Obama meets with Afghanistan commander in Denmark

[bemildred]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — At a pivotal point in the administration's Afghanistan strategy, President Barack Obama and his top Afghan war commander met privately aboard Air Force One Friday for a talk the White House described as productive.

The 25-minute meeting with Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, aboard Air Force One as it waited to carry the president home from Denmark, gave Obama a chance to step outside the circle of advisers he has convened to study the problem of Afghanistan. His war council has been sharing differing opinions on whether the U.S. should send thousands more troops to tamp down the Taliban, or shift to a narrower focus on al-Qaida in neighboring Pakistan.

The Copenhagen meeting was an extension of those war council sessions "as we reassess and re-evaluate moving forward in Afghanistan," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters afterward.

He said Obama and McChrystal "both agree that this is a helpful process." No decisions were made at their meeting, Gibbs said.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZ7612MNwURQJjGYm5aordIHKC9gD9B358U82

[laststeamtrain]

1. K & R .

Was Polanski there talking to Dave about his Michael Jackson biopic?

Just asking.



"Helpful process": Gibbs on Obama-McChrystal powwow
Laura Rozen

In a somewhat downbeat press gaggle en route back Copenhagen, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama found his 25-minute meeting with Afghan commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal on the tarmac today "very productive" and said Obama and McChrystal agreed the current debate over Af-Pak strategy is part of a "helpful process."

Gibbs: "I talked to the President a bit about it. The President thought the meeting was very productive, an extension of the meetings that have been had thus far as we reassess and reevaluate moving forward in Afghanistan. The President has selected General McChrystal because of his ability and his leadership and I think after having seen him again, it simply underscored the fact that -- many of the reasons why he picked him.

"They both agree that this is a helpful process. General McChrystal expects that the President and others are going to ask him questions about the assessment that he's made and that we're going to ask questions of our diplomatic side, of our intelligence side, and of all of those involved in this to get the best strategy for success in Afghanistan." ... http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/1009/Helpful_process_Gibbs_on_ObamaMcChrystal_powwow.html

[thunder rising]

4. And McChrystal shows up in camos, shithead, like he was just pulled off the front line

[jakeXT]

8. dirty men need dirty clothes

http://www.samspadesf.com/2009/05/pat-tillmans-dad-says-lt-gen-stanley.html

[Brother Buzz]

2. Multitasking

[CBHagman]

3. Just had a look at The New York Times and WaPost.

The Times has a headline about the meeting in its international coverage but gives more prominence to other issues, including the video of the Israeli soldier, and The Post focuses chiefly on the Olympics. Thus far I haven't found a headline or link dealing with the Obama-McChrystal meeting, but there's a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking about the failed Olympic bid. The Schadenfreude addicts are no doubt having a field day.

[madmom]

5. So now this was a "working" trip just like all of b*sh's vacations!

[Bette Noir]

6. Ha! I heard Dennis Miller on the radio the other day,

complaining that Obama was going to go to Copenhagen instead of meeting McChrystal. He met McChrystal *in* Copenhagen. Shows how much DM knows.

[rayofreason]

7. 25 min

I hope that time was more productive than the IOC presentations.