June 22, 2010: Gen. McChrystal in hot water

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON "GREATER BOSTON," A FOUR-STAR CONTROVERSY OVER A FOUR-STAR GENERAL.
THE TOP COMMANDER IN AFGHANISTAN IS SUMMONED TO THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CRITICIZING THE PRESIDENT.
PLUS IS IT AN INVASION OF PRIVACY.
THE UPROAR AND INVESTIGATION OVER A GOOGLE SERVICE.
AND...
A CELEBRATION OF SONDHEIM, A NEW LOCAL PRODUCTION OF "INTO THE WOODS" WITH A BROADWAY STAR.

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING.
OH, BOY.
THAT'S WHAT FOUR-STAR
GENERALLY STANLEY
McCHRYSTAL MUST BE
THINKING AT THIS HOUR AS
HE AWAITS A PERSONAL
MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT
TOMORROW OVER REMARKS HE
MADE TO A REPORTER AT
ROLLING STONE.
THE REMARKS HAVE BECOME
SHOTS HEARD AROUND THE
WORLD.
NOW IT IS THE GENERAL HIMSELF FACING THE FIRING LINE.
DID AN UNPRECEDENTED
ACCESS TO GENERALLY
STANLEY McCHRYSTAL AND
HIS STAFF, ROLLING STONE
EXECUTIVE EDITOR DEREK
BAITS WANTED TO PRO TRAY
THEM WARTS AND ALL.

>> THIS IS HOW THEY'RE
TALKING WHEN THEY WANT TO
BLOW OFF STEAM.

>> Rooney: BUT
McCHRYSTAL MAY HAVE
BLOWN OFF HIS JOB AS HEAD
OF U.S. MILITARY FORCE IN
AFGHANISTAN.
PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLED HIM
HOME TO EXPLAIN IN PERSON
HOW THE COMMENTS ENDED UP
IN A MAGAZINE.

>> THESE WEREN'T OFF THE
CUFF REMARKS BY HIS STAFF
HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT.
LIKE WHEN THEY WERE
TALKING ABOUT JOSEPH
BIDEN, HE SAID WHO IS
THAT, AND ONE OF HIS AIDES
SAID DID YOU SAY BIDE TEN
OR BITE ME.

>> Rooney: NATIONAL
SECURITY ADVISOR JAMES
JONES WAS A CLONE.
SPECIAL ENVOY RICHARD
HOLBROOK, A WOUNDED
ANIMAL.

>> WE HAVE TROOPS ON THE
FRONT LINES.
WE HAVE A MAJOR MISSION
THAT WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE
OF.
AND I THINK THE PRIORITIES
OF THAT MISSION ARE BEST
SERVED BY LETTING THE
PRESIDENT AND HIS TOP
GENERAL HAVE THEIR
CONVERSATION.

>> Rooney: McCHRYSTAL
HAS ALREADY APOLOGIZED,
SAYING GIVING FREE LANCE
WRITER MICHAEL HASTINGS
SUCH INTIMATE IN SIGHT WAS
A MISTAKE.
ROBERT GIBBS SAID THE
PRESIDENT IS BOTH ANGRY
AND PUZZLED THAT THE
BRILLIANT GENERAL COULD
HAVE MADE SUCH A COLOSSAL
ERROR.

>> HE CALLED HIM HERE TO
SEE WHAT IN THE WORLD HE
WAS THINKING.

>> Rooney: THEY SAID ALL
OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE.
JOINING ME NOW IS RETIRED
ARMY COLONEL ANDREW
BETOWITZ.
I KNOW YOU HAD AN
OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE
ARTICLE A FEW MINUTES AGO.
WE READ IT EARLIER TODAY.
MY INITIAL REACTION TO IT
WAS THE SAME AS SENIOR
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MARTHA
REDIT SAID.
IT WAS LOCKER ROOM
JAUNTING AND HUMOR AND
KIND OF PERSONAL STUFF
GOING ON.
BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO DO WITH WAR
POLICY.
IS IT THAT DAMAGING, IN
YOUR MIND?

>> OH, I THINK THE
BEHAVIOR WAS
UNPROFESSIONAL AND
UNACCEPTABLE, AND, QUITE
FRANKLY, THE VERY FACT
THAT GENERAL McCHRYSTAL
SO QUICKLY ISSUED WHAT IS,
IN EFFECT, AN APOLOGY, I
THINK SHOWS HIS OWN
RECOGNITION THAT HE AND
HIS SUBORDINATES HAD BOTH
STRAYED WAY BEYOND THE
BOUNDS OF PROFESSIONALLY
ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR.

>> Rooney: YOU WOULD BE
IN A POSITION TO KNOW,
DOES LANGUAGE AND
CONVERSATION GO ON LIKE
THIS ALL THE TIME, AND THE
DIFFERENCE BEING THIS TIME
THERE WAS A REPORTER IN
THEIR PRESENCE.

>> WELL, IT HAS BEEN A
LONG TIME SINCE I WAS IN
THE ARMY.
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IN MY
DAY, THAT WAS NOT THE
CASE.
THAT IN MY DAY, I THINK
MOST OF US HAD A CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING OF
BOUNDARIES THAT SHOULD NOT
BE CROSSED IF WE WERE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO CLAIM
TO BE APOLITICAL, AND TO
ACT IN WAYS CONSISTENT
WITH CIVILIAN PATROL.
I FIND, FRANKLY, THIS
TROUBLING, NOT SIMPLY
BECAUSE OF WHAT
McCHRYSTAL HIMSELF IS
QUOTED AS SAYING, BUT
THERE SEEMS TO HAVE
DEVELOPED AN ATMOSPHERE IN
HIS HEADQUARTERS WHERE
PEOPLE COULD EXPRESS
DISRESPECT FOR SENIOR
OFFICIALS AND BASICALLY
GET AWAY WITH IT.

>> Rooney: THAT IS THE
THE KEY POINT BECAUSE
CAREFULLY CULLING THROUGH
THE ARTICLE, THERE ARE
ONLY ONE OR TWO QUOTES
THAT ARE DIRECTLY
ATTRIBUTED TO GENERAL
STANLEY McCHRYSTAL
HIMSELF.
ONE WAS ABOUT JONES, I
THINK.
SPECIAL AMBASSADOR JONES,
AND ONE ABOUT CARL
IKENBERRY.
AND HE FELT COMFORTABLE IN
A ROOM WHERE AIDES AND
ASSOCIATES WERE SAYING
THESE THINGS.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE BOSS ALWAYS
ESTABLISHES A CLIMATE IN
THE INSTITUTION.
IT WOULD APPEAR, AT LEAST
FROM THIS REPORTING, THAT
THE CLIMATE McCHRYSTAL
HAS ESTABLISHED IN HIS
COMMAND IN AFGHANISTAN IS
ONE IN WHICH IT IS
PERFECTLY OKAY TO MOCK THE
VICE PRESIDENT, TO MOCK
THE NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISOR.
AGAIN, I THINK WE SHOULD
FIND THAT VERY TROUBLING.
MY OWN VIEW WOULD BE THAT
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT
FIRE McCHRYSTAL.
I THINK THAT HE SHOULD
ADMONISH McCHRYSTAL, AND
SHOULD LET IT BE KNOWN
PUBLICLY THAT McCHRYSTAL
WAS ADMONISHED.
MY PERSONAL BELIEF, AS
SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T
PARTICULARLY LIKE THIS WAR
OR SUPPORT THIS WAR, IS
THAT WE SHOULD EVALUATE
McCHRYSTAL BASED ON
WHETHER OR NOT THE POLICY
HE HAS PROPOSED IS IN FACT
SUCCEEDING.
IN MY VIEW, IT IS NOT
SUCCEEDING.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIG
STRATEGIC REVIEW IN
DECEMBER.
IF AT THAT TIME THE WAR IS
NOT BEING WON IN VERY
CLEAR WAYS, AT THAT POINT
McCHRYSTAL OUGHT TO BE
FIRED.
WE SHOULD FIRE HIM.
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD FIRE
HIM.
NOT BECAUSE HE'S
INSUBORDINATE, BUT BECAUSE
HE HAS PROVEN HIMSELF TO
BE INCOMPETENT.

>> Rooney: EXACTLY.
PRESIDENTS LINCOLN ANDÑi
TRUMAN TOOK OUT GENERALS
OVER TIME IN WAR.
IF THE PRESIDENT TOOK HIM
OUT NOW, IT WOULD CREATE
HAVOC WITH WHATEVER POLICY
IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
IT WOULD, IN EFFECT, MOVE
UP THE DECEMBER DATE TO
NOW AND THE WHOLE THING
WOULD START --

>> I THINK SO.
I THINK THAT'S EXACTLY
RIGHT.
AGAIN, I SAY THIS TO
SOMEBODY WHO THINKS THE
STRATEGY ACTUALLY IS A
MISGUIDED ONE.
BUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
THE STRATEGY WAS
EXPLICITLY PREMISED ON
EXPECTATIONS THAT
McCHRYSTAL WOULD HAVE AT
LEAST A YEAR TO SHOW HE
COULD MAKE PROGRESS.
AND THAT YEAR HAS NOT
ELAPSED YET.
SO WE SHOULD GIVE HIM THE
YEAR.
IF, AGAIN, BY DECEMBER
THINGS ARE STILL GOING AS
BADLY AS THEY CLEARLY ARE
NOW, THEN AT THAT POINT I
THINK WE NEED A POLICY
CHANGE.
AND WE'LL ALSO NEED A
CHANGE IN COMMANDERS.

>> Rooney: FOR ME, THERE
WAS A REAL WINDOW IN THIS
ARTICLE INTO HOW
OPERATIONS AT THE TOP
LEVEL OPERATE.
DO YOU HAVE THE PRESENCE
OF RICHARD HOLBROOK, CARL
EICHENBERRY, AND JOE BIDEN
WITH HIS COIN OPERATION,
AND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
TROOPS ON THE GROUND.
AND IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE
WHO WAS REALLY IN CHARGE?
WHEN THE VICE PRESIDENT
COMES IN AND SAYS I THINK
WE SHOULD TRY THIS -- THE
BURDEN IS ON THE GENERAL,
BUT HE HAS THESE OTHER
IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HIS
MIDST, AND SUDDENLY YOU
REALIZE IT IS NOT CLEAR
WHO IS IN CHARGE.

>> IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
HE IS IN CHARGE, BUT IS HE
REALLY IN CHARGE?
THE ENVIRONMENT IS
PROBABLY EVEN MORE
COMPLICATED THAN WHAT YOU
HAVE DESCRIBED.
BECAUSE EVERY THREE DAYS
THERE IS SOME
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
PASSING THROUGH.
AND WE'VE GOT SENATORS AND
REPRESENTATIVES AND GOD
KNOWS HOW MANY REPORTERS
OPINING ON WHAT
McCHRYSTAL OUGHT TO BE
DOING.
THAT SAID, HE IS THE

THEATER COMMANDER.
HE ACCEPTED THE JOB.
HE PROPOSED THIS STRATEGY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY,
I THINK IN TERMS OF THE
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
STRATEGY ON THE GROUND, HE
IS RESPONSIBLE.
AND, QUITE FRANKLY, THERE
SHOULD BE NO QUESTION IN
HIS MIND ABOUT WHO THE
BOSS IS.
HIS BOSS IS THE SECRETARY
OF DEFENSE, AND THE
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WORKS
FOR THE PRESIDENT.
AND I WOULD EXPECT
SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN IN
THE ARMY AS LONG AS
McCHRYSTAL HAS WOULD
CLEARLY UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> Rooney: YOU HAVE TO
WONDER WHAT THE BASIC
THINKING WAS HERE.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE
THING TO ALLOW SOMEONE
LIKE MARTHA RADIT FROM ABC
NEWS BE EMBEDDED WITH THE
GENERAL FOR A FEW WEEKS.
MARTHA HASTINGS HAS AN
STELLER REPUTATION AS A
REPORTER.
BUT HIS WIFE WAS KILLED IN
AFGHANISTAN IN 2007, AND
HE HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE
WAR IN GENERAL.
HE HAS AN AGENDA, AS MOST
OF THE WRITERS FOR ROLLING
STONE DO.
WHY WOULD HE PUT HIMSELF
IN THAT POSITION?

>> BEATS THE HECK OUT OF
ME.
THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THE DAY WHEN ONE COULD
EXPECT REPORTERS TO DEFER
TO FIGURES IN POSITIONS OF
POWER -- THAT DAY HAS LONG
SINCE GONE.
IF YOU INVITE A REPORTER
INTO YOUR FAMILY, AS IT
WERE, INTO YOUR OFFICIAL
FAMILY, HE'S THERE TO TELL
A STORY.
SO WHY THE PEOPLE AROUND
McCHRYSTAL WOULD HAVE
ALLOWED McCHRYSTAL TO
LET THIS REPORTER HAVE
SUCH INTIMATE ACCESS, I
THINK, IS A BIT BAFFLING.

>> Rooney: I THINK ONE
OF THE AIDES WAS EITHER --
EITHER RESIGNED OR WAS
FIRED.
THIS KIND OF DECISION
WOULDN'T GO ALL THE WAY TO
THE PRESIDENT.
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN
WITHIN THE RANKS OF HIS
OFFICE.

>> OH, I THINK CLEARLY
THIS IS SOMETHING EITHER
McCHRYSTAL HIMSELF
DECIDED UPON OR ALLOWED TO
HAPPEN, THE DECISION
HAVING BEEN MADE BY ONE OF
HIS SUBORDINATES.

>> Rooney: TOMORROW'S
MEETINGS, HE'S GOING TO
SHOW UP IN PERSON.
WILL IT BE A GROUP
MEETING, OR WILL THE
PRESIDENT SAY, I'D LIKE TO
SEE YOU FOR A FEW MINUTES
ALONE.

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT THE
PRESIDENT WOULD CHOOSE TO
MEET WITH McCHRYSTAL
ONE-ON-ONE AND WOULD (A)
ASK McCHRYSTAL TO
EXPLAIN HIMSELF, AND (B)
THEN MAKE IT CLEAR TO
McCHRYSTAL THIS MUST
NEVER HAD BEEN AGAIN.
MY HOPE IS SOMEBODY WHO
HAS NO PARTICULAR SYMPATHY
WITH THE WAR, BUT I HOPE
THIS WILL END UP BEING
BASICALLY A ONE-DAY STORY
BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT AND
McCHRYSTAL HAVE MORE
IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO
THAN ALLOW THIS THING TO
FESTER.

>> Rooney: DON'T LOOK
FOR THAT TO BE THE CASE
WITH THE 24-HOUR MEDIA.
THANK YOU.
WHEN WE CONTINUE, WHY
GOOGLE IS BEING
INVESTIGATED FOR POSSIBLY
INVADING YOUR PRIVACY.