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

[Burgold]

Hmmm. You know the specops guys who appeared in an attack ad blasting Obama for talking about the raid? I wonder what they have to say about this SEAL writing a friggin book about it.

Meh, chances are they weren't real SEALs but actors hired by the Republican Party. (Haven't seen the ad, but I suspect it was highly scripted)

[LadySkinsFan]

Bin Laden was on the hit list even before 9-11 and certainly after it. I don't care if he was killed without a gun in his hand at the time or with one. Shoot first. The man was dangerous and would have certainly shot at our troops if given the chance. He wasn't given the chance.

Obama gave the order as CIC, the only person who could give that order and he did so after looking at the proposed mission and determining that our troops would not be lost. We did lose a helicopter, but the troops got out safely, completed their mission and that's what counts. The president gave the order and our troops executed it. Successful mission.

[#BgMase76#]

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.

You're dead on. I held a security clearance in the military and prior to leaving I had to sign security forms and sign disclosures. I find it ironic that this guy thought he could write a book about something so well known w/ limited involvement and not be fingered. The petty argument that Obama took credit for the OBL kill is soooo partisan. It's no different than any other part of life. If a company booms the CEO gets the credit. If it tanks he takes the hit. Had the operation been a bust Obama would've been lambasted. The Prez made the call and its his winfall. If this SEAL feels like he isn't getting his shine then clearly he had the wrong profession.

[No Excuses]

The underlying butthurt behind the whole "Obama took all the credit" is the right being pissed that they don't get to take credit for this. And the little fact that their own guy in 08 stated that he wouldn't go into Pakistan.

[Jumbo]

Just heard on the drive home that a high ranking pentagon official (asst. sec-def I believe) commenting that he was very amazed and displeased at the content revealed. Said things like giving classified information/inside look of how SEALs work and that it was hard to believe someone entrusted with the security of their nation wuld do it...for what that's worth

[HoustonSkin]

I don't think the book is about who should get the credit, but rather to state facts about the operation that apparantly were reported differently than what actually occured. The initial account said that Bin Laden fired back, but this book says he didn't have a weapon on him. There are several other facts that the book supposedly reports that differ from the White House / DoD account. Why does this matter? I don't know, since I don't know what the full story is. I think it is really about trying to sell as many books as possible and not an attempt at bashing the President.

[Buford]

FIRST ON CNN: Pentagon double checked actions of SEALs during bin Laden raid

By Barbara Starr CNN Pentagon Correspondent

The head of U.S. special operations has contacted members of the covert Navy SEAL team that killed Osama bin Laden to reconfirm some details of the al Qaeda leader's last moments conveyed in a new book, and military officials have concluded the author's account was not accurate, CNN has learned.

Adm. William McRaven took the extraordinary action more than a year after the May 2011 raid in Pakistan in response to "No Easy Day," authored by former SEAL Matt Bissonnette, who tells about his participation in the operation.

In a dramatic passage, Bissonnette said that bin Laden was on the floor when he and other SEALs entered his room in the safe house in Abbottabad, having been shot by another SEAL when he had peeked his head into the hall as the team approached.

Bin Laden's body lay at the foot of the bed, twitching and convulsing, the book said, adding that the SEALs, including the author, shot him again until he was motionless.

That account differs from what U.S. officials have said publicly since the raid.

McRaven, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, went back to the team - including the lead SEAL, or "point man" - in recent days to make sure Bissonnette did not have any information they did not know about.

Senior Pentagon officials, who declined to speak for attribution because of the sensitivity of the matter, told CNN they have now concluded Bissonnette was wrong.

Rest from the link.

#1. Who's lying here? Or everybody wrong on some level?
#2. If the author is lying, can he be charged with anything if the information isn't accurate?

[Larry]

1) It wouldn't surprise me a bit, if different people remembered things differently.

(Although, it also wouldn't surprise me if SEALS wore Borg units that recorded everything they saw, for later replay, either.)

2) I suspect that there are lots of things the author could be prosecuted for. But saying things in the book that aren't true isn't one of them.

[China]

SEAL charity refuses donations generated by book

The former Navy SEAL who co-authored a controversial first-person book about the raid to kill Osama bin Laden promised to donate most of his earnings to charity. But at least one nonprofit wants nothing to do with it.

The Navy SEAL Foundation says it will not accept any donations generated by the memoir, "No Easy Day," which the Pentagon says likely contains classified information that could put military personnel at risk.

The book quickly climbed to the top of best-seller lists after it hit shelves Tuesday.

In a statement posted on its website Wednesday afternoon, the Navy SEAL Foundation said it "is committed to providing immediate and ongoing support and assistance to the Naval Special Warfare community and their families. With this principled mission in mind, the Foundation will not be accepting any donations that are generated from the book or any related activities."

...

The book's release has generated mixed reactions within the close-knit and highly secretive SEAL community, which was thrust into the spotlight after the bin Laden mission.

The Navy SEAL Foundation is among a few groups identified in the book as charities that Bissonnette supports. No other group has stated plans to reject donations.

Christina Valentine, director of the Beach-based All in All the Time Foundation, another SEAL charity listed in the book, said her board hasn't yet decided how to proceed.

Click on the link for the full article

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Every ex-military I've heard or talked to personally is completely against this dude. And some seemed pretty pissed about it. Dude basically **** on what they've dedicated their lives to, to make a buck. I agree. And spare me the obvious face-saving charity donations. Guy should be ashamed of himself.

[Redskins Diehard]

Meh, chances are they weren't real SEALs but actors hired by the Republican Party. (Haven't seen the ad, but I suspect it was highly scripted)

Chances are better that they ARE real SEALs in my opinion.

---------- Post added September-8th-2012 at 06:43 AM ----------

1) It wouldn't surprise me a bit, if different people remembered things differently.

(Although, it also wouldn't surprise me if SEALS wore Borg units that recorded everything they saw, for later replay, either.)

2) I suspect that there are lots of things the author could be prosecuted for. But saying things in the book that aren't true isn't one of them.

I think you are pretty correct on number 1. I also think that any trigger puller with half a brain(which may rule out some SEALs...ZING) will "remember" a likely or identifiable threat. Despite what some might think Bin Laden does not get a different ROE.