Obama and his Generals

I find myself in the unusual and somewhat uncomfortable position of agreeing with Eugene Robinson. Here is a snip from his column at the Washington Post:

How to proceed in Afghanistan will be among the most difficult and fateful decisions that President Obama ever makes. But he's the one who has to decide, not his generals. The men with the stars on their shoulders -- and I say this with enormous respect for their patriotism and service -- need to shut up and salute.

Robinson links to another WaPo article about the "public campaign" that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, is apparently waging.

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who commands the 100,000 U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, warned bluntly last week in a London speech that a strategy for defeating the Taliban that is narrower than the one he is advocating would be ineffective and "short-sighted." The comments effectively rejected a policy option that senior White House officials, including Vice President Biden, are considering nearly eight years after the U.S. invasion.

Now I can understand McChrystal's position. He wants to go all in, and apparently believes that he cannot achieve his mission or protect his troops without that kind of commitment. The Administration is obviously having second thoughts about that, but probably won't make a decision to pull all out. That would leave his general to fight a whole war with half a commitment. McChrystal doesn't want to be in charge of a war he is not allowed to win.

But Robinson is clearly right: it is not the role of a general to engage in a public debate with his commander in chief, if that is what he is doing. It up to President Obama, and him alone, to decide the policy. It is up to his generals to do or resign. In the Republic, people in suits tell people in uniforms what to do.

I can't resist suggesting that, were the tables turned, and a general publicly disagreeing with George W. Bush about the surge policy in Iraq, Robinson would be offering the opposite advice. But since I can only speculate about that, I withdraw the suggestion. Robinson is right on this one.

Comments

[duggersd]

I cannot disagree with the advice that the general needs to shut up and salute. He is a general, not the President. However, I suspect General MaChrystal is feeling like he is suffering from a knife wound in the back. President Obama articulated a strategy. President Obama said he would rely upon the advice of people such as the commanders in the field. President Obama promised General MaChrystal the resources to do the job. Now President Obama is backtracking because the war in Afghanistan is not as important to him as it was during the campaign. I will be surprised if there is a general left in the service after President Obama is through.

[london]

I agree with Gen.McChrystal's needs.he is a General and he know more than president Obama what is the right for war.. and troops is a necessity of the war..

[KB]

I agree with both comments. If there is any excuse for Gen. McChrystal's public campaign, it is that he is dealing with a President who seems never to produce a decision. But the General's expertise is limited to the field of war. The President's field of operation is much larger. He has to make the decision.