Despite Pentagon Objections, Fox News Will Air Interview With SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden

Reports surfaced Friday that the man known as "The Shooter" could face a criminal investigation for speaking to the news media

Insiders at Fox News Channel said Friday that a two-day documentary featuring an interview with the Navy SEAL who killed Osama Bin Laden will air as scheduled despite objections from the Pentagon.

On Wednesday, Fox News announced that a show called The Man Who Killed Osama Bin Laden hosted by Washington correspondent Peter Doocy was scheduled for Nov. 11 and Nov. 12, but on Friday the Pentagon told Business Insider that the SEALs and former SEALs who were participants do not have permission to discuss the classified 2011 mission.

The government has never identified the Navy SEALs who killed Bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks of 2001, though they were profiled in the 2012 movie Zero Dark Thirty, which was controversial for its insinuation that waterboarding was an effective tool in gathering intelligence.

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The Business Insider story suggested that if Fox News were to run its documentary, the Navy SEAL featured in it could face a criminal investigation. Navy Commander Amy Derrick-Frost, a Defense Dept. spokeswoman, would not confirm whether Fox News even had the correct person who fired the fatal shot.

"The two-night presentation will feature an exclusive interview with the Navy SEAL who says he fired the shots that killed terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden," Fox News reiterated on Friday.

"Revealing his identity and speaking out publicly for the first time, the Navy SEAL, also known as 'The Shooter,' will share his story of training to be a member of America's elite fighting force and explain his involvement in Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that killed Bin Laden," Fox News said.

Email: Paul.Bond@THR.com