What Stan McChrystal Really Recommended
By Larry Johnson on October 8, 2009 at 3:10 PM in Current Affairs
The laughable notion that General Stanley McChrystal is an aspiring Douglas McArthur is fully exposed if one will only take time to read what McChrystal actually wrote and recommended with respect to the road ahead in Afghanistan.
If you start with p. i (the preamble) you will see that this assessment was produced in response to specific requests from Secretary of Defense Gates and the NATO Secretary General. McChrystal is not trying to steam roll anyone. He was asked to produce an assessment and did so. Period.
It is instructive to review McChrystal’s view of the war in Afghanistan. The key point according to the General?
The urgent need for a significant change to our strategy and the way that we think and operate (see p. ii).
Executing this new strategy requires expanding the Afghan military. McChrystal is not seeking to make this an American war or a European war. Just the opposite. He does not seek more US troops in order to seize territory or destroy “insurgent” forces. Instead he insists on a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy.
Don’t take my word. Just read what he wrote. Success in Afghanistan ultimately depends on winning the support of the people and communities that comprise Afghanistan. McChrystal is especially critical of the tendency of the US and NATO forces to hide within fortified base and not have any significant cultural interaction with the various Afghan people. Unless we change this practice we will not succeed.
The new strategy rests on four pillars:
1. Develop the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces and rely more on them to conduct combat missions.
2. Improve governance at all levels.
3. Take immediate military action to reverse gains by the various insurgent groups.
4. Focus resources on areas where civilian populations are most vulnerable.
McChrystal wants and needs the new troops for one simple reason–a stop gap measure to buy time to train and equip the Afghan security forces while keeping the various insurgent groups at bay. The General is trying to walk a tight rope. Prevent the Taliban and other insurgent groups from swamping the Afghan government in the short term while intensifying efforts to let the Afghan security forces take charge and lead the fight.
Here is where it gets tricky and it is important for Americans to put away the stupid-ass propaganda spread by both the Bush Administration and, now, the Obama Administration.
The threat posed by Al Qaeda is less today compared to September 10, 2001. Al Qaeda has been weakened. Key leadership have been killed an captured. This does not mean they are harmless. They are not. But desire is not capability and they’re ability to project force–i.e. carry out attacks in other countries–is quite limited.
The Taliban is not a monolith. We currently are battling three major insurgent groups–the Quetta Shura Taliban, the Haqqani Network (HQN) and the Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG). It is worth remembering that HQN and HIG were two of the groups that we directly supported during the Soviet/Afghan war. Milt Bearden’s book, The Main Enemy, does an excellent job of detailing how difficult the thugs running HQN and HIG can be.
The Taliban is not the same as Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda consists primarily of jihadists that come from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Algeria and Somalia. Their vision of Islamic rule is not necessarily the vision embraced by the various Taliban groups.
Understanding and exploiting these differences is the key to gaining control over the situation in Afghanistan. McChrystal puts this message front and center. He also is cognizant of the fact that a Taliban controlled Afghanistan could once again create a deadly safehaven for Al Qaeda and their sympathizers, who have had to move their training and recruitment operations to less hospitable Pakistan.
We now have the spectacle of the Obama Administration reprising the role of Nero. They are partying and playing musical instruments while Rome is burning. McChrystal is not into “rosy” scenarios. The challenges in Afghanistan are long term. We will need to spend resources there–personnel and supplies–for several years. And politics, especially in Pakistan, are a critical element of achieving victory in Afghanistan.
This is not a war of choice. It is a war of necessity. Daylight is burning and the situation is deteriorating in Afghanistan while the Obama team dithers. The silver lining is that the onset of winter does limit the harm the Taliban and other insurgent groups can cause. This gives us a bit of a breathing space.
What is really unfortunate and worrisome is the unconscionable, shameless and cowardly smear of General McChyrstal for just doing his job. When you punish Generals for bringing you bad news and providing unvarnished advice you sow the seeds for a politicized, incompetent military. Bush and Rumsfeld did it and now, deja vu all over again, Obama is doing it.
(Release: November 13)
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We need more voices like McChrystal and yours, Larry, because we are simply not used to figuring out these issues for ourselves. We need more people with experience and knowledge to explain this to the American public. And we need them now. Our wars in recent decades, in my own lifetime beginning with Vietnam, have been reduced to people shouting and using slogos, complete with loud demonstrations in the streets, or, using today’s tactics, sending out the talking heads to visit every talk show, pseudo news show, etc. and using these outlets to spread what could be dangerous misinformation. This is a complex issue that demands a respectful and thoughtful discussion. Instead, we have a public lynching of a general who is doing everything he can to warn us of the dangers we will face down the road. If McChrystal has already been cast in the role of McArthur, will Obama convince himself he’s Harry Truman for a Day and fire the upstart General? It would be one way for Obama to change the growing perception that he is indecisive and incapable of true leadership. It would be a shallow action that would give Obama the appearance of being “the decider.”
Wow! I guess the cost of winning the NPP is letting your soldiers sit with their necks on the line for another prize for the “Do Nothing Prez”!
IMPEACH!
CAROL HAKA
Thanks for the information and for the cogent analysis. We need more of this kind of perception and less magical thinking.
As for Obama, he is demonstrating his incompetency every day. Image is everything in his Axelrod-ian worldview.
We saw him for the narcissistic, sociopathic, sock-puppet he is, two years ago. The rest of the world figured it out months ago and, just now, a few of the koolaid drinkers are beginning to wake up.
We need to start thinking impeachment for incompetency – hell even Joe Biden couldn’t do worse than what’s happening now.
Larry, thank you for breaking down the General’s report. I read through about 20 pages, and I think I got the gist of it: We need more troops, and we need them quickly. Your analysis was much more in depth, of course, and I thank you for that.
Craig: I wish impeachment were an option. I truly believe that this President is trying to destroy this country from the inside out, and his Czars are a perfect example of the Marxist takeover.
If anyone is interested, and wants to know what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan, you should follow Michael Yon. Here’s his latest link. He doesn’t pull any punches and tells the truth, good or bad. A very brave man.
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/a-story-from-war.htm
Thank you LJ. What I learned is he is saying we are making more enemies the way Obama is conducting the war. That Afghani’s are affected by deeds (action) not WORDS. If we stop bombing the very people we claim to be helping, we will stop intensifying the insurgency and leading AFghani’s toward the insurgents and away from the very people supposedly helping them, us and our troops.
Maybe if Obama will stop referring to this as a War, that will help. He seems being driven by the Corporations, GE/NBC, etc, and that’s why Biden wants to increase the war of the machines (drones and bombs)…which Obama has increased, not decreased, since taking office…which also feeds into driving more insurgency and support for them, which is AGAIN counter to what he campaigned on.
The guy is such a loser. And yes, they are once again helping paint the usual picture of Dem’s being weak.
Can we call this Supporting Afghanistan? Therefore no more war of the machines on the AFghani’s?
I got it. New mission name,
They want to do it on the cheap. They are redefining their goalpost — it is not Taliban, it is the Al-Queda, stupid! And they are only 100 of them in Afghanistan — Oh, goody! They want to tolerate the Taliban but strike Al-Queda using drones (Biden’s plan!)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091008/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_afghanistan
Spot on Larry!
It is now at the point that we MUST be successful in Afghanistan and we MUST be seen as being successful, or we will continue to suffer from post-Viet Nam sydrome for several more decades. And the status of the U.S. in the eyes of the rest of the world in regard to other issues can’t be held even remotely to what it was in the past if we don’t.
The post on Eagleburger made that clear to me. He was worrying that Afghanistan will become another Viet Nam. During Desert Storm we conducted the operation always looking back over our shoulders to Viet Nam. In Iraq, Rummy and Cheney were doing their best for their pocketbooks first of all, IMHO, but also with backward glances at Viet Nam because they didn’t want to get accused of conducting another “Viet Nam.” (To me, that was one of their main reasons for subcontracting the Iraq War). And now, our POTUS is doing his best–probably given his close association with the likes of Ayers–not to be seen as conducting another Viet Nam.
I am not a military strategist, I do not like the thought of war because I am always worrying about the women, children, and animals who get caught in the crossfire. And that is exactly why I would have never presumed to try to become a CIC of the U.S. Armed Forces.
But I also know that war has been assoicated with humans since the first humans lived. I guess in Christian terms, since that is my family background, I am an Augustinian thinker on this and not a follower of Pelagius. We can’t be hoping that things will change and people will evolve to the point of not waging war and terror.
So I believe we need to settle Afghanistan finally for the world (at least for this next few decades or hopefully for the next century). I really would prefer that we had a strong leader who would see the sacrifices that need to be made to follow a winning strategy (And I do like what is outlined above) and to see it through no matter what political repercussions ensue for himself (since I think O is male, though mabye an extremely stunted one emotionalyy and mentally).
Sadly, I fear he doesn’t have the cajones.
And, sorry, Larry, I also should comment on your main point that it was entirely wrong to throw McChrystal as bait to all the slimy creatures that inhabit the pond scum that is Washington politics.
Although I was against us going to Vietnam and Iraq, this time I am perfectly compfortable with our staying in Afghanistan and even adding more troops (where do we get them?) if needed. This is what we should have done orginally instead if Iraq – could be that by now we would have made some progress with capturing Ben Loden and squeezing out the Taliban. I cannot say I am sure of us accomplishing that but we should have put our efforts there and not in Iraq.
Now Obama all confused worrying about pleasing his supporters to whom he promised to withdraw our troops during the election process.
It is painful watching him squirm!
A question to pm317, I am frustrated trying to log on to hillaryis44.0rg for four days now. Do you know what is wrong? I sure miss that website!!
I can connect to them now. They had some problems — some kind of attacks yesterday and the day before but are up now. You may want to clear your cache if you still have problems.
Larry,
Let’s not confuse the unpleasant facts of living in a tough world that Gen McChrystal has disclosed with the giddy message of hope and change brought to us by the self-defined history’s greatest savior, Barrack Obama. McChrystal’s flaw is that he thinks that he is a military commander charged with achieving victory that is in the interests of the United States. Unfortunately, his Commander and Chief sees McChrystal as merely the latest in what appears will need to be a continuing line of sacrificable military pawns who will serve as fall guys for explaining why the mutually exclusive promises made by said Commander in Chief during the campaign that are now coming due cannot be accomplished. Does anyone really think that the crew currently occupying the White House gives a rat’s ass about what happens in Afghanistan beyond achieving the bare minimum result necessary for the President’s re-election? If so, pull of your blinders, open your eyes and unplug your ears.
You’re exactly right. Kicking the can down the road has already started to happen.
AP source: Obama focusing on al-Qaida, not Taliban
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091008/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_afghanistan
Bowing to the reality that the Taliban is too ingrained in Afghanistan’s culture to be entirely defeated, the administration is prepared, as it has been for some time, to accept some Taliban role in parts of Afghanistan, the official said. That could mean paving the way for Taliban members willing to renounce violence to participate in a central government — though there has been little receptiveness to this among the Taliban. It might even mean ceding some regions of the country to the Taliban.
lol yeah, like he’s focusing on the Health Insurance companies to change the Health Care Reform name to “Health Insurance Reform”. Except there is no Insurance reform, it’s just in the title because they polled and the Insurance Companies came up with the negatives. Just like Bush’s “Clear Skies Iniative”…just like anything else he proposes…it’s in the name, not in the action.
The biggest clue is exactly whats going on. When you read McChrystals assesment, like he said at his speech in London, troops to train afghan to help themself, not drones and bombs that drive the insurgency. Obama is claiming, but doing the opposite.
Exactly I read through all General McChrystals recommendations last night this shows all the information they asked for has fallen on deaf ears! Mindblowing just mindblowing.
No idea why the General was asked for his insight to the war on terror in Afghanistan.
Yes.
That One doesn’t like it because this sort of assessment and plan calls for a return of the country to its people for them to determine what they want and not to a group of radicals. No wonder That One was offended, little autocrat that he is.
Yes, let’s all “bow” to the Reality, just like Thee One bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. My “reality” is this: religious fanatics do not compromise; they bide their time until they can fulfill their divine mandate on Earth. To do less would be sacrilegious. You cannot make a deal with religious fanatics: their spiritual contract with God means more to them than any earthly contract they might make with NATO or POTUS.
Spot on, oowawa.
Unfortunately, you’re right. The only thing they understand is the business-end of a weapon pointed directly at them, either individually or collectively.
Yes Ferd–we’ll perhaps allow the Taliban to have limited participation in the Afghan government, but only provided they renounce violence. I’ll bet Putin will be rolling around the floor in a laughing fit when he hears that one . . .
Yeah, and Mr. Too-Busy-to-Meet-a-General-but Not-Too-D a m n-Busy-to-Play-Basketball will have the perfunctory passive-aggressive hissy fit.
Better yet, why don’t we just ask Al Queada to renounce violence?
Why didn’t Bush think of that? This is all Bush’s fault.
I head Gibbs out there on the WUSA soundbite, saying “The taliban are bad and evil sure, but on the “spectrum”, blah blah blah. Al Q …
Why does this administration insist on having a idiot speak for an idiot? Or as Bagala said “Dummy”.
Gibbs needs to go back to his former milieu as a recurring stuttering character in Warner Brother cartoons.
This is all so much Misdirection … Keep your eyes on Soros.
The more I read about what is going on with this war I have to agree with the people that were warning the Obama administration not to get too deeply involved in Afghan, finish Iraq first.
The Obama administration thought it was hog wash, all nonsense by the Bush crew, now look at what is happening, we are in a bigger mess than ever and no one wants to admit that Bush people were correct in saying stay the course in Iraq, don’t bite off more than we can chew at the moment.
The White House declares the Taliban no longer an enemy: Taliban not an enemy
I heard that too, 0zer0 wants them to have a place in governing of Afghanistan. Pity the poor women there.
There seems to be a pattern in this. “terrorism” shifts to man made disaster. Terrorism solved. “Taliban” shifts to faith based partner. Taliban solved. Solving the worlds problems through shifting vernacular. So simple only a kindergartner could have thought of it. Or maybe some hopey-changey new age guru.
For sure, Docelder. That One doesn’t so much solve a problem as define it out of existence.
The other adjectives for such deliberate lies by omission or diversion are obfuscation and equivocation.
I heard one report that Gen. McChrystal’s original request was for 50,000, but he was pressured to lower the number.
If true, that would certainly negate any notion that the administration did not know what was coming!
The news from today seems to be stressing a focus on Pakistan, with only a small number of reinforcements to Afghanistan.
There were some signals toward this last week, when it was revealed that the inner circle were in discussion.
Fox also reported today that the troops in Afghanistan are in dire straits emotionally.
I heard that too; 0zer0 wants them to have a place in governing of Afghanistan. Pity the poor women there.
Collateral damage, Martha. Gotta give the Taliban something for renouncing violence–might as well be total control over the expendable women and children.
Sometimes my own sarcasm makes me feel sick.
weve been there 8 years almost. The situatio of women 7 girls has not improved .
We went into battle for despotic Kuwait inn91. Women did not get the vote till 2005 & then many roadblocks put into stopping them get further.
saudi Arabia is a big ally ,yet women & girls have no vestiges of anything we would call equality.
Afghans killed so many of their own citizens -esp educated women 1989-96 that the Taliban were not much worse.
Burquas are still the dress of women except for a few wealthy in kabul.
women in fuilthy burquas are to be found begging for their very existence on the streets of Kabul whilst billions flow in .
in summary -Afghanis HATE women & girls.
hmmm….sorry for the double post. Tried to edit but it just posted 2x.
Spot on, LJ. I’m going to read this again to ensure I understand fully what you’re saying here–it is just too important.
My opinion is that Mr.
IndecisiveWhich-Way-is-the-Wind-Blowing-Today is treating the military as little more than hired help, a scenario which disgusts me no end.Obama is doing it.
I am not all the way through the 66 page Doc, but from I have read, it appears that the General has a clear understanding of the historical context of the region and also is very clear about what MUST be avoided, if we are to succeed.
Page 5 sounds like he could have been talking about Obama.
I’m about 1/3 of the way through and have noticed the emphasis on understanding what the indigenous people want and not necessarily what the ISAF wants. That is a smart move that could truly undercut the Taliban, et al. I am liking what I’ve read so far.
LJ, I feel kinda awkward. I posted the analogy of MacAuther and Truman on aprevious thread before the comparision was made in the MSM.
I was thinking that the first reports of the generals’ review being leaked and the MSM running to cover BO’s behind, was history repeating itself.
I never meant to infer that the current “Styme” bore any resemblance to the past. In truth, I was think of what Senator Benson said.
.
Is it me or is “HOPE and CHANGE getting so predictible that it is ruining all the good DeJaVu’s?
Any how , my apologies for thinkin that BO had any humanity left to speak of.
OMG…some of the items recommended in this Assessment should be put into place HERE in the US.
No need to feel awkward. Your comment and approach were not out of line.
For the sake of brevity, I won’t go into the entire document but I believe McChrystal has it right. He understands that while the military is an integral part of the operation to bring the country back to the people of Afghanistan (and by so doing ultimately remove the influences of radical extremists), he knows all too well that the military cannot do it alone and the the military must, in some very specific ways, act less like a military force and more like the approachable cop on the beat, where such an approach is a possibility. This is a pragmatic bit of work that has his style written all over it. That this assessment calls for better cohesion between the various commands, including NATO is also a welcome switch. I see the outlines of a complete package, not perfect–but considering what they are trying to do and where, a really substantive piece of work. He’s done his homework and should be commended.
You know, Ferd. the General’s mistake was in thinking Obama must really be the inspirational idealist that his supporters think he is, that he wants to do good, root out evil, bring harmony among warring classes.
charlie wilsons present view on afganistan.
http://blog.buzzflash.com/alerts/699
“… an interview with the Pennsylvania paper, Wilson said he advocates a “calculated withdrawal” of American troops from the country, “rather than lose a lot of soldiers and treasure.”
On the eight-year anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan and during the heated debate in Washington over whether President Obama should commit more American troops to the region, Wilson’s words are incredibly significant. While many have argued recently that the war is unwinnable because Afghanistan is one of the most indomitable countries on the planet, hearing a passionate defender of the Afghan peoples’ right to self-govern say we should pull out is starkly different from typical anti-war sentiment.
Wilson’s reasoning is that we cannot beat the people we are fighting in Afghanistan:
“I’d rather take on a chain saw,” Mr. Wilson said. “They’re the world’s best foot soldiers, best warriors. And they’re fearless.
“They’re fearless, and they’ve got nothing to lose. And they have a pretty serious hatred for those who try to occupy their country.”