Annie Jacobsen

It says what the president wants, the president gets. Right. And so, I mean, the best example is the killing of bin Laden. Right. We were not at war with Pakistan. So Title 50 doesn't apply. You can't have a military operation in a country. You're not at war with – I mean, the lines, my God, now they've really blurred. But even then, they were a little more honored, right? And so what do you do?

Well, Leon Panetta was the CIA director. And you work out a scenario whereby the SEALs – and by the way, it wasn't – the SEAL – there was a rotational on that one. killer capture mission, which was really just a kill mission. SEALs were practicing, Delta was practicing, and Special Activities Division was practicing. They were all practicing at a secret facility in North Carolina, right?

Well, Leon Panetta was the CIA director. And you work out a scenario whereby the SEALs – and by the way, it wasn't – the SEAL – there was a rotational on that one. killer capture mission, which was really just a kill mission. SEALs were practicing, Delta was practicing, and Special Activities Division was practicing. They were all practicing at a secret facility in North Carolina, right?

Well, Leon Panetta was the CIA director. And you work out a scenario whereby the SEALs – and by the way, it wasn't – the SEAL – there was a rotational on that one. killer capture mission, which was really just a kill mission. SEALs were practicing, Delta was practicing, and Special Activities Division was practicing. They were all practicing at a secret facility in North Carolina, right?

And it was just like, you know, they're ready until they get the go order, and it just happened to be the SEALs, okay? So the SEALs operate under Title X. So they had to get what I call sheeped dip, because that's what the insiders call it, right? And that is a term that comes from, interestingly, Area 51. The U-2 pilots were Air Force pilots.

And it was just like, you know, they're ready until they get the go order, and it just happened to be the SEALs, okay? So the SEALs operate under Title X. So they had to get what I call sheeped dip, because that's what the insiders call it, right? And that is a term that comes from, interestingly, Area 51. The U-2 pilots were Air Force pilots.

And it was just like, you know, they're ready until they get the go order, and it just happened to be the SEALs, okay? So the SEALs operate under Title X. So they had to get what I call sheeped dip, because that's what the insiders call it, right? And that is a term that comes from, interestingly, Area 51. The U-2 pilots were Air Force pilots.

They needed to be sheep dipped over to the CIA so they could do things that defied the law. OK, so you can see how these all entwine and you become more and more informed and you go, aha. Right. So that's how Title 50 worked. So the night of that mission, it was a CIA mission because the CIA is allowed to go into Pakistan and kill someone and the military can't.

They needed to be sheep dipped over to the CIA so they could do things that defied the law. OK, so you can see how these all entwine and you become more and more informed and you go, aha. Right. So that's how Title 50 worked. So the night of that mission, it was a CIA mission because the CIA is allowed to go into Pakistan and kill someone and the military can't.

They needed to be sheep dipped over to the CIA so they could do things that defied the law. OK, so you can see how these all entwine and you become more and more informed and you go, aha. Right. So that's how Title 50 worked. So the night of that mission, it was a CIA mission because the CIA is allowed to go into Pakistan and kill someone and the military can't.

And if you look at their uniforms that they were wearing, and now that you know this, you'll see there's no nomenclature on them. So they're just meant to be... Completely untraceable. Were they to be shot down and captured? It's like, wait, who are these guys? Oh, a bunch of rogue guys. Okay.

And if you look at their uniforms that they were wearing, and now that you know this, you'll see there's no nomenclature on them. So they're just meant to be... Completely untraceable. Were they to be shot down and captured? It's like, wait, who are these guys? Oh, a bunch of rogue guys. Okay.

And if you look at their uniforms that they were wearing, and now that you know this, you'll see there's no nomenclature on them. So they're just meant to be... Completely untraceable. Were they to be shot down and captured? It's like, wait, who are these guys? Oh, a bunch of rogue guys. Okay.

And this goes back, the origin story of all that is in Vietnam with Mac V. Sog and these cross-border operations that I chronicle. in Surprise Kill Vanish, which still amaze me to this day, right? I mean, SOG missions, they called it suicide on the ground because that's what it was. And these guys had no identifiable, nothing. I mean, they were essentially in pajamas, right?

And this goes back, the origin story of all that is in Vietnam with Mac V. Sog and these cross-border operations that I chronicle. in Surprise Kill Vanish, which still amaze me to this day, right? I mean, SOG missions, they called it suicide on the ground because that's what it was. And these guys had no identifiable, nothing. I mean, they were essentially in pajamas, right?

And this goes back, the origin story of all that is in Vietnam with Mac V. Sog and these cross-border operations that I chronicle. in Surprise Kill Vanish, which still amaze me to this day, right? I mean, SOG missions, they called it suicide on the ground because that's what it was. And these guys had no identifiable, nothing. I mean, they were essentially in pajamas, right?

Even their weapons were specially designed by the CIA to have no serial numbers, no nothing. So if they were captured and they became POWs, I don't know who these guys are.

Even their weapons were specially designed by the CIA to have no serial numbers, no nothing. So if they were captured and they became POWs, I don't know who these guys are.

Even their weapons were specially designed by the CIA to have no serial numbers, no nothing. So if they were captured and they became POWs, I don't know who these guys are.

I mean, again, I try to remain agnostic on the policy part of it and just report the operator's perspective, right? Because this is what people do and this is what people are asked to do. And it depends on the individual. I mean, Billy Wah went on a lot of those missions. I mean, the saying is like, oh, Billy Wah, he killed more people than cancer, right?