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June 23, 2010

McChrystal Prepares Resignation Letter Ahead of Obama Meeting
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The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley Mc Chrystal, is in
danger of losing his job over a magazine profile in which he criticizes
several top Obama administration officials. Mc Chrystal was summoned to
Washington after Rolling Stone printed an article in which he and his
aides mock Vice President Joe Biden, US ambassador to Afghanistan Karl
Eikenberry, National Security Adviser General James Jones and Special
Envoy Richard Holbrooke. President Obama is meeting with Mc Chrystal at
the White House today. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Robert
Gibbs left open the possibility of Mc Chrystal’s dismissal.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs: "I think the President is
anxious to talk to him before he has anything else to say on it."

Reporter: "But wouldn’t the President know ahead of time whether or not
that’s an option he’s considering?"

Robert Gibbs: "I would say all options are on the table."

Reporter: "Including firing him?"

Robert Gibbs: "I think every option is on the table."

Later in the day, President Obama briefly addressed the controversy,
telling reporters he would first talk to Mc Chrystal before making a
decision.

President Obama: "General Mc Chrystal is on his way here, and I am going
to meet with him. Secretary Gates will be meeting with him, as well. I
think it’s clear that the article in which he and his team appeared
showed a poor—showed poor judgment. But I also want to make sure
that I talk to him directly before I make any final decision."

General Mc Chrystal has reportedly already prepared a letter of
resignation. A senior European diplomat told the New York Times that the
US failure to reach its goals after nearly nine years of occupying
Afghanistan has led top Obama administration officials to commonly
criticize the other in private.



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