Six (Somewhat Redacted) Lessons Leon Panetta Gave At The CIA's Classified Bin Laden Party

Everyone knows at this point that Bin Laden is dead. Everyone also knows they made a movie about it.

That movie drew rebuke from all around about the CIA allegedly leaking information to the movie's producers.

As a result, the website Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request.

The 200+ page response the CIA returned basically comprises of Agency emails with the media, the CIA's internal Daily Media Reports, and memos concerning internal investigations into the leaks.

A lot of the stuff is redacted, but Leon Panetta's speech at the Agency's classified We-Killed-Bin-Laden party was pretty much intact.

He gives six lessons following the successful raid - bolded in brief and included in full lower in the post.

First, we always have to be willing to question.

Second, never give up.

(Oddly, this section is where the most redactions are.)

Third, always trust the dedicated people who work in the Intel Community, they're experts, they know what they're doing.

Fourth, you have to be flexible and you always have to develop a backup plan.

Fifth, be willing to take risks--that is the essence of the intelligence business.

And finally, this success--like virtually every other in our profession--depending on close teamwork and it depended on secrecy.