Pentagon investigating Navy SEAL's book for secret info

— -- Military officials are reviewing a soon-to-be-released book by a Navy SEAL about the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden to determine whether it divulges secret information, Lt. Col. James Gregory, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday.

However, it is unlikely the author, former SEAL Matt Bissonnette, will be prosecuted, said two Pentagon officials who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The book contradicted some key details of the raid presented by the Obama administration after the raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Bissonnette wrote that the SEALs spotted bin Laden at the top of a darkened hallway and shot him in the head even though they could not tell whether he was armed. The administration described the SEALs shooting bin Laden only after he ducked back into a bedroom because they assumed he might be reaching for a weapon, the Associated Press reported.

The book, No Easy Day, was not provided to the Pentagon before its printing. It is due to be released Tuesday. Bissonnette authored the book under the pseudonym Mark Owen.

A 2008 Pentagon regulation requires retired troops and Defense Department civilian employees to allow a security review of material they plan to publish to ensure that it "does not compromise national security."

"We have the book, and we're taking a look," said Lt. Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.

A statement released by the book's publisher, Dutton, quotes the author (referred to as Owen) as saying the book "adheres to my strict desire not to disclose confidential or sensitive information that would compromise national security in any way."

If Pentagon officials determine that the book reveals secret information, they could refer Bissonnette to the Justice Department for prosecution, Gregory said. Military officials have not yet made that determination, Gregory said.

Last week, Adm. William McRaven, who leads the U.S. Special Operations Command, sent a letter to his troops reminding them that they were required to seek approval before publishing material.