The Price Of Loose Lips

By Semperpapa

Probably the most searched term on the Internet these days is SEAL Team 6, thanks to their incredible performance in the raid and killing of Osama bin Laden. It is easily understandable that the American people, living through such a challenging historical time, would react with enthusiasm to a bit of good news and that the authors of such tactical victory would be hailed as heroes, as they deserve.

The problem is that the efficiency of the unit, just as the efficiency of every Special Force unit in our Armed Forces, is directly connected to the anonymity of the warriors. Keeping their identities, tactics, weaponry and capabilities secret is essential in their ability to keep the enemy oblivious and off balance.

I share the satisfaction over the achievement of the so called SEAL Team 6 and I would be the first who would love to sit down with any of the members and hear a first account of the operation, but one important element that must be understood is that the safety and again efficiency of the operators should remain undisclosed. In other words, the safety and operational effectiveness of these men is way more important than my or anybody’s desire and even right to know.

That is where I get disgusted with the whole thing.

Ever since the operation took place and the results became known, the publicity over the Special Force detachment has been relentless. I do not mind giving recognition to those who conducted the operation, but I believe that it would have been much more sensible to just call them Special Forces, leaving it at a general level that would guarantee the secrecy of these folks’ operational abilities. It would have been preferable for two reasons.

First, for the safety of the unit members and especially their families. Sec. of Defense Robert Gates, speaking at the Marine Corps base in Camp Lejeune was asked what security measures were being taken to safeguard the team members, who were being hunted by the media. Gates responded that some additional steps were being taken to keep the identities hidden and to provide additional security for their families.

It should have never gotten to this point!

Gates also stated that at the time of the operation, the consensus among those in the War Room was that no operational details would ever be disclosed. That was on Sunday, May 1^st. By Monday, May 2^nd, the whole confidentiality thing had fallen apart. And keeps on getting worst.

Secondly, we are faced with a very cunning enemy, one that is very good at disappearing in the fog of war, one that is very good at hiding behind women and children and master at propaganda. One of the most valuable assets that a Military force has is the ability of performing surprise actions. Security is imperative in maintaining the element of surprise and throwing details about the operation and the operators to the four winds allows the enemy to take measures that could make the next operation costly for our men and women.

Analyzing the reasons for such lack of operational secrecy is even more disturbing. I have expressed my praise for President Obama for authorizing the raid. No I do not call it gutsy, like so many others have because I do not consider gutsy for a President to send our sons and daughters into battle. Mostly, I believe that should not be out of guts that that decision should be taken, but out of the necessity to address a National Security issue. Taking out bin Laden was a necessary action that will possibly pay some good dividends to our Nation in the War against radical Islamic Terrorism.

The President decision should be based on clear cut data and intelligence, not to mention National interest. To me the word gutsy is synonym with gambling, and I do not want to even consider that a President would gamble with the lives of so many.

The problem with Obama in this situation is that the calculations he made were purely political. Killing bin Laden was going to be a feather in his National security cap in the case of a successful completion of the operation, and a disastrous mark if it had failed. The President took 16 hours, as reported, to give the go ahead to his Military command, time that was surely well utilized by his confidants, Samantha Power and others, to analyze all the possible political ramifications of the action.

Thankfully, the operation was a success. And while the American people celebrated in the streets the well deserved demise of a monster, while many of us rejoiced at the news that no American casualties were suffered, I am sure that Obama took a sigh of relief to have escaped a potentially crippling political liability.

Then there is the always sickening main stream media. The same folks who just few years back would go to unimaginable extents to jeopardize the lives and reputation of our Military so to score political zinging at President Bush, are today exalting the actions of the Special Forces, but mostly the actions of the Commander-in-Chief. The hatred that the folks at the LA Times or the NY Times or the Washington Post have for anything Military is still there, just overtaken by the fact that their professionalism and sacrifice handed Obama that foreign policy victory that he is so skillfully using.

From his victory tour at Ground Zero to the visit with the SEAL Team 6 at Fort Campbell, Obama is basking in the success of the operation, while well placed leaks from the White House keep on spewing unnecessary details to the always ready Media.

While the President does his victory dance, the Media is foaming at the mouth trying to find out the identities of the Special Warriors involved in the action. Be it for the always pressing orgasmic desire to be the first or so that huge targets would be painted on the backs of these hated American heroes and their families, the hunting goes forward. If NBC can identify the SEALs so could al Jazeera, which would translate in our enemies having that information, regardless of what Hillary Clinton may say.

The information leaks can be easily traced and they should, because the price of loose lips is too high in the current environment of global communications. On the other hand, the Media could score a victory of its own against the Military while still exalting their leader Obama.

Just my thoughts!