COUNTDOWN: 182 DAYS
The Wolstein Center: Cleveland Plain Dealer, October 31, 2010.
After only nine months: Obama, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, December 10, 2010.
“I know there is nothing weak”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 181 DAYS
He filled a bowl: Gary, interview with author, February 9, 2021.
“repeat offender”: Ibid.
“Get ready”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 179 DAYS
Afridi didn’t know it: New York Times, January 28, 2012.
COUNTDOWN: 177 DAYS
“We’re the CIA”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“This is the top priority”: Ibid.
“Do whatever the”: Ibid.
“You know, I’ve seen”: Ibid.
“Can we tap into”: Jeremy Bash, interview with author, November 10, 2020.
“Have you people used”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
frustrated in part by Panetta’s: Gary, interview with author, February 11, 2021.
“I don’t think Gary”: Bash, interview with author, November 10, 2020.
“Suggest anything”: Ibid.
“Don’t worry about whether”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 138 DAYS
“a band of deluded”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 677.
“We think he could be”: Ibid., p. 679.
“What’s your judgment?”: Ibid.
“There’s a good chance”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 133 DAYS
“The alarm went off”: Ferenczy, interview with author, December 28, 2020.
“You get onto the highway”: Ibid.
“Baby, Baby Happy Anniversary”: Ferenczy, Legacy.com, December 19, 2010.
COUNTDOWN: 121 DAYS
In Washington, Panetta rented: Panetta, interview with author, March 19, 2021.
“a certain glint in his eye”: Ibid.
“You’re on”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 120 DAYS
So much had changed: O’Neill, interview with author, December 5, 2020.
“Where’s bin Laden?”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 107 DAYS
Meanwhile, Panetta continued quietly: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“You shouldn’t try to spin”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 93 DAYS
“We believe The Pacer”: Morell, interview with author, October 30, 2020.
“Congratulations to you all”: Admiral William McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
“can-do guy”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 681.
“What do you think”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 271.
“Sir, it’s a compound”: Ibid.
“How many men”: Ibid.
“OK, Bill. I don’t”: Ibid., p. 272.
“you can’t tell anyone”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 75 DAYS
Panetta called his counterpart: Panetta, Worthy Fights, p. 305.
“nitty-gritty work”: Nicholas Rasmussen, interview with author, December 3, 2020.
COUNTDOWN: 70 DAYS
“What’s up, buddy?”: Chesney, No Ordinary Dog, p. 160.
“practically swimming in a puddle”: Ibid.
“Let’s do a little”: Ibid., p. 161.
COUNTDOWN: 65 DAYS
“talk about what”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“If we determine”: Ibid.
“I think we’ve”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 58 DAYS
Afridi had started the vaccination project: Guardian, July 16, 2011.
“I already told them”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“We’re still evaluating intelligence”: Donilon, interview with author, January 19, 2021.
“What the fuck did you expect”: John Brennan, interview with author, November 18, 2020.
“I need to keep the intelligence”: Ibid.
“I have to do this”: Ibid.
“super experienced, super deep”: Gary, interview with author, February 11, 2021.
COUNTDOWN: 48 DAYS
“Bill, how are you”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 285.
“lot going on in the world”: Ibid.
“Is it Libya?”: Ibid.
“Make sure the meeting”: Hillary Rodham Clinton, interview with author, December 17, 2020.
“completely off the books”: Ibid.
“We could miss our best”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2010.
“leave a large smoking”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 282.
“ISI must know”: Ibid., p. 283.
“I think the only real option”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“Mr. President, Bill is”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 288.
“Sir, it’s possible”: Ibid.
“How many do you”: Ibid.
“At a minimum?”: Ibid.
“sketched out a concept”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 682.
“What I can tell you”: Ibid.
“Let’s do the homework”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 35 DAYS
“extremely experienced in combat”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 290.
“Gentlemen, in less than two weeks”: Ibid., p. 291.
“OK. You know what”: Ibid., p. 292.
COUNTDOWN: 33 DAYS
“Nothing,” one of the flyboys: Bash, interview with author, November 10, 2020.
“Would we be able to”: Ibid.
“It’s a bad plan”: Brennan, interview with author, November 18, 2020.
“Can you get by the air”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 294.
“At that point, the sound”: Ibid.
“What about the women”: Ibid.
“This is a challenge”: Ibid.
“If they have a suicide”: Ibid., p. 295.
“Fight your way out”: McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
“Can you do the mission”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 295.
COUNTDOWN: 26 DAYS
“Man, I sure wish”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 246.
“Hey, buddy, pay for”: Ibid.
“This shit’s ending one”: Ibid., p. 251.
“I know. We didn’t”: Ibid.
“flick of an index finger”: Ibid., p. 253.
“Pack your gear”: Chesney, No Ordinary Dog, p. 205.
COUNTDOWN: 25 DAYS
Everything was shifting into: Gary, interview with author, March 16, 2021.
“What would fourteen days”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 24 DAYS
“What I’m about to”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 274.
“What kind of air”: Ibid., p. 275.
“There will be no”: Ibid.
“We have reason to believe”: Gary, interview with author, March 16, 2021.
“holy shit”: Bash, interview with author, November 10, 2020.
“opportunity of a lifetime”: Chesney, interview with author, September 15, 2020.
“to keep the world out”: O’Neill, interview with author, December 5, 2020.
“who went to work on a Tuesday morning”: O’Neill, interview with author, November 29, 2020.
“measure of revenge”: Chesney, interview with author, September 15, 2020.
“careful hurry”: Bash, interview with author, November 10, 2020.
COUNTDOWN: 20 DAYS
“Can you swing by?”: John Thompson, interview with author, January 19, 2021.
“Not a problem, sir”: Ibid.
“You want a beer?”: Ibid.
“You need to keep”: Ibid.
“Ours is a world beset”: Thompson’s father’s letter to his son. Courtesy of JT Thompson collection.
“six or seven decisions”: McRaven, interview with author, January 12, 2021.
“prepare for the worst, hope for the best”: Thompson, interview with author, January 19, 2021.
COUNTDOWN: 18 DAYS
They followed the plans: O’N
eill, interview with author, December 5, 2020.
“read and react”: Chesney, interview with author, September 15, 2020.
“We’re doing it for”: O’Neill, interview with author, December 5, 2020.
COUNTDOWN: 16 DAYS
“I need all of you”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“Sam, what do you”: Ibid.
“What do you think”: Ibid.
“Ninety-five percent”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 13 DAYS
“I assume you guys have”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 301.
“Let’s make sure the”: Ibid.
“We’ve already taken that”: Ibid.
“We’ll be fine, JT”: Ibid.
Mullen paid close attention: Admiral Michael Mullen, interview with author, November 17, 2020.
“I see that you added”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 303.
“It might not be necessary”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 12 DAYS
He pushed the president: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“the law of diminishing returns”: Ibid.
“get to the target”: McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
COUNTDOWN: 7 DAYS
That’s why this call: Chesney, interview with author, September 15, 2020.
“I just wanted to let”: Ibid.
“There’s something important”: Ibid.
Moments after they got home: O’Neill, interview with author, December 30, 2020.
COUNTDOWN: 6 DAYS
Jerome would have been: Ferenczy, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
COUNTDOWN: 4 DAYS
“But we’re not going to”: Obama, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, April 27, 2011.
“we do not have time”: Ibid.
“We’re better than this”: Ibid.
With them at the base: O’Neill, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
COUNTDOWN: 3 DAYS
“I need you, and”: Panetta, interview with author, November 23, 2020.
“I’ve worked closely”: Obama, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, April 28, 2011.
“history was in the room”: Donilon, interview with author, January 19, 2021.
“from A to Z”: Mullen, interview with author, November 17, 2020.
“adequately pressure-tested its work”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 685.
“Even at the low end”: Michael Leiter, interview with author, March 18, 2021.
“Mr. President, I believe”: Morell, interview with author, October 30, 2020.
“So, Michael, if you’re”: Ibid.
“There’s a formula I’ve used since I was in”: Panetta, Worthy Fights, p. 318.
“rare opportunity”: Clinton, interview with author, December 17, 2020.
“I know we’re trying”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 685.
“I’ll let you know”: Ibid., p. 686.
COUNTDOWN: 2 DAYS
And last night, he’d: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 688.
“ratty old sandals”: Ibid., p. 687.
It was hard to: Donilon, interview with author, February 5, 2021.
“Cartwright mentioned something”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 307.
“Well, it’s a little”: Ibid.
“We’re just waiting for”: Ibid., p. 308.
“It’s a go”: Donilon, interview with author, January 19, 2021.
“I’m praying for you”: McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
“Get in, get bin Laden”: Ibid.
“Our forces can do this”: Mullen, interview with author, November 17, 2020.
“What’s going on here?”: Ibid.
“Fuck the Correspondents’ Dinner”: Morell, interview with author, October 30, 2020.
“Oh, sorry, you can’t”: Clinton, interview with author, December 17, 2020.
“drew the short end of the straw”: Brennan, interview with author, November 18, 2020.
“Way to go”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 1 DAY
“The president authorized you”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 295.
“I do this every night”: Ibid., p. 296.
“We’re all set”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 309.
“Well, don’t push”: Ibid.
“If he is there”: Ibid.
“quietly balanced on a mental high wire”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 694.
“My fellow Americans”: Obama, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, April 30, 2011.
“I know he’s taken”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: 10 HOURS
Gary had laid out his clothes: Gary, interview with author, March 16, 2021.
What did we miss?: Brennan, interview with author, November 18, 2020.
“Isn’t that your”: Leiter, interview with author, March 18, 2021.
“When you find out”: Ibid.
“Didn’t you just get”: Ibid.
“Look, here’s the deal”: McRaven, interview with author, January 12, 2021.
“Don’t try to fly”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 311.
“At one point, the”: Ibid., p. 312.
“The court in the”: Ibid.
“Michael, what do you”: Morell, interview with author, October 29, 2020.
“I won’t be”: Ibid.
“It will just take”: Morell, The Great War of Our Time, p. 167.
“It’s about time”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 313.
“Tonight, we are daring”: Ibid., p. 314.
“Gentlemen, since 9/11”: Ibid.
“I wish I was”: O’Neill, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
“Hey, Dad. I just wanted”: Ibid.
“I’ve got to go to work”: Ibid.
“Launch the assault force”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 315.
“One, two, three”: O’Neill, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
“spectators, not participants”: Morell, The Great War of Our Time, ebook.
“General Petraeus is on”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 316.
“Freedom itself was attacked”: O’Neill, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
“so many people jammed in there”: Leiter, interview with author, March 18, 2021.
“an electric kind of fear”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 694.
“Oh, Lord, Murphy turned up”: Denis McDonough, interview with author, December 7, 2020.
“It’s down. Can’t use”: Morell, interview with author, October 30, 2020.
“Bill, what the hell”: Panetta, Worthy Fights, p. 322.
“The SEALs are continuing”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 318.
“really intense, stressful experience”: Clinton, interview with author, December 17, 2020.
“I didn’t mean to”: O’Neill, interview with author, January 5, 2021.
“Khalid, come here”: Ibid.
COUNTDOWN: GERONIMO
“For God and country”: McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
“Shut the fuck up!”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 320.
“We got him”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 695.
“Mr. Vice President, I’ve”: Mullen, interview with author, March 19, 2021.
“Dude, I think I just shot”: Chesney, interview with author, September 15, 2020.
“They found a whole”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 321.
“Here’s your guy”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 312.
“Congratulations, Boss”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 695.
“We still have a long”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 323.
“Refueling done yet?”: Ibid.
“You’ve got to give her”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 316.
“I think I can find”: Ibid.
“Well, I guess I’m out”: Ibid., p. 317.
“How tall are you?”: McRaven, Sea Stories, p. 325.
“OK, Bill, let me”: Ibid., p. 326.
“Thank you, sir.”: Ibid.
“Great job”: Panetta, Worthy Fights, p. 326.
“Today, anything you say”: Ibid.
“Let’s have a draft”: Ibid., p. 327.
“It’s a good thing you”: Mullen, interview with author, November 17, 2020.
“I guess Hillary told you”: Clinton, interview with author, December 17, 2020.
“Did something terrible”: Morell, The Great War of Our Time, p. 167.
“a terrorist who’s responsible”: Obama, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, May 1, 2011.
COUNTDOWN: AFTERMATH
“Osama bin Laden found”: New York Times, May 2, 2011.
“I love you Baby”: Ferenczy, Legacy.com, May 1, 2011.
“This is a day”: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, press release, May 2, 2011.
“a resounding victory”: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, press release, May 2, 2011.
“I hope the death”: Afghan President Hamid Karzai, press release, May 2, 2011.
“offered a catharsis of sorts”: Obama, A Promised Land, p. 698.
“Famously cool under pressure”: Ibid., p. 681.
“all those around the world”: McRaven, interview with author, November 30, 2020.
The president wanted to: McRaven, interview with author, January 12, 2021.
“What the hell are”: Panetta, Worthy Fights, p. 329.
“You know, Laura and”: Morell, The Great War of Our Time, p. 174.
“a fucking hero”: O’Neill, The Operator, p. 314.
“So this is Cairo?”: Chesney, No Ordinary Dog, p. 237.
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