Report: Army used psychological warfare tactics to convince senators to send more troops

Michael Hastings is out with another bombshell report in Rolling Stone, just eight months after his profile of Gen. Stanley McChrystal forced the former commander of troops in Afghanistan to resign.

Hastings writes that the U.S. Army "illegally ordered a team of soldiers specializing in 'psychological operations' to manipulate visiting American senators into providing more troops and funding for the war." Hastings says Lt. General William Caldwell, who is in charge of training troops in Afghanistan, ordered the group to target the senators, and when "the unit resisted the order, arguing that it violated U.S. laws prohibiting the use of propaganda against American citizens, it was subjected to a campaign of retaliation."

Hastings says Senators John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Al Franken, Carl Levin and Jack Reed were among those targeted. Adm. Mike Mullen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was also on the list. A spokesman for Caldwell denies the claims.

You can read the whole thing here.

(Caldwell: AP)