November 02, 2009

President Obama: Fire General McChrystal, Patraeus & Gates

Dear President Obama,

Since late this summer General Stanley McChrystal has been asking for more troops for Afghanistan lest we lose the war. Early last month those sentiments were expressed in a formal request for 40,000 additional troops. General Patraeus and Secretary of Defense Gates have publicly endorsed Gen. McChrystal's request.

Since that time you have been considering whether or not to provide those troops and whether or not the use of those troops in a counter-insurgency strategy -- similar to that employed in Iraq -- is wise or not. If press reports are to be believed, then top members of your administration have serious doubts as to whether or not the strategy as outlined by Gen. McChrystal and endorsed by Gen. Patraeus and Sec. Gates will work.

Your inaction on this request speaks volumes and one can only draw one logical inference from it: you do not trust the judgment of Gen. Patraeus, Sec. Gates, or Gen. McChrystal.

If you trusted their expertise, then you would have immediately begun to implement their strategy.

Since it is glaringly obvious that you do not trust the judgment of your top commanders in the field or of your own Sec. of Defense, then why don't you fire them?

If they are so wrong, then they should be fired.

The American people deserve competent military leadership in Afghanistan. The fact that you refuse to heed their advise is prima facie evidence that you think that their advise is bad and that they are incompetent.

Since you obviously think that Gen. Patraeus, Gen. McChrystal, and Sec. Gates are giving questionable advice, they should be fired.

Again, if press reports are to be believed, then Vice President Joe Biden is the source of much of the skepticism over Gen. McChrystal's plan in the White House. Since his opinion carries at least as much weight as your top military commanders, then why not appoint V.P. Biden to command CENTCOM in Gen. Patraeus' place?

I find nothing in the Constitution prohibiting the Vice President of the United States also carrying a military commission. You yourself are Commander in Chief, so why not make Biden your Vice Commander in Chief?

I mean, you must think that Joe Biden is at least as smart as Gen. Patreus when it comes to military strategy. Other wise you would dismiss his arguments as carrying less gravitas and would have already made a decision.

The time for decisive action is now. Fire your top military commanders! Promote Joe Biden!

Failing to do so must mean you are weak, indecisive, or more concerned with public opinion than winning. And saying you are weak, indecisive, or not interested in winning is just crazy talk!