One thing to remember about McChrystal

[justinsb]

If he is fired and drummed out of the military he will be on every talk show in the country - I suspect he will be deeply unkind about both Bush and Obama. There is no reason for the US to be in either place, there was never any reason for the US to be in either place - except a very limited, short term mission in Afghanistan. Both of those conflicts are lost (at least if you consider Vietnam a loss.) All that is happening now is more death and destruction and the US spending more money it doesn't have - nothing more will be accomplished.

Canada has been in Afghanistan since 2001 - our leaders are in on all of the NATO briefings and share intelligence with the United States. Our current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, is seen as hawkish here. He wanted to go to Iraq as well (he wasn't Prime Minister then fortunately) - but he is at least as informed on the situation as Obama, knows Karzai and is pre-disposed to be in favor of the mission.

We're out in 2011 on Harpers orders. He has even vetoed a plan that would have had some Canadian soldiers stay on in non-combat roles to train the Afghan Army - we're simply going to leave, no ifs ands or buts. No "unless" anything - just cutting our losses and, after some time to rebuild our military, allow for some departures and some down time we're moving on to missions where we can do some good.

I suspect that McChrystal was drunk, apparently he was, and deeply frustrated with a mission that is accomplishing nothing but has no end in sight - remember as the commander of the troops, according to military law and tradition, you are responsible for every single death and injury.

Should he be removed from the role? probably so. If he has completely lost faith in the mission and the leadership he isn't the guy for the job - should he be severely punished? Probably not. I don't think there are many people on the planet that could handle that job and the responsibility the goes with it.

[Vincardog]

1. should he be severely punished? Probably SHOULD. He was a cheerleader and enabled bush the lesser

[sendero]

2. He can say whatever BULLSHIT he wants to..

.. but he, like most military brass, made promises he could not keep.

He will most definitely try to spin this as being hamstrung by his commander in chief, but more realistically he was hamstrung by his own ambition.

[G_j]

5. right

good call

[KoKo]

3. Thanks for your commentary from Canadian view. McCrystal wouldn't have said those things

unless he had an agenda. Maybe he's looking for a more lucrative job and it was promised by Cheney/Rummy... It's reported he's a great friend of Rumsfeld. Figures.

Let him Mouth Off all he wants on the Cables. He saw getting out when he did as a way to make more money...and so what you say is probably the truth of it. He's getting out now because we are "going down" in Afghanistan and he doesn't want it on his record. He wants to cash in NOW and trashing Obama just give him more money and creds from the Right.

He seems to be a man without morals. But, what else would we expect given this enterprise of killing innocents in faraway places in the hunt of a man whose probably been dead for years and perhaps wasn't even the real planner of 9/11.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Two points: one, Obama can't fail to do his duty in accepting Stanley's resignation

because of political fears. He is the Commander in Chief, and he must remove an insubordinate general who undermines the administration and the United States' interests and efforts in Afghanistan--period. It's been done before, it will be done again. Two--generals don't express "frustration" by publicly mocking the Vice President of the United States and implying that the WH are wimps who endanger the war effort. That is something a man of his stature does not do, unless he is unfit for duty.