General cleared of allegations of ordering psy-ops on senators
Probe does not turn up evidence to back accusations that Lt. Gen. William Caldwell told troops to manipulate lawmakers visiting Afghanistan.
The military investigation into Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, a three-star general in charge of training Afghan troops, cleared him of all allegations that he ordered an Army unit specializing in psychological operations to manipulate American senators visiting Afghanistan into providing troops and funding for the war.
A memo from the Defense Department inspector general's office, obtained by The Washington Post, confirmed that the investigation ordered by Gen. David Petraeus, then top commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, found the allegations against Caldwell were "not substantiated."
Petraeus ordered the initial probe after Rolling Stone reported that a lieutenant colonel under Caldwell's command was ordered to use psy-ops on the senators and was the target of a military investigation when he tried to deflect the order.
The results of the investigation, which were never made public, found "there was no 'psychological operations unit' under Caldwell's command, and that while service members were tasked with preparing 'information packages' on congressional delegations and other visitors, the orders were neither illegal or improper," according to The Post.