Adam Skaggs
06-02-2009, 08:00 PM
WASHINGTON — The Special Operations general nominated to be commander of American and allied troops in Afghanistan testified on Tuesday that coalition forces must reduce civilian casualties, a step that is “essential to our credibility.”
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Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, President Obama's nominee to be commander of American forces in Afghanistan, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
The commander, Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, said that “how we conduct operations is vital to success,” and warned that any victory would be “hollow and unsustainable” if allied operations created popular resentment among Afghanistan’s citizens.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General McChrystal said the measure of American and allied effectiveness would be “the number of Afghans shielded from violence,” not the number of enemies killed.
Even so, strikes by warplanes and Special Operations ground units would remain an essential part of combat in Afghanistan, General McChrystal said. He pledged to make sure these attacks would be ordered only based on solid intelligence, and would be as “precise” as possible.
General McChrystal formerly served as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, whose hunter-killer units scored significant successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was questioned about reports of abuse of detainees held by his commandos.
When he took command of these units in 2003, the general said, the Special Operations detention facilities in Afghanistan were limited and disorganized, and the forces involved in the detention mission lacked experience.
Under questioning by Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is the committee chairman, General McChrystal said that he “was uncomfortable” with some of the harsh techniques that were officially approved for interrogations. At the time, the approved techniques included placing detainees in stress positions, sleep deprivation and use of attack dogs.
He said that while he was in command, all reports of abuse were investigated, and all substantiated cases resulted in disciplinary action. He pledged to “strictly enforce” American and international standards for treatment of battlefield detainees if he is confirmed to the post in Afghanistan.
“I do not and never have condoned mistreatment of detainees, and never will,” General McChrystal said.
“Unfortunately, criminal acts take place on the battlefield, just like they do in normal society,” General McChrystal said in separate, prepared answers to questions submitted by the committee. “Fortunately, through improved training and education, substantiated allegations of abuse have decreased over time.”
If confirmed, General McChrystal said, he would take a number of steps to improve detention operations.
Among them, he said, would be efforts to “separate and segregate the extremists,” and to “impart basic education and vocational skills” to detainees. Troops would be ordered to “develop a moderate understanding of Islam,” the general said, and he would continue the use of extended family members and tribal groups “to aid in a released detainee’s abstention from violence.”
Under questioning from Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s ranking Republican, General McChrystal discussed his actions following the friendly-fire death of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the professional football star who enlisted in the Army after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
General McChrystal expressed his “deepest condolences” to the Tillman family and to Corporal Tillman’s fellow Rangers, and acknowledged that he would do things differently if presented again with such a tragedy.
A four-star Army review cleared General McChrystal of any wrongdoing, but it punished a number of senior officers who were responsible for administrative mistakes in the days following the death of Corporal Tillman.
General McChrystal explained that he signed a Silver Star recommendation, even though he already suspected death by friendly fire, because Corporal Tillman’s valor in the field earned him the honor regardless of the manner of his death. However, the general acknowledged that the recommendation produced confusion.
At the time, Army policy was to rush those medals of valor so they could be received by the family at the time of the honored soldier’s funeral; that policy has been changed to allow more thorough evaluations.
General McChrystal said that within a week of Corporal Tillman’s death, he sent an urgent message to his three senior commanders specifically to inform them of mounting evidence of death by friendly fire, and to push the Army to quickly halt any misinformation regarding Corporal Tillman’s death.
Sen. James Webb, a Virginia Democrat who has championed the Tillman’s family case, returned to the topic late in the hearing during a heartfelt exchange in which the Senator chastised the Army for its initial incorrect reports that Corporal Tillman was killed in an insurgent ambush, and not by fire from his own Ranger unit.
“The Army failed the family,” Senator Webb said.
“We failed the family,” General McChrystal agreed. “I was a part of that, and I apologize.” But the general repeatedly stated that any errors committed by soldiers and officers in the field of combat in Afghanistan “were not intentional,” and he added, “I didn’t see any activities by anyone to deceive.”
Senator Levin called for strong cooperation between General McChrystal and Adm. James G. Stavridis, who also testified Tuesday; the admiral has been nominated to become NATO’s supreme allied commander and commander of American forces in Europe. If confirmed, Admiral Stavridis would be the first Navy officer to hold that position.
NATO supplies the majority of the nearly 35,000 non-American troops in Afghanistan, but Senator Levin said that “only a portion are in the fight where the fight mainly is — in the south and east of Afghanistan.”
The NATO contribution to the Afghan mission “remains inadequate,” Senator Levin said. He urged Admiral Stavridis to do all he could to press “NATO and other allies in Europe to do their share for the Afghanistan mission.”
Under President Obama’s new Afghan strategy, the number of American troops in the country will double to about 68,000 this year.
http://www.nytimes.com
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, President Obama's nominee to be commander of American forces in Afghanistan, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee during a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
The commander, Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, said that “how we conduct operations is vital to success,” and warned that any victory would be “hollow and unsustainable” if allied operations created popular resentment among Afghanistan’s citizens.
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, General McChrystal said the measure of American and allied effectiveness would be “the number of Afghans shielded from violence,” not the number of enemies killed.
Even so, strikes by warplanes and Special Operations ground units would remain an essential part of combat in Afghanistan, General McChrystal said. He pledged to make sure these attacks would be ordered only based on solid intelligence, and would be as “precise” as possible.
General McChrystal formerly served as commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, whose hunter-killer units scored significant successes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he was questioned about reports of abuse of detainees held by his commandos.
When he took command of these units in 2003, the general said, the Special Operations detention facilities in Afghanistan were limited and disorganized, and the forces involved in the detention mission lacked experience.
Under questioning by Senator Carl Levin, the Michigan Democrat who is the committee chairman, General McChrystal said that he “was uncomfortable” with some of the harsh techniques that were officially approved for interrogations. At the time, the approved techniques included placing detainees in stress positions, sleep deprivation and use of attack dogs.
He said that while he was in command, all reports of abuse were investigated, and all substantiated cases resulted in disciplinary action. He pledged to “strictly enforce” American and international standards for treatment of battlefield detainees if he is confirmed to the post in Afghanistan.
“I do not and never have condoned mistreatment of detainees, and never will,” General McChrystal said.
“Unfortunately, criminal acts take place on the battlefield, just like they do in normal society,” General McChrystal said in separate, prepared answers to questions submitted by the committee. “Fortunately, through improved training and education, substantiated allegations of abuse have decreased over time.”
If confirmed, General McChrystal said, he would take a number of steps to improve detention operations.
Among them, he said, would be efforts to “separate and segregate the extremists,” and to “impart basic education and vocational skills” to detainees. Troops would be ordered to “develop a moderate understanding of Islam,” the general said, and he would continue the use of extended family members and tribal groups “to aid in a released detainee’s abstention from violence.”
Under questioning from Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the committee’s ranking Republican, General McChrystal discussed his actions following the friendly-fire death of Cpl. Pat Tillman, the professional football star who enlisted in the Army after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
General McChrystal expressed his “deepest condolences” to the Tillman family and to Corporal Tillman’s fellow Rangers, and acknowledged that he would do things differently if presented again with such a tragedy.
A four-star Army review cleared General McChrystal of any wrongdoing, but it punished a number of senior officers who were responsible for administrative mistakes in the days following the death of Corporal Tillman.
General McChrystal explained that he signed a Silver Star recommendation, even though he already suspected death by friendly fire, because Corporal Tillman’s valor in the field earned him the honor regardless of the manner of his death. However, the general acknowledged that the recommendation produced confusion.
At the time, Army policy was to rush those medals of valor so they could be received by the family at the time of the honored soldier’s funeral; that policy has been changed to allow more thorough evaluations.
General McChrystal said that within a week of Corporal Tillman’s death, he sent an urgent message to his three senior commanders specifically to inform them of mounting evidence of death by friendly fire, and to push the Army to quickly halt any misinformation regarding Corporal Tillman’s death.
Sen. James Webb, a Virginia Democrat who has championed the Tillman’s family case, returned to the topic late in the hearing during a heartfelt exchange in which the Senator chastised the Army for its initial incorrect reports that Corporal Tillman was killed in an insurgent ambush, and not by fire from his own Ranger unit.
“The Army failed the family,” Senator Webb said.
“We failed the family,” General McChrystal agreed. “I was a part of that, and I apologize.” But the general repeatedly stated that any errors committed by soldiers and officers in the field of combat in Afghanistan “were not intentional,” and he added, “I didn’t see any activities by anyone to deceive.”
Senator Levin called for strong cooperation between General McChrystal and Adm. James G. Stavridis, who also testified Tuesday; the admiral has been nominated to become NATO’s supreme allied commander and commander of American forces in Europe. If confirmed, Admiral Stavridis would be the first Navy officer to hold that position.
NATO supplies the majority of the nearly 35,000 non-American troops in Afghanistan, but Senator Levin said that “only a portion are in the fight where the fight mainly is — in the south and east of Afghanistan.”
The NATO contribution to the Afghan mission “remains inadequate,” Senator Levin said. He urged Admiral Stavridis to do all he could to press “NATO and other allies in Europe to do their share for the Afghanistan mission.”
Under President Obama’s new Afghan strategy, the number of American troops in the country will double to about 68,000 this year.
http://www.nytimes.com