The Clandestine Operation that led to Osama’s Death

At some time in the early morning yesterday, under cover of darkness, a team of U.S. Special Forces soldiers and CIA operators executed a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with the goal of eliminating notorious al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The mission was a success; U.S. President Barack Obama announced last night that bin Laden was killed in a firefight between U.S. forces and Taliban fighters. The 54 year old bin Laden had managed to evade capture for nearly 10 years while gracing the top of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist list with a $25 million reward for information leading to his capture, but was finally brought to justice yesterday at the hands of those U.S. forces. The following links provide an in-depth look at the operation itself, the months of careful intelligence gathering, planning, and preparation that made it possible, and the aftermath.

1.  Department of Defense images

These images were released in a DoD news briefing today, containing satellite imagery and an illustration of Osama’s compound.

2.  Getting Osama bin Laden: How the mission went down

Politico provides a detailed description of the raid.

3.  CSI bin Laden

Wired investigates the combat forensics techniques used to identify bin Laden and other terrorists.

4.  Intelligence, Secrecy, Drove bin Laden Operation

Armed Forces Press Service news report on the operation.

5.  The Big Picture – Osama bin Laden Killed

A collection of photos concerning bin Laden’s death.

6.  The White House Blog – Osama bin Laden Dead

Official White House blog post on the event.

7.  Gizmodo – The Hunt for Osama

A number of Gizmodo posts that explore the news stories, technology, special forces groups, and equipment behind the operation.

8.  New York Times – Bin Laden is Dead, Obama Says

More information is sure to unfold within the coming days, so stay tuned and keep your eyes on these and other news sources.

Bonuses:

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