Ex-SEAL who shot bin Laden identifies himself

Navy Seal says he's Bin Laden shooter
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The former Navy SEAL who shot and killed
Osama bin Laden identifies himself
"I didn't think I would survive," he said in an
interview with The Washington Post
Washington (CNN) Former Navy SEAL Robert
O'Neill said in an interview with The Washington
Post that he was the one who fired the final shot to
kill Osama bin Laden in 2011.
The 38-year-old Montanan also said that other
SEAL team members were involved in the raid,
including Mark Bissonnette, who detailed the
group's experiences in his memoir, "No Easy Day."
O'Neill, who had been serving as a SEAL for 15
years at the time of the bin Laden raid, had
participated in other missions before -- but he said
he feared this mission would be his most difficult.



Photos: The death
of Osama bin Laden
"I didn't think I would survive," he told the Post.
He said it was clear that Bin Laden had been killed
and not merely injured from his shot when he fell to
the floor with a split skull. Before he was shot, bin
Laden "had his hands on a woman's shoulders
pushing her ahead," O'Neill recounts, likely to
deflect the attack.
CNN's Barbara Starr confirmed from a U.S. official
that O'Neill was on the raid. Two Special Operations
sources confirmed to CNN's National Security
analyst Peter Bergen that O'Neill was one of the
shooters in bin Laden's room but others in the
military community have wondered whether he can
claim to kill bin Laden since there were at least two
others in the room who fired weapons.
The Navy SEAL had previously revealed details of
the mission to Esquire magazine. But he was
hesitant to attach his name to the account until his
identity was linked to the story on a military blog
earlier this week without his consent. O'Neill also
said his secret was known by members of Congress
and some news organizations.
He also told the Post that he received a positive
response from the families of 9/11 victims when he
identified himself as bin Laden's killer to them.
"The families told me it helped bring them some
closure," he said.
O'Neill's move to go public is a controversial one,
as it violates an unspoken military rule: Don't seek
attention for your service.
"We do not abide willful or selfish disregard for our
core values in return for public notoriety or financial
gain," said an Oct. 31 letter to the Naval Special
Warfare ranks from commanding officer B.L. Losey
and force master sergeant M.L. Margaraci.
CNN has reached out to O'Neill but has not received
a response.

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