Bin Laden 'unarmed' when shot

04 May 2011 | 06:15:59 AM| Source: AFP

bin_laden_house_b_110503_aap_907393895

The compound where Bin Laden was reportedly living. (AAP)

Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was shot dead by US special forces, but he tried to resist and there was a "volatile firefight", the White House said on Tuesday.

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The revelation, likely to stoke anger in parts of the Muslim world, came from President Barack Obama's spokesman Jay Carney as he provided the most detailed account yet of the Sunday night raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

"In the room with bin Laden, a women - bin Laden's wife - rushed the US assaulter and was shot in the leg but not killed. Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed," Carney said.

The elite Navy SEALs came in on two helicopters.

"The team methodically cleared the compound moving from room to room in an operation lasting nearly 40 minutes," Carney said.

After media reports quoting officials describing it as a "kill operation", the White House spokesman was pressed hard to explain the apparent contradiction that bin Laden was unarmed but also resisted.

"We were prepared to capture him if that was possible," Carney said, without providing a clear explanation. "We expected a great deal of resistance and were met with a great deal of resistance."

When a journalist insisted: "He wasn't armed," Carney replied: "But there were many other people who were armed in the compound. There was a firefight."

"But not in that room," the journalist pressed.

"It was a highly volatile firefight. I'll point you to the department of defence for more details about it," Carney said.

In addition to the bin Laden family, two other families resided in the compound: one on the first floor of the bin Laden building and another in a second building,

"Of the 22 or so people in the room, 17 or so of them were
noncombatants," Carney said.

The SEALs split into two: one team entering the bin Laden house on the first floor and working its way up to the third floor where the al-Qaeda chief was, while the other team cleared the second
building.

"On the first floor of bin Laden's building, two al-Qaeda couriers were killed along with a woman who was killed in cross-fire," Carney said.

"Bin Laden and his family were found on the second and third floor of the building. There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and indeed he resisted."

After the firefight, the "non-combatants were moved to a safe location as the damaged helicopter was detonated," Carney said.

"The team departed the scene via helicopter to the USS Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea."

The White House spokesman also described the sea burial of bin Laden, which has been criticised as going against Islamic tradition by certain Muslim leaders.

"Aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the burial of bin Laden was done in conformance with Islamic precepts and practices," he said. "The deceased's body was washed and then placed in a white sheet.

"The body was placed in a weighted bag; a military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker," he continued.

"After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, and the deceased body eased into the sea."
 

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05 May 2011 20:57 AEST

Ben

From: Woodonga

Rumour

Rumour has it a stealth helicopter was shot down by one of bin ladens aids with a rocket launcher resulting in 16 US troop casualties ,but you wont see that on CNN just hero obamas 17 percent approval rating hike

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

05 May 2011 11:28 AEST

Lara

From: Sydney

The truth be told!

Would justice have prevailed if ObL was taken alive...I think not! With all his lies a legal loophole would have been found. Perhaps the seals should have sat down for a cuppa with him to discuss the matter before shooting him in the head. He chose the way he was to die when he chose his vocation in life.

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (3 people disagree)
 

05 May 2011 1:21 AEST

Jimbo

From: Brisvegas

Add close to another million unarmed civilian deaths in afghanistan and Iraq

Does that make it right?no!!all these deaths and needless and uncalled for and whoever and where ever they occur they are the responsibility of greedy selfish power hungry men and women in Canberra,Washington, Islamabad, the deserts and hills of the middle east or anywhere else on the planet. One of the people give an order and innocent people die needless and pointless deaths and the truth is continually hidden from us, then people who try to tell it are the one's that are the criminals! WRONG!

Agree (4 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 19:25 AEST

Ron

From: Gold Coast

USA! USA! USA!

5..4..3..2..1.. and there we go. All the usual suspects come out to have whinge about those bad Americans bumping off that misunderstood Osama. How nice it is for you to pass judgement on professional military personel from the safety of your armchairs and cafe's. Do I believe he is dead? Yep. Am I glad? U betcha. If I had been in the US I would have cheered right along side those crowds. Oh, and Mona, what were they supposed to use to kill the mongrel? Bad language? Latte froth?

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (6 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 16:23 AEST

Sam

From: Melbourne

who cares

Focus on a real threat/monster, bin Laden is nothing compared to that of Kim Jong-il.

Agree (0 people agree)
Disagree (2 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 14:54 AEST

HG

From: Melbourne

leaked video/pic

Now we really need Julian Assange and his crew to leak a video or pic!! At the moment it all smells a bit like a cover up. How can the White House think that in this 21st Century world of instant tweets and saturation imaging that we wouldn't be interested in seeing any visual "proof"? Not even the burial at sea? We just have to take their word for it? Their word isn't exactly the paradigm of truth is it? Their track record for the truth, shall we say, is a bit tainted. Let's see what's coming..

Agree (4 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 12:38 AEST

John

From: Perth

Not the End

The US should stop disclosing details of the mission as they still have to capture many other terrorists. They still have to work with a lying, wicked and cunning Pakistani government. It is obvious that Pakistan was harbouring Osama. To Pakistan, Osama was worth more alive than dead as it has been receiving billions of dollars in aid from the West. The battle has been won but the war still goes on!

Agree (2 people agree)
Disagree (4 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 12:32 AEST

Nick Campbell

From: Sydney

Logic

I know of nearly 3000 other people who were unarmed.

Agree (3 people agree)
Disagree (5 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 11:23 AEST

Mona

From: Australia

Such Pleasure

Americans so love their guns

Agree (6 people agree)
Disagree (1 people disagree)
 

04 May 2011 9:04 AEST

Jimbo

From: Brisvegas

I wonder why he was killed and not taken alive?

Where does the US stop? shooting an unarmed prisoner/suspect to hide the truth? Put him on trial make him stand before the world and prove what he has done. That is justice and he should have been held accountable. All this shows is more suspicion surrounding the US and 9/11. Justice is not at the end of a M-16 and never will be it is dicovering the truth . I WILL MOURN THE LIVES OF THOSE LOST IN NYC & AFGHANISTAN &IRAQ BUT I WILL NEVER CELEBRATE THE LOSS OF ANYONES LIFE.

Agree (19 people agree)
Disagree (7 people disagree)
 
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