These are the brief answers to the most frequently asked questions about the mission that killed Osama bin Laden. For further details, you can read the articles linked below, or search this blog using the search box on the right.
The Mission Itself
How was it possible to locate the compound where Osama bin Laden was living?
Given the failures of previous administrations in finding Osama bin Laden, the Obama administration accelerated the search by increasing resources; among the leads followed was an al-Qaeda courier named Abu Ahmad al-Kuwaiti who in 2010 acquired a new cellphone that unknowingly allowed U.S. and Pakistani intelligence to geolocate and virtually track him. This way, the CIA observed that al-Kuwaiti often visited a location resembling a fortress near Abbottabad. After long months of monitoring the compound, by the end of January 2011 the CIA reached a reasonable certainty that Osama bin Laden lived there and that al-Kuwaiti worked for him. Details are described in the books The Finish: The Killing of Osama bin Laden by Mark Bowden and Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad by Peter Bergen.
How many accounts from soldiers involved in the mission have surfaced?
The most reliable sources are mainly three: the article Getting bin Laden by Nicholas Schmidle (summary) from August 2011, and first-hand accounts by Matt Bissonnette (who wrote two books under the pseudonym Mark Owen and does not give interviews) and Robert O'Neill (interviewed by us) who is apparently the shooter who actually killed the terrorist.
Bissonnette and O'Neill are two of the three Navy SEALs who went up to the third floor of the compound to kill bin Laden; with them was a third SEAL who led the group and is known today as the point man, who has never publicly identified himself.
So who actually killed bin Laden?
O'Neill claims that once on the third floor of the compound, the point man encountered one of Osama’s wives and daughters and jumped on them fearing they might be about to detonate themselves. O'Neill, who was second in line, proceeded into the bedroom where he found Osama and another of his wives in front of him; without hesitation, he fired three shots to Osama’s face, killing him instantly. Bissonnette, on the other hand, claims that the point man shot bin Laden upon arriving on the third floor and that when the three SEALs entered the bedroom together, they found him lying on the ground. O'Neill responded on a 2014 TV show that due to the speed and darkness of the action, Bissonnette is probably mistaken in his recollection.
Investigative journalist Mark Bowden added that the only plausible explanation reconciling the two versions is that the point man fired at bin Laden and missed, after which O'Neill approached and fatally shot him, leading Bissonnette to believe the first shot had hit the target. O'Neill also added that before facing Osama he heard a shot fired by one of his teammates, but doesn’t know where it landed, so he can’t rule out the possibility that Osama had already been hit by the point man. He is, however, sure that the terrorist was standing and not lying on the ground.
However, Bissonnette’s version is supported by a third account from another team member, collected by CNN journalist Peter Bergen (details). It is not known whether Bergen’s anonymous source is the point man or not, a detail which would greatly affect the reliability of the testimony for those few intense moments.
As of today, it is therefore not possible to definitively determine which version is correct.
How was the body identified?
The SEALs took a DNA sample from the corpse using a syringe before placing the body in a body bag and loading it onto a helicopter. The body and the syringe were transported in two different helicopters so that in the event one was shot down, there would still be proof that bin Laden was indeed dead. Once in the U.S., the DNA sample was compared with those from the terrorist's family members.
What happened to the helicopter that was destroyed during the mission?
The mission was conducted with two Black Hawk helicopters. The first was to drop twelve men near the compound, while the second would deploy the contingent near a corner of the outer wall to secure the perimeter. But contrary to the plan, the first helicopter encountered aerodynamic problems and was forced into an emergency landing.
The helicopter experienced what is known as the vortex ring state, a condition where the rotor is trapped in a vortex caused by the descending airflow meeting the upward airflow generated by the rotor blades. In this case, the situation was worsened by the high air temperature. The pilot had to land abruptly to avoid losing control; during the maneuver, one rotor was severely damaged after striking a wall.
The aircraft sustained major damage in the rough landing, but none of the men aboard suffered serious injuries. The team was still able to carry out and complete the mission successfully (details).
The Evidence
Are there independent confirmations that Osama bin Laden died in that mission?
Osama bin Laden's death was also confirmed by the Pakistani government (which admitted to major intelligence failures and conducted an internal investigation), by al-Qaeda, and by the terrorist's family.
Additionally, CNN journalist Peter Bergen had access to the compound and confirmed that the interior damage matched the accounts of the two Navy SEALs. The BBC also obtained the compound’s floorplans.
Subsequent Events
Is it true that the Navy SEALs who participated in the mission all died two months later in a mysterious incident?
Of course not, those were different individuals (details). But what would be the point anyway? If the soldiers who killed bin Laden were eliminated as inconvenient witnesses, then the mission to kill the Saudi terrorist really did happen — so what exactly are the conspiracy theorists trying to prove with this theory?
Isn’t it strange that the Americans buried Osama bin Laden at sea?
No. This ritual is actually permitted under Islamic law and had already been applied two years earlier to another al-Qaeda terrorist: Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan (details).
Isn’t it unusual that no photos of Osama bin Laden’s corpse were shown?
No. It makes a lot of sense if the goal is to prevent the photos from being used as propaganda tools by terrorists, as happened in June 2006 when Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed and U.S. authorities released images of his corpse: the next day, a video using those photos to present him as a martyr was already circulating in jihadist forums. Similar images of Osama bin Laden would have had a much greater propaganda effect, so the lack of photos doesn’t necessarily mean there was no body to show (details).
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