Video proof of Yemen raid success turns out to be golden oldie

U.S. Central Command ate crow on Friday after releasing al-Qaida video from a raid in Yemen, only to abruptly pull the video down after learning it was older than it expected.

“We are aware that it is older video,” Defense Department spokesman Eric Pahon told Military Times. “We can’t verify what year it’s from. It’s been on the internet for a little while.”
Although the video has been online for years, it was part of a “big treasure trove of intel” that was recovered from the Jan. 29 raid by special operations forces in Yemen, Pahon said.


The video showed a masked militant lecture on how to create explosives. CENTCOM made the decisions to first publish and then take the video down, Pahon said.

The Jan. 29 raid has become a black mark for the special operations community. One Navy SEAL was killed: Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens. Six other troops were injured. An MV-22B Osprey crashed and had to be destroyed.

Although the video has been online for years, it was part of a “big treasure trove of intel” that was recovered from the Jan. 29 raid by special operations forces in Yemen, Pahon said.

The video showed a masked militant lecture on how to create explosives. CENTCOM made the decisions to first publish and then take the video down, Pahon said.


The Jan. 29 raid has become a black mark for the special operations community. One Navy SEAL was killed: Chief Special Warfare Operator William “Ryan” Owens. Six other troops were injured. An MV-22B Osprey crashed and had to be destroyed.

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