Washington Post reporter Thomas Ricks, author of "Fiasco," is reporting that Obama reversed course on the abuse photos because of objections by General Odierno.
I am told that General Odierno's objections to the timing of the release of a new round of photos of detainees being abused in Iraq were decisive to President Obama's decision Wednesday to reverse himself and decide against the release of those photos.
Ricks is not complimentary in his characterization, opining that Obama got "rolled" by his generals, and noting that this is the second time this has happened (the first time was over Iraq troop withdrawals).
[T]o get rolled twice -- well, he must think he is running up some pretty big chits with them. I know he is trying to do the right thing but at some point he is going to have to say, My way or the highway.
Ricks has excellent sources in the military (see, e.g., Fiasco), so this story is entitled to some deference. That said, I hope it is not true, because if Obama is going to let the top brass push him around, then we are not going to see the kind of clean break from the past that we need.