A former US Navy SEAL who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and once rescued a ship captain from Somali pirates has revealed himself as the man who killed Osama bin Laden.
Robert O'Neill, 38, has told The Washington Post that he fired the fatal shot that hit the al-Qaeda leader in the forehead at his hideout in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad in May 2011.
The former commando told the Post he decided to come forward ahead of planned media appearances next week when his identity was disclosed by SOFREP, a website operated by former SEALs.
SOFREP's revelation was in protest at O'Neill's decision to reveal his role in the mission.
The highly decorated Montana native told the Post that he was near the head of the column of US soldiers that raided bin Laden's compound, adding that at least two other SEALs fired shots.
The newspaper said two SEAL team members had corroborated his identity.
However, some SEALs have already come forward claiming O'Neill is a liar, the MailOnline reports.
"The real shooter would never discuss it publicly," a SEAL source told the website.
"Members of SEAL Team Six haven’t discussed it publicly so there's a reasonable chance he's not being truthful.
"There is no way O'Neill could really prove it was he who took the fatal shot on Osama bin Laden unless his comrades all attested to it."
O'Neill is set to appear in a documentary on the Fox network next week.
At bin Laden's compound, O'Neill was located in the number two position for the attack on the al-Qaeda leader's bedroom.
Bin Laden briefly appeared at the door but the SEAL in front of O'Neill apparently missed his shot.
The Post said O'Neill had long agonised over whether to go public but finally decided to so after concerns that others would leak his identity, which was already known in military circles, by members of Congress and at least two news organisations.
He finally decided to come forward after meeting with relatives of victims of the September 11, 2011 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.
O'Neill said he decided on the spot to speak about bin Laden's death.
"The families told me it helped bring them some closure," O'Neill told the Post.
O'Neill had already served nearly 15 years as a SEAL by the time of the raid on bin Laden's compound, and was serving in the elite SEAL Team Six unit.
In 2009, he served on a mission to rescue a ship captain from pirates off the coast of Somalia. The story was turned into a film starring Tom Hanks, Captain Phillips.
AFP/3 News
source: newshub archive
