washingtonnomorediscordintheafghanistanwarcommand,presidentbarackobamavows.Withgen.Davidpetraeusincharge,thepresidentsaidthursdayhesassembledtheteamthatwilltaketheu.S.Throughthemonthsaheadbyallexpectationsthemake-or-breakstageoftheconflict."Iamgoingtobeinsistingonaunityofpurposeonthepartofallbranchesoftheu.S.Government,"thepresidentsaid."Ourteamisgoingtobemovingforwardinsynch."Obamasaidhedoesnotanticipatefurtherfiringsbeyondgen.Stanleymcchrystal,thetopwarcommanderhiredayearagototurnaroundawarthenslidingintoquagmire.Hewasfiredwednesdayforsnipingatcivilianwarbossesinamagazinearticle."I"mpayingverycloseattention,"obamasaidofhiswarcouncil."Andiwillbeinsistingonextraordinaryperformancemovingforward."Thetaliban-ledinsurgencyhasduginforalongfightincrucialsouthernafghanprovinceswheremcchrystalfocusedtheconflict.Petraeusisexpectedtocontinuethatcampaign,buthewillhaveflexibilitytomakechangesasheseesfit,hiscivilianandmilitarybossessaidthursday."Whenhegetsontheground,hewillassessthesituationforhimself,andatsomepointhewillmakerecommendationstothepresident,"defensesecretaryrobertgatessaid."Attheendoftheday,thepresidentwilldecidewhetherchangesaretobemadeinthestrategy."Bothinwashingtonandkabul,u.S.Officialstriedtostayon-message,insistingthatthesuddensackingofmcchrystaldoesnotrevealacrisisofconfidenceinawarthatgatesassertedisnolongerastalemate."Idonotbelieveweareboggeddown,"gatessaid."Ibelievewearemakingsomeprogress.Itisslowerandharderthanweanticipated."Obamaandhistopsecurityadvisersalsounderscoredthatu.S.Forceswillbegintocomehomefromafghanistannextsummer,andthatthecommandertakingoverforthedisgracedmcchrystalispledgedtothattimetable.Petraeustoldcongresslastweekthathewouldrecommenddelayingthestartofawithdrawalplannedtobegininjuly2011ifconditionsinafghanistanwarrantedit.Healsosaidthenthathesupportsthepulloutplan."Gen.Petraeusunderstandsthatstrategybecausehehelpedshapeit,"obamasaidthursday."Wewillnotmissabeatbecauseofthechangeincommandintheafghantheater."Obamaaddedthatthejuly2011dateisthestartofthewithdrawal,notamomentthattheu.S.Quitsthecountryentirely."Wedidntsaywe"dbeswitchingoffthelightsandclosingthedoorbehindus,"obamasaid.Thedatehasalwaysleftsomewiggleroom.Theadministrationsaysthescopeofthedrawdownwillbedeterminedbyhowsafeafghanistanis,andhowcapablethegovernment.Secretaryofstatehillaryrodhamclintonsecondedthevoteofconfidenceforpetraeus,whowillgobeforethesenatearmedservicescommitteeforahastyconfirmationhearingtuesday."Heiscompletelyfamiliarwithalloftheplansthathavebeenputforth,"shesaidofpetraeus."Andheisgoingtoprovidethekindofcontinuityofleadershipthatthismissionneedsanddeserves."Americansareincreasinglyimpatientwiththecourseofthenearlynine-yearwar.Juneisthedeadliestmonthofthewarsofar,with80foreigntroopskilled,ofwhom46wereamericans.Gatessaiditwasobamawhosuggestedaskingpetraeustotakethejob,whichistechnicallyademotionfromhiscurrentpostasheadofu.S.Centralcommand.Adm.Mikemullen,chairmanofthejointchiefsofstaff,saidhetakesresponsibilityforhand-pickingmcchrystal,butheandgatessaidthegeneralsintemperateremarksinrollingstonemagazinewereanaberration.Butmcchrystalsteamdidhaverun-inswithcivilianoverlordsseenasmeddlesomeoroutoftouch.Civilianleaders,fortheirpart,havesometimesstruggledtofindfootinginawarplanthatstressesdevelopmentandcivilianinputbutisalmostentirelystaffedandfinancedbythemilitary."Weclearlyareatanenormouslydifficulttimeintheexecutionofthestrategy,"mullensaid.Hetravelsthursdaytoafghanistanandpakistan,withamessagethattheunitedstatesisholdingsteady."Inanyoperation,youmakeadjustments,"mullensaid,addingthathethinksitwillbetheendofthisyearbeforeitsclearwhethertheefforttopacifykandaharisworking.Mullen,soundingdejected,saidmcchrystalrightlytooktheblameforthechallengetocivilianauthorityposedbytheremarksheandhisaidesmadeinrollingstone."Honestly,whenifirstreadit,iwasnearlysick,"mullensaid."Literally,physically,icouldntbelieveit.Soiwasstunned."Afullsenatevoteonpetraeuscouldfollowlaternextweek.Republicansanddemocratsalikehavepraisedtheappointmentofpetraeus.Hewasthearchitectofatroopbuildupiniraqin2007thathelpedturnthewararoundandisanexpertatcounterinsurgencyoperations.Thetalibanseemstobehisonlydetractors.Inatauntingstatementissuedonthursday,astranslatedbythesiteintelligencegroup,atalibanspokesmansaidpetraeus""physicalcompetenceandhiscourage"wereinquestionafterthefour-stargeneralcollapsedbrieflyatasenatehearinglastweek.Petraeuslatersaidhehadbeendehydrated,butwasfine.___associatedpresswritersanneflaherty,benfellerandmatthewleecontributedtothisreport. Biobased and Other Animal Co-Products !,Becomeafanonfacebook
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