Credit to Times - Online PhotoACCORDING TO DEMOCRACY NOW! Obama's Pick to Lead Afghan War Linked to Abuse of Prisoners & Secret Assassination Unit Listen/Read here
The Atlantic recently featured an article about McChrystal -
Also, SEE politics dot theatlantic dot com May 2009 which mentions Sy Hersh's book on McChrystal's field of service.
Evidently, he's a hero to many: here
According to Wikipedia -
He commanded the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) for five years, serving first as Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, from September 2003 to February 2006, and then as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command/Commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, from February 2006 to August 2008. Nominally assigned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, he spent most of his time in Afghanistan, at U.S. Central Command's forward headquarters in Qatar, and in Iraq. Early successes included the capture by JSOC forces of Saddam Hussein in December 2003. He was promoted to lieutenant general on February 16, 2006.
As head of what Newsweek termed "the most secretive force in the U.S. military," McChrystal maintained a very low profile until June 2006, when his forces were responsible for the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.[5] After McChrystal's team successfully located Zarqawi and called in the airstrike that killed him, McChrystal accompanied his men to the bombed-out hut to personally identify the body. Impressed, President George W. Bush publicly credited McChrystal and his troops by name for Zarqawi's death, breaking an Army policy against mentioning McChrystal in public...
McChrystal's Zarqawi unit, Task Force 6-26, became NOTORIOUS for its interrogation methods, particularly at Camp Nama, where it was ACCUSED OF ABUSING DETAINEES. After the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal became public in April 2004, THIRTY-FOUR MEMBERS of the task force were disciplined; FIVE ARMY RANGERS were ultimately CONVICTED OF PRISONER ABUSE at CAMP NAMA.
McChrystal was also criticized for his role in the aftermath of the 2004 death by friendly fire of Ranger and former professional football player Pat Tillman. The day after approving a posthumous Silver Star citation for Tillman that included the phrase "in the line of devastating enemy fire," McChrystal sent an urgent memo warning senior government officials not to quote the citation in public speeches because it "might cause public embarrassment" if Tillman had in fact been killed by friendly fire, as McChrystal suspected. McChrystal was one of eight officers recommended for discipline by a subsequent Pentagon investigation but the Army declined to take action against him...
SO...What's changed? What's New?
To see a variety of reasons to QUESTION the choices being made for leaders of the US military and government as well as the results of ongoing actions, monies and expansion of US violent operations take a look at DemocracyNow.org today June 11, 2009
ReplyDeleteUN Withdraws Staff from Peshawar Following Deadly Bombing
Blackwater Sued for 2007 Killing of Iraqi Civilian
Oregon National Guard Members Sue KBR for Toxic Exposure
Audit Faults at Least $13 Billion in War Contractor Spending
Witnesses: 2 Afghans Killed, Dozens Wounded in US Grenade Attack
Study: Firms, Governments Funded over 22,000 Pentagon Trips
Be sure to question not only the accuracy of the recent CIA statements about Pakistan current "residents" but ask why make this statement NOW? Why Announcing this for all the world to see? Is it a precursor of more war operations in Pakistan? What about the SECURITY of Pakistan and her peoples? Why is the US security mentioned first and foremost? And always ask: what has this particular department of the US done in recent times to prove their reliability and humanitarian goals?
US Gen. McChrystal takes command in Afghanistan
ReplyDeletePosted June 15 2009
He promises to gauge success more by civilians saved from violence rather than by "enemies" killed. With finally the UK inquiry on the way the occupation was operated in Iraq - let's hope some lessons have been learned and will be learned and that this occupation will be ended soon!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090615/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan