Those higher up the chains of command in such organisations also sometimes genuinely want to help, but even more so want to protect their staff.

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Accountability has to run beyond the soldiers immediately responsible and up the Army and intelligence chains of command.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Get a grip

Neither does it appear that his unquestioned aptitude for political deal-making is what will be required to produce clear, reliable and efficient chains of command among the various military organizations and sovereign nations involved.

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Perhaps because he would rather be out on the water than in a superfluous meeting, he has delegated more responsibility, and established clearer chains of command throughout Serono than did his father, who took a more paternalistic approach.

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Chains of command have become disjointed, they admit, with larger numbers of junior commanders filling the space left by senior figures such as Mullah Dadullah, their overall commander in Helmand, who was killed by British special forces last May.

ECONOMIST: Afghanistan