Critics say the United States has given up the element of surprise by announcing an initiative for April or May to retake
the Iraqi city of Mosul.
Appearing Thursday on Fox News Channel's "Special Report," retired Judge Andrew Napolitano called it "absurd" and "preposterous" to announce the action ahead of time.
Napolitano went on to say it is "almost a violation of law by revealing national security secrets to the enemy in such a manner that it can help the enemy."
The only reason Napolitano said he could think of to do so would be to still criticism of President Barack Obama for not already taking action.
The Islamic State (ISIS) took Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, last summer, angering American war veterans who were part of liberating the city during the Iraq War in 2003.
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An official with U.S. Central Command said Thursday that the United States will train up to 25,000 Iraqi forces for the assault. If Iraqi troops are not yet ready, the action could be delayed.
National Public Radio's Mara Liasson, also appearing on Fox News' "Special Report," said the announcement sounded encouraging because it means Iraqi forces finally are ready to fight.
"We have been hearing for months and months the reason they haven't been able to do it because the Iraqi army just isn't ready," Liasson said.
"So I think that's a good thing because we have to fight terrorism, whatever you want to call it, on a lot of different fronts, ideological."
Fellow panelist Charles Krauthammer disagreed, saying that not only does the United States and Iraqi army forfeit the element of surprise, but that part of the reason for the announcement was to "goose" the Iraqis into action.
"That doesn't speak well of the readiness and the initiative and the enthusiasm of these Iraqi allies," he said.
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin had similar reservations.
Asked about the operation by
CNN's Wolf Blitzer, the West Virginia senator said he isn't certain Iraqi troops won't lay down their weapons and run as they did when ISIS forces first moved in.
"We retrained them I don't know how many times. We rearmed them I don't know how many times," Manchin said. "It's time for them to show they can do the job."
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