Former SEAL’s Book Reveals Classified Information: Pentagon

[steve2470]

Source: Bloomberg News

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman said for the first time that a book written by a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contained classified information.

“Sensitive and classified information is contained in the book,” spokesman George Little said today at a Pentagon news conference.

The comment escalates a conflict between the Pentagon and the author who wrote “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden.” Little has previously said the author, who wrote under the pen-name “Mark Owen,” violated a non-disclosure agreement he signed as a Navy SEAL by not submitting the book for pre-publication review.

The author’s attorney, Robert Luskin, has said a 2007 agreement “invites but by no means requires” pre-publication review. Luskin didn’t immediately respond to phone and e-mailed requests for comment today. The book was scheduled for publication today by Dutton, a unit of Penguin Group USA.

Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-04/former-seal-s-book-reveals-classified-information-pentagon-says

[Auntie Bush]

1. The man's a traitor. Arrest him!

[SunSeeker]

2. Where's the Fox News outrage over this leaking of classified info for profit?

"Mark Owen" is a profiteering douchebag. And that lawyer, Luskin, is clueless, but is happy to take his client's money. They deserve each other.

[Bigredhunk]

5. There isn't any

Since the author writes about not liking Obama or Biden. I think the story of OBL's killing is also refuted, so faux is probably hoping they can use this story to swift boat Obama.

[SunSeeker]

16. Yes, it appears Ayles and Rove have their fingerprints all over this. nt

[starroute]

14. Luskin is something a lot worse than "clueless"

(The first part seems a bit out of date, but it gives you the idea.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Luskin

Robert D. Luskin (born January 21, 1950) is an attorney and partner in the law firm of Patton Boggs LLP, specializing in White-collar crime and federal and state government investigations. He is currently the personal attorney for White House senior advisor and chief political strategist Karl Rove, representing Rove in the special investigations into the outing of covert operative Valerie Plame's position within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) specialist. . . .

Recently, Luskin has been listed as lead counsel for Lance Armstrong and his June 2012 allegations of blood doping in connection with his numerous victories in the Tour de France where the USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency), a quasi-official American sports governing entity has formally charged Lance Armstrong with various doping violations. . . .

In 1997, US Attorney Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island accused Luskin of "willful blindness" for accepting $505,125 in gold bars as well as Swiss Wire transfers of $169,000 from Stephen Saccoccia. Luskin represented Saccoccia in the appellate phase of the case after Saccoccia was convicted of money laundering. Whitehouse argued that Saccoccia's payments to Luskin were related to Saccoccia's broad money-laundering scheme and that the money should be returned to the government.

[SunSeeker]

15. Interesting. Correction: Willfully clueless. nt

[truth2power]

17. Boggs?? As in Rep. Hale Boggs of LA, father of Cokie Roberts? n/t

[revolution breeze]

3. Why isn't the Pentagon stopping the distribution of this book?

They have to power to stop printing, just as they have the power to censor personal mail being from and to members of the military. If it is a danger to this country, why hasn't a Presidential Order been signed to stop publication immediately?

[Sherman A1]

6. Indeed

one wonders....

[revolution breeze]

11. Executive Order 13526, Part 4, Section 4.1.(f)

(f) Consistent with law, executive orders, directives, and regulations, an agency head or senior agency official or, with respect to the Intelligence Community, the Director of National Intelligence, shall establish uniform procedures to ensure that automated information systems, including networks and telecommunications systems, that collect, create, communicate, compute, disseminate, process, or store classified information:

(1) prevent access by unauthorized persons;

(2) ensure the integrity of the information; and

(3) to the maximum extent practicable, use:

(A) common information technology standards, protocols, and interfaces that maximize the availability of, and access to, the information in a form and manner that facilitates its authorized use; and

(B) standardized electronic formats to maximize the accessibility of information to persons who meet the criteria set forth in section 4.1(a) of this order

[flamingdem]

7. How do you know they are not? nt

[reACTIONary]

20. That would be prepublication censorship....

...pretty much unconstitutional. They have to wait until the information is actually published before they can take action.

I don't know why everyone is up in arms about this. It's an autobiographical account of a historical event. The press publishes secrete information all the time, in the public interest.

Doesn't anyone remember the Pentagon Papers? That was a real, honest to goodness classified document published by the press. It was ruled protected speech under the first amendment.

I don't understand the concern about this. The guy has a right to tell his story, and as long as he is reasonably careful in doing so, he should be left alone.

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Well, well, well.

What do you know about that?

[skeewee08]

8. My question is why Now?

this really bother's me just before the DNC and the 2012 election....

[oldhippydude]

12. doesn't have the legs to be an October surprise

that does not mean that its not a swift boat attempt... the Republicans will throw what ever they have to into the mix.... still we need to be vigilant without being paranoid

[Iliyah]

9. Because the HATE machine have a lot of money!

The powerful have bought and paid for the right to lie, distort, cheat, steal, misinform and hate. Besides this book coming today you have RW so called "Christians" claiming that DEMS are GODLESS. The hate machine keeps marching on.

[lunatica]

10. Ooops!

What a fucking idiot.

[Sunlei]

13. someone backed him with money to write the book, he is not an experienced author.

That's the co-traitor. Follow the money and offers to back a book deal.

[jmowreader]

19. I signed one of those nondisclosure agreements too

That thing does not "invite but by no means require" pre-publication review, it says that if you write a book of any kind you have to send it in before publication. If you were to write the "DU Tombstone Cookbook" containing 50 recipes for cornflake-breaded chicken, you would have to get it reviewed by a DOD security officer before you published it.

[tomm2thumbs]

21. I'm sure the Seal team thinks it was self-serving

for one member to break from an team agreement and potentially risk other's identities with visual descriptions that could lead to their identities, potentially risking THEIR wives and children, even if just with a little research based on who he is and who he has been pictured with/served with etc.

It was a bad move. And I'm sure those that are affected by it don't appreciate the risks it places on them after doing what they all did together.

[ljm2002]

22. Better throw him in Qantico then...

...solitary confinement, enforce him wearing no clothing -- after all, he may be suicidal when he realizes the trouble he's in.

Then throw the book at him. It's only fair. After all if he has released classified information, then obviously he is aiding and abetting Al Qaeda, right?

Let's see how our government handles this. It should be, shall we say, informative.

[Blue_Tires]

23. Why isn't he in jail, then?

If I was posting this info on a blog, I'd be in jail before dinnertime...