Probe into military congressional mind control allegations

It sounded like a scene from the George Clooney movie The Men Who Stare at Goats.

In that film, Clooney was part of a top secret military unit that worked at controlling the minds of others. You know, like Obi-Wan telling the storm troopers "These are not the droids you are looking for" in Star Wars Episode IV.

Apparently, there is such a unit. And, according to an allegation published in Rolling Stone, the military ordered its members to use mind control techniques to get members of Congress to continue funding the war in Afghanistan.

Now, the Pentagon is ordering an investigation into that claim.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of NATO and U.S. forces in Afghanistan, announced he will appoint an investigator to determine if  Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV used information operations officers in an attempt to influence distinguished visitors to his command, NATO Military Training Mission Afghanistan.


Caldwell's command is responsible for training Afghan soldiers and police. Afghan and NATO plans call for Afghan security forces to take over lead responsibility for security in their nation by the end of 2014.

The investigation "is not focused on any particular person other than determining the facts and circumstances that were raised in that story," said Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Col. Dave Lapan.

The article alleges an information operations team was ordered to prepare dossiers on visiting distinguished visitors, including senators, congressional representatives and senior military officers. A lieutenant colonel told Rolling Stone he was punished after he refused the order to use the techniques on members of Congress.