OWEN WEST AND BING WEST: FORMER SEAL WRITES A BOOK ON THE BIN LADEN RAID
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443409904577619043372332290.html
Tuesday brought the news that “No Easy Day,” a firsthand account of the 2011 raid on the Osama bin Laden compound written by a former Navy SEAL and due to be published on Sept. 11, had been discovered already on sale in a bookshop. Its contents are being widely discussed, the publisher has moved up publication to Sept. 4—and the brouhaha over the appropriateness of Matt Bissonnette’s writing the book is only going to increase.
Please, spare us the outrage, or at least most of it. The U.S. Special Operations Command has expressed indignation about “No Easy Day,” which will be published under the nom de plume Mark Owen, even though Mr. Bissonnette’s bid for anonymity has been foiled. If the author violated his classified nondisclosure agreement, he must accept the consequences. Submitting the book for pre-approval would have avoided investigation by the Pentagon, which is currently checking the manuscript.
But to label this book as an unprecedented breach of security reflects a confused understanding of an equally confused policy. Mr. Bissonnette has joined a tradition of SEAL best sellers. While the U.S. Army Delta force remains the silent service, over a decade of war the SEALs have garnered extraordinary publicity.
Associated Press/Relativity MediaA scene from ‘Act of Valor’ (2012), an action-drama starring active-duty Navy SEALs.
During World War II, President Truman complained that the Marines had a public relations man in every squad. But even we Marines had to rely on John Wayne for our Hollywood fame. Earlier this year saw the release of the action movie “Act of Valor,” a box-office success ($80 million so far) starring active-duty SEALs and developed with the organization’s thorough input.
The indignation about “No Easy Day” was stirred because the author violated the supposed SEAL code of secrecy. Mr. Bissonnette will have to straighten out his personal relationship with his former comrades, many of whom are no doubt disappointed by his project. But that code of silence has not prevented a flood of SEAL books over the past two decades. The dozen best-selling SEAL-written books on Amazon.com, including “Lone Survivor” and “American Sniper,” along with the film “Act of Valor,” may have given our enemies a detailed understanding of SEAL procedures, but also a healthy respect for their skills.
Mr. Bissonnette’s critics in the armed forces and media would do well to distinguish between one warrior who was on the front lines, writing about what he experienced, and the leaks about military matters that have been coming from the top of our government. The written law and the moral burden of protecting the nation have been violated in a much more extreme fashion by the inner council of President Obama, resulting in the severe compromise of methods and sources.
One American official provided exquisite details about how the U.S. collaborated with Israel to launch cyber attacks that destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Iran later arrested several technicians, accusing them of collaboration with the Americans.
In the case of Osama bin Laden, the White House leaked so many details of the raid that a Pakistani doctor was later sentenced to 33 years in prison for helping to locate the al Qaeda leader. The administration even allowed a Hollywood crew to visit the White House to replicate details for an upcoming movie. Early reports indicate that Mr. Bissonnette’s version of events contradicts some of those details, including when exactly bin Laden was first shot and whether he was armed.
We may never know which version is true. What’s certain is that the leaks from the top caused grave harm to sensitive programs and adversely affected the lives of foreign nationals who worked with us. The leaks damaged U.S. relations with other countries and individuals who have put their faith in us but may be wary of doing so in the future. Worst of all, the leaks undermined American trust in our top officials.
Owen West is the author of “The Snake Eaters: Counterinsurgency Advisors in Combat” (Free Press, 2012); Bing West is the co-author, with Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Dakota Meyer, of “Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War” (Random House, 2012). The Wests both served in Marine Corps combat infantry.
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