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Jay Bookman

Gen. McChrystal squelches talk of pressure, resignation

12:50 pm September 24, 2009, by Jay

In a post about Afghanistan the other day, I included reports suggesting that Gen. Stanley McChrystal might resign if President Obama did not approve committing additional troops.

McChrystal has now stepped forward, forthrightly and professionally, to end that speculation and to endorse the debate now taking place in Washington. As the New York Times reports it:

General McChrystal said he agreed to speak to The New York Times on Wednesday after he became increasingly concerned about reports of rifts between the military and the civilian leadership, and about rumors he was considering resigning if his assessment was not accepted.

The general denied that he had discussed — or even considered — resigning his command, as had been whispered about at the Pentagon, saying that he was committed to carrying out whatever mission Mr. Obama approved.

“I believe success is achievable,” he said. “I can tell you unequivocally that I have not considered resigning at all….”

“This is the right kind of process, and the way I see duty,” he said. “I have been given the opportunity to provide my inputs to the decision. Then it is my duty to execute that decision.”

I’m glad the general set the record straight.

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214 comments Add your comment

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
12:55 pm

Ok, so we have a plan for “success” as defined by the military.

The question for America is is that “success” required?

Normal

September 24th, 2009
12:58 pm

GENERAL McCRYSTAL, TELL THE PRESIDENT TO BRING YOUR BUTT HOME NOW!

Normal

September 24th, 2009
12:59 pm

AND BRING ALL THE OTHER TROOPS BACK WITH YOU!

david wayne osedach

September 24th, 2009
1:05 pm

A General reliazes his potential by engaging in and winning wars. They abhor peace. The Afghanistan conflict speaks for itself.

Redneck Convert (R--and proud of it)

September 24th, 2009
1:07 pm

Well, I reckon it’s only a matter of weeks before this Gen. McCrystal steps down. When they say they won’t never do it or when their boss says he’s got 110% confidence in them, you know the end is near. People learnt how to flat-out lie good during the PR boom in the 1950s, and they’ve been getting better at it every year.

Have a good p.m. everybody.

Jay

September 24th, 2009
1:07 pm

To Mrs. G:

Complicating the picture further, McChrystal’s report says that the current approach can’t succeed and that his recommended approach COULD succeed.

COULD, not WOULD.

Taxpayer

September 24th, 2009
1:14 pm

He’ll execute that decision but which decision is that decision and how does that decision fit in with his decision.

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
1:15 pm

Jay…. ain’t that a tinkler!

Perhaps our $$$$ would be better spent here at home…..

Najibullah Zazi has been indicted on a charge of conspiracy to use a weapons of mass destruction — explosive bombs — the Justice Department has announced.

here

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/alleged_terror_plotter_indicted.php?ref=fpb

Donovan

September 24th, 2009
1:27 pm

Batter Up, Democrats! This is your war now. Let’s see how you all handle it. I shall give you a clue as to how you will improve your chances of losing it. Don’t seriously consider the recommendations of a professional counter insurrgency general. Listen to the utterings of a political left wing hack senator, Carl Levin of Michigan. Put your faith in a “community organizer” who is controlled by peolple like Harry Reid (”the war is lost”), and Nancy Pelosi (”the CIA lied”). Follow the pulse of the liberal news media. And emulate LBJ’s handling of the war in Viet Nam. Good luck, liberals.

Taxpayer

September 24th, 2009
1:31 pm

Donovan,

We have competent people on the job.

Normal

September 24th, 2009
1:35 pm

The haters are still going to hate and never, ever will they take owership of the fact that they started it. They are soooo happy to give it away though and then complain when it isn’t going well. I just don’t know what to say about that…

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:36 pm

Normal –

Left a response for you downstairs.

Stop being so angry. Or you can stop calling other people angry. Or you can be a hypocrite. Whichever.

Taxpayer

September 24th, 2009
1:36 pm

Normal at 1:35,

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy watching the hate consume the chosen ones.

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:37 pm

Normal –

“The haters are still going to hate and never, ever will they take owership of the fact that they started it. They are soooo happy to give it away though and then complain when it isn’t going well. I just don’t know what to say about that…”

Who are “the haters”?
Who do they hate?
What is the “it” that they refuse to take ownership of?

You are really ranting today.

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
1:37 pm

Donovan

We COULD take most nations on the planet…..the question is
SHOULD we?

What say YOU Donovan, do we stay or do we go?

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:38 pm

“Enjoy watching the hate consume the chosen ones.”

Oh please. As this board clearly illustrates there is plenty of hate on both sides. Look at you for instance.

Paul

September 24th, 2009
1:39 pm

And that is as it should be.

The military does not make policy, they carry it out.

It’s gotta be tough, for the military, tough. Pres Obama announces a new strategy in March. The General does his duty and outlines what it’ll take to accomplish it. Then the Commander in Chief says, I’m not sure we have the right strategy. I want to look at it further.

Always good to reconsider… but after just a few months it smacks of politically-driven dithering. Who knows. Maybe VP Biden’s view will prevail this time.

Now for the next question: who began the whispering campaign (I’m being polite – they were lies) and what did they stand to gain?

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:41 pm

Just remember that if you don’t share Normal’s or Taxpayers’s views, you are an angry hater. Oh yeah, and a racist too.

We all need to take a lesson from these guys on tolerance. I mean look how tolerant they are.

Paul

September 24th, 2009
1:41 pm

Normal

[[The haters are still going to hate and never, ever will they take owership of the fact that they started it. ]]

You’re not saying Democrats (who are they, ‘the lovers?’) weren’t every bit as enthusiastic about starting Afghanistan, are you?

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:45 pm

Paul –

No, don’t you remember? Bush lied to get us into Afghanistan and any Democrat who agreed was tricked into it.

Paul

September 24th, 2009
1:50 pm

mike

What I do remember is Democrats used Afghanistan as a cudgel to beat Bush during the dark days of Iraq. “You’re ignoring the good war” they said. “You took your eye off the ball.” “We can’t do the job in Afghanistan because you have all those troops tied up in Iraq.”

Well, now Iraq’s not an issue, troops are being withdrawn, some months will go by and they’ll all be gone (?) and there are plenty to send to Afghanistan.

And Democrats say, ‘hey….. wait a minute….”

Doggone/GA

September 24th, 2009
1:51 pm

“I just don’t know what to say about that…”

I know what to say, but the Blog God wouldn’t let me do it.

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:52 pm

“I know what to say, but the Blog God wouldn’t let me do it.”

Don’t talk about Normal like that. He may criticize the behavior of others, but he is OK.

Doggone/GA

September 24th, 2009
1:53 pm

“Don’t talk about Normal like that.”

Your mind reading abilities haven’t improved I see.

Hater

September 24th, 2009
1:55 pm

Dont hate the player hate the game.

Ya’ll be drinking too much Hater-aid.

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:57 pm

Doggone –

It was a joke, but you are too quivering with rage to see it.

stands for decibels

September 24th, 2009
1:58 pm

Now for the next question: who began the whispering campaign (I’m being polite – they were lies)

Former Vice-President Dick Cheney.

and what did they stand to gain?

Nothing. He did it because he is simply evil. Or so I heard.

Seriously, who knows. from where I sit it’s likely some reactionary element in the military who might be pressuring Obama to do other stuff (keep DADT alive another year? Or just continue hiring this or that contractor?) and is flexing its muscles by proving it can steer public debate when it wishes.

But that’s just a SWAG.

stands for decibels

September 24th, 2009
2:01 pm

Put your faith in a “community organizer”

Donovan, how long was Obama actually working as a community organizer?

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:04 pm

Who here thinks we should send more troops to AFghanistan?

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:04 pm

sfb –

“Donovan, how long was Obama actually working as a community organizer?”

13 years.

“Obama’s self-conception as an organizer isn’t just a campaign gimmick. Organizing remained central to Obama long after his stint on the South Side. In the 13 years between Obama’s return to Chicago from law school and his Senate campaign, he was deeply involved with the city’s constellation of community-organizing groups”

http://www.pickensdemocrats.org/info/TheAgitator_070319.htm

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:05 pm

Mrs. Godzilla –

I don’t know and I feel fortunate that I don’t have to make the decision.

Taxpayer

September 24th, 2009
2:07 pm

mike

September 24th, 2009
1:38 pm
“Enjoy watching the hate consume the chosen ones.”

Oh please. As this board clearly illustrates there is plenty of hate on both sides. Look at you for instance.

Oh please! Well, all you had to do was ask. Now come here and get that hug. You know you want it.

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:09 pm

thanks, mike

anybody else wanna go out on a limb and tell us…do we stay or do we go?

Captain Underpants

September 24th, 2009
2:10 pm

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:04 pm
Who here thinks we should send more troops to AFghanistan

We need to double-down!

Normal

September 24th, 2009
2:11 pm

Paul Mike, Haters are haters, not Democrats, not Republicans, just haters. They know no other way to espouse their cause. Too many wedges have been driven between moderates and fanatical right and left wing hateres. We don’t need that. Our nation won’t heal with that. That’s all I’ve been trying to say…What the world needs now is love sweet love. Can’t anybody understand that?

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:11 pm

hate….like the lynching in KY?

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:13 pm

So Captain Underpants…..double down?

80m troops? I don’t believe the General thinks thats enough.

By the way, I love your books!

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:15 pm

Normal –

Is this how you are going to live up to your request that we ignore each other? :)

Well your expanded defintition of “hater” is not in line with your earlier angry rant. How does your suddenly bi-partisan definition of “hater” fit your statement:

‘“The haters are still going to hate and never, ever will they take owership of the fact that they started it. They are soooo happy to give it away though and then complain when it isn’t going well. I just don’t know what to say about that…””

So it was “haters” in both parties who boosted the war? Does that mean that you think Obama is a hater?

You make no sense.

So

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:16 pm

Mrs G –

“hate….like the lynching in KY?”

Tough to say. Could just be a nutcase. We’ll see.

Taxpayer

September 24th, 2009
2:16 pm

I agree, Normal. There are far too many wedgies in the world. People, like mike and Dave R, cannot love with all these wedgies in the world. The world needs fewer wedgies. And, more hugs. mike needs lots more hugs.

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:17 pm

Taxpayer –

Having some trouble with that cutting and pasting? And I though that your math skills were your biggest problem. LOL

Normal

September 24th, 2009
2:18 pm

PAUL: mike

September 24th, 2009
1:45 pm
Paul –

Mike said: (wrongly, I might add)
No, don’t you remember? Bush lied to get us into Afghanistan and any Democrat who agreed was tricked into it.

I know you know better but Mike seems to have forgotten her history. Afghanistan was where we sould have been in the first place and not left until the job was done, Mike’s Hero/fantasy lover “W” just had to invade a country that had nothing to do with the attack on us.
I never said the Dems were wrong about Afghanistan but I will go to my grave believing that they were lied to about Iraq. Sorry…

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:19 pm

And here come the ultimate admission of defeat in an argument: the “hug” talk.

md

September 24th, 2009
2:19 pm

I say stay as long as the Afghans match any troop numbers, if they refuse to do so, let them sink or swim on their own. They don’t have enough skin in the game and are quite happy to let us do all the dirty work while they battle for their little fifedoms.

Doggone/GA

September 24th, 2009
2:21 pm

“It was a joke, but you are too quivering with rage to see it.”

Yep, you DEFINITELY need to work on that mind reading…it’s getting worse and worse

md

September 24th, 2009
2:21 pm

“80m troops? I don’t believe the General thinks thats enough.”

80 million troops? wow, planning on taking over the planet?

GayGrayGeek

September 24th, 2009
2:21 pm

mike, instead of hobby-horsing your dislike for all of us who don’t share your views, why not try to meaningfully contribute to the topic-du-hour?

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:21 pm

mike

is there any reason other than hate to lynch a 51 year old single father and carve the word fed on his chest?

insanity? perhaps. but i think hate is itself insane.

mike

September 24th, 2009
2:24 pm

Normal –

Ahh. So this is how you are going to “ignore” me? By responding to my points with me in the third person? I won’t waste my time.

“I know you know better but Mike seems to have forgotten her history. ”

Ahh, reinforcing the angry misogyny. It;s interesting that you think that it is an insult to call me “she”. Says a lot about you.

“Afghanistan was where we sould have been in the first place and not left until the job was done, Mike’s Hero/fantasy lover “W” just had to invade a country that had nothing to do with the attack on us.”

So you are saying that if we had flooded Afghanistan with troops, everything would be fine?

Any evidence for this? If this is the case, surely you will support a large escalation.

“I never said the Dems were wrong about Afghanistan but I will go to my grave believing that they were lied to about Iraq. Sorry…”

LOL. You mean Bill and Hillary were lied to and that is how they came their policy position? LOL You are pathetic.

Mrs. Godzilla

September 24th, 2009
2:25 pm

md

m….. representing roman numeral for 1000, as in per M
pricing…..used in manufacturing all over the world.

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