The top US military commander in Afghanistan was sacked yesterday after both the Pentagon and the White House decided that “fresh thinking” was needed to win the war.

General David McKiernan, who has spent just 11 months in charge of Nato forces in Afghanistan, will be replaced by Lieutenant-General Stanley McChrystal who previously led the special operations command and is credited with killing the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Lieutenant-General David Rodriguez will be handed a new position of deputy commander of US forces in Afghanistan.

Robert Gates, Defence Secretary, told a Pentagon press conference that, after consultation with military chiefs “and with the approval of the President, I have asked for the resignation of General David McKiernan”.

He added: “This is the right time to make the change, at a time when we are at the beginning of the implementation of a new strategy. The focus here is simply on getting fresh thinking, fresh eyes on the problem, and in how we implement the strategy and the mission going forward."

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that General McKiernan was being moved long before the usual tour of duty that “under normal circumstances” would have lasted up to two years.

Today's announcement was unexpected. As recently as last week, the Pentagon had indicated it was sending Lieutenant-General Rodriguez to Afghanistan to assist with the day-to-day management of the war so that Geneneral McKiernan could "concentrate on overall strategy".

Both Mr Gates and President Obama have, however, viewed the lack of progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan with growing alarm in recent weeks.

Although the President plans to increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan to around 60,000 later this year, General McKiernan had complained that the international forces would still be at least two battalions short to break what he has described as a "stalemate" in the battle against the Taleban.

Yesterday's change appears to mirror that in Iraq at the start of the surge in 2007 when General George Casey was replaced by General David Petraeus after two and a half years in charge.

General Casey, however, was made Army chief of staff while it was reported that General McKiernan would immediately be getting a new post.

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