Late Tuesday afternoon President Obama addressed the media about a revealing Rolling Stone article on Gen. Stanley McChrystal — the top American commander in Afghanistan — and what implications it could have for his administration. Here is transcript from the exchange: Q Mr. President, are you going to fire Mr. McChrystal? THE PRESIDENT: General McChrystal is on his way here and I am going to meet with him. Secretary Gates will be meeting with him, as well. I think it’s clear that the article in which he and his team appeared showed a poor — showed poor judgment. And — but I also want to make sure that I talk to him directly before I make any final decisions. All right. Let me — actually, let me make one last point about this. Even as General McChrystal is on his way here, I want everybody to keep in mind what our central focus is, and that is success in making sure that al Qaeda and its affiliates cannot attack the United States and its allies. And we’ve got young men and women there who are making enormous sacrifices, families back home who are making enormous sacrifices. And so whatever decision that I make with respect to General McChrystal or any other aspect of Afghan policy is determined entirely on how I can make sure that we have a strategy that justifies the enormous courage and sacrifice that those men and women are making over there, and that ultimately makes this country safer. I know Secretary Gates feels the exact same way. All right. Thank you.
