New York, Aug 25: A former Navy SEAL, who has written a tell-all insider account of the raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, faces threats to his life as well as legal action after his identity was disclosed by media reports.
The book, “No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden,” is set to hit the stands on September 11, the 11th anniversary of 9/11 attacks.
It is penned under the pseudonym “Mark Owen,” according to the publisher, but multiple sources were quoted by Fox News as saying that his name is in fact Matt Bissonnette, 36, of Wrangell, Alaska.
Soon after his name was revealed, several militant Islamic websites affiliated with al-Qaeda posted the name and photo of Bissonnette calling for his “destruction.”
Al-Fidaa, which is used by al-Qaeda to recruit suicide bombers, posted comments by one member, Abu Dujanah al-Kinani, warning that the “lion's cubs” are now waiting for the right time to avenge bin laden's death.
NBC News said the posts called for the Navy Seal's “destruction” in revenge for the al-Qaeda leader's killing. “We pray to Allah for his destruction sooner rather than later,” said one of the posts.
“Make an example of him for the whole world and give him dark days ahead,” read another.
Among the websites publishing the death threats was the “Al-Fidaa” web forum, which al-Qaeda uses to distribute its media and public communications, said Evan Kohlmann, an NBC News consultant and a terrorism analyst at Flashpoint Partners, a global security firm.
Ex-SEAL's former commander, special operations chief Admiral Bill McRaven warned his troops, both current and former, that he would take legal action against anyone found to have exposed sensitive information that could cause fellow forces harm.
