The U.S. military has sought to use military psychologists to influence elected officials on Afghanistan

The U.S. military has sought to illegally use the services of military psychologists to influence parliamentarians and senior foreign officials, hoping to get more troops and money for Afghanistan, said Thursday the magazine Rolling Stone. The newspaper accused Gen. William Caldwell, in charge of training Afghan troops, have lobbied last year on a cell of "psy-ops", normally in charge of the military to influence the behavior of the enemy by through propaganda.

According to the magazine, the general requirement of this cell that it focuses on personalities coming to visit him in Afghanistan. Among these were, according to the newspaper, Senator John McCain, a former Republican candidate for president, and his colleagues Joe Lieberman, Jack Reed, Al Franken and Carl Levin. Rolling Stone also cites the names of the Chief of Joint Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, as interior minister German and Czech ambassador to Afghanistan.
The newspaper is based on statements by Colonel Michael Holmes, head of the cell in question, who explained that the law forbade his services to manipulate Americans. "My job as a 'psy-op is playing with people's brains, to bring the enemy to act as we wish. I am not allowed to do that to ours. If you ask me use these capabilities on senators or representatives, you cross the red line, "he said.
According to Colonel Holmes, his supervisor asked him to raise issues about its visitors to learn about "sensitive issues on which we could act to get more money." "How can we get these guys they send us more people and what do I push them in the skull?", Asked the General Caldwell. According to Rolling Stone, Colonel Holmes opened his prejudices from his superiors, but then the subject of an investigation into his personal conduct and received a "reprimand".

Lucas