Five years after Osama bin Laden's death, the CIA live-tweeted the raid on Sunday as though it were happening.
- Osama bin Laden was killed May 1, 2011
- CIA live-tweeted the raid Sunday
Bin Laden, the world's most-wanted terror leader, was killed in a covert operation May 1, 2011, at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan (north of Islamabad).
According to the CIA's timeline of the raid, President Barack Obama and other high-level security officials approved execution of the operation at 1:25 p.m. EDT.
Obama addressed the nation from the White House at 11:35 p.m.
Timeline of the Raid (provided by the CIA)
May 1 (all times in EDT)
1:25 p.m. — President Obama, DCIA Panetta, and JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of the operation.
1:51 p.m. — Helicopters depart from Afghanistan.
3:30 p.m. — Two helicopters descend on the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan (north of Islamabad). One crashes, but the assault continues without delay or injury.
3:32 p.m. — President Obama, in the Situation Room, receives up to the minute reports on the situation on the ground in Abbottabad.
3:39 p.m. — Usama Bin Ladin is found on third floor and killed.
3:53 p.m. — President Obama receives tentative confirmation of positive identification of Bin Ladin.
3:55 p.m. — Bin Ladin's body is moved to the first floor and placed in a body bag.
3:39 p.m. – 4:10 p.m. — Assault Team retrieves a large quantity of materials from the compound for intelligence analysis.
4:05 p.m. — First helicopter leaves the area.
4:08 p.m. EDT — Assault Team destroys the crashed helicopter.
4:10 p.m. EDT — Backup helicopter picks up remaining team members and materials and leaves Abbottabad.
5:53 p.m. EDT — Helicopters return to Afghanistan where Admiral McRaven greets the team.
7:01 p.m. EDT — President Obama receives confirmations of high probability of positive identification of Bin Ladin.
11:35 p.m. EDT — President Obama speaks to the nation from the East Room.
May 2
12:59 a.m. — Bin Ladin's body is buried at sea from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson in the north Arabian Sea.