Quote Originally Posted by Steve the Planner View Post
The substance of each's positions is what matters most, and they must "unite."
In the absence of leadership from the Oval Office, where civil and military authority merge, there will be no uniting the factions beneath.

However, I doubt that the feud has become public accidentally; rather, I suggest that each of the US civil and military leaders in Afghanistan has put up his trial ballon, and the President will choose the one that draws the least amount of fire.