Cruz Backs White House Secrecy On Bin Laden Raid

BuzzFeed ^ | May. 13, 2015, at 11:28 a.m. | John Stanton

[SoConPubbie]

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz Tuesday said that while significant allegations of government misrepresentations merit investigation, withholding operational details surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden would be appropriate if that furthered national security.

Journalist Seymour Hersh set off a firestorm Sunday when he published a story accusing the Obama administration of lying to the American public about a host of details surrounding the death of bin Laden in 2011. Some other media outlets and the administration have questioned parts of or that full story.

But Cruz, who is no defender of the White House, said national security concerns could make hiding details appropriate.

“There are obvious national security concerns, where the operational details shouldn’t be in the public domain,” the Texas Republican told BuzzFeed News, adding that it’s too soon to call for congressional hearings.

“At this point I think we need to understand what the basis is for the reports. I think it is premature to have an assessment. Certainly, all of us celebrate and are grateful that the United States was able to kill Osama Bin Laden. And that was far too long in coming,” Cruz said.

But he did caution that, “anytime you have an allegation of significant misrepresentations there should be an effort to ascertain the truth.”

Although Republicans continue to question details surrounding the September 2012 attack on a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead, Cruz argued there are key differences in the two situations, including questions about political motivations.

“There is a difference between those two contexts. With regard to Benghazi, there are serious concerns that the administration has deliberately obfuscated and misrepresented the facts for political benefit, to prevent accountability for the wrongful murder of four Americans including the first U.S. ambassador killed in duty since the Jimmy Carter administration,” Cruz said.

[SoConPubbie]

	"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[SoConPubbie]

    Ted Cruz Ping!

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    CRUZ or LOSE!

[JRandomFreeper]

At least he understands Op-Sec.

/johnny

[dp0622]

And is a class act, as usual.

[re_nortex]

Go Ted go! Restore America! Woo hoo!

[RandallFlagg]

HEY!
I just got a phone call from the Ted Cruz folks, and I sent them here to FR.
Just a heads up.

(BTW, I’ve been drinking, and was quite obnoxious and animated -but really coherent)

[Fungi]

Cruz, no need to comment on everything just because of your candidacy. Be cool, don't get tripped up, concentrate on the Hildabeast and things germaine to the race.

[DoughtyOne]

As opposed to all the bragging and loose lips in the current administration, I think it’s germane for Cruz to state something like this.

If it’s not a popular myth what happened to the physician who helped us nail Laden, Cruz’s comments are all the more salient.

[cpdiii]

And is a class act, as usual.

Cruz could have easily used this as a political issue. He did not, period.

[BerryDingle]

You don't shoot Bin Laden and not take a picture of him.

You don't take a picture of him and not show the country.

[CPT Clay]

loose lips sink ships

[COBOL2Java]

loose lips sink ships

Hold on! This thread is about Ted Cruz, not what Huma and Hillary are doing in the campaign bus.

[rimshot]

[Candor7]

withholding operational details surrounding the killing of Osama bin Laden would be appropriate if that furthered national security.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Wrongo....the Bin Laden raid was an Obama 2nd term election
grift, created in desperation just to glean votes. UBL? He’s still alive and ensconced in his Hindu Kush mansion.Even the Russians know that.

That’s what all the hoopla is about. National Security does not want America to know the truth.

[TADSLOS]

LMAO.

[trebb]

You don't shoot Bin Laden and not take a picture of him. You don't take a picture of him and not show the country.

Since they announced that he was killed, that is correct - just so long as the picture doesn't show anything or anyone that might be a piece of a puzzle that we don't want the enemy to know.

The biggest problem was all the hoopla and other crap that should have never hit the airwaves (and the subsequent deaths of most of those involved in the on-the-ground mission).

I'd have been just as happy if they never mentioned a word of it and that it got leaked by those who weren't part of our military/government/country.

When it comes to what our special forces do, the less data put out, the better.

[SoConPubbie]

Wrongo....the Bin Laden raid was an Obama 2nd term election

Nope, Ted Cruz was correct here.

He was talking in the general sense and you know it.