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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: U.S. Fires Afghan War Chief (From May '09 Memory Jogger) WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon ousted its top general in Afghanistan and appointed a new leadership team, in an attempt to jump-start a new war strategy that relies more on counterinsurgency tactics and less on conventional warfare. Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked for the resignation of Gen. David McKiernan, who had been in the job for less than a year, and replaced him with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a former Green Beret who recently commanded the military's secretive special operations forces in Iraq. Mr. Gates said he would also appoint Lt. Gen. David Rodriguez to run the day-to-day operations of all U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The move, which was reported last week by The Wall Street Journal, will mark the first time since the start of the war that the U.S. will have two senior commanders in Kabul. Gen. Rodriguez will report to Gen. McChrystal, who will get a fourth star as part of the move. The removal of Gen. McKiernan represents an effort to restructure a flagging U.S.-led war effort in Afghanistan, which has seen a sharp spike in casualties as resurgent Taliban militants take de facto control of many parts of the country. "From a military perspective, we can and must do better," Mr. Gates said. With 21,000 U.S. reinforcements arriving in Afghanistan in the coming months, the defense chief said it was time for "new leadership and fresh eyes." The replacement of a four-star U.S. war commander so early into his tenure is exceptional. "This is the first time since MacArthur was called back during the Korean War that a four-star commanding general was relieved in the middle of a war," said a senior Pentagon official. Asked if the move would end Gen. McKiernan's 37-year military career, Mr. Gates said, "probably." Mr. Gates praised Gen. McKiernan's record and said no specific incident prompted his ouster. A senior Pentagon official said Mr. Gates and other top national security officials concluded in recent weeks that Gen. McKiernan had the wrong background and mind-set for the Afghan war. Gen. McKiernan, who was commissioned into the Army in 1972, spent his entire military career commanding conventional forces. He served in the Balkans, led the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, and then oversaw the U.S. ground war in Iraq in 2003. Capture of Hussein Gen. McChrystal and Gen. Rodriguez bring a different set of experiences. Gen. McChrystal, who currently serves as the director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has spent most of his career in the secretive special operations community and oversaw the commando teams that captured Saddam Hussein and killed terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Gen. Rodriguez, who serves as Mr. Gates's senior military adviser, commanded the 82nd Airborne Division in eastern Afghanistan last year and is seen as one of the military's leading experts on counterinsurgency. He will assume the newly created post of deputy commander for operations for the 45,000 American troops now in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama has made Afghanistan and the troubled Pakistan border his top international priority, saying he would shift the balance of the U.S. military effort away from Iraq. The new Afghan war strategy spelled out earlier this year puts a heavy emphasis on counterinsurgency, and both Gen. McChrystal and Gen. Rodriguez are highly regarded in the Pentagon for their skills in irregular warfare. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 2.
#1. To: christine (#0)
And the new guy is in office less than four months and he starts taking pot shots at the President. There is something rotten in Afghan and Obama does not know how to get rid of the smell.
Sure. It can't be won.
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