Osama Bin Laden

2nd May 2011

This day in history...Osama Bin Laden, Mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and the top of the FBI's most wanted list, is killed by United States special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan

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Newspapers following Osama Bin Laden's death

This is without doubt one of the most anticipated, controversial and important events that the world has witnessed. Years of locating, researching and eventually preparing for the attack on Bin Laden were spent by the US special forces and it remained the United States' biggest national security priority. Bin laden's death was considered an undeniable victory for America and for the underlining War on Terror. It also triggered a massive media frenzy, conspiracy theories and of course there is always an aftermath to focus on after such an event. 

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President Barack Obama and Osama Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden:

• Born in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1957/58
• He was the 17th of 52 children born to Mohammed bin Laden, who owned the largest construction company in the Saudi Kingdom
• Osama had a privileged, cosseted upbringing
• Osama stayed close to home, went to school in Jiddah, married young and, like many Saudi men, joined the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood
• Islam was more than religion to Osama - it influenced every decision he made
• Osama travelled to Peshawar to join the resistance and encouraged young men to join
• In 1988, Osama created al-Qaida (The Base) - it focused on symbolic acts of terrorism
• His group has been linked to several massive terrorist attacks, including 9/11
• Osama remained in hiding issuing fatwas and taunts over radio and TV and recruiting young enthusiastic jihadis to his cause

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Osama Bin Laden video address

Timeline of events:

• 2007 - The identity of Bin Laden's most trusted courier is revealed
• 2009 - Intelligence reveals the location in Pakistan of Bin Laden's compound
• August 2010 - Intelligence identifies the Abbottabad compound as the home of the courier and his brother. The men have no obvious means that they can afford the
  $1 million home
• September 2010 - CIA informs President Obama that they believe Bin Laden to be living in the Abbottabad compound
• 14th March 2011 - President Obama chairs the first of five National Security Council meetings to discuss the operation to raid the compound and to capture or kill Bin Laden
• 29th March, 12th, 19th, 28th April 2011  - Consecutive National Security Council meetings
• 29th April 2011 - President Obama gives the order to raid the compound at 8:20am EDT
• 2nd May 2011 - In the early morning in Pakistan, 25 Navy Seals raid the compound
• They arrive in Abbottabad in 2 Black Hawk helicopters
• The Navy Seals breach the outer walls, before fighting their way through the ground floor of the 3 story building
• They then move to the second and third floors where Bin Laden's family live
• The operation takes a total of 40 minutes and in the last 5-10 minutes Bin Laden is killed by a gunshot wound to the head, just above the left eye
• 3 men, including a son of Bin Laden, and one woman are also killed
• Bin Laden's body is identitifed by one of his wives and with the help of facial recognition
• 2nd May 2011 - Bin Laden is buried at sea off the deck of the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea
• He is buried within 24 hours according to Islamic law, with an hour-long ceremony

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Footage from film Zero Dark Thirty - accurately mimicking the raid

Facts:

• The official name for the operation was; Operation Neptune Spear
• The operation was watched live and consulted in the White House's situation room
  
  

  

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  Inside the situation room during the raid

• The compound:
• Lacked telephone and internet service 
• The residents burned their rubbish instead of it being collected
• Around 24 people lived in the house
• It was surrounded by 12-18 foot walls topped with barbed wire
• Things found in the compound:
• 10 hard drives
• 5 computers
• Over 100 storage devices; discs, DVDs, thumb drives
• Pornography
• Large quantities of opium
• 3 AK-47s and pistols

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The Compound and a breakdown of events

• Osama Bin Laden:
• Wore a cowboy hat when he was out so that satellites/drones could not detect him
• He never left the compound since he moved in, in 2006: self-imposed prison
• He was supposedly pulled over for speeding but was never recognised
• He was soft-spoken and left handed
• He was a 'master of poetry' and had a vast knowledge of literature

There have been several conspiracy theories over the years and during the immediate aftermath that there was a lack of physical evidence and that many people on the internet believe that he has not been buried at sea. Some people believe he was never killed and other believe he is being held at Guantanamo Bay.The media and Hollywood have also fed off of the event and films have already been made documenting the operation. Several books have also been released. Amougst the film are Zero Dark Thirty, Seal Team Six, and the tasteless and stupid film Ozombi. 

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Ozombie Film

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