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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Colossus_500 on June 23, 2010, 10:36:42 AM
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Obama Fires McChrystal, Replaces Him with Petraeus
By: David A. Patten
newsmax.com (http://newsmax.com)
In a stunning reversal for the administration's beleaguered war strategy in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama relieved Gen. Stanley McChyrstal of his duties and replaced him with Gen. David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, according to The Associated Press and other news agencies.
The decision, following harshly critical remarks by McChyrstal and his staff in Rolling Stone magazine, touched off a firestorm of Beltway speculation about the direction of U.S. strategy in the Afghanistan war, already the longest conflict in U.S. history and one that has already cost the lives of more than 1,000 American soldiers.
Even before the president announced the firing, the Pentagon was brushing off the dossiers of possible generals to replace McChrystal, whom Obama appointed top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. McChrystal is widely considered the architect of the U.S. counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan.
It is unknown whether McChrystal's ouster would alter the July 2011 deadline the administration has declared for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to begin.
The stage was set for the announcement of McChrystal's ouster early Wednesday morning. McChrystal's day began with a stern dressing down at the Pentagon at 8 a.m., where he met behind closed doors with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
From there McChrystal went to the White House, where he met face-to-face with the president. Immediately after that meeting, McChrystal was seen heading to his SUV and leaving the premises. He shook hands vigorously with associates before departing.
On Tuesday, the White House stated that McChrystal would be attending the 11:45 a.m. monthly meeting of the president's War Council, which directs the course of U.S. war strategy in the Middle East. When McChrystal left before attending that meeting, it immediately triggered widespread speculation that he would be shown the door.
The Obama-McChrystal summit occurred after an angry president summoned the general back to Washington to face the same officials he and his staff blasted in an upcoming magazine article.
Obama had said he wanted to speak directly to McChrystal before deciding whether to fire him for mocking and disparaging his leadership.
"I think it's clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed a poor — showed poor judgment," the president said in his first comments on the matter, surrounded by members of his Cabinet at the close of their meeting. "But I also want to make sure that I talk to him directly before I make any final decisions."
As press aides quickly ushered out the media, Obama stopped them again to emphasize his concern about the troops.
"I want everybody to keep in mind what our central focus is — and that is success in making sure that al-Qaida and its affiliates cannot attack the United States and its allies," Obama said.
Some pundits believe McChrystal's will not be the last head to roll over the conduct of the war, which has seen Taliban violence return to the key town of Marja in recent weeks following a U.S. offensive there earlier in the year.
John Pike, the national security expert and director of globalsecurity.org, told Newsmax Tuesday that it may be time to shake up the entire team of officials in charge of U.S. policy in Afghanistan.
"If the question is should [McChrystal] be replaced, well, I might start with him but I wouldn't stop with him," Pike says. "The whole country team, it seems to me, is broken, or it seems to be. But the country team is dysfunctional because the strategy is dysfunctional. And the strategy dysfunction is so massive, that I don't think there's any amount of personnel change that will change things substantially.
"Any counterinsurgency strategy that doesn't account for Afghanistan's thriving heroin and poppy business is doomed to fail, Pike said.
The war's slow progress and its rising casualties indicate America is fighting to not become the latest casualty of a region often called "the graveyard of empires."
Among the article's revelations:
* One McChrystal aide called national security adviser James Jones a “clown.”
* U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry, a three-star general, is said to shoot off memos to cover “his flank for the history books.”
* McChrystal felt "betrayed" by a leaked Eikenberry memo that said Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was not an "adequate strategic partner" for the United States.
* Obama Middle East envoy Richard Holbrooke was described as "a wounded animal." Said one McChrystal aide: "Holbrooke keeps hearing rumors that he’s going to get fired, so that makes him dangerous."
But perhaps the most devastating critique involves Obama himself.
Rolling Stone reports that McChrystal and a dozen other senior military officials first met Obama at the Pentagon shortly after he assumed office.
The article cites a source as saying McChrystal thought Obama appeared "uncomfortable and intimidated" by the room full of military brass.
McChrystal reportedly was "disappointed" with his meeting with Obama, who was uninformed and not engaged, according to McChrystal's aides.
“I extend my sincerest apology for this profile,” McChrystal said in his apology. “It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and it should have never happened.”
© Newsmax. All rights reserved.
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Obama just cleared the deck for 2012. Very shrewd. Saul Alinsky tactics at play.
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Don't hurt the president's feelings or you will be fired. ::)
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Obama just cleared the deck for 2012. Very shrewd. Saul Alinsky tactics at play.
LOL! Another brilliant move. He'll leave the people like Romney and palin around. They didn't have the ability to bring it home in 2008 - voters already rejected them both.
Who's next on the "Obama is scared of them in 2012" list to get an awesome appointment which takes them out of the race as a potential?
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LOL! Another brilliant move. He'll leave the people like Romney and palin around. They didn't have the ability to bring it home in 2008 - voters already rejected them both.
Who's next on the "Obama is scared of them in 2012" list to get an awesome appointment which takes them out of the race as a potential?
Obama is too cute by half and thinks people don't realize what he is doing.
I see right through this pofs now and every move he makes. Its so easy now to see.
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LOL! Another brilliant move. He'll leave the people like Romney and palin around. They didn't have the ability to bring it home in 2008 - voters already rejected them both.
Who's next on the "Obama is scared of them in 2012" list to get an awesome appointment which takes them out of the race as a potential?
Petrauus was going to run?NEVER heard that.But no matter who the republicans run by 2012 Obama is done.The economy will be worse then ever.
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Petrauus was going to run?NEVER heard that.But no matter who the republicans run by 2012 Obama is done.The economy will be worse then ever.
Van Der Sloot 2012 - VOTE FOR GRIDLOCK! ! ! !
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Obama is too cute by half and thinks people don't realize what he is doing.
I see right through this pofs now and every move he makes. Its so easy now to see.
I guess the Huntsman/Patraeus ticket which would have demolished Obama in 2012 is no longer a possibility.
Instead we'll have Romney/Palin tearing up the charts. And let's be honest, as much as you'd like to see Obama lose the election... that ticket is weak. Zero military experience. Their area of expertise? Romneycare? Their mutual love for TARP? Romney's repeated compliments of everything Obama has done?
Geez, the GOP is in a sad state. Intrade still has obama at a 60% chance of winning in 2012.
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Petrauus was going to run?NEVER heard that.
LOTS of talk about it out there:
http://tinyurl.com/374vhly
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Patraeus - speaking in IOWA of all places. Lots of signs he's thinking of a 2012 run. Not anymore. he's on Team Obama now.
http://www.democrats.com/petraeus-takes-first-step-towards-2012-campaign
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I don't think Petraeus ever indicated he was running for office. We don't even know whether he is a Republican, Democrat, independent . . . Tea Party member, etc.
In any event, to say this move will prevent him running for president is silly. It's a lateral move. Doesn't change his loyalty, political party, etc.
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In any event, to say this move will prevent him running for president is silly. It's a lateral move. Doesn't change his loyalty, political party, etc.
No, but logistically, this defeats any thoughts of running. Here's why:
The 2012 contenders will go all-out in spring 2011, as soon as the Nov elections are over. Palin and Romney and friends will make their announcements in Jan or Feb 2011. Just like most did it in very early 2007 last time. It takes 18 months to win the job.
Right about that time, Patraeus will be ramping up for the summer 2011 "withdrawl" from Afghanistan. Unless he plans on leaving his men in the vulnerable withdrawl position to shake hands and kiss babies in Iowa all summer, he ain't gonna have any $ or support in this race.
His best case option would be selection as a VP candidate by a Romney or Palin whose only military experience is cheerleading wars. Even then, he's "Obama's top man in Afghanistan" as the VP pick. In an anti-Obama election, a VP who has been working with obama for the last 2.5 years ain't what Romney wants...
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No, but logistically, this defeats any thoughts of running. Here's why:
The 2012 contenders will go all-out in spring 2011, as soon as the Nov elections are over. Palin and Romney and friends will make their announcements in Jan or Feb 2011. Just like most did it in very early 2007 last time. It takes 18 months to win the job.
Right about that time, Patraeus will be ramping up for the summer 2011 "withdrawl" from Afghanistan. Unless he plans on leaving his men in the vulnerable withdrawl position to shake hands and kiss babies in Iowa all summer, he ain't gonna have any $ or support in this race.
His best case option would be selection as a VP candidate by a Romney or Palin whose only military experience is cheerleading wars. Even then, he's "Obama's top man in Afghanistan" as the VP pick. In an anti-Obama election, a VP who has been working with obama for the last 2.5 years ain't what Romney wants...
I disagree. You don't "ramp up" a RIF. You "ramp up" a surge. We're leaving next summer, according to the president. ::)
If he wants to run for office he'll be primed to do so after leading two successfull campaigns in two different wars.
But I don't think he has the money to win anyway. Plus he never said he was running, so this is nothing more than message board material.
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Time matters. he has to see the withdrawl through, no matter what.
A July 2011 withdrawl puts him in very active duty until late Fall 2011, and the absolute VERY earliest.
This gives him ZERO time to campaign before Jan 8, 2011 Primary.
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Great appointment.
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Isnt Patreus the same guy that Obama got rid and replaced with Mchrystal? Personally I think that looks worse than keeping Mchyrstal.
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this is a demotion for patraeus.
he goes from running everything at centcom in tampa, to running just afghan war, living in Kabul.
He's doing obama a HUGE favor here.
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Isnt Patreus the same guy that Obama got rid and replaced with Mchrystal? Personally I think that looks worse than keeping Mchyrstal.
My bad. I think he had already been promoted to centcom before Obama was even elected.
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LMAO ahhh 240 ever the optimist....when it comes to obama and the dems
when its the reps, the glass is always half empty
::) ::) ::)
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LMAO ahhh 240 ever the optimist....when it comes to obama and the dems
when its the reps, the glass is always half empty
::) ::) ::)
???
Patraeus could have said no and ran for president, and stayed in comfy tampa.
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Wasn't Petraeus in command during the Bush years and wasn't he portrayed by the left as a traitor?
I thought Obama said that McCain would be the equivalent to 4 more years of Bush. Bush initiated government spending to prop the economy. Obama has continued that and has spent even more. Bush was a failure in enforcing the immigration laws. Obama is continuing to do the same. Gitmo is still open, US is still in Afghanistan and Iraq. And now Petraeus is back.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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According to the left:
(http://lh4.ggpht.com/ivan1087/RuXapZ21gnI/AAAAAAAAAgI/baPlvVvWkqw/General+Betray+Us.jpg)
Will he be cooking the books for Obama?
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Wasn't Petraeus in command during the Bush years and wasn't he portrayed by the left as a traitor?
I thought Obama said that McCain would be the equivalent to 4 more years of Bush. Bush initiated government spending to prop the economy. Obama has continued that and has spent even more. Bush was a failure in enforcing the immigration laws. Obama is continuing to do the same. Gitmo is still open, US is still in Afghanistan and Iraq. And now Petraeus is back.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Exactly, the disgusting pigs and communists in the RAT party ran those ads remember "Gen. Betrayus" and never acknowledged that only McCain and W were correct on the surge.
Obama and his fellow joker Biden railed against the surge and were proven dead wrong, like everything else they go near.
This is a sign of desperation and privately they can only pray that Gen. Petraus and cobble this mess back together.
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MoveOn.org doesn't speak for 'the left' any more than PNAC speaks for the right.
Wait, most of you repubs never read the blueprint for 2001-2009. nevermind!
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MoveOn.org doesn't speak for 'the left' any more than PNAC speaks for the right.
Wait, most of you repubs never read the blueprint for 2001-2009. nevermind!
240 - honestly bro - you have gone so far off the deep end its not even funny if you try to make that comparison.
Your messiah and hero at work! When your beaches are black with oil, now you know who to blame.
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MoveOn.org doesn't speak for 'the left' any more than PNAC speaks for the right.
Wait, most of you repubs never read the blueprint for 2001-2009. nevermind!
Sorry. But, at that time, they did speak to the left. Obama never condemned moveon for the ad. I didn't hear a single left wing goon point out how wrong it was.
Not only that. But all you heard from the Left was how Iraq was the second Vietnam War or how it was going to be worst then Vietnam. Not even a month had passed since USA was on the ground in Iraq and already the Left was fear mongering. Bush being compared to Hitler and Stalin. Please, moveon.org reflected exactly what most liberals thought.
One more thing. Biggest military failure, Vietnam War, is still on the Democratic party's head. Don't forget that.
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Remember Obama railing against the surge?
Obama = fail.
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240 - honestly bro - you have gone so far off the deep end its not even funny if you try to make that comparison.
Your messiah and hero at work! When your beaches are black with oil, now you know who to blame.
240 didn't give a shit about the spill and sat there defending Obama's handling of it.......until the oil washed up on Florida shores. :P
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Remember Obama railing against the surge?
Obama = fail.
True. That is something the obama fan boys won't address.
He was clearly wrong about the surge. All I heard Obama say about the subject is that "we should not be there in the first place." All he can do is look back. Too late. That's water under the bridge. If he was so concerned for the soldiers, then he should have supported the surge, which did work in Iraq.
He showed his true colors again in Afghanistan when he approved a lesser amount of troops than the generals had hoped for.