No. of Recommendations: 11
You people got played.
Ummmm....did you actually read the body of the text, which includes the following?
At 11:44 a.m. eastern time, Hegseth posted in the chat, in all caps, “TEAM UPDATE:”
The text beneath this began, “TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch.” Centcom, or Central Command, is the military’s combatant command for the Middle East. The Hegseth text continues:
•“1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package)”
•“1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s)”
•“1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package)”
•“1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets)”
•“1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched.”
•“MORE TO FOLLOW (per timeline)”
•“We are currently clean on OPSEC”—that is, operational security.
•“Godspeed to our Warriors.”
I mean - this is supposed to be a surprise attack. It was intended to strike specific individuals - the mission could have been compromised with a single phone call to the Houthis to alert them to just stay home and hide that day. And if the enemy had been alerted as to the specific time of the attack and the specific weapons platforms being used, they could have been better prepared with defensive measures and possibly cost American lives.
The GOP in the Senate is already calling for investigations. I think you'll be surprised when the GOP elected officials that focus on national security don't share your assessment that this was anodyne information that was appropriate to share through an unsecured plaform.
