WASHINGTON, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - The fact that the failed rescue operations of US hostages in Syria were revealed to the public is abnormal, and at face value gives away operational information, a national security expert and vice president of the Heritage Foundation told RIA Novosti Thursday.
“It’s typical that we plan these rescue operations. That’s kind of business as usual,” James Carafano said. “What’s unusual is that they actually said that they tried to do it. Because even the fact that you’re admitting that you’re doing that, is you’re giving away operational information. And I clearly question the value of that.”
On Wednesday, the Obama administration made public that it had sent special operations troops into Syria earlier this summer to rescue US hostages, including the recently executed US photojournalist, James Foley.
According to administration statements, the mission failed to accurately identify the location of the hostages. Intelligence sources believed they had found their whereabouts, however, when special operations forces were air-dropped into the location, the US hostages were not there.
Carafano noted that the public admission of the operation does not make much sense, even as an attempt to garner support for the administration’s operations.
“From a propaganda standpoint, it actually makes you look bad,” said Carafano. “The fact that we’re trying to do that makes perfect sense. The fact that we even admit we’re doing that, I scratch my head and say, ‘Where’s the logic to that?’”
Carafano served for 25 years in the armed services and graduated from West Point and Georgetown University before beginning a long career in education and national security interests.
