An information operations team was sent to Afghanistan to conduct various psychological operations on the Afghans and Taliban. The team was then… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
The humanitarian argument is so selective I find it difficult to swallow. It's not even so much about the choice as to… — Michael Hastings Argument Copy Share Image
Afghanistan would have been difficult enough without Iraq. Iraq made it impossible. The argument that had we just focused on Afghanistan we'd… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
If the thumbnail version of the Iraq war was that Bush lied about WMD, the thumbnail version of Obama's war in Afghanistan… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
To General McChrystal, those men on his team are his family. You know, these guys, they would do anything. They would die… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
General David Petraeus was so successful at getting on covers of magazines, having journalists fall in love with him, that in fact… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
Usually when reporting on powerful public figures, the press advisor and I would have had a conversation that established what journalists call… — Michael Hastings Advisor Copy Share Image
I think when war becomes your life, I think it's very difficult to have the proper perspective to be able to create… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
A soldier in Iraq said that he wanted to "punch Donald Rumsfeld in the gut, then in the face" or something like… — Michael Hastings Frustration Copy Share Image
Even on just the career level for your average officer, there's no incentive to end the wars. There's not even an incentive… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The minute you start arming people in these conflict zones, things don't go as expected. We also need to look at precedent… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
Johnny Apple, a New York Times correspondent, wrote a front-page story saying Afghanistan could be a quagmire and he was mocked and… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
Inside the White House there were always extreme amounts of doubt about whether they should be escalating in Afghanistan. In fact, most… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
The general's staff is a handpicked collection of killers, spies, geniuses, patriots, political operators and outright maniacs. There's a former head of… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
I made this bad joke on Twitter saying, "I want to put in my first no-bid contract to train the Libyan army… — Michael Hastings Army Copy Share Image
Andrew Warren was a rarity in the CIA's Clandestine Service - African-American, fluent in Arabic, and relatively young for an agent who'd… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
There is not much of a bureaucratic leap, if history is any guide, between a seemingly benign call for 'continuous situational awareness'… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The only thing I've ever regretted is not writing more; not being more honest; not saying how it really is in Baghdad.… — Michael Hastings Baghdad Copy Share Image
Obama's drone program, in fact, amounts to the largest unmanned aerial offensive ever conducted in military history: never have so few killed… — Michael Hastings Aerial Copy Share Image
As for the like of Hillary Clinton, I - you know, I've covered Secretary of State Clinton before. I covered her during… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
If someone tells you something is off the record, I don't print it. If they don't tell me something is off the… — Michael Hastings Fair Copy Share Image
Despite the absurdity and the silliness and the triviality of the entire campaign experience, there is also something, as non-cynical as this… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
After a decade of war you have this Pentagon-military apparatus run amok using resources that they shouldn't be to try to manipulate… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
“Her name has been released to the press. Her photograph is released, too. I want to talk to the press about it.… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
Whenever you're reporting, there's always something you can't say or write, but the questions, you always want to get as close to… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The way the Pentagon and its defenders have pushed back against this story is to say: "They weren't doing psychological operations, they… — Michael Hastings Affair Copy Share Image
A woman I loved [Andi Parhamovich] was killed in Baghdad in January 2007 – al-Qaeda in Iraq took credit for it …… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The night before I began my career as a presidential campaign reporter, in September 2007, I finished Theodore White's 'The Making of… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
Obama's people will all often complain about how trivial and silly the media is, but there's no president who's probably benefited from… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The fact is, psychiatric help is not widely available to CIA agents - and as in the military, there is a stigma… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
In late 2009, I returned to Baghdad after a lengthy absence. I was living alone, in the Hamra Hotel, the twice bombed-out… — Michael Hastings Absence Copy Share Image
If Bill O'Reilly is calling you a far-left critic, in my book, no matter what your political persuasion is, that's probably -… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
I think when war becomes your life, I think its very difficult to have the proper perspective to be able to create… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
“Things weren’t permanent, things could always fall apart, never get too comfortable, and even those you trust, those you trust as authority… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
Whether or not Afghanistan would be a peaceful nation-state had we not gone into Iraq I doubt. Afghanistan is going to be… — Michael Hastings Afghanistan Copy Share Image
“What the fuck? Didn't you tell him you had a boyfriend?" "I did. He asked if I loved you." "Who is this… — Michael Hastings Copy Share Image
The idea of aerial military surveillance dates back to the Civil War, when both the Union and the Confederacy used hot-air balloons… — Michael Hastings Aerial Copy Share Image
We also need to look at precedent before making these decisions. Instead of listening to Muammar Qaddafi's rhetoric, we should look at… — Michael Hastings Decision Copy Share Image
I love living in Vermont and I love living in New York. Does my love for Vermont give us the right to… — Michael Hastings Culture Copy Share Image
As the CIA tried to find itself, the threat of international terrorism emanating from the Middle East, Africa, North Africa and Central… — Michael Hastings Africa Copy Share Image
![“An information operations team was sent to Afghanistan to conduct various psychological operations on the Afghans and Taliban. The team was then asked not to focus on the Taliban but on manipulating senators into giving more funds and troops [to the war].” quote by Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44d/michael-hastings-6810_afghanistan_an-information-operations-team-was-sent_395510.png)
![“A woman I loved [Andi Parhamovich] was killed in Baghdad in January 2007 – al-Qaeda in Iraq took credit for it … The memorial service with me crying over an empty coffin.” quote by Michael Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e1/michael-hastings-6810_al-qaeda_a-woman-i-loved-andi-parhamovich-was-kil_1512019.png)
