WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says he has accepted the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal with regret, but is certain that it is the right decision for the country's national security and the future of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Speaking in the Rose Garden, Obama says McChrystal's biting comments about the president and his aides in a magazine article did not meet the standards of conduct for a commanding general. Obama named Gen. David Petraeus to assume McChrystal's role as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. He says the move will allow the U.S. to maintain leadership.

The statement issued by Gen. Stanley McChrystal after President Barack Obama announced his dismissal the top NATO commander in Afghanistan:

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This morning the President accepted my resignation as Commander of U.S. and NATO Coalition Forces in Afghanistan. I strongly support the President's strategy in Afghanistan and am deeply committed to our coalition forces, our partner nations, and the Afghan people. It was out of respect for this commitment - and a desire to see the mission succeed - that I tendered my resignation.

It has been my privilege and honor to lead our nation's finest.