Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's Afghan Assessment -- The Full Report (Unclassified) Is Here

Barack Obama meets with Stanley A. McChrystal in the Oval Office 2009-05-19
(Photo from Wikimedia)

WNU Editor: I have received a few inquiries if I have General McChrystal report. Yes, but I got it from the The Washington Post.

The link to General McChrystal's Assessment (unclassified) is HERE. It is in PDF form.

I have had the chance to read it quickly, and while unclassified it carries an urgency that things must change in Afghanistan. That the war against the Taliban is at a tipping point, and that more resources and men are needed.

President Obama's and Defense Secretary Gates stated last week that they had not received the full request of how many troops are needed from General McChrystal .... reading the report clearly indicates the opposite. I can only assume the numbers needed are in the classified section of this report.

The leaking of this report is also very revealing of the concerns that many must now be feeling about Afghanistan. General McChrystal's allies, commanders in the Afghan field, and ... I can assume ... allies in Congress .... all of them must be disturbed by the slow pace that is coming from President Obama on this issue. If things go south in Afghanistan ... they do not want to be blamed it for it. In fact .... if the major points of this report are not accepted, I for one would not be surprise to see General McChrystal resign

What is my take .... the politics that is now happening over McChrystal's report should not be a surprise to anyone. This report from General McChrystal is disturbing. It calls for a policy that will massively increase the U.S. presence in the country .... both in manpower and in treasure .... a prospect that I am sure President Obama does not want to contemplate, nor many of his Democrat allies.

President Obama wants to say no to this report .... .... and is looking for ways to say no .... but the situation in Afghanistan is dire, and the political costs to say no is what is stopping him from refusing this troop increase.