Respuesta :
I believe that the author most likely included this paragraph to explain some of the reasons for downplaying the seriousness of the situation. This is apparent because the paragraph talks about how people would react if they found out about the situation which is why it was important to keep the truth about this operation from the news.
I
hope this helps, Regards.
the short answer would be A. explain some of the reasons for downplaying the seriousness of the situation.