Earlier this month, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that anyone who called for an investigation into the Yemen raid that killed U.S. Navy SEAL William "Ryan" Owens was doing a "disservice" to the slain SEAL's life.
That SEAL's father disagreed.
“Don’t hide behind my son’s death to prevent an investigation,” Bill Owens told The Miami Herald.
In response, Spicer said the Department of Defense would review the raid. Charles Sennott, executive editor of The GroundTruth Project, says Owens raised legitimate concerns about the raid's approval and whether or not military officials and President Trump fully weighed the risks involved.
The New York Times reported that the mission was jeopardized when commandos lost the element of surprise after an intercepted communication. The team was also met with more militant firepower than expected.
"The questions are there and they need to be investigated," Sennott said.
Sennott says the default posture of the Trump Administration so far has been to lash out when questioned. But he believes the influence of cabinet members with military backgrounds—Defense Secretary James Mattis, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, and others—will temper that impulse in the case of the Yemen raid.
"There's so many adults with military backgrounds right now inside that administration. I don't think Trump and Bannon are going to get away with this very dismissive approach," he said.
To hear more from Charles Sennott, tune in to Boston Public Radio above.
