Did the Bin Laden shooter reveal too much?

2014-12-26T10:33:44-05:00

From: The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A Navy official says the service is investigating an allegation that the former Navy SEAL who claims he shot and killed Osama bin Laden may have revealed classified information to those not authorized to receive it.

Robert O'Neill has given numerous interviews since coming forward to say he was part of the operation that culminated in the death of the al-Qaida leader. O'Neill told The Associated Press last month that he has taken pains not to divulge classified information or compromise SEAL tactics.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Navy, Cdr. Ryan Perry, said in a statement that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service had received an allegation that O'Neill may have revealed classified information to persons not authorized to receive such information. "In response, NCIS has initiated an investigation to determine the merit of the allegations," Perry said.

A call to a spokeswoman for O'Neill was not immediately returned Tuesday night.

The revelations by O'Neill, who joined the Navy in 1995 and won two Silver and five Bronze Stars during his service, has generated discord among some current and former SEALs for breaking a code of silence regarding their missions. O'Neill has said that he believes the public has a right to know more details of the 2011 mission to bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Pentagon officials have said that it's not clear whose shots actually killed bin Laden. Another SEAL, Matt Bissonnette, has suggested that the point man who led the way to bin Laden's bedroom fired the fatal shots, and that bin Laden was already down when he and a second SEAL, presumably O'Neill, shot bin Laden.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2014/12/24/bin-laden-shooter-told/20850231/

Response by SPC John Decker made Dec 26 at 2014 1:29 PM

2014-12-26T13:29:32-05:00

He revealed details of a "special operation". It's that simple to me. The very fact that he was part of the operation is a detail. While the official existence of SEALS is common knowledge, their names are known only inside certain circles. Thier anonymity keeps them safe. The very nature of the media-at-large almost requires them (the media) to push for further details, if they have been given even the most inconsequential information.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2015 2:36 AM

2015-01-01T02:36:09-05:00

Please keep in mind the typical Military / Government / Contractor Non-Disclosure Agreement makes specific reference to the Classification Standards set forth in Executive Order 13526 and similar information security classification rules.

o http://www.archives.gov/isoo/security-forms/sf312.pdf

o http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-classified-national-security-information

The government will be required to demonstrate purportedly improperly disclosed information was clearly identified, properly classified, and subject to an organized classified information maintenance and disclosure control system.

The government will be required to demonstrate purportedly improperly disclosed information reasonably could be expected to cause damage to national security that the original classification authority is able to identify or describe.

These standards for prosecution may be difficult for the government to meet where a covert operation takes place in an uncontrolled environment where multiple independent witnesses not subject to any classified information control system survive in a position to disclose the purportedly improperly disclosed information.

Three foreign national women were in the room when UBL was killed . . . not subject to any US security laws.

With exception of nuclear weapons design information . . . I am unaware of any information automatically considered to be classified from birth . . . including personal observations . . . without substantially more due diligence effort by the government to clearly identify and control purportedly classified information and disclosures.

Seal tradition notwithstanding, it is hard to believe a very highly decorated covert operator committed a criminal act.

Given extensive disclosures to date . . . what purportedly improperly disclosed information remains classified?

o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Osama_bin_Laden

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2015 4:25 AM

2015-01-01T04:25:21-05:00

A lot has been said and while I applaud his service as an elite operator. There is however some controversy here in the fact there are others who claim to have fired the fatal shots on UBL.

Eventually the government will declassify the information and history will tell who did what when during that raid or they may never declassify it and it will remain shrouded in mystery.

I can say this much, he has done a lot to give closure to those families that were affected by 9/11. But to I did see the interview he gave when he revealed the events of his coming out as the shooter. He claimed he took the shirt to be gifted to the 9/11 museum anonymously . But my only question who takes a camera crew to that?

If he was the shooter congrats to him but there are two other men that are claiming that privilege that were there and were in the room as well sooooooooo who is correct here?

Response by CMC Robert Young made Jan 1 at 2015 4:29 AM

2015-01-01T04:29:54-05:00

The fact that ANYBODY has talked about the specifics of the mission is mind boggling to me! One of the things that makes US special operations so successful is that much of, if not most of, what they do and how they do it is classified. Why is anybody anywhere talking about this at all?

We must view this in the greater context. For years special operations were quiet professionals who simply went about thankless but necessary tasks in the shadows doing what others could not with their only satifaction the knowledge that their actions supported our nation's interest. Now anytime somebody from these "secret" communities does anything, somebody somewhere finds it necessary to distribute the details. We (the royal we) need to stop making any of this type of information available to anybody without a clear need to know; and that very clearly excludes almost everybody on planet earth.

I get it. Everybody is apparently entitled to their 15 minutes of fame, but if you joined an organization which is built on being clandistine, you should assume that no matter how cool your job is; or how well you do it, nobody will ever know that. Can we please stop talking about classified operations? They're called "Classified" for a reason.

Response by SFC Gary Fox made Jan 1 at 2015 11:27 AM

2015-01-01T11:27:15-05:00

Other than identifying himself, what classified information did he reveal?

What I want to know is who leaked Dr. Shakil Afridi's name as the man who provided the US the location of where bin Laden was living? That man now sits in a Pakistani prison for treason.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Jan 1 at 2015 11:43 AM

2015-01-01T11:43:20-05:00

It is my understanding that the details of special operations such as the one that assassinated Osama Bin Laden are kept secret to prevent other targets from knowing and preparing for the tactics employed, both in preparing and executing the operation. Thus, it is tempting to condemn O'Neill's disclosures. However, it appears that he revealed little more than did the President in taking his victory lap as he announced the death of Bin Laden except to correct certain misconceptions created by the President's versions of events.

Obviously, we will have to wait until the matter is put before an impartial judicial body that has access to all of the facts and the time and wisdom to give the matter due consideration. I must admit that I possess none of these qualifications, especially impartiality.

Impartiality may be the most difficult to find. The current President and Administration have garnered more distrust than any other in my lifetime which spans Presidents Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama. For this reason, I doubt if the majority of Americans will accept their judgment regardless of what it may be.

Response by PO2 Corey Ferretti made Jan 1 at 2015 11:53 PM

2015-01-01T23:53:08-05:00

The problem with this case is that the administration released info THAT I FEEL was way to much and should of never been released to the media. I personly think this should of been a blip on the radar. A breaking news session that stated UBL was killed in a raid by American forces then left alone. This Operator is in the wrong because he did not get his book scrubbed as he should of. He has done nothing diffrent then what operators before him has done. Had he followed SOP he would not be in this mess. I Also think there should never have been a book about this mission he is suppose to be a quite professional and this is farthest from being quite.