The story beneath the firing of McChrystal is the fights that McChrystal had with the diplo team of Holbrooke and Eikenberry. My initial frustration at Obama's firing was prompted by the insight given by the analyst community that it was McChrystal who had the most credibility on the ground with Hamid Karzai. I knew this then but now I'm thinking more about trying to figure out why Obama's guys diplo team had it in mind to have Karzai toppled in the first place.
You heard me right. The Obama Administration wanted President Hamid Karzai ousted. Karzai found out and stopped talking to Holbrooke and Eikenberry (because that was basically their job). But because of the COIN works, he still dealt with McChrystal, if only to get some ducats.
Now I have reports that Karzai without McChrystal is beginning to deal with a new faction of the Afghanistani insurgency, namely the Haggani Network. This network is apparently very dangerous and kissing cousins to Al-Quaeda. And guess who's the best man for this wedding of convenience? Pakistan. You know, that Pakistan we've been bombing so that we can save the Taliban from the agony of GTMO and thereby avoid the mind-bending torture administration officials would have to suffer by using the same spirit of the meaning of 'enemy combatant' as former AG Alberto Gonzales.
So I'm trying to fathom what did Karzai do that was so against (whatever is) American policy in Afghanistan so that Obama advocated regime change? And who pray tell was supposed to replace Karzai and where is that character now? Because this American citizen now has no idea who is our friend in Afghanistan.
Maybe somebody who actually listens to what Obama says can explain it to me.
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