Author of Book on Bin Laden Raid Is Identified
The anonymous Navy SEAL member who has written a book
about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden remained anonymous for less than 24
hours.
At midday Thursday, Fox News identified him as Matt
Bissonnette, a 36-year-old originally from Alaska, and hours later Defense
Department and military officials confirmed his identity.
Penguin announced on Wednesday that a former Navy SEAL
had written a narrative account of the May 2011 raid that killed bin Laden, and
that it would be released Sept. 11.
The book, "No Easy Day," is written under the
pseudonym Mark Owen, and the author describes being present at Bin Laden's
death. He did not use his real name for safety reasons, the publisher said,
adding that he would appear in disguise with his voice altered during
television appearances to promote the book. Penguin said Thursday it had no
plans now to change that set-up but would review it in the coming days.
The account promises to be one of the fall's biggest
titles; on Thursday it shot up to No. 4 on Amazon's bestseller list. Penguin
said it was increasing the print run on the book from 300,000 to 400,000.
Christine Ball, a spokeswoman for Dutton, the imprint of
Penguin that plans to publish the book on Sept. 11, said in a statement
prompted by the Fox News report:
Mark Owen, like every SEAL he has served with, has put
his life on the line time and again for his country for more than a decade.
Sharing the true story of his personal experience in "No Easy Day" is
a courageous act in the face of obvious risks to his personal security. That
personal security is the sole reason the book is being published under a
pseudonym. We respectfully request that all news organizations and all
Americans consider these facts when deciding whether to pursue or publicize his
real identity.
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