By Nate West
News Assignment Editor
They were sworn to secrecy.
Maybe that’s why Mark Owen’s book, “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden,” is receiving such heat.
The book is receiving criticism from former Navy SEALs and government officials. George E. Little, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Defense, said Owen should have submitted the book for editing by the government because he believes there is “sensitive and classified information” in the book. He says the book is “in material breach of his (Owen) secrecy agreement with the United States government.”
Owen denies the claim. He says it’s not a book for people who are looking for secrets.
“I’m not talking secrets, I’m not talking tactics,” Owen said to Scott Pelley on a Sept. 2 episode of “60 Minutes.” “I really try to give the reader a sense of what it’s like to be there.”
Even though he’s not revealing secrets, he’s given himself the fake name Mark Owen for his own safety.
As long as Owen isn’t revealing anything that could put others in danger or strategies that could be recycled by Special Ops for future missions, an account of May 1, 2011 from someone who was there is a wonderful idea.
The only thing Owen could do wrong, especially in an election year, is give the book alliance to one political party. Owen said, in the same “60 Minutes” interview, that the book doesn’t “badmouth” either party.
As a citizen, I feel an account from one of the men on the mission is a fantastic idea. Owen puts himself at huge risk, and in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech and press, it seems rather hypocritical to condemn him for publishing “No Easy Day” before knowing if the book violates any secrecy agreement.
I haven’t read a word of the book yet. I’m basing my entire opinion off of a few online articles and a TV interview. If Owen didn’t tell the truth and there are tactical strategies revealed, I would probably support government editing.
Owen says he’s received nothing but support from other SEALs on the raid. During the “60 Minutes” interview, he said one team member told him that if anyone can do it and do it right, Owen could.
The book was originally set for publishing on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, but due to popular demand, it was released a week earlier.
I’m looking forward to reading it. I’m hopeful Owen is able to tell the story without bias or truth stretching.
It would be really interesting if other SEALs on SEAL Team Six could anonymously respond to the book and fact check or clarify things, but what are the chances of that happening?
I’m positive that I’m not the only one who’s interested in knowing what happened. I hope this book can stay on the shelves because an account from one of the men on the team would be historical. If it does reveal secret information, though, then I would understand the reason to pull it.
westnl11@bonaventure.edu
