WASHINGTON — In a memoir, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the former U.S. commander in Afghanistan, writes that tensions between the White House and the Pentagon were evident in the Obama administration from its opening months in office.
The beginning of President Barack Obama’s first term ‘‘saw the emergence of an unfortunate deficit of trust between the White House and the Department of Defense, largely arising from the decision-making process on Afghanistan,’’ McChrystal writes in the book, titled ‘‘My Share of the Task: A Memoir". ‘‘The effects were costly.’’
Comments
Reminds me of Clausewitz arguing for the importance of statesmen to determine the objectives of war, not generals: War in reality is also never absolute because it does not consist of a single, short blow. This is because a nation cannot bring all of its resources, to include “the fighting forces proper, the country . . . and its allies” to bear all at once, and because both sides may attempt to overcome initial shortcomings later in the conflict. Finally, war in reality is never absolute because it is never final -- even a defeated state may still recover. For these reasons, the dynamic that leads to extremes fades, and the political purpose which governs the conflict reasserts itself.[9] This analysis yields Clausewitz’s famous formula that “War is Merely the Continuation of Policy by Other Means.” This result firmly establishes the dominance of political over military considerations. “Policy, then, will permeate all military operations, and, in so far as their violent nature will admit, it will have a continuous influence on them. - Suzanne C. Nielsen, Assistant Professor, West Point
Alas, McChrystal lacked the proper discretion required of an active military officer, and still does in retirement. His failings makes Patreus' personal mistakes look utterly insignificant.
I'm reminded of Truman's comment putting MacArthur in his place after MacArthur was late to a meeting with Truman, an intentional display of contempt: "General, I don't give a damn what you think of Harry Truman the man, but don't you EVER keep your President waiting again."