So Long, Gen. McChrystal
To complete the thought, we should add: Hello, Gen. Petraeus. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama confirmed rumors that he would replace the embattled Gen. Stanley McChrystal with the more administration-friendly Gen. David Petraeus as the U.S. military’s top commander in Afghanistan. The president, while offering a few laudatory words about McChrystal, said he “won’t tolerate division” in his ranks. (Note: Video of Obama’s speech has been posted under the Los Angeles Times excerpt below.) –KA
Update: CNN has posted a brief description of what went down inside McChrystal’s and Obama’s meeting on Wednesday, and from the sound of it, the general didn’t stand a chance — and he’s not even going back to Afghanistan to pack his bags.
Los Angeles Times:
Officials concluded that keeping McChrystal in his job was not a viable option after he and his staff were quoted making comments that disparaged U.S. civilian leaders who oversee the war effort.
In his remarks, Obama emphasized several times that removing McChrystal was necessary to preserve civilian control of the military and to ensure that the national security team was working together.
“I welcome debate,” Obama said, “but I won’t tolerate division.”
By choosing Petraeus, Obama ensures continuity in the war effort. Petraeus enjoys deep popularity on Capitol Hill, and his nomination is likely to face little in the way of opposition.
The White House:
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