Clinton is only nonmilitary person who gets McChrystal’s respect

In the Rolling Stone article that resulted in Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s resignation today, Secretary Clinton is apparently the only nonmilitary person who gets McChrystal’s respect. The Washington Post stated today:

Clinton comes off well in the article as the only non-military person who earns McChrystal’s respect.

The Rolling Stone article itself states:

Only Hillary Clinton receives good reviews from McChrystal’s inner circle. "Hillary had Stan’s back during the strategic review," says an adviser. "She said, ‘If Stan wants it, give him what he needs.’ "

At yesterday’s State Department press briefing, spokesman P.J. Crowley said Clinton has read the Rolling Stone article but not made any comment:

QUESTION: What does the Secretary make, if anything, of the fact that she appears to be the only one of the – in the senior national security team who comes out looking good, at least in McChrystal’s view?
MR. CROWLEY: Well, I mean, she’s – as did every member of the national security team during the course of the fall, she presented the President with her best advice on the strategy options. So did Ambassador Eikenberry. And she has read the article. Beyond that, she has not offered any particular comment.
QUESTION: She hasn’t said anything to any of her staff that you’re aware of?
MR. CROWLEY: No, she has not spoken to me about it. 

Given how much civilian-military cooperation is needed for nation-building in Afghanistan, let’s hope Clinton gets along well with Petraeus. Her position on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is summarized by the Washington Post as such:

An active participant in the internal debates, Clinton worried about Pakistan remaining a haven for terrorism no matter how many troops were sent, but eventually joined with Gates and Mullen to push for a more robust force. In doing so, she bucked the advice of the U.S. ambassador, who reports to her.

For more about how Clinton was the only person singled out for praise in the Rolling Stone article, check out yesterday’s post on this topic.