SEAL leaders warn against being ‘selfish’ and disclosing secrets
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Version 0 of 1. The top admiral and enlisted man in the U.S. Navy’s SEAL force are warning its members not to disclose classified information for publicity or cash, as two SEAL veterans who participated in the raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden remain under scrutiny for allegedly doing so. The SEAL leaders said in a letter to all SEALs published on Friday that a critical part of the SEAL ethos is, “I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions.” It is a lifelong commitment, both during and after military service, said Rear Adm. Brian L. Losey, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, and Force Master Chief Michael L. Magaraci. “Violators of our Ethos are neither teammates in good standing, nor Teammates who represent Naval Special Warfare,” Losey and Magaraci said in the letter, which Naval Special Warfare Command confirmed as legitimate. “We do not abide willful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety and financial gain, which only diminishes otherwise honorable service, courage and sacrifice.” The SEAL leaders added that they will “actively seek judicial consequence” for any SEAL who discloses classified information and puts families or future operations at risk. The letter was published as Matt Bissonnette, a SEAL in the bin Laden raid, prepares to release a new book that covers missions he participated in over his career. The Pentagon cleared the new book, “No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL,” but Bissonnette remains under investigation for allegedly disclosing classified information in “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden,” a bestselling 2012 account of the raid. He wrote it under the pen name Mark Owen. SEAL leaders also may be sending a preemptive warning to another SEAL who has not identified himself, but claimed in an article in Esquire magazine last year to have been the man who shot bin Laden first in the May 2, 2011, raid on his hiding place in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The piece identified him only as “The Shooter,” and he provided details about how the mission came together and frustrations about leaving the military without receiving retirement benefits. Fox News announced recently that it will broadcast a two-part series in which a SEAL who claims to have killed bin Laden will share his story and identity — something “The Shooter” in the Esquire article previously expressed safety concerns about. A website reported the identity of the shooter Monday, but The Washington Post was not able to verify it independently. |