There was little doubt that most of those closest to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who was fired by President Obama Wednesday, would leave with him – partly in a show of solidarity and partly because the new commander, Gen. David Petraeus, would not request their services.
The senior people around General McChrystal, much like the top advisers to the president, serve at the general’s request. When a new commander is appointed, he almost always assembles his own team. That is somewhat more complicated in this case, because precipitous changes in the middle of a war could mean a loss of continuity and institutional knowledge.
“A lot of people will stay for the transition and then you’ll see them gradually pack up,” said a senior NATO officer. Though, several NATO officials said they expected that aides to General McChrystal who were quoted in Rolling Stone magazine making disparaging remarks about senior Obama administration officials would leave, possibly sooner rather than later.
Many people are watching closely to see whether some senior figures remain.
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