Obama 'angry' with Afghanistan general Stanley McChrystal

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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

US President Barack Obama was "angry" over General Stanley McChrystal's criticism of some of the nation's top officials, in an article of a future issue of the Rolling Stone. McChrystal was summoned to the capital to explain to Obama. Robert Gibbs described the president as "angry — you would know it if you saw it."

The top US general and his staff taunted Karl Eikenberry, Joe Biden, James Jones and Richard Holbrooke. He has apologised and submitted his resignation; Obama is considering whether or not to accept it. Obama reportedly wants to "make sure that he talk[s] to him directly before he makes any final decisions."

Duncan Boothby, McChrystal's special assistant, resigned as a result of the scandal. Waheed Omer, a spokesman for Hamid Karzai, said that "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."

In response to the controversy, McChrystal said that "I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgement and should never have happened."


Sources