Countdown bin Laden

by Chris Wallace

  Obama called Pakistani President Zardari and Afghan President Karzai. Surprisingly, Zardari was supportive. He recalled how his wife, Benazir Bhutto, had been killed by extremists with reported ties to Al Qaeda.

  Panetta phoned General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, head of Pakistan’s intelligence agency. When he picked up, Pasha said he had already heard about the raid. Word spread quickly in Pakistan.

  Panetta was frank. He said the United States had made a deliberate decision to exclude him and his agency from the operation. This way he would be shielded from any blowback from the Pakistani people who might think they cooperated with the United States. The raid would only exacerbate the increasingly frosty relations between the two countries. Still, with all the potential problems, Pasha said he was glad America got bin Laden.

  Pasha hung up, and Panetta made one more call. When his wife, Sylvia, picked up the phone, he shared all the details. She was thrilled. He didn’t have much time, but they talked about all the hard work Panetta had put in to get to this point.

  And then, he made a request: Call his friend Ted Balestreri, the owner of the Sardine Factory, and tell him to turn on the news later. Panetta smiled. Balestreri didn’t know it yet, but he’d lost the bet they’d made on New Year’s Eve. He was going to have to open that very expensive bottle of wine.

  Obama had one last thing to do before he went upstairs and got ready for his address. He wanted to call former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He made a point of letting Bush know that the mission was the culmination of all the former president’s hard work to find bin Laden and destroy Al Qaeda.

  When he called Bill Clinton, Obama said, “I guess Hillary told you.” But Clinton said he didn’t know a thing. When Obama said not to share the information with anybody, she didn’t. All these weeks she had kept the secret—even from her husband.

  With the calls out of the way, Obama returned to the Oval Office and sat with Rhodes. They worked on the speech. It was getting late. They’d have to finish it up soon.

  White House

  Obama’s national security team scrambled to get ready for the president’s address to the nation. But some also wanted to let their loved ones know what was going on.

  McDonough called his wife and urged her to watch the news later.

  “It should be on at about 10:45,” he said.

  She’d had a long day and was ready for bed. She stayed up, but at 10:45, nothing happened. No one broke into programming with a special report, so she went to sleep.

  Morell didn’t know if his wife would pick up the phone. She was still furious about him missing their daughter’s concert. By 8 p.m., she still hadn’t heard from him.

  When Morell called, he said the president would address the nation soon and she’d understand why he had been working so many long hours and missing so many important family events.

  Now Mary Beth was worried. “Did something terrible happen?”

  “No, it will be good news,” Morell assured her.

  She paused for a moment, then blurted out, “You got him?” Mary Beth knew that her husband had been working on Al Qaeda cases for so long that maybe it had something to do with bin Laden.

  Morell couldn’t tell her. Not even now. He just smiled into the phone and said, “Love you, got to go.”

  Meanwhile, in the West Wing, Obama, Brennan, Rhodes, and others were going line by line over his speech. Obama wanted to strike a positive, uplifting tone. Bin Laden was dead. Of course, Al Qaeda was still a threat. But things were getting better. They had the terrorist group on the run.

  President Barack Obama with speechwriter Ben Rhodes and White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley.

  Somewhere in the North Arabian Sea

  The captain of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson was ready. A Boeing V-22 Osprey had delivered bin Laden’s body to the ship. Now it was about to be lowered to its final resting place in the Arabian Sea.

  No one would know the exact location of the watery grave. In Islam, the burial takes place as quickly as possible after death. The U.S. officials followed Muslim tradition. They washed bin Laden’s body before wrapping it in white cloth. They placed his body in a bag with weights to sink it to the bottom. It lay on the deck while a Muslim seaman spoke the prescribed Arabic prayers.

  Only a small group of the ship’s leadership was informed of the burial. Most of the sailors had no idea what was going on. And only a handful were at the burial ceremony, including a navy photographer.

  The seaman finished and stepped back. Less than a day after he was killed, Bin Laden’s body was placed on a flat board, his feet facing the water. Several men tipped the board up, and bin Laden’s body slid twenty-five feet into the sea. It disappeared beneath the surface.

  White House

  President Obama calmly stepped to the lectern in the East Room. Television lights lit up the room. It was 11:35 p.m.—far beyond prime time to address the nation. But Obama wanted Americans to know what had happened that day in a city halfway around the world.

  News was already leaking out, so Obama wanted to make sure everyone heard the official version. No rumors, just facts about a daring operation that brought the world’s most notorious criminal to justice. And he also wanted to remind Americans why they had conducted the mission in the first place.

  Obama’s clothes—dark blue suit, crisp white shirt, and red silk tie—reflected the solemn and dramatic nature of his speech. Only a handful of officials were there: Biden, Clinton, Panetta, Donilon, Mullen, Morell, Bash, and James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence.

  Obama took a deep breath, then stared straight ahead. He announced that U.S. military and CIA operatives had conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader, “a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.”

  “It was nearly ten years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory—hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

  “And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens were taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.”

  He reminded Americans how the nation came together in the wake of the tragedy.

  “We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.”

  Obama was just getting started. He said America was united in another way: In its resolve to bring to justice those who committed this vicious act. He reminded everyone that bin Laden and Al Qaeda had declared war on the United States.

  And so, over the last decade, the United States went to war with Al Qaeda to “protect our citizens, our friends and our allies.” He said America had “disrupted the terrorist network and strengthened the nation’s homeland defense.

  “Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, Al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.”

  He told the nation that shortly after he took office, he directed Panetta to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority in the U.S. war against Al Qaeda.

  White House advisors watch President Barack Obama deliver address to the nation, May 1, 2011.

  Obama disclosed that in August 2010, after years of painstaking work, he was brie
fed on a possible lead to the terrorist leader.

  “It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.”

  Then he disclosed that the United States had launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad.

  “A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

  He was wrapping up the speech, but he wanted to warn the nation that the War on Terror wasn’t over.

  “There’s no doubt that Al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must—and we will—remain vigilant at home and abroad,” he said.

  Obama reminded Americans that the United States “did not choose this fight. It came to our shores and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly ten years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as commander in chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

  “So, Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to Al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.”

  The lights were killed, the speech was over. Obama walked toward his group of advisors. As he got closer, he could see Biden clutching his rosary. So were Mullen and Panetta. Obama smiled, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a crucifix. It turned out they all had prayed for a good outcome. They all had sought divine intervention in the success of the mission and the safe return of the SEALs.

  Panetta could see that Obama was tired. But he could also see the joy in his face over what had happened. It was a look of great satisfaction.

  It was midnight, and Panetta wanted to get home. He waited for Morell, who was talking to the media in a White House “press backgrounder,” where senior officials answer questions about sensitive issues. Reporters can’t quote the briefers by name, only as “senior administration officials.” But with information this juicy, no one would care. Morell explained the intelligence that led to the compound. After Morell finished, Michael Vickers and a State Department official answered questions about the military operation.

  The press briefing wrapped up close to 1 a.m. As Morell and Panetta were leaving, they heard a strange noise coming from outside. Voices. When they walked outside into the crisp night air, they heard a loud and raucous chant: “USA. USA. USA. USA…”

  A crowd of thousands had gathered across the street in Lafayette Park to celebrate. They had been there for a while. Each official in turn heard the chants as they headed for home.

  Mullen stood alone in the White House Rose Garden, staring at the stars stretched across the sky. With the patriotic chant echoing into the night and the peaceful scenery above, he finally started to relax.

  Clinton was overwhelmed by the response, too. It was mostly young people, students from nearby universities. They were shouting and waving American flags. As a New York senator, she had visited Ground Zero the day after the attacks. She had talked to the victims’ families and worked hard in Washington to try to get them the financial support they needed. Clinton was emotionally and physically drained. It had been a rough few months. But for a moment at least, she gained strength from the outpouring of love.

  This was the proudest moment of Panetta’s professional life. He stopped and listened to the rhythmic chants. He knew it was a rare public expression of joy.

  Morell found it surreal. He had heard the chant before, a decade earlier. In the days following 9/11, a patriotic surge swept the nation. He recalled President Bush’s visit to Ground Zero a few days after the terrorist attacks.

  The Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were still smoldering. Bush suddenly climbed on top of some rubble, put his arm around a firefighter, and grabbed a bullhorn. Someone in the crowd said they couldn’t hear the president. So Bush replied with words that inspired the nation: “I can hear you!” he said. “The rest of the world hears you! And the people—the people who knocked these buildings down—will hear all of us soon.” The crowd reacted with loud, prolonged chants of “USA. USA. USA.”

  Now, outside the White House, Morell was listening to the same chant. He turned to Panetta and hugged him. It was Morell’s way of thanking Panetta for his faith in him, for his diligence and relentless drive to get bin Laden. Panetta smiled. Morell released him. “Let’s go,” the CIA director said. With that, they trudged to their cars as the crowd chanted into the night: “USA. USA. USA.”

  COUNTDOWN: AFTERMATH

  New York City

  Obama’s late-night announcement sent waves of patriotism across the United States. The streets erupted in spontaneous celebration. Applause and shouts of joy from Lafayette Park could be heard inside the White House.

  New Yorkers cheered and honked horns and waved flags. Thousands headed to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, site of the World Trade Center, to celebrate the joy, comfort, and closure that came with the death of the terrorist most responsible for its destruction.

  New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a speech that recalled America’s commitment to bring justice to those who planned and carried out the September 11 attacks. Almost three thousand people died that day, but in the end “Osama bin Laden found out that America keeps its commitments,” Bloomberg said.

  The Ground Zero celebration was held in the shadow of a new skyscraper under construction, the Freedom Tower. It had been designed to dominate the New York City skyline. As Bloomberg put it, Osama bin Laden was dead, and the World Trade Center site was teeming with new life.

  For many, it was a historic moment long overdue. For others, it was bittersweet.

  Jessica Ferenczy was excited about the news. They finally got the bastard! she thought. How many times had she imagined this moment, and thought about what vengeance might feel like? Justice had finally been served, but Jerome Dominguez, the love of her life, was still gone forever.

  Jessica looked at the time. It was late. She would have to get up early for her shift. But before she headed to bed, she went to Dominguez’s Legacy page and wrote a brief message.

  I love you Baby. I don’t feel any better, even though I waited so long for this day. I miss you so much. Nothing can bring you home to me. I love you now, as I did then, as I did before we met.

  Jessie

  Elsewhere, national and international leaders expressed their support for the raid. At the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said bin Laden’s death was a watershed in the global fight against terrorism.

  “This is a day to remember the victims and the families of victims here in the United States and everywhere in the world,” Ban said.

  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the result of the raid was “a resounding victory for justice, for freedom, and for the shared values of all democratic countries that fight shoulder to shoulder against terror.”

  The reaction in the Muslim world was more subdued. “I hope the death of Osama bin Laden will mean the end of terrorism,” Afghan President Hamid Karzai said. Few others were so optimistic.

  Bagram, Afghanistan

  Robert O’Neill was tired. He had been running at full speed for who knows how long. Now, standing by the flight line at the Bagram Airfield, he was trying to decompress. In a
few minutes, he and his fellow SEAL Team 6 members would board an empty C-17. The plane usually stopped in Germany to refuel, but this time it was a direct flight home.

  After their debriefing in Jalalabad, the SEALs had been flown to Bagram, where they finally had some breakfast in a chilly aircraft hangar. O’Neill chose an egg and cheese sandwich and squeezed on a little hot sauce. He walked over to a big-screen television in the back of the hangar and munched while he watched President Obama tell the nation what SEAL Team 6 had just done.

  Then it hit him. Everyone at home knew. The president said no SEALs were killed or injured, but O’Neill was seized with the need to call his father, to tell him he was OK.

  But he couldn’t call. He didn’t have access to a phone. He couldn’t break the “mission silence” yet. O’Neill took a deep breath. This was normal, he told himself. He hadn’t had time yet to process everything.

  Nearby, Will Chesney was feeling the same jumble of emotions. It was strange, sitting in a hangar, with Cairo, eating breakfast, watching the president on television just hours after the raid. All those weeks of buildup, and now it was over. Chesney was ready to go home. In a few minutes, he knew he’d be on his way. He understood that killing bin Laden was big news. But he didn’t know how big it had become—or that by now, the world knew the mission had been carried out by SEAL Team 6.

  The C-17 was ready. O’Neill, Chesney, Cairo, and the other newly minted heroes picked up their gear and began boarding the plane. The men hoped they would be able to get some much-needed rest during the long flight. They were going to need it.

  Washington, D.C.

  President Obama hoped bin Laden’s death would become the defining event in the American-led fight against terrorism, a symbolic moment affirming the relentless pursuit of those who attacked New York and Washington on 9/11.