Pentagon Snaking It 'Til It Makes It, Releases 10-year-old Propaganda Video To Justify SEAL Raid
UPDATE: The US military is scrambling to explain an embarrassing mix-up after it released old footage instead of video from Sunday’s raid
— CNN (@CNN) February 3, 2017
Business Insider — The Pentagon released video clips from 10-year-old al Qaeda propaganda on Friday to justify the weekend raid by SEAL Team 6 in Yemen in which “almost everything went wrong.”
US Central Command uploaded video it said was seized from a computer during the operation, which featured a masked man teaching “would-be terrorists” how to build bombs.
Shortly after this article was published, however, the videos were removed from the Pentagon’s image and video distribution site. According to CNN’s Jim Sciutto, CENTCOM said it mistakenly uploaded old videos that were not from the Yemen raid.
Pentagon really snaking it here late in the week. Tossing out a 10-year-old video and calling it footage from the weekend to justify a raid. If this were earlier in the week, maybe Monday or Tuesday, definitely not a condonable move. Too early in the week to be fucking around. That’s when you get real shit done.
But end of the week? Thursday or Friday? In February? Super Bowl week? Totally fine. Everything is pretty much in limbo until the Super Bowl’s over, then the late-winter misery sets in. So right now you go ahead and sweep any and all problems under the rug/release 10-year-old footage projected as new footage to justify a raid you’re taking heat for. That’s not sketchy that’s just smart. Relatable. International militaristic diplomacy by the common Department of Defense, for the common Department of Defense.
PS — To take a more serious note, these are the details of the raid in question. It was originally planned months ago by the Obama Administration, but eventually green-lit and executed under Trump. RIP William “Ryan” Owens, a SEAL killed in action.
The SEAL Team 6 raid in Yemen on Sunday that killed 14 al Qaeda fighters and 10 civilians has raised questions about the approach President Donald Trump will take to fighting terrorism.
The operation was the first Special Operations raid authorized by the new President.
On the plus side of the ledger, an al Qaeda leader was killed during the raid along with 13 other al Qaeda fighters. Intelligence was also recovered at the scene, which could prove useful.
On the negative side of the ledger, the SEALS went into a heavily fortified and well-defended al Qaeda complex and suffered casualties.
The raid resulted in the death of US Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer William “Ryan” Owens.
Navy SEAL Foundation (https://t.co/UNxZM3DxFH) accepting donations in memory of
Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens.— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 3, 2017