Allegations About Bin Laden Raid Delay
A former U.S. Navy SEAL alleged on Monday that then-President Barack Obama ordered a delay in the raid to capture al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by a day, apparently to avoid missing the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
SEAL Team 6 successfully carried out the operation on May 2, 2011, at bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Matt Bissonnette shared details from his book *No Easy Day* during an interview on “The Sean Ryan Show.” He pointed out that the previous day was significant for Obama.
When asked why a helicopter crashed during the mission, Bissonnette responded that it was essential to consider the events in Washington, D.C., just before the raid. Ryan seemed unsure about the particulars. Bissonnette reminded him it was indeed the night of the Correspondents’ Dinner and revealed that the president requested, “Hey, guys, can you push this to the right for a day? I want to get a shot at my dinner.”
The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to President Obama for comment but did not get an immediate response.
In the 2011 dinner, Obama even took jabs at then-Republican candidate Donald Trump, who had been the host of “The Apprentice.”
Bissonnette noted that higher-ups approved the delay, which, unfortunately, had consequences. The weather the following day was 8 degrees warmer, affecting the helicopter’s performance during the mission.
He explained, “We got to the target area and the pilot was at full throttle and settled for power because he didn’t have enough lift to keep the helicopter in the air.” He concluded, “So why did we crash? Because President Obama needed to attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.”
Ryan, surprised, responded with, “You’re kidding,” to which Bissonnette confirmed, “That’s part of it.”
This operation marked the end of a nearly 10-year pursuit of bin Laden, who had evaded capture since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that resulted in the deaths of around 3,000 individuals. He had previously escaped from U.S. forces during the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001.
