Former U.S. Intelligence and Special Forces operatives launch anti-Obama campaign

Atlantis50

Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc., a group made up of former U.S. intelligence and Special Forces operatives have launched a media offensive against President Obama over intelligence leaks and their belief that Obama has claimed too much credit for the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The group claims no party-political affiliation (although some members have Republican ties) and state that their purpose is to save American lives by discouraging future leaks.

The group fired their opening salvo against Obama on August 15th when they released a 22 minute film blasting Obama over the leaks and excessive credit claiming for the Bin Laden killing.

In the film, Ben Smith, identified as a Navy Seal scolds Obama 'you did not kill Osama bin Laden': "Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not". He continues: "As a citizen, it is my civic duty to tell the president to stop leaking information to the enemy...It will get Americans killed."

The group, which plans on airing TV ads over the coming weeks has been dismissed by Obama who claims that he doesn't take them seriously and John Kerry has likened the effort to the 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' group which vigorously attacked his military record during the 2004 election (resulting in the phrase 'swiftboating').

Here is a short trailer of the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlfBlsigaLk

Here is the 22-minute film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-Xfti7qtT0

Reindeer

It was in another forum where I saw the phrase 'You can not have your cake and eat it, too' being debated recently. Well, they can not have their cake and eat it, too.

Only one person that commands the military has ultimate authority and responsibility. According to Article II, Section 2, Clause I of the Constitution, that person is the President of the United States Of America. Every single action the military takes part in or of is ultimately the President's responsibility. He takes the credit for better or worse. This latest spat has to do with narcissism, and it embarrasses me to see our soldiers act so superficially.

You can not hide behind the President and also take responsibility at the same time. If it had gone wrongly, the President would have taken responsibility as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Km3dx7wppA

I don't see a lot of Army Rangers taking responsibility for Operation Eagle Claw...

Atlantis50

The main thrust of the film is actually the intelligence leaks (not narcissism) which appeared to be targeted to burnish Obama's national security credentials in advance of the 2012 election:

"The beltway has become a giant sieve. News reports outed a Pakistani doctor who set up a phony vaccination program to obtain information on Osama bin Laden's location in Abbottabad. After an unusual proceeding last month, a Pakistani official found Dr. Shakil Afridi guilty of treason and sentenced him to 33 years.

Another leak revealed that a double agent had obtained a new and improved al Qaeda underwear bomb in Yemen. That leak, Feinstein said, endangered an ally and the individual who saved American lives by procuring the bomb.

Two recent New York Times stories hyped President Obama's "will," "pragmatism over ideology" and hands-on role in drone strikes over Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Those stories also revealed telling details about a computer worm that targeted Iranian nuclear centrifuges and the process used to cull the "kill list."

Former CIA spokesman Bill Harlow told me the two Times stories "left a trail that Helen Keller could follow" that leads to "a small universe of people." National security adviser Thomas E. Donilon talked on the record, while other officials spoke on condition of anonymity."

http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/saunders/article/Too-much-information-too-little-intelligence-3632441.php

Mjollnir

He believes Obama “Commander-in-Chief Hussein Mao-bama" is both a communist AND a Muslim and, for good measure, not a US citizen.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/opsec_spokesman_benjamin_smith_a_birther_has_called_obama_a_communist.php#more

Doesn't speak well for his ability to present a rational argument.

For anything.

Memnoch

GOP propaganda to try and undermine Obama's foreign policy success. So utterly transparent.

These people have no credibility.

Overheal

wonderful timing of this film.

This isn't 1987. Anyone with a windows PC can make a film in about an hour. So why did they not come out with these remarks, you know, back when Obama walked down the carpet and said "hey bitches, we killed bin laden". No, they waited till we're about 10 weeks from the polls.

Duck Soup

This one pretty much died on its áss before it even got going.

The founder of the group, Larry Bailey, is a Birther who believes that Obama's real father is the African-American writer, Frank Marshall Davis. [I'm not sure of the logic that says Obama's mother and father are both American, but for some reason his white American mother decided to have the baby in Kenya. Or Indonesia. Or something.]

The guy who's fronted much of the OPSEC effort, Ben Smith, is also a Birther who has called Obama “Commander-in-Chief Hussein Mao-bama”, questioned whether Obama is a communist and said of his former Commander-In-Chief that he talks "blasphemous spew."

OPSEC also claims to be non-partisan but the group's treasurer, lawyer and TV producers all have current or previous ties to the Republican party. OPSEC itself shares an office in Alexandria, Virginia, with a consulting group with Republican ties.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/17/anti-obama-navy-seal-leader-admits-belief-in-birther-conspiracy/

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/08/opsec_spokesman_benjamin_smith_a_birther_has_called_obama_a_communist.php

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/group-attacking-obama-on-leaks-has-deep-gop

In other words, they're a bunch of foamy-mouthed wingnuts on a put-up job from GOP HQ. I hope for the Republicans' sake that their October surprise is a sight better than their August one.

Overheal

dishonorable disclosures indeed then.

Atlantis50

The intelligence leaks have caused bipartisan outrage.

Just ask Dianne Feinstein:

"The chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Monday the White House was behind recent national security leaks in part, but would not implicate President Obama on the matter, the Associated Press reports.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said that although she is sure the president is not disclosing secret information to the public, she wasn’t as sure about other White House staff.

“I think the White House has to understand that some of this is coming from their ranks,” she said at a World Affairs Council forum, according to AP.

http://news.yahoo.com/feinstein-white-house-behind-national-security-leaks-064816744.html

Two special-prosecutors are currently investigating the leaks.