The blood on McChrystal's hands is something that should make Obama and liberals in general consider seriously whether or not they want to provoke the generals any more than they already have; THESE ARE MEN WHO BELIEVE IN THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THEIR CAUSE AND WILL NOT BLINK AT KILLING THEIR ADVERSARIES. Take, for example McChrystal's history with Task Force 626 (aka, Task Force 145 and 121). [See our article: "The Cedars - The House on 24th St."] McChrystal and Boykin, both of whom consider themselves to be "born-again" Christians, (see note above) are intimately involved in a hyper-secret organization known as Task Force 626. The New York Times reports that Task Force 626 was a creation of the Pentagon's post-Sept. 11 campaign against terrorism, and it quickly became the model for how the military would ... battle insurgents in the future. The unit was originally called Task Force 121. It's now referred to as Task Force 145. [For further information on the Christian mindset that permeates Task Force 121, please see our articles, "The Evil in our Midst" and "The Power of Self-Sacrifice: Taking up Your Cross and Following Him."] Journalist Seymour Hersh, echoing Professor Petras, says the "killers" of Task Force 121 (aka 145 and 626) "... are the people most responsible for the savage brutality that is currently being carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. military." Like Petras, Hersh labels the unit as a rapid-deployment ASSASSINATION team built out of elite Special Operations forces from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He says that the individual death squads that comprise Task Force 121 have CIA officers officially "attached," and come with a large accompanying "conventional force" to seal off areas while the killing and "disappearing" take place. These are "Phoenix"-like operations and are similar to the kind of death squad campaigns that have been carried out for years and years by the American military and the CIA in Central and South America, Africa and elsewhere. [Please see our article, "The Death Squads: Bringing In The Kingdom Of God Through Terror, Torture And Death;" please also see "The Horror of John Dimitri Negroponte and Everything He Represents."]
McChrystal and Boykin, both of whom consider themselves to be "born-again" Christians, (see note above) are intimately involved in a hyper-secret organization known as Task Force 626. The New York Times reports that Task Force 626 was a creation of the Pentagon's post-Sept. 11 campaign against terrorism, and it quickly became the model for how the military would ... battle insurgents in the future. The unit was originally called Task Force 121. It's now referred to as Task Force 145. [For further information on the Christian mindset that permeates Task Force 121, please see our articles, "The Evil in our Midst" and "The Power of Self-Sacrifice: Taking up Your Cross and Following Him."]
Journalist Seymour Hersh, echoing Professor Petras, says the "killers" of Task Force 121 (aka 145 and 626) "... are the people most responsible for the savage brutality that is currently being carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan by the U.S. military." Like Petras, Hersh labels the unit as a rapid-deployment ASSASSINATION team built out of elite Special Operations forces from the Army, Navy and Air Force. He says that the individual death squads that comprise Task Force 121 have CIA officers officially "attached," and come with a large accompanying "conventional force" to seal off areas while the killing and "disappearing" take place. These are "Phoenix"-like operations and are similar to the kind of death squad campaigns that have been carried out for years and years by the American military and the CIA in Central and South America, Africa and elsewhere. [Please see our article, "The Death Squads: Bringing In The Kingdom Of God Through Terror, Torture And Death;" please also see "The Horror of John Dimitri Negroponte and Everything He Represents."]
Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal - WhoRunsGov.com, a Wash Post Co
Due in large part to his background in the shadowy world of special operations, which often include participation from non-defense agencies, McChrystal's network extends beyond the military. Military officials say he has a deep rolodex of contacts inside the Central Intelligence Agency, FBI and other federal intelligence and national security outfits.
If he's also a crusading born-again Christian with an Old-Testament view of smiting the enemy, it doesn't show in this assessment. Which may, of course, be a front. Not sure I'd go with Shearer's conspiracy stuff, though. Gareth Porter, whom I've sometimes quoted in the Salon, isn't as rabid (IPS article here).
McChrystal's Counterinsurgency Guidance document seems encouraging. The recommended approaches towards sit downs with local leaders followed up with responses to their needs seem more likely to yield long term results than targeted killings of perceived local opposition leaders. However, from his prior record, it would appear that McChrystal has employed the directed assassination approach in the past with Special Ops.
He is serving under Gen. Petraeus and I believe that the counterinsurgency strategy he is embracing is that of Petraeus and that they both share a faith. But that remains just my belief until can find better evidence. Pardon me if I suspect that this is rather like teasing out the true opinions of Supreme Court nominees on subjects like abortion. As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."
