Michael Hastings - The Operators - Review
Comments on Great Books.
The Afghanistan War was once called The Forgotten War. Many believed this war could be won. What an allied victory would look like was anyone's guess. Now we know with the benefit of hindsight Afghanistan was a lie and a debacle from the beginning to its humiliating end in 2020.
The investigative reporter Michael Hasting visited the country after his time in Iraq. What he witnessed and reported on was a defective clown show and the machinations at the top of ambitious generals and self-proclaimed “nation builders”, who're more concerned about their careers than actually winning the war.
Hastings was embedded with General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of international and US forces in Afghanistan. He traveled with the general’s entourage of advisors, aides, and PR experts. As expressed in the blurbs, he reports on the behind-the-scenes portrait of Allied military commanders. Still, it is much more than that: war overall (especially American wars since WWII) certainly is not about freeing the oppressed women of an occupied country or establishing American-style democracy. For certain, it is all about optics and wins on the battlefield; war is about perception and what you reveal to the public to ensure the profits of the war machine continue. Unusually, General McCrystal's team would allow a young reporter from Rolling Stone to enter the inner sanctuary of their small group. He writes:
Spending over a week with McChrystal and his team and Western Europe caused me, briefly, to rethink my answers. The excitement and the feeling of being on the inside made me give them the benefit of the doubt. Sure, the war had become morally dubious, ridiculously expensive, and would likely fuel ant-A
McChrystal knew the war was a debacle, and an aide expressed this sentiment to Hastings:
If Americans pulled back and started paying attention to this war, it would become even less popular. (p.218)
The general wanted to push for a counter-insurgency plan to win the war. This plan turned out to be an utter disaster. On top of this, the general was complaining about then-president Obama's understanding of Afghanistan. He also expressed his dislike for vice president Biden. Combine this with failure on the battlefield, once Hastings's article, 'The Runaway General' hit the newsstands, the fate of McChrystal and his team was obvious– President Obama fired him, replacing him with General Petraeus - from the clear view from 2022, we all know how this turned out.
Why the general and his aides trusted Hastings as “one of the boys” is anyone's guess. In drunken escapades at bars and hotel rooms, loose lips sink ships is appropriate in this case. Michael Hastings's writing style is clear and places the reader in the story. Throughout The Operators, 417 pages, including the Source Notes, is riveting. There's one major aspect of his writing that stands out for me, and that is truly cares about his subject and his sources. The man has a conscience and speaks about the truth; he received a lot of shit for it.
Unfortunately, we lost an honest and rising investigative journalist to a suspicious car accident in 2013. But that's another story. The Operators continues to be relevant despite it being a decade old.
For a greater understanding of war and the Afghanistan war, read The Operators; you'll not be disappointed.