General McChrystal Heads to Afghanistan Finally

It became official today that General Stanley McChrystal has become the general in charge of all operations in Afghanistan. Now all action that takes place there will first have to be approved by him or someone that he has appointed. Times have changed in Afghanistan. The war has become a priority rather than a back burning issue.

It’s about time the right resources are sent to the area. President Obama made it clear when he was running for office and after he won the election that the war in Afghanistan was going to be a top issue and today, with the Senate approve for General McChrystal to go to Afghanistan, things are going to finally get done.

There was nothing wrong with General McKiernan other than the fact he was a little too conventional for a counterinsurgency such as the one taking place in Afghanistan. Had we been at war with Russia, China, North Korea, or one of those countries, he would have been appropriate; however, there is a need for an out-of-the-box thinker and that was where General McChrystal came into play.

I wrote back in January when President Obama first assumed office that the plan to destroy the Taliban required taking out the poppy fields as well as preventing the Taliban from going back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. That’s important obviously. However, what McChrystal needs to do is more than just destroy the Taliban. It is important that while he is there, that he guarantee that someone doesn’t just come along to replace the Taliban once they are defeated.

To do this, President Obama has given McChrystal a lot of leeway with who joins his staff. He is going to be handpicking four hundred officers and soldiers to be a part of the team that leads this war. It is going to be important that the team works well together because McChrystal’s plan is, as he said in a briefing, to use classic counterinsurgency techniques and focus on population protection. It’s about time. Maybe he won’t use airstrikes like previous officers did.

I’m no military man; however, I know enough about the military to understand the importance of the Special Forces in operations like this. Sometimes, it’s not a thousand soldiers that do the most damage, but one hundred elite soldiers that can hold a place effectively. With his background in Special Forces, it can only be imagined that he will step up and get the job done.

My only concern is his belief that torture is acceptable. Whether that is still his opinion or not, though, is up for debate. Regardless of that, tonight he was confirmed as the next General in Afghanistan. He has already left to prepare his job. A lot of good can come from having this General in Afghanistan. Maybe we can finally end the war there and focus on more pressing issues.