The Diane Rehm Show

I predict the rock star persona as in Rolling Stone. (Contrasts sharply with his "retired" status, so he will moosh his personal history into one soggy glob like Keith Richards and go dreamy.)

He can't possibly go NRAzy and recommend the same counterinsurgency at home as used overseas: "Sons of the Confederacy- Here's ten Franklins and a fifth of Jack Daniels, now snuff all the dissidents you can. Trim your yellow toenails, put some Jiff and Wonder Bread in a superhero backpack and meet me at the schoolyard ready to shoot some people."

Since the book starts with Christmas he'll have to limit gun ownership to the Official Red Ryder 200 Shot Range Model Air Rifle with a compass in the stock. He'll make safety glasses mandatory so 2nd Emolument enthusiasts won't "shoot out their eye."

Better stock up on Daisy BBs Ron. WalMart reports China can't make them fast enough.

It is the General who is attacking. I have not heard his deliberately misguided assertions challenged anywhere at this point. ALL rifle crimes involved in murders are 2.5%, less than clubs and hammers at 3.3%. I am fully aware my questions will not be asked no matter how I word them, however I am certain Diane will ask the General to comment on the gun debate because she knows in advance his well rehearsed views. My comment is a preemptive strike on an anticipated D.R. show propaganda opportunity.
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Patrick Henry, in the Virginia ratification convention June 5, 1788, argued for the dual rights to arms and resistance to oppression:

Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.

General McChrystal, a 2007 Dept. of Defense IG report found you were “accountable for the inaccurate [Silver Star] award recommendation” for Pat Tillman. For example, the report found the two witness statements were altered “somewhere in the [Silver Star] approval chain” (apparently by the Ranger RGT commanding officers). “PFC [O’Neal] stated that he did not sign the valorous award witness statement” and “also pointed out parts he knows he did not write and parts that were not accurate.” “SGT [Ward] pointed out parts that were inaccurate, in that he was unable to see CPL Tillman’s actions from his location” (for details, see the post “Never Shall I Fail My Comrades” in the Feral Firefighter blog).

Kevin Tillman told Congress: “These are deliberate acts of deceit. … To falsify a witness statement in a Silver Star award, fabricating it with these kids’ names on it.” And, Jon Krakauer, in the paperback edition of his book, "Where Men Win Glory," described "how you "administered the medal recommendation process” and directly supervised the Ranger RGT commanding officers who apparently altered the witness statements. He wrote that a false narrative "was painstakingly written to create the impression Pat Tillman was killed by enemy fire” and that “The Silver Star recommendation was "fraudulent" by "any objective measure."

General McChrystal, in your memoir, you wrote that Pat Tillman's Silver Star citation contained “errors,” but that they were “not the result of any intention to misrepresent or mislead.” Could you please explain how “errors” could possibly explain the two forged witness statements in the Silver Star recommendation that you approved?

General McChrystal, you wrote that “some found misleading” the Silver Star citation that you approved for Pat Tillman. The citation reads, “for gallantry in action … against an armed enemy … enemy fire … Cpl. Tillman put himself in the line of devastating enemy fire … known enemy positions … enemy's withdrawal and his platoon's safe passage from the ambush kill zone.”

“Some”? Anyone reading the citation would think Tillman was killed by enemy fire! But, there was no enemy fire, no enemy withdrawal, no ambush kill zone, and no safe passage (besides Tillman, an Afghan soldier was killed, the LT was hit in the face and the RO in the knee). Major Hodne testified he “carefully prepared the narrative to avoid stating that the enemy had killed CPL Tillman” and removed “a phrase asserting that CPL had died ‘by enemy fire.’”

But, even though verbal confirmation of friendly fire by the initial 15-6 investigating officer had been given to you just two days after Tillman’s death (four days before you approved this citation) there is no mention of friendly fire in the citation.

General McChrystal, could you explain just how you somehow managed to overlook these “errors” in the Silver Star citation you approved for Pat Tillman?

With respect to the Rolling Stone interview, how could Gen. McChrystal not know the outcome when he allowed the journalists to follow his staff? Not to negate his extraordinary service, but again, from the RS interview, how could his staff not be in control and on their best behavior when being followed by journalists? In conjunction with this question, are our top leaders fully aware and in control of what their staff's behavior, actions? Does it relate to the Secret Service incidents?

"a bleak new Pentagon report has found that only one of the Afghan National Army’s 23 brigades is able to operate independently without air or other military support from the United States and NATO partners.”
" Will they ever be ready? Maybe not. 1 – Afghanistan is unlikely to ever have enough income to pay for the forces we have created for them. Where will they get their money if not from us? 2 – The apparent disparity between ethnic “nations” in Afghanistan and the composition of the “Afghan” Army is unpromising as a basis for the integrity of the state. …”

I am disappointed that the General believes that Stonewall Jackson was a hero. Jackson was a traitor to his country and the constitution, fighting to preserve the institution of slavery. Nothing heroic about that. I would suggest that those who died fighting to save the Union and preserve the constitution, as did several of my ancestors - one who died at the Battle of Shiloh - are better examples of bravery and heroicism than that of the
traitor, Stonewall Jackson.

Americans swear against the Creator Of The Universe everyday without mortal punition. 80% of Americans claim they identify themselves as Christians. Sad for General McChrystal that such penalty is rendered by the government administration and the public-at-large through the media press, when he, in effect, “swears” against his boss, the Commander-in-Chief of the military organization he served. Clearly half of Congress disagree with the President of the United States, yet continue to hold their jobs. All of us have worked for bosses where personal friction has been a difficult problem in our employ. I would conclude that 80% of our country bespeaks Christianity, but don’t really act on that belief. I would like to have seen General McChrystal be allowed to make a public apology to the President in response to the public media article in The Rolling Stone, and be left to hold his responsible military position. The Creator Of The Universe would have approved.