McCain, Karzai, Kerry Comment on McChrystal

Gen. Stanley McChrystal's controversial comments in a Rolling Stone article have generated plenty of comments.

The general, who is the commander in charge of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan, is making the long trip back to Washington, D.C., to meet with President Barack Obama Wednesday -- a meeting that some believe could result in the general's resignation.

Below is a roundup of what politicians, diplomats and journalists are saying right now:

  • Defense Secretary Robert Gates
    “I read with concern the profile piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal in the upcoming edition of ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine. I believe that Gen. McChrystal made a significant mistake and exercised poor judgment in this case…. Going forward, we must pursue this mission with a unity of purpose.”

  • Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
    “We have the highest respect for General McChrystal and honor his brave service and sacrifice to our nation. General McChrystal’s comments, as reported in Rolling Stone, are inappropriate and inconsistent with the traditional relationship between Commander-in-Chief and the military.”

  • Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.)
    “It would be a grave mistake to allow this unfolding news drama to distract anyone from the mission at hand…. Everyone needs to take a deep breath and give the President and his national security team the space to decide what is in the best interest of our mission, and to have their face-to-face discussion tomorrow without a premature Washington feeding frenzy.”

  • Sen. Karl Levin (D-Mich.), Chairman of Senate Committee on Armed Services
    “I’m very troubled by his comments. It’s interesting there doesn’t seem to be a disagreement on policy issues between McChrystal and the civilian leadership as much as there are personality issues which could interfere with the policy... that is important because if there were policy differences then it seems to me there would be no alternative but for him to leave, but there are no policy issues differences that are at least apparent in that article.”

  • Spokesman for Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai
    The president strongly supports General McChrystal and his strategy in Afghanistan and believes he is the best commander the United States has sent to Afghanistan over the last nine years.”

  • Eric Bates, Rolling Stone executive editor, on MSNBC’s 'Morning Joe'
    “We ran everything by them in the fact-checking process as we always do. They had a sense of what was coming and it was all on the record and they spent a lot of time with our reporter, so I think they knew that they had said it.”

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