The statement of U.S. President Barack Obama and sources in the Pentagon allow to begin to get a clear picture of what happened in Pakistan.
- Osama Bin Laden (OBL) was killed in Abbottabad, 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of Islamabad
- President Obama underlined that “our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to Bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding”
- OBL, a part of his family and some close associates were hiding in a very large house with heavy security, bodyguards and no communications means to avoid any electronic targeting. The compound was “8 times the size of the other houses in the suburb and was surrounded by a 12-15 foot wall lined with barbed wire and to security gates as entry points”
- U.S. ¨President was aware “since August” that Bin Laden was not hiding in the Western tribal areas (at the border with Afghanistan) but deep in Pakistan and probably in or near Islamabad
- For 8 months, U.S. intelligence, probably helped y some Pakistani intelligence, accumulated information on the place OBL was hiding and his exact status. Finally, “last week” President OBAMA decided he had enough intelligence to order a strike
- It is said that, in the final phase of the operation, the U.S. team was led to the compound by two known “al Qaeda couriers”
- Two Special Forces helicopters carrying “a small team of Americans” were involved in the “40 minutes operation” on the compound housing OBL. Bin Laden, one of his sons and two couriers were shot and killed
- The son killed with OBL is likely to be Hamza who joined al-Qaeda years ago
- The president mentioned the action of CIA and it is likely that a CIA team participated in the action with the Special Forces
- After the fight, the US soldiers took custody of OBL’s body to have the proof of his death
- It is said that an helicopter crashed on the site and was destroyed by the Special Forces before leaving the place. No American was killed or wounded.
