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Inside Bin Laden's $1 Million Compound In Pakistani Vacation Town
By
Jen Chung
Published May 2, 2011
Modified May 2, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 2, 2011
Modified May 2, 2011
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The U.S. government has released some details about the operation that culminated in an intense 40 minute fire fight that claimed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's life. While it's not as over-the-top as the Taiwanese CGI, it's certainly dramatic: Politico reports, "The helicopter carrying Navy SEALs malfunctioned as it approached Osama bin Laden’s compound at about 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday, stalling as it hovered. The pilot set it down gently inside the walls, then couldn’t get it going again. It was a heart-stopping moment for President Barack Obama, who had been monitoring the raid in the White House Situation Room since 1 p.m., surrounded by members of his war cabinet. 'Obviously, everyone was thinking about Black Hawk Down and Desert One,' a senior administration official recalled."
The SEALS were able to disembark, but Politico's source said, "The assault team went ahead and raided the compound, even though they didn’t know if they would have a ride home." They did get another ride but "The special forces put bombs on the crippled chopper and blew it up." (The noise did annoy one neighbor.) ABC News has footage of the Abbottabad, Pakistan spread as well as graphic, bloody photographs from inside the compound:
Besides bin Laden, four others, including one of his sons, were killed. According to the Washington Post, the $1 million three-story structure "was eight times larger than nearby houses, roomy enough for the relatives that American officials believed bin Laden had with him. Its walls were 12- to 18-feet high and topped with barbed wire. It was built in 2005 and worth $1 million, but it had no Internet or telephone connection." Neighbors found it odd that its occupants burned their trash; one said, "They had not thrown the house waste or garbage to the street, but instead disposed of it inside the house. This was also suspicious. Now this secret is open, that they were long in association with Osama. This is really shocking news for everyone."
Another neighbor, a former foreign minister, told the WaPo that many former officials live there, “People don’t really care now to ask who’s there... That’s one of the reasons why, possibly, he came in there," adding, "I was not aware what is happening next to my house,” said Khan, 43. “No, no, I was never expecting that Osama bin Laden was killed.”
A U.S. official told Politico that bin Laden was living in relative luxury, "Many of his foot soldiers are located in some of the remotest regions of Pakistan and live in austere conditions. You’ve got to wonder if they’re rethinking their respect for their dead leader. He obviously wasn’t living as one of them."
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abbottabad
Osama bin Laden
Pakistan
president obama
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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