General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIs the "Navy Seal's" book setting off your BS monitor?
Actual journalists who are out in the world, walking their beat, run across a lot of people who claim to be current or ex-intelligence agents, special operatives, etc. To hear them talk, you'd think half the country was in the CIA. Which brings me to "Mark Owen," the purported ex-Navy Seal and author of No Easy Day, the alleged account of bin Laden's death. The lack of curiosity in the national press is probably no big surprise. They never learned any lessons from "Wag the Dog," WMD's in Iraq, etc., and now they seem to be accepting Owen's claims at face value. Here's one example from CBS:
"A retired Navy SEAL who was present at the killing of Osama bin Laden tells Scott Pelley in a 60 Minutes interview that his book about the raid is not a political statement......."
Whoa there. Says who? I don't know this guy from Adam. Perhaps Mr. Pelley will at least offer an actual, reliable source who can vouch for "Owen's'" claims about being a Navy Seal. Then we'll see about that story he is telling.
Anyway, my search engine is starting to turn up some people who are also smelling BS. I've not done a scientific poll, just rooted around a little. Here's one example:
http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=24&p=23220597
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)He's an exploitative fool and probably a liar, and I hope he is prosecuted and sent to jail.
,,,
Gabby Hayes
(289 posts)I seem to recall that some sites trumpeting the anti-Obama angle of Owen's story also ran with an earlier report claiming the entire team was shot down and killed in Afghanistan.
woodsprite
(11,913 posts)It fully smells like a swiftboat attempt to me. Maybe it'll
end up as $2 book in Books-a-million bargain bin, like Sarah's
book did.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)I'd have like, six bucks. Not much, but that's still a fucking lot of nickels, isn't it?
madokie
(51,076 posts)if it is even that good of odds, not sure it is. It takes a super healthy, strong willed, intelligent person to be a Seal or UDT member.
The UDT is the precursor to the Seals of today
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_Demolition_Team
In my day we still had both, Seals and UDT as the transformation hadn't been made yet.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)And of course, every single fucking Republican in the universe was a navy Seal. They also test prototype racecars, sleep with the most gorgeous people, and occasionally visit Dr. Hammond at his dinosaur park in the Pacific.
madokie
(51,076 posts)He sure doesn't seem to be fit as a true Seal would be, Grant you I haven't seen him in person but from the interview he doesn't seem to be fit, mental wise nor health wise.
Oh and my BS meter pegged immediately as soon as he came on Pelleys show
Navy Seals are a tough bunch of hardened individuals trained to act as a team so I doubt that a true Seal would write something such as this on his own.