Insubordination required his firing

Published 1:47 pm Wednesday, June 23, 2010

As reported by MSNBC News, it sounds like Gen. McChrystal had a few too many when he gave Rolling Stone an incendiary interview criticizing everyone, except himself, for the conduct of the war in Afghanistan.

The general has had a poor showing in the war since he was appointed commander of the Afghanistan War by President Obama; and, furthermore, doesn’t even enjoy the full support of some of his staff, nor of a number of the troops he commands.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who has served under both the Bush and Obama administrations, said “the general made a significant mistake.”

John McCain, top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was among three prominent Republican senators who criticized Gen. McChrystal. This is about as non-partisan as I have seen the Republican Party of No on the many issues they have considered.

Insubordination by our top military commander in Afghanistan is a definite mark against Gen. McChrystal, and President Obama was right to relieve him of his command.

If the president had appeared hesitant in his handling of this significant event he would have been correctly charged as “weak.”

The Pentagon has a poor record of “running the war” since the inception of hostilities in both Afghanistan and the illegal war in Iraq.

Max W. Don

Mukilteo