Pentagon: Ex-SEAL reveals classified info

WASHINGTON -- A former Navy SEAL's insider account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contains classified information, the Pentagon said yesterday, and the admiral who heads the Naval Special Warfare Command said details in the book may provide enemies with dangerous insight into secretive U.S. operations.

Rear Adm. Sean Pybus told his force Tuesday that "hawking details about a mission" and selling other information about SEAL training and operations puts the force and their families at risk.

"For an elite force that should be humble and disciplined for life, we are certainly not appearing to be so," Pybus wrote in a letter to the roughly 8,000 troops under his command. "We owe our chain of command much better than this."

The letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

At the Pentagon, press secretary George Little said that an official review of the book, "No Easy Day," determined that it reveals what he called "sensitive and classified" information. He was not more specific but said the author was required to submit the book to the Pentagon before publication for a formal review of potential disclosures of such information.

"When you have special operations units that perform these missions, there are tactics, techniques, and procedures, not to mention human life, that are in play," Little said. "And it is the height of irresponsibility not to have this kind of material checked for the possible disclosure of classified information."

He said Pentagon is still reviewing its legal options. If the Pentagon determines the bin Laden book does disclose classified secrets, the government could consider bringing federal criminal charges against the author.