On the morning of May 2, the UK awoke to the news that Osama Bin Laden, the 'Worlds most wanted man' for over a decade had been tracked down and killed in a firefight.
The operation was carried out in the town of Abbottabad, the compound was 800 yards from one of Pakistans military academies and the compound was in an affluent area. This has increased pressure and suspicion on the Pakistani government as to how much they knew. Although information is changing daily the basic facts are thus:
A suspect held at Guantanamo Bay, under "enchanced interrogation proceedures"(EIP) revealed the name of one of Osama's trusted couriers "Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti." On his arrest and interrogation in 2003, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad the "9/11 mastermind" allegedly denied all knowledge of Abu, according to the head of the CIA's Counter Terrorism unit, he eventually gave information away on Abu after a few weeks. Further proof of the validity of the claim came a year later when Hassan Ghul was arrested and interrogated at a CIA "Black Site" the information gathered through these EIP sessions resulted in the knowledge that Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti was a vital link to the wherabouts of Osama Bin Laden. Abu Faraj al-Libi, the man who replaced Khalid Muhammad was captured in 2005 and again after EIP gave more information on Al-Kuwaiti.
After more CIA officers entered Afghanistan and Pakistan the identity of Al-Kuwaiti was confirmed as Sheikh Abu Ahmed, and the National Security Agency, began wiretapping his phonecalls. By 2009 a rough area where Ahmed was operating in was established and according to Pakistani Officials the ISI (Pakistani version of the CIA) began to gather more information. In July and August 2010 NSA agents followed Ahmed to Peshwar and into the compound where Osama was found. CIA cheif Leon Panetta briefed the senior members of the Obama government.
What followed were plans to find out if Osama was in the compound and the best way to capture him. 3 options including a special forces assault and a B2 missile strike were considered. By March 2011, members of the United States Navy Warfare development group (DEVGRU, or commonly known as SEAL team 6) began preparations for an assault.
At 0800 EST President Obama gave the authorisation to launch the attack, around 0100 pakistan time the US assault forces stormed the compound, One of the helicopters developed a fault and landed in the compound, unloading the troops. As the SEALs made their way through the compound 3 men were killed, Osama was found on the 3rd floor and according to White house sources "resisted arrest" Osama was shot twice with the call sign "Geronimo EKIA" (Enemy Killed in Action) The worlds most wanted man was dead.
His body was loaded into one of the other helicopters (which turns out was a previously unknown type) and flown to Bagram airbase where post mortem and DNA samples collected. He was then flown to the USS Carl Vinson and according to Islamic traditions buried at sea, a move which has angered many.
Although the US has claimed he was killed there are many who simply don't believe this. President Obama has said the "gruesome" photo will not be released incase it inflames tensions, but the video of the funeral may be released at a later date. However there is a strong chance the photo will be released, either intentionally or "leaked"