Gates: Troop spat not behind McKiernan firing - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Gates: Troop spat not behind McKiernan firing

Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday described his decision to replace Gen. David McKiernan in Afghanistan as “an accelerated change of command” that had nothing to do with McKiernan’s pointed requests for more troops or handling of civilian casualties.

At a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee to discuss President Barack Obama’s $664 billion defense spending plan for 2010, Gates said he viewed the situation as an “accelerated change of command.”

“There was certainly no intent to convey anything negative or denigrate him in any way,” said Gates, who testified with Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Jojnt Chiefs, at his side. “My decision to make this recommendation to the president had nothing to do with civil casualties, had nothing to do with requests for forces.”

Gates announced his decision to replace McKiernan with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, director of the Joint Staff, on Monday.

Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., questioned why Gates asked for McKiernan’s resignation from service, noting that calls for a buildup of forces in Afghanistan began with McKiernan’s predecessor, retired Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, now ambassador to Kabul. Sestak asked whether the policy McKiernan inherited gave him sufficient resources to move forward and succeed in the Afghanistan mission.

“The administration’s policy at the time was, ‘in Iraq we do what we must, but in Afghanistan we do we can,’ ” Sestak said. “In the request for [McKiernan’s] resignation … is there a lesson here that we may not want to have for younger service members?”

Gates replied that he saw the request as a resignation of command, not military service. But he acknowledged the move will likely end McKiernan’s military career.

“Presumably, he will retire with the honor and respect he deserves,” he said.

McKiernan, an armor officer who commanded ground forces during the invasion of Iraq, will stay in command until McChrystal, who ran the elite Joint Special Operations Command for five years before becoming director of the Joint Staff last year, receives Senate confirmation for his new position.

Gates dismissed the notion that his decision was related to troop requests from McKiernan, who had sought 10,000 more troops for Afghanistan beyond the 21,000 ordered to deploy this year.

Gates said U.S. troop levels will rise in Afghanistan to 68,000 within the next few months, up from about 32,000 last year.

“My view is a commander should never feel constrained when asking for resources,” Gates said. “I’ve worked very hard to give first Gen. [David] Petraeus and now Gen. [Raymond] Odierno the forces that they need in Iraq. We have worked very hard to come up with these additional forces for Afghanistan. [McKiernan’s] request for additional troops played absolutely no role in the decision.”

At the Pentagon news conference in which he announced McKiernan’s firing, Gates said he was looking for “fresh eyes” on the mission in Afghanistan.