The general and the president

Dick Taffe — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:25:21 +0000

General Stanley McChrystal met privately with President Obama over contemptuous remarks the general and his staff made about top administration officials in a magazine article. Shortly thereafter, Obama relieved the McChrystal of his command as head of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. International relations Professor Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army officer and authority on U.S. military and diplomatic history, says in a New York Daily News commentary that Obama should have pocketed any McChrystal resignation and tell him to get back to work pending the planned December formal assessment of the Afghan situation.

“But if by December the outlook for Afghanistan remains bleak, a change of command in Kabul will be very much in order – not for insubordination but for incompetence.”

Contact Andrew Bacevich, 617-358-0194, bacevich@bu.edu

General summoned to White House

Dick Taffe — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:26:05 +0000

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal (r.), has been summoned to the White House to explain in person some controversial public remarks he made which were critical of the Obama administration. Political science Professor Graham Wilson, author of “Only in America? American Politics in Comparative Perspective,” says presidential power is cumulative and so is its loss – so looking feeble in one policy area makes a president lose authority in completely unrelated areas, too.

“More generally, this turmoil at the top of the Allied effort in Afghanistan further destroys public confidence in that war. Divided leadership plus continuing casualties equals loss of public support.”

Contact Graham Wilson, 617-353-2540, gkwilson@bu.edu

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The general and the president

General summoned to White House