On May 1, 10 years ago, in Abbottabad, near the mountains of northwestern Pakistan, an impending global sensation was quietly underway. A helicopter of a U.S. Navy SEAL team approached a walled detached house in the middle of the night. The mission, code-named "Spear of poseidon", is to find and kill the world's number one terrorist: bin Laden.
On the other side of the world, then-US President Barack Obama, who had just approved the killing of bin Laden, had "calmly" attended the White House Press Association dinner the night before, seemingly easily speaking in front of reporters.
But for the raid, the U.S. Navy SEALs trained for months at a secret base in North Carolina. A model of Bin Laden's residence in Abbottabad travels non-stop between the West Wing of the White House and CIA headquarters, and legal debates are underway over whether to kill or capture bin Laden.
This historic photo shows Obama and NSC officials watching the killing of bin Laden. Now biden is president of the United States, and Blinken is the U.S. secretary of state.
So why did the Obama administration ultimately decide to kill bin Laden? American Politician Magazine recently published an oral history article that restored the most classified, sensitive and dangerous mission in modern American history by interviewing nearly 30 officials involved in the operation.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" > bin Laden's "fortress"</h1>
Since 9/11, the top priority of the U.S. intelligence community has been to find, arrest, or kill os-laden. At that time, the United States got a lot of clues, some people said that bin Laden lived in a cave; some people said that he was in the tribal areas of Pakistan; some people said that he was in Iran; and of course, some people thought he was dead. But in the decade that the U.S. intelligence community tracked down bin Laden's whereabouts, almost all of the clues reached a dead end.
Donilon, a former White House national security adviser, said obama suddenly summoned Donilon, then-C.I.A. Director Panetta, and others to the Oval Office one day, hoping that the intelligence services would resume their search for bin Laden. But on December 30, 2009, seven CIA personnel in charge of searching for bin Laden were attacked by suicide at Camp Chapman in Afghanistan. Panetta told Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash that I want you to come every Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. to report on the implementation of bin Laden's mission, with or without any progress. And 4 to 5 new plans need to be developed to find bin Laden.
The breakthrough in the search for bin Laden's mission occurred in August 2010, when Letitia Long, the director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, was sitting in her office when her assistant Brett came in and told her that there were two analysts, and their supervisors, who needed to see her immediately. So Lititia invited three visitors into the office and asked assistant Brett to participate in the meeting. But at this point, the supervisor immediately said: Madam Director, he cannot stay. He cannot be involved in the project. Subsequently, the three analysts showed Litishia a series of images, including bin Laden's possible residence. Litishia said her reaction was one word: Wow!
That same month, After a regular meeting with the director of the U.S. Counterterrorism Center and others, Panetta and CIA Deputy Director Mike Morell asked to speak separately with Panetta, Morel, and the C.I.A.'s chief of staff, Beth. At the meeting, counterterrorism center briefers said they had been tracking bin Laden's two messengers and had followed them all the way to the end of an alley in Abbottabad, where they found a "fortress" that could have been bin Laden's hiding place.
Hearing this, Morrell said that his hair was erect! The briefer went on to say that the residence was about 12 feet of walls in front and 18 feet behind, with no electricity and no cell phone signal. The people who live in it are trying to hide their identities.
And this house not only has very few windows, but also has a more complex internal structure, with many interior walls separating the space. Even inside a house, it is difficult to walk from one room to another. In particular, the CIA is concerned that there is a balcony on the third floor, but another wall has been built on the cover, so it is not visible from the outside who is on the balcony.
The design sparked intriguing Panetta, who said Abbottabad, surrounded by mountains, is the closest thing to a resort in Pakistan, and if any family has a yard, it must be hoped to see the surroundings, rather than even fenced off the balcony.
Photographs of the inside and outside of the house taken by the CIA from bin Laden's computer
Although the CIA could not confirm that this was bin Laden's hiding place at the meeting, there were too many doubts that made them interested in the house: 1 The compound was highly secure; 2 Messengers had to run 90 miles away to make a phone call; 3 From the clothes that were out of the sun, the number of family members could be determined. The CIA inferred from the family's clothing that the number of their family members matched that of bin Laden's family. Although the CIA never really met bin Laden's family.
Immediately after the meeting, the CIA reported to senior White House NSC officials. Mary Derosa, the White House NSC legal counsel who attended the meeting, recalled that she had attended many very, very sensitive meetings in the White House War Room, but this one was different from the previous one. This time U.S. intelligence agencies believe they have the most reliable intelligence years after the loss of bin Laden's whereabouts.
Obama listened very carefully at the meeting, and he gave two specific instructions: 1. He asked Panetta to find out what was going on in the house; 2. Don't share this information with anyone, limited to the White House and the top C.I.A. leadership, even the then secretary of defense, the chairman of the U.S. Military Joint Staff, the attorney general, and the FBI director.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" > this is not a drill</h1>
Panetta said that after receiving instructions, personnel from multiple U.S. intelligence services conducted a comprehensive 24/7 surveillance of the house and tried to figure out what was going on inside. That includes using drones, where U.S. agents are also strolling outside the house, trying to photograph the house's exterior and the people who live inside. But don't talk about the people inside, the American agents didn't even see the garbage of this house! The people inside the house burn their own garbage.
This surveillance lasted for six months...
By December 2010, although U.S. intelligence agencies still had no conclusive evidence, they were increasingly convinced that bin Laden was here, putting together all the details. By that time the CIA had already named the house AC One (abbreviation for Abbottabad Compound One).
CIA models that are accurate to detail
The craftsman who made the model saw a picture of himself in the New York Times the day after bin Laden was killed, so that he really knew what the meaning of the model he made was.
In January 2011, Obama allowed military action on the home. When Mike Mullen, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told U.S. Joint Special Operations Command Commander William Harry McRaven, McRaven was skeptical because the C.I.A. had many clues in the past, but they were all proven wrong.
McRaven was invited to the CIA and became serious when he saw the AC One model. Morrell asked him how difficult it would be to ask the Special Forces to take action. McRaven said it wasn't hard to take action on such homes, when U.S. troops were in Afghanistan performing 10-12 similar operations a night.
So, after the meeting, the C.I.A. and the Joint Special Operations Command presented Obama with five options. These included the use of B-2 bombers to raz the dwellings directly to the ground. However, doing so would cause damage to the surrounding area and the remains may not be recognized. There is also a scenario where drones target people in the station, but the risk of doing so is for fear of killing the wrong person. The third option is to send commandos, with the option of working with Pakistan, or quarios to complete the mission alone. Eventually, the helicopter assault program became the most popular course of action.
Obama decided not to share the intelligence with any country, including Pakistan. One day Obama asked McRaven, how sure is it? McRaven said it would take three weeks for the SEALs to rehearse. So Obama agreed.
A secret simulation training base was soon built. McRaven says he trusts two teams most, one of which is a group of SEALs who have just returned from Afghanistan. At the time, the group happened to be on vacation, and McRaven gathered them together, and after signing a confidential statement, he announced to the team the goal of the operation: bin Laden. McRaven said the Navy SEALs couldn't believe it, was this a combat maneuver against bin Laden, or was it really going to attack bin Laden?
McRaven replied: "Gentlemen, this is not a drill.
After the meeting, the Navy SEALs were taken to the simulated AC One, where they began planning how to carry out the mission. To Morrell's surprise, McRaven did not personally plan the details of the mission, leaving it to the SEALs to discuss how to complete the mission on their own. The second exercise after this was chosen in the evening, and the chairman of the Senate, Mullen, also arrived at the scene in person, with the SEALs, including a military dog, to wish them good luck.
This time the exercise was precise to the details, including a uniform military coat and night vision goggles. New helicopters capable of dodging radar also participated in the exercise. The exercise lasted for several days. By the time Mr. Obama spoke again on the phone with McRaven, he confidently told Mr. Obama that we could do it.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" > captive or killed? </h1>
At this point in the White House War Room, the CIA and the Pentagon, one of the key questions that remains unresolved is: Will an attack be launched? This mission will have a profound impact on the United States and even the world from a military and geopolitical perspective.
But those discussions were limited to the highest levels of the U.S. government, and even the radio and camera systems in the White House war room were shut down. On the White House War Room calendar, the meeting is called the "Mickey Mouse Conference." Questions discussed at the meeting included: What would happen if bin Laden had been killed? What was his body handled? How will Pakistan react? What impact will this have on the U.S. military around the world? What will the future hold of al-Qaida without bin Laden?
By March 2011, the CIA's mood was like chicken blood, surveillance of the AC One mansion was still 24/7, and they had spotted a man of similar height and size to bin Laden who would pace the inner courtyard every day. But there is still no conclusive evidence that bin Laden was inside.
At the March 29 national security conference, Mr. Obama asked a key question: Will intelligence become more accurate? Can you confirm this further in the coming weeks or months? CIA Director Panetta replied very honestly: "We are gathering intelligence in many ways, but Mr. President, we will not have more accurate intelligence in the short term than we have today."
By April, the sense of urgency was growing. First, because the CIA was worried every day that bin Laden would shift his position, and second, in late spring and early summer, from the perspective of U.S. military operations, as the temperature increased, thermal imaging would get worse and worse. The third reason is that the mission has been kept secret for 8 months, but it is impossible to keep it airtight.
Delosa, the White House's legal counsel for the National Security Council, said that at that time, all she had in mind was what to do if the mission failed, and never considered the possibility of success. George Little, the CIA's director of public affairs, said he assembled a very small team and prepared 66 pages of PR documents, of which 33 were successful editions and 33 were failed editions.
White House counterterrorism adviser Brennan said the NSA envisioned a number of scenarios, including the SEALs rushing in, and what if bin Laden raised his hands and surrendered? Legal Counsel Drossa replied that if bin Laden did surrender without wearing a suicide vest, then the U.S. military would have to accept the surrender. If someone raises their hand and does not resist, the U.S. military has an obligation to take the other side prisoner instead of killing them.
But Brennan's judgment was that bin Laden, the al-Qaida chief who had been fighting the United States, doomed the operation to a beheading. And the CIA boss Panetta's concern is that if bin Laden is captured alive, what will the United States do with him? It is estimated that he will be put on a boat first, and then think about the next step.
The legal question that bothers The White House National Security Council legal adviser Drossa the most is: What are the consequences of not telling Pakistan? White House chief of staff Bill Daley said the United States was violating the sovereignty of its allies and that the site of the attack was only 10 miles from a nuclear facility. The significance of the event itself goes far beyond bin Laden.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="12" > the day finally arrived</h1>
At the end of April, Obama's personal secretary, Katie Johnson, was visibly aware that something was about to happen! Because Obama frequently appeared in the war room to attend "no theme" meetings on his itinerary, and the time was generally very long. The frequency of Obama's meetings with White House counterterrorism adviser Brennan has increased on the page. In the past, if this had happened, it had generally been due to a shooting or terrorist attack.
By that time, the Navy SEALs that Obama had approved for the mission had arrived in Afghanistan, and mcRaevan himself had arrived in Afghanistan.
The National Security Conference on April 28, 2011, finalized that April 29 to May 2 would be the window period for the implementation of the mission. This was also the last meeting of the national security team before the mission was carried out. Three analysts from the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center were invited to the meeting for the first time and asked to analyze the possibility that bin Laden was indeed hiding here. The answers given by the three experts were: about 75%, 60% and 40%. As a result, the attendees at the scene quarreled, and Obama interrupted everyone a little angrily: "Inevitably, this is the 50/50 choice, and we must accept it." ”
Defense Secretary Bob Gates made it clear at the time against the assault. Gates cites the example of the Carter administration's hostage rescue mission in Iran, which largely ended Carter's presidency.
CIA Director Panetta said that when he was a member of Congress, whenever he encountered a difficult vote, he imagined how ordinary Americans in his constituency would decide if they let ordinary Americans in their constituencies make the decision. By the same token, what would an ordinary American decide if he now had the most reliable intelligence about bin Laden in the CIA? Panetta believes that ordinary Americans will support action. Therefore, Panetta believes that if Obama does not seize this opportunity, he will regret it in the future.
National Intelligence Director Clapper said he trusted the gut feelings of analysts, that they were all experts, and that if they thought bin Laden was in the good faith, then action should be taken.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a long speech. She began by mentioning the negative impact of the raid, including relations with Pakistan, or the consequences of the operation's failure. But Hillary also believes that this opportunity is rare, so she expressed support for the action.
Also supporting the assault were White House national security adviser Donilon, counterterrorism adviser Brennan, and deputy national security adviser McDonough.
At the meeting, then-VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden did not make a clear position, but pointed out the risks of the operation and possible conflict with Pakistan, including the closure of the embassy. Biden's biggest concern is what that would mean for Obama's prospects for a second term if the mission fails.
And what did Obama, the ultimate decision maker, think? In fact, before the final debate of the National Security Council, Obama already had the answer in mind. In his campaign speech in 2007, Mr. Obama told supporters he was going to Pakistan to arrest bin Laden. Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser who wrote campaign speeches for Mr. Obama, said: "You always say you're going to do it, so act!" ”