(ReliableNews.org) – The US has reportedly sent Special Forces teams to Israel to lend support in different ways during the war with Hamas. When President Joe Biden visited the Middle Eastern nation, he met with American service members. The Washington Examiner is accusing the White House of possibly doxxing (revealing the identities of) a Special Forces team.
According to the Examiner, the White House posted a photo of the president meeting with American service members in Israel. Meeting with troops while overseas is completely normal for a commander-in-chief. Sharing photos of it is also an ordinary activity. However, the way those specific service members were dressed caught the eye of observers. They appeared to be members of a Special Forces team, and the White House had not blurred their faces to protect their identities.
When the Department of Defense shares videos and photos of Special Forces members, they always obscure their faces in some way to protect their identities. The White House post said the president “met with first responders to thank them for their bravery” and showed all five of their faces.
Susan Crabtree, with RealClearPolitics, reached out to the administration and asked about the photo. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, she said the service members appeared to be a Delta Force team. A White House spokesperson told her they “immediately deleted the photo” when it was brought to their attention.
BREAKING: A White House spokesperson tells me that this photo of Pres. Biden meeting with what appears to be a Delta Force team in Israel was posted last night in error. The original photo had faces exposed. This one has the faces covered to protect their identities.
“As soon… pic.twitter.com/GLjif6mVCU
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) October 19, 2023
Crabtree also said a veteran Special Forces operator called the post a “massive operational security failure,” but also told her that the people in the picture might be members of the president’s security team. The White House has not commented on the incident again, and a search of the photo in question only yields the updated version with the blacked-out faces.
During a Department of Defense briefing, Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder refused to confirm that the soldiers in the photo were Special Forces members.
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