Obama 'angry' after reading McChrystal's remarks

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Jiro said:
did the oath that U.S. soldier take allow him/her to gripe about his superiors to journalists? or to public?
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Reba will let you know soon!
 
rolling7 said:
Reba will let you know soon!
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She already did. many posts ago.

Reba said:
"Griping" within the inner circles of the military is common but it's kept within the ward room (where officers meet together). Where the general crossed the line is letting those "gripes" and observations go public.

He should have kept his personal observations to himself until he retired. Then he could write his memoirs and make a profit from his criticisms. (semi-joking)
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but I am questioning Stein's thought.
 
Military members are allowed to take their concerns up the military chain of command, or to contact their Congressmen directly.

Usually the Congressman's staff will FAX, and then follow up with an official letter of inquiry to get information on the individual's complaint. Most commands will assign an officer responsible for replying via the commanding officer back to the congressional office. Turn around time is usually two weeks. If further investigation is required, the military command will notify the congressional office explaining why they need an extension. However, most replies should be handled within two weeks.
 
US Afghan commander Stanley McChrystal fired by Obama
BBC News - US Afghan commander Stanley McChrystal fired by Obama

The commander of multinational forces in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has been dismissed by US President Barack Obama after critical comments about senior administration officials.

He will be replaced by Gen David Petraeus, who led the "surge" in Iraq.

Mr Obama insisted it was "a change in personnel but not a change in policy".

In a profile in Rolling Stone magazine, Gen McChrystal and aides were quoted as making disparaging remarks about Mr Obama and senior colleagues.

Gen McChrystal himself described the period last year when President Obama was slowly moving towards the approval of the deployment of thousands more US soldiers to Afghanistan as "painful".

And referring to a key Oval Office meeting between Mr Obama and Gen McChrystal a year ago, an aide of Gen McChrystal said the president "didn't seem very engaged. The boss [Gen McChrystal] was pretty disappointed".

Others targeted included:

•Vice-President Joe Biden, who Gen McChrystal pretended not to know
•US ambassador to Kabul Karl Eikenberry, who Gen McChrystal said he felt "betrayed" by
•National Security Adviser James Jones, who one of Gen McChrystal's aides described as a "clown"
•US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, whose electronic communication led Gen McChrystal to say: "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke... I don't even want to open it"
The announcement that Gen McChrystal was standing down came after he met Mr Obama at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the damaging article.

Mr Obama said he had made the decision to replace Gen McChrystal "with considerable regret" but added that he had failed to "meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general".

He said the article had eroded trust and "undermines the civilian control of the military that's at the core of our democratic system".

"I don't make this decision based on any difference in policy with General McChrystal... nor do I make this decision out of any sense of personal insult," he added.

He said he welcomed debate within his team, but would not tolerate division.

"War is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general, or a president."

He urged Congress to confirm Gen Petraeus in the position swiftly. Until that happens, leadership of the Nato-led force in Afghanistan fall to a British officer, Lt Gen Nick Parker.

'Poor judgement'

Gen McChrystal said in a statement he had resigned out of a "desire to see the mission succeed".

"I strongly support the president's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people."

The day before his dismissal, Gen McChrystal apologised for the magazine article, written by freelance journalist Michael Hastings, admitting: "It was a mistake reflecting poor judgement and should never have happened."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai had indicated he did not want Gen McChrystal replaced, describing him as the best commander in nine years of US military operations in Afghanistan.

But a spokesman for Mr Karzai said on Wednesday: "We are looking forward to working with General Petraeus, a very experienced soldier who President Karzai knows well."

The secretary general of Nato, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said the Western military alliance's Afghan war strategy remained unchanged after Gen McChrystal's replacement.

"The approach he helped put in place is the right one," he added.
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Jiro said:
right. How do you resign AFTER you get fired? lol

McChrystal sent him a letter of resignation the day before meeting. Obama still wanted to hear him out. In the end - Obama accepted his resignation.

If Obama wanted to fire him immediately - the meeting is not needed.
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Right. I'd say Obama went the extra mile by even agreeing to give him the opportunity to defend his actions. He could have just accepted the resignation without it.
 
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