12A Wednesday, September 5, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com U.S. Navy: Bin Laden book leaks classified info "No Easy Day" cleared formal Pentagon review WASHINGTON (AP) - A for- mer Navy SEAL's insider account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden contains classified infor- mation, the Pentagon said Tues- day, and the admiral who heads the Naval Special Warfare Com- mand said details in the book may provide enemies with dangerous insight into secretive U.S. opera- tions.. Rear Adm. Sean Pybus told his force Tuesday that "hawking details about a mission" and sell- ing other information about SEAL training and operations puts the force and their families at risk. "For an elite force that should be humble and disciplined for life, we are certainly not appearing to be so," Pybus wrote in a letter to the roughly 8,000 troops under his command. "We owe our chain of command much better than this." The letter was obtained by The Associated Press. At the Pentagon, press secre- tary George Little said that an offi- cial review of the book, "No Easy Day," determined that it reveals what he called "sensitive and clas- sified" information. He was not more specific but said the author was required to submit the book to the Pentagon before publication for a formal review of potential disclosures of such information. "When you have special opera- tions units that perform these missions, there are tactics, tech- niques, and procedures, not to mention human life, that are in play," Little said. "And it is the height of irresponsibility not to have this kind of material checked. for the possible disclosure of clas- sified information." He told reporters during a briefing that the Pentagon is still reviewing what legal options should betaken againstthe author. Pybus, in his letter, was more direct, saying that, "We must immediately reconsider how we properly influence our people in and out of uniform NOT to seek inappropriate monetary, political,. or celebrity profit from their ser- vice" with the SEALS. "We all have much to gain or lose," he said. "In the weeks ahead; we will be taking actions to meet this'challenge, and I appreci- ate your leadership and support of our community in this effort." Last week, Adm. William McRaven, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, warned his troops that he would take legal action against anyone found to have exposed sensitive informa- tion that could cause fellow forces harm. The Naval Special Warfare Command is a unit within U.S. Special Operations Command. A lawyer for author Matt Bis- sonnette, who wrote under the pseudonym Mark Owen, has dis- puted that he was legally obliged to have the book screened before publication. Bissonnette's co-author Kevin Maurer said in a statement Tues- day that Bissonnette "was meticu- lous aboutnadheringto his desire to never do anything to undermine the SEALs' mission or put his for- mer colleagues in harm's way." Little would not say what dam- age may result from the book's revelations and he declined to point to any specific portions of the book that contain material that would be considered a vio- lation and a release of classified information. He said the Pentagon did not try to stop the public release of the book this week in part because there wasn't much time. "Pre-release copies of the book were already being circu- lated around," Little said. The book, which was pub- lished by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), was No. 1 on Amazon's best seller list Tuesday, which was its official release day. The initial print run was 575,000 copies and publica- tion of the book was moved up from Sept. 11 to Sept. 4 amid a flurry of reports about the book last week. Jeh Johnson, the Pentagon's top lawyer, notified Bissonnette last Thursday that the Pentagon, believes he is in "material breach and violation" of two nondisclo- sure agreements and of a related document he signed upon leav- ing active duty in April2012. The Justice Department could go after the profits of the book in a civil proceeding if it is determined that he violated the nondisclosure agreement by not getting the book pre-cleared. I I Former President Bill Clinton speaks ata 2010 campaign event in Rackham Auditorium. Clinton aims tounify 4 Separatist party takes power in Quebec after electora victory No vote to breaki ties to pass legislation, and the Marois on her victory but said he results will undermine efforts did not believe the results meant away from Canada to quickly hold a referendum on most Quebecers favor separation. separation. "Our government will remain expected soon Quebec's official election web- focused on jobs, economic growth Mite showR AP preli)inary resultspd goo ceonoa iiagerner. MONTREAL (AP) -- A s epa-givingPth just over 32 percent "'Harpesid"WeTaeveeconod ratist party won power in the of the vote and 57 seats, while the it issues and jobs are also the pri- French-speaking province of Liberals had about 30 percent of ority of Quebecers. In that sense, Quebec on Tuesday night, but the vote and 46 seats. A new party, we will continue working with the another referendum to break Coalition Avenir Quebec, followed Government of Quebec on those away from Canada isn't expect- with 27 percent and 20 seats. The common objectives." ed any time soon after the Parti separatist Quebec Solidaire party Although a number of candi- Quebecois failed to win a major- won 2 seats. dates from the smaller parties are ity of legislative seats. A party needs to obtain 63 of separatists, a minority govern- Parti Quebecois leader Pauline the 125 seats to form a majority. ment means "the more radical Marois, who becomes Quebec's Charest, who lost his own seat, things in the party platform are first female premier, replaces Lib- congratulated Marois for becom- going to be dead on arrival," said eral Jean Charest, Quebec's leader ing Quebec's first woman premier, Bruce Hicks, a political science for nearly a decade. but noted it is a minority govern- professor at Concordia University With opinion polls showing lit- ment. in Montreal. tle popular appetite for a new sep- "The result of this election Francois Legault, a former PQ aratist referendum, Maroisherself campaign tonight speaks to the minister who now leads the Coali- has left much uncertainty about if fact that the future of Quebec tion Avenir Quebec, has showed and when one would be held under lies within Canada," Charest little support for quickly holding a a PQ government. said. He did not indicate whether referendum, saying the separation But more autonomy for Que- he intended to step down as Lib- issue has paralyzed the province bec is high on the agenda for the eral leader after the defeat. for too long. He has said a referen- PQ, which has said it would seek Quebec has held two referen- dum should be put off for at least a transfer of powers from the dums to split from Canada, in a decade. federal government in areas like 1980 and 1995, the last narrowly With the PQ just short of a employment insurance and immi- rejecting independence. A recent majority, however, the party gration policy. If those measures poll showed support for inde- should be able to win support are rejected, the party believes pendence under 30 percent, but from other parties on a number it would have a stronger case for analysts said voters were weary of other issues, for instance by independence. of the Liberals after three terms offering them cabinet positions, Without a majority in the Que- in office. Hicks said. bec Assembly, however, the PQ Canadian Prime Minister Charest called the election: will need to work with other par- Stephen Harper congratulated more than a year before he had Keynote address that brings Clinton back to the to rebuild America from the national political forefront and ground up," Clinton says, adding, sign of mended lends Obama the validation of "That's what happened when I .1. the Democratic Party's most was president." relationship with popular elder statesman. To be sure, Clinton hasn't With the economic recov- always been a model surrogate ab ama ery still tepid and unemploy- for the Obama campaign. ment stubbornly high, Obama The former president once CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - campaign officials are eager praised Romney's '"sterling" When Bill Clinton takes the to portray the president's eco- business credentials at 'Bain convention stage in prime time nomic policies as mirroring Capital, the private equity firm Wednesday to praise Presi- those of his Democratic prede- where Romney amassed a lsrge dent Barack Obama, it will be cessor. Many voters remember fortune. Clinton also broke with the most visible step on a path Clinton's tenure as a period of Obama on tax policy, suggest- toward reconciliation for two prosperity. The economy added ing George W. Bush-era tax cuts former rivals whose political some 22 million new jobs dur- for higher income earners be fortunes are now inextricably ing his two terms in the White extended at least temporarily. linked. House from January 1993 to the Obama has pledged to allow the That Obama would choose start of 2001 and Clinton left cuts to expire as a way to cut the the former president for such office with a balanced federal federal deficit. a high-profile speaking spot budget and surplus. Clinton later walked back and that Clinton would accept But it's not a one-wayproposi- that comment, but Republicans seemed unfathomable in 2008, tion, as Clinton needs an Obama seized on it to suggest he was when the two clashed bitterly win in November to preserve his siding with the GOP on taxes. during the Democratic nomina- own legacy. A recent Fox News poll found tion showdown between Obama "From President Clinton's a nearly 20-point gap among and Hillay RofIImJ Clinto pspcive, if o iy were hit ters for the wsmen e frmer p'esid nt's wife veete"he'lrepeal'verything _ ienton is vie wndrably Even though Hillary Clinton Clinton ever did and everything by 61 percent of white voters, now serves as Obama's secretary he wants to advance," longtime Obama by 42 percent. Among of state, resentments between Clinton adviser Paul Begala independents, just 46 percent the current and former presi- said. "He and President Obama have a favorable view of Obama dents have been slow to ebb. share an economic philosophy while 64 percent view Glinton But now, with the Democratic ferociously focused on the mid- favorably. incumbent locked in a tight race die class, and he believes Obama Mindful of the formerpresi- with Republican Mitt Rom- has us on the right track." dent's appeal to those groups, ney, Obama has fully embraced Begala also serves as senior the Romney campaign has tried Clinton as a political partner in adviser for Priorities USA Action, to co-opt Clinton's. record as a hopes of capturing the former an independent group support- weapon to use against Obama. president's uncanny knack for ing Obama's re-election that has They've done so most nota- political survival against tough struggled to compete financially bly in a TV ad claiming Obama odds. with similar Republican-leaning has tried to strip the work "President Clinton has an groups. Clinton has signed on to requirements from welfare, economic record second to help the group and did his first which was a key component of none," Obama campaign man- event in August, briefing donors the welfare reform law Clin- ager Jim Messina said at a on the political.landscape. His ton signed in 1996 and which briefing Tuesday hosted by assistance helped the group raise remains one of his signature ABC News and Yahoo. "He's a about $10 million in August, its accomplishments. very credible messenger ... he's best monthly haul. Clinton released a statement going to deliver a very compel- Clinton stars in an Obama, saying the ad was "not true" - ling speech." campaign commercial currently an assessment shared by inde- Obama called Clinton in July, running in battleground states. pendent fact-checkers. and asked him to give the speech In the ad, the former president It's been an uneasy partner- that would place the president's suggests that Romney would ship for Obama and Clinton, two name in nomination. Clinton return the country to George political heavyweights whose accepted enthusiastically, aides W. Bush-era economic poli- styles and political instincts to both men said. cies while affirming Obama's often conflict. Tempers flared If the arrangement seems approach that he argues mirrors between the two in 2008, lead- like a forced marriage, it's also his own. ingto accusations of race baiting a mutually beneficial pairing "President Obama has a plan and recriminations. ECB chief is wielding more sway than Fed Chair Bernanke Benchmark interest rate cut expected on Thursday WASHINGTON (AP) - Move over, Ben Bernanke. This is Mario Draghi's moment. The European Central Bank president is overtaking the Fed- eral Reserve chairman - at least for now - as the central banker with the most influence on the global economy and markets. Faced with a growing reces- sion and a possible breakup of the 17-country euro alliance, Draghi has bigger problems than Bernanke, who's, overseeing an economy in recovbry. As head of the ECB, which meets Thursday, Draghi also has more ammunition left than Ber- nanke does. The Fed chief still wields con- siderable power to drive finan- cial markets. That was clear last week, when stocks jumped after Bernanke signaled in a speech in Jackson Hole, Wyo., that the Fed will do more to help the still- weak U.S. economy. Yet the focus of the global financial world has shifted to Draghi. Some economists expect the ECB to cut its benchmark interest rate Thursday. Many also hope Draghi spells out plans by the ECB to start buying bonds of troubled European govern- ments to ease their borrowing costs and shore up the euro alli- ance. "Draghi's role in averting an implosion of the eurozone puts him in the unfortunate position of being the central banker with the greatest influence on global financial stability in the short term," says Eswar Prasad, pro- fessor of trade policy at Cornell University. Bernanke's task isn't as urgent, "since the U.S. economy is plod- ding along and does not face an imminent disaster scenario. Stock prices have risen in recent weeks, in part because investors expect the Fed and the ECB to reduce lending costs in the United States and Europe. The Standard & Poor's 500 stock index has risen more than 5 per- cent since July 25.. Greece, struggling with debts and its fifth year in recession, may have to stop using Europe's single currency if it doesn't impose the tough budget cuts being demanded as a condition for its, bailout. Many fear that bigger indebted countries - like Spain and Italy - would be forced to follow Greece out of the eurozone. The breakup of the alliance could be devastating. Borrow- ers in countries that left the eurozone would struggle to produce enough money in their weak local currencies to repay old debts denominated in much stronger euros. As debts soured, Europe's banking system would freeze up. Its economy would likely follow. "The stakes in Europe are much higher," says Ethan Har- ris, co-head of global economic research at Bank of America Mer- rill Lynch. "Europe is already in a recession. Their banking sys- tem is in worse shape than ours. And their fiscal policy process is even more broken ... The survival of the euro is at stake." Last month, Draghi vowed to do "whatever it takes" to hold the eurozone together and said that "believe me it will be enough." Markets rallied on the bold promise. Investors assumed the ECB would intervene in the bond market and buy up Italian and Spanish government debt. They hope its purchases would drive Italy's and Spain's borrow- ing costs down to sustainable levels. Imminent action by the ECB is considered unlikely. Indebted countries like Spain would first have to apply for aid to the euro- zone's bailout fund. Then they would have to agree to condi- tions spelling out how they'd shrink their deficits. And key details have yet to be settled. They include how tough the conditions would be and whether any bond purchases would target a specific interest- rate ceiling. Theoretically, Draghi has lim- itless power to print money to pour into bond purchases. But Germany's conservative Bundes- bank opposes the purchase plan. It says governments could become addicted to central bank support - and slack off on cut- ting their deficits. Bundesbank head Jens Wei- dmann, who sits on.the ECB's' governing council, is so far alone in opposition to bond purchases by the ECB. But Weidmann could conceivably rally more support for his position if Draghi and the council majority are perceived as going too far. Chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated she's open to Draghi's plans - a key factor fueling mar- ket expectations he'll be able to carry out a strong intervention. Analysts say the effort ultimately needs public support in the cur- rency union's largest country.