US senators reportedly targeted by US military propaganda officers to gain more money and troops for the war in Afghanistan called Thursday for a full probe into what one called the "disturbing" charge.
"Charges of this nature are serious and disturbing, and they have to be fully investigated," Democratic Senator Jack Reed, who sits on key committees with oversight over the conflict, told MSNBC television.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, also a Democrat, said he was "confident that the chain of command will review any allegation that information operations have been improperly used in Afghanistan."
According to Rolling Stone magazine, General William Caldwell, whose command oversees training Afghan troops, directed soldiers whose job is to shape enemy thinking to train their sights on US lawmakers and other influential guests visiting the war zone.
The magazine cited Levin and Reed as well as Senator John McCain, the top Republican on Levin's committee, Democratic Senator Al Franken, and even the top US uniformed officer, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.
"I assume the Department of Defense, particularly when the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is involved, will take it seriously, conduct a thorough investigation and determine if there is any appropriate action that's necessary," said Reed, a former US Army Ranger.
The Pentagon had yet to respond to the report Thursday.
Both Reed and Levin denied they had been influenced by the effort, which may have been in violation of US law that forbids targeting US nationals with such propaganda campaigns.
"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. I have never needed any convincing on this point," said Levin.
Reed said his time as a young US Army officer in the Vietnam era gave him "an instinctual sort of notion that you have to look very carefully and weigh very carefully what anyone says."
He stressed he was "not suggesting any impropriety" but that people with "institutional stakes" tried to advance their cause and underlined "I didn't feel anything unusual going on."
Asked whether he viewed the report as a symptom of US desperation in Afghanistan, Reed replied: "I don't think it's a sign of desperation."
But he stressed the need for an evaluation of what happened, and if regulations were broken, "there has to be suitable punishment for violations."
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