The patrol from No 1 Company, the Coldstream Guards, was pinned down in a field at Babaji in Helmand, an area supposedly "liberated" from the Taliban during Operation Panther's Claw. As we took shelter in a ditch an American B1 bomber, called in for air support, came in low, huge and menacing. It was there for a "show of force" to scare the Taliban, but not to bomb them, an example of "courageous restraint" stipulated by General Stanley McChrystal. The Taliban did not get scared and continued firing. " How about some courageous bombing instead?" shouted an exasperated young soldier.
If you go by this story, McChrystal may not be in charge 24 hours from now.
update. A fine analysis here. If you believe in civilian control of the military (and I do), then it's hard to justify McChrystal keeping his job after disrespecting his civilian bosses in print.
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