Pentagon inquiry into article clears McChrystal,his aides

An inquiry by the Defence Department inspector general into a magazine profile that resulted in the abrupt,forced retirement of Gen Stanley A McChrystal has cleared the general and his aides of wrongdoing.

Pentagon investigators said they were unable to confirm the events as reported in the June 2010 article in Rolling Stone,and the inquirys final review challenged the accuracy of the profile of General McChrystal,who was the top commander in Afghanistan. The article,headlined The Runaway General, quoted people identified as senior aides to the general making disparaging statements about members of President Obamas national security team. One aide was quoted referring to Vice-President Joseph R Biden Jr using the phrase bite me and General McChrystal was described as reacting with disdain upon receiving an e-mail from late Richard C Holbrooke,the special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. The reporter who wrote the profile,Michael Hastings,repeatedly defended the articles accuracy.