SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, said Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal. (Screengrab)
Gen. Stanley McChrystal: Afghans Are Like Teenagers, We Have 'Emotional Responsibility' to Continue Occupation
McChrystal: 'I would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan'
Jan 08, 2013
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US troops in Afghanistan and counterinsurgency architect, gave an interview to The Associated Press published Monday in which he compared Afghans to teenagers, and said the US has an "emotional responsibility" to continue occupying the country.
McChrystal said that Afghans don't want a full troop withdrawal.
"Like a teenager, you really don't want your parents hanging around you, but ... you like to know if things go bad, they're going to help," he said.
"We have an emotional responsibility" to leave US occupying forces in Afghanistan, he told AP.
McChrystal offered other news agencies more of his take on the ongoing war in Afghanistan as he makes appearances to promote his new memoir.
Speaking to USA Today, McChrystal describes an Afghanistan 10 years from now when American "advisors and trainers" will be working with Afghan forces. In addition to these armed forces, he says he "would certainly like to see American businesses in Afghanistan."
As for drones, their real problem, he told Reuters on Monday, is not civilian casualties but one of perceptions.
"What scares me about drone strikes is how they are perceived around the world," he said.
They foster a "perception of American arrogance that says, 'Well we can fly where we want, we can shoot where we want, because we can.'"
McChrystal resigned hours after the release of a George Polk Award-winning Rolling Stone article by Michael Hastings that profiled the general and his inner circle.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.