Former SEALs, Intel Officers, Form Group Assailing White House for Leaks
A new group of former intelligence and national security officers is attacking - on the web and soon in TV ads - the Obama White House for the various scandals over leaks.
The group, which does not have to disclose its donors, is called the Special Operations Opsec Education Fund.
Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement that "the Republicans are resorting to Swift Boat tactics because when it comes to foreign policy and national security, Mitt Romney has offered nothing but reckless rhetoric. His two major foreign policy speeches never even mentioned Al Qaeda once, and he hasn't outlined a plan for America's relations with a single region of the world. In 2008, the President said he'd end the war in Iraq in a responsible way and refocus on taking out Al Qaeda's leaders, and few would question that he's kept his word."
On its website , the Special Operations Opsec Education Fund specifically cites as objectionable the disclosure of information about the killing of OBL , the Obama campaign's use of the killing as a campaign tool, the access to information about the raid given to filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow , the confirmation by the US government of the participation of the Pakistani doctor that resulted in his imprisonment, as well as information about the Stuxnet virus, the US-British-Saudi agent who foiled an al Qaeda plot, and the Kill List.
The group also seems quite motivated by the perception that President Obama took credit for the work of Navy SEALs, though in its 22-minute video "Dishonorable Disclosures" ( which can be viewed HERE ) the group selectively edits out comments the president made praising "the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals" and similar sentiments.
The group's mission statement reads: "STOP the politicians, President Obama and others, from politically capitalizing on US national security operations and secrets! EDUCATE the public on the importance and necessity of Operational Security in today's environment. To Do Nothing is not an option as that allows the special operations and intelligence capabilities to be degraded, and paraded around like a show dog…ACTION IS REQUIRED NOW!"
While the president and the Obama administration find themselves under fire for these leaks, the Obama administration has been more aggressive than any previous administration in prosecuting individuals under the Espionage Act for leaking materials it deems sensitive, including some who good government groups consider to be whistle-blowers .
The Obama campaign noted that the president of OPSEC, former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor, is a failed Republican congressional candidate, and its spokesman, Chad Kolton, was President George W. Bush's former spokesman for the office of Director of National Intelligence and Office of Management and Budget, who began his career in the press office of now-Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
-Jake Tapper
Get more pure politics at ABC News.com/Politics and a lighter take on the news at OTUSNews.com