Fox News on Thursday claimed to have identified the retired Navy SEAL who is planning to come out with a book describing the killing of Osama bin Laden.
The station said the man — who could face legal action for revealing secrets — is Matt Bissonnette, 36, who also took part in a high-profile rescue of American an American seaman who had been kidnapped by Somali pirates.
Fox describes Bissonnette, of Wrangell, Alaska, as “an experienced member of the elite Navy SEAL special operators.”
The book, “No Easy Day,” describes in detail the May 2011 mission that ended in the death of bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Publishers, Penguin used the pseudonym of Mark Owen for the author, who, it said in press material “was one of the first men through the door on the third floor of the terrorist leader’s hideout and was present at his death.”
Fox says Bissonnette could be “exposing himself to legal trouble as the Pentagon has not vetted” his account of the killing.
The book, co-authored by Kevin Maurer, is due out on September 11.
Fox says Bissonnette participated in the rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips of the Maersk Alabama in the Indian Ocean in 2009 when SEAL snipers shot and killed three pirates with direct shots to the head.
Navy spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. Chris Servello told Fox News Bissonnette could face legal consequences. "Any service member who discloses classified or sensitive information could be subject to prosecution — this doesn't end when you leave the service,"
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