Sen. Webb calls McChrystal's public statements 'odd'

It has been "odd" for Gen. Stanley McChrystal to speak out so publicly about his opinions on strategy for Afghanistan, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) said Tuesday.

Webb, a veteran and former secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration, chided the commander of troops in Afghanistan for having traveled to London to make a speech and having given an interview to "60 Minutes" while President Barack Obama weighs how to proceed in that country.

"At a time when people were meeting in the White House discussing Afghanistan, he was giving a speech in London," Webb said during an interview on MSNBC. "I thought that was pretty odd."

Webb suggested that recent statements about McChrystal from National Security Adviser Jim Jones and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were somewhat bristling toward McChrystal, for stepping outside the military's "chain of command" to make his recommendations.

"Gen. McChyrstal's recommendations are only one part of that conversation, and I think he needs to understand that," Webb argued.

He questioned McChrystal's decision to travel to make a trip to London, during which he had an opportunity to meet with the president, saying that the general should either be in Afghanistan or with U.S. civilian and military leadership, discussing Afghanistan.

"The question is whether he should have been in London, quite frankly," Webb remarked.