Loose Lips: Gates Says Info Leaks Has SEAL Team 6 Fearing for Its Safety

In the aftermath of the Osama bin Laden raid, the White House couldn't get its story straight. Facts were either wrong, or few and far between. But now, a concerning admission by Defense Secretary Robert Gates shows one thing was flowing: information leaks. In fact, there have been so many leaks that the SEAL team that carried out the raid now fears for its safety.

"We are very concerned about the security of our families – of your families and our troops, and also these elite units that are engaged in things like that. And without getting into any details ... I would tell you that when I met with the team last Thursday, they expressed a concern about that, and particularly with respect to their families," Gates told an audience of Marines at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

Then he dropped this bombshell: "Frankly, a week ago Sunday, in the Situation Room, we all agreed that we would not release any operational details from the effort to take out bin Laden. That all fell apart on Monday, the next day."

Later, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Geoff Morrell confirmed Gates's concerns to CNN: "He was indeed voicing his concern about the breakdown in operational security after the killing of Bin Laden. Anonymous sources revealing secret information about the tactics, training, and equipment of covert forces put at risk our ability to successfully mount similar missions in the future."

Because of the loose lips, Gates said the DOD is looking into ways to "pump up the security" for the elite team.