Twitter Is None Too Impressed With CIA's Retro-Tweets On Osama Raid

On 1 May, 2011, US special forces carried out an operation to attack the residence of then Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan. They succeeded in killing the terrorist mastermind, bringing to an end a decade-long man-hunt.

On the fifth anniversary of this raid, the CIA took the controversial step of live-tweeting the entire raid, reconstructing it tweet by tweet as if it were happening in real time.

To mark the 5th anniversary of the Usama Bin Ladin operation in Abbottabad we will tweet the raid as if it were happening today.#UBLRaid

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

The raid started with the approval of top officials, including the President of the United States.

1:25 pm EDT-@POTUS, DCIA Panetta, & JSOC commander Admiral McRaven approve execution of op in Abbottabad.#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/YhvuJVrMVc

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

Two helicopters left Afghanistan, but one of them crashed. The operation still continued.

3:30 pm EDT - 2 helicopters descend on compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. 1 crashes, but assault continues without delay or injury#UBLRaid

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

3:30 pm EDT - @POTUS watches situation on ground in Abbottabad live in Situation Room#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/59KPF7eUTr

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

3:39 pm EDT - Usama Bin Ladin found on third floor and killed#UBLRaid

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

The CIA tweeted other details, including pictures, maps and the plan of the house Bin Laden was staying in.

Daring #UBLRaid was an IC team effort & in close collaboration with our military partners.https://t.co/rklCIRLlgF pic.twitter.com/xZObdGeqPR

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

Features
High walls/barbed wire
Double entry gates
No internet/phone connection
Trash burned not collected#UBLRaid pic.twitter.com/KyPIFPxA4d

— CIA (@CIA) May 1, 2016

While the capturing of Osama Bin Laden’s compound was touted as a proud moments for the US, a lot of Twitter users rolled their eyes at the re-enactment.

Any spy agency worth its salt doesn't brag or seek attention. Retrolive tweeting a raid seems to be opposite the mission. #UBLRaid @cia

— Mat Chavez (@matchavez) May 2, 2016

@CIA This is grotesque and embarrassing. You should fire your web team.

— Hank Single (@Hanksingle) May 1, 2016

In 2011, a resident of Abbottabad named Shoaib Athar (@ReallyVirtual) unknowingly live-tweeted the raid in a series of tweets that went viral all over the world. The IT consultant was tweeting about rather unusual activities that were taking place in the town that night.



In 2012, a Hollywood movie based on the raid was released; Zero Dark Thirty earned positive reviews in general.






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