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"We are writing to clarify and correct a number of points in the  February 2009 'Men's Journal' article 'The New War for Hearts and Minds'  by Robert Pelton.\r\nIn our opinion, Mr. Pelton's behavior in Afghanistan as a guest of  the US Army was unprofessional. First, he published the fact that a  member of the Human Terrain team was a former, non-covert analyst  employed by the CIA. He was told this information \"off the record\" and  agreed verbally not to publish it.\r\nSecond, Mr. Pelton interfered with LT Jones' work in the field. While  LT Jones was trying to conduct interviews, Mr. Pelton interjected  himself into the conversations and questioned the villagers about the  Taliban, which is the domain of trained intelligence collectors not  visiting journalists.\r\nThird, he brought a bottle of whiskey with him to Forward Operating  Base Morales-Frazier and offered some to the team's interpreter, which  is a violation of US Army general orders.\r\nMr. Pelton exhibited a gross disrespect to those serving in  Afghanistan. Rather than referring to the Provincial Reconstruction Team  (PRT) leader by name or rank, Mr. Pelton identified him by what was  printed on a T-shirt worn while off duty.\r\nMr. Pelton made the Pennsylvania National Guard PRT Security Force (SECFOR) look foolish based on the comments of one soldier.\r\nBefore becoming PRT SECFOR, this platoon was the only maneuver force  in the Nijrab District of Kapisa and was engaged in almost constant  combat operations for six months. Forty percent of the platoon received  the Purple Heart. One member received the Silver Star for saving the  life of an Afghan Soldier in Afghanya Valley. This unit deserves better  treatment in Mr. Pelton's article for their service in Operation  ENDURING FREEDOM.\r\nMr. Pelton grossly distorted the backgrounds of the personnel on the  Task Force Warrior Human Terrain Team (HTT). He neglected to inform his  readers that Team Leader LTC Rotzoll served two previous tours in  Afghanistan as a Civil Affairs officer, served on two different  Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and has over twenty-seven years of  service in the US Army. Mr. Pelton also misrepresented the HTT Social  Scientist as an expert on Laotian DNA. On the contrary, this Social  Scientist has been conducting research in Afghanistan for over twenty  years. He made several trips into Afghanistan with the Mujahedeen during  the 1980s to report on the Soviet occupation, and also served as the  director of an Afghan Relief Committee.\r\nDespite Mr. Pelton's apparent confusion of HTTs with Tactical HUMINT  Teams (THT), THTs are not related to HTTs in form, function, or mission.  Mr. Pelton's assertion that \"the information Jones and his team collect  ... is all part of a massive database,\" that can be used to perform  lethal targeting is a fabrication. Deployed HTTs work solely on the  non-kinetic side of the military planning and are not involved in the  lethal targeting process.\r\nMr. Pelton appears to have been more interested in journalistic  sensationalism than the work the HTT was actually doing in the field.  While embedded with the brigade combat team, Mr. Pelton did not engage  senior leadership on the benefits of the HTS program or the benefits an  HTT brought to their command.\r\nVery Respectfully,\r\nDr. Steve Fondacaro Project Manager U.S. Army Human Terrain System\r\nDr. Montgomery McFate  Senior Social Scientist U.S. Army Human Terrain System\r\nRobert Young Pelton's response to the U.S. Army:\r\nAlthough it's always appropriate to communicate your opinion on an  article, I have to say that attacking the messenger and not the message  might be unproductive. As you know, I invested significant effort and  patience in not only getting your direct input and following your  directives but I had high hopes for a different experience. I  wholeheartedly embrace the concept of human terrain teams and continue  to follow developments.\r\nUltimately I believe any outsider exposed to what I saw would have  come away with the same disconcerting sense of dysfunction, isolation  and frustration but for the record that was not my goal when I first  chose to focus on the human terrain program. My goal was to see the  program at its best, not its worst. I don't lay blame, I just state  facts.\r\nIf I may, let me respond to specific comments within your letter.\r\n&amp;bull; CIA tie: I was told about Lt. Col. Rotzell's CIA background by  someone other than Col. Rotzell who did not ask that it be \"off the  record.\"\r\n&amp;bull; Interference: When Jones was working I stood well back and  discussed his conversations with him later. When he was just chatting  with Afghans, I also chatted with Afghans. The fundamental problem  seemed to be Jones's inability to get relevant face time with Afghans so  I respected his brief time with his subjects.\r\n&amp;bull; Whiskey: Yes, I had a fifth. You may not be aware that there are a  number of bars on the base. Gulam is Muslim, so there was no reason to  offer him alcohol.\r\n&amp;bull; Disrespect to military personnel.The Lt Col you are referring to  was wearing his FUBAR shirt whenever I saw him. He is never \"on\" or  \"off\" duty in a remote PRT. One reason I withheld his name was to spare  him broader embarrassment. As for the overzealous soldier, he conducted  his little pantomime in full view of two clearly credentialed journos  and the press officer for the French military. His actions aside, I  think my portrait of the National Guard does give them the credit they  deserve.\r\n&amp;bull; HTT experience: Rotzell (and Jones) are portrayed as they are: Hard  working, underpaid, frustrated but professional soldiers. The social  scientist told me about his expertise on Laotian DNA when I asked him  about Afghanistan.\r\n&amp;bull; HTT/THT. It was not my confusion but rather the LT Col&amp;amp;'s. I  know the difference. The database comment comes directly from Steve's  discussion on all HTT information being available to all aspects of the  Brigade Commander's units, including Direct Action, and my direct  knowledge of intelligence gathering. My point is that the Afghans don't  see the difference.\r\nI wrote what I saw, carefully wrote down what your people told me,  documented what happened. What resulted was a comedy of errors,  well-intentioned people unable to function, frustrated by constantly  fighting the system.\r\nSince you have the most to gain and the most to lose, I put it back  to you: Why not admit that what bothered you about this article was the  conduct and problems in the system? I would think that your energy is  best spent on fixing the problems, not critiquing someone who points  them out.\r\npeace, out.\r\nRYP"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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