Will McChrystal Be Fired? White House Says "All Options Are on the Table"

AP

Updated 5:35 p.m. Eastern Time

Asked by CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Chip Reid whether the White House is considering firing Gen. Stanley McChrystal at the White House briefing today, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs replied that "all options are on the table."

Meanwhile, CBS News has confirmed that McChrystal planned to offer a letter of resignation to President Obama ahead of a face-to-face meeting between the president and general tomorrow in Washington. 

As a military man, McChrystal would pro forma give his boss the choice of accepting or declining his resignation.The president still has to decide whether to accept it. 

Gibbs said Mr. Obama has not made any decisions on whether to remove McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, in the wake of an incendiary Rolling Stone article in which McChrystal and his aides are quoted criticizing Mr. Obama and many other members of the administration.

He indicated the White House will have more to say following the meeting tomorrow. 

Still, Gibbs made clear that the White House was extremely unhappy with McChrystal, the engineer of the American war strategy in Afghanistan. Gibbs said Mr. Obama was "angry" about the comments in the article and that McChrystal made an "enormous mistake in judgment." He also -- pointedly -- declined to say McChrystal's job is safe.

In the article, McChrystal complains that at an early meeting the president was unprepared; Gibbs quipped at the briefing that the general will have the president's "undivided attention" at the meeting tomorrow.

The press secretary added that "the magnitude and greatness of the mistake here are profound" and amounted to "distractions" to the war effort.  

At the meeting tomorrow, Gibbs said, McChrystal will be asked to tell the president and top officials, many of whom came under criticism from the general and his aides in the story, "what in the world he was thinking."

Gibbs told reporters that Mr. Obama -- who as the commander-in-chief could plausibly cite the general for insubordination  -- has not yet spoken to McChrystal about the article. A senior military official in Afghanistan told The Associated Press McChrystal has been no indication as to whether he will keep his job.

Top House Democrat David Obey has called for the "dangerous" McChrystal to be removed, while Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), and Lindsey Graham have called McChrystal's comments "inappropriate" and said the president should make a decision about his future. 

9 Photos

General McChrystal and President Obama

McChrystal has apologized for the story, in which he expresses concerns about President Obama, appears to mock Vice President Joe Biden and is described by an aide as seeing Richard C. Holbrooke, Obama's senior envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, as a "wounded animal." In the story, McChrystal's aides are quoted calling national security adviser James L. Jones a "clown" who remains "stuck in 1985" and mocking other officials.

Michael Hastings, the author of the profile, said in an interview on the network Tuesday afternoon that "it was all very clear it was on the record."

Hastings said he was "completely taken aback" by some of the strong comments offered about members of the administration by McChrystal and his staff.

"I suspected it, obviously, that there were tensions there," he said. "But the candor in which they were delivered from the minute I arrived in Paris was extraordinary."

MORE COVERAGE:

McChrystal Ordered to W.H. to Explain Critique

Top Democrat David Obey Calls for "Dangerous" McChrystal to be Relieved of Command

McChrystal, Staff Disparage Team Obama

Washington Unplugged: Fallout From General McChrystal Comments

Ambinder: The McChrystal Fallout

General McChrystal Clearly in Four-Star Trouble

Gates: McChrystal Made a "Significant Mistake"

Hamid Karzai Backs McChrystal amid Uproar

McCain, Lieberman, Graham: McChrystal Comments Inappropriate

McChrystal Apologizes for Critical Remarks

Pictures: General McChrystal and President Obama

[mariannpepit]

Instead of firing the general so quickly, Obama should have sat down with him and asked him what was his purpose for this comments and where did our administration go wrong. Obama spent 10 minutes with him prior to this incident. I do not blame him for being mad. Biden may be a nice person but he is not VP material. The general is not dumb and he spotted all of this and Obama included. I think Obama reads up on previous wars such as the Vietnam war to get ideas on how to make changes and answer questions. Is his administration a joke. If you want my opinion, YES. Obama is no Bill Clinton and he cannot manage the deficit. He should have stayed an attorney. The people that voted for him are now turning their cheek the other way. Well, they deserve what they got.

[alphaa10000]

THE CHAIN OF COMMAND

In an American version of democracy, the civilians rule. That means the president is commander-in-chief, with all the rights, privileges and duties of leadership appertaining thereto. Generals and privates are subordinate to the commander, regardless of their dislike or disagreement.

But in an administration dedicated from the outset to be far more transparent than the previous-- including criminal scheming that made Uncle D-ick Cheney's office into a clandestine assassination bureau-- Obama has tried to engage in give-and-take from those who loudly disagree, even those whose exclusive purpose is to divide and take spoils of conflict. The "Party of NO" easily comes to mind.

Through history, disagreements between a president and his general are too many to count. From an unsuccessful general (like McClellan, whose army Lincoln said he would like to "borrow") to a relatively non-political general like Eisenhower (sought by both parties as party nominee for president) to a (sometimes) very successful general like McArthur (who admired the Roman empire more than the American democracy), there has been an infinite variety of relations with the White House. Occasional puffs of smoke are routine in any administration facing a wide range of high-pressure challenges.

The issue is to define when disagreement is normal discussion, and when it manifests pathology. When disagreement is carried public with the clear intent to damage, disparage and defame-- whatever its basis in fact-- that is unacceptable. Having read McChrystal's comments, it is clear his intention was to unload his frustrations, regardless of the possibility he might be wrong and do damage to the leadership he promised to serve.

The problem for McChrystal is emotions and disparagement are poor material for policy review and improvement, and the general clearly did not intend constructive comment. Gen. McChrystal clearly understood enough of his own purposes to anticipate resignation before his incendiary remarks were published.

The McChrystal story also has deeper context-- McChrystal is not entirely blinded by anger, but now plays his card of media notoriety as carefully as Sarah Palin. The GOP desperately seeks even implausible candidate material for 2012, and McChrystal presumably was approached long ago about his future when his views became known in Washington military and GOP circles.

Look for a campaign to "rehabilitate" and dust off McChrystal for glorious, if abbreviated service as cannon fodder for the GOP in its effort to discredit Obama. The GOP, in embracing McChrystal, is a hair's breadth away from undermining the effort in Afghanistan, just as it did under Bush.

To paraphrase Cheney, the GOP now "dithers" whether to use McChrystal to criticize the war in Afghanistan-- the same war it urged Obama to enter.

[Jim1900]

I am tempted to think that McChrystal should do his patriotic duty and get the Republican nomination. He would lose even more badly than Sarah would.

[alipatrick]

I think he should be fired. As a veteran of 20 years I think it is appalling that a senior officer can show such insubordination. NCOs, Non-Commission officers are expected to obey the orders of Commission Officers(such as Gen. McChrystal. I find it disgusting how he can be a general. I hope the President fire him, for if he doesn't, he will not get my vote in the next election. This goes to the very fabric of the military- you have to obey legal orders and set aside personal political

[oufan1953]

The general got where he is by being a very smart guy. He may have reached the end of his rope. I would speculate that his comments were intentional and aimed at letting our troops know "I understand what you are going through and I can't get any help". All military personnel know what they should and should not say and do- this guy knows the rules all to well. This may mean that we are in far worse trouble overseas that anyone knows. Mr. Obama doesn't have the foresight in war tactics that the general has (neither does Biden). Maybe he should have just resigned but where would that leave our troops? I don't want to see the presidency turn into a dictatorship. Maybe we should read between the lines.

[Jim1900]

As an armchair psychologist (as of this evening at any rate), I expect the General thinks that the war will end badly, or at least inconclusively and he doesn't want to be blamed for it. It is probably about what he accuses Ambassador Eikenberry of doing in covering himself by accusing others. Not that any of this is at the conscious level; it may just be frustration at this point.

At any rate, that is what happens when you get into an open-ended war that W. and Cheney got us into. Remember "taking the fight to the enemy"? Well how many decades do you want to spend doing it? I don't think they will necessarily like us any better over there the longer we stay. Time to pull the plug as graciously as possible and get out.

[grtgrtgranny]

So just because "someone" got their feelings hurt, McChrystal looses his right to "Freedom of Speech"???? I thought we were all guaranteed our Freedom of Speech - even if others disagree w/us. Why does this NOT surprise me!!!! RIDICULOUS - I'M SICK OF ALL THIS PC JUNK.

I also agree that ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, are all COMPLETELY BIASED TO THE BLEADING HEART LIBERALS - I'm quickly turning away from most of their programming.

Whatever happened to UN-BIASED REPORTING. Give me BOTH sides to a story & let me make up my own mind. As a great-great grandmother, I am VERY SAD for the young people who will some day be the decision makers. They don't stand a chance in hell of being able to use their intelligence when only ONE SIDE of most important issues are crammed down their throats!!!

[alphaa10000]

UNBIASED SPIN

grtgrtgranny said, "... Whatever happened to UN-BIASED REPORTING. Give me BOTH sides to a story..."
---

Give you both "sides", and then let you choose your bias? A bias of choice remains a bias.

That much is obvious, as you confess your bias about "bleeding heart liberals".

But truth is not merely the aggregate of many interpretations of the same set of facts.

Unalloyed truth is all the important facts in full context.

Truth is the only objective, and it should be yours.

Don't worry about the young-- when you lead by example, they tend to notice. (But don't forget to learn from them, too. A fresh approach to a classic problem is priceless.)

[mariannpepit]

You are so right. It took this general with the guts to say what we all know about Obama and his administration. He has the worst administration in presidential history. Gates, Gibbs, Napolitano, Sebelius, Emmanuel and others. Thanks to this general for letting out his thoughts and telling the truth which Obama knows and could not accept. Thats why republicans are winning primaries.

[longtree-2009]

if mcchrystal has any honor whatsoever, any integrity, he will resign and retire immediately. obama as commander-in-chief should retire mcchrystal. but if the general is an honorable soldier, and there appears to be serious doubt of that, he should retire himself immediately. if any of you out there have served in the military, past or present as enlisted or officer, you know mcchrystal needs to resign, retire. have served twice myself and the general is and was way, way out of line for a commanding general.

[uswarrior]

I don't see what GEN McChrystal did so wrong to deserve such harsh judgement. He didn't write the article, a Rolling Stone reporter did. The article quotes aids, not the General. And the quotes are old, said at a time when most Soldiers worried about the military competence of President Obama. The GEN is not insubordinate, he follows the orders of the CINC and, without question, believes in our constitution's dictate of civilian control of the military. He is being verbally counseled for public remarks about the Chain like any Soldier would. But he is not just any Soldier, he is a tremendously honorable, valuable leader; a master tactician and military strategist for our Nation. Most of us Soldiers admire and respect him, and follow him without reserve. His retirement would not serve our country, it would definitely serve the Taliban. Which makes me wonder, Longtree-2009, where you are from...

[riptide213]

Punji stick politics.

So it is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you can win a hundred political battles without a single loss.

If you only know yourself, but not your opponent, you may politically win or may lose.

If you know neither yourself nor your enemy, you will always politically endanger yourself.

[babooph]

Mc got his surge & still seems to be losing-hope Obama acts faster than LBJ with Westmorland...Mc can still go around the nation giving talks[on his victory] to Cleopatra nuts in denial,like Westy did...

[love2ridend]

Those people are really dreaming if you think he will be court martial
that will never happen. Yes you can quote the UCMJ but unless you commit an equivalent of a felony you will rarely be court martialed. He was wrong yes but did anybody get hurt? The very worst they would do and that I seriously doubt will happen is Article 15 or what we called Captains Mass in the Navy. He will probably retire with full benefits and I am guessing he has 30 years and recieve 75% of his base pay. Get a job with a news agency and live happy ever after. Just a foot note in history.

[erasmus111]

by love2ridend June 22, 2010 6:04 PM EDT
He was wrong yes but did anybody get hurt?


I can't actually believe that you said that.

What he did has hurt your whole country!

The whole freakin' world sees how divided Americans are. That can't be good. There is no unity at all. Just hatred.

And to have a U.S. Commander be so disloyal and disrespectful is absolutely unacceptable.

This is very hurtful. This isn't something that the whole world should be seeing.

In my country we show respect for our "leader", even though we may not agree with everything he says or does. We don't air our dirty laundry to the world.

[larrryshrine]

Good reply. By the way, what country are you in?

[cleric60]

I know, I know...the General should offer Prez. Obama a beer or two beers or maybe three beers--O let's make a 12-pack. And the General could say that his words were mis-interpreted or taken out of context or the media reporter mix-up what he really was trying to say about his boss-Prez. Obama. It was just a big misunderstanding.
Let's have another beer summit! okay?????