President Obama removes General McChrystal, asks General Petraeus to be replacement.

Posted by | Posted in Lead Story, Life, News, Politics, Society | Posted on 23-06-2010

Several news outlets are reporting that President Obama has accepted the resignation of US & NATO forces commander General Stanley McChrystal.

Obama stated that he has asked Gen. David Petraeus to replace Gen. McChrystal as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan.

Obama met with McChrystal earlier Wednesday in the wake of politically explosive remarks the general and his aides made in Rolling Stone magazine about key administration officials. Petraeus is the head of U.S. Central Command.

Obama was “angry” after reading the general’s remarks, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday.

According to TIME Magazine, it was at the Wednesday meeting that Gen. McChrystal offered Obama his resignation.

The remarks in the Rolling Stone magazine article were at least an indirect challenge to civilian management of the war in Washington by its top military commander, according to Foxnews.com.

Military leaders rarely challenge their commander in chief publicly, and when they do, consequences tend to be more severe than a scolding.

Gates hand-picked McChrystal to take over the war last year, calling him a driven visionary with the fortitude and intelligence to turn the war around. Obama fired the previous commander at Gates’ recommendation.

In Kabul on Tuesday, McChrystal issued a statement saying: “I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.”

In the Rolling Stone article, McChrystal and his staff described the president as unprepared for their first one-on-one encounter.

McChrystal also said he felt betrayed and blind-sided by his diplomatic partner, Ambassador Karl Eikenberry. Eikenberry remains in his post in Kabul, and although both men publicly say they are friends, their rift is on full display. McChrystal and Eikenberry, himself a retired Army general, stood as far apart as the speakers’ platform would allow during a White House news conference last month.

The story characterized the general as unable to convince some of his own soldiers that his strategy can win the nation’s longest-running war, and dejected that the president didn’t know about his commendable military record.

McChrystal also said he felt “betrayed” by Eikenberry for expressing doubts about his proposed troop buildup last year and accused the ambassador of giving himself cover.

“Here’s one that covers his flank for the history books,” McChrystal told the magazine. “Now, if we fail, they can say ‘I told you so.”‘

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Written by Jean Valjean