August 9, 2011

The Riveting Story Of The Raid That Killed Osama Bin Laden

This week's NEW YORKER magazine has a fascinating and intensely detailed story about the U.S. military raid that killed Al Queda cheif Osama Bin Laden on May 1st.  There are some incredible details about the operation as the writer, Nichoas Schmidle, puts you in the helicopter, flying illegally over Pakistani air space with a team of elite Navy operatives on a mission to kill the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

It's incredible how the raid seemed like it was going to be a disaster from the minute of their arrival, when the team's Blackhawk stalled and crash landed into the compound.  But, in an interesting point of view, one of the Seals later says it was best the copter was left behind as it's physical evidence instantly quelled any conspiracy nuts. Another great detail was what was found in the computers and hard drives in the compound. There were plots to assassinate President Obama, General Patraeus and even plans for another massive attack on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  But more shocking was the sizable cache of digital pornography too.  However, this discovery didn't phase the intelligence folks... they have found that on every computer they've seized in all their Al Quadea raids.

Anyway, this is an amazing story reported to death in true New Yorker style.  Coming in 2012--the movie version of this fateful night via THE HURT LOCKER's Kathryn Bigelow.