Petraeus had Bush's ear. Will Mike Mullen have Obama's? | csmonitor.com - The Diigo Meta page

• 20 Nov 08
  

  TransTracker

  So, soothing hurt feelings, following protocol, and listening to those who tell you what you want to hear will be Obama priorities in trying to figure out what to do in Afghanistan? Great.

  gwot coin

  • Defense officials are conducting no fewer than three separate strategy assessments to help Mr. Obama decide on a new approach
    to confront the radical Islamic forces sowing unrest in the region. One report will come from Gen. David Petraeus, who came
    to represent the voice of the Bush administration on Iraq and who now oversees the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Another
    due in coming days is from Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, the "war czar" at the National Security Council.
    

    
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    But the one that may count the most, say sources in and outside the Pentagon, is the assessment by Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman
    of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. For months, the chairman has said the US must do more to reverse deteriorating security in Afghanistan
    – a view Obama is known to share.
    

  • many expect
    Admiral Mullen to assert his position as top military adviser. General Petraeus's views held sway during the latter years
    of the Bush presidency, when the administration was desperate for a turnaround in Iraq. But Petraeus is now aligned in public
    thought with Bush policies, and Obama may feel he needs a new face to represent US military endeavors. This could well be
    Mullen, who is keen to restore the authority of his post, which had eroded under President Bush.
  • 3 more annotations...

  • • The connection Petraeus had to the White House, which was encouraged by Mr. Bush, irked some senior officers at the Pentagon
      who believed they were put at a disadvantage when they tried to provide advice on the "surge" of American troops in Iraq.
      

      
      

      Obama, whose advisers are attuned to that friction, shows signs of wanting to also restore the advisory authority of the chairman.

      • 

        TransTracker on 2008-11-20

        Of course. Everyone knows that it's more important to stick to the org. chart so that feelings don't get hurt rather than take advice from a successful, combat-tested commander. Propriety, protocol, and feelings are more important than success.
    • "I've said during this campaign, and I stick to this commitment, that as soon as I take office I will call in the Joint Chiefs
      of Staff, my national security apparatus, and we will start executing a plan that draws down our troops, particularly in light
      of the problems that we're having in Afghanistan, which has continued to worsen," Obama said on a "60 Minutes" interview shown
      Sunday.

      • 

        TransTracker on 2008-11-20

        Translation: "We're going to fight the plan not the enemy. I'm going to listen to advisers in Washington, not advisers in theater."

    • Mullen appears to be quietly asserting himself. Noting this week that there will be differences among the reports, he said
      it will be his job to provide the new president with conclusions that take the other assessments into account.
      

      
      

      "While there is a level of independence in each of those, which I think is healthy, I expect ... to take the outputs of those
      [reports] and integrate them from my perspective as chairman, in terms of my recommendation for future strategy with respect
      to Afghanistan," Mullen told reporters Tuesday.
      

      • 

        TransTracker on 2008-11-20

        And that will certainly make Obama's "decision-making" and "leadership" easier, won't it? In fact, by sticking to the org. chart, he won't have to decide or lead at all! He'll have a perfect cover for not deciding among three alternative recommendations. Instead, he can just say, "Well, that's the the CJCS recommended, so that's what we'll do! After all, he's my official military adviser!"

Public Stiky Notes

• 
  TransTracker on 2008-11-20
  Of course. Everyone knows that it's more important to stick to the org. chart so that feelings don't get hurt rather than take advice from a successful, combat-tested commander. Propriety, protocol, and feelings are more important than success.
• 
  TransTracker on 2008-11-20
  Translation: "We're going to fight the plan not the enemy. I'm going to listen to advisers in Washington, not advisers in theater."
• 
  TransTracker on 2008-11-20
  And that will certainly make Obama's "decision-making" and "leadership" easier, won't it? In fact, by sticking to the org. chart, he won't have to decide or lead at all! He'll have a perfect cover for not deciding among three alternative recommendations. Instead, he can just say, "Well, that's the the CJCS recommended, so that's what we'll do! After all, he's my official military adviser!"

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