U.S. forces kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden during top secret mission inside Pakistan

2011-05-03 09:14:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- Nearly eight months of gathering intelligence and planning a top secret mission inside Pakistan led to a dramatic showdown on Sunday, resulting in al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden being shot dead by U.S. special forces.

The operation brought to an end a nearly 13-year international hunt for Bin Laden, who is believed to have been the mastermind behind a number of major terrorist attacks that have killed thousands of people.

"Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children," U.S. President Barack Obama said just before midnight on Sunday in a speech watched by tens of millions around the world.

According to senior administration officials, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) began to work with Obama in September 2010 on a set of assessments that led the agency to believe that Bin Laden could be located at a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad,

Few details about the source of the information was immediately released, but the officials said it took until mid-February until the American government believed it had a 'sound intelligence basis' for pursuing the leads in an 'aggressive way' and figuring out what action should be taken.

Several weeks later, in the middle of March, Obama began a series of at least five National Security Council meetings which he chaired to pursue again the intelligence basis and to develop courses of action to detain or kill Bin Laden.

Officials said the president examined a number of options, such as carrying out a drone strike on the building, sending in troops by helicopters to launch an assault, and the possibility to surround the area in a standoff position.

"The President had to look at all the different scenarios, all the different contingencies that are out there -- what would have been the downsides if, in fact, it wasn't Bin Laden? What would have happened if a helicopter went down? So he decided that this is so important to the security of the American people that he was going to go forward with this," said White House Counterterrorism Advisor John Brennan.

Late last week, Obama gave the final go-ahead order for a raid on the compound by sending a small U.S. team of special forces. It took place on early Sunday morning, reportedly involving 24 special forces who arrived with four helicopters.

As the operation began, Obama and more than a dozen other senior government officials, such as Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gathered in the White House Situation Room where they could follow the operation with live images and sound.

It started out with several setbacks such as when one of the helicopters was forced to land due to a malfunction, creating an enormously tense situation at the White House Situation Room. But the special forces quickly switched to Plan B and entered the compound.

"Our team was on the compound for under 40 minutes and did not encounter any local authorities while performing the raid," a senior administration official said. At least four people were killed, all of them suspected al-Qaeda members.

The team soon identified the body of Bin Laden and transferred him to a helicopter, along with as much items as they could take from the compound on Pakistani soul. Bin Laden's body was later buried at sea.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-03

Job well done!

RIP SOB (Not so much "P")

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Image by Reuters.

I wonder if there is any link to the CIA operations for Bin Laden in Pakistan and the CIA agent who killed the two (?) Pakistanis and was in jail for a time.

Good question.

Yes.

Of course this operation was against international law. What should have happened was Obama getting on the phone to the Pakistani prime minister and inviting the Pakistani military to do the job. I think those familiar with red shirt leaders being lowered by rope to escape whilst the police politely knocked on the room door could guess what the outcome would be.

Yep. Well done, international law is a two way street and the recent trial of a U.S diplomat in Pakistan showed which way the wind was blowing.

Of course this operation was against international law. What should have happened was Obama getting on the phone to the Pakistani prime minister and inviting the Pakistani military to do the job.

I think that's how they had been doing it the past 9 years but for some reason the targets kept escaping.

Some strange reason.

Of course this operation was against international law. What should have happened was Obama getting on the phone to the Pakistani prime minister and inviting the Pakistani military to do the job.

I think that's how they had been doing it the past 9 years but for some reason the targets kept escaping.

Yes, I think his post was tongue in cheek if I'm not mistaken..

Both of them were. Look at the smiley.

Of course this operation was against international law. What should have happened was Obama getting on the phone to the Pakistani prime minister and inviting the Pakistani military to do the job.

I think that's how they had been doing it the past 9 years but for some reason the targets kept escaping.

Yes, I agree, I often wonder why Bin laden always one step AHEAD of the game.

How many $billions that the Pakistan has been milking from Washington by keeping Bin Laden alive.

no Popcorn ?

Hey Uncle Sam...Any chance that information from wikileaks might have helped in the capture of public enemy no.1???

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Image by Reuters.

A one-star general is a God in most places. At the White House, he runs the equivalent of the Powerpoint presentation!