The White House confirmed that it had accidentally revealed the identities of several U.S. special forces members for the sake of posting a photograph on Instagram with President Joe Biden.
“As soon as this was brought to our attention, we immediately deleted the photo,” read a statement from the White House. “We regret the error and any issues this may have caused.”
The photograph was posted Thursday as Biden visited Israel while the country conducted a military operation to root out terrorist Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip.
“In Israel, President Biden met with first responders to thank them for their bravery and the work they’re doing in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks,” the post read.
The Biden administration was immediately excoriated by critics after it posted the photograph on social media. The post was deleted after several hours.
Standard practice is for the faces of the special forces members to be blurred in officially released images so that their identities cannot be ascertained by enemies.
“This Biden Administration photo op compromised the safety of American special forces in Israel. While we should all recognize and appreciate their service, we shouldn’t do so in a way that undermines their mission or puts them in additional danger,” responded Republican Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi.
Republican Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee replied simply, “Gross incompetence.”
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said that 2,000 U.S. service members were being put on alert for possible deployment to Israel but they said none would be combat troops and they would not enter into the Gaza Strip. Another 5,000 sailors were sent to the Mediterranean aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier.
Here’s more about Biden’s visit to Israel:
THIS Is What Biden’s Visit to Israel Will Triggerwww.youtube.com
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