By Thomas Madison
STUPID! The most descriptive word I could come up with to describe our president’s actions regarding just about everything, but in particular his foreign affairs policy (or lack thereof), and especially his continued willingness to release classified information in order to deflect public and press criticism and/or gain political points.
On Wednesday, senior White House officials released (leaked) information regarding the failed rescue attempt in Syria of hostages being held by ISIS, including James Foley. The White House report leak was later confirmed by Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby. A great deal of planning and preparation went into the covert operation, claimed to be the largest rescue effort by the US military in over 40 years. Secrecy in such a mission is vital, before, during, and after the operation.
Spilling the beans after a covert operation may be great for providing political capital and/or cover, but it leaves our special operators, and in this case the remaining hostages, in a very dangerous position, a lesson the Obama administration apparently failed to learn from the bin Laden raid and the subsequent, unnecessary and horrible Extortion 17 tragedy that followed.
The Extortion 17 Chinook carrying our special operators, including 22 Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 6, the legendary SEAL team that exterminated Osama bin Laden, was said to have been shot down by a single lucky RPG hit. Uhhhh, yeah, right! Ridiculous! More believable reports support the theory that the Chinook was a sitting duck in a pre-planned crossfire of MANPADS surface-to-air missiles. The lives of 31 heroes were lost that day, but hey, the world was told what a he-man, Ramboesque Commander-in-Chief we have, an image well worth any number of sacrificial SEALs.
Extortion 17 is just another impeachable offense on a long list of impeachable offenses.
Now, again, Obama, through his White House proxies, is running his mouth about classified military operations. I wonder if he stopped to consider the life expectancy of the remaining hostages being held by ISIS if he released the information regarding the failed rescue attempt. Nah! What fun is that? There is no political capital to be gained by being silent. Conversely, by releasing the report of the failed rescue mission our fawning press could broadcast The One was concerned, involved, and active in rescuing Foley and the other hostages. Besides, he can always disavow any knowledge of the leak and promise swift and severe punishment if the leaker is identified. Many yucks! Now, back to the golf course.
With this globally disseminated “leak” from the White House, ISIS will certainly now be more vigilant in its hostage security operations, greatly reducing the life expectancy of the remaining hostages.
You can now add Wednesday’s White House announcement leak and Obama’s big mouth to that long list of impeachable offenses.