Following the publication of an anonymous profile of O'Neill in Esquire magazine, questions were raised on SOFREP about whether, in the heat of battle, O'Neill had really been responsible for the lethal shots. Because this version of events differs from the account that the White House and other U.S. officials have given, Adm. William McRaven, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command personally went back to the head of Team Six to examine the contradicting claims. In going public, O'Neill joins fellow Team Sixer Matt Bissonnette who wrote an unauthorized best-selling book about the raid called "No Easy Day," under a fake name. ONeills behavior prompted his superiors to counsel him that the operation was classified, the former official said. The Daily Beast. He has reported from Afghanistan, Pakistan and several countries in the Middle East, focusing on terrorism, war and intelligence. O'Neill's father says he cannot understand the fuss. There was no mention of money going to charity. Hear about special editorial projects, new product information, and upcoming events. A selection of the most viewed stories this week on the Monitor's website. But deciding to speak publicly may surprise some. Their marital status is now unclear. 1 best-seller. O'Neill, who is 38, from Butte, Montana, is a highly decorated veteran who retired after 17 years in the forces. Former US Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill, identified in news accounts as the member of SEAL Team Six who killed Osama bin Laden. However, I believe that SOCOM, JSOC, and WARCOM will become stronger as a result. In August 2011, a New Yorker article quoted an unnamed counterterrorism official in describing the shooting. O'Neill was a member of SEAL Team Six, which undertook the raid that killed bin Laden in 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan. It was his youngest wife, Amal.'. We . Former Team Six member Matt Bissonnette, who wrote a bestseller under a pseudonym about shooting bin Laden, is about to publish his second book about being a Navy SEAL. Weve known about him for a long time. The decision of O'Neill to go public and speak at length will prompt fresh examination of that version of events, in which the SEAL said that 'The Shooter', now known to be O'Neill, had fired the first,non-fatal shot at bin Laden and that other SEALs finished him off. His lawyer Robert D Luskin insists the speeches were not controversial and says he expects the investigation to be resolved 'favorably'. He donated his SEAL uniform to the museum's collection after the meeting, which was arranged by Carolyn Maloney, a Democratic member of the House of Representatives for New York. You know what we do? You can say, POTUS said this and POTUS said that, but you and I dont know what was or was not classified. Born and raised in US. I say I'll paint a big target on my front door and say come and get us. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. SOFREP, a news and community site run by a former Navy SEAL, broke the news of O'Neill's identity, ahead of planned interviews with the Washington Post and Fox News, in which he was to go public with his identity. The New Yorker piece talks about three SEALs assaulting the bedroom, and according to the official, the first SEAL in the stack sees bin Laden through the open door, fires and misses. Also, it doesnt matter if other people, especially some politicians in Washington, dont hold the same ethic. The 38-year-old O'Neill was revealed this month ahead of a televised interview to air Tuesday as the man responsible for pumping three slugs in bin Laden's head during the raid on the. It also has investigative journalists looking for really bad stuff and Hollywood clamoring to grab whatever they can of the SEAL brand. I made a personal decision to end my career early to spend more time with my children, and decided to write a memoir so my kids would have something to look back on later in life. And again, why would ONeill engage UBL point blank in the face, after visually identifying him, when SOFREP has heard from insiders (and a few bar girls in Virginia Beach apparently) that the mission brief was to NOT shoot UBL in the head in order to preserve facial recognition. ONeill told Esquire that ultimately there were many more wounds on the body than the ones he inflicted. 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. 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. In a letter to past and present SEALs, Force Master Chief Michael. (Enemy Killed in Action). The account doesnt mention what the third SEAL did. The encounter with bin Laden takes about 15 seconds, and only two men, ONeill and the point man, are in the room. Letters of reprimand, which are damaging to Naval careers, were sent to all seven. He went on to explain how he would go about rescuing Americans who are still in Kabul. I worry this is becoming a slippery slope and it puts them in danger. 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. On Oct. 31, Rear Adm. John Kirby cited the final lines of the finished report to deny that the Pentagon had provided any sensitive information to Zero Dark Thirty filmmakers. This turns an honorable and historically significant operation into a circus sideshow. A Tale of Two SEALs - NBC News. I dont want to touch that.'. ONeill is never named in the story, but hes called the Shooter. The first line says, The man who shot and killed Osama bin Laden sat in a wicker chair in my backyard. (Three retired members of SEAL Team Six have confirmed to NBC News that ONeill is the shooter in the Esquire article.). All Rights Reserved. glennwood elementary school Top Bar. No doubt Fox News will try to pin him down on this point in its two-part interview with ONeill to be aired this coming week. Follow NBC News Investigations on Twitter and Facebook. Bissonnette was disciplined in November 2012 for sharing classified information with the makers of the popular video game Medal of Honor: Warfighter. After SOFREP reported on ONeills coming out party (dont shoot the messenger) on Fox news, SOFREP opted out of the UBL Shooter drama. where is matt bissonnette now. He told NBC News: 'Two different people telling two different stories for two different reasons. Robert O'Neill, the former SEAL identified in several news accounts as the "shooter" who fired the fatal shot to bin Laden's head at close range, now says "it doesn't matter" who did so. The SEAL feared the woman was wearing a suicide vest. -- Courtney Kube contributed reporting to this story. His second book, No Hero, comes out next week. These are false statements. Personal life [ edit] This is nonsense. 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. In Wednesday's segment, O'Neill said he encountered bin Laden after. Before I turned over the Editor-in-Chief position to Jack Murphy, I did my best to warn them about bad things we heard on the street as it related to the main stream news press. So, how much is Robert J. O'Neill worth at the age of 45 years of age. Ive never told anyone this until now. Robert signed a movie deal based on his biography in 2019. Robert James O'Neill, n le 10 avril 1976 Butte dans le Montana [1], est un ancien militaire et consultant-confrencier amricain. Maybe it has worked partially, maybe not. 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. Bissonnette's lawyer, Robert Luskin, acknowledged Thursday that Bissonnette for some time had been under criminal investigation by both the Naval Criminal Investigation Service and the Justice Department for possible violations of a U.S. espionage law because he did not seek official clearance before publishing his book. Both men now face scorn from some brother SEALs. Along with Air Force Combat Controller John A. Chapman, Slabinski led a team of operators up the 10,000-foot snowy peak on a daring rescue mission. And they come out and say things. But the row is now set to become ugly and high-profile. contact customer service I dont want to touch that.. There was no autopsy, and he was buried at sea following traditional Islamic procedures to prevent any burial site from becoming a place for would-be militants to gather. Former Navy SEAL Rob O'Neill was part of the raid and he says he was the one who fired the deadly shot. Who Fired the Shot That Killed Osama bin Laden. Some Republicans charged that the Obama administration had provided secret access to the filmmakers. How do we know it was Robert O'Neil and not Mark Owens (Matt Bissonnette) who shot bin Laden? Retired navy SEAL says he killed Osama bin Laden. 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. I don't want to touch that." [deleted] 5 yr. ago [removed] RedditRolledClimber 5 yr. ago My oldest son was born November 30th 2001 while I was deployed to Afghanistan with SEAL Team 3 ECHO platoon. Support Veteran Journalism . But the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team Six who was the shooter is causing considerable public debate within the SEAL community. 'All members exposed to classified information have a duty obligation to protect this information, regardless of what may be reflected in the media, accurately or otherwise. Do you want exemplary behavior within the SOF community or do you want them to measure themselves with the same yard stick used to measure some politicians and their poor behavior? Ive lost two close friends (and teammates) because of his false statements. Already a subscriber? ), Ex-SEAL Matthew Bissonnette Probed Over Book on Bin Laden Raid, Exclusive: Mole Who Met Bin Laden Killed by Al Qaeda in Bosnia, Six Potential Al Qaeda Leaders Killed Since Bin Laden Raid, According to the Esquire story, when asked by an Obama administration official which SEAL had shot bin Laden, ONeill responded, We all did it., That response was in line with the SEAL code, and won him goodwill with fellow SEALs. All evidence that Im aware of points to the UBL mission as being a compartmentalized Special Access Program. Yes, Im a bit puzzled by Bissonettes statements but it speaks to his character in my opinion, and the current situation he finds himself in. After participating in May 2011's Operation Neptune Spear with SEAL Team Six, O'Neill was the subject of controversy for claiming to be the sole individual to kill Osama bin Laden . But O'Neill's and Bissonnette's decisions to go public with their role violates the SEALs' tenets and irritates many in the military. '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. Navy SEALs are meant to keep quiet about their deadly missions around the world. Unlikely. 25/ fev. He has said he was advised by counsel that it was not required. To suggest that I or anyone on this site is responsible for Bissonettes criminal investigation is ludicrous. 'We will actively seek judicial consequence for members who willfully violate the law, and place our Teammates, our Families, and potential future operations at risk.'. "Whatever he [O'Neill] says, he says. 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 . 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