WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s chief spokesman said Tuesday for the first time that a book written by a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contained classified information.
“Sensitive and classified information is contained in the book,” spokesman George Little said at a Pentagon news conference.
The comment escalates a conflict between the Pentagon and the author who wrote ” No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden.” Little has previously said the author, who wrote under the pen-name “Mark Owen,” violated a non-disclosure agreement he signed as a Navy SEAL by not submitting the book for pre-publication review.
The author’s attorney, Robert Luskin, has said a 2007 agreement “invites but by no means requires” pre-publication review. Luskin didn’t immediately respond to phone and e-mailed requests for comment today. The book was scheduled for publication today by Dutton, a unit of Penguin Group USA.
The author, first identified by Fox News, is Matt Bissonnette, 36, of La Mirada, Calif., who was a member of the elite counterterrorism SEAL Team Six that killed bin Laden. In the book, Bissonnette says he took steps to ensure that he wouldn’t be inadvertently releasing classified information and that he hired a former special-operations attorney to review the manuscript.
Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, local time after the team of U.S. special operations forces raided the compound in Pakistan where the al-Qaida leader had been hiding. The killing came almost 10 years after bin Laden orchestrated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which killed almost 3,000 people at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Virginia and a field in Pennsylvania where the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
In the book, Bissonnette writes of his eight years as a member of SEAL Team Six. He says that he was in a helicopter that careened almost out of control in the opening minutes of the raid on bin Laden’s hideout. A point man fired a first shot into bin Laden’s head, and Bissonnette joined a third raider in firing additional shots into the downed terrorist’s chest, according to the book.
Little said Tuesday that the Pentagon continues “to review our options when it comes to legal accountability.”
The Defense Department hasn’t issued a directive to block sales of the book at military bases, he said.
Asked why the Pentagon made no move to stop publication if the book contains classified information, Little said, “We didn’t have much time in this case.”
By the time the Pentagon obtained and began reviewing the book, “pre-release copies of the book were already being circulated around,” he said.
Pentagon General Counsel Jeh Johnson sent a letter to the author dated Aug. 30 warning that he was “in material breach and violation of the non-disclosure agreements you signed” in 2007. “Further public dissemination of your book will aggravate your breach and violation of your agreements.”
Johnson’s letter didn’t specify whether the book contained classified information. Little said on Aug. 31 that the Pentagon hadn’t reached a conclusion.
“Sometimes it takes awhile to come to a final decision in a legal review,” he said at the time. “We want to be prudent.”
In response to reporters’ questions Tuesday, Little gradually toughened his statements, first saying the book contains “sensitive” information, and then saying it “probably” contains “classified” information before saying the Defense Department believes classified information is in the book and finally that it does contain such information.
The Pentagon has consulted the Department of Justice about the book while reviewing all legal options, Little has said.
“It is the height of irresponsibility not to have this kind of material checked for the possible disclosure” of classified information, Little said.
The need for a pre-publication review is “a no-brainer,” Little said. “This is common sense.”
It is too early to assess what damage might be done by the release of classified information contained in the book, he said.
So it is an issue for one of our fighting men (You know, one of the guys who actually DID kill Bin Laden) to talk about his life but it is not an issue for the pencil pushers in the white houses who claim to have killed Bin Laden to talk about the mission details with movie makers and the Press?
What a screwed up government we now have.
Isn’t the issue whether while writing an autobiographical piece for sale to the public Mr. Bissonnette violated regulations, as claimed by officials at the Pentagon? Shouldn’t the determination whether he did or didn’t be made by the courts? There’ll be plenty of time to fume and fuss about the court’s finding when the review is complete and released; until then what does any of us really know?
What we know is that the Obama administration leaked sensitive and classified materials for political gain, surely the direct result of a Commander in Chief who neither respects nor understands our military. These actions have set an example, that it is ok to disclose this information. This puts members of our military at risk, and by extension, degrades our national security. This practice is not OK for anybody, ALL leaks should be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This includes all the way t the President if it i found that he was involved. It is sickening to think that one of our elite has sunk to the same level as the politicians. OR the book does not contain secrets, and it’s the politicians trying to take pressure off the White House before the election.
No, we don’t know that.
Yes, we do know that , information and people with the information were cleared to share that information to shoot a movie on the subject. Obama and his spin doctors have tried to say that his oponent wouldnt have the berries to make the same call . If you dont think that has something to do with why an otherwise outstanding serviceman would feel that he had the right and the duty to set the record straight, then all I can say to you man is BAHHHH! Stay in the flock with your eyes closed.
And all I have to say to ea6bmarine is, SEMPER FI!
Says the same people who screech about leaked information in other contexts. Have some principles.
My principles tell me that this sailor is just following the fine example set by his COC. You want to go after someone go after the guy in charge that is allowing the information to flow freely right out of his office and not the troops on the ground. Obama passes the buck so well and often that you Dems don’t even blink an eye now that he is passing it to the troops.
SEALS are more than just fighting men; they are highly trained assassins and efficient killers. To come out of the field and assume they can serve as politicians or become involved in operations that are anything but politically covert in nature is reaching far above their training and pay grade, that is screwed up.
Swampdonkie: You’re kidding right? I have actually known and served with SEALS on a couple of trips and they are highly trained soldiers but they are not assassins! What a load of bullhockey some book sold you. By the way, this guy can run for any office he wants. he has actually served his country unlike way too many of the stuffed suits in Washington these days.
http://www.sealswcc.com/seal-default.aspx sure ok whatever you say. I guess what happened to Bin-laden was a court of justice? Don’t get me wrong, I cheered their mission, but I think it was more political motives that promoted this event, causing a soldier to become a traitor to his commander in chief and country. It’s that simple.
Like it or lump it the bottom line line is the R’s are going down hard and in a big way come Nov.
Bin Laden was a tactical mission that could also have resulted in his capture, pretty simple really. Do you really get your opinions on our armed forces from recruitment videos?
If that’s the case here is a nice site for you
http://www.military.com/marine-force-recon/training.html
The seven-month course centers on all the skills necessary to develop a Marine special operator, which include direct action, close quarters battle, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defense, fire support, tactical casualty care, irregular warfare, survival evasion resistance and escape, and infantry weapons and tactics.
The reality is this. All of us no matter the branch or specialty are the same kids that used to mow your lawn and rake your grass. We signed up to do a job and we get trained to do that job. Some are OK at the job and some are better than OK at the job but none of us are assassins, or baby killers, or many of the other things some of you wish to portray us as. Are some of the people who join not as honorable as some others? Sure, but thats because we have to enlist humans and humans are not perfect. This sailor is a hero and if he chose to write a book and maybe make a bit of money for being a hero he deserves it. Obama and his people are choosing to release chuncks of this same information to film producers in an effort to make you think that our socialist in chief is a hero. The Rs have gone down before as have the Ds but only the Ds have ever turned their back on our kids who fight for our country and I expect the spots on that kitty still haven’t changed.
Just remember that the Seals never would have been in range to plug that SOB bin Laden in the head if the President hadn’t had the nads to order the Seals in despite the huge political risks and potentially disastrous implications for the USA that were involved.
Someone reads too many action adventure books I think. The guys are well trained military members a couple steps up from Marine Corps training only. Our Force Recon guys have the same skill sets and none of them inlcude assassination. As for politics after they get out, I feel that anyone of them is 10 times more qualified than all of the stuffed shirts we have in Washington now that have never done anything but take from us.
Whatever laws this man has broken.The Whitehouse needs to be held to the same laws. Obama could not leak any first hand info himself.During the raid he was hiding under hillary’s skirt.
The raid never would have happened without Obama’s orders. And the raid never did happen under President Bush. What did Bush say? “I don’t know where he is. I really just don’t spend that much time on him, to be honest with you…” Thankfully, we elected someone who had the brains and the guts to put the Seals in front of bin Laden’s bedroom door.
Geez…the libbers are ripped because this didn’t
come from the NYT, When even Diane Feinstein
says LEAKS came from the WH someone is going
to criticize this Navy Seal for telling his story? Darn,
it actually may be a TRUE version of what happened.