The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has been summoned to Washington to explain derogatory comments about President Barack Obama and his colleagues, administration officials said Tuesday.
General Stanley A. McChrystal, USA is the current Commander, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A). He previously served as Director, Joint Staff from August 2008 to June 2009 and as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command from 2003 to 2008, where he was credited with the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, but also criticized for his role in the cover-up of the Pat Tillman friendly fire incident and his actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. He assumed his current assignment on June 15, 2009.


“What in the heck was Gen. Stanley McChrystal thinking?” Marc Ambinder asks. Sure, “he was tired of being the victim of what he believes is [Eikenberry's] concerted effort [to] undermine everything he was given 18 months to do…. He was miffed that a large number of mid-ranking soldiers and battalion commanders and enlisted guys didn’t support his strategy…. What I don’t know is which of McChrystal’s aides thought it would be a good idea to let his senior staff … ven[t] McChrystal’s frustrations and their own.”

Mr. Obama has the authority to fire Gen. McChrystal. His predecessor, Gen. David McKiernan, was sacked on grounds that the military needed “new thinking and new approaches” in Afghanistan.

In Kabul on Tuesday, Gen. McChrystal issued a statement saying: “I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome.”

“I extend my sincerest apology for this profile,” the statement said. “It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened.”



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