Some believe that a Soldier gives up their rights when he swears to defend the Constitutional Rights of his fellow citizens. Some claim that a Soldier should be devoid of political opinion and stripped of a right to voice those opinions in all circumstance. How ironic it would be if "they" were right!? What injustice would be served if those that risked their lives for the sake of Freedoms were enslaved by the politicians whose orders they obeyed, whether they voted for them or not.
The current administration is under fire from multiple sides for its handling or lack thereof of the Gulf Oil Disaster, the dictates to repeal DADT, and the current situation in Afghanistan. In the midst of the turmoil comes to the surface that the General in Charge, and his staff, are unhappy with the lack of attention the President has given Afghanistan. In an article that portrays the General in the worst possible light, it becomes apparent that the President does not and never has gotten to know the man he put in charge of turning around the war he said was of absolute vital national security interest.
Despite General Order #1, despite public perception, despite the dictates of the POTUS, Warriors need a chance to release steam. They need space and opportunity to vent, to let their hair down, to relax and be able to say what is on their mind. And they have a right to disagree with the person elected by the American People, even if they voted for him, as Rolling Stones reports that General McChrystal voted for Obama.
General McChrystal has received precious little downtime since 9/11. He has seen his wife so little that during the period Hastings was eavesdropping on him, he had to have his wife travel to Paris to be fit in for an anniversary dinner, in between his duties of convincing allies to stay in the fight with us. Despite the campaign slogans, Obama has been unable to fulfill those promises of international support. The Dutch are quitting and it was the General who had to convince the French to stay on.
And the General is correct in his assessment of Eikenberry and Holbrooke; they have so alienated President Karzai and the (ex)Military Commander, that they will never be effective in their appointed roles. The only person whose integrity was intact was General McChrystal and he was the only one that was making any headway in diplomacy to Afghanistan. Eikenberry has failed as an Ambassador, just as he failed as a General.
Does that mean McChrystal was right in allowing what was said to be known to a reporter? No. The reporter was clearly antagonistic to the General, but I doubt he made that known at the time. The General has certainly made decisions with which I disagree, but he did not deserve the characterization of Hastings, nor the lack of consideration by Obama. At this point, McChrystal has spoken more to Congress, in hearings, than in person with the President, including the 20 minutes he was in the White House to get fired.
On the other hand, Obama has backed himself into a corner. Having fired two Generals in less than two years, he asked General Petraeus to sacrifice his own position to take a demotion and turn the war around. General Petraeus is an excellent choice. He has proven himself in Iraq, though Obama still refuses to admit it. He is known by Congress, even though Obama refused to vote to confirm him. He has integrity, loyalty to the Nation, and ability to lead. General Petraeus is willing to accept a demotion to do what's needed to win. This means that Obama can not afford to treat him as he has the last two Generals. And General Petraeus knows diplomacy. He's unlikely to call the President out publicly, but he now has the Ace in the Hole to get what he needs, behind closed doors. General Petraeus holds all the cards, even if he chooses not to play them.
In his last tour, General Petraeus had a Commander in Chief that valued his expertise and supported his requests. He had an Ambassador that worked hand in hand with him. Together, they pulled off an upset predicted to fail by Senator Obama, Senator Kerry, and Senator Clinton. The General has been gracious in not bringing that up, at least publicly. Hopefully, the Administration will be mindful of that when General Petraeus tells them what he needs to win. It is afterall the war which Candidate Obama said would be his primary focus even if he didn't know the difference between policy, strategy, and tactics.
Just as Iraq has become a no-win situation for Obama, so too has Afghanistan. If things turn out well in either place, it is to the credit of others: General Petraeus chief among them. If things go south, it is the fault of Obama. Perhaps General Odierno will now lead CentCom and be the boss of the General that was his boss in Iraq.
Soldiers, including Generals have a right to privacy, a right to free speech, and a right to a fair trial, even while having a responsibility to refrain from political speech which may impart that their views are that of the Military, even as they live without privacy in the company of fellow warriors in tents, tin cans, and structures owned by the government, and even while they live under the additional rules, regulations, rights, and responsibilities of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The statements of a General while speaking, officially, to press, Presidents, and Staff is far from private and in such he must refrain from politics, but when the most privacy attained by a General is a hotel room in Paris while preparing to convince an ally to support our interests (a responsibility that evidently neither the President nor Diplomats were capable of completing as is their duty), then the journalist should demonstrate the restraint inherent in his responsibilities to respect those rights the General has fought to protect for all of us.
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As to the politicians hoping this would be a one-day story? I'm sure CNN will be more willing than I to go back to blasting BP for not doing an interview with Anderson Cooper. There's a reason why a General that voted for Obama has lost faith in Eikenberry, Holbrooke, Jim Jones, the Vice-President, and the President. And if he can't trust them to do the right thing for the right reason, then perhaps the President is right: The American People deserve leaders they can trust with the lives of their sons and daughters. The "war is bigger than .. the president." Perhaps its time to change those he can't trust.
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