Today Show Video: Michael Hastings discusses Gen. McChrystal -- June 24, 2010
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The writer whose Rolling Stone article brought down Gen. Stanley McChrystal said he never thought his reporting would bring about the effective end of McChrystal’s career, as well as a crisis for the Obama administration.
“I did not think Gen. McChrystal would be fired. In fact, I thought his position was basically untouchable,” freelance journalist Michael Hastings told TODAY’s Matt Lauer via satellite from Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday. “I thought it would give them a headache for maybe 72 hours.”
After meeting with President Barack Obama Wednesday, McChrystal resigned as the top commander in Afghanistan. Obama replaced him with Gen. David Petraeus, the architect of the successful surge strategy that turned around the war in Iraq.
The resignation followed publication of Hastings’ profile “The Runaway General,” in which McChrystal and members of his staff made a number of disparaging on-the-record comments about the commander in chief, Vice President Joe Biden and other members of the administration.
Hastings said that he has already gotten feedback from troops in Afghanistan who are happy that McChrystal is out and Petraeus is in.
“I got an e-mail from a Marine just this morning saying they were pleased with the decision, because they did not agree with Gen. McChrystal’s policies here,” the writer said.
Hastings initially met McChrystal in Paris for what was to be two days of access to the general and his staff for the profile he was writing. When ash from the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland grounded all flights, the interview turned into a monthlong process that continued in Berlin.
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