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

[mcsluggo]

yes someone did try to kill that cartoonist, and someone succeeded in killing the dutch director of a movie that was critical of islam. soi yes, i would say this puts his life in danger...but lay THAT blame sqarely at his OWN feet for being an irresponsible asshat.

[Jumbo]

When I first hear of this, I had a very similar reaction, mcsluggo...no matter which way it might possibly influence, I didn't think much of the timing.

And I also had a knee-jerk cynical reaction that I shouldn't have until I read the actual product or more news is out.--and that thought was "well, service to the nation is one thing, but an opportunity for fame and big bucks is another."

I like the notion that you just keep your mouth shut about how we do such things if you're in that role of special operative, until it's either officially cleared or it's much later (preferably both). But I need to wait and see what the whole story is here because I don't have all the facts.

[Bang]

A dollar says the book says Obama sent them there to offer an undisclosed friend of his a promised cabinet post, and only upon discovering that his friend was bin Laden did the heroic author's friend shoot him.

~Bang

[mistertim]

Yeah, the timing of it really reeks, no matter which way it may try to spin things. Lets say the guy really is going to try and tilt things against Obama getting credit...uh how does that work, exactly? This guy is obviously a badass and deserves to be recognized as such but when was the last time a chief from the Navy was part of extremely sensitive war meetings between the CIC and his top military advisers? Hell, the SEALs apparently weren't even aware of exactly WHO they were going after until right before the operation.

I just can't see how he would have any factual basis, or access to factual information, to bolster a claim that Obama shouldn't get credit. Which would lead me to believe that it would simply be a very long op-ed against Obama. Which is fine (or at least is his right), as long as he doesn't claim to have some sort of inside knowledge and he doesn't twist facts or make stuff up to bolster his opinion and use his status as one of the guys who pulled it off to put people off from questioning him.

[skinsfan_1215]

Yeah, the timing of it really reeks, no matter which way it may try to spin things. Lets say the guy really is going to try and tilt things against Obama getting credit...uh how does that work, exactly? This guy is obviously a badass and deserves to be recognized as such but when was the last time a chief from the Navy was part of extremely sensitive war meetings between the CIC and his top military advisers? Hell, the SEALs apparently weren't even aware of exactly WHO they were going after until right before the operation.

I just can't see how he would have any factual basis, or access to factual information, to bolster a claim that Obama shouldn't get credit. Which would lead me to believe that it would simply be a very long op-ed against Obama. Which is fine, as long as he doesn't claim to have some sort of inside knowledge and he doesn't twist facts or make stuff up to bolster his opinion and use his status as one of the guys who pulled it off to put people off from questioning him.

Well since Fox is the one leaking his info... maybe the book actually gives Obama some credit for authorizing the operation. Just food for thought.

[Duckus]

This guy nothing more than a dishonorable, greedy, POS in my opinion. Sorry. I appreciate what he did and his service to this country. It is bad ass that he was apart of one of the best missions in recent military history. But he is a disgrace in how he has gone about trying to write and publish this book.

[Larry]

Like Burgold said, this is two wrongs making a wrong.

I can see that point, as well.

---------- Post added August-23rd-2012 at 03:56 PM ----------

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.

What do you mean, "Is this a right wing nut talking point now?" Has been all along.

(My philosophy is, I wonder, if the op had failed, whose fault it would have been?)

[deejaydana]

This guy nothing more than a dishonorable, greedy, POS in my opinion. Sorry. I appreciate what he did and his service to this country. It is bad ass that he was apart of one of the best missions in recent military history. But he is a disgrace in how he has gone about trying to write and publish this book.

So by that standard would you say the parties within Obama's Administration who leaked classified info to the NYTimes are equally reprehensible? Where did that story go anyway? If this party breached security Protocol certainly he has to be held to account. I'm not sure where Fox figures into any malfeasance reading that article (granted it's not long on details at this point).

[The Evil Genius]

Well, you can count on Costco carrying the book. They seem to only carry right-wing jingoistic "non-fiction" books these days..

[Larry]

Well since Fox is the one leaking his info... maybe the book actually gives Obama some credit for authorizing the operation. Just food for thought.

Well, or at least, Fox thinks that the book will remind people of a reality that Fox would rather they not remember.

[No Excuses]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012...legal-trouble/

Link to the fox news 'reveal'.

That is crappy journalism even by Fox standards. He's using a pseudonym for a damn reason you stupid idiots.

[ixcuincle]

IT's Fox News

They have no integrity

[Larry]

Yeah, I think we all know that Fox's motive is political.

The SEAL? Might be political (either side), might be money, there's probably other possibilities.

[LadySkinsFan]

2 issues:

1) The SEAL writing the book even though he has a security clearance. I have many friends with clearances and they don't talk about ANYTHING to do with their jobs. We talk about other things. And these are people with TS SCI and more. The book should never have been written. We have had enough released on the news shows about that operation.

2) Fox News outing the SEAL. The Republicans and their news shills have a history of outing people involved in covert ops. Example: Valerie Plame. It doesn't surprise me that Fox News outed this guy. To what purpose is the question behind it. And they wouldn't have released it without permission from the controllers of the Republican Party (not Romney/Ryan).

[ncr2h]

2 issues:

1) The SEAL writing the book even though he has a security clearance. I have many friends with clearances and they don't talk about ANYTHING to do with their jobs. We talk about other things. And these are people with TS SCI and more. The book should never have been written. We have had enough released on the news shows about that operation.

Don't worry, if this book were actually damaging to Obama's image, he would have put the kabosh on it ASAP, just like he cracks down on leaks by Bradley Manning et. al while at the same time leaking information to journalists with a track record of praising Obama.

Don't forget the feature film that the Obama administration gave exclusive inside access to civilians for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBxPUrQmgvA. Good thing the trailer is out just in time for the election. I'm sure Obama will look great in this one as well.

The real issue in all of this is - how can Obama pick and choose which security leaks will be prosecuted? How come the leaks that are damaging to his image ARE prosecuted, while those that praise him are not?