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From: Jeff Strickland on 14 Oct 2009 16:35

"JoeSpareBedroom" <newstrash(a)frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:g8qBm.43696$lR3.26810(a)newsfe25.iad...
> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:hb5afj$pk0$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>
>> "JoeSpareBedroom" <newstrash(a)frontiernet.net> wrote in message
>> news:vMpBm.43695$lR3.5611(a)newsfe25.iad...
>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> news:hb58i6$7re$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>>
>>>> "JoeSpareBedroom" <newstrash(a)frontiernet.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:zNoBm.43692$lR3.1085(a)newsfe25.iad...
>>>>> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/magazine/18Afghanistan-t.html?hp=&pagewanted=all
>>>>>
>>>>> More than one paragraph long, so it won't be right for some of you TV
>>>>> droolers. Sorry.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That's a sobering portrayal of McChrystal. He seems like a good
>>>> general, thinks before he acts and such. Why would President Obama send
>>>> him to Afghanistan, then think twice about the troop levels his General
>>>> is asking for?
>>>>
>>>> Seems the President is playing politics, or playing TO the politics.
>>>
>>>
>>> Your interpretation, as always, is one which suits your NEEDS, and may
>>> not have any relationship with reality.
>>>
>>> I said MAY NOT.
>>>
>>
>> What are you talking about? Not the story you posted, that's clear.
>>
>> What's YOUR interpretation?
>
>
> �I didn�t get any assurances from anyone that I would be given any amount
> of time,� McChrystal said. �I didn�t get any assurances from anyone that I
> would be given any amount of resources. I didn�t ask for any assurances.�
>
> For a moment, McChrystal paused.
>
> �I don�t feel like the lonely man in the arena,� he said, �with all the
> pressure on my shoulders.�
>
>


Interestingly, the IMMEDIATELY PRECEEDING paragraph says,
<quote>
�I took this job because I was asked to take it, and because it is very,
very important,� McChrystal told me. �Admiral Mullen� � head of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff � �specifically said to me: �You go out, you decide what
needs to be done, and you tell me whatever you need to do that. Don�t
constrain yourself because of politics. You tell me what you need.� �

</quote>


Funny how you can pick out the single comment in the entire story that says,
I was not given any assurances of anything," right after he says he was
told, "tell us what you need to get the job done."

Later in the story,
<quote>
When the briefing was finished, McChrystal looked around the room.
�Gentlemen, I am coming into this job with 12 months to show demonstrable
progress here � and 24 months to have a decisive impact,� he said. �That�s
how long we have to convince the Taliban, the Afghan people and the American
people that we�re going to be successful. In 24 months, it has to be obvious
that we have the clear upper hand and that things are moving in the right
direction. That�s not a choice. That�s a reality.�
</quote>


It's not entirely clear whom created the time constraints, and I'm not sure
that it matters, but McChrystal clearly thinks there is a time constraint.






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