Business Insider: Fox News Outs The Navy SEAL Who Wrote An Anonymous Book On The Bin Laden Raid

[Heisenberg]

Fox News obtained and released the identity of the author of the controversial new book "No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden," due to come out on the anniversary of 9/11.

"Mark Owen," the pseudonym under which the book was written, is actually 35 year-old Matt Bissonnette of Wrangell, Alaska. Bissonnette held the rank of chief in the elite Navy SEAL Team 6 prior to retiring. He was one of the first men in the room where Osama died, witnessing the occurrence first hand.

Bissonnette was also part of the operation which ended with the killing of three Somali pirates in order to save the life of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean in 2009.

He co-wrote the book with author Kevin Maurer, a well versed author of four books, most based on military special operations.

Bissonnette wrote in the book that he wants to "set the record straight" about the bin Laden raid. One can only assume he means in terms of Obama "taking credit."

The Pentagon has not reviewed the book, leaving Bissonnette open for charges if he's disclosed anything sensitive. It's common practice for authors with security clearances to allow the military a review of their books before publishing.

The US Navy has said it will leave any investigation into possible charges up to the department of justice.

http://www.businessinsider.com/matt-...ell-all-2012-8

[Jumbo]

One can only assume he means in terms of Obama "taking credit."

Oh, but of course one can only assume that---at least they put "taking credit" in quotes.

[skinsfan_1215]

So they revealed the identity of the super secret special ops guy that helped kill OBL and probably personally killed hundreds of terrorists over the past decade. Awesome. Great show of common sense there Fox.

[Ellis]

So they revealed the identity of the super secret special ops guy that helped kill OBL and probably personally killed hundreds of terrorists over the past decade. Awesome. Great show of common sense there Fox.

Yeah, but now that his name is out, FOX can have him come on as a guest which will boost ratings. They'll offer him money to come on the show. Subsequently, they'll make a **** ton of money on advertising that hour he's expected to appear, the profits of which would far outweigh any fines they may receive from outing him.

FOX News: fair and balanced. Hollaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[Larry]

Granted, Fox isn't exactly clean, here, but . . . .

I think a case could be made that people with security clearances who write books about the classified things they did, have voluntarily surrendered some of their expectations of privacy.

[LadySkinsFan]

If the Commander in Chief gives the order to kill Bin Laden, then the CIC gets the credit. No one else can give that order.

[Popeman38]

It's common practice for authors with security clearances to allow the military a review of their books before publishing.

It isn't a common practice, it the LAW.

[Burgold]

It isn't a common practice, it the LAW.

It's very possible that the author did clear it but still wanted use a psuedonym to protect himself and his family from reprisals. FOX's outing is not really cool on most levels.

[Popeman38]

It's very possible that the author did clear it but still wanted use a psuedonym to protect himself and his family from reprisals. FOX's outing is not really cool on most levels.

There is zippy chance a prepub review of the events around OBL's death would be cleared this soon after the events. Normally, special operations folks are allowed to sail off into the sunset of retirement before their exploits are revealed. Very rarely does one get cleared a year after an event.

[mcsluggo]

the cia, secret service and DoD all said that they were not aware of any clearance being issued for this book.

count me in the group that hates this...PARTICULARLY given its timing, right before a presidential election. I say this before anyone has indicated which way this is likely to tilt voters, and hate it whichever way it leans


(i hope i have the moral fortitude to contuinue to hate it if it ends up tilting voters in the direction i support! )

---------- Post added August-23rd-2012 at 07:30 PM ----------

So they revealed the identity of the super secret special ops guy that helped kill OBL and probably personally killed hundreds of terrorists over the past decade. Awesome. Great show of common sense there Fox.

yeah.. i would hardly lay blame at the hands of Fox after this asshat has chosen to WRITE A BOOK about all of this...

[Burgold]

There is zippy chance a prepub review of the events around OBL's death would be cleared this soon after the events. Normally, special operations folks are allowed to sail off into the sunset of retirement before their exploits are revealed. Very rarely does one get cleared a year after an event.

the cia, secret service and DoD all said that they were not aware of any clearance being issued for this book.

count me in the group that hates this...PARTICULARLY given its timing, right before a presidential election. I say this before anyone has indicated which way this is likely to tilt voters, and hate it whichever way it leans


(i hope i have the moral fortitude to contuinue to hate it if it ends up tilting voters in the direction i support! )

If that's the case, then I think this is two wrongs making a wrong.

[Stadium-Armory]

I wonder if outing him puts him or his family in danger.

[skinsfan_1215]

yeah.. i would hardly lay blame at the hands of Fox after this asshat has chosen to WRITE A BOOK about all of this...

Like Burgold said, this is two wrongs making a wrong. Whatever questionable decisions this guy made writing a book, he still did so with a pseudonym to conceal his identity. Fox revealing it makes him and his family a potential target- not a great way to treat a true American hero.

[scruffylookin]

So Obama is now "taking credit" for something that he has nothing to do with?

Is this a right wing nut talking point now?

Let us review, it was candidate Obama who when asked if he had actionable intelligence on Bin Laden in Pakistan that he would take action and it was McCain (and likely the wingnut talking heads who do nothing but bash anything Obama says for 5 years now) who called that nieve.

So Obama goes out and does exactly what he said he would do. Green lit the operation and now he can't "take credit" for it? Really? If not him then who? The buck stops with him. He says go or don't go. Nothing happens without his approval.

Damn straight he gets credit for the finishing the job that Bush and the neo-cons refused to while they wasted money and lives over in Iraq.

[skinsfan_1215]

I wonder if outing him puts him or his family in danger.

Guaranteed there is the potential for it. Didn't someone kill (or try to kill) a cartoonist in Europe for a depiction of Muhammad? Pardon the fuzzy memory.