A Navy SEAL says that bin Laden peaked out from a door and the SEALs shot him. Story #1 (May 2, 2011) in an Australian newspaper and elsewhere was that he was “killed in a firefight.” John Brennan, counter-terrorism advisor to Obama, said on May 3, 2011: “He was engaged in a firefight with those that entered the area of the house through his end. And whether or not he got off any rounds, I quite frankly, don’t know.”
Story #2 came on May 5, 2011: ” Osama bin Laden was unarmed when U.S. special forces shot and killed him, the White House said.” Also, news accounts on this date said that he was shot in the head.
On May 6, 2011, the Pentagon said “only one of the five people killed in the commando raid on Bin Laden’s compound was armed and fired a shot.” It also said “at the moment he died, the terrorist leader was not carrying a weapon — though some accounts suggest an AK-47 rifle and pistol were on a nearby table.”
The SEAL account confirms the Pentagon’s later account in general. There are conflicting reports on where bin Laden got shot, outside the room or inside.
12:20 pm on August 29, 2012
