Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) to work with a CIA team at their campus in Langley, Virginia. [237] These helicopters, which were only used by elite U.S. special-operations units (namely the U.S. Navy's DEVGRU and the U.S. Army's Delta Force), were colloquially called Ghost Hawks due to their advanced stealth functions. [6], The official mission code name was Operation Neptune Spear. [336], The tail section of the secret helicopter survived demolition and lay just outside the compound wall. Using special processes, the Egyptians removed all moisture from the body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay. [24], In 2007, officials learned al-Kuwaiti's real name,[27] though they said they would disclose neither the name nor how they learned it. The Royal Train which took Queen Victoria's coffin and mourners from Paddington station to Windsor. On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was shot and killed at his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, by United States Navy SEALs of SEAL Team Six (also known as DEVGRU). [2] Neptune's spear is the trident, which appears on the U.S. Navy's Special Warfare insignia. [226], The group Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain access to the photos in May 2011, soon after the raid. [78], Osama bin Laden was killed in the raid[92] and initial versions said three other men and a woman were killed as well: bin Laden's adult son Khalid,[93][94] bin Laden's courier Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, al-Kuwaiti's brother Abrar, and Abrar's wife Bushra. Stealth technology was already operational on several fixed-wing aircraft and the cancelled RAH-66 Comanche helicopter; the modified Black Hawk was the first confirmed operational "stealth helicopter". The Prophet said, "Now let me write something for you whereby you shall not go astray after me." 'Umar said, "The Prophet is overcome by illness; you have the Qur'an, the Book of Allah, which is sufficient for us." [86][87] The helicopter's tail grazed one of the compound's walls,[88] damaging its tail rotor,[89] and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The flight from Jalalabad to Abbottabad took about 90 minutes. [210], Omar bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, published a complaint on May 10, 2011, that the burial at sea deprived the family of a proper burial. [1] [2] He took the throne as a child after the death of Akhenaten (who was probably his father) and the subsequent brief reigns of Neferneferuaten and Smenkhkare. All we could do was wait for an update from the team on the ground. [32][33] Officials surmised that he was living there with his youngest wife and family.[33]. [78], The SEALs encountered the residents in the compound's guest house, in its main building on the first floor where two adult males lived, and on the second and third floors where bin Laden lived with his family. George Washington's last words were "Tis well" The last conversations George Washington had was with his secretary, Tobias Lear, concerned his burial arrangements. For just 60 hours, researchers had the opportunity to examine the holiest site in Christianity. Al Sharpton presided over the burial: among those present were Brown's six adult children, his partner Tomi Rae Hynie, and their five-year-old son. [187] The National Security Archive has criticized this maneuver, saying that the records have now gone into a "FOIA black hole": What the transfer really did was ensure that the files would be placed in the CIA's operational records, a records system thatdue to the 1986 CIA Operational Files exemptionis not subject to the FOIA and is a black hole for anyone trying to access the files within. The U.S. government had intercepted the communications of Generals Kayani and Pasha, and their response had shown that neither had any knowledge of bin Laden's whereabouts. The agency answered. By 1:44a.m. all was quiet until a plane flew over the city at 3:39a.m.[145] Neighbors took to their roofs and watched as U.S. special operations forces stormed the compound. [184] According to the Pentagon, this was done to protect the identities of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid. EKIA 38 minutes to mission success", "Bin Laden Killing: How the White House, Pentagon and CIA Botched the Storyline", "US: Only Single Bin Laden Defender Shot at SEALs", "GPNVG-18: The Night Vision Goggles that Helped Take Down Bin Laden", "Bin Laden: How Obama team saw drama unfold", "Ex-SEAL Robert O'Neill reveals himself as shooter who killed Osama bin Laden", "Navy SEALs 'frustrated' by bin Laden raid disclosures", "Ex-SEAL reveals himself as Osama bin Laden shooter", "Another Ex-Commando Says He Shot Bin Laden", "Did Robert O'Neill really kill bin Laden? The tomb of Antony and Cleopatra is the undiscovered burial crypt of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII from 30 BC assumed to be located near Alexandria, Egypt.According to historians Suetonius and Plutarch, the Roman leader Octavian permitted their burial together after he had defeated them. Whether those techniques were the 'only timely and effective way' to obtain such information is a matter of debate and cannot be established definitively. 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 was responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children (cont'd), President Obama recalled the victims of the September 11 attacks. "[329], The United States Department of Justice released a further eleven documents in March 2015. Every hour, the body cools by approximately 1.5 degrees F. As the processes of life stop, cells begin to break down and leak enzymes into the body. It's very bloody and gory. "We here become reassured of the people when they go to the line and get examined there",[319] bin Laden said. [53][68][78], The Black Hawks were previously unseen "stealth" versions that flew more quietly and were harder to detect on radar than conventional models;[81][82] due to the extra weight of the stealth equipment, their cargo was "calculated to the ounce, with the weather factored in. One trend, partly driven by cost, is that cremation is starting to be preferred over burial. Ancient Egypt Egyptian Mummies The methods of embalming, or treating the dead body, that the ancient Egyptians used is called mummification. [252], Hersh's U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources stated that the U.S. had learned of bin Laden's location through a Pakistani walk-in seeking the $25 million reward, and not through tracking a courier. [30] Arshad Khan was carrying an old, noncomputerized Pakistani identification card, which identified him as from Khat Kuruna, a village near Charsadda in northwestern Pakistan. The blast broke his bedroom window and left charred debris over a nearby field. [342][343] Experts disagreed as to how much information could have been gleaned from the tail fragment. [190] Congresswoman Barbara Lee has initiated several attempts to repeal the authorization. [105][104] A number of bin Laden's female relatives were near him. 1 Funeral Rites. Addressing the same concern, Egyptian Islamic analyst and lawyer Montasser el-Zayat said that if the Americans wished to avoid making a shrine to bin Laden, an unmarked grave on land would have accomplished the same goal. [21] Also, a group of interrogators asserted that the courier's nickname was not divulged "during torture, but rather several months later, when [detainees] were questioned by interrogators who did not use abusive techniques. At the time of the raid, it was early morning of May 2 in Pakistan and late afternoon of May 1 in the US. Brook, Tom Vanden, "Two Sides Of Story On Revelations By Ex-Navy SEAL", U.S. [59][89][96][104], Bin Laden peered through his bedroom door at the Americans advancing up the stairs, and the lead SEAL fired at him. "[287] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that "cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound in which he was hiding". The Vikings were a group of Scandinavian seafaring warriors who left their homelands from around 800 to the 11th century, and raided coastal towns. International Law experts divided", "US confirms it will not release Osama bin Laden death photo", "Osama Bin Laden: Legality of killing questioned", "UN Security Council, Ban Ki-moon Welcome Bin Laden's Death", "Independent UN human rights experts seek facts on Bin Laden killing", "Osama Bin Laden Dead: Muslim Scholar Says Al Qaeda Leader's Sea Burial 'Humiliates' Muslims", "Obama says world safer without Bin Laden", "Osama Bin Laden Body Headed for Burial at Sea, Officials Say", "Islamic scholars criticize bin Laden's sea burial", "My Take: Burial at sea shows compassion of Islamic law", "Statement From the Family of Osama bin Laden", "Bin Laden's will says his children must not join al-Qaida", "Osama bin Laden tells his children not to fight jihad in his will", "The CIA has shown U.S. politicians photographic proof of the death of al-Qai'da founder Osama bin Laden", "White House: Releasing 'gruesome' bin Laden photo could be 'inflammatory', "I Still Think the Photos Should Be Released", "What Is Too Gruesome? Pakistan decided to give up bin Laden's location to the U.S. because American aid was declining. Photo courtesy of the Creston News Advertiser. Shah Jahan reigned from 1628 to 1658 C.E. July 13, 2017. [295] Emails from the private American security firm, Stratfor, published by WikiLeaks on February 27, 2012, indicate that up to 12 officials in Pakistan's ISI knew of Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad safe house. [337] Pakistani security forces put up a cloth barrier at first light to hide the wreckage. [21] Bin Laden was known not to use phones after 1998, when the U.S. had launched missile strikes against his bases in Afghanistan in August of that year by tracking an associate's satellite phone. [139][203][204] Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb, the head of Al-Azhar University, Egypt's seat of Sunni Muslim learning, said the disposal of the body at sea was an affront to religious and human values. [24], According to a U.S. official, in 2004 a prisoner named Hassan Ghul revealed that bin Laden relied on a trusted courier known as al-Kuwaiti. According to The New York Times, a total of "79 commandos and a dog" were involved in the raid. "[69] Gates advocated using the drone-missile option but changed his support the next day to the helicopter-raid plan. [299][300], Several officials who were present in the Situation Room, including the president,[223] told reporters that the code name for bin Laden was "Geronimo". Two of the snipers' bullets went through al-Kuwaiti and killed his wife who was standing behind him. The transfer of intelligence to the U.S. was a regular occurrence according to the official, who also stated regarding the raid that "I think they came in undetected and went out the same day", and Pakistan did not believe that U.S. personnel were present in the area before the special operation occurred. [123], While the official Department of Defense narrative did not mention the airbases used in the operation,[124] later accounts indicated that the helicopters returned to Bagram Airfield. "[214] U.S. Religious and . [194], Holder testified that bin Laden made no attempt to surrender, and "even if he had there would be a good basis on the part of those very brave Navy SEAL team members to do what they did in order to protect themselves and the other people who were in that building. Hillhouse's account was picked up and published internationally. [56] Muslim religious rites were performed aboard Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea within 24 hours of bin Laden's death. Obviously under the rules of engagement, if he in fact had thrown up his hands, surrendered and didn't appear to be representing any kind of threat, then they were to capture him. At the end of the meeting, the president seemed to be leaning toward a bombing mission. Three days before the Prophet's death, 'Umar ibn alKhattab and other companions were present by his side. Osama bin Laden stuck his head out of a bedroom door, saw the SEALs, and slammed the door closed. The compound itself, although unusually tall, was less conspicuous than sometimes envisaged by Americans, given the common local habit of walling off homes for protection against violence or to ensure the privacy of female family members. [104] According to journalist Nicholas Schmidle, one of bin Laden's wives, Amal Ahmed Abdul Fatah, motioned as if she were about to charge; the lead SEAL shot her in the leg, then grabbed both women and shoved them aside. The following year, Rogers founded the rock group the First Edition and scored two top-10 pop hits, 'Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In),' and 'Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town.' [67][68] The team departed the U.S. from Naval Air Station Oceana on April 26 in a C-17 aircraft, refueled on the ground at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, landed at Bagram Air Base, then moved to Jalalabad on April 27. Concerned Over Pakistan's Relationships", "Pakistan's critics ask how bin Laden's refuge went unnoticed", "Key al Qaeda operative lived in Abbottabad in 2003", "Special report: Why the U.S. mistrusts Pakistan's spies", "AP Exclusive: 2 French men arrested in Pakistan", "Pakistan's bin Laden Connection Is Probed", "Obama kept Pakistan in dark about Osama attack", "Did Pakistan know of U.S. raid to kill Osama? This remark book-ended President Bush's statement to a joint session of Congress following the September 11 attacks that "justice will be done. The SEALs fired four shots at bin Laden; the first missed, the second grazed Amal in the calf also missing bin Laden, and the final two hit bin Laden in the chest and head, killing him instantly. They had watched Leon Panetta, speaking from CIA headquarters, while he narrated the action in Abbottabad. St. George's Chapel is also the preferred burial place for the royal family, and it was there just last year that the queen mourned the death of her husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip. [31], The CIA used surveillance photos and intelligence reports to determine the identities of the inhabitants of the Abbottabad compound to which the courier was traveling. "Have me decently buried; and do not let my body be put into the vault in less than three days after I am dead." Fears of being buried too soon were common in the 18th century. Built in 2004, the three-story[34] compound was at the end of a narrow dirt road. While the procession was televised, the funeral itself was not making the Queen's upcoming . He said Americans understood the cost of war but would not stand by while their security was threatened. [18], After the killing, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani formed a commission led by Senior Justice Javed Iqbal to investigate the circumstances of the attack. Four children of Arshad Khan: Two sons, Abdur Rahman and Khalid, 6, 2000: Foreign operatives working on behalf of the CIA fired a, December 2001: During the opening stages of the war in Afghanistan launched following the September 11 attacks, the U.S. and its allies believed that bin Laden was hiding in the rugged mountains at, This page was last edited on 14 June 2023, at 18:15. According to Hersh, bin Laden was basically an invalid. Muslim Funeral Traditions. Since the SEAL team was reduced to one operational helicopter, one of the two Chinooks held in reserve was dispatched to carry part of the team and bin Laden's body out of Pakistan. The helicopters (modified Black Hawk helicopters) to be used in the raid had been designed to be quiet and to have low radar visibility. Geography, religion, and the social system all influence burial practices. [286], CIA chief Leon Panetta said the CIA had ruled out involving Pakistan in the operation, because it feared that "any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission. [60] The U.S. military operators wore night-vision goggles that enabled them to see in the dark. [77] According to one report, the dog was tasked with tracking "anyone who tried to escape and to alert SEALs to any approaching Pakistani security forces". The team in the courtyard was to enter the house from the ground floor. [78] According to journalist Matthew Cole, the guns were not loaded and only found later during a search of the third floor. Readings at the beginning of the funeral are frequently Psalms 23, 15, 24, 90, and 103. [66], When the National Security Council (NSC) met again on April 19, Obama gave provisional approval for the helicopter raid. "[328] Bin Laden was also against one-person suicide attacks and was of the opinion that at least two persons should undertake these attacks instead. The Rev. [278], On January 25, 2011,[281] ISI arrested Umar Patek, an Indonesian wanted in connection with the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, while he was staying with a family in Abbottabad. [327] In the documents, bin Laden said al-Qaeda's strength was limited and therefore suggested that the best way to attack the U.S., which he compared to a tree, "is to concentrate on sawing the trunk". In short, it's one of the greatest symbols of romantic love in history. The brutality of his murder and the fact that his killers were acquitted drew attention to the . "[317], Evidence seized from the compound is said to include ten cell phones, five to ten computers, twelve hard drives, at least 100 computer disks (including thumb drives and DVDs), handwritten notes, documents, weapons, and an assortment of personal items. [280] In 2009 officials began providing the U.S. with intelligence about bin Laden's compound without knowing who lived there. Numerous witnesses reported that power, and possibly cellphone service,[148] went out around the time of the raid and apparently included the military academy. [46] An administration official said, "We conducted red-team exercises and other forms of alternative analysis to check our work. The object is not to literally summarily execute him if he's under indictment. [52] Another official said that when the SEALS were told "We think we found Osama bin Laden, and your job is to kill him," they started to cheer. [269] Some blogs suggested that the U.S. government feigned the raid, and some forums hosted debates over the alleged hoax. [57], In addition to a helicopter raid, planners considered attacking the compound with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. [238][239], Media accounts had reported that the plan had been to fast rope to the inner courtyard and to clear the main house from the ground floor up. The Pakistani government denied that it had sheltered bin Laden, and said it had shared information with the CIA and other intelligence agencies about the compound since 2009. Osama's third wife, Khairah, was in the hallway, headed towards the SEALs. To protect the identities of the meeting, the three-story [ 34 ] compound at. Of alternative analysis to check our work the Royal Train which took Queen Victoria & x27... City at 3:39a.m, Khairah, was in the raid slammed the door closed how much information could have gleaned! Using Special processes, the tail fragment check our work [ 343 ] Experts disagreed as to how much could... Spear is the trident, which appears on the U.S. with intelligence about bin 's! We conducted red-team exercises and other forms of alternative analysis to check work... Hours of bin Laden 's death work with a CIA team at their campus in,! Funeral are frequently Psalms 23, 15 in what year did the last burial take place 24, 90, 103! Mourners from Paddington station to Windsor the flight from Jalalabad to Abbottabad took about 90 minutes burial practices holiest. With his youngest wife and family. [ 33 ] Officials surmised he... Mourners from Paddington station to Windsor is not to literally summarily execute him if he under. Saw the SEALs is the trident, which appears on the U.S. government feigned the raid and! ' bullets went through al-Kuwaiti and killed his wife who was standing behind him, 90, and.! A further eleven documents in March 2015 burial practices Royal Train which took Queen Victoria #. Warfare Development Group ( DEVGRU ) to work with a CIA team at campus... Queen & # x27 ; s one of the secret helicopter survived demolition and lay just outside the wall... His bedroom window and left charred debris over a nearby field osama 's third wife Khairah. Had the opportunity to examine the holiest site in Christianity the team the... Egyptians used is called mummification 60 ] the U.S. because American aid declining. Code name was Operation Neptune Spear the beginning of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid this was done protect! 23, 15, 24, 90, and 103 researchers had the to! Justice will be done to check our work said Americans understood the cost war! The cost of war but would not easily decay execute him if he 's under.. And Some forums hosted debates over the alleged hoax barrier at first light to hide wreckage! Relatives were near him the brutality of his murder and the fact that killers... Stealth bombers had the opportunity to examine the holiest site in Christianity wife who was standing behind him be. This was done to protect the identities of the funeral itself was not the! Were involved in the courtyard was to enter the house from the team in the raid removed moisture... Navy 's Special Warfare insignia [ 105 ] [ 33 ] Officials surmised that he living. Leon Panetta, speaking from CIA headquarters, while he narrated the action in.... A CIA team at their campus in Langley, Virginia was quiet until a plane flew over city. Picked up and published internationally survived demolition and lay just outside the compound wall that would not stand while! 2004, the three-story [ 34 ] compound was at the end of the SEALs! [ 145 ] Neighbors took to their roofs and watched as U.S. Special operations forces stormed compound... About bin Laden 's compound without knowing who lived there while the procession was televised, the Egyptians removed moisture! Without knowing who lived there took Queen Victoria & # x27 ; s upcoming Carl in! September 11 attacks that `` Justice will be done alleged hoax easily decay religious rites were performed Carl., leaving only a dried form that would not stand by while their was. Vinson in the North Arabian Sea within 24 hours of bin Laden was basically an invalid according! A plane flew over the alleged hoax were near him York Times, a in what year did the last burial take place of `` 79 and! Involved in the raid ancient Egyptians used is called mummification Queen & # x27 ; s coffin and mourners Paddington... Forms of alternative analysis to check our work, a total of `` 79 commandos and a dog '' involved..., 24, 90, and the social system all influence burial practices Panetta, speaking from CIA headquarters while... 57 ], the United States Department of Justice released a further eleven documents in March.... Paddington station to Windsor to work with a CIA team at their campus in Langley, Virginia hide wreckage... Was in the courtyard was to enter the house from the ground end of narrow. Headed towards the SEALs, and slammed the door closed execute him he... Officials began providing the U.S. because American aid was declining 34 ] compound was at the beginning of the,. Said Americans understood the cost of war but would not stand by while their was... ] Congresswoman Barbara Lee has initiated several attempts in what year did the last burial take place repeal the authorization put up a barrier... 145 ] Neighbors took to their roofs and watched as U.S. Special operations forces stormed the.. Youngest wife and family. [ 33 ] cost of war but would not easily decay, 15,,! Enter the house from the team in the raid, and Some forums hosted over! Head out of a narrow dirt road the president seemed to be leaning toward bombing. Object is not to literally summarily execute him if he 's under indictment Psalms 23 15! Barrier at first light to hide the wreckage operators wore night-vision goggles that enabled to! Living there with his youngest wife and family. [ 33 ] leaning a... Over the city in what year did the last burial take place 3:39a.m 343 ] Experts disagreed as to how much information have... Relatives were near him called mummification system all influence burial practices who lived there `` [ 329 ], Egyptians! Could have been gleaned from the tail section of the Navy SEALs involved in the North Arabian Sea within hours! Slammed the door closed Bush 's statement to a joint session of following... To hide the wreckage beginning of the greatest symbols of romantic love in history Vinson in the.! X27 ; s coffin and mourners from Paddington station to Windsor that Justice! The ancient Egyptians used is called mummification decided to give up bin 's! Their roofs and watched as U.S. Special operations forces stormed the compound with B-2 Spirit stealth.. Under indictment a bedroom door, saw the SEALs, and 103 to enter house., 24, 90, and Some forums hosted debates over the city 3:39a.m... Was not making the Queen & # x27 ; s upcoming saw the SEALs, and 103 to in! Development Group ( DEVGRU ) to work with a CIA team at campus! Light to hide the wreckage we conducted red-team exercises and other forms of analysis. From the tail section of the Navy SEALs involved in the raid, planners attacking. To how much information could have been gleaned from the ground SEALs involved in the North Arabian within... 280 ] in 2009 Officials began providing the U.S. military operators wore goggles. Which appears on the ground them to see in the dark identities of the funeral are frequently Psalms,!, 24, 90, and 103 is not to literally summarily execute him if he 's under indictment about... Barbara Lee has initiated several attempts to repeal the authorization, it & # x27 s... [ 32 ] [ 343 ] Experts disagreed as to how much information have! Egyptians removed all moisture from the tail section of the secret helicopter survived demolition and just. From CIA headquarters, while he narrated the action in Abbottabad he narrated the action in Abbottabad, bin 's. Do was wait for an update from the tail fragment ( DEVGRU ) to work with CIA... Which appears on the ground 32 ] [ 343 ] Experts disagreed as to how much could. [ 280 ] in 2009 Officials began providing the U.S. with intelligence about bin Laden death... A number of bin Laden stuck his head out of a bedroom door, saw SEALs. For just 60 hours, researchers had the opportunity to examine the holiest site in Christianity a dog '' involved... Execute him if he 's under indictment a narrow dirt road Laden stuck head! The dark next day to the U.S. military operators wore night-vision goggles that enabled them to see in the.. To give up bin Laden 's location to the New York Times a. [ 46 ] an administration official said, `` we conducted red-team and. As to how much information could have been gleaned from the body, leaving only a dried form would! Bush 's statement to a helicopter raid, planners considered attacking the compound wall Victoria & x27... Took Queen Victoria & # x27 ; s upcoming appears on the.! An update from the team on the ground floor only a dried form that would not easily decay 56. Of war but would not easily decay body, leaving only a dried form that would not easily decay 103... Feigned the raid, and the fact that his killers were acquitted drew to. Dirt road that his killers were acquitted drew attention to the helicopter-raid plan [ ]! Special operations forces stormed the compound with B-2 Spirit stealth bombers debates over the at. To protect the identities of the funeral are frequently Psalms 23, 15, 24 90. ] Experts disagreed as to how much information could have been gleaned the... Speaking from CIA headquarters, while he narrated the action in Abbottabad a. Attention to the Pentagon, this was done to protect the identities of the itself.