Another Afghan War: Media Leaks Spark Administration Fight

McClatchy:

The Obama administration's internal debate over Afghan policy has escalated into a battle of media leaks that's straining relations between officials who're seeking a major troop increase and those who want a more limited approach and a greater focus on domestic priorities.

The feud also has poisoned ties between the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan and the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, and left the administration struggling for leverage to press Afghan President Hamid Karzai to appoint untainted officials to his new government, attack corruption and share power with the parliament and provincial officials.

Read the whole story: McClatchy

Comments

[Whinger]

McChrystal should learn to keep his mouth shut, do his job and quit bellyaching!

[Nonamnesiac]

I certainly empathize with poor, maltreated General Mc Chrystal. The counterterrorist genius is just a really sensitive guy. He wasn't leaking classified information when his report recommending at least 80,000 US military (40,000 troops and 40,000 wholly taxpayer-paid private army contractors) in order to maybe-win (but probably not because he required a non-corrupt government and couldn't define "win" anyway) was spread all over the media with the claim the US would "lose" in Afghanistan if Obama didn't quickly send those forces in.

Poor, misunderstood General Mc Chrystal.

[the964kid]

" McChrystal Feels 'Stabbed In The Back' "

How can the guy doing the stabbing complain that he's the one who's been stabbed in the back????!

[RTIII]

It's called projection where you project onto your opponent whatever it is that actually applies to you - Repubs do it all the time and have perfected it. The military guys have learned it from them!
.

[hamchunk]

Dp you think Obama will narrow down his Afghanistan strategy choices to three by 2012?

[the964kid]

The President just sent 20k more troops back in the springtime, and it's only the fall. Considering the deterioration of the Afghan government I think it makes a lot of sense to consider what, if any, the exit strategy is.

But I suppose you would prefer the Bush style lack-of-an­y-clear-st­rategy that has kept us bogged down in a failed 8 year war?

[tnkeating]

General McChrystal was stabbed in the back, fortunately he is the type of guy that if you shot him, you would piss him off, I'm sure its just a flesh wound.. We can't even clean up corruption in our own government,how can we be expected to clean up corruption in Afghanistan. As long as we are unwilling to go after the Creatins in Pakistan that caused this in conjuction with the Pakistani army it will not end under any President.

[globalcitizenlinda]

All leakers and the news outlets that report these leaks are doing the nation a dis-service.


I would hope that vigorous debate could be conducted behind closed doors with all opions challenged but with a focus on the fact that ALL these people should be reminded that they are part of TEAM AMERICA and not Team White House, Team Pentagon and Team State Department. The interest of the nation and its people ought to be paramount

[riverhouse]

McChrystal doesn't seem to understand his role in the great scheme of things. He clearly has a personal agenda not in keeping with his commander in chief.

TIme for McChrystal to be McCarthyized.

[pov]

Sounds like a scapegoat list is in the making in the White House.

[NotFooledByDistractions]

McChrystal Feels 'Stabbed In The Back'

Now he knows how the President felt when he discussed his report in public before discussing it with the President.

How / why was mcchrystal selected? His involvement in the tillman incident should have dismissed him from consideration. I also question if he isn't somehow linked to cheney and his failed ideology.

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

Exactly! McCrystal is a warmonger who fails to remember "chain of Command."

[brady61995]

x2 my thoughts exactly, shrub would have had him resign, glad obama again is proving to be the bigger man.

[jws2346]

I like that title, but I think McCrystal stabbed himself in the back when he lied about the Tilman debacle

[Flavor]

It's a disgrace to the human race, when Confidentiality means nothing today. I think whoever leaks out any information out of the White House, is as bad as a anti- American spy. I also think, if (true) to this leak they should be immediatly, OUT! One thing that I have noticed in my 40 year lifetime on earth is, my enemy was never someone across town, to my suprise, they were walking with me. People, who were suppose to be a friend, people who knew more about me than any enemy across town. Wolves, is what they were, but they wore sheep's clothing and a mask that looked perfect, I guess that was the clue, anything that appears too perfect, take another look and measure what the person says with what he/she does. I don't know what kind of policies are in place in the White House, but we need to start holding people accountable from the White House, to Congress, to local government. I truely understand why, the good book say's (PUT YOUR TRUST IN NO MAN). The fact of the matter is, I was taught about integrity, character, honesty, and my grandfather said, if people can trust you because of those three things, then you have become a loyal person. I wonder how many of us can name three friends that have been that, and carry those kind of qualities. MMMMMMM.

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

McCrystal was the first to leak HIS memo to the Press BEFORE the President even received it ... it was a CON GAME to push the President into approving Warmonger McCrystal's plea for more troops

[brady61995]

i can name more than three friends that qualify, you need to make new friends if you cant.

[Flavor]

First, I did not say I could not name three, that had those qualities, but now I will. I only know two and they have been my friends for over 25 years. The rest of the people I meet are usually nice people, but I can't say if they qualify for those three things because I haven't spent that much time around them to make that a fact, so now that I have told you & others, do me a favor don't read anything into something that wasn't said, proofread, so that when you do make a statement, you won't be like a lot of other people being mis-lead or lieing. You see, we now are a people who have become ignorant,and will believe a (lie), we won't do our own research, or to try to find out if what we are reading is fact or made up, and some of us think were smart as in elic, and try to say something offensive it won't work here. I know what I stated, how stated it,and what was said, and so do you. You and your three friends, hava nice day!

[RSKaz]

"Anonymous source" has to have the longest work history of any government employee on record. And the biggest mouth.

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

Exactly!

[chlai88]

Obama not only has to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda, he also has to fight the Pentagon, the generals, the hawks, the media, Congress and Senate, the liberals, the anti-war, Karzai's corrupt govt, Afghan's warlords, etc. The battleground is not simply just in Kabul or the mountains of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, some of those enemies are our very own who are only interested in just getting their own way and could care less about the outcome.

[bwenston42]

I care about the outcome. The outcome of our troops. Bring them home.

[chlai88]

As much as I'm also against meddling in Afghanistan and sparing our troops from more danger, we must also not forget that it is partly our neglect of Afghanistan after the Soviet Union left that sets the chain of events leading to 9/11. A failed Afghanistan in future can mean even more costly wars and more lives lost. A decision that looks good today may be setting the stage for an even bigger problem tomorrow.

[Jesster]

Chlai88 - I agree and I also love your avatar.

[smittie]

It's high time.....no,it's past the time, that our soldiers were thought of first! Get our guys out of Iraq and Afghanistan now.......­........wh­ile they are still alive and able to walk off the plane and not be carried off in a box!

[bascombe]

mcKKKristol disagrees

[Etherealechidna]

isaidit~

"Yeah, he said that during the campaign. But unlike the previous CIC, this one knows and understands that a foolish consistency is the hogoblin of a wee mind"

The hogoblin of a wee mind? I applaud your acumen and self congratulating tone- Methinks you are a fool- When one promises something they are to be consistent, correct? Sort of akin to the "real mccoy" promising to drive Texas longhorn to Kansas- he delivered them hence "real" mccoy. Never have I heard "foolish consistency"- if Obama promised he'd end the war- I expect him to. This is not a wee trivial matter that is to be pushed aside, this "foolish" consistency is not foolish- had it been realized our troops would be home now

[TeamSarah4CHOICE]

Were YOU in a coma when the timeline of withdraw was agreed upon?

[yankee222]

Are YOU suffering from partial recall?

From a videotaped interview, October 27, 2007

OBAMA: I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home, we will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank.