Stolen Valor – Operation Neptune Spear

I have a problem. I know that is going to come as a shock to many of you.

By now most of you have probably heard that the National Geographic channel will be airing a show titled: “SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden” otherwise known as Operation Neptune Spear.

Now, I am all for our brave Navy SEAL’s getting some much deserved credit for ridding the world of that scum.  But I am here to alert you that all is not what it seems.

The show is going to be aired two days before the 2012 Presidential election. Coincidence? I don’t believe in them.

Consider for a moment the following:

The film was completed and was subsequently purchased in May by Harvey Weinstein, a major supporter of President Obama.

After Mr. Weinstein purchased the film, it was edited to include additional voice-overs, still photographs and archival footage which now put President Obama in the center stage of the ninety minute film.

The person hired to do the additional editing is Meghan O’Hara. Ms. O’Hara is a producer for Obama supporter Michael Moore, whose prior films include such classics as “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Sicko” and “Bowling for Columbine.”

National Geographic, for their part, had some of the added footage removed from the film because they felt it was out of context and inappropriate. The footage appeared to show Mitt Romney being against the raid. The only problem was that the footage was taken from the 2007 primary, four years before the raid took place. I commend NatGeo for that.

The reality is that the release of this movie, two days before the Presidential election, turns it into nothing but a presidential, chest thumping, football spiking, campaign ad. If they were honest, they would at least include the voice over “I’m Barack Obama and I approved this ad” at the end.

Just over eleven years ago nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in a terrorist attack orchestrated by Osama bin Laden. Taking credit for giving the green light FOR OTHERS to take out the perpetrator of that heinous act is not exactly magnanimous nor is it appropriate.

A real leader would have let it go immediately after making the announcement that bin Laden had been killed. There are no doubts as to who authorized the op and I certainly applaud the president for making the right choice. But this is the real world we are talking about and I don’t envision the president to be the Kabar and night-vision kinda guy.

Maybe I’m simplistic, but I believe the accolades rightly belong to the shooters, those in the arena fighting and not bureaucrats sitting in some comfy situation room in the White House riveted to a TV set like they were watching the newest release the Medal of Honor video game.

If I’m wrong, and simply rooting for victory on the sidelines is comparable to taking the field, then please let me know because I have four super bowl rings that the NY Giants owe me.

If you are inclined to watch this show, I ask that you consider the following before you do.

President Obama sat in Washington while the SEAL’s conducted the operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Within about eight hours of so the president went on live television and announced to the world that bin Laden was dead. Ever since then we have been inundated with the campaign slogan “GM alive and bin Laden dead.”

Yet, on the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attack,  we had two brave former SEAL’s, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty, killed in the embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya. Two months have gone by and we still don’t have an answer as to how or why. I guess the old adage “success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan” is very true.

To co-opt President Obama’s “you didn’t build that” sound bite, I suggest that when it comes to the killing of bin Laden the president should be told “You didn’t do that.”

To learn more about the real hero’s visit the US Navy UDT SEAL Museum.

Hooyah!