Morning Brief: Change comes to Afghanistan

TOP STORY: In the Obama administration's latest move to shake up its approach to the war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates yesterday fired Gen. David McKiernan from command of operations there, replacing him with Lt. Gen Stan McChrystal. The hope is that McChrystal, formerly commander of the Joint Special Operations command and credited with commanding the operations to capture Saddam Hussein and kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has the expertise in unconventional warfare needed to bring "fresh eyes" to the fight against the Taliban.

Reactions to the decision within the military seemed mixed, with several officers expressing disappointment in the way McKiernan was dismissed. The Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanlon noted, "Basically, McKiernan did a good job, but they need someone that they think can do an excellent job."

A spokesman for the Afghan government said they hoped McChrystal would "pay serious attention to the issue of cutting down civilian casualties and air raids."

Teams of suicide bombers attacked government buildings in the eastern Afghan city of Khost, taking hostages and ambushing a U.S. reaction force. A U.S. military spokesman responded to the latest crisis with a statement that could easily apply to the Afghan theater generally, saying, "A lot of stuff is going on right now."

STAT OF THE DAY: Chinese exports fell 22.6 percent year-on-year in April, pouring cold water on hopes that the country's manufacturing sector could be recovering.