President Obama has fired Afghan war commander General Stanley McChrystal after McChrystal and his aides made disparaging remarks about top administration officials in an article published this week. Obama announced the firing shortly after meeting with McChrystal at the White House.

President Obama: “As difficult as it is to lose General McChrystal, I believe that it is the right decision for our national security. The conduct represented in the recently published article does not meet the standard that should be set by a commanding general. It undermines the civilian control of the military that is at the core of our democratic system, and it erodes the trust that’s necessary for our team to work together to achieve our objectives in Afghanistan.”

Obama has named General David Petraeus, head of the US Central Command, as McChrystal’s replacement. Petraeus oversaw the so-called surge in Iraq.