Bin Laden not armed during assault: White House

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not armed when US special forces stormed his compound in Pakistan.


Reuters May 04, 2011
Bin Laden not armed during assault: White House

WASHINGTON: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not armed when US special forces stormed his compound in Pakistan but he did resist before he was shot, the White House said on Tuesday.

A day after US officials provided conflicting and in some cases false information about the details of the raid, White House spokesman Jay Carney gave a more detailed account of the operation.

He cited the "fog of war" - a phrase suggested by a reporter - as a reason for the initial misinformation.

"On orders of the president, a small US team assaulted a secure compound in an affluent suburb of Islamabad to capture or kill Osama bin Laden," Carney told reporters, reading from a statement prepared by the Department of Defense.

The team found three families, including bin Laden's, at two different buildings in the compound. Commandos cleared the building where one family lived, while another team entered the first floor of bin Laden's house, where another family lived.

On that floor US forces killed two al Qaeda couriers along with a woman who was "killed in cross-fire," Carney said, backing away from an earlier assertion that the woman had been used as a human shield.

Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said the woman may have been the wife of one of the couriers. The commandos then found bin Laden and his family on the second and third floor of the house. "There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and, indeed, he resisted," Carney said.

"A woman ... bin Laden's wife, rushed the US assaulter and was shot in the leg but not killed.

Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed." Carney declined to offer details on the form or extent of bin Laden's resistance. "Resistance does not require a firearm," he said. "I'm sure more details will be provided as they become available."

"GREAT DEAL OF RESISTANCE"

A US official who has seen pictures of the body said bin Laden was shot at least once in the face.

US officials have repeatedly emphasized the al Qaeda leader's resistance to explain why he was killed instead of captured.

"We expected a great deal of resistance and were met with a great deal of resistance," Carney said. "There were many other people who were armed ... in the compound."

Another US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Monday called the assault on bin Laden's compound a "kill operation."

Carney's description of bin Laden's wife's role in the fighting was different from initial White House accounts.

President Barack Obama's counter-terrorism chief, John Brennan, said on Monday the wife had been used as a human shield and was killed in the raid.

Carney blamed the misstatements on the administration's desire to get the information out quickly. "We provided a great deal of information with great haste in order to inform you and, through you, the American public about the operation and how it transpired," he said.

"Obviously some of the information was - came in piece by piece and is being reviewed and updated.

" Bin Laden's family members were taken from the scene by Pakistani authorities, a US official said, and it will be up to Pakistan to determine what happens to them.
https://i1.tribune.com.pk/story/160658/the-curious-case-of-osama-bin-laden/

COMMENTS (2)

Khalid Rahim | 13 years ago | Reply @John: If you are an american then you all survive by creation of Bogeyman. Since Senator McCarthy created the first one to put you all on a string. I wish our leaders have the moral courage to tell the world that Osama was kept in the compound by US administration with our co-operation to be used through his Audio and Video tapes as and when desired. But the Raymond Davis affair caused serious rift and Finally WashingtonDC Think Tanks decided to pull the rug from under Pakistan Government's feet by killing the only alibi to 09/11.
John | 13 years ago | Reply I do not care, dead or alive. He destroyed nations, lives and future of millions of people. Dead is better, no more headaches of trial, incarceration, rescue attempts, and hostage negotiations as they did with Indians by hijacking Indian Airlines flight. As the seals are debriefed more accurate picture, minute by minute from each individual would emerge. Hopefully, PAK would provide the fill-in details of those injured.
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ