**Editorial Note** This article originally appeared in the USA Today including the former SEAL's name, but has been redacted by WLTX to protect the individual and his family.
(USA TODAY by Michael Winter) A former Navy SEAL who used a pseudonym to write a firsthand account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden has been identified one day after the book was announced, according to news reports.
Citing "multiple sources", Fox News was first today to reveal the name of the former Navy SEAL that writes a firsthand account of bin Laden raid.
Hours later, the Associated Press also reported the author's name, "One current and one former U.S. military official confirmed the name, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss military personnel matters."
AP identifies the author as being from Virginia Beach, Va., although in its news release announcing the Sept. 11 release date, the publisher, Dutton, said the author grew up in Alaska.
Dutton issued this statement after the Fox report, The New York Times says:
Like every SEAL he (the author) has served with, has put his life on the line time and again for his country for more than a decade. Sharing the true story of his personal experience in "No Easy Day" is a courageous act in the face of obvious risks to his personal security. That personal security is the sole reason the book is being published under a pseudonym. We respectfully request that all news organizations and all Americans consider these facts when deciding whether to pursue or publicize his real identity."
Because the mission is still classified, Fox writes that he "could be exposing himself to legal trouble, as the Pentagon has not vetted the account." A Navy spokesman said he or any former servicemember could be punished for revealing national security secrets.
NBC News Pete Williams addresses the possible legal consequences: "a civil lawsuit for not seeking a military review before the book was published and possible criminal prosecution for revealing classified information."
But a former Justice Department national security lawyer questioned whether the Obama administration "might be reluctant to prosecute a man who helped kill America's No. 1 terrorist enemy, unless the book reveals highly valuable and sensitive intelligence secrets."
Many current or former SEALs aren't happy about the book.
The tell-all book also has apparently upset a large population of former and current SEAL members who worry about releasing information that could compromise future missions. One Navy SEAL told Fox News, "How do we tell our guys to stay quiet when this guy won't?" Other SEALs are expressing anger, with some going so far as to call him a "traitor."
The headline on the Fox report states that "questions raised whether ex-Navy SEALs have freedom of speech," but there's no comment or discussion specifically addressing the issue of free speech.