Who Leaked The McChrystal Report To Woodward?

Politico:

Bob Woodward's Monday-morning exclusive on a 66-page report from Gen. Stanley McChrystal to President Barack Obama about Afghanistan policy was a rite of passage for the new administration: the first major national security leak and a sure sign that the celebrated Washington Post reporter has penetrated yet another administration.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[JoDeeVa]

06:47 PM on 09/23/2009

They're all self-serving, with various agendas, degrees of purpose:
~Woodward, for obvious reasons (hard to believe there was a time when he actually sought sources/ stories, with a personal vested interest in the truth, not self-aggrandizement);
~McChrystal, gung-ho military "git-er-dun" any way.. 'take no prisoners'.. except to torture, subterfuge, scapegoating, etc., whatever it takes to climb the military ladder, the "cannibal-culture of commissioned upward mobility" (I'd give credit, but can't recall who said that)
~neo-con leftovers, with an agenda and marching orders to serve their neo-con commanders.. NOT President Obama;
~The White House/ President/ VP.. who don't want to get bogged down in Vietnam..er, uh..Iraq..er, uh..damn, I mean Afghanistan. I can just as easily see someone there leaking it, for the reason noted in the story, in so many words.. 'to get the h3// outa' Dodge before the OK corral showdown' scenario between the Taliban/ US military.. 'cut 'em off at the pass in Pakistan' with the Afghanis/ Pakastanis as collateral damage. War on terror and all, that we started waaay back after 9-11 and this administration is stuck with.
Woodward> Bush> Cheney/ Rummy> McChrystal> Cheney> neo-cons or White House> Woodward> Self-serving agenda for whomever.. take your pick, ante-up and place your bets.

[Ifticar2]

03:03 AM on 09/23/2009

McChrystal is an expert at fighting insurgencies. He is using counter insurgency techniques against Obama. Obama was trying to stall having to deal with McChrystal's report while he was dealing with health care. McChrystal did a Hail Mary end run on Obama by insuring that the report got leaked. Brilliant!

[Knowitall]

12:34 AM on 09/23/2009

The posters here who say it's the same "leftovers" who leaked for Cheney and Rove are absolutely correct. That is why Cheney and his daughter rear their ugly heads every few weeks. They pop up when they've gotten a hold of a critical leak that if released, would expose them, perhaps to prosecution.

We still aren't sure who leaked the Valerie Plame information. Scooter Libby fell on his sword for Cheney, and he was unable to get Bush to pardon Libby before he left office. I think this has left Cheney vulnerable.

The government is "infested" with these kind of people who think, falsely, that they are the "patriots", and any Democratic administration is illegitimate. These people need to be weeded out and separated from their positions. Civil servants are supposed to keep a low profile and carry out the policies of the incumbent administration--not operate a shadow government within the government..

It could be characterized as sedition.

[vascopyjama]

10:57 PM on 09/22/2009

Gee, I wonder who would have done that and why.

[xmontreal]

11:09 PM on 09/22/2009

Must have been "Deep Throat"---no-- not the one who died--the one from the movie!!

[duxguts]

12:26 AM on 09/23/2009

Are you telling me that Bob Woodward is really Linda Lovelace?

[treadway123]

07:35 PM on 09/22/2009

Leak from the Military to have their own way, not the administration! Same military leak "McChrystal"!

[Raster]

02:32 PM on 09/22/2009

I don't see that such "penetration" is a big deal. This is not a hard feat considering that the Military-Intelligence complex is trying to protect their turf. Easy as rolling off a log.

[spacecreep]

02:13 PM on 09/22/2009

if a washington post reporter can infiltrate any administration.... think of how much information our enemies get from maybe the same sources.......party loyalty before country loyalty... the republican way.. the terrorist that we are fighting get intel before the american people... but remember , the republicans bonded with the terrorist right after obama became president... they happily announced it.

[zendem1]

11:41 AM on 09/22/2009

Sometimes I wonder about Woody.

[Alexander2791]

12:59 PM on 09/22/2009

the bottom line is that too many Pentagon and high ranking military officers of the Bush era are still in place, Thus, we will have those kind of leaks within the DOD and the the "torture" agency. There is no way to stop that. Obama will just have to take a firm stand on this issue as he currently does and should not give a damn about what the republicans want or the leaks that will come. Training the Afghanistan army to make them fight for their own government is the way to go together with a clear exit strategy. The US army is about saving face, which is what the military is about and at any cost (death and physical destruction for life of our young recruits mostly from the lower class). We are outspending our resources while our people are economically deprived at home of the most basic needs (healthcare coverage) and the country is turning against the war! We need to pass an effective health care reform with a solid public option starting next year (not in 2013) and get our troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our security will rest on attacking the tribal areas of Pakistan where AlQuaeda is located and uprooting nationally based terrorists in the USA.

[Raster]

02:55 PM on 09/22/2009

"Woody" appears to be a not-so-closeted Moderate or Liberal Republican, two extinct breeds within the Official Republican Party. He's keeping that hope alive.

[tierone]

10:58 AM on 09/22/2009

Pffft. He hasn't "penetrated yet another administration!"

He's still using the same "leaks" from the last one.

Cheney has made it QUITE clear that he has very loyal "moles" in all layers of government and in all departments.

This was as simple as a speed dial phone call.

[ljc]

10:03 AM on 09/22/2009

I think Deep Throat leaked it. Woodward is a creep. McChrystal leaked it obviously.