THE TELEGRAPH: Gen Stanley McChrystal's colossal blunder in allowing himself and his close aides to vent their frustrations to a Rolling Stone reporter has left him fighting for his job and indeed for his military career.
Robert Gates, the Pentagon chief, spoke of the general's "significant mistake" while a visibly angry Robert Gibbs, Mr Obama's spokesman, spoke of an "enormous" error with a "magnitude and graveness" that were profound.
Before boarding his plane bound for Washington and a dressing down, possibly accompanied by a dismissal, Gen McChrystal spent Tuesday apologising. He telephoned Mr Gates, Vice President Joe Biden, General Jim Jones, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, Admiral Mike Mullen, Senator John Kerry and very possibly others.
The Left was baying for Gen McChrystal's blood, asserting that he was guilty of insubordination and had possibly even breached military law. Many were surprised that Gen McChrystal appeared likely to keep his job into Wednesday and that he had not resigned even if he had not been fired.
Mr Obama's hesitation in immediately getting rid of Gen McChrystal was an indication, however, of the extraordinary difficulties that would be created by taking such a course of action. >>> Toby Harnden in Washington | Wednesday, June 23, 2010
