"I turned and went into the next room and I was looking at Osama bin Laden and that's when I shot him and killed him," O'Neill told CBS News correspondent Margaret Brennan. After taking photographs and squeezing bin Ladens frame into a body bag, they scrambled to collect computer drives and other obvious sources of intelligence. Its unknown if the point man hit bin Laden, and if those shots killed him. After separating from the US Navy, O'Neill began working as a motivational speaker. Khalid. He whispers Khalid's name. (Enemy Killed in Action). The account doesnt mention what the third SEAL did. Best Defense Stocks to Buy as Geopolitical Tensions Surge, Certain Stocks Could Benefit as Russia-Ukraine Conflict Continues, Fox News Correspondent Trey Yingst Is Back in Ukraine Following Tragedy. ONeill is never named in the story, but hes called the Shooter. The first line says, The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden sat in a wicker chair in my backyard. (Three retired members of SEAL Team Six have confirmed to NBC News that ONeill is the shooter in the Esquire article.). According to another SEAL, O'Neill merely walked over to the immobile al-Qaeda leader and shot him twice in the head. I turned around, other SEALs were coming in the room, and I kind of stopped there and looked at them. [The point man] literally whispers, not amped up, not yelling, not anything. O'Neill's controversial step of revealing his identity and role in the historic mission were overshadowed by a former teammate who leaked O'Neill's identity last week, angry over O'Neill's intent to talk. Upon his discharge from the Navy on 24 August 2012 (after 16.6 years), O'Neill was still assigned to SEAL Team Six at Virginia Beach, Virginia and had six months and 15 days of sea service to his credit. "Well, I'd say if I was cashing in, I would have written a book as soon as I got out. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. All Rights Reserved. ONeills words in the Washington Post (I watched him take his last breaths) seem more screenplay than reality, tainted with a sense of gloating that rarely is becoming in anyone wearing a U.S. military uniform. Book tickets and tours for the 9/11 Museum, and reserve Outdoor Memorial Audio Guides. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Create an account today and support the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. A DoD investigation also revealed that Bissonnette and six other SEALs had served as advisers on the video game, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, at Bissonnettes urging. Violators of our ethos are neither teammates in good standing, nor teammates who represent Naval Special Warfare.. He has said he was advised by counsel that it was not required. [12] O'Neill estimated that with the Navy and SEALs, he annually earned US$60,000 (equivalent to $76,481 in 2022). The team proceed up the stairs where bin Laden was. Forty. The message, sent ahead of Bissonnettes appearance on 60 Minutes and ONeills interview on Fox, seemed intended to shame Bissonnette and ONeill. We went for everybody., Accepting the likelihood of death during the mission: We accepted it; we werent afraid. Former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill says he killed the world's most wanted man. SOFREP published an Oct. 31 letter apparently triggered by ONeills impending TV interview in which the commander and master chief of the Navy Special Warfare Command emphasized that a critical tenet of their profession is to not advertise the nature of my work nor seek recognition for my action.. - http://bit.ly/JBNPatreonIn May of 2011, Rob O'Neill and a group of America's most experienced Navy SEALS embarked on Operation Neptune Spe. Sources tell Task & Purpose that the point man fired shots at bin Laden when he peeked his head out. For better or worse, he developed quite the public persona through it all. / CBS News. In late 2014, in the run-up to credited Fox News[8] and Washington Post stories on the same topic, O'Neill's name was leaked by other former special forces personnel who were protesting his violation of "a code of silence that forbids them from publicly taking credit for their actions." He joined NBC News in 2013 after three years as an investigative producer for ABC News. Navy SEAL Who Shot Bin Laden Banned by Airline for Not Wearing Mask O'Neill later claimed to be the man who actually killed the terrorist leader. Robert O'Neill, a former SEAL and senior chief petty officer, recounted on Wednesday night the mission that killed Osama bin Laden, describing his thoughts during the raid. U.S. Service Members in Iraq Reported Chemical Exposure, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election, 2023 TIME USA, LLC. There seem to be two compelling narratives of extraordinary heroism among the special operations forces in Abbottabad that day, and ONeills isnt one of them. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and Defense Secretary Ash Carter honored the victims of 9/11 last week at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. . As word of ONeills impending public victory lap began to leak out, SEAL leaders issued a memo trying to explain why it was wrong. "Our great nation needs real leaders," Robert O'Neill, who helped kill bin Laden during a 2011 raid in Pakistan, . IE 11 is not supported. Once Mr. O'Neill had taken down the five men and secured his home, he brewed a pot of coffee and called the police station. The second time, as he is going down. And not one of those names did it for political gain or Hollywood., He said he still has plenty of friends in the SEAL community, and still gets messages of support. David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994. The point man suspected it was Khalid bin Laden, the al Qaeda leaders son. One other moment of controversy that O'Neill encountered after leaving the Navy was when he was banned from Delta Air Lines for not wearing a mask on a flight, according to FOX. Robert ONeill, a 38-year-old Montana native, was planning to reveal that he killed bin Laden in the May 2011 raid next week in interviews with Fox News and the Washington Post. First published on November 14, 2014 / 7:38 AM. He told Fox News that he and others . So I picked him up, put him with the wife. The man who killed Osama Bin LadenTrue American Hero with Robert ONeill Words are not adequate to describe this interview, this man or this story. When he isn't hosting public speaking events, O'Neill is an accomplished author who has penned the likes of books such as The Operator and The Way Forward. A critical tenant of our ethos is I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions, the two leaders wrote in the letter, which was widely seen as a condemnation of ONeill and Bissonnette. Robert J. O'Neill Now: Ex-Navy SEAL Claimed He Killed Bin Laden, Cashed In There is nothing wrong with keeping people happy." Robert O'Neill, The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior The identity of the Navy SEAL who shot and killed Osama bin Laden was a closely held secret until Thursday, when a site operated by former SEALs disclosed his name. an unauthorized best-selling book about the raid called No Easy Day,, the Pentagon successfully sued Bissonnette, By many accounts, that helicopter should have crashed disastrously. [One of the SEALs] was looking at me, and said Are you OK? I said What do we do now? And he laughed and put his hand on my shoulder, and he said, Now we go find the computers., By Jordan Friedman, 9/11 Memorial Research and Digital Projects Associate. There was no active participation by the Department of Defense in that movie to reveal any tactic, technique or procedures or classified information to the movie's filmmakers.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The SOFREP item was subsequently picked up by the British tabloid, the Daily Mail, which reported on Wednesday that ONeills father had confirmed his identity as the shooter in a telephone interview. Anna Schecter is a senior producer in the NBC News Investigations Unit. This was a means proof of concept, were going to be able to do this, and were not coming back., Killing bin Laden: A foot and a half in front of me was Osama bin Laden. And it didnt really sink in; the wife sort of came at me and there was like, two-year-old kid there. I didnt think I would survive, the former Navy SEAL said. He described the heroic actions of other SEALs, including those of the point man, who tackled two women in the bedroom to create the diversion that allowed ONeill to get off his shots. The film was released in February 2012 and capitalized on the bin Laden raid publicity. All of this has been done for personal gain., He said both men were now persona non grata with SEAL Team Six command in Virginia Beach. But the disclosures may have legal consequences, and top officers at the Naval Special Warfare Command recently warned other SEALs to stop talking. After expressing interest in becoming a sniper,[5] O'Neill enlisted on 29 January 1996,[7] and joined the Navy SEALs that same year. Hours later, ONeill was back at an American military base in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, eating a breakfast sandwich while bin Ladens body lay in an adjacent room. He whispers, Hey, Khalid. I think it's something that all individuals who are participating or have knowledge of sensitive operations should follow, said Kirby. His decision to talk came nearly two years after another team member, Matt Bissonnette, published a controversial account of the raid in the book titled, No Easy Day. It also follows what ONeill has described as an agonizing personal struggle, as he weighed concerns over privacy and safety against a desire to have a least some control over a story that appeared likely to break, with or without his consent. President. Sign up and contribute to these living historical records of survival, recovery, and commemoration. The man who killed Osama Bin LadenTrue American Hero with Robert O'Neill Words are not adequate to describe this interview, this man or this story. Talking out like this goes against the fabric of our community. But Mann cuts ONeill some slack: first of all, the government made it clear, shortly after bin Ladens death, that SEAL Team 6 was responsible (To me, thats the bigger problem, Mann says). In going public, ONeill joins fellow Team Sixer Matt Bissonnette who wrote an unauthorized best-selling book about the raid called No Easy Day, under a fake name. Robert ONeill may have fired the shot that killed Osama bin Laden, but he was merely the triggerman. Neither man is the SEAL who was first up the stairs at bin Ladens Pakistan compound and fired the first shot at Osama. "Very brave men said [goodbye] to their kids to go kill Osama bin Laden. His second book, No Hero, comes out next week. (he couldnt swim when he signed on! Before the event, ONeill met with 9/11 family members in the Museums Foundation Hall, where the shirt he wore during the mission and other related artifacts are on display. "I can't speak for him and I can't say what he saw," O'Neill said. Today marks the fourth anniversary of bin Ladens death. In the Esquire piece, ONeill said that he joined the Navy SEALs all those years ago after a girl dumped him when he was 19. As the five thugs ran aimlessly through the home, Mr. O'Neill used silent hand-to-hand combat tactics to individually disarm them of their weapons. commissioner Harrington said as he chuckled. More than three years after the events, ONeill agreed to publicly discuss his role for the first time, describing in unprecedented detail the mission to capture or kill the man behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. [7] O'Neill claimed in 2014 that he left the military because he no longer felt "adrenaline when people are shooting, and I knew that that could lead to complacency because if I am not afraid of, that I might wind up doing something stupid thinking that I can't get hurt". Two Special Operations. Just then, President Obama appeared on a television screen. [9], In 2013, O'Neill told The Montana Standard that he helped rescue SEAL Marcus Luttrell in Afghanistan, and that he was SEAL Team Six's "lead paratrooper" in the rescue of Richard Phillips from the Maersk Alabama hijacking; these missions were the bases of the 2013 films Lone Survivor and Captain Phillips, respectively. Navy SEAL who killed bin Laden floats run for office | Washington Examiner Get the latest in military news, entertainment and gear in your inbox daily. "[18] That same month, CNN published an interview with retired Admiral William H. McRaven; the former flag officer who oversaw Neptune Spear responded to the claims mentioning that "Rob O'Neill, the SEAL that, in fact, shot bin Laden". Bin Laden is dead as a result of a decade of tireless work from countless faceless members of the military, intelligence, and diplomatic communities. Magazines, Digital All Rights Reserved. But the former SEALs released his name in protest of his decision to come forward. He is not, however, being investigated by the Pentagon. There is no I in team, coaches and military commanders are fond of saying. Among previous hoaxes unleashed by the site are a yarn about welfare recipients being given free cars, a claim that the state of Colorado has legalized meth, and a widely-shared story about a pending "snowmageddon. Now, the Navy is investigating whether he revealed classified information. The first details the pilots with the Armys 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment who flew the specially outfitted Blackhawk helicopters used on the raid, one of which lost thrust hovering above the compound in the moments before insertion. O'Neill made headlines yet again for hitting back at former President Donald Trump when the latter retweeted a post claiming that Osama bin Laden hadn't actually been killed in Operation Neptune Spear, according to Politico. "Mr. O'Neill had just turned in for the night, but was awoken by a loud crash when his backdoor was abruptly kicked in. Doesn't know if it's Khalid or not. It is the selfless nature of American troops that makes their work honorable. According to The Intercept, a former SEAL Team Six member told the publication that O'Neill's claims about killing bin Laden were false. How can you be holding it against me?. Copyright 2023 Market Realist. He crumbled to the floor in front of his bed and I hit him again.. Become a Patron! Robert O'Neill, the SEAL Team 6 veteran who gained fame after publicly claiming he killed Osama bin Laden, once said that he wanted his new book " The Operators " to show the "the human. While O'Neill maintains that he was the trigger man, the U.S. government hasn't officially clarified who pulled the trigger to this day. Ex-Navy SEAL who claimed he killed Osama bin Laden banned from Delta The Navy SEAL team was sent in to kill Osama bin Laden. One of the most famous U.S. military operations of the 21st century is undoubtedly Operation Neptune Spear. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Bin Laden Shooter Rob O'Neill Mistakenly Attacked by Street Thugs Khalid literally looks back around the edge of the hall. An illustrated diagram of Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan. Today marks the fourth anniversary of bin Laden's death. After two years and some tough financial times while transitioning into civilian life, O'Neill decided to share his story -- a controversial choice he made after meeting with families of those killed in the 9/11 attacks. How many of them all get out and write books?, The bin Laden mission was just another day at the office, said Bissonnette, though being a SEAL is the kind of job not everyone survives. He was way taller than I was expecting. O'Neill's new mission is to help fellow veterans transition to civilian life. On Oct. 31, Rear Adm. John Kirby cited the final lines of the finished report to deny that the Pentagon had provided any sensitive information to Zero Dark Thirty filmmakers. Robert O'Neill - The Man Who Killed Bin Laden - Apple Richard Phillips from pirates off the coast of Somalia, an operation depicted in the 2013 movie Captain Phillips.. August 21, 2020 / 10:17 AM / CBS News The former Navy SEAL who claims he's the one who killed Osama bin Laden during a 2011 raid tweeted on Thursday that he was banned from Delta Air Lines. Did Robert O'Neill really kill bin Laden?(Opinion) | CNN )We cover the entire mission in detail and great specificity, both from the technical and human side. He has received criticism for trying to cash in. Former Team Six member Matt Bissonnette, who wrote a bestseller under a pseudonym about shooting bin Laden, is about to publish his second book about being a Navy SEAL. An earlier version of this article appeared in March 2013. ONeill then told a detailed story from his perspective about killing bin Laden and answered questions from an audience consisting of first responders, 9/11 family members, veterans and 9/11 survivors. ", Today, aside from contributing to Newsmax, O'Neill is an entrepreneur and a public figure with a net worth of $2.5 million, according to Idol Net Worth. Example: [Collected via e-mail, December 2014]. R obert O'Neill may have fired the shot that killed Osama bin Laden, but he was merely the triggerman. A Defense Department official told NBC News Tuesday that at the Defense Department's request, the Justice Department is investigating whether Bissonnette revealed classified information. Born in Butte, Montana, on 10 April 1976,[1] Robert J. O'Neill[2] is the son of Tom O'Neill, Jim and Diane Johnson, and the brother of Tom O'Neill. Robert O'Neill Is Not The Hero Of The Bin Laden Raid Peter Bergen. The member of SEAL Team Six claiming to have shot and killed Osama bin Laden in a daring night raid in May 2011 is Robert ONeill, multiple news sources have confirmed. He helped start a charity called Your Grateful Nation to do just that. Seems rather far-fetched - not many Crips in Butte, MT. He also conceded that criticism from other SEALs, even if theyre strangers, can be painful. "Thank you Mr. President. 345. Ex-Navy SEAL team shooter Robert O'Neill is unwavering in his claim: He alone pumped two bullets into Osama bin Laden, killing the architect of the 9/11 attacks. O'Neill, who was a supporter of Trump,[17] responded with a series of tweets, including "It was not a body double. ONeill, who works as a motivational speaker, had been invited to address a gathering of 9/11 family members at the National September 11 Memorial Museum shortly before its official opening. Robert O'Neill, who has publicly said he killed bin Laden in the 2011 raid ordered by former President Obama, pushed back on Trump in a series of tweets for promoting the conspiracy. Some of Bissonnettes peers also took issue with the book, which became a No. Both violated non-disclosure agreements they signed as members of the Navys most elite special-operations force. The official was not aware of any similar request for an investigation of O'Neill. The point man proceeded through the door, where he easily could have finished the job, but instead, he grabbed the two women in the room and pushed them against the wall, covering their bodies with his own in case they were wearing explosive vests, which was a big concern for SEALs on the raid. I want to clarify something before I go on I do think Robert ONeill is a hero. He looked confused, ONeill was quoted in the Esquire magazine as saying. Doesnt that seem odd to people? Were going now, were going to do this for the person I always bring up is the single mom that went to work on Tuesday morning and then decided its better to jump to her death than burn alive. But the former . Bissonnette, who left the Navy in April 2012, was the first SEAL from the bin Laden mission to cut a business deal based on his participation. Rep. Peter King, R.-N.Y., called for an Inspector Generals investigation in August 2011 after learning of reports in the media that Bigelow and Boal had enjoyed access to government officials. Former SEAL Who Says He Shot Bin Laden Appears To Muse About Former NAVY Seal Rob O'Neill on Al-Qaeda vowing war 10 years after bin Laden's death. 2 position, behind the point man, for the final assault on bin Ladens bedroom. But that rule apparently applies less and less if youre at the tip of the spear like the Navy SEALs who allegedly killed Osama bin Laden in his lair in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011. Said Kirby, I'll just read for you the last paragraph: Within the Department of Defense, we did not identify instances whereby any Special Operations tactics, techniques and procedures-related information was provided to filmmakers., So, no. I think it was apparent that we had done it. The former Navy SEAL who says he shot and killed Osama bin Laden describes the scene before the raid. The Esquire article followed less than six months later, in the March 2013 issue. He had a cap on and didnt appear to be hit.. It truly is, the greatest story of our time and I was honored and privileged to sit front row, and get my friend Rob ONeill to reveal details he had never spoken of prior. Such a notion seems almost quaint in todays self-centered, media-saturated culture. Former U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 member Robert O'Neill discussed Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death on May 1, 2011, in a special conversation held in the 9/11 Memorial Museum for members of the 9/11 community yesterday. O'Neill claimed that he and another unnamed member of SEAL Team Six cornered bin Laden, and that after the other SEAL fired and missed, O'Neill killed the terrorist leader with shots to the head. Robert O'Neill initially wasn't slated to be part of team that would raid compound He says hes sorry he didnt submit the book for legal review, but says there are inconsistencies about who is allowed to talk and who isnt, since higher ups were apparently speaking freely. ONeill is not solely responsible for killing bin Laden; rather, he is someone who fortuitously found himself at the end of a very long kill chain. Boal was part of the large audience. Former U.S. Navy SEAL Team 6 member Robert O'Neill discussed Operation Neptune Spear, the mission that resulted in Osama bin Laden's death on May 1, 2011, in a special conversation held in the 9/11 Memorial Museum for members of the 9/11 community yesterday. [19], On 20 August 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Neill tweeted a selfie of himself seated aboard a Delta Air Lines plane without a face mask; it was captioned "I'm not a pussy" and was followed by another that said, "Thank God it wasn't @Delta flying us in when we killed bin Laden we weren't wearing masks". O'Neill has. But this isnt ONeills first interaction with the press about his role on the raid. He thinks he might have.. [3] O'Neill described his childhood in Butte as "idyllic". At Naval Special Warfares core is the SEAL Ethos, said the letter, signed by Rear Adm. Brian Losey and Master Chief Michael Magaraci. Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill & Medal of Honor hero Dakota Meyer write book Ex-Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill maintains he single-handedly killed Osama I'm telling my end of the story.". In August 2011, a New Yorker article quoted an unnamed counterterrorism official in describing the shooting. Killing Osama bin Laden In an anonymous February 2013 interview, O'Neill told Esquire that he had killed Osama bin Laden during Operation Neptune Spear. Both men now face scorn from some brother SEALs. Ever since participating in the Seal Team Six operation that changed the course of his life forever in 2011, O'Neill has transitioned fully into a public figure role. "[10], During his enlistment, O'Neill received two Silver Stars, four Bronze Star Medals,[8] a Joint Service Commendation Medal (with "V" device), three Presidential Unit Citations, and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals (with "V" device). Bin Laden was standing and moving, thrusting one of his wives in front of him as if to use her as a shield. The tale spread quickly across social media sites, but Empire News is one of many fake news sites responsible for the frequent hoodwinking of Facebook users. So he launched a career as a motivational speaker. He chose to leave the military after more than 16 years of service. These sections can be located by jumping to the level 3 heading which follows each sub-menu. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. (WhiteHouse.gov via YouTube). ", The site's disclaimer page notes Empire News "is a satirical and entertainment website.". Don't have an account? Forty. Origins: On 15 December 2014, Empire News published an article titled "Bin Laden Shooter Rob O'Neill Mistakenly Attacked by Street Thugs Seeking to Collect Debt from Neighbor," claiming O'Neill . Two Special Operations sources confirmed to me that O'Neill was one of the shooters in bin Laden's room. The Navy SEAL Who Shot Bin Laden Thinks His Life Is in Danger - Insider So I pulled her over to the bed and grabbed the kid. Intro The Shot That Killed Bin Laden | Rob O'Neill | Talks at Google Talks at Google 2.07M subscribers Subscribe 6.7K 890K views 5 years ago Authors at Google Rob O'Neill is a former. Both the public and the press seemingly relish identifying such SEALs, and glorifying their exploits, without care for what may be lost in the transaction.
