Pro-War Advocates Discrediting the Messenger?

The friction between Gen Ekinberry, (Ret.) and Gen McChrystal is not new, and the difference of opinion on how to proceed in Afghanistan is adding new drama to the dialogue. It’s clear that Ekinberry also differs with his boss, Hillary Clinton, who supports an increase of 30,000 troops. Now reports are being circulated that Gen Ekinberry is heavy handed with his people. We’re talking generals here, wasn’t that a good quality back in the days of Patton and MacArthur? Is someone trying to discredit the messenger? Probably…

If anything, this seems like typical Washington politics going about the business of discrediting a worthy opponent of the war. Clearly on the side of ramping up the fight we have: Adm. Mullin- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Hillary Clinton- Secretary of State, Robert Gates- Secretary of Defense, and Gen McChrystal- Top General in Afghanistan. And on the side of wait a minute, this doesn’t smell good: President Obama, Eric Holder- AG, Gen Ekinberry- Ambassador to Afghanistan, Joe Biden- VP, and Rahm Emmanuel- Chief of Staff. Ekinberry is held in high regard by the President and he just may be using the Ambassador in this sometimes secret, sometimes public dialogue to further his position and win the public over.

I can’t help but wonder if both sides have an applause meter running in the background for each leak and counterpoint. The latest leak of Ekinberry’s cables to the Washington Post and the New York Times came from administration officials. The game is slowly turning away from escalation, but will it turn toward a draw down? Not likely in the near term, but six months from now we’ll be talking exit plan.

I’m sure the President regrets his hasty decision earlier in the year to increase troop levels in Afghanistan. He made a strategic error ratcheting up the war before he got his footing on the situation. The public is growing uneasy about the American losses. If he abandoned Afghanistan tomorrow, next year it will be history. If he makes the war bigger, bloodier, and longer, the Democrats will be skewered in the 2010 elections. Opponents will accuse him of fighting a war instead of unemployment, but they’ll find fault with anything he does, so why not just leave and get this mess behind us?