Pentagon orders probe of ‘psy-ops’ report

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/50103.html

Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday that the Pentagon is preparing to investigate the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan for allegations that he ordered a ordered a “psychological operations” team in Afghanistan to manipulate visiting members of Congress into providing more troops and funding for the war there.

The probe comes after Rolling Stone magazine reported late Wednesday that Lt. Gen. William Caldwell “repeatedly pressured” a group of soldiers working in “information operations” at Camp Eggers in Kabul to use their techniques on visiting dignitaries. The story was written by Michael Hastings, the reporter whose revealing profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal precipitated the general’s resignation last June.

Petraeus will appoint an officer to look into the facts in the story, said a top Pentagon spokesman, Marine Col. Dave Lapan, but he didn’t have any additional information about who will investigate or how long the probe will take.

Among the intended targets of the “psy-ops” tactics, the magazine reported, were Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and at least five high-profile senators – John McCain (R-Ariz.), Joe Lieberman (I-Ct.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.). The team was also asked to use psy-ops on Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), of the House Appropriations Committee, as well as the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan and influential think tankers.

“My job in psy-ops is to play with people’s heads, to get the enemy to behave the way we want them to behave,” Lt. Col. Michael Holmes told the magazine. “I’m prohibited from doing that to our own people. When you ask me to try to use these skills on senators and congressman, you’re crossing a line.” Holmes said he has since been retaliated against with an Army investigation.

Holmes said Caldwell wanted the information operations unit to research visiting dignitaries and get a sense of their likes, dislikes and “hot-button issues.” In one e-mail message, Caldwell’s staff asked for assistance in crafting his presentations to visiting VIPs and how to “refine our messaging.”

In a statement to Rolling Stone, a spokesman for Caldwell said the general “categorically denies the assertion that the command used an Information Operations Cell to influence Distinguished Visitors.”

An Army spokesman did not have an immediate comment on the report when contacted by POLITICO on Thursday morning.

Rolling Stone executive editor Eric Bates said Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Hastings’ only agenda is honesty. “Michael Hastings has the agenda of a good journalist – get out the news and information that’s important. Sometimes that news and information is something the Pentagon or the Defense Department would rather not get out, but he has an agenda in service of the truth.”

Bing West, a former assistant secretary of defense, said Caldwell is a “wonderful human being” and would “not do anything to hurt the United States of America in any way.”