Barack Obama 'angry' over McChrystal claims

And speaking of poppy fields...

US President Barack Obama was angered by a magazine profile in which the top military commander in Afghanistan criticised senior administration officials, the White House says.

President Obama said General Stanley McChrystal had shown "poor judgement".

The general has been summoned to Washington over the Rolling Stone article, for which he has apologised.

Administration officials have so far declined to say that his job is safe.

Mr Obama said he wanted to talk with the general in person before deciding what action to take.

US media reports said Gen McChrystal had submitted his resignation, but it was up to the president to decide whether to accept it. There has been no official comment on the reports.

In the article by Michael Hastings, entitled The Runaway General, Gen McChrystal is characterised as facing up to a key enemy in the war in Afghanistan: "The wimps in the White House."

Gen McChrystal is quoted as sharply criticising the US ambassador to Kabul, Karl Eikenberry. ...

Speaking to reporters earlier, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the president was "angry".

Mr Gibbs added: "Without a doubt, General McChrystal... has made an enormous mistake. A mistake that he'll get a chance to talk about and answer to, tomorrow, to both officials in the Pentagon and the commander-in-chief.

"The purpose for calling him here is to see what in the world he was thinking."

He added that the war effort in Afghanistan was "bigger than one person".

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in a strongly worded statement he had read the Rolling Stone article "with concern". ...

via BBC News - Barack Obama 'angry' over McChrystal claims.