Petraeus Back in the Game

In a shocking and fast-moving chain of events, President Barack Obama relived Gen. Stanley McChrystal of his command of American and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces in Afghanistan early this afternoon.

The relief came about 48 hours after a Rolling Stone article hit the Web in which McChrystal and a group of his closest aides were quoted mocking members of the Obama administration, calling National Security Advisor Jim Jones a “clown” and making distasteful jokes about Vice President Joe Biden. The president nominated Gen. David Petraeus, Central Command chief, to take his place.

“Today I accepted General McChrystal’s resignation” the president said in a 1:30pm Rose Garden press conference, in which he was surrounded by Petraeus, vice president Biden and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Michael Mullen. “I did so with considerable regret with also with certainty that it is the right thing for our mission in Afghanistan.” It was only a year ago—in May 2009—that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates replaced ISAF commander Gen. David McKiernan with Gen. McChrystal in a rare decision to remove a wartime commander.

McChrystal, a decorated and highly respected four-star general who commanded the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) from September 2003 to February 2006, and served as commander of JSOC Forward from February 2006 to August 2008, is given much credit for helping turn the situation in Iraq around during this period though non-stop targeted raids against the insurgent command structure. Soon after the announcement that the president accepted his resignation, Gen. McChrystal emailed a statement to reporters stating that “I strongly support the President’s strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people. It was out of respect for this commitment — and a desire to see the mission succeed — that I tendered my resignation.”

What this means for strategy for the war in Afghanistan is still up for debate. While Petraeus, as CENTCOM chief, is on board with the counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan, he has also said recently that he believes that the July, 2011 transition date to greater Afghan military control of the fight is “conditions based.” One can also read Petraeus’ nomination for ISAF lead as a repudiation of vice president Biden’s desire for a more narrowly focused counterterrorism approach, and an acceptance of the Petraeus/McChrystal counterinsurgency approach to waging the war. The president said this afternoon that he and Gen. Peatreus “are in full agreement in our strategy” moving forward, and that “this mission demands unity of effort” across civilian military lines.