Robert J. O'Neill is a former United States Navy SEAL (1996–2012), TV news contributor, and author. After participating in the May 2011 Operation Neptune Spear with SEAL Team Six, O'Neill was the subject of controversy for claiming to be the sole individual to kill Osama bin Laden.
O'Neill in 2018
Killing of Osama bin Laden
On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was shot and killed at his compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad by United States Navy SEALs of SEAL Team Six. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a CIA-led mission, with the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) coordinating the Special Mission Units involved in the raid. In addition to SEAL Team Six, participating units under JSOC included the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the "Night Stalkers," and the CIA's Special Activities Division, which heavily recruits from former JSOC Special Mission Units. The success of the operation ended a nearly decade-long manhunt for bin Laden, who was accused of masterminding the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Osama bin Laden's compound
CIA aerial photo of the compound
Situation Room: The U.S. national security team, with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden (left), and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, gathered in the White House Situation Room to monitor the progress of the operation
USS Carl Vinson conducting flight operations in the Persian Gulf (April 4, 2011)