According to official reports, editors at Rolling Stone are dismissing allegations their reporter ignored agree-upon ground rules in the magazine's story about U. S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

The gist of the complaints is that writer Michael Hastings used quotes and material the general and his staff contended were

off the record.

While McChrystal has not publicly responded to the story that led to his being relieved of his command in Afghanistan, government officials and military officers close to him have begun accusing Rolling Stone of acting unethically, The Washington Post said on Saturday.

It has also been reported that Rolling Stone Executive Editor Eric Bates responded that Hastings stuck to the agreed upon ground rules during his four-week stint with McChrystal and had plenty of off-the-record material that was not used in the final article.

Bates said, "We abided by all the ground rules in every instance."

The report further noted that the editor also told the Post the story was fact-checked with the general's staff and noted that it was four days before McChrystal's camp began raising objections to the content of the story. (With inputs from Agencies)