Posted by
Bill Crawford on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 11:43:16 PM
The really interesting part of all this is, how did Rolling stone get this one? The short answer is, the guy was only set to sit with them for a weekend, but they all got waylayed by the iceland volcano, and it turned into a few months. That's enough time for people to let their hair down...
Rumor has it that McChrystal has already offered to tender resignation. The question becomes, will it be accepted?
I think Obama will let him skate with a Presidential lecture, for two big reasons. The first one is obvious: the General is just about the only guy left who Karzai trusts in Kabul. The other reason is pathetic. Obama doesn't have anybody else in the offing to take his place, and Petraeus won't do it. The pathetic part is that this White House would not be able to formulate enough of a continuation of counter-insurgency strategy to even hold an interview for a replacement. Obama signed off on Bush's plan for Iraq, and he signed off on what they had planned for Afghanistan. Outside of that, they don't know what to do.
It gets worse. The new textbook on counter-insurgency is as follows: 1) Get enough boots on the ground to dominate the population centers, and base them there so they are not leaving at any time. 2) Bribe the movers and shakers with cash-ola to hold them over until they trust you. 3) Go out at night with your Spec Forces and kill your targets, and don't stop when you get collateral damage. 4) Build and rebuild until you are the infrastucture.
The Spec Forces and CIA people all love McChrystal because he does the kill part well. Obama has been mucking up the works by hedging the numbers in the first step, when he is not dragging his feet on commitment. He is also stepping all over the last step by announcing endgame withdrawal schedules in advance.
This administration has the military acumen of Pee Wee's Playhouse, and it is no wonder that the professionals have such disdain for them. Obama is another version of Lyndon Johnson: a guy who is politically afraid to cut his losses and pull out, while insisting on micromanaging the military with his ignorance. Are you worried about another Vietnam? Obama is in the process of creating one. Thanks a lot.