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What role did the Central Intelligence Agency have in the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011?
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Central Intelligence Agency
Seal of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) played a critical, multifaceted role in the 2011 operation that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.312
The agency’s involvement included:
- Intelligence Gathering: Following years of patient analysis, CIA operatives identified a courier, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, in 2010. By tracking him, they discovered the compound in Abbottabad and developed the suspicion that bin Laden was residing there.3
- Operational Command: The mission was conducted by a team of Navy SEALs acting under the direct command of the CIA.1
- Tactical Support: During the raid, CIA operatives on the ground cut power to the neighborhood to facilitate the assault.2
While the SEAL Team 6 personnel executed the physical raid, the operation was the culmination of the CIA's long-term intelligence efforts and its strategic oversight of the mission.312