McChrystal mouths off

American politics

Democracy in America

The war in Afghanistan

McChrystal mouths off

by R.M. | WASHINGTON, DC

HAMID KARZAI is no longer the only leader in Afghanistan prone to extraordinary outbursts. General Stanley McChrystal, the American and NATO commander in Afghanistan, has been called back to Washington to explain a string of unguarded comments that appear in a new Rolling Stone profile. In the piece, General McChrystal and his staff show open contempt for senior administration officials, including Joe Biden, Karl Eikenberry, the ambassador to Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, the special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and James Jones, the national security adviser, who is referred to as a "clown". Aides to General McChrystal also say the commander was "pretty disappointed" by his first meeting with Barack Obama, whom they describe as "uncomfortable and intimidated". Mr Obama is said to be furious, and General McChrystal's job may be on the line.

Last year the president chose General McChrystal to escalate the Afghan war—a strategy that was opposed by some in the White House, including Mr Biden and Mr Eikenberry. The article makes clear that tensions from that debate still linger, despite the fact that the general and his staff got their way. Most of the sniping is aimed at officials who voiced scepticism of the Afghan effort. But the profile reveals no substantive differences between the general and the president, and for this reason General McChrystal may be able to keep his job (despite previous difficulties with the chain of command). With only a year left before American forces are to begin withdrawing, the White House will want to avoid the disruption of a change in command.

General McChrystal's reaction to the article has been swift and contrite.

It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honour and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard.

That is a humble response from an earnest man burdened with unrealistic expectations. General McChrystal is expected to accomplish in two years what his predecessors could not accomplish in eight. His local partner is corrupt, incompetent and often at odds with his American allies. America's war effort has recently suffered setbacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where American forces are fighting to crush the Taliban insurgency. General McChrystal is under immense pressure to turn the "good war" around, and, before today, he had accepted that charge with quiet determination. Now he faces an altogether different mission: repairing his relationship with the White House, and keeping his job.

Update: Rolling Stone's executive editor, Eric Bates, says General McChrystal was informed of the quotes prior to publication of the article and he did not raise any objections. "We ran everything by them in the fact-checking process as we always do," Mr Bates said. "They had a sense of what was coming and it was all on the record and they spent a lot of time with our reporter, so I think they knew that they had said it."

Update II: In a briefing just now, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, would not confirm that General McChrystal's job is safe. "We'll have more to say after [tomorrow's] meeting," said Mr Gibbs. He later added, "All options are on the table."