Just thought I'd throw something up to capture live events as they happen and to provide a fresh thread to continue the conversation about this issue.
Personally, I think McChrystal should be fired. He's finally struck out. Enough's enough with this guy. He obviously has a problem with authority and he seems to feel he can operate outside the rules. As a leader, you set the tone for your subordinates. Your behavior is indicative of the type of operation you're running. The Rolling Stone article dubbed him the "Runaway General." What does that say about his counter-insurgency operation in Afghanistan?
Timeline of the days events thus far:
8:00 a.m. EDT: McChrystal met with Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen at the Pentagon. The meeting lasted 30 minutes: http://www.stripes.com/...
9:51 a.m. EDT: McChrystal met 1:1 with President Obama in the Oval office. The meeting was expected to last 30 minutes, but according to reports on MSNBC, only took 20 minutes.
Additionally, McChrystal was reportedly supposed to attend the National Security Team meeting @ 11:35, but now, since he's left the White House, it's not certain whether or not he will be attending that meeting. I guess the writing's on the wall.
Mike Allen of Politico (bleh) reported that
Whether or not McChrystal stays there will be a shake-up in his command. Here in Washington, they decided that the indiscipline shown in that Rolling Stone article cannot stand.
The President is expected to make a statement after his 11:35 meeting with his national security team.
I'll update as more news comes in.
Update 1: Now MSNBC is reporting that McChrystal met with President Obama for 30 minutes.
Update 2: MSNBC just reported that Sec. Gates and Admiral McMullen have arrived at the White House for the 11:35 National Security Team meeting. It's 11:25 and McChrystal has not returned. Hope that means he got his walking papers.
Update 3: Not really an update, but just to give you an idea of the ego on McChrystal, Richard Engel of MSNBC, in a special he's doing on McChrystal, reports that
McChrystal and his inner circle have become disdainful of authority, calling themselves 'Team America,' believing only they know how to run the war.
Unrelated soccer update: TEAM USA BEAT ALGERIA 1-0! Yeah!!!!!
Update 4: Jim Miklaszewki (whew! hope I got that right), MSNBC's Pentagon Correspondent, just reported that he saw McChrystal just before he went into the meeting with Gates and McMullen @ the Pentagon this morning, and he asked him if he'd already submitted his resignation. McChrystal replied, "Come on. You know better than that. No." [wow. talk about ego]. Jim also reported that he's starting to hear "increasing rumors" around the Pentagon that POTUS might not announce his decision today. He might put it off until tomorrow. He also said it's a big mystery as to where McChrystal is right now. No one has seen him return to the WH for the meeting, but he could be participating remotely.
Unrelated BP Oil disaster update: 2 people involved in fixing the oil gusher have died. 1 was a worker in Gulf Shores. The other was an operator on the Vessel of Opportunity. No word yet on when or how.
Additionally, underwater web cams showed a dramatic increase in oil flow from the well. Turns out BP removed the containment cap. No word why yet.
God this is just getting from worst to...humongously more worst.
Update 6: Courtesy of slinkerwink in the comments: McChrystal wants to keep his job: http://www.cbsnews.com/...
BUT, the President has already asked the Pentagon to look for a replacement: http://www.cnn.com/...
I notice several comments in the diary complaining the President is taking too long to make a decision. See, this is what I consider NOT CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Let's look at the timeline of events:
- Monday: News about the article hit the airwaves
- Tuesday: President Obama summons McChrystal to the WH to answer for his comments in the article
- Wednesday, 9:51 a.m. EDT: McChrystal meets with the President for 30 minutes
- Wednesday, 11:35 a.m. EDT: President Obama is meeting with his national security team and is expected to make a public statement after that meeting
- It is now 12:48 p.m. EDT.
Seriously, y'all can't wait a couple hours more? This is what you call taking too long? Give it a rest, please.
Update 7: From CNN - President Obama will make comments on McChrystal's fate at 1:30 p.m. EDT from the Rose Garden.
Update 8: CNN's Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, confirms McChrystal DID NOT return to the WH after his meeting with President Obama. She said he is, at this hour, with many of his senior staff, and is well aware of what the President's decision is. She said that everybody's on pins and needles these last few mins before the President comes out and makes his statement.
Update 9: Reports from CNN and MSNBC, MCCHRYSTAL IS OUT! And, uh oh, General Patraeus will replace him. NBC report here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Please, DKos, please don't have a meltdown over the Patraeus replacement. Please.
Update 10: Barbara Starr said McChrystal may not even be allowed to return to Afghanistan. She said his things'll be backed up and shipped to him in DC. Damn! So much for Barack Obama being indecisive!
Update 11: h/t to Kitty for video and text of POTUS' remarks:
une 23, 2010
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Rose Garden
1:43 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon. Today I accepted General Stanley McChrystal's resignation as commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. I did so with considerable regret, but also with certainty that it is the right thing for our mission in Afghanistan, for our military, and for our country.
I'm also pleased to nominate General David Petraeus to take command in Afghanistan, which will allow us to maintain the momentum and leadership that we need to succeed.
I don't make this decision based on any difference in policy with General McChrystal, as we are in full agreement about our strategy. Nor do I make this decision out of any sense of personal insult. Stan McChrystal has always shown great courtesy and carried out my orders faithfully. I've got great admiration for him and for his long record of service in uniform.
Over the last nine years, with America fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he has earned a reputation as one of our nation's finest soldiers. That reputation is founded upon his extraordinary dedication, his deep intelligence, and his love of country. I relied on his service, particularly in helping to design and lead our new strategy in Afghanistan. So all Americans should be grateful for General McChrystal's remarkable career in uniform.
But war is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general, or a president. And as difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe that it is the right decision for our national security.
The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system. And it erodes the trust that's necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan.
My multiple responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief led me to this decision. First, I have a responsibility to the extraordinary men and women who are fighting this war, and to the democratic institutions that I've been elected to lead. I've got no greater honor than serving as Commander-in-Chief of our men and women in uniform, and it is my duty to ensure that no diversion complicates the vital mission that they are carrying out.
That includes adherence to a strict code of conduct. The strength and greatness of our military is rooted in the fact that this code applies equally to newly enlisted privates and to the general officer who commands them. That allows us to come together as one. That is part of the reason why America has the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
It is also true that our democracy depends upon institutions that are stronger than individuals. That includes strict adherence to the military chain of command, and respect for civilian control over that chain of command. And that's why, as Commander-in-Chief, I believe this decision is necessary to hold ourselves accountable to standards that are at the core of our democracy.
Second, I have a responsibility to do what is -- whatever is necessary to succeed in Afghanistan, and in our broader effort to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda. I believe that this mission demands unity of effort across our alliance and across my national security team. And I don't think that we can sustain that unity of effort and achieve our objectives in Afghanistan without making this change. That, too, has guided my decision.
I've just told my national security team that now is the time for all of us to come together. Doing so is not an option, but an obligation. I welcome debate among my team, but I won't tolerate division. All of us have personal interests; all of us have opinions. Our politics often fuels conflict, but we have to renew our sense of common purpose and meet our responsibilities to one another, and to our troops who are in harm's way, and to our country.
We need to remember what this is all about. Our nation is at war. We face a very tough fight in Afghanistan. But Americans don't flinch in the face of difficult truths or difficult tasks. We persist and we persevere. We will not tolerate a safe haven for terrorists who want to destroy Afghan security from within, and launch attacks against innocent men, women, and children in our country and around the world.
So make no mistake: We have a clear goal. We are going to break the Taliban's momentum. We are going to build Afghan capacity. We are going to relentlessly apply pressure on al Qaeda and its leadership, strengthening the ability of both Afghanistan and Pakistan to do the same.
That's the strategy that we agreed to last fall; that is the policy that we are carrying out, in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In that effort, we are honored to be joined by allies and partners who have stood by us and paid the ultimate price through the loss of their young people at war. They are with us because the interests and values that we share, and because this mission is fundamental to the ability of free people to live in peace and security in the 21st century.
General Petraeus and I were able to spend some time this morning discussing the way forward. I'm extraordinarily grateful that he has agreed to serve in this new capacity. It should be clear to everybody, he does so at great personal sacrifice to himself and to his family. And he is setting an extraordinary example of service and patriotism by assuming this difficult post.
Let me say to the American people, this is a change in personnel but it is not a change in policy. General Petraeus fully participated in our review last fall, and he both supported and helped design the strategy that we have in place. In his current post at Central Command, he has worked closely with our forces in Afghanistan. He has worked closely with Congress. He has worked closely with the Afghan and Pakistan governments and with all our partners in the region. He has my full confidence, and I am urging the Senate to confirm him for this new assignment as swiftly as possible.
Let me conclude by saying that it was a difficult decision to come to the conclusion that I've made today. Indeed, it saddens me to lose the service of a soldier who I've come to respect and admire. But the reasons that led me to this decision are the same principles that have supported the strength of our military and our nation since the founding.
So, once again, I thank General McChrystal for his enormous contributions to the security of this nation and to the success of our mission in Afghanistan. I look forward to working with General Petraeus and my entire national security team to succeed in our mission. And I reaffirm that America stands as one in our support for the men and women who defend it.
Thank you very much.
Update 12: McChrystal has issued a statement:
This morning the President accepted my resignation as commander of US and NATO coalition forces in Afghanistan. I strongly support the President's strategy...It was out of respect for this commitment and a desire to see the mission succeed that I tendered my resignation. It has been my privilege and honor to lead the nation's finest.
Barbara Starr read that portion of the statement on CNN. I'll post an official and complete copy of the statement once it becomes available.
Final comments: Thanks to all who stuck around with me waiting patiently for the President to make and announce his decision. You guys were great. :)
I hope that President Obama's quick decision and action, and the firmness and fairness with which he acted, will finally put to bed the meme that Barack Obama is somehow weak and indecisive. I think those comments are downright ignorant. Thoughtfulness, dedication to process and details, and the ability to see the bigger picture and consider the long-term impacts of one's decisions and actions is NOT a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength and the style of a great leader. I, for one, most admire these qualities in President Obama, and I am truly grateful that he is the one leading the country - and the world, really - at such a tumultuous time in our history.
I say to Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Thank you for your service and best of luck to you in your future endeavors.
I'll be sure to update the diary with official remarks from both the POTUS and Gen. McChrystal as soon as they become available.
Thanks guys!