Republican Congressman Broke Military Protocol, 'Endangered Troops'

Did Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) unwittingly give away information that made it easier for armed militias to target the Green Zone, in the deadliest attack on the fortification this year? That's precisely what Brandon Friedman of VetVoice accuses McHenry of doing, in what at the very least amounts to, he contends, a violation of "operational security (OPSEC)."

At issue is a video that McHenry made while in the Green Zone, describing an Easter Sunday attack.

McHENRY: Good morning. You see, right over my back here (points), there was a rocket attack this morning. According to our folks here, there were eleven rockets, uh, one hit just over my head, another hit a parking lot, and another hit the gym. Well, interestingly enough, I wasn't able to get into the gym this morning because I didn't have an ID that was appropriate. And so I was escorted back to the room and just a few minutes later, that's when the rocket attacks occurred. So, uh, small wonders. . .what a small blessing. . .a big blessing on Easter Sunday morning. So, thanks so much.

"Only two days after McHenry promoted a video of himself in the Green Zone describing in detail the effectiveness of the rocket attacks on Easter Sunday," Friedman notes, "the area was hit with a barrage that killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded 17 others." Friedman goes on to assert, "The bottom line is that whoever launched that strike could take the information McHenry provided and use it to kill Americans in the Green Zone."

Friedman is far from alone in his concern:

On Saturday, I communicated with one military officer currently in the Green Zone who stated that this was "undoubtedly a violation of OPSEC." On Sunday evening, I spoke with a senior intelligence official in Washington who seemed dumbfounded by McHenry's remarks. Asked whether he considered this a breach of operations security, the official shouted over the phone at me, "Of course! He's helping to dial them in." He meant the people firing the rockets.

Friedman notes the "rich irony" of the situation, as McHenry had previously lambasted an ABC News report "on CIA covert activities against Iran." At the time, McHenry asked for the House Oversight Committee to open an inquiry into how sensitive information got leaked to ABC.

Earlier this year, McHenry endorsed John McCain, just a month after suggesting to House colleagues that conservatives were justifed in feeling "physically ill at the prospects of a President McCain." One wonders if it is not appropriate to feel the same nausea at the prospect of a Representative Patrick McHenry.

Comments

[Bluedog12]

I read this post and I want to puke. This young man supports the troops to the extent he treats his trip to the war zone like a Dinsey World adventure. Gee they wouldn't let him into the gym then rockets were fired. Wow is he brave. I'd like to see this little puke take just one ride with the boys pulling convoy security. He'd piss his pants. What a brokedick.

[wolf58]

A former Navy Disabled veteran named Daniel Johnson is running agaist this piece of crap chickenhawk in Nov. I hope like hell that we can start weeding out all these coward chicknhawks from our government then...

[Ptama]

This guy reminds me of Frank Burns from MASH. His behavior suggests that he"s all bluster and would probably be the first to dive under a table at the first sign of danger.

[BrickSykes]

That's not all he would "dive under the table" for.....

Brick

[soylentgreenleftovers]

It's settled then....Congressman Ferret-face!

[BrickSykes]

This Twirp is North Carolina's just desserts. We have a very strong Republican infrastructure intent on showing the world how important it is to be against anything the least bit cerebral. The Red Party machinery managed to get this cretin elected up in Senator Sam Ervin's old district. They have used every trick in the book to change our once proud state into a grotesque backwater of bigotry and hate. Jesse Helms showed us how much can get done by just saying "No", and Tar Heels took that to heart.

Great things have come from our fair state, but, not lately. "Senator" Liddy Dole and her pal, Richard Burr, have helped place The Old North State firmly in the background in DC. I see Burr occasionally on C-Span sauntering around; I've never seen her, or heard from her, since she went up there. The Sane Democratic revolution that is growing elsewhere will not be felt down here for generations, thanks to the general lapse in time frames: It can take years for enlightenment in the rest of the country to reach us.

Yes, we'll probably be a Red State next year, and the next. Hopefully, though, McHenry will be gone somehow. He has some very nasty skeletons in his "closet" that might bring that day sooner than later. We can only hope, I guess. Wish us well.....

Brick

[wolf58]

This is the same jerk that last week called a soldier who was guarding a gym that he wanted to use and would not let the congressman in because he did not have proper ID a "two bit security guard" Once again its all about him typical GOP flying monkey crap. Now with this the commander of the green zone should put his sorry ass on the next plane out of country. One more thing he is a cheerleader for the war and has never served and has no family in uniform. Can we say coward chickenhawk.

[realpolitic]

The war is all about him. He is a very modern person in that respect.

[julescator]

This guy will be a Democrat next week! lol lol

[soylentgreenleftovers]

If this story isn't run repeatedly in commercials in the general election campaign against this jizbag, then someone is dropping the ball.

[Nommo]

Support the troops!!! Indeed.

[nick1936]

We should all call his office and voice our outrage over his actions

[Hawkeye17]

Another braindead Republican ..surprise, surprise. Too bad this one is getting people killed with his ignorance.

[glesslib]

But....he looked good for the folks back home and really, isn't that the important thing?

[larry278]

Where was Geraldo to cover it live? The military is being unfair to Geraldo just because he gave the details on a military operation while to was still going on & US troops were still in harms way. Faux Noise's reporters never get a break in Iraq.
larry lynch

[lovethesinner]

I might be completely wrong about this, but...

Under a Democratic President, we won WWI, and ended WWII in four years.

Under Republicans, the United States has lost every war it entered except for two, Grenada, and Kuwait. (not exactly the most noble conflicts of our time.)

(Remember, Vietnam was started by Eisenhower with the contractors (advisors) before JFK could stop it, and before LBJ was pressured into using it to win his election.)

(I could be completely wrong, I admit. I'm going to go look it up.)

But, in any case, this Patrick McHenry is dangerous. To us, not them. And unless your in doubt, Iraq is Bush's war. (We didn't loose this one when we come out, we ended the the stupity, the waste, and the tragic loss of life.)

Obama-Webb '08

[SmootyBooty]

You are not wrong. Only Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt are GOP presidents who started wars.

[SmootyBooty]

To clarify, Vietnam and Korea were police actions. Desert Storm was a UN action and NO GOP president has declared war in the 20th (or 21st) century, except for TR...

[jcwtts1]

This is what happens when you have a chicken hawk war. People who never served, who couldn't find their butts with both hands running around trying to look tough.

J

[skip4Obama]

McHenry must have thought he was on a "tax-free" junket for R & R.....

[Burnsey]

Here's the youtube link to McHenry belittling the soldier, who following proper protocol, evidently saved his measly little life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9FAfQ2imUw&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4/4/105757/6606

[Burnsey]

The story forgets to mention that this is the same Patrick McHenry that lambasted the soldier who wouldn't let him into the gym because of his lack of appropriate credentials "as a two-bit security guard." I guess he's thankful now that the gym was struck by rockets that the "Two-bit" soldier wouldn't let him in. Republican trash.