Deja Vu All Over Again?

The Commander In Chief, a civilian, is responsible for national policies, including War, and by its nature civilian control involves politics and often creates a confrontation the likes of which surfaced today in a Rolling Stone article with disparaging comments by General McChrystal and his aides of the Obama Administration, putting him at odds with the president, a conflict that will be resolved when the two meet in the White House tomorrow.

In our Democracy national policy is made by civilians not the military and it is the responsibility of Generals to follow the orders of the Commander in Chief, which is the President of the United States, any other actions or comments are considered insubordination and a violation of the Military Code of Justice.

Although McChrystal issued a statement today saying, “I extend my sincere apology for this profile.  It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened,”  the White House didn’t seem to be accepting it.  Robert Gibbs, White House press secretary said, “The magnitude and greatness of the mistake are profund.”  He said “All options are on the table.”

McChrystal  further said, “I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilan leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its succesful outcome.”

Few Obama civilian appointees responsible for Afghanistan, including some members of Congress, were left unscathed in the article which was written by free lance reporter and former Newsweek Correspondent Michael Hastings, who spent a month researching the article, entitled “The Runaway General.”  Rolling Stone said tonight McChrystal reviewed comments in the article and did not dispute the contents.

The politics that enters the fray primarily has to do with the Obama’s deadline of July 2011 for troop withdrawal and the dispute that developed with Vice President Biden’s strategy of troop withdrawal and taking on the Taliban with Drones vs McChrystal’s demand for a surge of an additional 30,000 troops.

Obama supported McChrystal.

The public confrontation surfaces more than insubordination by McChrystal,  it signals a leadership problem from Afghanistan to Washington.  It also raises the question as to whether the successful Iraqi strategy of a surge may very well not apply in Afghanistan?  It is clear that direction has been disrupted.  A lack of team play is clear, which will have an impact on troop morale and prove to be an advantage to the enemy.

One head has already rolled, the press aide to McChrystal, Duncan Boothby, who setup the interview, has been fired.

Tomorrow General McChrystal should come to the meeting with his resignation in hand.  The outcome of the meeting and subsequent discussions should determine whether the President accepts it or not.

This issue comes at a time when the Obama Administration has more crises on their plate than any president in recent memory.  This issue makes his decision difficult, does he stay the course and not disrupt the surge, or does he shake-up the leadership which is dysfunctional?

But the issue of confrontation between civilian authority over military direction is not new.  It has occurred in recent times and dates back to the infamous firing of General Douglas MacArthur by President Harry Truman in 1951 during the Korean conflict, when the popular General of operations in the Pacific, and a National hero, disobeyed orders.

It also occurred in World War II with General George Patton, who was known by the foot solider as ‘blood and guts.  Our blood and his guts.’

Patton marched to trumpets and glory.  And, at the close of the movie “Patton”, General Omar Bradley, reflecting on Patton’s second loss of command, prophesied  on the happenings of the War in Europe, “Being a good soldier won’t mean a damn thing from now on, we will have to be diplomats and administrators.”

And, that’s the way it is today!

Very frankly, I think Obama should accept McChrystal’s resignation, shake up the leadership and get the hell out of Afghanistan as soon as feasible.