Bin Laden Seals punished over video game
2012-11-09 09:05
Washington - Seven Navy Seals, part of an elite team of US soldiers, have been reprimanded for divulging secret information for a video game, officials said.
The seven were sanctioned for dereliction of duty, disclosure of classified material, use of command gear and violating orders while serving as consultants for the development of the Medal of Honor: Warfighter video game.
"They received a punitive letter of reprimand and forfeiture of a half month's pay for two months," a US Navy official said late on Thursday on condition of anonymity.
US broadcaster CBS said the Seals are part of the famous Seal Team Six, famed for carrying out the raid that killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden on 1 May 2011. The official, however, refused to confirm this.
According to a US defence official, an investigation is under way to determine if more personnel are involved.
Controversies
Rear Admiral Garry Bonelli, deputy commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, said all allegations of misconduct are taken seriously.
"We likewise take seriously the Non-Disclosure Agreements signed by sailors and adherence to the articles of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice," he said in a statement.
"We do not tolerate deviations from the policies that govern who we are and what we do as sailors in the United States Navy."
The bin Laden raid has given rise to several controversies linked to the disclosure of secret information.
President Barack Obama's administration has been accused by Republican critics of divulging classified information to screenwriters of Kathryn Bigelow's film Zero Dark Thirty for political gain in the run-up to the recent presidential election.
