Osama Bin Laden Is Killed By U.S. Special Forces

This episode details the covert U.S. military operation that led to the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, focusing on the execution and challenges of the mission.

1. The mission's success despite the initial helicopter crash demonstrates exceptional skill and training of the Navy SEALs.
2. The detailed planning included a replica of the compound but failed to anticipate the aerodynamic effects of the actual compound's walls.
3. President Obama's decision to proceed with the raid was based on a 50-50 confidence level in bin Laden's presence, illustrating the high-risk nature of national security decisions.
4. The SEALs’ ability to adapt to complications during the operation underscored the importance of agility in military operations.
5. The episode reflects on the broader impact of bin Laden's death on U.S. anti-terrorism efforts and global politics.

1: Introduction

The episode opens with an introduction to the historical context and significance of May 2, 2011, setting the stage for the detailed recounting of the raid. Lindsey Graham: "History is made every day on this podcast. Today is May 2, 2011. Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. special forces."

2: The Raid Begins

Focuses on the SEALs' journey into Pakistan, the helicopter crash at the compound, and the initial breach of bin Laden’s fortress. Matt Bissonnette: "As the helicopter moves into position over the target, it suffers a sudden loss of lift."

3: Inside the Compound

Describes the SEALs navigating the compound under fire, the challenges of breaching security measures, and the killing of bin Laden. Matt Bissonnette: "Then a seal shoots Osama bin Laden in the head."

1. Preparation is key: Even the most detailed plans must include flexibility for unexpected challenges.
2. Stay informed: Understanding historical and current events can enrich one's perspective on global affairs.
3. Leadership under pressure: Learn how critical decisions are made under uncertainty and apply this decisiveness to personal challenges.
4. Cultural sensitivity: Recognize and respect diverse traditions, even in complex scenarios like military operations.
5. Evaluate sources: When consuming news or historical accounts, critically assess the sources and seek multiple viewpoints to form a well-rounded understanding.

May 2, 2011. Osama bin Laden is killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Pakistan.

People

Osama bin Laden, Matt Bissonnette

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Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to history daily ad free. Listen with wondery in the Wondery app, or you can get all of history Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohistory.com. Dot it's 11:15 p.m. On May 1, 2011, in the airspace above Pakistan. On board a heavily modified black Hawk helicopter, US Navy SEAL Matt Bissonette grips his assault rifle and glances through the window at the countryside hurtling pass below.

Matt is one of a dozen highly trained and heavily armed Navy SEALs squeezed onto the helicopter. Another twelve men are on board a second Blackhawk flying through the darkness next to them in close formation. Matt has been a Navy seal for twelve years. He served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. But this is his most important mission yet.

It's so critical that it's a secret even from the pakistani government. The two helicopters flying fast and low to avoid radar detection. That makes for a bumpy ride, though, and Matt holds on tight to his safety harness as the helicopter shutters. The pilot calls out that there's 1 minute to target and Matt feels a spike of adrenaline surge through it. He connects his special fast descent rope to the helicopter's iron t bar.

The plan is for the helicopter to hover over the target, which is a compound surrounded by a twelve foot high concrete wall. Then the seals will rappel out of the helicopter into the courtyard and storm the building. Matt and his fellow seals have trained for this for months, using almost the exact replica of the compound. But there was a flaw in their planning, and it's about to jeopardize the entire mission. As the helicopter moves into position over the target, it suffers a sudden loss of lift.

Matt's stomach lurches in his throat as the helicopter drops sharply. The pilot fights to regain control, but the helicopter is losing altitude fast. Braces for impact. As the helicopter plunges downward, its tail rotor clips the compound wall and the aircraft tips onto its side. The pilot knows he cannot keep the helicopter in the air now, so he executes a controlled crash, putting the helicopter nose first into the dirt.

The pilot's quick thinking saves lives. Matt and the seals are jostled when unharmed. But as Matt gets to his feet, he's frustrated. The mission has only just started and already something has gone wrong. The seals have lost the element of surprise, but Matt draws on his years of training and quickly refocuses.

He and the other men still have a job to do.

The Black Hawk helicopter crash will be investigated after this mission, and it will be determined that the chain link fences surrounding the replica training compound allowed for the air displaced by the helicopters to blow away freely. But during the raid, the solid concrete walls of the real compound created an updraft that destabilized Matt Bissonette's helicopter. It was an inauspicious beginning to one of the most important covert missions ever mounted by the CIA, the operation to kill Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011 History Daily is sponsored by Audible Audible is pushing their line of mysteries this month and I am all for it. I love mysteries, but when I was asked to come up with a title to recommend, I was a bit stumped. There are so many.

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Visit audible.com historydaily or text historydaily to 500 500 thats audible.com slash historydaily or text history Daily to 500 500 History Daily is sponsored by Clarendon I live in Dallas, the fourth worst city in the United States for allergies. My condolences to number one, Wichita, Kansas because I cant imagine it any worse than it is here. And remember, I make my living with my voice. No one wants to hear me sniffly and congested. Luckily for those of us who live with the symptoms of allergies, we can live Claritin clear with Claritin D.

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History is made every day on this podcast. Every day we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world today is May 2, 2011. Osama bin Laden is killed by us special forces.

Its 08:29 p.m. In Washington DC. On September 11, 2000, 110 years before the killing of Osama bin Laden, the hot tv lights shine down brightly on President George W. Bush. Hes been chief executive for just nine months and his head and heart are swimming with outrage and grief.

But in under a minute, he will deliver one of the most important speeches of his life. And he must remain calm and project an aura of strength in order to lead a nation that has spent the day in shock. Only 12 hours ago, two hijacked passenger planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade center, causing them to collapse. Two other planes were also hijacked. One flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC and the other crashed in rural Pennsylvania after passengers fought back against their hijackers.

Nearly 3000 people have died in the most horrific terrorist attack in Americas history. And at 08:30 p.m. That same day in the Oval Office, the light on the television camera glows red. The teleprompter begins to spool out a hastily written speech. And President Bush does his best to reassure a worried nation.

George W. Bush
The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. After his speech, Bush meets privately with top CIA officials. They report to him that the attacks were carried out by the militant group al Qaeda, led by the terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden. Before today, that name was not widely known outside the intelligence community.

Lindsey Graham
But now he is public enemy number 144 year old Saudi Arabian. Osama bin Laden is an extremist islamic fundamentalist. For years he and al Qaeda have been executing small scale targeted attacks across the globe. Eight years prior, in 1993, an al Qaeda terrorist detonated a bomb beneath the World Trade center, killing six people and injuring many, many more. But bin Laden considered this a failure as it did not destroy the building.

So he continued his war against America. And now, eight years later, bin Laden has finally succeeded in bringing down the World Trade center. In the days following 911, the CIA and the FBI start an international manhunt. Bin Laden's sanctuary is in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan where the equally fundamentalist Taliban rule. The Taliban refused to extradite bin Laden to America, so the US and its NATO allies invade.

During the final stages of the invasion, a small team of us forces almost captures bin Laden at the battle of Tora Bora. But he manages to escape into neighboring Pakistan and disappears for frustrated Americans, it feels like justice. For the 911 attacks may never come. But the CIA continues to search for bin Laden. For years its agents round up and imprison dozens of suspects.

But they dont get any meaningful leads, even after their use of controversial enhanced interrogation techniques more commonly known as torture. So american officials are left to guess. Many believe bin Laden is hiding in an unknown cave in the wilderness somewhere. Others come to think hes already dead. But the CIA counterterrorism unit keeps looking for their number one fugitive.

And in 2010, they make a breakthrough. A detainee reveals the name of a courier supposedly taking messages to and from bin Laden. That couriers cell phone is traced and he is secretly tracked through Pakistan until he stops at a large house in the northern city of Abbottabad. Using spy satellites, CIA operatives quickly note that this is not just any house. It's more like a fortress.

The thick walled buildings have reinforced steel doors and very few windows. The entire compound is surrounded by a twelve foot high concrete wall topped with barbed wire. What can be seen of the residents inside is suspicious as well. Unlike their neighbors, those living in the compound carefully burn all their trash. Still, these high security measures arent proof that bin Laden is there.

And the new american President Barack Obama wont sanction a covert attack in another country without assurance. The intelligence is correct. So before anything else can be done, the CIA must somehow confirm that this house belongs to bin Laden. Because his sister died in an american hospital a year ago, the CIA has access to bin Ladens DNA profile. If they can find matching DNA at this house in Pakistan, that would be confirmation enough.

So the CIA comes up with a ruse, a child vaccination program. Agents know there are several children living in the compound. The suspicion is that some of them are bin Laden's children. The CIA hopes that these children will get a shot as part of the vaccination drive. And the needles used will then test positive for bin Laden's DNA.

But the ruse doesn't work. The children in the compound are not allowed to get vaccinated. So without this confirmation, CIA experts tell President Obama its only a 50 50 shot that bin Laden is in the house. So in the end, it comes down to a hunch and a gut decision. On April 29, 2011, President Obama will tell his military chiefs that the mission is a go.

And just 72 hours later, two dozen Navy SeALs will embark on a dangerous effort to finally get justice for the victims of 911 and kill Osama bin Laden. History Daily is sponsored by Greenlight I saw a short video the other day with a mother just agog as her daughter tries to comprehend that you have to pay the credit card company back for the things you buy with the card. She kept repeating, why do I have to pay for it twice? And right then I knew I needed to have a talk with my daughter about how credit cards work. I also figured if I want my daughter to really understand, I should get her a card of her own and Greenlight helped with that.

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It's just after midnight on May 2, 2011, in Abbottabad, Pakistan, 72 hours after President Barack Obama gave the green light for the attack on Osama bin Laden's hideout, Matt Bissonnet and his team of Navy SEALs move quickly and quietly through the darkness of the compound. It's a moonless night, and the SEAls have cut power to the whole neighborhood. But the Americans have no trouble finding their way. They are equipped with night vision goggles, giving them a crucial advantage in the deadly firefight that's to come. After the first Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the compound, the second helicopter didn't attempt to fly directly over the target.

It landed safely outside the walls. Instead, Matt and the other seals from the first helicopter helped the rest of their team into the compound. And then the mission began for real. Despite the crash, the night is quiet and calm as the seals approach the main house. Everything Matt sees is in fuzzy night vision, green, and the sweat on his forehead makes the goggles slip, so he ratchets the straps tighter.

Matt and a few other seals split off to try to enter the house through a side entrance, but theyre met by a heavy steel door. Matt calls for a sledgehammer from one of the other seals, but after trying to smash the handle, the steel door doesnt budge. They decide theyll have to detonate the lock with an explosive, but itll cost them time and further compromise their element of surprise. Its now very likely that when the Seal team gets through this steel door, whoevers inside the house will be ready for them. Matt starts to set the explosive charges, but as he does, theres the crack of machine gun fire.

Someone is firing an AK 47 at them from inside the house. Matt ducks out of the way. He and the other seals fire back through a window and after a short firefight, the shooting stops. Matt starts to crawl back towards the steel door, but before he reaches it, it opens from the other side. Surprised, Matt quickly raises his gun, but its a woman with four small children in tow.

She says her husband is dead. The seals hustle the family away from danger and move inside, where they find the body of the womans husband with an AK 47 at his side. Matt is now on the first floor of the compound. Intelligence suggests that bin Ladens bedroom is at the top of the house and his 23 year old son, Khalid, sleeps on the second floor. But as Matt creeps up the staircase, another seal hears someone coming down.

He whispers the name Khalid, and Khalid peeks his head around the corner. When he does, the seal shoot and kill him. Then they proceed upstairs to the third floor. There in the hallway stands their target, Osama bin Laden. Hes at the entrance to his bedroom, but when he sees men in the darkness, he hurries inside, slamming the door behind him but not locking it.

The seals follow him, throwing open the door to find bin Laden hiding behind his screaming, terrified wife. One seal shoots her in the leg and another pushes her aside onto the bed. Then a seal shoots Osama bin Laden in the head. After he falls to the ground, he is shot again five more times in the chest to confirm the kill. When the room is secure, though, the SeAls need to be absolutely sure they got the right guy.

So they take out photos of Osama bin Laden to compare to the dead man. But it's hard to tell now after the gunshots, so an interpreter is summoned to talk to the women and children and ask for this mans name. Through tears, they confirm its Osama. Another seal swabs bin Laden's blood with a Q tip to be DNA tested later. But the team feels confident enough to radio to the White House.

Ekia enemy killed in action after searching and securing the rest of the house, the SEALs retreat. They take bags full of intelligence material with them, as well as bin Laden's body. Before leaving the compound, they blow up the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the courtyard so it doesnt fall into enemy hands. Half the SEAL team then load up in the one remaining Blackhawk, while the others are picked up by another reserve helicopter sent in after the crash. On the ride back to the air base, reality sinks in for Matt Bissonet and the rest of the SEAL team.

No Americans were seriously injured or killed, and theyve accomplished their mission. Nearly ten years after masterminding the 911 attacks, Osama bin Laden is dead. At the moment, the news is still top secret, but President Obamas speechwriters back in Washington get to work on a national address he will make in just a few hours. The only thing left to do then will be to dispose of bin Ladens body in a remote and secret location where no memorial or shrine by his followers will ever be possible.

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Lindsey Graham
It'S May 2, 2010, somewhere in the north Indian Ocean. Just a few hours after Navy SeaLs killed Osama bin Laden, officials from the US military and CIA gather on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson for an unusual funeral. Out of respect for islamic traditions, the body of Osama bin Laden is wrapped in white cloth. A short prayer is said in Arabic. Then bin Ladens body is placed in a heavy black bag along with about 300 pounds of metal chain.

The body bag is placed on a wooden table near the decks railing. Navy officers tip the table and the body slides off over the side of the ship. The plan was for just the body to fall, but the metal chains are so heavy that the table flips over too and follows bin Laden into the churning water below. As those on the aircraft carrier watch on, bin Laden's body quickly disappears into the depths, leaving the wooden table bobbing in the waves, the only grave marker the terrorist will ever have. A few hours later, the White House announces that President Obama will be making a surprise address to the nation.

The media and the public begin speculating what it could be about, but they don't have to wait long for an answer. At 09:00 p.m. That evening, President Obama makes his way into the east Room of the white house and begins his announcement. 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. 56 million Americans tune in, and the country breathes a collective sigh of relief.

Bin Ladens death punctuates a dark period in american history. Four months later, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and President Obama dedicate the national September 11 memorial. Built on the site of the former World Trade center and featuring two large reflecting pools, this memorial is a lasting testament to the lives lost on that horrible day. But while a memorial rises in America, in Pakistan, the last physical remnants of Osama bin Laden will be wiped away. The following February, the pakistani government will tear down and bulldoze the compound in Abbottabad, where the notorious terrorist responsible for 911 had hidden and evaded justice until he was killed by us special forces on May 2, 2011.

Next on History Daily May 3, 1921 the Government of Ireland act comes into force, officially partitioning Ireland into two separate countries split north and south.

Thanks for listening to History daily, but did you know that you can listen ad free in the wondry or Amazon Music app? Or for even more history content, including the entire History Daily archive and other fantastic history podcasts, go to intohistory.com from Noiser and airship. This is History Daily. Hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham. Audio editing by Mohammad Shazib sound design by Gabriel Gould Music by Thrum this episode is written and researched by Jack O'Brien.

Edited by Dorian Marina. Managing producer Emily Burke executive producer are William Simpson for airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

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