Nearly ten years after the attacks of September 11 U.S. troops have managed to kill Osama bin Laden. The search for the leader of al-Qaeda was a top priority for U.S. President Barack Obama. Almost one year ago, intelligence services on his trail. The mission to capture him was conducted by U.S. forces, backed by the Pakistani army.
The trail that led to Osama Bin Laden, the same courier he most trusted. It took years before the American CIA was able to find out who the man was and where bin Laden is hiding.
The CIA focused on several men in connection close to bin Laden. Especially one of them proved to be very interesting, partly because he captured al-Qaeda fighters was mentioned as one of the people that bin Laden most familiar.
Still, it took very long before the man could be identified. Only four years ago the CIA identity of the man's name. Two years ago, the Americans could roughly locate his whereabouts.
August 2010: In August last year they have the exact location of the villa discovered in an area north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
The CIA realized immediately that it was not a normal residence. The walls were 3.6 to 5.5 meters high and lined with barbed wire. The main building in the area was three stories high and had hardly any windows. There was no telephone or Internet.
Friday, April 29: U.S. President Barack Obama gives his consent to an attack.
Only a small team within the U.S. government is aware of the attack plans. For safety reasons, no other countries informed.
Sunday morning May 1: Shortly after midnight local time, four U.S. helicopters departing from a military airbase in northern Pakistan. They set sail for the city Abbadabad, about 100 km north of Islamabad.
One of the helicopters crashed during landing, according to U.S. Army by technical problems. There are no casualties, security reasons, the helicopter is destroyed.
On the ground comes to a firefight, while Osama bin Laden gets a bullet in the head. Also a son of bin Laden and three bodyguards were killed. On the American side would no fatalities.
In the house are three wives, six sons and four other close collaborators were arrested. The body of Bin Laden taking the U.S. forces seized.
The operation would have lasted four hours.
Sunday May 1: President Obama gives a press conference and announces the unexpected death of Osama bin Laden.
The trail that led to Osama Bin Laden, the same courier he most trusted. It took years before the American CIA was able to find out who the man was and where bin Laden is hiding.
The CIA focused on several men in connection close to bin Laden. Especially one of them proved to be very interesting, partly because he captured al-Qaeda fighters was mentioned as one of the people that bin Laden most familiar.
Still, it took very long before the man could be identified. Only four years ago the CIA identity of the man's name. Two years ago, the Americans could roughly locate his whereabouts.
August 2010: In August last year they have the exact location of the villa discovered in an area north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
The CIA realized immediately that it was not a normal residence. The walls were 3.6 to 5.5 meters high and lined with barbed wire. The main building in the area was three stories high and had hardly any windows. There was no telephone or Internet.
Friday, April 29: U.S. President Barack Obama gives his consent to an attack.
Only a small team within the U.S. government is aware of the attack plans. For safety reasons, no other countries informed.
Sunday morning May 1: Shortly after midnight local time, four U.S. helicopters departing from a military airbase in northern Pakistan. They set sail for the city Abbadabad, about 100 km north of Islamabad.
One of the helicopters crashed during landing, according to U.S. Army by technical problems. There are no casualties, security reasons, the helicopter is destroyed.
On the ground comes to a firefight, while Osama bin Laden gets a bullet in the head. Also a son of bin Laden and three bodyguards were killed. On the American side would no fatalities.
In the house are three wives, six sons and four other close collaborators were arrested. The body of Bin Laden taking the U.S. forces seized.
The operation would have lasted four hours.
Sunday May 1: President Obama gives a press conference and announces the unexpected death of Osama bin Laden.
