Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature currently requires accessing the site using the built-in Safari browser.
It was 2:30 Tuesday morning in Kabul, after a busy day of travel to Kandahar and meetings with top Afghan officials, when Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was awakened by an aide with grim news.
"There's a Rolling Stone article out," the aide told McChrystal. "It's very, very bad."
Forty hours later, McChrystal had been relieved of his command, his 34-year military career in tatters. Apart from a terse apology, McChrystal has not discussed publicly the disparaging remarks that he and his aides made about administration officials and that appeared in the article.
On Friday, however, officials close to McChrystal began trying to salvage his reputation by asserting that the author, Michael Hastings, quoted the general and his staff in conversations that he was allowed to witness but not report. The officials also challenged a statement by Rolling Stone's executive editor that the magazine had thoroughly reviewed the story with McChrystal's staff ahead of publication.
The executive editor, Eric Bates, denied that Hastings violated any ground rules when he wrote about the four weeks he spent, on and off, with McChrystal and his team. "A lot of things were said off the record that we didn't use," Bates said in an interview. "We abided by all the ground rules in every instance."
A member of McChrystal's team who was present for a celebration of McChrystal's 33rd wedding anniversary at a Paris bar said it was "clearly off the record." Aides "made it very clear to Michael: 'This is private time. These are guys who don't get to see their wives a lot. This is us together. If you stay, you have to understand this is off the record,' " according to this source. In the story, the team members are portrayed as drinking heavily.
Neither McChrystal nor members of his staff have denied making any of the remarks quoted in the story, including a description of Obama as "uncomfortable and intimidated" in his first meeting with the general and a reference to national security adviser James L. Jones as a "clown."
The Eighth Army pressed north again in February, inflicting heavy casualties and recapturing Seoul in March 1951. Allied leaders had to once more consider whether they wanted MacArthur to invade North Korea or seek a peace. On March 24, MacArthur called on China to admit that it had been defeated, simultaneously challenging both the Chinese and his own superiors. Then on April 5, Representative Joseph William Martin, Jr. revealed a letter from MacArthur critical of President Truman's limited-war strategy, providing copies of it to the press and reading it aloud on the floor of the house.[245] The letter concluded with:
It seems strangely difficult for some to realize that here in Asia is where the Communist conspirators have elected to make their play for global conquest, and that we have joined the issue thus raised on the battlefield; that here we fight Europe’s war with arms while the diplomats there still fight it with words; that if we lose the war to communism in Asia the fall of Europe is inevitable, win it and Europe most probably would avoid war and yet preserve freedom. As you pointed out, we must win. There is no substitute for victory.[246]
That day too, the Joint Chiefs of Staff drafted orders for MacArthur authorizing him to attack airbases in Manchuria and Shantung with nuclear weapons if Chinese air strikes originated from there.[247] The next day, April 6, Truman summoned Secretary of Defense George Marshall, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Omar Bradley, Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Averill Harriman to discuss what to do about MacArthur. The two generals were opposed to the idea of MacArthur's relief but Acheson was strongly in favor. The Joint Chiefs met on April 8 and agreed that MacArthur was not guilty of insubordination and had stretched but not violated any orders.[248] The Joint Chiefs concurred with but did not recommend MacArthur's relief, although they felt that it was correct "from a purely military point of view."[249] The next day Truman ordered MacArthur's relief by Ridgway. The order went out on April 10 with Bradley's signature. The relief led to a storm of controversy.[250] The fighting would go on until ended by the Armistice Agreement in July 1953.[251]
A better question is why would McChrystal agree to allow a Rolling Stone reporter to spend four weeks in his entourage? Why choose a reporter from a magazine so lefty and then bitch that an unflattering portrait was drawn when you are a military man?
I think McChrystal hoped the article would blacken Obama's directives on the war and force a change McChrystal wanted badly enough to roll the dice. But here's the rub: no one elected McChrystal President. Ditacting policy ain't his job. Carrying it out was, and if he felt he could not do so, resignation -- not blabbering to a reporter -- was the honorable remedy. This nation does not ever, ever ever need a military man to come to believe he is more powerful than the President.
I am no history buff, but didn't MacArthur pull this very same stunt on Truman over the Korean War?
The Eighth Army pressed north again in February, inflicting heavy casualties and recapturing Seoul in March 1951. Allied leaders had to once more consider whether they wanted MacArthur to invade North Korea or seek a peace. On March 24, MacArthur called on China to admit that it had been defeated, simultaneously challenging both the Chinese and his own superiors. Then on April 5, Representative Joseph William Martin, Jr. revealed a letter from MacArthur critical of President Truman's limited-war strategy, providing copies of it to the press and reading it aloud on the floor of the house.[245] The letter concluded with:
It seems strangely difficult for some to realize that here in Asia is where the Communist conspirators have elected to make their play for global conquest, and that we have joined the issue thus raised on the battlefield; that here we fight Europes war with arms while the diplomats there still fight it with words; that if we lose the war to communism in Asia the fall of Europe is inevitable, win it and Europe most probably would avoid war and yet preserve freedom. As you pointed out, we must win. There is no substitute for victory.[246]
That day too, the Joint Chiefs of Staff drafted orders for MacArthur authorizing him to attack airbases in Manchuria and Shantung with nuclear weapons if Chinese air strikes originated from there.[247] The next day, April 6, Truman summoned Secretary of Defense George Marshall, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Omar Bradley, Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Averill Harriman to discuss what to do about MacArthur. The two generals were opposed to the idea of MacArthur's relief but Acheson was strongly in favor. The Joint Chiefs met on April 8 and agreed that MacArthur was not guilty of insubordination and had stretched but not violated any orders.[248] The Joint Chiefs concurred with but did not recommend MacArthur's relief, although they felt that it was correct "from a purely military point of view."[249] The next day Truman ordered MacArthur's relief by Ridgway. The order went out on April 10 with Bradley's signature. The relief led to a storm of controversy.[250] The fighting would go on until ended by the Armistice Agreement in July 1953.[251]
Douglas MacArthur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A better question is why would McChrystal agree to allow a Rolling Stone reporter to spend four weeks in his entourage? Why choose a reporter from a magazine so lefty and then bitch that an unflattering portrait was drawn when you are a military man?
<snip>
Douglas MacArthur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A better question is why would McChrystal agree to allow a Rolling Stone reporter to spend four weeks in his entourage? Why choose a reporter from a magazine so lefty and then bitch that an unflattering portrait was drawn when you are a military man?
<snip>
Douglas MacArthur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
He probably thought the RS guy could get him drugs.
I'm so glad Obama fired his ass. The topics on the Sunday shows are going to be all about this.
There's no such thing as "off the record"
Reporting isn't a game like tag.
There's no time outs, there's no alli alli infrees, there's no free base
The General knew that.
It's foolish to imagine otherwise.
The General choose to end his career with a splash.
Perhaps, he thought he was throwing himself on a sword to save the nation.
Perhaps his motives more more selfish than that.
But to imagine that the Rolling Stone betrayed him is preposterous.
Gen. McChrystal allies, Rolling Stone disagree over article's ground rules
It was 2:30 Tuesday morning in Kabul, after a busy day of travel to Kandahar and meetings with top Afghan officials, when Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was awakened by an aide with grim news.
"There's a Rolling Stone article out," the aide told McChrystal. "It's very, very bad."
Forty hours later, McChrystal had been relieved of his command, his 34-year military career in tatters. Apart from a terse apology, McChrystal has not discussed publicly the disparaging remarks that he and his aides made about administration officials and that appeared in the article.
On Friday, however, officials close to McChrystal began trying to salvage his reputation by asserting that the author, Michael Hastings, quoted the general and his staff in conversations that he was allowed to witness but not report. The officials also challenged a statement by Rolling Stone's executive editor that the magazine had thoroughly reviewed the story with McChrystal's staff ahead of publication.
The executive editor, Eric Bates, denied that Hastings violated any ground rules when he wrote about the four weeks he spent, on and off, with McChrystal and his team. "A lot of things were said off the record that we didn't use," Bates said in an interview. "We abided by all the ground rules in every instance."
A member of McChrystal's team who was present for a celebration of McChrystal's 33rd wedding anniversary at a Paris bar said it was "clearly off the record." Aides "made it very clear to Michael: 'This is private time. These are guys who don't get to see their wives a lot. This is us together. If you stay, you have to understand this is off the record,' " according to this source. In the story, the team members are portrayed as drinking heavily.
Neither McChrystal nor members of his staff have denied making any of the remarks quoted in the story, including a description of Obama as "uncomfortable and intimidated" in his first meeting with the general and a reference to national security adviser James L. Jones as a "clown."
Thoughts USMB? Did he say it off-the-record? Even if it was, should of he had said it?
Gen. McChrystal allies, Rolling Stone disagree over article's ground rules
It was 2:30 Tuesday morning in Kabul, after a busy day of travel to Kandahar and meetings with top Afghan officials, when Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was awakened by an aide with grim news.
"There's a Rolling Stone article out," the aide told McChrystal. "It's very, very bad."
Forty hours later, McChrystal had been relieved of his command, his 34-year military career in tatters. Apart from a terse apology, McChrystal has not discussed publicly the disparaging remarks that he and his aides made about administration officials and that appeared in the article.
Neither McChrystal nor members of his staff have denied making any of the remarks quoted in the story, including a description of Obama as "uncomfortable and intimidated" in his first meeting with the general and a reference to national security adviser James L. Jones as a "clown."
Thoughts USMB? Did he say it off-the-record? Even if it was, should of he had said it?
It wasn't off the record, these interviews were approved even the ones his aids participated in were approved by the general. Michael Hastings was on Morning Joe describing how it went.
Gen. McChrystal allies, Rolling Stone disagree over article's ground rules
Thoughts USMB? Did he say it off-the-record? Even if it was, should of he had said it?
It wasn't off the record, these interviews were approved even the ones his aids participated in were approved by the general. Michael Hastings was on Morning Joe describing how it went.
well, I'm sure he'd never lie.............
It wasn't off the record, these interviews were approved even the ones his aids participated in were approved by the general. Michael Hastings was on Morning Joe describing how it went.
well, I'm sure he'd never lie.............
Does it feel good always talking yourself alone?
There's no such thing as "off the record"
Reporting isn't a game like tag.
There's no time outs, there's no alli alli infrees, there's no free base
The General knew that.
It's foolish to imagine otherwise.
The General choose to end his career with a splash.
Perhaps, he thought he was throwing himself on a sword to save the nation.
Perhaps his motives more more selfish than that.
But to imagine that the Rolling Stone betrayed him is preposterous.
I don't know about that. I think what happened is he got caught being naive. We're talking about a SF guy that isn't used to being around the media. One would think a General would know better, but obviously not.
There's no such thing as "off the record"
Reporting isn't a game like tag.
There's no time outs, there's no alli alli infrees, there's no free base
The General knew that.
It's foolish to imagine otherwise.
The General choose to end his career with a splash.
Perhaps, he thought he was throwing himself on a sword to save the nation.
Perhaps his motives more more selfish than that.
But to imagine that the Rolling Stone betrayed him is preposterous.
I don't know about that. I think what happened is he got caught being naive. We're talking about a SF guy that isn't used to being around the media. One would think a General would know better, but obviously not.
I somewhat agree with you, but he has been in the spot light for a few years. Plus I a stupid single mom, who has taken one mass media class knows that you are always on the record.
I have a lot of respect for the man, he has served his country very well. But in any job, you don't publically put down your boss. When I was fifteen and got my first job, one of the first things they taught us was always talk postive about our place of business.
Does it even matter?
BO has lost the general he picked and replaced him with the one he shunned.
Patreus is the hero here. McChrsystal is the pawn. And BO is the Fool.
Does it even matter?
BO has lost the general he picked and replaced him with the one he shunned.
Patreus is the hero here. McChrsystal is the pawn. And BO is the Fool.
Sorry but he is not the fool here. He was the victim and he handled it. That really pisses you apologists off, doesn't it.
victim? Well, I suppose that poor thin skinned excuse for a man probably felt victimized, but come on.Last year I had three friends over there at the same time. And I have had many other friends from high school who have also gone over there. One guy I graduated with died over there. And my friends ex who was two years behind me in school, killed himself a few months ago. Plus I dated a guy who was in the7th Cav in Korea. I don't talk shit about what a man has done in War or in service.I don't know about that. I think what happened is he got caught being naive. We're talking about a SF guy that isn't used to being around the media. One would think a General would know better, but obviously not.
I somewhat agree with you, but he has been in the spot light for a few years. Plus I a stupid single mom, who has taken one mass media class knows that you are always on the record.
I have a lot of respect for the man, he has served his country very well. But in any job, you don't publically put down your boss. When I was fifteen and got my first job, one of the first things they taught us was always talk postive about our place of business.
Oh, I agree, the things shouldn't have bee said, I mean think man... but i don't think he did it on purpose or anything sinister like that. He's a solider, not a pR guy, like i said one would think a General would no better but......
Kudos for not going the Sarah route and trashing the guy's service, he doesn't deserve that.
