The General Wins a Free Flight

169

June 23, 2010

Published in Frankfurter Rundschau
(Germany) on 22 June 2010
by Arnd Festerling (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Ron Argentati. Edited by Sam Carter.

Can a fool command NATO troops in Afghanistan? That question has come up ever since U.S. General Stanley McChrystal badmouthed his bosses at the White House, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The fact that he did the same to an ambassador and a special envoy is, by comparison, mere child’s play.

The cool, calculating inventor of the ultimate strategy to defeat the Taliban apparently lost all sight of his goal. First of all, you never badmouth the boss. Second, even if you do, you shouldn’t openly talk about it later. And third, if you’re foolish enough to badmouth the boss, you should never in a million years do so to a reporter. Last of all, the foolhardy claim that you’ve been misquoted or misunderstood would be ridiculous even if said by a supply truck driver, much less by the commanding general.

McChrystal has won a free flight to talk with Obama and Biden, and it is in Washington that my initial question will be answered.

Freiflug für den General
Von Arnd Festerling
22.06.2010

Darf ein Trottel die Nato-Streitkräfte in Afghanistan kommandieren? Die Frage stellt sich, seit US-General Stanley McChrystal im Rolling Stone Magazin über seine Chefs hergezogen ist. Die heißen Barack Obama und Joe Biden, Präsident der USA und sein Vize. Dass er zudem über einen Botschafter und einen Gesandten abgeledert hat, fällt im Vergleich ziemlich ab.

Der kühle Erfinder der ultimativen Strategie zur Vernichtung der Taliban hat in eigener Sache offenbar jeden Überblick verloren. Denn erstens denkt man nicht übel von seinen Chefs. Tut man´s zweitens doch, redet man nicht drüber. Und spricht man drittens wider jeden gesunden Menschenverstand böse über die Bosse, dann nie, nie, nie mit einer Zeitung, dem Fernsehen oder einem Radiosender. Und zuallerletzt: Die dummdreiste Behauptung, man habe das nicht so gesagt oder doch anders gemeint, kann selbst der trotteligste Nachschubfahrer vergessen, vom General ganz zu schweigen. McChrystal hat einen Freiflug nach Washington gewonnen - zum Gespräch mit Obama und Biden. Dort wird die Eingangsfrage beantwortet.

Dokument erstellt am 22.06.2010 um 15:50:02 Uhr
Letzte Änderung am 22.06.2010 um 17:13:53 Uhr
Erscheinungsdatum 22.06.2010 | Ausgabe: d

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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