Will leaks and film on SEALs endanger special warfare community and families?

Photo: US Navy SEALs website; US Government.The US Navy SEALs are a legend despite the secrecy necessary to protect their identities and their methods. Many in the Blogosphere were shocked to learn that Tinseltown is already working on a film about Navy SEAL Team 6 and the bin Laden affair.

The Navy SEALs blog—it isn’t an official government blog but it is a vetted source—said, “Such a movie, indeed, is in the works, and it is set to hit theaters in October 2012. The film will chronicle the hunt for, and subsequent death of, Osama bin Laden, and it will be directed by American film director Kathryn Bigeleow, whose latest work was the award-winning war drama The Hurt Locker.”

That revelation wasn’t the most shocking.

The first shock actually came when Vice-President Joe Biden announced the identity of the unit that took bin Laden down. When Biden spoke to troops at Ft. Campbell (Ky.), he prefaced his remarks by saying, “I shouldn’t say this, but I’m going to tell you anyway…”

Then the vice-president shared a story about his young granddaughter. Remarkably, the story made clear the fact the v.p. had shared information with her. Biden’s granddaughter called the commandos “the whales,” and that was cute. By the time he finished speaking, Biden had told the world exactly who was responsible for bin Laden’s demise.

Another shock ensued when M. Catharine Evans at The American Thinker reported what a leftwing columnist at The New York Times had shared about one of the filmmakers. “[Mark] Boal got welcomed to the upper echelons of the White House and the Pentagon and showed up recently—to the surprise of some military officers—at a C.I.A. ceremony celebrating the hero SEALs*.”

The asterisk by SEALs calls attention to my spelling the acronym right instead of the way it is spelled in the NYT column, as ‘seals.’ That is incorrect.

Still another shock came courtesy of The Weekly Standard. Turns out Sony Pictures, who will distribute the new film, held a fundraiser for President Barack Obama.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) apparently took note of the string of shockers and decided to look into the situation. King sent a letter to Gordon S. Heddell, Inspector General for the Dept. of Defense, to “express concern regarding ongoing leaks of classified information regarding sensitive military operations.” King chairs the Committee on Homeland Security.

King also rightly pointed out a serious breach of protocol. As Tinselati received unique access and information, the Obama administration forgot something. King wrote, “The Administration’s first duty in declassifying material is to provide full reporting to Congress and the American people…”

King also quoted Special Operations Command’s Admiral Eric Olson who said the raid “was successful because nobody talked about it before, and if we want to preserve this capability nobody better talk about it after…”

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates was also outspoken about the leaks. Speaking to troops at Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune on May 12, Gates said, “In the Situation Room we all agreed we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin Laden. That all fell apart on Monday, the next day…”

Secrecy is part of the SEALs’ ethos, as stated on the official US Navy website: “I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions.”

Excerpt from 'Ethos' at US Navy SEALs website.White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told media who asked about the film and King’s letter, “We do not discuss classified  information.” Carney once worked for Time magazine and other legacy media outlets. His response about King’s letter is indicative of the level of deception practiced by many who call themselves journalists today.

As plain as the nose on your face, the administration certainly did discuss classified information. That discussion began the minute Biden leaked to the world exactly who did bring bin Laden down.

Obviously someone on the other side had information about the operation because the enemy shot down a helicopter carrying members from the unit that conducted the bin Laden operation.

Will the new film re-energize Obama’s image? Will Tinseltown deliver for a president many entertainers and then-reporters like Carney helped elect? Will legacy media even acknowledge the numerous improprieties in this whole series of events?

King’s complaint should be taken seriously. The administration’s lips, loosened for raw political gain, could endanger the families those men left behind as well as future special warfare efforts.

Additional Reading

SEAL’s book a backgrounder on training, discipline (The US Report)

Navy SEALs blog (Independent blog)

U.S. mourns lives lost in military helicopter crash (Fox News)

(Analysis by Kay B. Day/August 11, 2011)

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