Trump may support probe of SEAL’s death, White House says

A White House spokeswoman has indicated that President Donald Trump may consider opening an investigation into the counter-terrorism operation in Yemen that claimed the life of a Navy SEAL and more than a dozen civilians last month.

Sara Huckabee Sanders, principal White House deputy secretary, in an interview on ABC New’s Sunday, acknowledged that a decision had not been made about a probe, which was requested by the SEAL’s father, Bill Owens, in an interview published Sunday in the Miami Herald.

“I haven't had the chance to speak with him directly about that, but I would imagine that he would be supportive of that,” Sanders said of Trump.

Owens, who lives in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, wants a thorough probe — not only into the raid itself, but also into the entire timeline, which would include the planning, timing and decision-making that went into the operation.

Trump gave the green light for the plan six days into his term. While it had been planned and vetted under former President Barack Obama, Owens expressed doubts whether Trump’s team had enough time to review it.

“You have to freshen up your intelligence, You can’t go with old intelligence. But he didn’t like talking to people in intelligence,’’ Owens, a U.S. Navy and Army veteran, told the Herald Friday.

Owens said he was troubled by the fact that Trump seemed to shrug off intelligence briefing, noting: “He said he was smarter than the generals.’’

But Owens is particularly angry about comments made by Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, who said that anyone who questioned the mission would dishonor Ryan Owens’ memory.

“Don’t hide behind my son’s death to prevent an investigation,” said the elder Owens, pointing to Trump’s sharp words directed at the mission’s critics, including Sen. John McCain.

“I want an investigation. … The government owes my son an investigation,” he said.

Owens said after the president lashed out at Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican, for questioning the success of mission, he sent an email to McCain asking for an investigation.

Owens said he did not yet get a response from McCain.

The Department of Defense does conduct a standard investigation any time there is a military campaign that results in loss of life. But Owens says that probe should go further than the nuts and bolts of the mission.

He raised questions about the role of the president’s chief political strategist, Steven Bannon, had in the decision.

“Did Bannon push him for political purposes? I’m not saying that’s what happened, but I want to know if those questions can be answered by a thorough investigation.’’

Owens, who says he didn’t vote for Trump, insists that he is not trying to politicize the operation, but believes it is valid to examine the planning process.

Trump has called the mission a success, saying that commandos had seized important information to help the war on terrorism. He and administration officials said that the planning was solid.

But unnamed military officials have been critical of the plan. What was intended as a lightning raid to grab cellphones, laptops and other information turned into a nearly hour-long firefight in which “everything went wrong,” according to U.S. military officials who spoke to the New York Times.

The Washington Post, which first reported details of the mission, said U.S. Forces targeting the suspected al-Qaida compound immediately faced armed militants, a sign that they had been tipped off. Militants, some of them women, fired from the rooftops. Three other commandos were injured when an MV-22 Osprey, sent in to evacuate the troops, crash-landed. It was later destroyed by a U.S. airstrike to prevent it from falling into militant hands.

Owens is worried that because there are so many ongoing investigations so early into Trump’s administration, his son’s death will fall by the wayside.

“I want to know why the urgency by an administration that wasn’t completely staffed. Why did you have to rush seven days after the inauguration to have this mission? I would like some answers,’’ he said.

Owens was so disturbed by the chain of events that he refused to meet with Trump when the president arrived at Dover Air Force Base for the transfer of his son’s body. Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, met with other members of the Owens family, while Bill Owens and his wife, Marie, sat in a separate room.

“I told them I didn’t want to make a scene about it, but my conscience wouldn’t let me talk to him,” Owens said.

In a statement, the White House on Saturday called Ryan Owens “an American hero,’’ but did not address his father’s criticisms. Officials did not respond to an additional request for comment by the Herald on Sunday.

Bill Owens received an outpouring of emails and phone calls after the story was published on Sunday, some of them from other Gold Star families who have lost sons and daughters.

“We lost my brother...in a helicopter crash in 2010. We never got an adequate explanation for why he died, so reading what you said in the Herald hit a chord,’’ one family wrote.

“I want you to know we’re with you, and if we can do anything at all to help you and the rest of your family in this time of need, please let us know. The Owens family is not alone—unfortunately, tragedies like this unite us all. We have you in our thoughts and prayers.’’

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Trump may support probe of SEAL’s death, White House says."