political news

The commander of multinational forces in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal, has been dismissed by US President Barack Obama after critical comments about senior administration officials.

He will be replaced by Gen David Petraeus, who led the "surge" in Iraq.

Mr Obama insisted it was "a change in personnel but not a change in policy".

In a profile in Rolling Stone magazine, Gen McChrystal and aides were quoted as making disparaging remarks about Mr Obama and senior colleagues.

Gen McChrystal himself described the period last year when President Obama was slowly moving towards the approval of the deployment of thousands more US soldiers to Afghanistan as "painful".

And referring to a key Oval Office meeting between Mr Obama and Gen McChrystal a year ago, an aide of Gen McChrystal said the president "didn't seem very engaged. The boss [Gen McChrystal] was pretty disappointed".

Others targeted included:

• Vice-President Joe Biden, who Gen McChrystal pretended not to know
• US ambassador to Kabul Karl Eikenberry, who Gen McChrystal said he felt "betrayed" by
• National Security Adviser James Jones, who one of Gen McChrystal's aides described as a "clown"
• US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke, whose electronic communication led Gen McChrystal to say: "Oh, not another e-mail from Holbrooke... I don't even want to open it"

The announcement that Gen McChrystal was standing down came after he met Mr Obama at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the damaging article.

Mr Obama said he had made the decision to replace Gen McChrystal "with considerable regret" but added that he had failed to "meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general".

He said the article had eroded trust and "undermines the civilian control of the military that's at the core of our democratic system".

"I don't make this decision based on any difference in policy with General McChrystal... nor do I make this decision out of any sense of personal insult," he added.

He said he welcomed debate within his team, but would not tolerate division.

"War is bigger than any one man or woman, whether a private, a general, or a president."

He urged Congress to confirm Gen Petraeus in the position swiftly. Until that happens, leadership of the Nato-led force in Afghanistan fall to a British officer, Lt Gen Nick Parker