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Inside the raid that killed bin Laden
Published May 02, 2011
Associated Press
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Dec. 24, 1998: Usama Bin Laden speaks to a selected group of reporters in the mountains of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON – Helicopters descended out of darkness on the most important counterterrorism mission in U.S. history. It was an operation so secret, only a select few U.S. officials knew what was about to happen.
The location was a fortified compound in an affluent Pakistani town two hours outside Islamabad. The target was Osama bin Laden.
Intelligence officials discovered the compound in August while monitoring an al-Qaida courier. The CIA had been hunting that courier for years, ever since detainees told interrogators that the courier was so trusted by bin Laden that he might very well be living with the al-Qaida leader.
Nestled in an affluent neighborhood, the compound was surrounded by walls as high as 18 feet, topped with barbed wire. Two security gates guarded the only way in. A third-floor terrace was shielded by a seven-foot privacy wall. No phone lines or Internet cables ran to the property. The residents burned their garbage rather than put it out for collection. Intelligence officials believed the million-dollar compound was built five years ago to protect a major terrorist figure. The question was, who?
The CIA asked itself again and again who might be living behind those walls. Each time, they concluded it was almost certainly bin Laden.
President Barack Obama described the operation in broad strokes Sunday night. Details were provided in interviews with counterterrorism and intelligence authorities, senior administration officials and other U.S. officials. All spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive operation.
By mid-February, intelligence from multiple sources was clear enough that Obama wanted to "pursue an aggressive course of action," a senior administration official said. Over the next two and a half months, Obama led five meetings of the National Security Council focused solely on whether bin Laden was in that compound and, if so, how to get him, the official said.
Normally, the U.S. shares its counterterrorism intelligence widely with trusted allies in Britain, Canada, Australia and elsewhere. And the U.S. normally does not carry out ground operations inside Pakistan without collaboration with Pakistani intelligence. But this mission was too important and too secretive.
On April 29, Obama approved an operation to kill bin Laden. It was a mission that required surgical accuracy, even more precision than could be delivered by the government's sophisticated Predator drones. To execute it, Obama tapped a small contingent of the Navy's elite SEAL Team Six and put them under the command of CIA Director Leon Panetta, whose analysts monitored the compound from afar.
Panetta was directly in charge of the team, a U.S. official said, and his conference room was transformed into a command center.
Details of exactly how the raid unfolded remain murky. But the al-Qaida courier, his brother and one of bin Laden's sons were killed. No Americans were injured. Senior administration officials will only say that bin Laden "resisted." And then the man behind the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil died from an American bullet to his head.
It was mid-afternoon in Virginia when Panetta and his team received word that bin Laden was dead. Cheers and applause broke out across the conference room.
___
Associated Press writers Kimberly Dozier, Adam Goldman and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report; Kathy Gannon contributed from Islamabad.
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Showing 10 of 15 comments Sort by Popular now Best rating Newest first Oldest first Subscribe by email Subscribe by RSS 0 new comment was just posted. Show kevin1971 7 minutes ago
If this is true it proves once again that the U.S. will get our target, no matter how long it takes. However there still has not been any pictures released to prove this claim. He has eluded us before. I true hope that the NAVY seals succeded in killing him. Obama may get credit for the mission but he is not the one who carried it out. I just want to see proof the nut case is really dead. Like Flag anuddertot 14 minutes ago
Thank you Seal Team Six and all others who participated in the operation. For those people who don't believe Obama, rest assured you can believe 40 Seals. For those of you who wonder why he was buried at sea, don't worry about it. You can be sure his DNA was preserved, he was photographed. His fingers are probably sitting in a jar somewhere. His Saudi family renounced him. A DNA comparison with them should satisfy even the most ardent conspiracy theorist. It's a great day. Like 2 people liked this. Flag endangrdrights 25 minutes ago
Vengence is a dish best served cold. Now 20 "middle managers" in his terror organization will be scrambling to succeed him, and out do him.
Sadly, we will never be able to end the viligence. This is this evil man's legacy. But we will not live in fear of the next generation of evil, in the end we will win. Like Flag rickpetri 25 minutes ago
Taking him alive might have been tough and it would've ended in a show trial dragging on for months or years. BUT, as many have said, when Obama's lips move he lies, so let's see the pictures. I don't care who putin the final bullet, but show me the pictures. Like Flag freespeech1776 51 minutes ago
I'm SO glad he's dead. It's been a long wait. I just hate it that we will have to endure 4 more years of Obama because of this. Amazing how it all comes down right at the time for a re-election bid. Like 1 person liked this. Flag greenacre 1 hour ago
By burying Osama Bin Laden at sea, we may well have made him as immortal as Robin Hood. Not among Americans, but among M O S L E M S. Like Flag sailfish123 1 hour ago
Thank you Seals. Good Job. You make America proud for your many brave deeds and sacrifices. Like 8 people liked this. Flag patriotink 2 hours ago
I want to see the dead S0B with the b u l l e t hole in his head... Like 4 people liked this. Flag mrican4life 2 hours ago in reply to patriotink
I agree it's to convenient for Obama as his poll #'s look like sh it . They better some some compeling pics or video of the S O B's Body. They were to quick to bury the guy at sea, get a dna test and all the needed. I won't believe it unless the Wiki leaks type of Pics or Documents come out. Let's not swallow the lies to quick as you know Obama has been known to lie many times. Like 3 people liked this. Flag Tyburns Tree 2 hours ago
Wonder how many detainees where water boarded to get the info? Like 2 people liked this. Flag 0 new comment was just posted. ShowShow more comments … Load more commentsShow all comments Real-time updating is enabled. (Pause)Add New CommentPost as … .You must login to comment.
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