Spec ops officers shocked by McChrystal comments

[unhappycamper]

Spec ops officers shocked by McChrystal comments
By Sean Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 22, 2010 23:10:47 EDT

Special operations officers who have worked closely with Gen. Stanley McChrystal declared themselves “shocked” and “floored” by comments attributed to him and his staff in a Rolling Stone article that has jeopardized his position as senior military commander in Afghanistan.

But the officers differed on whether President Obama should fire McChrystal for the comments, which included the general and his aides joking disparagingly about Vice President Joe Biden and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, who is the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and a McChrystal aide referring to National Security Advisor James Jones, a retired Marine general, as “a clown” who is “stuck in 1985.”

“I was shocked, because I know a lot of those guys,” said a special mission unit officer who has worked closely with McChrystal. “The comment about Jones, the comment about Holbrooke? Come on, are you kidding me? That’s just – unprofessional is a mild word for it.

“I was surprised they would say that kind of stuff to each other, especially in that environment. I was absolutely floored that they would do it with someone from Rolling Stone who was there to gather material for an article.”

Indeed, it was the comments attributed to members of McChrystal’s staff that made the biggest impact on the special ops officers. “McChrystal has surrounded himself with a bunch of clowns … who don’t have really a … clue of what their role is and what they’re doing,” said a Special Forces officer with extensive experience in Afghanistan.

[tsuki]

1. After reading the article, that was my belief. Staffers don;t speak like

that to reporters unless they are in a very undisciplined environment. Lack of discipline and respect at the top leads to lack of discipline and respect at the bottom.

[unblock]

3. or unless mcchrystal wanted them to do exactly what they did

i still say he wants out, but can't quit. this is a perfect way to get fired.
then he can run an anti-obama political campaign, sell books, get speaking fees, consult, etc.

[tsuki]

5. And collect his retirement, 75% of his base pay plus medical, pharma,

and the socialized commissary and PX privileges.

I would say he probably wants out, but going out looking like a clown among his peers is not the way most military men want to exit. He burned a lot of bridges in the military, and defense contracting liaison (which is the heftier salary) offering probably won't be in the offerings.

[glitch]

10. Lackeys following Cheney and his best buds (like McChrystal) do.

They're masters of the universe, architects of the new american century, in their minds anything they say is gold.

[jbnow]

12. They had cases of beer and a long bus ride. Drinking can loosen

lips and weaken judgment. It was within first 24 hours of meeting the reporter so it wasn't being use to him being around like pundits say... it was drinking (Bud Lime or some name like that) and stupidly babbling.

However the general wasn't that careless... author says that he didn't print the much more controversial statements made because he was told they were off the record... and he honored that.
But the asshole SAID even worse things. He can't keep0 mouth shut?

[Swamp Rat]

2. Rumsferatu lackeys

McChrystal is a war criminal and should be sent to the Hague along with the rest of the Bushler cabal.

Example: "We have shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat." + the fact that he continues to do so = war crime.

[NNN0LHI]

4. McChrystal has surrounded himself with a bunch of clowns

Or better known in some circles as the Good ole boy club.

Don

[tsuki]

7. The clowns attacked some of the GOB's. That's a no-no in military

circles. I say that he's going to be on the outside looking in.

[datasuspect]

6. maybe he'll run for office as a republican, "Renegade Redux, Part II"

i can see it now . . .

[Major Hogwash]

8. Calling General James Jones a clown was the most ridiculous comment of them all.

And anyone who has ever met the man would have known better than to call the former Commandant of the Marine Corps a clown.
He's anything but a clown.
He's a Marine's Marine.
Dedicated, loyal, and very intelligent.
A total Marine.

When I read that comment about General Jones, I thought either that asshole that said that about him had been drinking, or he was talking about someone from his hometown named Jones.

[Scurrilous]

9. K & R

:thumbsup:

[11 Bravo]

11. Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of the UCMJ should be shocked.

(And more than a little pissed off.)