Breitbart News slammed Democrats for their anger at reports that President Donald Trump revealed classified information to Russian officials, reminding the party of two Obama-era intelligence admissions.
Former CIA Director Leon Panetta acknowledged during a "60 Minutes" interview in 2012 that Pakistani Dr. Shikal Afridi assisted the CIA in confirming the location of Osama bin Laden. Although Afridi's identity was first made public by The Guardian after he was arrested by Pakistani intelligence, Panetta was the first American official to confirm his help.
"I'm very concerned about what the Pakistanis did with this individual . . . who in fact helped provide intelligence that was very helpful with regards to this operation," Panetta said. "He was not in any way treasonous towards Pakistan . . . Pakistan and the United States have a common cause here against terrorism . . . and for them to take this kind of action against somebody who was helping to go after terrorism, I just think is a real mistake on their part."
Afridi was later sentenced to 33 years in prison for treason by a tribal court in Khyber. According to Islamabad lawyer Shahzad Akbar, talking to CNN, that verdict is questionable, and could be appealed in federal court.
"This judgment won't last," he said. "If this punishment is challenged by Dr. Afridi's family in the Superior Court of Pakistan, there is a good possibility that the sentence will be turned around."
Breitbart also pointed out Jeffrey Kuhner's article for The Washington Times, which says, "On May 3, at an event in Washington, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. did the unthinkable: He publicly revealed the identity of the special-operations unit responsible for [Osama] bin Laden's killing. His reckless action put at risk the lives of every member of SEAL Team 6."
The identity of the team that killed bin Laden was not publicly revealed during then-President Barack Obama's announcement. The elite special forces group known unofficially as Navy SEAL Team 6 was widely reported, without source, as the team that carried out the operation. The Washington Post and Business Insider both reported this on May 2.
On May 3, Biden said at the Atlantic Council's 50th Anniversary Dinner he was in "absolute awe" of the "capacity and dedication of the entire team - both the intelligence community, the CIA, the SEALs. It was extraordinary," according to CBS News.
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