Barack Obama 'angry' over McChrystal claims
President Obama: "McChrystal showed poor judgement"
US President Barack Obama was angered by a magazine profile in which the top military commander in Afghanistan criticised senior administration officials, the White House says.
President Obama said General Stanley McChrystal had shown "poor judgement".
The general has been summoned to Washington over the Rolling Stone article, for which he has apologised.
Administration officials have so far declined to say that his job is safe.
Mr Obama said he wanted to talk with the general in person before deciding what action to take.
US media reports said Gen McChrystal had submitted his resignation, but it was up to the president to decide whether to accept it. There has been no official comment on the reports.
In the article by Michael Hastings, entitled The Runaway General, Gen McChrystal is characterised as facing up to a key enemy in the war in Afghanistan: "The wimps in the White House."
Gen McChrystal is quoted as sharply criticising the US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry.
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Robert Gibbs appeared to give an indication of what may be in store for Gen McChrystal. Asked whether the general's job was safe, he declined to answer.
Later he added "all options are on the table" and "our efforts in Afghanistan are bigger then one person". In other words, we can do this without him.
But the public humiliation of Gen McChrystal could still be meant to make Mr Obama look tough in the face of an impertinent general. Calls are growing in Washington for his sacking, particularly from Democrats. But that too is likely to have an impact on the war efforts in Afghanistan, even if that war is "bigger than one person".
President Obama will have to choose between continuity in leadership in Afghanistan at a crucial time, and a unified leadership which shows him respect as commander-in-chief.
Aides to the general are quoted as saying he was "disappointed" when meeting President Barack Obama for the first time.
Other targets include Vice-President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser James Jones and the special US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.
The BBC's Kevin Connolly, in Washington, says the language and tone of Rolling Stone - a pop-culture magazine - make an uncomfortable fit with the delicate form of heavily armed diplomacy with which Gen McChrystal has been entrusted in Afghanistan.
The decision to allow the publication behind-the-scenes access for a prolonged period suggests a disturbing lack of judgement somewhere in the general's inner circle, our correspondent adds.
In his first comments on the issue, President Obama said: "I think it's clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed a poor - showed poor judgment.
"But I also want to make sure that I talk to him directly before I make any final decisions."
Speaking to reporters earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president was "angry".
Mr Gibbs added: "Without a doubt, General McChrystal... has made an enormous mistake. A mistake that he'll get a chance to talk about and answer to, tomorrow, to both officials in the Pentagon and the commander-in-chief.
"The purpose for calling him here is to see what in the world he was thinking."
He added that the war effort in Afghanistan was "bigger than one person".
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in a strongly worded statement he had read the Rolling Stone article "with concern".
MARDELL'S AMERICA
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Mark Mardell BBC North America editor Read Mark's blogMcChrystal's disappointment with the president was established at their first meeting. The general apparently felt Obama wasn't very interested
"I believe that General McChrystal made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment in this case.
"General McChrystal has apologised to me and is similarly reaching out to others named in this article to apologise to them as well. I have recalled Gen McChrystal to Washington to discuss this in person."
'Clown'The Rolling Stone article - for which Hastings was given access to the commander and his staff over several weeks - will appear in Friday's edition of the magazine.
In it, Gen McChrystal says he felt "betrayed" by the ambassador to Kabul during the long 2009 White House debate on troop requests for Afghanistan.
Gen Stanley McChrystal Profile: Gen Stanley McChrystal McChrystal in the line of fire Analysis: Rolling Stone row US media response US to consult UK amid general row Excerpts: Rolling Stone article McChrystal gaffe - Your viewsOh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke... I don't even want to open it
Gen McChrystal suggests that Mr Eikenberry was using a leaked internal memo that questioned the wisdom of troop requests as a way of protecting himself from future criticism over the deployment.
The general says: "I like Karl, I've known him for years, but they'd never said anything like that to us before.
"Here's one that covers his flank for the history books. Now if we fail, they can say, 'I told you so.'"
Gen McChrystal also mocks the vice-president in response to a question. "Are you asking about Vice-President Biden?" Gen McChrystal asks. "Who's that?"
Another aide refers to a key Oval Office meeting with the president a year ago.
The aide says it was "a 10-minute photo-op", adding: "Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was... he didn't seem very engaged. The boss was pretty disappointed."
Another aide refers to National Security Adviser Jones as a "clown stuck in 1985".
Upon receiving an e-mail from Mr Holbrooke on his Blackberry, Gen McChrystal says: "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke... I don't even want to open it."
Aide quitsDuncan Boothby, a special assistant to Gen McChrystal who organised the Rolling Stone journalist's access to the commander, has resigned as a result of the article.
LESSONS FROM US HISTORY
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President Harry Truman (above) controversially fired World War II legend General Douglas MacArthur for contradicting official policy during the Korean War. Gen MacArthur ignored a ceasefire proposal Truman sent him in March 1951, and then issued an ultimatum demanding China's surrender. He was fired days later after one of his letters criticising the administration was read in Congress. "If there is one basic element in our Constitution, it is civilian control of the military," Truman said.
Ninety years earlier, in 1861, General George McClellan was made chief of the Union Armies, but frustrated President Abraham Lincoln with his over-caution and contempt. Gen McClellan called the president "a well meaning baboon". Lincoln fired him in late 1862 after he failed to pursue the Confederate forces retreating from the Battle of Antietam. "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time," Lincoln reportedly said.
As news of the article emerged, Gen McChrystal attempted to limit the damage in advance of Rolling Stone hitting the newsstands.
He said in a statement: "I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgement and should never have happened.
"Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honour and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard.
"I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome."
Gen McChrystal replaced Gen David McKiernan in 2009 and has sought to reduce the number of Afghan civilians being killed in combat operations.
After his appointment, Gen McChrystal was drawn into a long and detailed strategy review with the president, finally getting an additional 30,000 US troops from Mr Obama.
But analysts say Gen McChrystal disagreed with the president's pledge to start bringing troops home in July 2011.
A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Waheed Omer, voiced support for Gen McChrystal in the wake of the Rolling Stone article.
"The president strongly supports General McChrystal and his strategy in Afghanistan and believes he is the best commander the United States has sent to Afghanistan over the last nine years," he said.
But a spokesman for the Taliban said Gen McChrystal's recall was another sign of the start of the "political defeat" for US policies in Afghanistan.
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Stanley McChrystal's fate to be announced by Obama
Page last updated at 17:25 GMT, Wednesday, 23 June 2010 18:25 UK
Gen Stanley McChrystal leaves the White House after talks with Barack Obama
US President Barack Obama is preparing to make a statement on the position of the embattled US forces chief in Afghanistan.
It follows a meeting at which Gen Stanley McChrystal was asked to explain his criticism of US officials.
US media reports say Mr Obama will announce that Gen McChrystal is to be replaced.
Mr Obama had said the statements in Rolling Stone magazine showed "poor judgement".
He is due to speak at 1330 Washington time (1730 GMT).
Gen McChrystal had been due to attend Wednesday's monthly meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan and face some of those he - and his aides - criticised so publicly.
But it appears that he did not do so after meeting President Obama.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has indicated that he does not want Gen McChrystal replaced.
'Enormous mistake'Gen McChrystal arrived back in Washington in the early hours local time after being summoned from Afghanistan.
MARDELL'S AMERICA
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Mark Mardell BBC North America editor Read Mark's blogMcChrystal's disappointment with the president was established at their first meeting. The general apparently felt Obama wasn't very interested
Gen McChrystal quickly apologised for the magazine article, The Runaway General, written by Michael Hastings and due out on Friday, extending his "sincerest apology" and saying it showed a lack of integrity.
"It was a mistake reflecting poor judgement and should never have happened," he said.
US media reports said Gen McChrystal had submitted his resignation, but it was up to the president to decide whether to accept it. There has been no official comment on the reports.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that the president was "angry" and that Gen McChrystal had made "an enormous mistake".
Mr Gibbs said "all options were on the table" regarding the fate of the general and wondered "what in the world was he thinking?"
McChrystal aide Rolling Stone article LIVE: McChrystal at White House Key players in McChrystal meeting The end of Team McChrystal? Profile: Gen Stanley McChrystal Excerpts: Rolling Stone article McChrystal gaffe - Your viewsObama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was... he didn't seem very engaged
Some experts suggest Mr Gibbs's harsh words were to make the president look tough and give him the option of keeping the general on after a warning.
However, some lawmakers have called for Gen McChrystal to quit.
The BBC's Kim Ghattas in Washington says President Obama has had to choose between continuity in leadership in Afghanistan at a crucial time, and a unified leadership which shows him respect as commander-in-chief.
At the White House meeting on Afghanistan and Pakistan, Gen McChrystal was due to face:
- Joe Biden. Gen McChrystal had mocked the vice-president when asked a question about him. "Are you asking about Vice-President Biden? Who's that?"
- Karl Eikenberry. Gen McChrystal said he felt "betrayed" by the US ambassador to Kabul during the long 2009 White House debate on troop requests for Afghanistan
- James Jones. One of Gen McChrystal's aides says the national security adviser is a "clown... stuck in 1985"
- Richard Holbrooke. Gen McChrystal says of an e-mail from the US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan: "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke... I don't even want to open it"
The article also appeared to be critical of the president himself.
Referring to a key Oval Office meeting with Mr Obama a year ago, an aide of Gen McChrystal says it was "a 10-minute photo-op".
"Obama clearly didn't know anything about him, who he was... he didn't seem very engaged. The boss was pretty disappointed," the aide says.
In his first comments on the issue on Tuesday, President Obama said: "I think it's clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed... poor judgement."
Reduced casualtiesDuncan Boothby, a special assistant to Gen McChrystal who organised the Rolling Stone journalist's access to the commander, has resigned as a result of the article.
Afghan spokesman on "trusted partner" McChrystal
A spokesman for the Taliban said Gen McChrystal's recall was another sign of the start of the "political defeat" for US policies in Afghanistan.
But a spokesman for Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday that the Afghan leader believed replacing Gen McChrystal "would not be helpful" for peace and stability.
The spokesman, Waheed Omar, said: "We hope there is not a change of leadership of the international forces here in Afghanistan and that we continue to partner with Gen McChrystal."
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Afghanistan says there is a belief among Afghan officials that Gen McChrystal has brought real improvement on reducing civilian casualties caused by the coalition - they are down 44% so far this year.
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