SECRET

Precedence: ROUTINE
To: Washington Field
From: Washington Field
Squad [Redacted]
[Redacted]

Synopsis: (U) To submit unclassified media articles to the captioned file.

Attachments: (U) One (1) copy of “America’s Last Prisoner of War,” one (1) copy of “[Redacted] Emails Express Discontent,” and one (1) copy of blog entry relative to the aforementioned articles.

Details: (U) That attached articles are submitted to the file to memorialize controversial reporting by Rolling Stone magazine on June 7, 2012.

(U) The article reveals private email excerpts, from [Redacted]. The excerpts include quotes about being “ashamed to even be American,” and threats that, “If this deployment is lame, I’m just going to walk off into the mountains of Pakistan.”

(U) The Rolling Stone article ignited a media frenzy, speculating about the circumstances of [Redacted] capture, and whether US resources and effort should continue to be expended for his recovery.

(U) [Redacted] spoke with [Redacted] post-publication, to assess the credibility of the information, if it was provided voluntarily, when it was shared, and [Redacted] response to the article.

(U) [Redacted] the originally stated intent of the article.

(U) It was during this same time frame that [Redacted] agreed to let him broker a meeting with Michael Hastings, the author of the 2010 Rolling Stone article that resulted in the ouster of General Stanley McChrystal, the then-commander of NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

(U) [Redacted] literally appeared at [Redacted] early May, with Michael Hastings tow. Though unscheduled [Redacted] recently finished reading one of Hastings’ articles or books [Redacted] the story until after the Rolling Thunder event, scheduled for May 25-27, 2012.
(S) [Redacted]

(U) [Redacted] were not provided pre-publication copies of the Rolling Stone article. [Redacted]