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Who's really reading the McChrystal report?
By: Susan Ferrechio
Chief Congressional Correspondent
10/23/09 6:25 PM EDT
Forget about reading legislation, how about a top general's report on Afghanistan?
Gen. Stanley McChrystal's classified report on the war in Afghanistan supposedly includes his determination that as many as a half-million U.S. troops will be needed to complete the mission there over a five year period.
But most lawmakers probably haven't seen that startling figure, or the rest of the classified report for that matter, because few seem to lining up to read it -- despite the fact that it has been available for weeks.
Senate and House aides have declined to disclose the list of which lawmakers have signed in to read McChrystal's assessment and they would not even provide a number. Because it is classified, only lawmakers can read it and they must sign in to a secret room to view it.
House Armed Services Committee spokesperson Laura Battles told that the number of lawmakers who have read the material is also classified information.
A tipster told us that few Senators and House members have taken an interest in the 64 page report, and an informal survey seems to back that up. I did my own semi-random sampling of a dozen members. Just one - House Intelligence Committee ranking member Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., had read it.
Leadership aides point out that most of the document had already been leaked to the Washington Post, which posted a redacted version on the Internet. But the classified report includes six additional pages, plus material that was redacted from the leaked version, including the 500,000 troop figure initially reported by NBC's Andrea Mitchell.
"I can't remember whether I read the classified or the declassified report. I can't remember," said Ike Skelton, D-Mo., Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Rep. Howard McKeon, R-Calif., defended the lack of interest and said most members have gotten the information in other ways. For instance, McKeon said, he has not read the full report, but his staff has read it and he has spoken personally to McChrystal, who is commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
But McKeon is ranking member on the Armed Services Committee and has access to military brass that most lawmakers do not.
Many had no idea the report was even available.
"I'm worried about health care," said Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., "I actually didn't even know it was out there."
Aides point out that many members attended a classified briefing on Afghanistan in September that included McChrystal's assessment.
But there is still a responsibility to read the report. argued Hoekstra, who said he was the first in "line" to read it.
"If we get a classified report up here, I believe it is my responsibility to read it."
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