White House summons U.S. general to explain comments

By Anne Gearan and Julie Pace, AP National Security Writers

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan was fighting for his job Tuesday after being summoned to Washington to explain his extraordinary complaints about President Barack Obama and his colleagues.

Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs pointedly declined to say Gen. Stanley McChrystal's job was safe. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the commander's comments were "distractions" to the war in Afghanistan.

McChrystal, who publicly apologized Tuesday for using "poor judgment" in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine, has been ordered to appear at the White House on Wednesday.

He'll be expected to explain his comments to the president and Pentagon officials, officials said. Military leaders rarely challenge their commander in chief publicly and when they do, consequences tend to go beyond a scolding.

A top military official in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that McChrystal hasn't been told whether he will be allowed to keep his job. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions between Washington and the general's office in Kabul.

McChrystal spent Tuesday calling several of those mentioned in the article to apologize, officials said, including Gates and Richard Holbrooke, U.S. special envoy to Pakistan.

Gates issued a statement saying McChrystal made "a significant mistake" and used poor judgment in his remarks to a magazine reporter.

"We are fighting a war against al-Qaida and its extremist allies, who directly threaten the United States, Afghanistan, and our friends and allies around the world," Gates said. "Going forward, we must pursue this mission with a unity of purpose. Our troops and coalition partners are making extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our security, and our singular focus must be on supporting them and succeeding in Afghanistan without such distractions."

Holbrooke's office said in a terse two-line statement that McChrystal had called him in Kabul "to apologize for this story and accept full responsibility for it." It said Holbrooke "values his close and productive relationship with General McChrystal."

A spokesman said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen told McChrystal of his "deep disappointment" over the article.

But in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai issued a statement calling McChrystal the "best commander" of the war. Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar said Karzai hopes that Obama doesn't decide to replace him.

In the article, McChrystal complains that Obama handed him "an unsellable position" on the war, back when the commander was pressing for more troops than the administration was then prepared to send. "I found that time painful," he said.

McChrystal also said he was "betrayed" by Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, the man the White House chose to be his diplomatic partner in Afghanistan. He accused Eikenberry of raising doubts about the reliability of Afghan President Hamid Karzai only to give himself cover in case the U.S. effort failed.

"Here's one that covers his flank for the history books," McChrystal told the magazine. "Now, if we fail, they can say 'I told you so."'

Obama appointed McChrystal to lead the Afghan war in May 2009.

In Kabul on Tuesday, McChrystal issued a statement saying: "I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome."

"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile," the statement said. "It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened."

Mullen talked with McChrystal about the article Monday night, Capt. John Kirby, Mullen's spokesman said. In a 10-minute conversation, the chairman "expressed his deep disappointment in the piece and the comments" in it, Kirby said.

The White House said it planned to release a full list of attendees at Wednesday's meeting. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gates are among those who regularly attend the Situation Room meetings in person, with McChrystal and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry participating via secure video teleconference.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for all involved to "stay cool and calm" and not the let situation interfere with the mission in Afghanistan.

He said he had "enormous respect" for the general and had spoken to McChrystal on Tuesday morning and "emphasized to him that I think, obviously, those are comments that he is going to have to deal with with respect to the commander in chief, the vice president and his national security staff."

--

Associated Press Writers Pauline Jelinek and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Deb Riechmann in Kabul contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Gallery

Fullscreen SlideshowPrevious Slide

1 of 1

Next Slide