Was Gen. McChrystal doing a Gen. MacArthur?

Afghanistan is a nation that has been at war since the 1980 when the Soviet Union tried to take over this Muslim nation. In truth, Afghanistan never had a moment of peace since they fought the British for Independence way back in 1919. Things were quiet in Afghanistan for most of World War I and World War II. But then the Soviet Union took an interest in controlling Afghanistan and fought a 9-year conflict that only brought shame to the Army of the Soviet Union who left Afghanistan in defeat in 1989. Later, a civil conflict arose between the Afghan tribes where the Taliban emerged as the victors. Soon, it became a haven and a training ground for terrorists.

The infamous attack on the World Trade Center on Sept.21, 2001 had then US President George W. Bush sending US troops to Afghanistan in search for Osama bin Laden, the man behind 9/11 the biggest terror attack against the United States. But 9 long years later, the Bush Administration is gone. Under the Presidency of Pres. Barack Obama, American forces are still in Afghanistan looking for some kind of victory or at least a graceful exit out of this war-torn country.

Today, Rolling Stone a rock magazine is supposed to publish an interview with America’s top military man in the Afghan war, Gen. Stanley McChrystal. This caused a furor in the White House as the American general supposedly criticized America’s “civilian leaders” including the US Vice-President Joe Biden in that interview. Since Rolling Stone magazine will be out only today, only then will we know the exact details of what Gen. McChrystal said about his civilian bosses. But this controversy already has people asking for McChrystal’s resignation.

I understand that the US general has already apologized for this faux pas, saying, “I extend my sincerest apology for this profile. It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened. Throughout my career, I have lived by the principles of personal honor and professional integrity. What is reflected in this article falls far short of that standard.” I read that a press aide of the General was fired over that article and Gen. McChrystal has been recalled to Washington to explain his actions to Pres. Obama who was furious about this incident.

This incident is reminiscent of the comments that then Gen. Douglas MacArthur made against then US President Harry Truman when US Forces were fighting the Korean War in the 1950s. Gen. MacArthur openly complained about Pres. Truman’s approach in fighting a “Limited War” in the Korean peninsula because of the obvious intervention of the Chinese Regular army which already crossed the Yalu River. I can understand the frustration of Gen. MacArthur who was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Command in the Far East. He has fought battles from World War I and World War II using various military strategies that won him those wars.

But the war in the Korean Peninsula was different. He was fighting under the auspices of the newly created United Nations (UN) and thus his hands were tied by political maneuverings at the UN. In frustration, he wrote Pres. Truman and we reprint part of that letter.

“It seems strangely difficult for some to realize that here in Asia is where the Communists conspirators have elected to make their play for global conquest, and that we have joined the issue thus raised on the battlefield; that here we fight Europe’s War with arms while the diplomats there still fight it with words; that if we lose the war to communism in Asia the fall of Europe is inevitable. Win it and Europe most probably would avoid war and yet preserve freedom. As you pointed out, we must win. There is no substitute for victory!”

In the movie, “The American Cesar” Gen. MacArthur supposedly said, “Shall we leave the strategies of battle to the temporary occupants of the White House?” Because America was the only nation at that time who had the nuclear bomb, Gen. MacArthur suggested to nuke Peking (now Beijing) which incensed the civilian leaders. Pres. Harry Truman had to fire Gen. MacArthur explaining to the American people that he did not want the Korean conflict to escalate into World War III.

Well, history will be the best judge of this. Today, the North Koreans are on a war footing following the heels of South Korea’s accusing the North of torpedoing the South Korean Navy’s destroyer. So maybe we could say that Gen. MacArthur could have been right at that time. But how this latest controversy between President Obama and the American General would end, I really don’t know. But certainly, we are sick and tired of seeing and hearing the news about the Afghan conflict. Maybe Gen. McChrystal was right, just like his predecessor Gen. MacArthur who, if he had his way, we’d probably see a different China and Korea today.