According to the book No Easy Day, written by former SEAL Matt Bissonnette, under the pseudonym Mark Owen, the SEALs refused to tell the president which of them it was. IE 11 is not supported. 'Classified information is protected by law,' they wrote. Robert signed a movie deal based on his biography in 2019. The Washington Post said that it had planned to reveal his identity along with Fox News later this month. improve functionality and performance. O'Neill came forward three years later and . Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 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. Why? MailOnline yesterday revealed that Rob O'Neill, a retired 16-year veteran of the elite squad is the man who says he shot bin Laden in the head to kill him. A SEAL source told MailOnline: 'The real shooter would never discuss it publicly. This is where I side with Bissonettes narrative, which supports that the point man took the deadly head shots that left UBL dead. O'Neill gently but firmly rejects this: "I chalk. The Navy SEALs sent to Pakistan were experienced combat veterans and highly trained for the mission, which included a mockup of bin Ladens compound. His name is Robert O'Neill. In the SEAL community, trust is incredibly important, your word is your bond, and you earn your Trident (SEAL pin) everyday. Theyre all my heroes and all contributed in some way. A 2017 report from The Intercept claimed that O'Neill did shoot bin Laden but the Al-Qaeda leader may already have been dead. One noted that he was speaking to them on 2 May 2013 - the second anniversary of the death of bin Laden, and not knowing his involvement in the most famous of all SEAL operations said: 'God Bless America.'. The encounter with bin Laden takes. Matthew Cole is an investigative producer for NBC News focusing on national security matters. Were about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, You are bigger and more capable than you realize. The SEAL claimed that the 'point man' rushed up the stairs, and seeing bin Laden poke his head out of his bedroom door, shot him once in the head, gravely wounding him. How do we know it was Robert O'Neil and not Mark Owens (Matt Bissonnette) who shot bin Laden? These special forces operators, meant to be silent-but-deadly in their shadowy forays around the world, arent supposed to be popping off publicly about their exploits certainly not boasting for credit or financial gain. Were the bran muffin of journalism. Making false statements and slandering someone on an Instagram account doesnt reflect well on Bissonette and opens him up to further liability. There was no mention of money going to charity. At Naval Special Warfares core is the SEAL Ethos, said the letter, signed by Rear Adm. Brian Losey and Master Chief Michael Magaraci. In Wednesday's segment, O'Neill said he encountered bin Laden after. He most likely unknowingly killed UBL, and then moved on to the women, knowing that his threat had been neutralized. "Everyone veteran, Marine, airman and navy SEAL coastguards everyone I've talked to today, all they tell me is they feel gross," O'Neill went on. Fear? RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. It also has investigative journalists looking for really bad stuff and Hollywood clamoring to grab whatever they can of the SEAL brand. According to the site, public revelations about the Bin Laden raid had led to a rift in the tight-knit community of America's special operations warriors. His lawyer Robert D Luskin insists the speeches were not controversial and says he expects the investigation to be resolved 'favorably'. 2. The Intercept claims SEAL Team 6 members Robert O'Neill and Matt Bissonnette wanted to benefit financially from the raid that ended with the death of bin Laden and allegedly made up details to . People walk past Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abottabad, Pakistan, where he was killed by U.S. Special Forces on May 2, 2011, the day after the raid. A weekly update on music, movies, cultural trends, and education solutions. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Even the slightest hint has the potential to compromise people, and in worst-case scenarios it gets them killed. 19802023 The Christian Science Monitor. continue to use the site without a The interview, which was published in March 2013, began with a meeting in April 2012 as he prepared to leave the Navy. Also, why was anyone in a rush to assault the top floor with only a couple of assaulters? His identity had been a. Matt Bissonnette vs Robert O'Neill. The point man rushed upstairs, along with ONeill and fellow SEAL Matt Bissonnette (whose book No Easy Day, published in 2012 using the pseudonym Mark Owen, became a New York Times bestseller). Forty. The Esquire article followed less than six months later, in the March 2013 issue. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Accusations were flying on social media forums, lines in the sand have been drawn, and friendships have been ended, a post on the site said. He also conceded that criticism from other SEALs, even if theyre strangers, can be painful. FOLLOW MORE IBT NEWS ON THE BELOW CHANNELS, IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. Unlike ONeill, however, Bissonnette is under investigation by the federal government, which is trying to determine whether he disclosed classified information in his first book. These SEALs, in the eyes of the public, become heroes once their stories are told. ", at least 30 generals and admirals that haven't resigned, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. 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. Tra i membri di quell'unit c'era Matt Bissonnette, che insieme a un altro membro del Seal Team 6, O'Neill, afferma di aver sparato i colpi mortali. Beyond the dehumanizing manner in which the al Qaeda fighters had. So that said, write it down, participate in a documentary, film project or video game, or talk about it on TV. In my opinion, it appears to be an attempt to shift blame and anger from his former teammates (theyre mad as hell) to SOFREP and me. O'Neill initially sought to become a sniper and enlist as a U.S. Marine where he had known some friends. Mr Gilliam was similarly critical of Matt Bissonnette, another Seal on the raid who has taken credit for shooting bin Laden, as well as Joe Biden, the gaffe-prone vice president who first revealed . I say I'll paint a big target on my front door and say come and get us O'Neill's father Tom on the SEAL being attacked by former commanders. But their dueling narratives are a sign of the backbiting and dysfunction that has roiled a once tight-knit band of warriors as former members violate their code of secrecy in search of the spotlight. [citation needed] It details Owen's career with . you are agreeing to our, One month free trial to theMonitorDaily, How these HBCU presidents fixed their colleges financial futures, Are you smarter than a US Marine? Bissonnette, a former Navy SEAL, signed a consent decree today acknowledging he "breached his fiduciary duties" by failing to submit his book for a security review by the Pentagon before publishing it and for failing to get the government's permission to publish it. SEAL leadership, and the Pentagon for that matter, cant have personnel entrusted with SECRET or TOP SECRET security clearances, who are read on to Special Access Programs (SAP), openly talking about things that shouldnt be talked about. . Organizations he has addressed have praised him for the quality of his speech. CNN reported than a 'senior US official' said the account 'has it right in my view'. Some are outlandish, and some require a deeper look. Your session to The Christian In the Esquire version of the raid, ONeill is second in the stack. Weve known about him for a long time. Despite the fact that bin Laden was unarmed, the SEALS had come under heavy fire as they made their way through the house to reach him and bin Laden showed no signs of surrendering. Another SEAL, Matt Bissonnette, wrote a book about the raid, "No Easy Day." Bissonnette's account suggests the point man fired the fatal shots, and that he and a second SEAL, presumably O'Neill . Pentagon officials have said that it's not clear whose shots actually killed bin Laden. In a letter last week, the admiral and senior enlisted man who run the United States Naval Special Warfare Command reminded all present and former SEALs that a critical tenet of the organizations ethos is: I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions., Violators of our Ethos are neither teammates in good standing, nor Teammates who represent Naval Special Warfare, Rear Adm. Brian Losey and Force Master Chief Michael Magaraci wrote. The CNN source said that it would have been impossible for The Shooter - O'Neill - to have seen a gun because the only two recovered from the bedroom were sitting on a shelf above the frame of the door, so invisible to someone rushing in the door. A Tale of Two SEALs - NBC News. Robert J. In that interview, published in March 2013, he said that he burst into bin Laden's bedroom, saw a gun within bin Laden's reach, and shot him in the forehead. By continuing to browse the site Sometimes, we call things boring simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.. O'Neill's claim to have killed bin Laden has been the subject of controversy due to Navy SEALs' code of silence that prevents them from publicly taking credit for their actions. Weve heard,SOFREP is writing a war crimes book, Brandon and Jack are trying to bring down ST6 and many others. Robert J. O'Neill's income source is mostly from being a successful . (It was the collision of two US aircraft at a staging point in the Iranian desert that catastrophically ended the attempted rescue of 52 American hostages in 1980, killing eight US servicemembers likely a factor in former President Jimmy Carters reelection defeat that year.). The two leaders made it clear that O'Neill's decision to go public translates into shame among former SEALs, and that he could even face legal action. He has fulfilled a series of engagements across the United States since leaving the military. Hear about special editorial projects, new product information, and upcoming events. Whatever he says, he says. Instead he has become a motivational speaker with an official biography which details a very generic version of his exploits. O'Neill today told the Washington Post that he had decided to disclose his identity in full after addressing relatives of the victims of the September 11 2001 terror attacks at the National September 11 Memorial Museum before it was officially opened. Matt Bissonnette doesnt appear at all in this telling. "Look, I don't want to be in charge, but if I was - oh I want to get the Americans? That appears to be a reference to unfounded claims of irregularities in the 2020 presidential election. 'I represent thousands of individuals whose lives were forever scarred by the tragedy of Sept. 11, and Mr. ONeills private words to the families who lost loved ones brought a remarkable comfort to them.'. But O'Neill's and Bissonnette's decisions to go public with their role violates the SEALs' tenets and irritates many in the military. O'Neill uscito pubblicamente per prendersi il merito dell'uccisione di Osama bin Laden, una decisione che non si collocava bene tra i ranghi del Navy . Ex-SEAL Robert O'Neill reveals himself as shooter who killed Osama bin Laden By Joby Warrick November 6, 2014 In 15 years of dangerous missions from midnight raids on al-Qaeda safe houses. Tiny smash with hammer. The commander replied, Delete me., But another former SEAL, while acknowledging that public scrutiny of their actions was fair, defended both Bissonnette and ONeill. During July of this year, our law firm confronted Bissonettes Washington DC lawyer, Bob Luskin (his new attorney, his old one is being sued), when we learned that false statements were being made publicly by Bissonette. Robert O'Neill discussed the situation in Afghanistan on Primetime with Will Cain and suggested that many U.S. admirals and generals should have resigned or been fired over recent events in the country. -- Courtney Kube contributed reporting to this story. Although it is not known if a similar operation is planned by the military, a SEAL Team Six 'operator' spoke to CNN in March 2013 to contradict the version of events O'Neill had then given anonymously to Esquire magazine. The Post said O'Neill acknowledged shots were fired at bin Laden by at least two other Seal team members, including Matt Bissonnette, a former Seal who wrote a 2012 book about the raid entitled . 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. We change lives. When he published the book No Easy Day on Sept. 4, 2012, he used the pen name Mark Owen and pledged much of the proceeds to charity, but he still became persona non grata with his command and many former comrades. Robert O'Neill, 41, was a member of SEAL Team 6 which conducted the May 2, 2011 raid on the 9/11 terrorist mastermind's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. However being an unsung hero was not enough. Among the members of that unit was Matt Bissonnette, who along with another Seal Team 6 member, O'Neill, claims to have fired the fatal shots. Arrive at your own conclusions. Robert O'Neill, a SEAL Team 6 mate of Bissonnette's, is reportedly working on his own book which will (obviously) be reviewed by the Pentagon before publication. What are the motives? A draft report of the internal investigation later showed that CIA Director Leon Panetta had revealed some classified details during an event at CIA headquarters. O'Neill has said the basic reason he became a SEAL was a teenage romance gone wrong. And I was talking to another SEAL Team Six operator with whom I've served for 20 years. Were run by a church, but were not only for church members and were not about converting people. Ive fired my weapon in combat, called in airstrikes, put my own ass on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan, and done things post-military as a contractor working in Iraq which the general public will never know. We have estimated Robert J. O'Neill's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets. Two more SEALs shot bin Laden in the chest, killing him. This website uses cookies to The terror leader was standing up, and O'Neill said he saw a gun, the AK-47 which bin Laden was known to have, on a shelf. Forty. His second book, No Hero, comes out next week. Washington CNN . The leadership created that double standard.. 'He insisted on doing this anonymously to honor his unit, however the incredible interest in this story made this difficult,' she told the Washington Post. 'Personally I feel more threatened by a potential retaliatory terror attack on our community than I did eight years ago,' his wife said in 2013. A former Navy SEAL who shot Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden told Fox News on Friday that he could rescue Americans from Kabul with "nine guys" amid the Taliban takeover of the country. O'Neill's decision to speak out was prompted by losing some of his military benefits by quitting the SEALs after 16 years rather than staying for a full 20 years of service. And Rob said if this guy could be a SEAL, then so could he.'. Boal was part of the large audience. I believe its important for historys sake to record personal stories and interpretations of significant events. "Two different people telling two different stories for two different reasons," Bissonnette said in an interview with NBC News. Veterans write books for many reasons and motives. It follows last year's Esquire magazine interview by Sharon Stone's ex-husband Phil Bronstein in which his identity was kept secret. This turns an honorable and historically significant operation into a circus sideshow. Neil Roberts was the first member of SEAL Team 6 to die in the Afghan war, and among the first elite operators who died after 9/11. All evidence that Im aware of points to the UBL mission as being a compartmentalized Special Access Program. . The official was not aware of any similar request for an investigation of O'Neill. But the following frenzy on Bissonettes second 60 minutes appearance and the ONeill appearances have painted us into a corner of response. O'Neill came out publicly to take credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden, a decision that did not sit well within the Navy Seal ranks. Dueling SEAL Team Six narratives, CIA: Zero Dark Thirty not a realistic portrayal of hunt for Osama bin Laden. ONeill told Esquire that ultimately there were many more wounds on the body than the ones he inflicted. Following this, senior Pentagon officials told CNN that the conclusions they reached were that Bissonnette was wrong in his version of events. Robert O'Neill, the Navy SEAL who claims he killed Osama bin Laden, was arrested Friday for 'driving while intoxicated' outside a convenience store in the US state of Montana. Bin Ladens guards and several other household members were shot and killed. This is nonsense. Today it became clear that other SEALs are about to accuse him of lying - although there is agreement that he was on the raid. He left the Navy right around the time Bissonnettes book hit the stands in September. The former senior SEAL Team Six leader, who knows both Bissonnette and ONeill, said he was utterly disappointed with both men. With regards to ONeills account. The other man to speak, Bissonette, is under investigation over money he has earned from the speeches he has made since publishing his tell-all book under the pseudonym Mark Owen, The New York Times revealed. And we can prove it.. Born and raised in US. No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden (2012) is a military memoir by a former member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) who participated in the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden.The book was written by Matt Bissonnette under the pen name Mark Owen. Yes, I guess I do. , updated Personal life [ edit] But upon his return stateside, ONeill identified himself as the trigger-man to members of the public while drinking in some favorite SEAL bars in Virginia Beach, VA. (This account was independently verified by a second source.) Look at the situation closely, analyze the motives, and arrive at your own conclusions. ', A critical tenant (sic) of our Ethos is 'I do not advertise the nature of my work, nor seek recognition for my actions' SEAL commanders in angry letter to members of the service after O'Neill's decision to go public was annoounced. And for the two individuals, Matt Bissonette, and Robert ONeill apparently seeking fortune, and fame with regards to the UBL spotlight? The narrative conflicted with many elements of Bissonnette's telling, and in his opinion it is the SEALs' story to tell. 'We do not abide willful or selfish disregard for our core values in return for public notoriety and financial gain, which only diminishes otherwise honorable service, courage and sacrifice.'. Whatever he [O'Neill] says, he says. Im proud to have been associated with the incredible men and women who make up SOCOM and the SEALs. According to the story, he says O'Neill "finished [bin Laden] off as he was circling the drain." Matt Bissonnette doesn't appear at all in this telling. Bin Laden's wife was screaming and O'Neill realised that a child was present too - bin Laden's youngest son. Rep. 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