Defend
02-24-2011, 12:06
I honestly don't see the problem here. The only instructions given that is referenced in the article is to identify likes and dislikes of senators. That's called doing your homework. I'm a 37, and that's how I live my day to day life. I do TA Analysis before talking to anybody period, even my own mother.
But some brass with grass up his ass decided to go rambling to the media about it and pointing fingers, claiming some jedi s%!# was being used on our own. I hope the LTG is cleared of wrongdoing, and is more careful who he asks to look up some stats next time.
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General ordering probe into report of mind tricks
(AP) – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is calling for an investigation into charges that an army unit trained in psychological operations was improperly ordered to manipulate American senators to get more money and troops for the war.
A senator allegedly targeted said Thursday that he's confident there will be a review of the facts, but played down the idea that he was manipulated.
The staff of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, head of the effort to train Afghan security forces, ordered the information operations unit to compile profiles, voting records and other information on visiting lawmakers to leverage in a campaign to get more assistance, said a story Thursday on Rolling Stone's website. It says the campaign also improperly targeted the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, and others.
Caldwell's office denied it. But a press statement from Kabul said that the commander of forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus would order a probe "based on the information" in the article.
The military cell devoted to what is known as "information operations" believed their mission on arriving in Afghanistan in November 2009 was to assess the effects of U.S. propaganda on the Taliban and local Afghan population, the magazine said, quoting Lt. Col. Michael Holmes, whom it identified as the leader of the five-man team.
Holmes said they resisted the order to compile information on congressional delegations that were visiting there and think of what information "to plant inside their heads." He said they were subjected to retaliation for resisting.
"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," Holmes is quoted as saying. "When you ask me to try to use these skills on senators and congressman, you're crossing a line."
Those singled out in the campaign included Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Al Franken, D-Minn., and Carl Levin, D-Mich. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., of the House Appropriations Committee; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts, the story said, without identifying the international figures by name.
Levin pointed out Thursday that he has long been in favor of building up Afghan forces.
"For years, I have strongly and repeatedly advocated for building up Afghan military capability because I believe only the Afghans can truly secure their nation's future," Levin said in a statement. "I have never needed any convincing on this point. Quite the opposite, my efforts have been aimed at convincing others of the need for larger, more capable Afghan security forces, and that we and NATO should send more trainers to Afghanistan, rather than more combat troops."
— Riechmann reported from Kabul.
Link Here (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPA9JZbSbAOYjBfWznXhzFD_u7XQ?docId=4605b0531 2a941ccbccb1773fab50a6a)
But some brass with grass up his ass decided to go rambling to the media about it and pointing fingers, claiming some jedi s%!# was being used on our own. I hope the LTG is cleared of wrongdoing, and is more careful who he asks to look up some stats next time.
---
General ordering probe into report of mind tricks
(AP) – 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan is calling for an investigation into charges that an army unit trained in psychological operations was improperly ordered to manipulate American senators to get more money and troops for the war.
A senator allegedly targeted said Thursday that he's confident there will be a review of the facts, but played down the idea that he was manipulated.
The staff of Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, head of the effort to train Afghan security forces, ordered the information operations unit to compile profiles, voting records and other information on visiting lawmakers to leverage in a campaign to get more assistance, said a story Thursday on Rolling Stone's website. It says the campaign also improperly targeted the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, and others.
Caldwell's office denied it. But a press statement from Kabul said that the commander of forces in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus would order a probe "based on the information" in the article.
The military cell devoted to what is known as "information operations" believed their mission on arriving in Afghanistan in November 2009 was to assess the effects of U.S. propaganda on the Taliban and local Afghan population, the magazine said, quoting Lt. Col. Michael Holmes, whom it identified as the leader of the five-man team.
Holmes said they resisted the order to compile information on congressional delegations that were visiting there and think of what information "to plant inside their heads." He said they were subjected to retaliation for resisting.
"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," Holmes is quoted as saying. "When you ask me to try to use these skills on senators and congressman, you're crossing a line."
Those singled out in the campaign included Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Al Franken, D-Minn., and Carl Levin, D-Mich. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., of the House Appropriations Committee; the Czech ambassador to Afghanistan; the German interior minister, and a host of influential think-tank analysts, the story said, without identifying the international figures by name.
Levin pointed out Thursday that he has long been in favor of building up Afghan forces.
"For years, I have strongly and repeatedly advocated for building up Afghan military capability because I believe only the Afghans can truly secure their nation's future," Levin said in a statement. "I have never needed any convincing on this point. Quite the opposite, my efforts have been aimed at convincing others of the need for larger, more capable Afghan security forces, and that we and NATO should send more trainers to Afghanistan, rather than more combat troops."
— Riechmann reported from Kabul.
Link Here (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gPA9JZbSbAOYjBfWznXhzFD_u7XQ?docId=4605b0531 2a941ccbccb1773fab50a6a)