Osama Bin Laden: CIA Live Tweets Operation That Killed Al-Qaeda Leader In Real-Time Five Years After His Death
Tomorrow, May 2, marks the fifth anniversary of the operation that resulted in the death of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden back in 2011. Bin Laden was found living in a mansion in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad – not very far from a Pakistani military establishment. According to The Verge, to mark the fifth anniversary of the operation, the official Twitter handle of the CIA is live tweeting the incidents that happened on that day – in real time. CIA is using a special hashtag #UBLRaid (for “Usama Bin Ladin Raid”) to identify tweets pertaining to the operation. We are embedding the tweets sent out by the official CIA Twitter handle talking about the raid below.
Things started off with this tweet.
#OTD 2011: US military raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan killed Usama Bin Ladin.#UBLRaidhttps://t.co/rklCIS2W8d pic.twitter.com/o2Ym4vM7ri
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Followed by some background information…
Success of mission was culmination of years of complex, thorough & highly advanced intel ops & analyses led by CIA w support of IC.#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
More information regarding the suspicious compound was tweeted.
Late 2010, intel linked a courier to compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Compound & main house had security features unusual for area#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Features
High walls/barbed wire
Double entry gates
No internet/phone connection
Trash burned not collected#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/KyPIFPxA4d— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Assault team trained on an exact life-size replica of compound w movable walls to prep for any internal layout they might encounter#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Death of Usama Bin Ladin marked significant victory in US-led campaign to disrupt, dismantle, & defeat al-Qa`ida.#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Followed by the official announcement…
Join us beginning at 1:25 p.m. EDT today as we tweet the #UBLRaid as if it were happening today. pic.twitter.com/x8EBpW571f
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Another announcement a while later…
To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The actual operation starts.
1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Helicopters set off for Abbottabad.
1:51 pm EDT – Helicopters depart from Afghanistan for compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Two hours later, they reach the destination – but one helicopter crash lands almost jeopardizing the entire operation…
3:30 pm EDT – 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The now-famous photo from the “situation room” was captured at this moment, five years ago.
3:30 pm EDT – @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
The main target of the operation, Osama Bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaeda is found and shot dead.
3:39 pm EDT – Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
3:39 pm – 4:10 pm EDT – Team retrieves large quantity of materials from compound for intel analysis#UBLRaidhttps://t.co/yl1FjRA0qk
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
President Obama receives “tentative confirmation of positive identification of Bin Laden.”
3:53 pm EDT – @POTUS receives tentative confirmation of positive identification of Usama Bin Ladin#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
4:05 pm EDT – First helicopter leaves the area to go back to Afghanistan#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
4:08 pm EDT – Assault Team destroys crashed helicopter#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
4:10 pm EDT — Backup helicopter picks up remaining team members & materials & leaves Abbottabad#UBLRaid
— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016
Note that the official death of Osama Bin Laden is May 2. However, when the operation was underway in Pakistan, it was still May 1 in the U.S.
While the concept of live tweeting a momentous event in the history of the United States seemed an interesting idea, CIA did face backlash for doing so. Some people were not impressed by the decision to live tweet Osama Bin laden’s death.
@CIA You’ve lost the plot mate
— Luke O’Neil (@lukeoneil47) May 1, 2016
this is completely inappropriate. pls reconsider or delete you account, @CIA
— kate nowak (@katherinejnowak) May 1, 2016
@CIA This is grotesque and embarrassing. You should fire your web team.
— Hank Single (@Hanksingle) May 1, 2016
While some others didn’t mind…
@CIA Really? Not sure that’s a good idea.
— John P Vogt (@jpvogt) May 1, 2016
@CIA Can you do it all in emojis? That would be awesome.
— Jon Danziger (@jondanziger) May 1, 2016
The real-time playback of the Osama Bin Laden operation is still underway as we file this article.
What do you think? Was this a good idea to mark the fifth anniversary of the operation that led to Osama Bin Laden’s death?
[AP Photo/Khalid Tanveer]
