Kabul:
General Stanley McChrystal's job appeared in grave jeopardy on Tuesday as an infuriated President Barack Obama summoned the Afghanistan war's US commander to Washington to explain his extraordinary complaints about the President and his aides.
Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said "without a doubt, General McChrystal, as Secretary Gates has said, has made an enormous mistake," and repeatedly declined to say McChrystal's job was safe. "All options are on the table," he said.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the commander's comments were "distractions" to the war in Afghanistan.
McChrystal publicly apologised on Tuesday for using "poor judgment" in interviews for a story in Rolling Stone. He then left Afghanistan to appear, as ordered by Obama, at the White House on Wednesday.
He'll be expected to explain his comments to the president and Pentagon officials.
The presidential spokesman said Obama acknowledged McChrystal's apology and believed he deserved a chance to explain himself.
However, military leaders rarely challenge their commander in chief publicly and when they do, consequences tend to go beyond a scolding.
Gibbs left little doubt that a firing was probably in the offing, saying the US's efforts in Afghanistan were bigger than one person.
A decision on McChrystal's future will be announced by the White House after Wednesday's meeting, Gibbs said.
A top military official in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that McChrystal hasn't been told whether he will be allowed to keep his job.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions between Washington and the general's office in Kabul.
Gibbs said McChrystal had not offered his resignation, in part because he has not yet spoken to or seen Obama, who was angry when his press secretary gave him the story on Monday night.
Gibbs refused to describe how angry the president was.
McChrystal spent Tuesday calling several others mentioned in the article to apologise, officials said, including Gates and Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy to Pakistan.
Gates issued a statement saying McChrystal made "a significant mistake" and used poor judgment in his remarks to a magazine reporter.
Holbrooke's office said in a terse two-line statement that McChrystal had called him in Kabul "to apologise for this story and accept full responsibility for it." It said Holbrooke "values his close and productive relationship with General McChrystal."
A spokesman said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told McChrystal of his "deep disappointment" over the article.
But in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai issued a statement calling McChrystal the "best commander" of the war.
Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar said Karzai hopes that Obama doesn't decide to replace him.
In the article, McChrystal complains that Obama handed him "an unsellable position" on the war, back when the commander was pressing for more troops than the administration was then prepared to send. "I found that time painful," he said.
McChrystal also said he was "betrayed" by Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, the man the White House chose to be his diplomatic partner in Afghanistan.
He accused Eikenberry of raising doubts about the reliability of Afghan President Hamid Karzai only to give himself cover in case the US effort failed.
"Here's one that covers his flank for the history books," McChrystal told the magazine. "Now, if we fail, they can say 'I told you so."'
Obama appointed McChrystal to lead the Afghan war in May 2009.
In Kabul on Tuesday, McChrystal issued a statement saying: "I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome."
"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile," the statement said. "It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened."
The Wednesday meeting at the White House was one of Obama's regular sessions on the Afghanistan war, which McChrystal and others in Afghanistan usually attend via video conference.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gates are among those who regularly attend the Situation Room meetings in person.
Democratic Senator John Kerry, chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for all involved to "stay cool and calm" and not the let situation interfere with the mission in Afghanistan.
He said he had "enormous respect" for the general and had spoken to McChrystal on Tuesday morning.
In Kabul, Robert H. Reid, an Associated Press Writer, said a decision to replace General McChrystal would send shockwaves throughout the entire mission.
And in Washington, Michael O'Hanlon, a defence analyst at the Brookings Institution, said the situation between McChrystal and the Obama administration struck him as having "no possible good outcome."
Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs said "without a doubt, General McChrystal, as Secretary Gates has said, has made an enormous mistake," and repeatedly declined to say McChrystal's job was safe. "All options are on the table," he said.
Defence Secretary Robert Gates said the commander's comments were "distractions" to the war in Afghanistan.
McChrystal publicly apologised on Tuesday for using "poor judgment" in interviews for a story in Rolling Stone. He then left Afghanistan to appear, as ordered by Obama, at the White House on Wednesday.
He'll be expected to explain his comments to the president and Pentagon officials.
The presidential spokesman said Obama acknowledged McChrystal's apology and believed he deserved a chance to explain himself.
However, military leaders rarely challenge their commander in chief publicly and when they do, consequences tend to go beyond a scolding.
Gibbs left little doubt that a firing was probably in the offing, saying the US's efforts in Afghanistan were bigger than one person.
A decision on McChrystal's future will be announced by the White House after Wednesday's meeting, Gibbs said.
A top military official in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that McChrystal hasn't been told whether he will be allowed to keep his job.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions between Washington and the general's office in Kabul.
Gibbs said McChrystal had not offered his resignation, in part because he has not yet spoken to or seen Obama, who was angry when his press secretary gave him the story on Monday night.
Gibbs refused to describe how angry the president was.
McChrystal spent Tuesday calling several others mentioned in the article to apologise, officials said, including Gates and Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy to Pakistan.
Gates issued a statement saying McChrystal made "a significant mistake" and used poor judgment in his remarks to a magazine reporter.
Holbrooke's office said in a terse two-line statement that McChrystal had called him in Kabul "to apologise for this story and accept full responsibility for it." It said Holbrooke "values his close and productive relationship with General McChrystal."
A spokesman said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen told McChrystal of his "deep disappointment" over the article.
But in Kabul, President Hamid Karzai issued a statement calling McChrystal the "best commander" of the war.
Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar said Karzai hopes that Obama doesn't decide to replace him.
In the article, McChrystal complains that Obama handed him "an unsellable position" on the war, back when the commander was pressing for more troops than the administration was then prepared to send. "I found that time painful," he said.
McChrystal also said he was "betrayed" by Ambassador Karl Eikenberry, the man the White House chose to be his diplomatic partner in Afghanistan.
He accused Eikenberry of raising doubts about the reliability of Afghan President Hamid Karzai only to give himself cover in case the US effort failed.
"Here's one that covers his flank for the history books," McChrystal told the magazine. "Now, if we fail, they can say 'I told you so."'
Obama appointed McChrystal to lead the Afghan war in May 2009.
In Kabul on Tuesday, McChrystal issued a statement saying: "I have enormous respect and admiration for President Obama and his national security team, and for the civilian leaders and troops fighting this war and I remain committed to ensuring its successful outcome."
"I extend my sincerest apology for this profile," the statement said. "It was a mistake reflecting poor judgment and should never have happened."
The Wednesday meeting at the White House was one of Obama's regular sessions on the Afghanistan war, which McChrystal and others in Afghanistan usually attend via video conference.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Gates are among those who regularly attend the Situation Room meetings in person.
Democratic Senator John Kerry, chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for all involved to "stay cool and calm" and not the let situation interfere with the mission in Afghanistan.
He said he had "enormous respect" for the general and had spoken to McChrystal on Tuesday morning.
In Kabul, Robert H. Reid, an Associated Press Writer, said a decision to replace General McChrystal would send shockwaves throughout the entire mission.
And in Washington, Michael O'Hanlon, a defence analyst at the Brookings Institution, said the situation between McChrystal and the Obama administration struck him as having "no possible good outcome."
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