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13 April 2009
The US has replaced the commander of its forces in
Afghanistan, David McKiernan, as it continues to send
more troops to combat Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters.
Army Lieutenant-General Stanley McChrystal, a
former commander of special operations forces, has
been recommended as his replacement, Robert Gates, the
US defence secretary, said on Monday.
"This is the right time to make the change," Gates
said. "Our mission there requires new thinking and new
approaches from our military leaders."
The US is sending around 21,000 extra troops to
Afghanistan as part of the White House's plans to
confront the growing power of the Taliban in the
region.
"Today we have a new policy set by our new
president. We have a new strategy, a new mission, and
a new ambassador. I believe that new military
leadership also is
needed."
McKiernan arrived in Afghanistan about a year ago
and had been asking for extra troops as the Taliban
campaign intensified.
New strategic plan
McChrystal is currently the director of the joint
staff, a top military position. He comes from the
warfare branch of the military rather than the
conventional army, which marks a departure from
previous appointments and recognises the complexity of
the task in Afghanistan.
He has led
special operations forces, including
"counter-insurgency", most prominently in Iraq from
2003 to 2008.
The replacement comes as top US officials,
including General David Petraeus, who oversees
military strategy for the region, implements Obama's
new strategic plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
McKiernan played a crucial role in the current
troop increase that is expected to more than double
the number of US soldiers in Afghanistan to 68,000 by
the end of the year.
He had asked for an additional 10,000 troops in
2010, a proposal that appeared to meet resistance from
Gates, who expressed reluctance to boost troops beyond
the 68,000.
'Too conventional'
Al Jazeera's James Bays, who has reported regularly
from Afghanistan, said McKiernan's replacement was a
very important development.
"He commands all the American and Nato troops. He
has been in effect fired from his job," he said.
"When McKiernan took up his job, he wanted more
troops. He has been demanding them since. Now finally
more troops are coming [but] he is not going to see
the benefit of that.
"One source told me that the current thinking in
the headquarters of the [Nato-led]International
Security Assistance Force is that there is a problem
between him and his new boss, General Petraeus - that
he [Petraeus] sees him as perhaps a too conventional
type of commander, and they wanted some fresh
thinking."
Lieutenant General David Rodriguez, at present the
head of US military forces in the eastern half of
Afghanistan, has been lined up as McChrystal's deputy,
a new position.
"These two officers will bring not just a renewal
but a focus that we need in 2009," Michael Mullen, the
chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said.
Obama's plan for Afghanistan and Pakistan calls for
a military push to reverse deteriorating security, and
an increase in civilian aid and development
assistance.
Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, met Obama last
week in Washington to discuss their joint approach to
fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan and neighbouring
Pakistan.
That meeting came amid claims that US air strikes
in Farah province had killed at least 130 civilians.
-- Al Jazeera and agencies |
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