Gen. McChrystal confirmation hearing in Armed Services 6/2

[TayTay]

and the http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/01/opinion/01mon2.html">New York Times had an editorial asking the same questions that Beachmom has been asking about him and his past actions in Iraq. I completely agree, these questions should be asked.

Questions for General McChrystal

Published: May 31, 2009

The Senate owes the American people more than a pro forma confirmation of Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, President Obama’s choice to be the next United States military commander in Afghanistan.

General McChrystal, who goes before the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, built an impressive reputation as commander of the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations teams in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2003 to 2008. Highly trained and motivated task forces under his command captured Saddam Hussein and called in the air strikes that killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Successes like these could help turn the tide in Afghanistan.

But there are other, more disturbing aspects of that record that the Senate also must consider. Special Operations task forces operated in secret, outside the normal military chain of command and with minimal legal accountability, especially during the years Donald Rumsfeld ran the Pentagon. General McChrystal’s command substantially overlaps this troubled period.

In 2004, for example, a Special Operations unit converted one of Saddam Hussein’s former torture centers near Baghdad into its own secret interrogation cell, where detainees were subjected to a range of physical and psychological abuses.

More at the link

My primary interest in Gen. McChrystal is what his appointment means for the US policy in Afghanistan going forward. There is a debate within the military community over how to allocate resources there and how to conduct operations. This tends to revolve around how Counter-Intelligence operations are going to be run. I am fascinated by this.

I know far less about how torture was handled in Iraq. It is a great topic and one that should be explored. There are a number of people at DU and other boards who know a lot about this and I have been following their work, as I can. I look forward to reading more even as I pursue my private interest of reading the tea leaves about what the change in Commanders means for the policy going forward.

One of the best things about the political web is that it affords someone a chance to keep up with other topics. Time is at a premium for all of us and it's wonderful to be able to read the research of others and know that a particular topic is well covered. That is really one of the great benefits of the blogs.