True American Heroes & A Free Press
Fighting Terrorism, Serving the Country, Protecting the Constitution
Six years ago Admiral William McRaven was attacked by then-President Donald Trump for not getting Osama bin Laden “a lot sooner” even though that was never the Admiral’s job. The CIA was in charge of finding the notorious terrorist who masterminded the 9/11 attack.
Once he was located, Admiral William McRaven, as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, was tasked with getting bin Laden. He did just that as head of Operation Neptune Spear, the raid that killed bin Laden.
McRaven is a true American Hero
During the Iraq War, in 2003, it was McRaven who led Task Force 121 which tracked down Saddam Hussein, who was captured while hiding in a 6-foot deep “spider hole” in Ad-Dawr, Iraq, on December 13, 2003.
McRaven, the longest serving Navy SEAL, would later return to the SEALs, in 2008, as commander of SEAL Team Three, based in Coronado. Subsequently, after retiring from the Navy, he was chancellor of the University of Texas System until 2018.
Last week I sat down with Admiral McRaven for an exclusive interview. He was in Coronado promoting his latest book, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog.
The Admiral and I talked about his experience as a military leader, the bin Laden raid, current threats to national security, and his reflections on the Navy SEALs.
The Fourth Estate
The disagreement between Admiral McRaven and then-President Trump was triggered by Trump’s incessant attacks on the news media as the enemy of the American people.
"I stand by my comment that the President's attack on the media is the greatest threat to our democracy in my lifetime. When you undermine the people's right to a free press and freedom of speech and expression, then you threaten the Constitution and all for which it stands." ~ Admiral William McRaven
From the very outset, our Founding Fathers realized that a free press plays a critical role in a democracy. Freedom of the press was enshrined in the First Amendment to ensure that the citizenry was well informed and would, therefore, be better able to govern itself.
It came to be called the “Fourth Estate.”
The Fourth Estate informs and educates the public, acts as a watchdog, and helps check the abuse of government power. It holds politicians accountable for their statements and actions, exposes corruption, and serves as a vanguard against those with self-serving and antidemocratic motives.
It’s little wonder that the free press is the first thing dictators, despots, autocrats and authoritarians seek to silence and destroy… often through intimidation, violence, incarceration and even assassination.
The Persian Gulf War
During the Gulf War, Admiral McRaven was serving as a task unit commander in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. I was there as well, as a foreign correspondent for NBC News, serving as the lone pool reporter with the 1st Marine Division, led by Major General John Admire.
Like Admiral McRaven, General Admire (now retired) supported a vigorous free press, and he allowed me unfettered access to briefings and planning sessions while we were camped in the Arabian Desert just below Kuwait, awaiting the kickoff of the war and our thrust into Kuwait City.
Both of these great leaders, and many others in top positions of our military and national defense structure, dutifully served the President of the United States. But their overriding loyalty is to the office of the Presidency, not the individual holding the office. Their ultimate loyalty is to our Constitution, to preserving our democracy and to keeping our nation safe.
And while, as Admiral McRaven emphasized in our interview, we must always be vigilant about the many terrorist organizations around the world… yet a growing threat these days is on our homefront.
Domestic Terrorism, White Supremacists, Militias, and Christian Nationalists
During Congressional testimony in 2021, FBI Director Christopher Wray “bluntly labeled the January riot at the U.S. Capitol as ‘domestic terrorism’ … and warned of a rapidly growing threat of homegrown violent extremism that law enforcement is scrambling to confront through thousands of investigations.” ~Associated Press
This threat includes White Supremacists, Militia groups, and Christian Nationalists who want to end our democracy in favor of a theocracy.
This is why much of this blog has been devoted to exposing the Awaken organization of San Diego which vows to “take territory” and have people surrender with their hands up… an organization whose founder vows to take territory in Coronado, calls any residents who oppose
him “demoniacs” and threatens to drive them out of town.
It’s critical to stay informed. To have the facts. To keep our nation safe. To protect our democracy and preserve it for future generations.
Resources:
Conspiracies, Crackpots & Crazies
Awaken Pastor vows to drive Coronado residents out of town