Well, we now know why Michael Hasting died… We also know that "The Operators" are the Dirty Fucking Generals, et al… INCLUDING FLYNN.
Sauce: The Operators by Michael Hastings.
These snaps all come from the Epilogue.
They all profited - wrote books, gained fame, and took the pats on the back and bows, for a meaningless war, that killed MILLIONS, and cost us TRILLIONS.