General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, will probably ask to be resigned voluntarily after his meeting today with President Obama. Not because he wants to, but to relieve the President of this decision. This comes after his overtly critical remarks on President Obama and the Obama administration in the handling of the war in Afghanistan, according to CNN.The big question is how Obama will handle the dilemma: a highly valued top professional strategist versus public display of discontent by a top ranking officer. McChrystal has harvested widespread critique for voicing his dissatisfaction publicly. He has made it crystal clear that he wants more support and resources for the effort in Afghanistan. And Obama wants to pull out from the summer of 2011.
Obama is intelligent and empathic. Therefore he is likely to weigh McChrystal's demand in relation to his own policy, but he cannot afford to lose some of the best people in his crew either. How long time will it take for Obama to build the same amount of knowledge of the local conditions in Afghanistan? McChrystal has been very demanding, and has been in luck to get practically everything he has asked for. Why change horses in midstream - just one year before the pull out is scheduled to begin? And why would Obama make enemies for his future? He will probably voice his support to the hard working troops. Then ask McChrystal to be clear about his support for the Obama administration, and to voice it as publicly as his dissatisfaction. And then ask for positive results and solutions. As tangible and solid as rock. Worded in a headline as clear as McChrystal.
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