Former US Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill, who claims he fired the shot that killed Osama bin Laden, has revealed new details about the final nine minutes of the historic US raid that eliminated the Al-Qaeda leader.
Speaking about the operation carried out in Abbottabad, Pakistan, O’Neill said the mission was driven by a clear goal: avenging the victims of the September 11 attacks. He stressed that the elite force was not motivated by fame, but by ending the threat posed by Bin Laden.
According to O’Neill, the team was informed about the mission only three weeks before execution, without being told the target or location. They trained intensively on a replica of the compound and prepared for multiple worst-case scenarios—one of which became reality when a modified Black Hawk helicopter crashed inside the compound during the assault.
Despite the complication, the force pushed forward. O’Neill said the most difficult moment for him personally was saying goodbye to his children, knowing he might not return.
