Some former special forces soldiers and CIA officers have produced a video that accuses President Barack Obama of trying to score political points by leaking sensitive intelligence information.

The 20-minute video from the group Special Operations OPSEC (short for Operations Security) focuses on the administration’s actions surrounding the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The group claims it isn't favoring a candidate, but it's clear Obama is being targeted.

The video makes many points, including one about the arrest by Pakistan of a local doctor recruited by the CIA.

"With wanton disregard," OPSEC member Jamie Williamson, a retired Special Forces colonel, says in the video, "this administration leaked information, deliberately or otherwise, that led to the identification of the Pakistani doctor that helped us in achieving our goals and killing bin Laden." . . .

To cut to the chase

Our ruling

The [OPSEC film] said, "This administration leaked information, deliberately or otherwise, that led to the identification of the Pakistani doctor that helped us in achieving our goals and killing bin Laden."

The OPSEC group provides no evidence to support its claim, and journalists close to the scene in Abbottabad say it was the Pakistanis, not the Americans, who identified the doctor. The bin Laden raid triggered the ISI investigation, not anything said by U.S. officials.

In fact, the CIA had urged the doctor to leave the country and when Pakistan provided the name of the doctor, US officials tried to prevent it being published.

We see no evidence that it was the Obama administration that leaked the name. We rate it False.

For the full report:
Tampa Bay Times PolitiFact.com


I have not Googled my way to any evidence that the White House leaked the doctor's name before the Pakistanis went public with it when they arrested him on or before July 11, 2011. That's when it was publicly revealed by Pakistani sources that the CIA had secured the assistance of a local doctor and set up a fake vaccination program to try to confirm bin Laden family DNA from the children at the compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was thought to be hiding.

Osama bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011, two months before the doctor was arrested.

If I remember correctly, the White House was talking almost immediately after the raid about using DNA evidence to confirm that they had killed Osama bin Laden and not somebody else. And I suppose it's arguable that the mere mention of "DNA evidence" gave Pakistan's ISI a hint about what to investigate on the trail that led to their arresting the unfortunate doctor. But I'm not sure that public references to "DNA evidence" were avoidable, given the widespread skepticism about whether they had actually killed Obama, especially from many groups that were hostile to the U.S. or at least hostile to the Obama administration.

The OPSEC film goes on for 20 minutes, and almost all of the other specific charges that it lodges against the Obama White House in the way of damaging security leaks are just as easy to debunk.

Aside from the clearly bogus charges that take up most of the film, there are more discussable allegations of White House security leaks about the Stuxnet computer virus used to sabotage Iran's nuclear program; about the use of a double agent to thwart a bombing plot that was being hatched in Yemen and about the regularly reported drone strikes that the U.S. has been using in Pakistan and other countries.

The FBI is currently investigating how the Stuxnet virus and Yemeni double agent information became public.

It is known that much of the secrecy shrouding the Stuxnet virus began to unravel due to a progamming error which caused the virus to replicate itself across the Internet, prompting a number of private computer security firms and foreign governments to start investigating it.

The New York Times, which first reported on the Stuxnet virus, has denied receiving any classified information in the form of leaks by administration officials:

quote In comments to several news outlets earlier this week, Dean Baquet, managing editor of The Times, said the newspaper’s reporters had come by the information through “tons and tons of reporting” over the course of months, not handouts. He also said the newspaper had told officials about its findings ahead of their publication and withheld some technical details about the Stuxnet operation at their request.

CNN Security Analyst Peter Bergen has contended that the publicizing of the far-reaching drone campaign, which is not under investigation by the FBI, enhances, rather than compromises U.S. national security.

I have not seen any allegations that the White House has ever leaked information that could be used by hostile groups or countries to evade or shoot down our drones, or manufacture or improve their own drones. The only information that I know to have been publicized is when and where the drone strikes occur and who we think got killed or injured, and the fact that the president personally approves some of the targets. How does any of that compromise national security? For the most part, the drone strikes are reported by foreign media in the countries where the strikes take place--media not under U.S. control. And as far as the president personally approving some of the targets--such as the U.S.-born al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki--why would anyone friendly to the U.S. not want that to be publicly known?

Returning to the other matter that is under investigation by the FBI, was it actually White House security leaks that led to the highly regrettable outing of the double agent (who escaped harm) who helped the CIA thwart the Yemen bombing plot?

Don't count your White House security leaks before they are confirmed.

The double agent could have been exposed by Saudi intelligence.


Related posts

Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst:
Are 'Swift Boat' attacks on Obama bogus?
Obama leak "scandal" is wildly overblown

R. Inselberg, Pennock's Fiero Forum:
Navy SEALs emerge in thinly disguised Republican PAC ad
Plugging the security leaks: DNI's James Clapper takes the lead

[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 08-23-2012).]

The Tampa Bay Times???

Really?

quote Originally posted by olejoedad: The Tampa Bay Times??? Really?

DID YOU READ THE FULL STORY ?

CHECK OTHER SOURCES ?

KNOW OF ANY ERRORS IN THIS STORY ?

OR JUST UPSET AT AN OTHER BIG LIE CAUGHT ?

EVER GET UPSET AT YOUR OWN GUYS BIG LIES?

About PolitiFact: How the Truth-O-Meter works

Group says Obama revealed secret information to Hollywood filmmakers

Our ruling

The Web video by the group Special Operations OPSEC says "Days after the (Osama bin Laden) raid, Hollywood was invited into the White House so that they could receive a briefing" that revealed intelligence sources and methods.

There is an element of truth to the claim because the producers did indeed visit the White House, met with national security officials and clearly got some cooperation from top brass at the Pentagon and CIA. However, we find no evidence for the main point of the claim, that the Obama administration engineered this and revealed intelligence sources and sensitive methods.

We rate the claim Mostly False.

Mostly False – The statement contains some element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression.

So, who owns the Tampa Bay Times? Who do they vote for? Who do they contribute to?

If there's anything that we've seen in the past (X years, decades), it that there is no such thing as impartial. A scan of their home page shows a heavy lean for the liberal side. Most of the Conservative claims are "mostly false," "untrue" or the one "pants on fire," while liberal claims are heavily "mostly true" or "true." Common sense reading of Human nature is all that's needed to see where this comes from.

I'm not saying that they're any better or any worse than anyone else. I'm saying that it seems obvious to me that there is an agenda behind it. Just know what agenda is behind it. Of course, there are many here who want more and bigger government, and they would espouse this page, anyways.

"Plausible Deniability" is what passes for truth and facts nowdays.

quote Originally posted by Patrick's Dad: I'm saying that it seems obvious to me that there is an agenda behind it. Just know what agenda is behind it.

I wish I knew the agenda. This is rinselberg's second thread aiming at absolving Nobama for the leaks.

quote Originally posted by ray b: EVER GET UPSET AT YOUR OWN GUYS BIG LIES?

Our "Big Guy's lies" are not the thread subject, your big guys lies are.

[This message has been edited by htexans1 (edited 08-23-2012).]

Having actually read the Tampa Bay Times on several visits to my daughters, I already knew their particular bias, Ray, and I had no need to check any further...........

Didn't Cliff just make a ruling about posting things you already posted before.
Is rinselberg the lefts version of Avenger?

Hmmm, and all of this gibberish makes up for Obama's DISASTEROUS Administration.......how?

if it is such a disaster as you FAULSELY CLAIM

WHY IS THE DOW DOUBLED FROM IT'S BuSH2 low of 6600

quote Originally posted by ray b: if it is such a disaster as you FAULSELY CLAIM WHY IS THE DOW DOUBLED FROM IT'S BuSH2 low of 6600

"Faulsely"

Oh....gee...I dunno. Maybe THIS!

Unemployment up since taking office

Debt increased nearly $7T in 3.5 years!

Handing America a $1+ Trillion dollar budget deficit 4 years in a row!

Debt Ceiling fiasco of 2011- While the liberal media has done a good job of pinning this on Republicans and the Tea Party in particular, the blame lies squarely at his feet as he refused any real plan that would cap the debt ceiling as per Moody's, Standard & Poors, etc .
Any honest research will show that the August 2011 down grade and stock market crash could have been avoided if the Obama and his dishonest colleagues such as Harry Reid had accepted "Cut Cap, & Balance"

Stimulus bill - not a jobs bill but a democratic payback bill

Refusing to prosecute the radical hate group; the Black Panthers for violations of others voting rights as well as hate crimes and inciting violence

New Black Panther Obama DOJ refused to prosecute: “I hate white people – all of them!”

Obama’s lies about the budget and constant blaming of Bush rather than taking any responsibility at all for his hand in the budget deficit and terrible economy:

For Fiscal Year 2009, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009.

If the Obama & the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the Fiscal Year 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets. If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

Obama and Attorney General Holder suing the Sate of Arizona over bill that only enforces US Federal Law (US code #1304; c, d, & f)

Obama’s ties via Eboo Patel to the radical Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the controversial Muslim leader behind the plan to build the Islamic center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf wrote the afterward to Patel’s 2006 book entitled, “Building the Interfaith Youth Movement: Beyond Dialogue to Action.”
Eboo Patel the is religious adviser to President Obama. Obama’s adviser says, “America is the ideal place for a renewal of Islam”.

*Barack Obama’s ‘Religious’ Advisor, Eboo Patel, is closely linked to the radical imam seeking to build the Ground Zero mosque
*Obama religion adviser closely tied to ‘Ground Zero’ imam. Boasted of America as ‘ideal place for renewal of Islam’

Extreme political correctness and inability to call Islamic Extremists and the tenants of Islam which they follow for what it is;
An extreme religion of hate and intolerance:
No Mosque at Ground Zero

"Solar-Gate"; There are two House investigations into a scandal involving a $535 million federal loan failed solar company Solyndra, and more than $4.7 billion for four additional loans for troubled solar companies

Lack of proper vetting

Tax cheats in his administration; Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner

Socialist in his administration;
Here are just a few:
Carol Browner (Energy Czar/Director), Rosa Brooks (Senior advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Michele Flournoy), Ron Bloom (Manufacturing Czar).

Obama, Socialist with Communists in his administration

Allowing radical racist communist in his administration - Van Jones; Special Advisor for Green Jobs in the Obama administration (Former now)
This guy is so far out there that he signed his name to 911Truth.org which is a group that does not believe the accepted, proven, and established accounts of 9/11/01, this is a kin to denying the Holocaust, claiming the Earth is flat (there are those that still believe this), believe the Moon landings were fake, etc, etc.
This is also insulting to the families of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and bluntly almost as evil as the attacks themselves!
Reference (one of many);
Wikipedia; Van Jones

Shutting down of the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, along with his mishandling of the BP Oil Spill including turning down real help from the Dutch for Oil Spill Help; Obama says “Thanks, but no thanks”
Also with an economy that needs low oil prices for complete recovery, Obama continues to lock up viable oil reserves in the US.

Sadly energy policy has been a failure of many presidents, including Bush. We need a leader to stand up to the communist environmental movement before it is too late (all the while China drills for oil just outside our waters and Canada does not have any of the issues with drilling that we have in Alaska)

Obamas extreme arrogance toward those who do not fit his world view/profile. This includes his view that other than himself driving around in limos and flying in Air Force one, no one else is entitled to any luxuries in life and high fuel prices are just another way of separating the "serfs" from persons of his stature in his racist psychopathic narcissist world vie

Barack Obama Riding in SUV, Hypocrite

No Olympics for Chicago - turned out to be a big ego trip instead

Making race relations worse - (stupidly comment- professor gates)

Fly over photo op in New York - scared New Yorkers

Selling out other nations by removing missile defense

Letting Pelosi and Reid write bills

Lack of transparency

Multiple czars with no accountability

Lying about details of his healthcare reform bill - YOU LIE!!!

Attempt to take over census

Undecided about giving military what they need to win

Association with ACORN

Worldwide apology tour (this borders on treason IMHO)

Willing to bend over to our enemies while giving our allies the shaft

Lack of support for Israel.
While I, nor others advocate blanket support for everything Israel does, it does not take a genius to figure out the Israel is the strongest democracy in the region and our best ally in the region as well.
One could also cite Genesis 12:2-3 for supporting Israel, although their adittedly is controversy as to the correct interpretation of these verses, I personally think it is clear from reading the Bible in context (not just the literal Hebrew of these verses) that the Nation of Israel is being spoken of via Abraham's descendants through Jacob, NOT Ishmael (see: "I will make you into a great nation")

Took too long to speak out against violence against voters in Iran

Getting the NEA to produce propaganda art for his agenda

Firing inspector general for investigating his friends at americorp

Shutting down voucher program in DC for poor school kids

Firing the head of General Motors

^ what a crock of BS you spew

quote Originally posted by cliffw: I wish I knew the agenda. This is rinselberg's second thread aiming at absolving Nobama for the leaks.

My agenda: If people prefer Romney (or just despise Obama), that's well and good--but why make up "stuff" about Obama that is so demonstrably false?

I don't consider my PFF posting to be actual political activity--just a recreation that I enjoy.

quote Originally posted by partfiero: Is rinselberg the left's version of [avengador1]?

Unlike avengador1, I try to fact-check with multiple sources as best I can, using Google. I look for articles that have links embedded in them (for corroboration) and make frequent use of links embedded in my own posts for readers who want to take the time to verify my facts and sources. I have tried to be as objective about this "Obama security leaks" issue as I can be, given that my access is limited to what is available on line using Google.

quote Originally posted by ray b: I posted NUMBERS YOU POST DOGMA and spin

Ooooh, Numbers, you mean, like....THESE:

Unemployment up since taking office

Debt increased nearly $7T in 3.5 years!

Handing America a $1+ Trillion dollar budget deficit 4 years in a row!

Debt Ceiling fiasco of 2011- While the liberal media has done a good job of pinning this on Republicans and the Tea Party in particular, the blame lies squarely at his feet as he refused any real plan that would cap the debt ceiling as per Moody's, Standard & Poors, etc .
Any honest research will show that the August 2011 down grade and stock market crash could have been avoided if the Obama and his dishonest colleagues such as Harry Reid had accepted "Cut Cap, & Balance"

Stimulus bill - not a jobs bill but a democratic payback bill

Refusing to prosecute the radical hate group; the Black Panthers for violations of others voting rights as well as hate crimes and inciting violence

New Black Panther Obama DOJ refused to prosecute: “I hate white people – all of them!”

Obama’s lies about the budget and constant blaming of Bush rather than taking any responsibility at all for his hand in the budget deficit and terrible economy:

For Fiscal Year 2009, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the FY 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete FY 2009.

If the Obama & the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the Fiscal Year 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets. If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself.

Obama and Attorney General Holder suing the Sate of Arizona over bill that only enforces US Federal Law (US code #1304; c, d, & f)

Obama’s ties via Eboo Patel to the radical Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the controversial Muslim leader behind the plan to build the Islamic center and mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf wrote the afterward to Patel’s 2006 book entitled, “Building the Interfaith Youth Movement: Beyond Dialogue to Action.”
Eboo Patel the is religious adviser to President Obama. Obama’s adviser says, “America is the ideal place for a renewal of Islam”.

*Barack Obama’s ‘Religious’ Advisor, Eboo Patel, is closely linked to the radical imam seeking to build the Ground Zero mosque
*Obama religion adviser closely tied to ‘Ground Zero’ imam. Boasted of America as ‘ideal place for renewal of Islam’

Extreme political correctness and inability to call Islamic Extremists and the tenants of Islam which they follow for what it is;
An extreme religion of hate and intolerance:
No Mosque at Ground Zero

"Solar-Gate"; There are two House investigations into a scandal involving a $535 million federal loan failed solar company Solyndra, and more than $4.7 billion for four additional loans for troubled solar companies

Lack of proper vetting

Tax cheats in his administration; Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner

Socialist in his administration;
Here are just a few:
Carol Browner (Energy Czar/Director), Rosa Brooks (Senior advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Michele Flournoy), Ron Bloom (Manufacturing Czar).

Obama, Socialist with Communists in his administration

Allowing radical racist communist in his administration - Van Jones; Special Advisor for Green Jobs in the Obama administration (Former now)
This guy is so far out there that he signed his name to 911Truth.org which is a group that does not believe the accepted, proven, and established accounts of 9/11/01, this is a kin to denying the Holocaust, claiming the Earth is flat (there are those that still believe this), believe the Moon landings were fake, etc, etc.
This is also insulting to the families of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and bluntly almost as evil as the attacks themselves!
Reference (one of many);
Wikipedia; Van Jones

Shutting down of the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico, along with his mishandling of the BP Oil Spill including turning down real help from the Dutch for Oil Spill Help; Obama says “Thanks, but no thanks”
Also with an economy that needs low oil prices for complete recovery, Obama continues to lock up viable oil reserves in the US.

Sadly energy policy has been a failure of many presidents, including Bush. We need a leader to stand up to the communist environmental movement before it is too late (all the while China drills for oil just outside our waters and Canada does not have any of the issues with drilling that we have in Alaska)

Obamas extreme arrogance toward those who do not fit his world view/profile. This includes his view that other than himself driving around in limos and flying in Air Force one, no one else is entitled to any luxuries in life and high fuel prices are just another way of separating the "serfs" from persons of his stature in his racist psychopathic narcissist world vie

Barack Obama Riding in SUV, Hypocrite

No Olympics for Chicago - turned out to be a big ego trip instead

Making race relations worse - (stupidly comment- professor gates)

Fly over photo op in New York - scared New Yorkers

Selling out other nations by removing missile defense

Letting Pelosi and Reid write bills

Lack of transparency

Multiple czars with no accountability

Lying about details of his healthcare reform bill - YOU LIE!!!

Attempt to take over census

Undecided about giving military what they need to win

Association with ACORN

Worldwide apology tour (this borders on treason IMHO)

Willing to bend over to our enemies while giving our allies the shaft

Lack of support for Israel.
While I, nor others advocate blanket support for everything Israel does, it does not take a genius to figure out the Israel is the strongest democracy in the region and our best ally in the region as well.
One could also cite Genesis 12:2-3 for supporting Israel, although their adittedly is controversy as to the correct interpretation of these verses, I personally think it is clear from reading the Bible in context (not just the literal Hebrew of these verses) that the Nation of Israel is being spoken of via Abraham's descendants through Jacob, NOT Ishmael (see: "I will make you into a great nation")

Took too long to speak out against violence against voters in Iran

Getting the NEA to produce propaganda art for his agenda

Firing inspector general for investigating his friends at americorp

Shutting down voucher program in DC for poor school kids

Firing the head of General Motors

quote Originally posted by Toddster: Ooooh, Numbers, you mean, like....THESE: Unemployment up since taking office Debt increased nearly $7T in 3.5 years! Handing America a $1+ Trillion dollar budget deficit 4 years in a row! ETC.

Some of that can be shown to be gibberish.

I may get around to responding to some of it.

It takes more time to demonstrably debunk the BS than it does for a number of posters here to sling it up there.

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: Some of that can be shown to be gibberish. I may get around to responding to some of it. It takes more time to demonstrably debunk the BS than it does for a number of posters here to sling it up there.

Hey, do a "Rinselberg's Official anti-anti Obama thread"

quote Originally posted by partfiero: Hey, do a "Rinselberg's Official anti-anti Obama thread"

I won't start any more threads about the same security leak issues.

quote Originally posted by rinselberg: Some former special forces soldiers and CIA officers...

Your thread has been VERY instructional. But I think some people missed the point.


Some PRIVATE CITIZENS produced their own video, and apparently distributed it however they could.


And THE MEDIA went to work, and checked into it, and defended Obama. Publicly.
The OPPOSITE happens when it is republicans or conservatives. In that case, THE MEDIA TRIES to dig things up on republicans, and prints unsubstantiated things.

And then it is up to republicans or conservatives to debunk it, and then try to privately find an outlet to debunk it.
So thank you for using this case study to highlight the incredible double standard that exists.
Aside from that, on the particular topic at hand, if the Obama administration didn't do the things they were accused of, then I am glad. Seems to be the case. Good.

I heard about this early this morning.
When one is trained never to leak anything, no matter if you think it is nothing, because not only will you be putting others in danger, but you will be putting yourself in danger, I give them a pass on criticizing anyone who leaks anything, no matter how harmless it may seem.!

quote Originally posted by partfiero: Hey, do a "Rinselberg's Official anti-anti Obama thread"

And be sure to specify "trolls not welcome"