Ousted general says no regrets

WASHINGTON — The general ousted by Defense Secretary Robert Gates as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan warned at his official retirement Wednesday that the war will not be won by any one leader and there is no silver bullet for victory.

Speaking bluntly about his dismissal, Gen. David McKiernan told Gates and others gathered for the retirement ceremony that he was dismayed by his firing. But he added that he does not regret any of his battlefield decisions, and that he acted with the best interests of his troops and families in mind.

“If you had asked me 30 days ago if I would be here today at my retirement ceremony, I probably would have said no, maybe in a bit stronger terms,” he said. “Make no mistake, I was dismayed, disappointed, more than a little embarrassed.”

McKiernan was replaced as the Afghanistan commander after less than a year at the helm of the nearly eight-year war. Gates in May announced the decision, saying the Obama administration needed “fresh thinking” to turn around the war against a resurgent Taliban.

McKiernan did not single out his successor, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, or the top commander in the Middle East, Gen. David Petraeus, for criticism. But he made it clear that he believes he made the best decisions he could, and leaves with his reputation intact.

“At end of the day what counts most are ones’ reputation and the ability to look in the mirror and know you made decisions based on mission and taking care of troopers and their families,” he told the crowd of current and former military leaders, and friends at Fort Myer in northern Virginia. “If those are two valid criteria for self assessment then I’m OK.”

On Wednesday, Gates praised McKiernan as a skilled leader, adding that, “he has handled everything the Army and his commander in chief has thrown at him with supreme professionalism, intelligence and dedication to our nation and the men and women under his command.”

McKiernan returned the praise, calling Gates “the finest secretary of defense in my lifetime.”

He told the gathering that as he looks to retirement, “the glass is more than half full.” No one, he said, should offer “any condolences about recent events.” Such sentiments should be saved for the families of troops who will not return home or whose lives will be permanently scarred by war, he said.

The general’s time in Afghanistan was marred by an increase in civilian deaths to the dismay of Afghan leaders, as the U.S. ramped up its airstrikes against the insurgency.

At the same time, McKiernan told military leaders and President Barack Obama that he needed an additional 10,000 troops. Concerned about increasing the U.S. military footprint in Afghanistan, the White House has postponed that decision until the end of the year.

In recent days, however, there have been suggestions the U.S. may look at increasing the size of the Afghan security forces or accelerating their training — which could require additional U.S. personnel.

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