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August 25, 2012

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US troops warned on info release

THE US special operations chief has warned his troops, current and former, that he would take legal action against anyone found to have exposed sensitive information that could cause fellow forces harm.

The threat comes as a new book with a firsthand account of the deadly raid on Osama bin Laden appears next month.

"We will pursue every option available to hold members accountable, including criminal prosecution where appropriate," Admiral Bill McRaven wrote in an open, unclassified letter e-mailed to the active-duty special operations community on Thursday.

A retired Navy commando has revealed he is publishing a firsthand account of the raid that killed bin Laden in Pakistan slightly over a year ago. Pentagon officials said they have not been given a chance to review the book, "No Easy Day," which comes out on September 11, the anniversary of the 2001 attacks.

McRaven also took former special operators to task for "using their 'celebrity' status to advance their personal or professional agendas."

He acknowledged that former service members are "well within their rights to advocate for certain causes or write books about their adventures," but he cautioned them against claiming to speak for all special operations troops and against endangering troops by what they write.

News broke on Wednesday that one of the SEALs McRaven commanded on the bin Laden raid would be releasing his book on September 11, with the author listed under the pseudonym of Mark Owen.

The author was identified on Thursday by Fox News as Matt Bissonnette, who retired from the Navy last summer.

Penguin Group (USA)'s Dutton imprint, the publisher, asked news organizations on Thursday to withhold the author's identity.

"Sharing the true story of his personal experience in 'No Easy Day' is a courageous act in the face of obvious risks to his personal security," Dutton spokeswoman Christine Ball said in a statement. "That personal security is the sole reason the book is being published under a pseudonym."

Bissonnette also changed the names of the other SEALs in the account, the publisher said.




 

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