griffin points out the fact that general mcchrystal didn t think these tanks were the best idea. just the physical size of them, how they would appear to locals on the ground. but i guess at this point the decision has been made that their need is greater than the impression they would give to locals. this is a company. this is only 16 tanks with incredible fire power used specifically against a known target. when you apply that force in a very, very small area, you have incredible capabilities. and this is not the time to make the comparison between form commanders on the ground. circumstances were different. political pressures were different. the time was different. you could trace this back to everyone who has been in afghanistan for many years. what general petraeus is trying to achieve is give these
holbro holbrook, and ambassador eikenberry didn t come directly were mcchrystal, but his senior aides. however, he is responsible for his senior aides. that s kind of a wash. i think what they need to worry about in that article is what the troops are saying. because the reporting of that it wasn t general mcchrystal didn t say the strategy is bad he didn t say that. the rank and file said that to him. and that s why they need petraeus. because the rank and file is out there, going, this isn t work g working, it doesn t feel right. they re outside kandahar, what with are we doing here, we don t think this is working. so that shows you in that article that it is a much more of a problem than general mcchrystal. it s the war effort itself. let me bring barbara starr in, in the pentagon. before we speak, barbara, just want to remind our viewers, we re waiting for the president to walk out of the oval office, down the stairs, into the rose garden, over at the white house, to make
are they connected? well, i think that general mcchrystal didn t have that flaw. general mcchrystal was out on foot patrols with himself with the soldiers putting himself in harm s way. general mcchrystal had a huge error of judgment, allowing that rolling stone reporter to be with him for the month s time, saying things they said and letting others say the things they said and he shouldn t have done that. let s not kid each other. aim wrong, senator, to say that s not an error in judgment, although surely it is, but it s more than an error in judgment. that is an indication of just how much tension is in the fault line between the military strategic command. you re right, dylan. and the civilian diplomat ichabody that a general with this level of respect and authority has achieved such a level of frustration that given access to a reporter for that period of time is going to say all this crazy stuff. no. i think your comments are very astute and that s why the president no