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Flickr / Security and Defense Agenda
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Robert Gates, who left his role as defense secretary this summer, has drawn criticism from members of the military establishment for allegedly lacking long-term vision, allowing military leaders to usurp civilian control and inadequately briefing and preparing the president for war. (more)
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bbc.co.uk
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Having assumed the position of the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus offers his guarded assessment of the status of the war in Afghanistan in this BBC interview, and he apparently believes ... (continued)
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Flickr / U.S. Army
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With the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal and (we hope) the waning of the notion of counterinsurgency, the U.S. is looking toward another Afghanistan strategy—“counterterrorism”—one that focuses on targeted killing of insurgents, rather than the whole “hearts and minds” thing.
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White House / Pete Souza
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By Stanley Kutler — The Obama administration is thoroughly committed to defense of the empire it inherited; there is no or little retreat from the mindless expansion of American ambition. Teddy Roosevelt would be proud.
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AP / Rafiq Maqool
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“Courageous restraint,” or stringent restrictions on engaging the enemy that were implemented to cut down civilian casualties in Afghanistan, is under fire by Britain’s top general there after soldiers complained against the perceived inflexibility of the protocol.
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Department of Defense / R.D. Ward
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Reportedly intended as a “welcome” for Gen. David Petraeus, the newly appointed U.S. and NATO military chief in Afghanistan, Taliban fighters attacked the office of an American aid contractor in the northern part of the country, killing at least five people.
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U.S. Air Force / Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison
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Loose lips sink ships and careers, but they won’t keep Gen. Stanley McChrystal from taking his four-star rank into retirement. CNN reports that the White House is waiving a rule to let McChrystal stay at his current pay grade even though he’s now a world-famous trash talker.
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U.S. Marine Corps / Lance Cpl. Alfredo V. Ferrer
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By Amy Goodman — The U.S. will eventually negotiate its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The only difference between now and then will be the number of dead, on all sides, and the amount of (borrowed) money that will be spent.
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U.S. Army / Ted Green
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By William Pfaff — The Afghanistan situation is worth analysis at two levels, that of the war itself and the domestic political effect of Obama’s misguided decision to replace “Bush’s war” in Iraq with his own in Afghanistan.
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If you missed Robert Scheer discussing his latest column and Gen. McChrystal with readers or you just want to relive the excitement, you can read the full transcript here.
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By Eugene Robinson — The good news? Nobody has to pretend anymore that Gen. Stanley McChrystal knew how to fix Afghanistan within a year. The bad news? Now we’re supposed to pretend that Gen. David Petraeus does.
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By E.J. Dionne, Jr. — Gen. Stanley McChrystal put President Barack Obama in an impossible position. That is why McChrystal had to go.
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By William Pfaff — In Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, the major places of military interest to the United States today, there are indications that things are coming apart.
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U.S. Air Force / Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison
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Early reports already chewed over the insults to Ambassadors Eikenberry and Holbrooke and National Security Adviser Jones, but there’s a lot more to the Rolling Stone article that could mean Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s ass. Here (after the jump) are 11 jaw-droppers, groaners and sigh-inducers.
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White House / Pete Souza
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America’s top general in Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, and his staff are quoted saying nasty things about Obama administration officials in a new Rolling Stone article, for which McChrystal apologized Tuesday. (continued)
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Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Army Sgt. David Alvarado
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Even in the face of increased military deployment and the fact that 2010 is on course to be one of the deadliest years for foreign troops in Afghanistan, the number of civilians killed there by U.S. and NATO forces has reportedly decreased due to stricter rules of engagement.
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While “serious,” the situation in Afghanistan is no longer “deteriorating.” So says Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of NATO forces in the country, pointing to progress in the military effort there.
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White House / Samantha Appleton
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Those who hoped that President Barack Obama would consider withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan anytime soon are likely to be disappointed, judging by the hints Obama dropped about his plans for America’s military involvement in the volatile South Asian nation.
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Courtesy of the Tillman Family
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Pat Tillman’s birthday is Nov. 6, and we wish to commemorate his life by republishing Truthdig’s most popular piece, “After Pat’s Birthday,” written by Pat’s brother, Kevin Tillman.
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AP / Gerald Herbert
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President Barack Obama is under major pressure to sort out the future U.S. commitment and plan of action in Afghanistan, and thus his work was cut out for him during his huddle Tuesday with NATO leader Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
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AP / Charles Dharapak
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By Robert Scheer — The Obama revolution, and there was the hope of one, might still succeed. But only if Barack Obama follows the model of the incredibly successful Reagan revolution and heeds the political base that made his presidency possible.
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U.S. Navy / MC1 Molly Burgess
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The situation has changed significantly since President Obama took office last winter and fixed his focus on Afghanistan, and these changes—including a disputed Afghan presidential election and deadly spikes in insurgent violence—may spell trouble for Obama’s initial strategy in that country, according to an assessment issued by Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Updated
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White House / Pete Souza
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General Stanley McChrystal, the top-ranking U.S. military commander in Afghanistan, on Monday issued his highly anticipated report about the status of the conflict on that troubled front, and his assessment of the situation doesn’t fully help President Obama’s cause in ramping up America’s Afghan war effort since he took office.
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U.S. Navy / MC1 Molly Burgess
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The Wall Street Journal claims the top American commander in Afghanistan stated that the Taliban has “gained the upper hand,” forcing a change in U.S. strategy. However, Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the paper mischaracterized his comments and he never meant to suggest that the Taliban is “winning.”
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U.S. Navy / Lt. j.g. James Dietle
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Gen. Stanley McChrystal is rolling out a new order to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan with the hope of reducing rampant civilian casualties. If soldiers find themselves in a fight near Afghan homes, they are to “remove themselves from the area” as long as they can do so “safely, without any undue danger to the forces,” a military spokesman explained.
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