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Greg
11 years ago
McRaven is opening himself to accusations of being a political hack for Obama. If he continues to stay engaged in this, he will begin to lose the respect of his subordinates because they will begin to view him a politician as opposed to a commander.
I don’t know how his subordinates could respect him if he didn’t say something.
You seem to think this is all about defending Obama. For people on the far right it might be. For active duty military personnel it’s about former soldiers presuming to speak politically on their behalf, when they themselves are not at liberty to contest what is said. That’s fundamentally dishonest and dishonorable. It’s about using the uniform and the unit identity for the purpose of political product endorsement. And now it has become about personal safety, and the security of the nation itself.
Do you really think McRaven would stick his neck out for the sake of politics?
Richard Wheeler,
GREG
TOM
so GENERAL McRaven, said what he wanted to say, and the VETERANS SEALS SAID
that OBAMA should stop leaking sensitives secrets so to protect those still fighting the enemies,
nothing wrong with that, we can understand their anger at OBAMA TELLING NOT TO
TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, AND THEY ANSWERED TO THAT,
NOTHING WRONG THERE, HOPE THEIR MESSAGE IS WELL TAKEN SERIOUSLY.WE REMEMBER THE ONES WHO HAVE CRASHED IN THE AMBUSH SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AND THOSE STILL DIYING BEING SHOT AT THE BACK BY THE COWARD AFGHANISTAN WHO LEARNED THEIR SKILL FROM THE AMERICANS SOLDIERS, LETS NOT FORGET THAT EITHER, AND INSTEAD OF TAKING IT ON THE SEALS,
JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH,
The author of a recently announced insider account of the raid that killed Usama bin Laden has been identified to Fox News as a 36-year-old former Navy SEAL Team 6 member from Alaska who also played a role in the high-profile rescue of an American captain kidnapped by Somali pirates.
The book, “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden,” is set to hit shelves on Sept 11. It is penned under the pseudonym “Mark Owen,” according to the publisher, but multiple sources told Fox News his name is in fact Matt Bissonnette, 36, of Wrangell, Alaska. Bissonnette could be exposing himself to legal trouble, as the Pentagon has not vetted the account . . .
It was FOX News that did the revealing. They didn’t bother to check with the Pentagon before publicly announcing the man’s real name and location, possibly putting the man and his family at great risk.
By early on Friday, the man’s name, photograph and age had been posted on the ‘the Al-Fidaa Islamic Network’ online forum, one of two websites officially endorsed by al Qaeda, according to Evan Kohlmann, founder of the New York-based security firm Flashpoint Global Partners.
. . .
Kohlmann said the former Navy SEAL could now be in physical danger from al Qaeda sympathizers seeking revenge for bin Laden’s death, or hoping to gain prestige for themselves.
‘They have a photo of the individual, they have his name, his age,’ Kohlmann said. ‘I wish that all this was bluster, but there are a lot of would-be jihadists out there, including some in North America. This is the ideal opportunity for those kind of people.’
Maybe someone should have advised the guy at FOX News to just shut his mouth. Although you would certainly have thought that the need to withhold at least those details would have been obvious to anyone.
another vet
11 years ago
@Greg: It’s about using the uniform and the unit identity for the purpose of political product endorsement.
You have been posting here longer than I have. If you truly believe what you just wrote, please provide examples of were you defended Bush from those who used the uniform to attack him. Anything from you criticizing Kerry, Wesley Clark, Murtha, Duckworth, Ventura, Sanchez, or the Iraq Veterans Against the War would be a good start. I do recall you defending Kerry using his uniform for political reasons after VN. Apparently using the uniform to criticize is okay if there is ‘D’ after the person’s name who is criticizing and an ‘R’ after the name of the person being criticized but not the other way around.
I don’t know how his subordinates could respect him if he didn’t say something.
You seem to be saying McRaven is speaking out on behalf of his subordinates with his criticisms of the group. Now you are making claims for the Admiral that you were making against the PACs which is also dishonest. The point is that NEITHER speaks politically for those still serving. Please provide evidence that all of those still serving under McRaven who don’t believe the PACs have a valid point.
Do you really think McRaven would stick his neck out for the sake of politics?
I would hope that McRaven wouldn’t tarnish his exemplory service by getting involved in political squabbles especially when you consider that this issue isn’t a prominent one in this election. Neither camp seems to be talking about it much. The ones who seem to be paying the most attention are folks like yourself who seem to believe that no one has a right to criticize Obama but everyone who supports him has the right to criticize those that don’t by using any means necessary.
And now it has become about personal safety, and the security of the nation itself.
That is one of the main arguments the PACs made about the intel leaks which you didn’t take too seriously until Fox reported on the identity of the SEAL who exposed himself by writing a book. BTW, since you are now concerned about how leaks affect national security, have you been able to find any updates on the two “investigations”? It seems to me if the identity of the SEAL who wrote this book was discovered in less than a week by a news source, two highly regarded individuals who were appointed by Holder to investigate the leaks should have have come up with some names by now.
another vet
hi,
the thing we remember reading is that OBAMA TOOK OUT THE SECURITY SECRET ABOUT THOSE LEAKS,
IT DOES REMAIN THE FACT THAT THERE WAS LEAKS,
I READ YESTERDAY A TITLE AT FOX THAT OBAMA FIRED HIS SECURITY CHIEF, I DID NOT CLICK TO KNOW MORE OF THAT,
THE SEALS DID NOT GIVE ANY SECRETS THAT WHERE NOT LEAK BY THE WHITE HOUSE,
they told what is known already by the PEOPLE, BUT THEY SAID THE REAL TRUTH AS IT WAS,
WHICH HAS A BETTER CREDIBILITY, IF THERE WAS ANY LEAKS IT WAS THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE
WHICH LET IT GO, THE MOVIE, THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS WHERE GIVING WORDS EASY TO HAVE HIS APPOINTED MEDIAS GUESS THE REST OF THE STORY TO SELL OBAMA AGAIN LIKE THEY ARE DOING NOW, BUT THEY ARE SELLING HIM CHEAPER NOW. THERE MUST BE A LOT OF MONEY GOING TO THEM
FOR COVERING FAILURES,
FURTHER MORE, THE FOX PERSON WHO EXPOSE THE ADDRESS
OF THE SEAL IS A TRAITOR NOT THE SEAL, AND HE SHOULD BE EXPOSE HIMSELF SO THE CITIZENS CAN TELL HIM WHAT
THEY THINK OF HIM BEING A COWARD OF THE WORSE KIND,
SO TO EXPOSE A HERO OF THE WAR, CAUSING HIM AND HIS FAMILY MORE TROUBLE, HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND JAILED TO GET THE TREATMENT FROM THE PRISONER CODE OF CONDUCT TO THOSE LEAKING COWARDS.
and those who repeat that address are in the same
garbage bag
another vet
further more, when DID WE HEARD the SEALS SPEAK BEFORE?
THEY NEVER DID, SO when the seals open their mouth it means YOU AT THE WHITE HOUSE BETTER LISTEN AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, AND YOU THE PEOPLE SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, THEY ARE PICKING UP THEIR WOUNDED BUDYS, THEY ARE PREPARING THE DEAD MILITARY BLOWN UP IN PIECES, SO YOU GIVE THEM YOUR FULL ATTENTION AND THE GENERALS SHOULD BE BEHIND THEM 100%, THEY ARE THERE TO SUPPORT
THOSE SEALS NOT TO SHUT THEM UP,THE ONE WHO MUST SHUT UP ARE THE ONE WHO RECEIVE
THOSE SECRETS, AND IT GOES FOR ALL OF THEM IN THE LADDERFROM TOP COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO TOP GENERALS GIVING THE SECRET TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
SOME WHO HAVE MADE A MOVIE DUE TO BE SHOWN IN LATE FALL MUST BE DISAPOINTED THAT THEY LOST THEIR MOMENTUM, SO IT STAND A REASON THEY WILL NOT BE HAPPY TO SEE
THE SEALS STEAL THEIR SHOW BY BEING FIRST, THAT’S GOOD BECAUSE THE SEALS ARE FIRST
AND THEY DESERVE TO BE THE FIRST,
DON’T ANYONE FORGET IT, AND SHUT UP , THE SEALS DON’T NEED YOU CRITICS,
KEEP IT FOR THE ONE WHO LEAK,
BESIDE THE SEALS CAN SMELL THE RATS BEFORE THE CITIZENS WHO DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEIR COUNTRY IS GOING, SO IT’S GOOD TO GET THAT WARNING FROM THE BEST WARRIORS WHO CARE THE MOST,
THEY DON’T TALK FOR THE WIND, LIKE SOME WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS DO.
another vet
11 years ago
@Greg: Nan’s post on the other thread addresses these issues. The spokesman for the Pentagon clearly put the blame for this on the individual who wrote the book. Are you parting ways with Adm McRaven on this one? His response, which seems to lay the blame on the SEAL, is linked below. FOX wasn’t the only one to release his name. The AP confirmed his name and the Pentagon did not ask them to withhold it. My guess is that had his name been revealed by the likes of MSNBC or the NYT’s, the FOX critics would be defending them. Should FOX have gone to the Pentagon first? 100% yes and for that they should criticized, assuming that is the protocol and even so, it should have been done out of concern for the problems it may cause. Would his identity never been revealed by some other source? 100% no. Sooner or later, most likely sooner, we would have known his identity.
@ilovebeeswarzone: This is probably one area where Adm McRaven and the PACs would agree on, that the book never should have been published without being cleared by the Pentagon. At least one SEAL has called this individual a traitor. A bit harsh but not very flattering coming from another SEAL. I don’t believe this SEAL is a traitor for what he did, but I do believe he exercised some very bad judgment.
“But only a day after the New York Times first reported the book was coming out, Fox News reported the author’s real name on its website and posted photos of him in combat gear.
“Later Thursday, the Associated Press also revealed Owen’s real name.”
The idea that AP also revealed the secret to the public later that same day is ridiculous. Once something has been publicly revealed in the media for the first time, it no longer is a secret.
That being the case, it would have been equally ridiculous for the Pentagon to have asked AP to withhold the name. FOX had already plastered the man’s name and photograph all over the internet. The horse was already out of the barn, and strolling down Main Street,
another vet
11 years ago
@Greg: Just out of curiosity, who do you blame for the intel leaks that were published- the publishers or the individual(s) who leaked them?
Is anyone else having an issue with this site being at 125% of the screen?
Greg
11 years ago
It’s my personal opinion that there’s plenty of fault to go around. The writer shouldn’t have divulged information without first seeking Pentagon permission, the publisher shouldn’t be rolling out the book without Pentagon review, and FOX News shouldn’t have released the author’s real name, his home town, and his photograph without first obtaining Pentagon permission.
To what extent all of this was deliberate, and cynically calculated by someone as a means to get a huge amount of national media attention for the purpose of promoting book sales, is unclear. I believe there are plenty of people who truly are that cynical, and can be blinded to all other values by the prospect of shining dollar signs.
(The page appears on my screen the same size as usual. I’m using Google Chrome.)
GREG
it’s not because one act like a scum, that those who repeat it are not, they all fall in the same dirt
where the scum bags land after making the lives of the bravest MISERABLE AND unlivable at their return to their beloved AMERICA,
another vet
11 years ago
@Greg: How about the other intel leaks, the ones that are the subject of the PACs?
With regards to the book, are the publisher/news agency the ones who are supposed to be responsible for contacting the Pentagon or is it the individual? If I recall, you are a writer so I’ll revert to you as to what the “industry standard” is. I think the SEAL meant no harm. He stated the funds would go to support families of the SEALs or something along those lines so his “heart” was in the right place. As for reporting it, I think whoever would have gotten their hands on this story first would have done it in order to get the “big scoop”. I don’t have much respect for reporters to begin with. In any case, piss poor judgment on the part of all parties involved.
I accidently right clicked on the screen and can’t get it back to the regular size. It’s only on this site that it does that.
Greg
11 years ago
I’m an occasional writer of fiction, and have only been attentive to the standardized contracts that were specific to my own published work. I really don’t know what laws might apply to disclosures such as this. The author may have violated statutory security restrictions that continue to apply to military personnel even after they’ve left the service. With the publisher, the issue may be one not of law, but of ethics.
another vet
11 years ago
@Greg: I know the author would have signed a nondisclosure agreement before leaving the service which he very well may have violated. In the end if there were violations, it will all come down on him. I wasn’t exactly sure what you wrote so I figured you may have had experience with some of the legalities of publishing.
another vet
this book come entirely because the WHITE HOUSE IS LEAKING INFO THAT IS SECRET AND WAS TWISTED ALSO.
SO THE FAULT IS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEY BETTER NOT SWITCH THE RESPONSABILITY TO THE SEAL RETIRE WHO GAVE THEM THE WARNING,
HE IS NOT A TRAITOR, AND LET NO ONE ACCUSE HIM OF IT, HE AND OTHER WHERE MAKING A POINT
TO THE DANGERS AND WE HAVE THE PROOF WITH THE HELCOPTER WHICH KILLED 30 MILITARY,
WITH A AFGHAN UNDER IT WITH A WHATHEVER, THE NAME ESCAPE ME AT THIS MINUTE BECAUSE I AM ANGRY TO READ GREG SAYING HE MIGHT HAVE LEAK INFO,
WTF, THE LEAK HAS BEEN DONE RIGHT AFTER THE EVENT BY OBAMA,
SO WHO IS SPREADING THE SHIT AROUND BE BETTER TO NOT COVER OBAMA, SO TO SINK A SEAL,
EVEN HAVE HIS ADDRESS PUBLICISE IS UNACCEPTABLE, WHO IS PROTECTING THE BEST
OF THIS NATION? THEY BETTER BE PROTECTING THEM STARTING RIGHT NOW,
It will be very interesting to hear what the people at the OPSEC PAC have to say about Matt Bissonnette for going public with a moment-to-moment first person account of the entire operation without Pentagon approval, and about FOX News, for publicly revealing the man’s real identity, home town, and photographs of him without bothering to get Pentagon approval. If one has any doubt about the entirely real dangers of all of that, there’s the fact that al Qaeda websites had the details about him, his photograph, and calls for his death up before 24 hours had passed.
These are exactly the sorts of security leaks that Obama’s “non-politically motivated” OPSEC critics claim to be so deeply concerned about, correct?
While no one in the general public has seen the book yet, I’m guessing that a guy who was actually present likely has a reasonably good sense of what is sensitive information and what isn’t, even if he failed to get advance Pentagon approval. (Obviously, he should have.) He also apparently had a good sense of the personal dangers that could result from revealing his real identity, and took measures to avoid that.
FOX News totally blew his cover for him. Why wouldn’t you want to hold them accountable for having done that?
GREG
DON’T LOOSE YOUR SOURCE OF THAT ACCELERATION OF THE PROBLEM,
OBAMA MUST TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY
AT FOX they have DEMOCRATS AS WELL AS CONSERVATIVES ALL GUESS,
OR AUTHORS OR ELSE, SO WE DON’T KNOW WHO SPILL THE ADDRESS OF THE SEAL
YET,
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT…. GIVING THE ADDRESS AND NAME OF THE SEAL? it’s unbelieveble and a treason to the best AMERICA HAS TO PROTECT THEM, HOPE THAT PERSON IS PUNISH HARSHLY AND JAILED,
In the interest of establishing a baseline of consistency for your arguments I went back thru the archives to see what you had to say regarding Bradley Manning as well as Wikileaks and Julian Assange.
I found that you were strangely, and rather conspicuously, silent when you had the perfect opportunity to criticize those who released actual confidential information and endangered the lives of others.
Seems that with you it’s just a matter of which ox is being gored, eh?
I don’t know how his subordinates could respect him if he didn’t say something.
You seem to think this is all about defending Obama. For people on the far right it might be. For active duty military personnel it’s about former soldiers presuming to speak politically on their behalf, when they themselves are not at liberty to contest what is said. That’s fundamentally dishonest and dishonorable. It’s about using the uniform and the unit identity for the purpose of political product endorsement. And now it has become about personal safety, and the security of the nation itself.
Do you really think McRaven would stick his neck out for the sake of politics?
Richard Wheeler,
GREG
TOM
so GENERAL McRaven, said what he wanted to say, and the VETERANS SEALS SAID
that OBAMA should stop leaking sensitives secrets so to protect those still fighting the enemies,
nothing wrong with that, we can understand their anger at OBAMA TELLING NOT TO
TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, AND THEY ANSWERED TO THAT,
NOTHING WRONG THERE, HOPE THEIR MESSAGE IS WELL TAKEN SERIOUSLY.WE REMEMBER THE ONES WHO HAVE CRASHED IN THE AMBUSH SHORTLY AFTER THAT, AND THOSE STILL DIYING BEING SHOT AT THE BACK BY THE COWARD AFGHANISTAN WHO LEARNED THEIR SKILL FROM THE AMERICANS SOLDIERS, LETS NOT FORGET THAT EITHER, AND INSTEAD OF TAKING IT ON THE SEALS,
JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH,
From the FOX News article: Bin Laden raid tell-all author revealed, questions raised whether ex-Navy SEALs have freedom of speech:
It was FOX News that did the revealing. They didn’t bother to check with the Pentagon before publicly announcing the man’s real name and location, possibly putting the man and his family at great risk.
From The Daily Mail: Ex-Navy SEAL whose book reveals inside story of bin Laden raid faces death threats from al Qaeda…just one day after his identity was revealed
Maybe someone should have advised the guy at FOX News to just shut his mouth. Although you would certainly have thought that the need to withhold at least those details would have been obvious to anyone.
@Greg: It’s about using the uniform and the unit identity for the purpose of political product endorsement.
I would hope that McRaven wouldn’t tarnish his exemplory service by getting involved in political squabbles especially when you consider that this issue isn’t a prominent one in this election. Neither camp seems to be talking about it much. The ones who seem to be paying the most attention are folks like yourself who seem to believe that no one has a right to criticize Obama but everyone who supports him has the right to criticize those that don’t by using any means necessary.
That is one of the main arguments the PACs made about the intel leaks which you didn’t take too seriously until Fox reported on the identity of the SEAL who exposed himself by writing a book. BTW, since you are now concerned about how leaks affect national security, have you been able to find any updates on the two “investigations”? It seems to me if the identity of the SEAL who wrote this book was discovered in less than a week by a news source, two highly regarded individuals who were appointed by Holder to investigate the leaks should have have come up with some names by now.
another vet
hi,
the thing we remember reading is that OBAMA TOOK OUT THE SECURITY SECRET ABOUT THOSE LEAKS,
IT DOES REMAIN THE FACT THAT THERE WAS LEAKS,
I READ YESTERDAY A TITLE AT FOX THAT OBAMA FIRED HIS SECURITY CHIEF, I DID NOT CLICK TO KNOW MORE OF THAT,
THE SEALS DID NOT GIVE ANY SECRETS THAT WHERE NOT LEAK BY THE WHITE HOUSE,
they told what is known already by the PEOPLE, BUT THEY SAID THE REAL TRUTH AS IT WAS,
WHICH HAS A BETTER CREDIBILITY, IF THERE WAS ANY LEAKS IT WAS THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE
WHICH LET IT GO, THE MOVIE, THE PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS WHERE GIVING WORDS EASY TO HAVE HIS APPOINTED MEDIAS GUESS THE REST OF THE STORY TO SELL OBAMA AGAIN LIKE THEY ARE DOING NOW, BUT THEY ARE SELLING HIM CHEAPER NOW. THERE MUST BE A LOT OF MONEY GOING TO THEM
FOR COVERING FAILURES,
FURTHER MORE, THE FOX PERSON WHO EXPOSE THE ADDRESS
OF THE SEAL IS A TRAITOR NOT THE SEAL, AND HE SHOULD BE EXPOSE HIMSELF SO THE CITIZENS CAN TELL HIM WHAT
THEY THINK OF HIM BEING A COWARD OF THE WORSE KIND,
SO TO EXPOSE A HERO OF THE WAR, CAUSING HIM AND HIS FAMILY MORE TROUBLE, HE SHOULD BE ARRESTED AND JAILED TO GET THE TREATMENT FROM THE PRISONER CODE OF CONDUCT TO THOSE LEAKING COWARDS.
and those who repeat that address are in the same
garbage bag
another vet
further more, when DID WE HEARD the SEALS SPEAK BEFORE?
THEY NEVER DID, SO when the seals open their mouth it means YOU AT THE WHITE HOUSE BETTER LISTEN AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY, AND YOU THE PEOPLE SHOULD LISTEN CAREFULLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, THEY ARE PICKING UP THEIR WOUNDED BUDYS, THEY ARE PREPARING THE DEAD MILITARY BLOWN UP IN PIECES, SO YOU GIVE THEM YOUR FULL ATTENTION AND THE GENERALS SHOULD BE BEHIND THEM 100%, THEY ARE THERE TO SUPPORT
THOSE SEALS NOT TO SHUT THEM UP,THE ONE WHO MUST SHUT UP ARE THE ONE WHO RECEIVE
THOSE SECRETS, AND IT GOES FOR ALL OF THEM IN THE LADDERFROM TOP COMMANDER IN CHIEF TO TOP GENERALS GIVING THE SECRET TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
SOME WHO HAVE MADE A MOVIE DUE TO BE SHOWN IN LATE FALL MUST BE DISAPOINTED THAT THEY LOST THEIR MOMENTUM, SO IT STAND A REASON THEY WILL NOT BE HAPPY TO SEE
THE SEALS STEAL THEIR SHOW BY BEING FIRST, THAT’S GOOD BECAUSE THE SEALS ARE FIRST
AND THEY DESERVE TO BE THE FIRST,
DON’T ANYONE FORGET IT, AND SHUT UP , THE SEALS DON’T NEED YOU CRITICS,
KEEP IT FOR THE ONE WHO LEAK,
BESIDE THE SEALS CAN SMELL THE RATS BEFORE THE CITIZENS WHO DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEIR COUNTRY IS GOING, SO IT’S GOOD TO GET THAT WARNING FROM THE BEST WARRIORS WHO CARE THE MOST,
THEY DON’T TALK FOR THE WIND, LIKE SOME WHITE HOUSE
OFFICIALS DO.
@Greg: Nan’s post on the other thread addresses these issues. The spokesman for the Pentagon clearly put the blame for this on the individual who wrote the book. Are you parting ways with Adm McRaven on this one? His response, which seems to lay the blame on the SEAL, is linked below. FOX wasn’t the only one to release his name. The AP confirmed his name and the Pentagon did not ask them to withhold it. My guess is that had his name been revealed by the likes of MSNBC or the NYT’s, the FOX critics would be defending them. Should FOX have gone to the Pentagon first? 100% yes and for that they should criticized, assuming that is the protocol and even so, it should have been done out of concern for the problems it may cause. Would his identity never been revealed by some other source? 100% no. Sooner or later, most likely sooner, we would have known his identity.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/23/us/seal-identity-revealed/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-08-24/Navy-SEAL-book-warning-leaks/57290144/1
@ilovebeeswarzone: This is probably one area where Adm McRaven and the PACs would agree on, that the book never should have been published without being cleared by the Pentagon. At least one SEAL has called this individual a traitor. A bit harsh but not very flattering coming from another SEAL. I don’t believe this SEAL is a traitor for what he did, but I do believe he exercised some very bad judgment.
@another vet, #57:
From the linked CNN article:
The idea that AP also revealed the secret to the public later that same day is ridiculous. Once something has been publicly revealed in the media for the first time, it no longer is a secret.
That being the case, it would have been equally ridiculous for the Pentagon to have asked AP to withhold the name. FOX had already plastered the man’s name and photograph all over the internet. The horse was already out of the barn, and strolling down Main Street,
@Greg: Just out of curiosity, who do you blame for the intel leaks that were published- the publishers or the individual(s) who leaked them?
Is anyone else having an issue with this site being at 125% of the screen?
It’s my personal opinion that there’s plenty of fault to go around. The writer shouldn’t have divulged information without first seeking Pentagon permission, the publisher shouldn’t be rolling out the book without Pentagon review, and FOX News shouldn’t have released the author’s real name, his home town, and his photograph without first obtaining Pentagon permission.
To what extent all of this was deliberate, and cynically calculated by someone as a means to get a huge amount of national media attention for the purpose of promoting book sales, is unclear. I believe there are plenty of people who truly are that cynical, and can be blinded to all other values by the prospect of shining dollar signs.
(The page appears on my screen the same size as usual. I’m using Google Chrome.)
GREG
it’s not because one act like a scum, that those who repeat it are not, they all fall in the same dirt
where the scum bags land after making the lives of the bravest MISERABLE AND unlivable at their return to their beloved AMERICA,
@Greg: How about the other intel leaks, the ones that are the subject of the PACs?
With regards to the book, are the publisher/news agency the ones who are supposed to be responsible for contacting the Pentagon or is it the individual? If I recall, you are a writer so I’ll revert to you as to what the “industry standard” is. I think the SEAL meant no harm. He stated the funds would go to support families of the SEALs or something along those lines so his “heart” was in the right place. As for reporting it, I think whoever would have gotten their hands on this story first would have done it in order to get the “big scoop”. I don’t have much respect for reporters to begin with. In any case, piss poor judgment on the part of all parties involved.
I accidently right clicked on the screen and can’t get it back to the regular size. It’s only on this site that it does that.
I’m an occasional writer of fiction, and have only been attentive to the standardized contracts that were specific to my own published work. I really don’t know what laws might apply to disclosures such as this. The author may have violated statutory security restrictions that continue to apply to military personnel even after they’ve left the service. With the publisher, the issue may be one not of law, but of ethics.
@Greg: I know the author would have signed a nondisclosure agreement before leaving the service which he very well may have violated. In the end if there were violations, it will all come down on him. I wasn’t exactly sure what you wrote so I figured you may have had experience with some of the legalities of publishing.
another vet
this book come entirely because the WHITE HOUSE IS LEAKING INFO THAT IS SECRET AND WAS TWISTED ALSO.
SO THE FAULT IS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE AND THEY BETTER NOT SWITCH THE RESPONSABILITY TO THE SEAL RETIRE WHO GAVE THEM THE WARNING,
HE IS NOT A TRAITOR, AND LET NO ONE ACCUSE HIM OF IT, HE AND OTHER WHERE MAKING A POINT
TO THE DANGERS AND WE HAVE THE PROOF WITH THE HELCOPTER WHICH KILLED 30 MILITARY,
WITH A AFGHAN UNDER IT WITH A WHATHEVER, THE NAME ESCAPE ME AT THIS MINUTE BECAUSE I AM ANGRY TO READ GREG SAYING HE MIGHT HAVE LEAK INFO,
WTF, THE LEAK HAS BEEN DONE RIGHT AFTER THE EVENT BY OBAMA,
SO WHO IS SPREADING THE SHIT AROUND BE BETTER TO NOT COVER OBAMA, SO TO SINK A SEAL,
EVEN HAVE HIS ADDRESS PUBLICISE IS UNACCEPTABLE, WHO IS PROTECTING THE BEST
OF THIS NATION? THEY BETTER BE PROTECTING THEM STARTING RIGHT NOW,
@ilovebeeswarzone, #66:
It will be very interesting to hear what the people at the OPSEC PAC have to say about Matt Bissonnette for going public with a moment-to-moment first person account of the entire operation without Pentagon approval, and about FOX News, for publicly revealing the man’s real identity, home town, and photographs of him without bothering to get Pentagon approval. If one has any doubt about the entirely real dangers of all of that, there’s the fact that al Qaeda websites had the details about him, his photograph, and calls for his death up before 24 hours had passed.
These are exactly the sorts of security leaks that Obama’s “non-politically motivated” OPSEC critics claim to be so deeply concerned about, correct?
While no one in the general public has seen the book yet, I’m guessing that a guy who was actually present likely has a reasonably good sense of what is sensitive information and what isn’t, even if he failed to get advance Pentagon approval. (Obviously, he should have.) He also apparently had a good sense of the personal dangers that could result from revealing his real identity, and took measures to avoid that.
FOX News totally blew his cover for him. Why wouldn’t you want to hold them accountable for having done that?
GREG
DON’T LOOSE YOUR SOURCE OF THAT ACCELERATION OF THE PROBLEM,
OBAMA MUST TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY
AT FOX they have DEMOCRATS AS WELL AS CONSERVATIVES ALL GUESS,
OR AUTHORS OR ELSE, SO WE DON’T KNOW WHO SPILL THE ADDRESS OF THE SEAL
YET,
CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT…. GIVING THE ADDRESS AND NAME OF THE SEAL? it’s unbelieveble and a treason to the best AMERICA HAS TO PROTECT THEM, HOPE THAT PERSON IS PUNISH HARSHLY AND JAILED,
@Greg:
In the interest of establishing a baseline of consistency for your arguments I went back thru the archives to see what you had to say regarding Bradley Manning as well as Wikileaks and Julian Assange.
I found that you were strangely, and rather conspicuously, silent when you had the perfect opportunity to criticize those who released actual confidential information and endangered the lives of others.
Seems that with you it’s just a matter of which ox is being gored, eh?