Obama fires McChrystal, picks Petraeus to head Afghan war

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday removed the top American military commander in Afghanistan Gen Stanley McChrystal who had made disparaging remarks about senior officials and Obama.

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday removed the top American military commander in Afghanistan Gen Stanley McChrystal who had made disparaging remarks about senior officials and Obama.

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McChrystal will be replaced by Iraq war hero General David Petraeus. The decision comes a day after McChrystal's interview to 'Rolling Stone' magazine in which he was very critical of the Obama administration officials.

Addressing the White House media at Rose Garden after his meeting with McChrystal and top national security aide, Obama said he took the decision to replace McChrystal with regret.

Petraeus, Vice President Joe Biden, Defence Secretary Robert Gates and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen were present at the announcement.

This is the right decision for national security, Obama said.

McChrystal, 55, had been summoned by Obama to the White House for a meeting following his controversial interview in the magazine in which he was highly critical of the top officials of the Administration, including Obama, Vice President Biden, National Security Advisor James Jones and Richard Holbrooke, the Special US representatives for Pakistan
and Afghanistan.