sideline a potential contender for your job, then to give them a job, that you won't allow them to succeed at? So I predict that the talk of Gen. Petraeus's possible run for President, is about to disappear forever into the pages of History.
I hate to admit it, but the President was right, "this" time, McCrystal had to go. What the hell was he thinking hanging out with Rolling Stone, and talking like he was behind closed doors? This type of behavior didn't work for General McArthur back in the Korean War, and it won't, and shouldn't work today. If you don't like the "Big Boss" in the Military, you've got two options, just shut the hell up, or move on out. I've had a lot of Bosses in the Military, some of them I've liked, and some of them I haven't, but nobody would know the difference, because I didn't let my personal feeling about them become public knowledge. If you don't like the "Big Boss", you have to outlast them, and vote in a new one, that's just the way it works.
Another thing I noticed today with President Obama comments at the White House, it sure did sound like he re-invested himself in Afghanistan, yet again. And because of this, I predict that the talk of complete withdrawal from Afghanistan by the summer of 2011, is also about to disappear forever into the pages of History. He just hired himself another new Quarterback, so he's going to have to give him some time to learn the playbook, don't you think? But come on now, is that really going to be a big deal to anybody? Closing Guantanamo Bay within one year, was the first promise the President made in office, and he "just" missed that one by a few months (soon to be years). So how hard can it really be to wrap up an entire War?
Thom| 6.23.10 @ 7:25PM
I think much of this is not as complex as some make it out to be. First, the handpicked guy to lead this effort in Afghanistan is told before his recommendations are even submitted that more troop requests aren’t welcome….then when he submits them, which range from 40,000 to 80,000 more troops the King sits on the requests for 3 months and then agrees to 30,000 and a fixed withdrawn date to start pulling out. After that these lesser forces are to arrive by the Spring Offensive time period in 2010 and now won’t be online till the Fall of 2010 yet the fixed deadline is still in place. On top of this the handpicked civilian counterparts there undermine the handpicked military commander every which way they can. On the other hand talking or even letting the a notorious anti-military rage like Rolling Stone get into Afghanistan let alone give them 5 seconds of time would seem to some like naïve for a four star general but on the other hand it is the simplest way in the world to get out of an unwinnable situation in the shortest possible time. Short of some civilian counterparts leaving that situation in short order nothing is going to change on the ground in Afghanistan and troop morale is going to go south because the military side of the equation here is already being used as the scapegoat for a much larger failing up the chain of command. Petraeus may not see this as a demotion out of a call to duty but it is in fact a demotion on several levels. Just as General Garrison of Black Hawk Down fame wouldn’t buck the system when it failed him in Somalia in 1993, Petraeus will fare not better given the limited resources and retreating support of our allies there. For people like Petraeus this is a matter of US military honor on the line and he will do his upmost to make the best of it but sometimes the truth needs to come out and let the public see the shear incompetence of the matter at hand. McChrystal and Petraeus both know the history of the Vietnam War and the tactics of the Cong and NVA well. They know they can’t defeat the Taliban with these forces and time lines. Something of substance here changes or we turn tell and run home at some point. No more, no less.
Wally| 6.23.10 @ 8:17PM
Vietnam War redux--Liberal Dummocrat fecklessness, cowardice and incompetence on display for all Americans to see. Once again.
God bless and protect our courageous military.
Thom| 6.23.10 @ 9:17PM
More or less with one important difference. 1/58th the KIA so far.
Joanie| 6.23.10 @ 9:35PM
Thank God for that. The thought of these treasonous Liberal cowards ordering our military around makes me sick.
Ned| 6.23.10 @ 8:25PM
They (Democrats) go from Be-tray-us to
Please-save-us without missing a beat. How do these folks sleep at night?
Thom| 6.23.10 @ 9:18PM
Petraeus can't save "them" or "us" with what he has to work with the time allowed. The best he can do is create the illusion that we haven't lost and come home with "honor" from the military perspective.
Lullaby's, Legends and Lies| 6.23.10 @ 9:27PM
They smoke their medical marijuana, then turn off the lights, and dream that they're actually changing the World by holding hands. I think?
Timothy L. Pennell| 6.24.10 @ 7:37AM
General BETRAYUS? I thought that this guy was a LIAR? I thought that it would take a "Stretch of ones' imagination" to believe anything that this BABY KILLER had to say? Hello? Hillary? Hello?
Wasn't he the guy that BARRY the Muslim Senator was LECTURING about his SURGE PLAN? Wasn't it BARRY the Empty Suit who said to General BETRAYUS that "Everyone I know, and EVERY Military Officer that I've spoken to, in private (Could we please have their names) agrees with ME. That sending a thousand or twenty thousand or a gajillion more troops is only gonna make things worse."? Hussein spent his entire allotted time BERATING and talking down his nose to the General. A man who's JOCK, this Arab little boy isn't qualified to hold.
So, which is it? Is General BETRAYUS the man for the job? Or is he the bumbling idiot that our little Mussolini wannabe said he was, before?
Our little Kenyan Muslim is about to bring on Armageddon. Every day he looks more and more like a wounded animal. And I believe he is fast reaching a point where he begins to ACT LIKE ONE.
Secret Service, do your DUTY. Protect and DEFEND the CONSTITUTION of the United States from ALL ENEMIES. Both Foreign and DOMESTIC. The DOMESTIC ENEMY is standing right in front of you. There's gonna be a moment that you're gonna have to make a DECISION. Praetorian, do your DUTY.
martin j smith| 6.24.10 @ 8:12AM
McC is glad to be out --but I am certain his anger towards BHO is still steaming. Patraeus is pissed and I suspect resents being given this "gift".
nobody cares| 6.24.10 @ 7:49PM
When is someone going to make a "change" in this country. We need to stop giving money away to the people that sit on their _ _ _ all day. Close the borders, don't give amnesty...and start helping Americans. Government is allowing the US to just be taken over. GET WITH IT..THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA..I don't want to press 1 for Spanish....If you live here then by God you need to speak English. STAND UP AMERICANS and Protest. And remember..POLITICIANS..we voted you in and we can vote you out....WE NEED CHANGE. WE NEED JOBS AND WE NEED OUR COUNTRY BACK.