Politics & Government

Navy SEALs: Identities Were on Display at CIA Dinner

A new report sheds more light on government discussions of SEAL identities and activities, but is less expansive that an earlier draft.

Were Navy SEALs compromised at a CIA dinner attended by a Hollywood screenwriter?

The results of a government investigation released Friday outline how Zero Dark Thirty screenwriter Mark Boal gained access to a dinner attended by members of SEAL Team 6, which performed the operation that led to the death of terrorist Osama bin Laden. 

Top defense officials were stunned by Boal's presence at the June 2011 event, according to the Associated Press' story on the report, prepared by the Pentagon Inspector General's Office.

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Based on excerpts from Pentagon report, the AP described where the members of the U.S Special Operations Command were and how little effort had been made to disguise their identities:

"We were unable to identify any precautionary measures that were taken to protect the identity of operators that attended this event," the report said. It added that, according to a commander at the event, the commandos "were in the front row, front, left side, prominently on display for everybody."

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The report has been in the works for two years, at the behest of Rep. Peter King, R-NY. A draft was issued earlier, according to the AP, that was more extensive in addressing questions about government leaks concerning the bin Laden raid. 

In the final report, the focus shifted only to Pentagon actions. Allegations that former CIA director Leon Panetta revealed a SEAL commander's name were left out.


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