Navy SEAL who killed bin Laden 15 years ago today recalls the mission and the 9/11 motivation: ‘I just shot that f–ker in the face’
Robert O'Neill, the former Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden, recalled the 2011 raid 15 years later, describing the mission's intensity and his personal motivations tied to 9/11. He expressed regret that bin Laden was buried at sea rather than brought to justice publicly. O'Neill emphasized the team's dedication to the victims of the attacks, not personal glory.
- ▪Robert O'Neill was a member of Navy SEAL Team Six and participated in Operation Neptune Spear.
- ▪The mission took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after weeks of secret preparation and rehearsals.
- ▪One of the Black Hawk helicopters crashed during the raid, complicating the operation.
- ▪O'Neill stated the team was motivated by the victims of 9/11, including passengers on Flight 93 and those who died in the World Trade Center.
- ▪Bin Laden was shot with three rounds to the head and later buried at sea by US forces.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News Navy Seal who killed bin Laden 15 years ago today recalls the mission and the 9/11 motivation: ‘I just shot that f–ker in the face’ By David Spector Published May 2, 2026, 7:55 a.m. ET The former US Navy SEAL who fatally shot Osama bin Laden has only one regret: the al Qaeda monster he killed with three shots to the head was buried at sea. “I would have hung him from a bridge in New York City,” and let the locals deal with him, Robert O’Neill told The Post. Here the retired Team Six member offers The Post’s David Spector a riveting blow-by-blow account of Operation Neptune Spear, which unfolded 15 years ago today at bin Laden’s secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. He also reveals the heroic operators’ 9/11 motivations.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at US News – Latest Breaking Headlines, Photos & Videos | New York Post.
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