The Conversation: Why Was McChrystal So Honest in Rolling Stone?

June 22, 2010— -- Reporter Michael Hastings, who has covered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for years, finds himself in the center of a media firestorm over his Rolling Stone article on Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

The article, entitled "The Runaway General," characterizes McChrystal as an outsider who doesn't get along with many in the Obama administration.

The story quotes one top McChrystal adviser referring to Vice President Joe Biden as "Bite Me." Another aide speaks of McChrystal's disapointment with Obama after their first meeting.

The article has led to serious repercussions, McChrystal has been called to the White House for a meeting with the President tomorrow to explain his actions. In the White House briefing this afternoon Robert Gibbs made it clear that "all options are on the table" when it comes to McChrystal's future role in the Afghanistan war.

In today's Conversation ABC's Diane Sawyer spoke with Hastings from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to get his take on the attention the article has received. Hastings explained to Sawyer that he spent a significant amount of time with McChrystal and his staff over the month of reporting.

When he first began the project nothing was off-the-record. "I had my tape recorder out in front of his face with my notebook for most of the time. So, from what I understand it was on the record, said Hastings, adding that even was surprised to get that kind of transparency.

However, towards the end of his reporting, Hastings found that more conversations, phone calls and meetings became off-the-record.