Gates and the generals, and admirals/McChrystal Update

Further to this post,

Obama and the generals, and admirals

I'd have to say the defense secretary seems to be leaning towards supporting Gen. McChrystal's request for considerably more US forces for Afstan. First, CNN's "State of the Union":

From the transcript (second part):

...
GATES: ...I think we have in General McChrystal the very best commanding officer we could possibly have there...

Is Afghanistan a quagmire?

GATES: I don't think so, and I think that, with a general like McChrystal, it won't become one...

...The reality is, failure in Afghanistan would be a huge setback for the United States. Taliban and Al Qaida, as far as they're concerned, defeated one superpower. For them to be seen to defeat a second, I think, would have catastrophic consequences in terms of energizing the extremist movement, Al Qaida recruitment, operations, fundraising, and so on. I think it would be a huge setback for the United States...

GATES: ...I think if the president were to decide to approve additional combat forces, they really probably could not begin to flow until some time in January...

More on "catastrophic consequences" here. Remember that...

...many people in other societies still believe in the "strong horse" ("...when people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong horse...")...

And Secretary Gates on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos", video here. From the transcript:

...
GATES: ...I talked with -- I had an extensive conversation on the telephone with both General McChrystal and General Petraeus on -- on Wednesday. General McChrystal was very explicit in saying that he thinks this assessment, this review that's going on right now is exactly the right thing to do. He obviously doesn't want it to be open-ended or be a protracted kind of thing...

GATES: ...it's a matter of a few weeks. And people should remember that the debate within the Bush administration on the surge lasted three months, from October to December, 2006...

GATES: ...I haven't even given him General McChrystal's request for resources. I have the -- I -- I'm receiving the -- the report. I'm going to sit on it until I think -- or the president thinks -- it's appropriate to bring that into the discussion of the national security principles...

STEPHANOPOULOS: This first required a surge in Iraq.

GATES: It did require a surge. And that's the issue that we will be looking at over the next several weeks -- the next couple of weeks or so, is do we have the right strategy?..

Gen. McChrystal will be on CBS' "Sixty Minutes" tonight. Tune in.

Update: From an almost transcript:

... "There's an awful lot of bad habits we've got to deprogram."

McChrystal's compulsion for shaking up the system even includes the flags outside his headquarters. They used to fly at half staff every time a soldier was killed. He ordered them raised.

"We had gotten to the point where the flags were at half mast all the time, and I believe that a force that's fighting a war can't spend all it's time looking back at what the costs have been. They've got to look ahead and they've got to have their confidence. And I thought it was important that the flags be up where they belong," McChrystal explained...

Asked if he's confident he'll get what he is asking for, McChrystal said, "I'm confident that I will have an absolute chance to provide my assessment and to make my recommendations."

"But you're already under pressure not to ask for more. I mean, how's that affect what you do?" Martin asked.

"Doesn't affect me at all. And David, I take this extraordinarily seriously. I believe that what I am responsible to do is to give my best assessment," McChrystal said.

Asked how often he talks to the president, McChrystal said, "I've talked to the president since I've been here once on a VTC."

"You talked to him once in 70 days?" Martin asked.

"That's correct," McChrystal replied.

"Can you imagine ever saying to the president of the United States, 'Sir, we just can't do it,'?" Martin asked.

"Yes I can," McChrystal said. "And if I felt that way, the day I feel that way, the day I'm sure I feel that way, I'll tell him that."

Predate: The essential McChrystal here and here.